Saturday, December 26, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
The only thing worse than outliving your retirement fund is...
I spent last Christmas season on deadline and swore I would never let that happen again. But I have one child in college and another who will start next fall. And so here I am. And so work I must.
After I get my kids through school maybe I'll have just enough energy left to actually save some money for retirement (as long as I don't live too long).
Conventional wisdom says outliving your retirement fund is...
- A fate worse than death
- Likely since the demise of the defined benefit pension
- An illusion even with a million-dollar retirement fund
- Inevitable since we are living longer
- Likely since none of us can do the withdrawal rate math properly
- A question of dignity versus survival
So much for conventional wisdom. Here at PhilosFX, we offer unconventional wisdom.
"The only thing worse than outliving your retirement fund is... not outliving your retirement fund."
I just made that up.
Money is just little bits of paper.
Connect to what matters!
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Remembering Rumi
Ahmad Wali - Dost (Sufi Music)
I love my friends neither with my heart nor with my mind.
Just in case…
Heart might stop. Mind can forget.
I love them with my soul.
Soul never stops or forgets.
Rumi
I lived in Turkey for a year in the mid-80s and heard a lot about Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes he inspired. Later, I became even more aware of Rumi's poetry through my reading of Mark Nepo. Nepo cites Rumi and many other mystics and poets in his book, Awakening.
The Mevlâna Festival takes place annually from December 10th to the 17th in the Anatolian city of Konya, where Rumi died at the age of 66 on December 17, 1273.
Some say Rumi was a Sufi but I believe that Rumi himself would have resisted any such labels. To read Rumi's poems is to recognize a beautiful soul.
May this post inspire you to welcome a little Rumi into your life!
Monday, November 30, 2015
The MO is no MO...
Another MOvember is in the books.
It's December, and the MOustache is no MOre....
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| Proud of that unruly, wild, ill-mannered upper lip rug |
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| 15-thirtieths of an inch of fur: half a thirtieth a day for a whole month! |
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| Back in naked mole rat mode |
Thanks for the meMOries!
MOnday MOrning MOustache MOment: MOvember in Crystal City
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| MOvember gives us a reason to start or sustain some conversations about men's health issues. |
Greetings from Crystal City! This is my 5th and Final MOnday MOrning MOustache MOment for MOvember 2015.
I'm a:
- retired Army officer now consulting for clients in DoD (still serving!),
- cancer survivor now four years in remission (still kicking!), and
- 5th year MO Bro now sporting a 30-day 'stache (still MO-ing!).
Why do I MO, year after year? Because I want more men to be encouraged to take better care of themselves, and that means:
- Making and keeping appointments for testicular and prostate cancer screening
- Seeking help for mental health issues like stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts
- Combating obesity and diabetes by eating less, eating better, and moving around more
Men: I MO for thee! Get thee to thine doctor!
To those of you who have raised a moustache as a MO Bro, or supported a MO Bro with your donations of time or money, THANK YOU! Together, we are helping to "change the face of men's health!"
Happy MOvember!
Let's MO!
Friday, November 27, 2015
James Wright's Review of Patti LaBelle's Sweet Potato Pie
The indisputable truth: Patti LaBelle can sang. "Lady Marmalade," anyone?
And as it happens, she can also cook. Witness her many cookbooks and her successful cooking show. So Wal*Mart started carrying her Sweet Potato pie, and pre-Thanksgiving sales were, um, brisk. As in, nationwide sales hit the rate of one pie per second. Now that is a lot of pies, but it is only the beginning of the story.
As it happens, Chicago-based video-blogger and Patti LaBelle impersonator James Wright heard the buzz and decided to post a review of the pie. According to Mr. Wright, the pie is so good it will turn you into Patti LaBelle. His NSFW (language) review tore up the Internet.
Go ahead and watch it if you haven't already seen it like 100 times already....
Even before this video went viral, pie demand exceeded pie supply, putting upward pressure on pie price. However, under the influence of Mr. Wright's huh-larry-us interpretations, demand soared even further. Wal*Mart was obliged to answer the phone thusly: "Hello, thank you for calling Wal*Mart, we are out of Patti LaBelle's Sweet Potato Pie, how may I help you?"
