|
Juicy History |
|
|
|
“The more I see of men, the more I like dogs!” Clara
Bow star
of the silent screen, model for the cartoon Betty Boop and with her Great Dane, "Duke." Rin-Tin-Tin
was a puppy found in a bombed-out kennel in France, brought home by an American soldier, who taught the dog many tricks.
His spunk, talent and fearless ability to perform dramatic stunts led Warner Brothers Studio to put him under contract
in 1923 and he went on to star in 24 films, he was one of the most successful dogs in the movie industry. By 1926 the German Shepherd
was so popular that it accounted for 36% of all the dogs registered with the American Kennel Club After the War, the German’s
had begun to train Shepherd’s to work as guide dogs for soldiers blinded by mustard gas attacks in World War I, in 1925
a American living in Europe, took notice of this training and wrote an article published in the Saturday Evening Post about
Seeing Eye Dogs. Morris
Frank, blind 16 year old from Tennessee, read the article and wrote to the author pleading with her to train a dog
for him. Dorothy
Harrison Eustis, eventually gave Mr. Frank his wish and established the first American guide dog program, the Seeing
Eye foundation in 1929. She wrote; “To
think that one small dog could stand for so much in the life of a human being, not only in his usual role of companion but
as his eyes, sword, and shield and buckler!” Frank
later wrote of the freedom he experienced with his guide dog “It was glorious, just the dog and a leather strap linking
me to life!” Stubby,
a Pit Bull snuck aboard the USS Minnesota by a soldier on his way to War, fought bravely beside the 102nd infantry
in the trenches of France in World War I. Stubby would warn soldiers of gas attacks, incoming artillery
and once captured a German spy, he saved hundreds of lives. His loyalty and courage inspired many.
He was the most decorated dog in military history. Stubby delighted President Woodrow Wilson with
his trick of saluting! Dogs have been popular with Royalty for centuries, but it was HRH Queen Victoria who became
a trend-setting machine, reigning for a record-breaking 63 years, Victoria as her family, before and after, was a devoted
dog lover. The
Queens love of dogs was well known and she was “gifted” many unique and rare breeds from around the world, at
one point during Victoria’s reign, there were 35 different breeds in the royal kennel. Victoria’s son King Edward
VII had a terrier named Caesar, with a collar that read, “I am Caesar, I belong to the King.” In
1910, at the death of his master, the dog was said to be inconsolable and walked behind his master’s coffin in the funeral
procession. Evelyn Walsh McLean, wealthy Washingtonian, with her two Affenpinschers
and wearing the famous "Hope" diamond, the largest blue diamond in the world (model for the "Heart of the Ocean"
from the movie Titanic) McLean wore the diamond constantly and when she wasn't wearing it she would let her dog
wear it. Freud’s notes on these interactions, detailed in his diaries, form
the basis of modern day, pet assisted therapy. Richard Byrd, In 1928, American polar explorer, set out on an expedition
of Antarctica, he took a new breed of dog, the Chinook, and their breeder Arthur Walden was hired as sled driver for the expedition.
Byrd wrote of the dogs: "Had it not been for the dogs, our attempts to conquer the
Antarctic would have ended in failure. On January 17th, Walden's single team of thirteen dogs moves 3,500 pounds of supplies
from ship to base, a distance of 16 miles each trip, in two journeys. Walden's team was the backbone of our transport.
Byrd also took his fox terrier, “Igloo” with him on his expeditions. Serum
Run In January 1925,
a deadly outbreak of Diphtheria hit Nome Alaska, icebound and closed off from the outside world. Twenty
of Alaska’s best mushers raced the serum over 674 miles from Nenana to Nome. Each of the mushers
averaging 30 to 40 miles, with William Shannon, his team led by “Blackie” starting the run traveling 58 miles
in 40 below temperatures, and ending with Gunnar Kaasen traveling the last 53 miles led by his dog “Balto” It was Leanard
Seppala, and his team, led by the 12 year old Siberian Husky, “Togo” who traveled a staggering 134 miles
of the most hazardous terrain of the run in subfreezing temperatures with gale force winds causing a wind chill of –80
below. The world listened on the radio as the serum was finally delivered in 5 days and 6 hours, it became
known as the “Serum Run” and is now celebrated by the running of the Iditerod. The Gangster’s impact In
1927, interested in a gambling venue, Al Capone opened one of the countries first dog tracks in Chicago,
bringing racing breeds to the country. Pal the
Wonder Dog starred as “Tige” in the Buster Brown series before he began his work as “Petey” in the “Our
Gang” comedies during the 1920’s & Notable dog owners of the 1920’s Gloria Swanson,
one of the highest paid actresses of the 1920’s and her dog.
|
|||||||||
The ordeal was, apparently (see below), intriguing, so...we are pleased
to present: The phenomenon
of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight", a teen romance novel, now a record-breaking movie, seems to have rendered teenage girls hysterical. The current object of the hysteria is British actor Robert Pattinson, who plays an alluring teenage Vampire, the lead character in the movie. To date, Mr. Pattinson seems to be handling the "fanpire-mania" with a wide-eyed humility. Research Findings:
"Twilight" (book 1) and the movie have a steamy, suck-you-into-it type of appeal.
