Please tell your friends about our blog. Thanks!
You Are Visitor Number
The Deadly Dare
In 2010 Sam Ballard, a 20-year-old aspiring Australian rugby player, was at a party with friends. He was dared to swallow a live slug from the garden, and Sam took the dare. His friends later said he seemed unaffected because he didn't get sick or act any differently after swallowing the slug.
A few days after swallowing the slug, Sam started getting pains in his legs. He was vomiting and he complained of dizziness. His family took him to the hospital where he only got worse and worse. After doctors ran tests, it turned out that it wasn't just any old slug that he swallowed.
This one had a parasite called rat lungworm which the slug probably picked up from eating rat droppings.
Rat lungworm infection can progress into bacterial meningitis, causing symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nausea, weird sensations in arms and legs, brain damage and, eventually, paralysis.
Within a few hours after arriving at the hospital, Sam lapsed into a coma. He was placed in a nursing home because he required 24/7 care. While in a coma, Australia's National Disability Insurance cut off his benefits.
His family took his story to the media and they requested donations to pay for his care. The donations trickled in. When Sam finally woke up from coma 420 days later, he learned his career aspirations to be a rugby player were crushed because he was permanently paralyzed from the neck down.
After much media publicity, the Australian government reversed their decision but they only approved him for half the money of what his previous benefit had been.
After 8 years of dealing with seizures, infections, paralysis, pressure sores and other symptoms, Sam Ballard died on November 2, 2018, at age 28.
Your takeaways from this story:
1 - Teach your children to use common sense when accepting a dare.
2 - If the dare calls for eating something that isn't on your regular diet, don't do it.
3 - Never eat, swallow or handle anything that could be carrying a parasite - like slugs, snails, land crabs, freshwater shrimp, or frogs to name a few.
4 - Don't eat or handle vegetables that are grown in a slug's environment.
5 - Wash your hands often if you come into contact with any of the above mentioned.
6 - Inspect your eating utensils and make sure they are thoroughly clean when they have been in contact with frogs, snails, slugs, etc.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/11/05/young-rugby-player-ate-slug-mates-dare-now-hes-dead
The boys who dared Sam
https://www.mamamia.com.au/sam-ballards-life-changed-after-slug/
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
 |
| Slugs are not meant to be eaten |
A few days after swallowing the slug, Sam started getting pains in his legs. He was vomiting and he complained of dizziness. His family took him to the hospital where he only got worse and worse. After doctors ran tests, it turned out that it wasn't just any old slug that he swallowed.
This one had a parasite called rat lungworm which the slug probably picked up from eating rat droppings.
Rat lungworm infection can progress into bacterial meningitis, causing symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nausea, weird sensations in arms and legs, brain damage and, eventually, paralysis.
Within a few hours after arriving at the hospital, Sam lapsed into a coma. He was placed in a nursing home because he required 24/7 care. While in a coma, Australia's National Disability Insurance cut off his benefits.
His family took his story to the media and they requested donations to pay for his care. The donations trickled in. When Sam finally woke up from coma 420 days later, he learned his career aspirations to be a rugby player were crushed because he was permanently paralyzed from the neck down.
After much media publicity, the Australian government reversed their decision but they only approved him for half the money of what his previous benefit had been.
 |
| On the left, Sam Ballard at present day. On the right, Sam Ballard during his heyday. |
After 8 years of dealing with seizures, infections, paralysis, pressure sores and other symptoms, Sam Ballard died on November 2, 2018, at age 28.
Your takeaways from this story:
1 - Teach your children to use common sense when accepting a dare.
2 - If the dare calls for eating something that isn't on your regular diet, don't do it.
3 - Never eat, swallow or handle anything that could be carrying a parasite - like slugs, snails, land crabs, freshwater shrimp, or frogs to name a few.
4 - Don't eat or handle vegetables that are grown in a slug's environment.
5 - Wash your hands often if you come into contact with any of the above mentioned.
6 - Inspect your eating utensils and make sure they are thoroughly clean when they have been in contact with frogs, snails, slugs, etc.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/11/05/young-rugby-player-ate-slug-mates-dare-now-hes-dead
The boys who dared Sam
https://www.mamamia.com.au/sam-ballards-life-changed-after-slug/
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
Legally Married To A Dead Person
A person can legally marry a dead person in France and it's legal! This type of marriage is called a posthumous marriage or necrogamy. Similar forms of marriage are also permitted in Sudan and China.
During World War I, there were women who used a proxy to marry soldiers that had died weeks earlier. For civilians, posthumous marriage originated in the 1950's, when 400 people were killed in France after a dam broke.
