A powder horn was a container for gunpowder,
and was generally created from cow, ox or buffalo horn. The term may also be used for any personal
container for gunpowder, regardless of material or shape, for which powder
flask is the strictly correct
term. Typically there was a stopper at
both ends, in later examples spring-loaded to close automatically for
safety. The horn was typically held by a
long strap and slung over the shoulder.
The use of animal horn along with nonferrous metal parts ensured that the powder
would not be detonated by sparks during storage and loading. Horn was also naturally waterproof and
already hollow inside. In America, a number
of period horns dating from the French and Indian wars throughout the American Revolution and beyond, have been preserved in
private and other collections. Many
decorated examples shed light on the life and history of the individuals that
used them, and can be classified as a medium of folk art. Powder horns were often decorated, most often
with engraving,
making a form of scrimshaw,
which was sometimes supplemented with colour, and less often with carving. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_horn
Keep your powder dry Be prepared and save your
resources until they are needed. The
allusion is to gunpowder which soldiers had to keep dry in order to be ready to
fight when required. This advice
reputedly originated with Oliver Cromwell during his campaign in Ireland. In Ballads
of Ireland, 1856, Edward
Hayes wrote: "There is a
well-authenticated anecdote of Cromwell. On a certain occasion, when his troops were
about crossing a river to attack the enemy, he concluded an address, couched in
the usual fanatic terms in use among them, with these words - 'put your trust
in God; but mind to keep your powder dry'." 19th century citations of the phrase
invariably give the full version - trust
in God and keep your powder dry. This emphasizes that the keep your powder dry was seen only as an additional
insurance.
Countries of the world
by size from Russia (#1) to Vatican City
(#252). https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html
"Area compares the sum
of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or
coastlines."
Life's Lessons in The Once and Future King "The best thing for being sad," replied
Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your
anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins,
you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil
lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then -- to
learn. Learn why the world wags and what
wags it. That is the only thing, which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be
tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to
learn." http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=16370
One of the most fascinating figures in the Welsh mythology and the Arthurian legend is
Merlin, the great wizard, prophet and adviser to several kings, including King Arthur.
Read about the faces, names, contradictions and controversies of Merlin
at http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/merlin.html
Hipster is a term popularly used to denote an international subculture primarily consisting of white millennials living in urban areas. The
subculture has been described as a "mutating, trans-Atlantic melting pot
of styles, tastes and behavior[s]" and is broadly associated with indie and alternative music, a varied non-mainstream fashion
sensibility (including vintage and thrift store-bought clothes), generally third party independent political
views, organic and artisanal foods, and alternative
lifestyles. The term in its
current usage first appeared in the 1990s and became particularly prominent in
the 2010s, being
derived from the term used to describe earlier movements in the
1940s. Members
of the subculture do not self-identify as hipsters, and the word hipster is
often used as a pejorative to describe someone who is pretentious, overly trendy or effete. Some analysts contend that the notion
of the contemporary hipster is actually a myth created by marketing. As hipsters,
"young creatives", priced out of Bohemian urban neighborhoods in
Brooklyn such as Williamsburg, Park
Slope, and Greenpoint moved into suburbs near New York City such as Hastings-on-Hudson The New York Times coined the neologism "Hipsturbia" to describe the hip lifestyle
as lived in suburbia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_(contemporary_subculture)
Mexican Mashed Potatoes http://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-mashed-potatoes-124301
Mexican Rice http://mexican.food.com/recipe/mexican-rice-117892
Put paid to: To deal with effectively; to finish something
off. 'Put paid to' probably derives from
the practice of book-keepers of writing or stamping "Paid" on bills
when the paperwork for a sale was completed. An early citation comes from the Winnipeg
newspaper The Manitoba
Morning Free Press, October 1905. This
appeared in a listing of English football results, which were presumably
printed in a Canadian paper for the benefit of the many English immigrants:
"Wolverhampton
Wanderers put paid to Bolton's account, the scores being: 2-0"
The Everlasting
Gobstopper is
both a fictional brand of candy,
as well as an actual confection named after the fictional
product. According to Roald Dahl's book Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory, the fictional Everlasting Gobstopper
is a candy that not only changes colors and flavors, but can never be finished,
and never even gets smaller. It is implied
that they may also be indestructible.
Factory owner Willie Wonka explained that they were "for children
with very little pocket money" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everlasting_Gobstopper
Billy Joel
will be the next recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,
the U.S. Library of Congress announced on July 22, 2014. He joins good company — the previous honorees
are Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Carole King and the
songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It’s the second major Washington-based award
for Joel in two years, this coming on the heels of his being named a Kennedy Center honoree last
year. Calling Joel a “storyteller of the
highest order,” Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said
in a statement that, “There is an intimacy to his songwriting that bridges the
gap between the listener and the worlds he shares through music. When you listen to a Billy Joel song, you know
about the people and the place and what happened there.” The prize, to be formally awarded with a
luncheon and musical performance in Washington in November, is given by the
Library as a lifetime achievement award to a living musical artist. Joel, 65, has been a force in pop music since
the early 1970s. He had a dazzling
string of hits over three decades, such as “Piano Man,” “New York State of
Mind,” “Movin’ Out,” “Uptown Girl,” “River of Dreams,” and “Just the Way You
Are.” He has sold more records than any
solo act except for Garth Brooks and Elvis Presley. His “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is a
massive sing-along favorite of concert crowds.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/07/22/billy-joel-to-receive-gershwin-prize-for-popular-song-from-library-of-congress/
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com Issue 1174
July 23, 2014 On this date in 1888,
American author Raymond Chandler was born. On
this date in 1894, English-American actor and singer Arthur Treacher was
born.
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