When the blackmarket price of the pie hit 1000 times the $3.46 original retail, it was time for someone to release the recipe. And one such someone was the Washington Post's intrepid food reporter, Joe Yonan.
The whole "Do It Yourself" annotated instruction manual is available here: How to make Patti LaBelle's impossible to find sweet potato pie at home. The recipe is also found in “LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About,” by Patti LaBelle (Clarkson Potter, 1999).
"On My Own"
So many times
Said it was forever
Said our love would always be true
Something in my heart always knew
I'd be lying here beside you
On my own
On my own
On my own
So many promises never should be spoken
Now I know what loving you cost
Now we're up to talking divorce
And we weren't even married
On my own
Once again now
One more time
By myself
No one said it was easy
But it once was so easy
Well I believed in love
Now here I stand
I wonder why
I'm on my own
Why did it end this way
On my own
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
On my own
I wish that we could do it all again
So many times
I know I should have told you
Losing you it cut like a knife
You walked out and there went my life
I don't want to live without you
On my own
On my own
On my own
[Chorus Repeat]
This wasn't how it was supposed to end
I wish that we could do it all again
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
On my own, I've got to find where I belong again
I've got to learn how to be strong again
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
By myself by myself
I've got to find out what was mine again
My heart is saying that it's my time again
And I have faith that I will shine again
I have faith in me
On my own
On my own
On my own
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| My version of Patti LaBelle's Sweet Potato Pie |
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Elvis Costello: My Life in 10 Songs
Elvis Costello: My Life in 10 Songs
Rolling Stone - By David Fricke - October 12, 2015 (the day before Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink was published)
"How Bruce Springsteen and Margaret Thatcher — plus a little revenge and guilt — inspired some of Costello's greatest work."
Attention future #ElvisCostello fans! Do yourself a favor and follow this link to the Rolling Stone interview! TEN SONGS
Even long-time die-hard fans will enjoy this interview and the insights to be gleaned from these 10 songs carefully selected from a catalog of over 500.
But if you have been a fan since My Aim Is True, you probably already have Elvis' autobiography and the accompanying soundtrack. So this post is especially for the future fans. Everyone is a fan of Elvis. It's just a question of time and timing. Not a fan, yet? This selection of songs might just win you over!
Here's the list of songs Elvis talks about in his interview. Rolling Stone provides links to videos for each song. Must see! And read and listen and absorb!
Even long-time die-hard fans will enjoy this interview and the insights to be gleaned from these 10 songs carefully selected from a catalog of over 500.
But if you have been a fan since My Aim Is True, you probably already have Elvis' autobiography and the accompanying soundtrack. So this post is especially for the future fans. Everyone is a fan of Elvis. It's just a question of time and timing. Not a fan, yet? This selection of songs might just win you over!
Here's the list of songs Elvis talks about in his interview. Rolling Stone provides links to videos for each song. Must see! And read and listen and absorb!
- "Radio Soul" (1975)
- "Poison Moon" (1976)
- "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" (1977)
- "High Fidelity" (1980)
- "New Lace Sleeves" (1981)
- "Beyond Belief" (1982)
- "Indoor Fireworks" (1986)
- "London's Brilliant Parade" (1994)
- "When I Was Cruel No. 2" (2002)
- "The Puppet Has Cut His Strings" (2013)
Forty years of amazing music and powerful lyrics condensed to 10 songs selected by Elvis himself. These are the milestones of his career. And he says he has 40 more songs in the works! Bring it!
Enjoy and share this link to the Rolling Stone interview! TEN SONGS
Enjoy and share this link to the Rolling Stone interview! TEN SONGS
Monday, November 23, 2015
Happy Doctor Who Day!
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| November 23rd is Doctor Who Day. |
The first episode of Doctor Who aired on this date 52 years ago. Doctor Who was born on Saturday, November 23rd, 1963 at 5:15 p.m.. In 2005, after after a 16 year absence from the BBC, Doctor Who was relaunched. The program became an instant success with over 10 million people watching the first episode.