André Capra was killed in the disaster and he was engaged to Iréne Jodart. Irene pleaded with French President Charles de Gaulle to let her continue with her marriage plans even though her fiancé had died. She had huge support from the media and within months, she was allowed to marry her dead fiancé.
After the dam tragedy, France’s parliament made these marriages legal with their own law and since then, literally hundreds of women have formally filed for as postmortem marriages.
As with anything, there are Rules:
1 - Anyone in France who wants to file for posthumous marriage must send a request to the President of France, who forwards it to the Justice Minister, who forwards it to the prosecutor for the surviving member’s district.
2 - If the couple had originally planned on getting married and if the family of the deceased approves, the prosecutor sends the application back to the President. One out of every four applicants for posthumous marriage is rejected.
3 - Examples of ways to legally show good intentions are for the man to have posted banns (official wedding announcements) at the local courthouse or written permission from a soldier's commanding officer.
4 - Requests also include records that show a serious cause for the marriage - such as the birth of a child or the death of the fiancé.
5 - Pregnancy alone or a letter that promises marriage is not enough, partly because such letters have a reputation for being illegitimate.
6 - The marriage date always goes back to the day before the deceased spouse died.
7 - Even if the couple were engaged and had published banns, a posthumous marriage won't automatically happen, partly because living engaged couples can (and do) change their minds at the last minute.
8 - A posthumous marriage can also be denied based on the testimony of a trustworthy individual. The judge’s role is to make sure that the paperwork has been properly filled out. The judge cannot change or question the authority of the documents.
 |
| Legally marrying the dead is called necrogamy |
During World War I, there were women who used a proxy to marry soldiers that had died weeks earlier. For civilians, posthumous marriage originated in the 1950's, when 400 people were killed in France after a dam broke.
André Capra was killed in the disaster and he was engaged to Iréne Jodart. Irene pleaded with French President Charles de Gaulle to let her continue with her marriage plans even though her fiancé had died. She had huge support from the media and within months, she was allowed to marry her dead fiancé.
After the dam tragedy, France’s parliament made these marriages legal with their own law and since then, literally hundreds of women have formally filed for as postmortem marriages.
As with anything, there are Rules:
1 - Anyone in France who wants to file for posthumous marriage must send a request to the President of France, who forwards it to the Justice Minister, who forwards it to the prosecutor for the surviving member’s district.
2 - If the couple had originally planned on getting married and if the family of the deceased approves, the prosecutor sends the application back to the President. One out of every four applicants for posthumous marriage is rejected.
3 - Examples of ways to legally show good intentions are for the man to have posted banns (official wedding announcements) at the local courthouse or written permission from a soldier's commanding officer.
4 - Requests also include records that show a serious cause for the marriage - such as the birth of a child or the death of the fiancé.
5 - Pregnancy alone or a letter that promises marriage is not enough, partly because such letters have a reputation for being illegitimate.
6 - The marriage date always goes back to the day before the deceased spouse died.
7 - Even if the couple were engaged and had published banns, a posthumous marriage won't automatically happen, partly because living engaged couples can (and do) change their minds at the last minute.
8 - A posthumous marriage can also be denied based on the testimony of a trustworthy individual. The judge’s role is to make sure that the paperwork has been properly filled out. The judge cannot change or question the authority of the documents.
Please share our posts on your Facebook so your friends can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
Miners Transportation System
 |
| Miners Transportation System Young employees taking a joy ride |
Kimberly Diamond Mine in the Northern Province of South Africa was the diamond epicenter back in 1869 until it finally shut down in 1914. Workers devised this system to transport workers to the dig site.
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thank You.
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/04/miners-transportation-system.html
Store Security
Before alarm systems, Macy's Department Store in New York City used dogs like the Doberman Pinscher to guard their premises. Known for their high pitch bark that equally matched their fierceness, they were able to scare off even the boldest trespasser.
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thank you.
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/04/store-security.html
Painting Tall Buildings
In 1926, these painters were painting the Woolworth Building in New York City. Buildings were sometimes painted to give them a more presentable appearance, but it wasn't typical to paint all of them. This practice was seen mostly among the wealthier companies.
Usually when we look up from ground level and see these guys, we know them as professional window washers hanging by a crane.
But on this day, perhaps they doubled as painters. The picture is iconic mostly because it was preserved so well and it wasn't everyday in 1926 that one saw men hanging off the side of a tall building.
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thank you.
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/04/painting-tall-buildings.html
Photographing The Dead
In the 1850s, families in Victorian England and in some parts of America, began to commission photographers to make portraits of their deceased loved ones. This came to be known as "postmortem photography."
