Stories: Old West & Beyond 03.11.25
“Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: it is not to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” —William Jennings Bryan
____________________________________
1. THE OLD WEST: MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
Frontier farmers and others in the Old West discovered mail order shopping when Montgomery Ward and Sears began sending them catalogs. However, the most important lure was the money-back guarantee of mail order in the Old West.
_____________________________________
2. THE OLD WEST: THE GENERAL STORE
In addition to mail-order shopping, almost every community had a general store. The store functioned as the community hub and sold various products, from canned tomatoes to bear grease.
_____________________________________
3. THE START OF REALITY TV
Candid Camera, created by Allen Funt, was the first reality TV program. Funt’s efforts paved the way for various productions on television today.
_____________________________________
4. THE MAN WHO HATED SOCKS
On Friday, March 15, Albert Einstein would have been 146. After teaching himself geometry at age 12, this genius wrote his first scientific paper at 16. Despite early success, he was turned down for every academic position he applied for. Here are 32 fun facts about Einstein.
_____________________________________
5. JAGGED GEOMETRY IN THE CITY OF LIGHTS
Construction on an angular, geometric-shaped complex will start this year in Paris. The structure will include retailers, a hotel, a sports hall, offices, and residential units.
_____________________________________
6. LOOK UP IN THE SKY, IT’S A BIRD. NO! IT’S A PAPER AIRPLANE
When we were kids, most of us tried to fly a paper airplane at one time or another. I tried but wasn’t very successful. The other day, however, I discovered Fold ’N Fly, a site that teaches you how to make paper airplanes and fly them.
_____________________________________
7. SOME PEOPLE CAN WIGGLE THEIR EARS AND SOME CAN’T
The ability to wiggle our ears depends on how our brains are wired. Ten years ago, the National Library of Medicine concluded that gender may influence ear wiggling.
_____________________________________
8. TRY YOUR HAND AT FEUDLE
For the most part, I find computer games complicated, time-consuming, and often tricky to figure out because of poorly written instructions. But here’s Feudal, a fun Family Feud type of game where you can choose the next day’s answers.
_____________________________________
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
_____________________________________