To help celebrate this most auspicious day, I offer this LINK to lots more information about all things Doctor Who.
And while we are passing our links, check out a previous Doctor Who-related post HERE.
Who is your favorite Time Lord? I am rather partial to the 9th Doctor, Christopher Eccleston,
MOnday MOrning MOvember MOustache MOment #4
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| Report from Day 23: Every little bit helps! |
Good news!
With just over a week left in MOvember, we are excited to announce that we at Team Just Twist It have added some fine-looking new members! Now there's more MOs for you to love and sponsor!
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| Allie-MO |
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| Maddle-stache |
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| Chesapeake Fats |
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| Miracle Slim |
- testicular cancer
- prostate cancer
- mental health issues, and
- inactivity.
Contribute to MOvember via our "Just Twist It" team space: http://moteam.co/just-twist-it.
Every little bit helps, and we thank you!
Saturday, November 21, 2015
12 Historical Women Who Collectively Gave a Grand Total of Zero F*cks
Herein is a tale in which a devoted dad seeks to share stories of an inspirational nature with his darling daughters while simultaneously worrying about the rough language with which such stories are sometimes told--all before finally realizing that what these women did to earn their places in history was far braver than sweating over a lousy f-bomb--or 12, or 120.
My good friend HJ circulated this fantastic post about a dozen history-making women. Follow the link if you dare, and two things immediately become apparent.
First of all, I offer a simple warning that if you visit the above cited Buzzfeed article you are going to read many instances of a word that you won't find in the pages of PhilosFX. For the sake of propriety, I have masked every instance of the potentially offensive word on this page, th*sly, to wit:
Upon reading the article, my first instinct was to share the link to stories of exemplary women with my two (adult!) daughters. My second instinct, which followed immediately on the heels of the first, was to clean up the language before sharing the selected stories. You know, copy the text and "sanitize" it for PG-rated republication. I don't want to appear to condone the NSFW (language) tone.
Now, truth be told, I have been known to swear on occasion and I am not opposed to "colorful" language to include the well-placed f-bomb. However, there are only so many times a dad can drop the f-bomb in communications with his daughters before he loses all credibility. Rather than apologize for the language, I reasoned, why not just republish the story, with the expletives surgically deleted? Would the stories be any less compelling?
Illustrative case in point:
And then I remembered a relevant bit of personal history. When I was roughly my daughters' current age, a young 20-something, I read Do It! by Jerry Rubin, in which the author opines that there is only one word left in all of the English language that has retained its original power. Exactly one word. We use the word in moments of abandon. We do not use it when we are concerned about offending someone, or whether our reputation might be tarnished. We use it when we absolutely positively do not care about social mores or conventions.
Or, truth be told, for some of us the f-bomb is every other syllable because either we are lazy or we are knuckle-dragging morons with no functioning vocabulary and we need a recurring filler word. But for the sake of this discussion, let us distinguish between the deliberate, provocative choice and the ignorant, thoughtless habit.
The stories of how these twelve women changed the course of humanity inspired me. The women were clever, yes, and courageous. Moreover, they were defiant. In fact, their defiance is the common link connecting them through time. These women were absolutely unwilling to be constrained by the patriarchal notion of a "woman's place." And it was this dimension of defiance that began to erode the bastion of morality I had constructed around the offensive language. Can anyone come up with a phrase that more accurately captures defiance than, "I don't give a f*ck!"?
But, when you write the f-word politely, bloodlessly, it has no power. F*ck is a punch with no impact. F*uck is a joke that elicits a smile but not a belly laugh. There is zero "zing" in an adulterated f*ck. The word-picture neither arrests nor offends. It conforms. It does what it is told. In other words, it is the exact opposite of how these 12 women lived.