Thanks for stopping by. Here's our link. Please share it with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/03/photographing-dead.html
Even today in the 21st century, you might see someone at a wake gingerly making their way up to the casket with their camera, hoping to snap one last picture of their loved one as they lay peacefully in their coffin.
 |
| Usually dressed in their best laying out clothes - their Sunday Best It became common practice to photograph the dead before burial using pins, tools, and clamps to prop up and hold the body in place until the portrait was taken. A Personal Story: I can remember being a young child of about 10 years old, paging through our family photo albums. I found an yellow dog-eared photograph of a newborn baby, laying in a small coffin and dressed in her christening outfit. I didn't recognize the name of the long-dead infant which was hand-printed on the back of the picture, along with the birth date and death date. At the time, I thought that it was morbid to take a picture of a dead baby to keep in photo albums. Years later when I was about 29 years old, I accompanied my fiance' to the viewing and funeral of his sister who had died with her newborn baby in a house fire. Both she and her infant lay in the same casket and he took a picture to show his grandmother who was in a nursing home. It was only then that I remembered the picture of the baby in our family photo albums when I was 10. As an adult, I knew that the parents took some comfort when they looked at the picture from time to time and that it reminded them that their baby girl really did exist long ago when years later there was nothing but the photograph to mark her place in family history.
******
Because Victorians died young and of injuries and infections that modern medicine helped abolish, there were elaborate grieving rituals to give meaning to the lives of their loved ones.
Victorians would haul their dead out of a coffin, prop them up on stands, and take a picture that were worth a thousand words. These prop stands helped corpses look alive, and allowed the living to pose with their dead family members. Or so the story goes.
In recent years, whether categorized in error or intentionally mislabeled to sell for a profit, faked postmortem photos have become widespread on the Internet.
They fill online galleries of Victorian oddities and are on Pinterest and Instagram. Some quasi-reputable websites have contributed to the myths by vouching that the photos are real.
Postmortem posing stands are similar to microphone and guitar stands. Not only were they used to prop up the dead, professional photographers used them with their live models and family portraits to help them hold still when it took ten to thirty minutes to get the exposure just right before snapping the picture.
By 1839, when the daguerreotype was invented, the longest exposures were a minute and a half. By the 1850s, they were three to eight seconds and posing stands became less in use.
Not all postmortem pictures were of dead people. Some of those people were alive and were "posed" because postmortem pictures can bring a pretty penny on both eBay and Etsy.
People are easily duped because the majority of armchair collectors are not going to consult a patent library to see how authentic the pictures are before clicking the Buy-It-Now button. The more misinformation there is online, the more likely it is that someone’s “research” will turn up myths rather than facts. |
Thanks for stopping by. Here's our link. Please share it with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/03/photographing-dead.html
The 1915 New York Subway Disaster
It was rush hour in New York City on the morning of January 6, 1915, when the worst disaster, up until that time, occurred in the underground subway system, injuring 210 people and killing one.
Insulation that was wrapped around two electrical cables which provided electric power to the midtown subway system suddenly shorted out, causing a fire and a blackout. The cables were not fireproof. Toxic smoke permeated the underground tunnels that, lacking electricity, were plunged into darkness.
Over 2500 people were trapped inside very smoky subway cars and on station platforms. Feelings of panic and desperation grew. Everyone had one objective - to get above ground to fresh air and safety.
The firemen who were working the underground part of the rescue found passengers struggling to get out of trains. However, with no electricity, passengers found it very hard to pry open the train doors. Other victims lay on the floors of the train cars having been asphyxiated from the smoke were getting trampled on.
Firemen handed people onto ladders to bring them up to street-level for emergency aid. Some victims had to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Firemen who were working at street level attempted to break through the tops of subway cars.
Firemen who were working the underground part of the rescue quickly found themselves overcome with smoke and came up to street-level to get medical aid.
As soon as they recovered, they went back to help passengers find their way out the heavy acrid smoke.
Streetside spectators in automobiles caused traffic jams as they slowed down to watch the scene.
On the street, spectators abandoned their cars to watch the firemen bring victims up to the street.
The power was restored to the underground by 4:00pm, just in time for the evening rush hour.
However, subway service was messed up for a few days until trains returned to their normal schedules.
Although there was one death, everyone agreed that this could have been a much bigger tragedy. Some armchair experts believe this disaster could have been avoided by using fireproof insulation.
