Funny President Facts Video

Funny President Facts

This is mildy amusing and short. Someone may enjoy it. Nothing I had not read about before with the exception of Ronald Reagan seeing a UFO. I knew Carter had seen one but Reagan was new.

Poll: Which president was least loyal to his party or campaign promises after being elected?

The poll has closed for the question, "Which president was least loyal to his party or campaign promises after being elected?" Thanks to all who participated by voting.

The current President Bush was the winner with 39%. Bill Clinton was a close second with 30%. President Wilson was third with 14%. Thomas Jefferson and FDR were fourth and fifth with 8% and 7%. Thanks to Inner Prop for the poll suggestion.

These polls are a popular feature at this blog. However, it is also a pain to think up a new question every week. Starting with the new poll, I am going to let each one run fourteen days instead of seven. As always, feel free to post a comment if you have a suggestion for a poll.

Apparent clue to JFK death likely a fake. Or is it?

A new trove of material related to the Kennedy Assissination has been made available to the public. Included in this batch is an apparent transcript of a possible conversation between Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby two months before the murder of Kennedy. Details can be found at Apparent clue to JFK death likely a fake, DA's office says.

Do not get too excited. It looks like the transcript is actually an attempt at a movie script. The transcript was found in the same safe with a movie contract signed by former Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade.

"The fact that it's sitting in Henry Wade's file, and he didn't do anything, indicates he thought it wasn't worth anything," Curator Gary Mack of the Sixth Floor Museum said. "He probably kept it because it was funny. It's hilarious. It's like a bad B movie."

"It's not real. Crooks don't talk like that," Terri Moore said. "If that transcript is true, then history is changed because Oswald and Ruby were talking about assassinating the president."

Of course, if you believe in a conspiracy, maybe the transcript is real. Perhaps they (whoever "they" are) just want us to believe the transcript is fake. I think though that destroying the transcript if it was real would have been much easier. Wouldn't "they" have had plenty of time to have shredded this document? It must be a fake. If not...

Tips from Washington's self-help manual

As a teen, George Washington copied a 16th century self-help book written by Jesuit priests. The future president copied all 110 tips into a notebook. An article by David Holzel titled Tips from Washington's self-help manual has the details.

Here are a few of the tips:

- Kill no vermin, as fleas, lice, ticks etc., in the sight of others. If you see any filth or thick spittle put your foot dexterously upon it, if it be upon the clothes of your companions put it off privately, and if it be upon your own clothes return thanks to him who puts it off.

- In company of those of higher quality than you, speak not till you are ask'd a question, then stand upright, put off your hat, and answer in few words.

- Make no show of taking great delight in your victuals. Feed not with greediness. Eat your bread with a knife (i.e. cut it into small pieces), lean not on the table, neither find fault with what you eat.

- Shew not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy.

TR and "In God We Trust"

I was recently checking trivia facts off a Teddy Roosevelt site (a bad one so I'm not sharing the link) for one of my classes. One of the random facts was that the TR was against the use of "In God We Trust" on coins. I found this interesting because of all the hype in recent years about this motto and so did some research. I found a New York Times article from 1907 that reports on this issue. TR was against the use of the motto on coins because he felt was sacrilegious and cheapened the motto.

Happy President's Day Eve!

My nine year old son said to me today, "Happy President's Day Eve!"

I should not have been surprised. He is big on holidays. He looks at the calendar every day. Every holiday noted, no matter how obscure, gets mentioned in this house. As a librarian, I get lots of free calendars from vendors. Many are from overseas and I have had to explain what Boxing Day and New Zealand Independence Day are to him in the past. No holiday gets past him if it is on the calendar.

Recently, he has been noting the eve of each holiday. He recently was excited about Groundhog Day Eve and Valentines Day Eve. I guess since Christmas Eve and New Years Eve get noted every year, why not the other days too? It makes sense to him.

This is cute but I am going to have to draw a line eventually. There will be no Arbor Day Eve in this house!

So, happy President's Day Eve everyone. May your festivities be worthy of all the Presidents who have served this nation.