9. Murasaki Shikibu (973–1025…ish)
11. Nzinga Mbandi (1583–1663)
5. Ada Lovelace (1815–1852)
4. Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)
1. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910)
10. Nellie Bly (1864–1922)
2. Annie Smith Peck (1850–1935)
6. Beatrice Potter Webb (1858–1943)
7. Lilian Bland (1878–1971)
3. Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981)
8. Ethel L. Payne (1911–1991)
12. Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000)
That said, you will not find the f-bomb here on PhilosFX. I am similarly disinclined to drop one in conversation with my daughters (or my parents, for that matter). The bottom line for me is that I respect language. I understand why some words are banned, yet I defend an author's right to employ even banned words when the situation calls for all the blood and guts our language can muster.
Go forth, and do great things!
My good friend HJ circulated this fantastic post about a dozen history-making women. Follow the link if you dare, and two things immediately become apparent.
- One, the piece was written by another HJ (Buzzfeed's Hannah Jewell).
- And secondly. Ms. Jewell makes extensive use of a graphic, four-letter Anglo-Saxon expletive describing a carnal act.
First of all, I offer a simple warning that if you visit the above cited Buzzfeed article you are going to read many instances of a word that you won't find in the pages of PhilosFX. For the sake of propriety, I have masked every instance of the potentially offensive word on this page, th*sly, to wit:
"These are just some of the women who, historically speaking, didn’t give a single f*ck."--Hannah Jewell, BuzzFeed Staff, UK, January 5, 2015
Upon reading the article, my first instinct was to share the link to stories of exemplary women with my two (adult!) daughters. My second instinct, which followed immediately on the heels of the first, was to clean up the language before sharing the selected stories. You know, copy the text and "sanitize" it for PG-rated republication. I don't want to appear to condone the NSFW (language) tone.
Now, truth be told, I have been known to swear on occasion and I am not opposed to "colorful" language to include the well-placed f-bomb. However, there are only so many times a dad can drop the f-bomb in communications with his daughters before he loses all credibility. Rather than apologize for the language, I reasoned, why not just republish the story, with the expletives surgically deleted? Would the stories be any less compelling?
Illustrative case in point:
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| This bio has been redacted to protect your delicate sensibilities--or maybe just mine? |
And then I remembered a relevant bit of personal history. When I was roughly my daughters' current age, a young 20-something, I read Do It! by Jerry Rubin, in which the author opines that there is only one word left in all of the English language that has retained its original power. Exactly one word. We use the word in moments of abandon. We do not use it when we are concerned about offending someone, or whether our reputation might be tarnished. We use it when we absolutely positively do not care about social mores or conventions.
Or, truth be told, for some of us the f-bomb is every other syllable because either we are lazy or we are knuckle-dragging morons with no functioning vocabulary and we need a recurring filler word. But for the sake of this discussion, let us distinguish between the deliberate, provocative choice and the ignorant, thoughtless habit.
The stories of how these twelve women changed the course of humanity inspired me. The women were clever, yes, and courageous. Moreover, they were defiant. In fact, their defiance is the common link connecting them through time. These women were absolutely unwilling to be constrained by the patriarchal notion of a "woman's place." And it was this dimension of defiance that began to erode the bastion of morality I had constructed around the offensive language. Can anyone come up with a phrase that more accurately captures defiance than, "I don't give a f*ck!"?
 |
You cannot give a f*ck if you have no f*cks to give
|
Ooof! I get it!
Do I want my daughters to be inspired by powerful examples of historical women who blasted through social barriers to achieve greatness? Yes, absolutely! And do I simultaneously care about the language and tone I personally employ? Of course. Therefore, I share these stories in two ways. Take your pick--or better yet, if you are an inquisitive adult, do both and compare.
- When and if you are inclined to read Hannah Jewell's original Buzzfeed version, it's waiting for you HERE. and/or
- You may avoid the expletives by seeing the names published below. I have rearranged them in chronological order and linked them to their (clean) Wikipedia biographies.
11. Nzinga Mbandi (1583–1663)
5. Ada Lovelace (1815–1852)
4. Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)
1. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910)
10. Nellie Bly (1864–1922)
2. Annie Smith Peck (1850–1935)
6. Beatrice Potter Webb (1858–1943)
7. Lilian Bland (1878–1971)
3. Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981)
8. Ethel L. Payne (1911–1991)
12. Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000)
I refuse to apologize for the language in the author's article, choosing instead to merely alert you to it and let you decide. Furthermore, I defend her writerly right to deliberately select and employ the word or words which convey her thoughts most completely.