But as Frank Hedley, general manager of the Interborough Rapid Transit System said: "There is nothing known which will prevent the recurrence of short circuits. New York received a warning, the next occurrence may be a far more serious loss of life due to the same cause - suffocation. No time should be lost remedying the most serious defect - lack of suitable ventilation at all times."
Here are the headlines of some of the newspapers who covered the story. The New York Times recapped the story the next day, January 7, 1915, then sort of downplayed it after the crisis was over and services were restored.
The Evening World reported that experts were brought in to remove all perils from the tunnel to prevent another subway disaster.
The Star Independent reported that preparations were being made to dynamite the streets to let air into the subway tunnels.
The above video clip is an interesting 2-minute video about the origins of the New York subway. Take note of the vintage 1915's clothing as people got on and off the subway trains.
If you are really interested in history, this is a 46-minute documentary from 1994 on the History Channel about the origins and building of the New York City subway system with Roger Mudd and Jack Perkins.
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thank you.
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-1915-new-york-subway-disaster.html
 |
| The New York Times recapped the story the next day on January 7, 1915 |
Insulation that was wrapped around two electrical cables which provided electric power to the midtown subway system suddenly shorted out, causing a fire and a blackout. The cables were not fireproof. Toxic smoke permeated the underground tunnels that, lacking electricity, were plunged into darkness.
 |
| Firemen recovering from smoke inhalation January 6, 1915 |
Firemen handed people onto ladders to bring them up to street-level for emergency aid. Some victims had to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Firemen who were working at street level attempted to break through the tops of subway cars.
 |
| Breaking through the subway roof from the street January 6, 1915 |
 |
| Firemen resting on street level January 6, 1915 |
As soon as they recovered, they went back to help passengers find their way out the heavy acrid smoke.
The scene above ground was bedlam as well. Police held back the rubber-neckers - spectators - because they were pushing and shoving others and looking for relatives who rode the subway to get to their workplaces.
 |
| Crowds of spectators looking through sidewalk grills at the commotion on the subway below |
Streetside spectators in automobiles caused traffic jams as they slowed down to watch the scene.
 |
| The street scene above the subway on January 6, 1915 |
However, subway service was messed up for a few days until trains returned to their normal schedules.
Although there was one death, everyone agreed that this could have been a much bigger tragedy. Some armchair experts believe this disaster could have been avoided by using fireproof insulation.
But as Frank Hedley, general manager of the Interborough Rapid Transit System said: "There is nothing known which will prevent the recurrence of short circuits. New York received a warning, the next occurrence may be a far more serious loss of life due to the same cause - suffocation. No time should be lost remedying the most serious defect - lack of suitable ventilation at all times."
Here are the headlines of some of the newspapers who covered the story. The New York Times recapped the story the next day, January 7, 1915, then sort of downplayed it after the crisis was over and services were restored.
 |
| The New York Times January 7, 1915 with stories laying blame |
The Evening World reported that experts were brought in to remove all perils from the tunnel to prevent another subway disaster.
 |
| The Evening World headlines January 7, 1915 stirring up public fears |
The Star Independent reported that preparations were being made to dynamite the streets to let air into the subway tunnels.
 |
| The Star Independent headlines and details of one death |
The above video clip is an interesting 2-minute video about the origins of the New York subway. Take note of the vintage 1915's clothing as people got on and off the subway trains.
If you are really interested in history, this is a 46-minute documentary from 1994 on the History Channel about the origins and building of the New York City subway system with Roger Mudd and Jack Perkins.
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thank you.
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-1915-new-york-subway-disaster.html
Philippines National Flag
 |
| Philippines National Flag
The Philippines national flag is the only national flag that is flown differently during times of war and times of peace. The flag's rectangular design consists of a white equilateral triangle, which symbolizing liberty, equality, and fraternity; a horizontal blue stripe which symbolizes peace, truth, and justice; and a horizontal red stripe for patriotism and valor.
Please share our posts with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks! https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/02/philippine-national-flag.html |
Short Women Likely To Be Killed By Imploding Air Bags
In
a news story from November 1996 in the Baltimore Sun:
When
Susan Hayes skidded off the road into a drainage ditch in 1996, the
air bag in her Mazda Miata slammed into her head and broke her neck.
The 5-foot-2-inch, 29-year-old Baltimore woman spent six weeks in a
coma and eight weeks in intensive care. She was wearing a seat belt
in the crash.
It
was the air bag that caused her the most injuries. Her 4-year-old son
was in the front passenger seat next to her with a seat belt, but the
seat did not have an air bag option.
While
the risk that air bags pose to children has attracted national
attention, that danger has overshadowed the fact that bags also can
injure and kill adults, particularly short women.
 |
| Imploding airbag broke Susan Hayes neck |
The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has warned for
some time that women, especially those over 70 who may be frail, are
among the adults most at risk of being killed by air bags.
