“Our greatest fears lie in anticipation.” —Balzac

- DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD WEST -

1. James Masterson wasn't as well known as his brothers. But most historical accounts say he was a more effective lawman than any of them, including his high-profile sibling, Bat Masterson. Read more in “BULLETS AND BOOZE.”

2. Bat Masterson traveled a thousand miles to Dodge City to help his brother, who thought his life was in danger because of a business relationship gone bad. Read what happened in “HIS LAST GUNFIGHT”.

- DISPATCHES FROM HERE & THERE -

3. According to Reader’s Digest, your choice of a seat on an airline reveals a lot about you. Some flight attendants say it’s a reliable gauge of who some people are and how they cope with stress. 

4. Basketball is the only sport invented in the United States. And the basketball, on occasion, gets a makeover. And there’s a good reason they’re orange.

5. Erik Weisz, who mastered the art of the escape, became known as Harry Houdini and became a worldwide sensation. Here’s why. 

6. When the circus came to town, it brought trapeze artists, elephants, and human cannonballs. It didn’t raise any concerns about workplace safety. See for yourself in this video of the circus, circa 1942.

7.  From the I Wish I Hadn’t Said That file:

In 1948, BBC broadcasting pioneer Mary Somerville said, “Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.” 

A dozen years later, nine in ten American homes had a television. 

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“Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people—they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart.“ —Bruce Coville

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