That said, you will not find the f-bomb here on PhilosFX. I am similarly disinclined to drop one in conversation with my daughters (or my parents, for that matter). The bottom line for me is that I respect language. I understand why some words are banned, yet I defend an author's right to employ even banned words when the situation calls for all the blood and guts our language can muster.
Go forth, and do great things!
Monday, November 16, 2015
MOnday MOrning MOvember MOment #3
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| Is a faint moustache visible in the bright morning sunlight? |
Day 16. Just over halfway there and making progress on the cookie duster!
Care to support the cause with a small donation? Any amount will help!
- My personal "Foam Fan" MO space: http://mobro.co/FoamFan
- My "Just Twist It" team space: http://moteam.co/just-twist-it
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
It Feels Good to Be a Veteran Today: Free Food for Veterans
In Observance of Veterans Day
Many restaurants are
offering free or discounted meals for Veterans. So many offers and so little time. One year, some friends and I rode our motorcycles on a Applebee's tour. This year I stayed local and did a variety tour. Here is a list of the offerings I was able to take part in this year.
Bar Louie Free Lunch or Dinner (Tues night) From open to close Tuesday, November 10th and Wednesday, November 11th Bar Louie locations across the country will offer veterans and active military personnel a free meal up to a $12 value when they show valid military I.D. or other proof of service. California Pizza Kitchen (Wed night) On Veterans Day, all veterans or active duty military personnel will be able to select from a special Veterans Day menu including pizza, salads and pasta. Please come in uniform or bring your military ID or other proof of service. Starbucks (times 2) Veterans, active duty service members and spouses get a free tall coffee on on November 11 at participating locations. World of Beer On Wednesday, November 11, World of Beer invites all veterans and current servicemen to enjoy a free select draught beer by presenting a military ID, VA Card, or proof of service, where legal. A big thanks to all for the support! Happy Veterans Day! |
Radiohead: Harry Patch (In memory of)
I saw this story on the BBC News website via Facebook (H/T: KMD) and thought it was perfect to share here on PhilosFX this Veteran's Day
Listen to Radiohead's song using the words of WWI veteran Harry Patch. Patch, the "Last Fighting Tommy," was interviewed in 2005. He passed away 4 years later at the age of 111 years and 38 days, and was laid to rest August 6, 2009.
I am the only one that got through
The others died where ever they fell
It was an ambush
They came up from all sides
Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
I've seen devils coming up from the ground
I've seen hell upon this earth
The next will be chemical but they will never learn
Listen to Radiohead's song using the words of WWI veteran Harry Patch. Patch, the "Last Fighting Tommy," was interviewed in 2005. He passed away 4 years later at the age of 111 years and 38 days, and was laid to rest August 6, 2009.
I am the only one that got through
The others died where ever they fell
It was an ambush
They came up from all sides
Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
I've seen devils coming up from the ground
I've seen hell upon this earth
The next will be chemical but they will never learn
WordPress.com
100 Reasons You Should Work Out Today
I wanted to share this page from SparkPeople.com: 100 Reasons You Should Work Out Today
Personal Favorites:
Because being fit makes everything in life better
Because if you can do this, you can do anything
Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip
Personal Favorites:
Because being fit makes everything in life better
Because if you can do this, you can do anything
Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip
Monday, November 9, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
MOnday MOrning MOvember MOment #1
A couple of days ago, I got a clean scrape, leaving my bearded face bare for the first time since--well, since last October 31st, when I sat in the mobile barber's chair for a straight razor job at Samuel Beckett's Irish Gastro Pub.
This is my 5th year supporting MOvember by raising a moustache to call attention to men's health issues. I feel naked and completely unafraid.
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| Monday, Movember 2d: Day 2 of MO 2015 |
But here's the real deal. I did not inherit my furry father's thick, dark, Nebraska Centennial award-winning beard. I have never had a 5 o'clock shadow "problem." After a whole month of my best effort, my moustache will look like an eighth of an inch of reddish-grey fuzz on my upper lip. For the first 10 days, most people will simply assume I forgot to shave that morning! How humiliating!