Deaths
from air bags are also likely to be under-reported, partly because
the NHTSA has focused on reducing the deaths of children from air
bags.
Because
air bags are required to pass a federal safety test involving an
unbelted dummy representing a 164-pound adult male in a 30 mph crash,
air bags deploy with explosive force, even in fender benders.
The
air bags, which come out of the dashboard or steering column at 200
mph, have saved hundreds of lives, but the powerful devices also are
blamed for the deaths of at least 47 people who would otherwise have
walked away from their accidents.
You
can read more about short people and the challenges of driving here:
Thanks for stopping by. Here's our link. Please share it with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/02/short-women-likely-to-be-killed-by.html
Remedies for Dry Cracked Feet
 |
| Home remedies for cracked feet |
If you don't know what causes dry cracked feet before you can apply any remedies, or if you are doing something that contributes to the cause, no remedy is going to help get rid of the condition.
CAUSES:
1) Standing on your feet for too long
2) Fluid retention followed by fluid reduction
3) Obesity
4) Cold weather
5) Caustic soaps
6) Excessive exposure to water (i.e. soaking feet routinely, not drying thoroughly after bathing, leaving oils and creams on skin instead or blending into skin until dry)
7) Rough towels and bed linens
8) Certain medications
9) Not using moisturizer
10) Psoriasis or other skin conditions
Most of the current remedies concentrate on a moisturizing regimen. Vaseline was the most recommended moisturizer.
Here is a short video with some remedies. Click the square at the bottom right of the video screen to view it full screen.
As you can see, prevention is the best remedy.
 |
| Good fitting shoes and good socks help cracked skin |
Try to avoid exposing your feet to extremely hot or extremely cold weather by wearing the right footwear - good fitting shoes and dry socks, no matter what the weather is.
If you take baths, avoid using very hot water because it will dry out your skin. Check the soap or bath salts that you are using to see if it has sulfate or fragrances listed in the ingredients because both are drying agents.
 |
| Foot Magic scrub moisturizes cracked feet |
Moisturize your feet two or three times a day and then put on socks so your skin retains the moisturizer. If you get pedicures, inquire if you can add a paraffin wax treatment at an appointment. It isn't a permanent fix, but it will provide some relief for a few days.
For extremely dry cracked skin, you may need to get a prescription for steroid cream. If that isn't to your liking, consider using a liquid bandage to seal the cracks in your skin and prevent infections. Spray it on, put socks on, and forget about it. The liquid coating dries fast. It is available over the counter. No prescription needed.
 |
| Liquid bandage relief for cracked feet |
There is a DIY remedy circulating on the Internet saying that super glue has had good success. Considering that super glue seals things so well that they will never un-glue, there was a study done in the late 1990's where patients put three drops of super glue on each crack, then allowed it to seal. A week later the cracks were closed. We can't attest to the pain level because pain is different for everyone. So if you try it, write in the comments and let us know how it worked out for you.
 |
| Baby Foot Peel is a chemical peel |
The 1990's treatment has gone viral in 2018. Users have raved about the strips of dead skin that peel off after using the product, leaving their skin softer.
 |
| This gives you an idea of the cost of Baby Foot Peel |
Here’s how it works: After soaking your feet, you wear the booties for an hour, letting the natural extracts and fruit acids soak in. About one to two weeks later, users say the dead skin starts to peel off in sheets, revealing soft “baby-like” feet. Such big claims need a user to write a comment to let us know if it is true.
 |
| DIY Remedies |
Regularly exfoliating and applying moisturizing foot cream can help treat and prevent flaky, itchy, dry feet. Many experts recommend soaking your feet first in warm water to soften the skin, then using an exfoliating scrub to gently remove dead skin. To treat rough, dry or cracked heels, follow up with a moisturizer such as Gold Bond Triple-Action Foot Cream or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Foot Magic with vitamin E.
 |
| Pumice stone removes dry skin and calluses |
A pumice stone removes dry, dead skin and calluses. This lightweight volcanic rock has a rough, porous texture that is perfect for sloughing off dead skin. Use it in the shower or after a bath a few times a week, rubbing the rougher areas of the feet to exfoliate. Follow up with moisturizer to seal.
Thanks for stopping by. Here's our link. Please share it with your friends so they can enjoy our websites too. Thanks!
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/02/remedies-for-dry-cracked-feet.html
https://nowyouknowthis2.blogspot.com/2019/02/remedies-for-dry-cracked-feet.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)