A handsome and sensitive young Vampire filled with inner angst, falls in love with a girl who isn't afraid of him.
Lots of yearning & lusting, no sex (the two species don't mesh that way) and more yearning and lusting. Reading all four books over Thanksgiving, kept me busy and from buying cat food, for which I tried to remedy by mixing dog
food with a can of salmon that I've had in my cupboard since my Atkins eating ex-husband last stayed over, (the cats were not pleased with my concoction.) By
the middle of the last book - I felt awkwardness in reading some of Meyer's writing, but, all in all, if she's got
25 million teens with their noses in four-500 to 800 page books, does it matter if it's not going to win the
Pulitzer? I like that she came up with the idea in a dream and had it rejected 14 times before it was published! I will probably read book 5, "Midnight Sun" when it comes out. (When I can pry it
out of the hands of my not-so-little one.) Melissa Rosenberg did a really great job of adapting the book to a movie * Seems as if she just wrote a book - no motives. The History of Female Hysteria: Before the vampiric allure of Robert Pattinson: Female Hysteria hit Leonardo DiCaprio like the massive iceberg that sunk the Titanic, about which a blockbuster movie was made, he the star and in 1997 the total, unequivocal
focus of teenage hysteria, world-wide. Dubbed Leo-mania,
this hysteria left poor Mr. DiCaprio lacking in any freedom whatsoever. Fans bought every news printed on him, the photographers price on his head grew
to astounding rates. He lived in a fishbowl for a number of years. He seems
to have willingly given the "heartthrob" hat to anyone who will take it. There
were others: Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson, David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, The Beatles.... Tracing Female Hysteria
of the 20th century to its roots, we find: Why and How - Background: Growing up an only child, extremely poor, with an alcoholic father and compulsively religious and hovering mother, Elvis Presley displayed early evidence
of musical ability. He played musical instruments, guitar and piano, with no formal training and although never
learning how to read music, he was able to play a song after hearing it once. Not only did he have an ear for music,
but he could carry a tune and had an exceptional voice from early on, winning a singing contest at 5 years old. Moving to Memphis at 12 was a critical turning point in the boys life, and greatly influenced the direction of his music. He
would listen to country music on the radio, attend different church services with his mother, sometimes more than one a day
and predominantly African American with gospel choirs, and lastly he was enthralled by the Rhythm and Blues that he would hear played near his home on Beale Street. Elvis recorded Arthur Crudup's "That's alright Mama" a Rhythm & Blues song. In addition to singing a totally new type of music, Elvis had an on-stage persona,
a sensual way of singing and overly sexual manner of dancing and moving to his music that sent teenage girls into hysterics, some fainting, some crying, and all screaming. Many adults of the
generation were horrified at what they considered inappropriate and overtly sexual behavior. Elvis was vilified by the press and outraged parents, all ignored by the millions of adoring teenagers
who were oblivious to anything but how they loved his music. In the Victorian age, Female Hysteria was accepted as a common medical condition, to which
women were thought more susceptible. There were many
weird and wild treatments to this "disorder." The most interesting of them being "pelvic massage" a treatment
which would be conducted by a physician. The strict Puritan environment of the 17thcentury Massachusetts is thought to have led some teenage girls of the time into fits of hysteria. These fits were found (after a trial by jury) to come from the practice of Witchcraft, a capital offence, and punishable by death. Galen, a prominent Roman physician to the Gladiators, practiced under the belief that female hysteria
was caused by sexual deprivation, the prescription being intercourse, if the patient was married and manual stimulation (by
mid-wife) if the patient was single. Well...doesn't it all make sense now! Dear Rob, Congratulations on your success, your portrayal of a handsome vampire has left us all hot and bothered.
I've done my best to explain the phenomenon of Female Hysteria, I really do hope it helps. I feel I must apologize for the baby handed to you from a crowd, by
the mother who wanted you to bite him! And the Hollywood horribles insisting that you straighten your teeth before making the movie (American hang-up.) Since you have already signed on for the Twilight sequels, I believe that your recent talk show
boasts of "poor personal hygiene" and claims to not wash your coveted wavy locks for "weeks" on end,
is a protective ruse, to send the screaming hordes elsewhere. Your secret is safe with us. Yours, Juicy History Ps - Not to harp - but please, please tell us that it is really product in your hair ~ Juicy History is reminded of some overly pungent Civil War reenactors craving realism by not bathing for weeks-Ugh! Again - I know it's an American hang-up, but for the love of Christ WASH YOUR HAIR!
Coming soon |
|
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
Sir Ernest Shackleton, Famous Irish explorer of the Antarctic, and his meteorologist, Leonard Hussey with “Sampson”
one of Shackleton’s famous sled pulling dogs.
1930’s.
Ginger baby
Gingerbread houses can be traced back to the 1800's, when Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, German
brothers wrote Hansel & Gretel, in the story the children, abandoned by their parents, find an beautiful
ediable house made of ginger in the woods, and start nibbling...unfortunately a 
Just when these truths leave one in deep despair over the direction of our great nation...a glimmer of edible 
magical
Other... culinary fascinations show up in the form of a holiday ginger masterpiece,
And of course what else would a devoted 
Amazingly, our journey through the history of Ginger, takes us back to England and it's most
patriotic citizen:
and 
The style and manner that Elvis sang and played 