"Where my MO Go?"
Why do this to myself, year after year? There is a reason for all this potentially embarrassing facial folly. For starters, it's fun to change up my appearance a little. In addition, there is a nervous tension between my being self-conscious and the other person wondering if I am doing this moustache thing deliberately. That tension really does work as a conversation starter. Launching the "men's health issues" conversation is important, so growing a 'stasche--even a light 'stasche--is as effective as it is fun.
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| Know why you MO, bro! |
Why is the conversation so important? Left alone, most men would never go to a doctor for a check-up. One way to deal with a threat is to ignore it. (I didn't say this was smart, just that it is common!) It's easy for a man to shift his focus from preventing a possible threat to his own health to any other more imminent threat, even if the substitute is far less important. Why are we men so often "addicted" to work or sports or gambling? Could it be that we men push off our fears of mortality by focusing on other battles--ones we have a chance of winning? Do we sometimes manufacture battles and conflicts to take our minds off our own weaknesses and threats outside of our control?
The fundamental reason for the annual exercise in follicle farming: I want men to live longer, happier lives.
Yes, of course, I want all people to live longer, happier lives. But there are some threats to health and happiness that men uniquely face:
- Male-specific cancers like testicular cancer and prostate cancer
- Certain role-based challenges that show up in men as hypertension and depression
- Certain lifestyle-based challenges--less physical exertion results in diabetes and obesity
- Understand that it is not "weak" to go to a doctor and get checked for male-specific cancers. Cancer is random! Get thee to thine doctor, dude!
- De-stigmatize the process of seeking treatment for hypertension and depression. These crippling diseases are all too common! Take time to make sure your brothers are
- Overcome the inertia of a sedentary lifestyle. Staying physically active is the best weapon against diabetes and obesity! Whether you MOustasche or MOve or both, do something and encourage each other to do MOre.
My own brush with cancer was an eye-opener. Early detection, competent doctors, excellent facilities, and well-funded research enabled me to survive my three-year ordeal. But not all men have been so fortunate. If shaving my beard and sprouting a faint little 'stasche is enough to spark 100 conversations and convince just one man to get and keep an appointment for a physical or mental health exam, then the embarrassing folly of farming facial follicles will have been worth it!
I know why I MO!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
An All Hallows L.I.N.K.S. dedicated to The Female Stranger
This edition of L.I.N.K.S. (hyperlinks that Lure, Intrigue, Nurture, Kindle, or Stimulate) is dedicated to the mysterious female stranger, whose tortured soul some claim still haunts Room 8 of Old Town Alexandria's Gatsby Tavern Inn.
The young, unnamed woman, known to history as the Female Stranger, slipped the surly bonds of this earth in Room 8 on October 14th, 1816. Her identity and cause of death shrouded in mystery, she was buried in St Paul's cemetery by a man claiming to be her husband. For nearly 200 years now, rumors and hypotheses have grown like weeds on an untended grave.
Who was the Female Stranger? Why did she come to Alexandria? Why was she so adamant about hiding her identity? How did she die? Who was the man who claimed to be her husband? What secrets did her doctor--sworn to secrecy--carry to his own grave? Why did the doctor agree to protect his patient's identity?
Rumors abound:
I first heard of this story in October 2014, when Port City Brewing Company released a new beer called Long Black Veil. This is a Black IPA brewed in honor of the Female Stranger who died in the Gatsby Tavern Inn nearly 200 years ago. Yes, the love of beer is a gateway to mystery.
This year, looking for some spooky fun, I visited the Gatsby Tavern Museum on Hallowe'en and took the tour (I highly recommend this tour, by the way! Ask for Laurie.). The tour guide explained that she does not normally mention the Female Stranger, since there are more rumors than facts, and to repeat spurious rumors would be pandering. However, partly at my insistence, and partly because there was a Female Stranger-themed birthday party happening even as we discussed the idea, she agreed to include some aspects of the young woman's story on her tour.
I took photos of Room 8, including the ghostly figure of a number 8 on the door. The story goes that at the moment when the young woman gave up the ghost, the numeral slipped 90 degrees and became an infinity sign.
Our tour guide convinced a birthday partier dressed as The Female Stranger to pose for a photo. Backlit in my photo, the veil-clad young lady appears eerily translucent--almost ghost-like.
I went from the tavern to St Paul's cemetery and searched for a tombstone in memory of The Female Stranger. After a spooky search, I found it!
The nearly 200 year old table-top grave marker is now weathered and difficult to read. I searched the Internet and found this helpful transcription.
And so now, with all that as prologue, I offer this collection of L.I.N.K.S., the 14th in the series, this one dedicated to the mysterious woman known to us only as The Female Stranger.
Post Script: L.I.N.K.S. is a recurring feature here at PhilosFX. You can find and enjoy previous editions of L.I.N.K.S. (hyperlinks that Lure, Intrigue, Nurture, Kindle, or Stimulate) by using the search term, L.I.N.K.S. Enjoy them all!
The young, unnamed woman, known to history as the Female Stranger, slipped the surly bonds of this earth in Room 8 on October 14th, 1816. Her identity and cause of death shrouded in mystery, she was buried in St Paul's cemetery by a man claiming to be her husband. For nearly 200 years now, rumors and hypotheses have grown like weeds on an untended grave.
Who was the Female Stranger? Why did she come to Alexandria? Why was she so adamant about hiding her identity? How did she die? Who was the man who claimed to be her husband? What secrets did her doctor--sworn to secrecy--carry to his own grave? Why did the doctor agree to protect his patient's identity?
Rumors abound:
- She was escaping an unhappy marriage with a paramour when she became deathly ill.
- "She" was really Napoleon Bonaparte in disguise.
- There is no body in that grave. The whole charade was just part of an elaborate disappearing act.
I first heard of this story in October 2014, when Port City Brewing Company released a new beer called Long Black Veil. This is a Black IPA brewed in honor of the Female Stranger who died in the Gatsby Tavern Inn nearly 200 years ago. Yes, the love of beer is a gateway to mystery.
This year, looking for some spooky fun, I visited the Gatsby Tavern Museum on Hallowe'en and took the tour (I highly recommend this tour, by the way! Ask for Laurie.). The tour guide explained that she does not normally mention the Female Stranger, since there are more rumors than facts, and to repeat spurious rumors would be pandering. However, partly at my insistence, and partly because there was a Female Stranger-themed birthday party happening even as we discussed the idea, she agreed to include some aspects of the young woman's story on her tour.
I took photos of Room 8, including the ghostly figure of a number 8 on the door. The story goes that at the moment when the young woman gave up the ghost, the numeral slipped 90 degrees and became an infinity sign.
Our tour guide convinced a birthday partier dressed as The Female Stranger to pose for a photo. Backlit in my photo, the veil-clad young lady appears eerily translucent--almost ghost-like.
I went from the tavern to St Paul's cemetery and searched for a tombstone in memory of The Female Stranger. After a spooky search, I found it!
The nearly 200 year old table-top grave marker is now weathered and difficult to read. I searched the Internet and found this helpful transcription.
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| "Tomb of a female stranger, Alexandria, Virginia (8597808671)" by Boston Public Library |
And so now, with all that as prologue, I offer this collection of L.I.N.K.S., the 14th in the series, this one dedicated to the mysterious woman known to us only as The Female Stranger.
- The Port City Black IPA called Long Black Veil which for me was the starting point for this whole adventure.
- The blog, Visit Alexandria, has a piece on The Female Stranger
- Here is a blog piece published by Fair Weather Lewis to the memory of a female stranger
- Connection Newspapers asks, Who was she?
- There are some good insights about the grave of the female stranger published on author Frank Bittinger's blog.
- WAMU-FM addresses the 200-year-old question: Who was the Female Stranger?
- Archived post about The Female Stranger on Reddit from the Unresolved Mysteries Series
- WAMU-FM reporter Michael Pope has written a book of ghost stories including one about The Female Stranger
- Wikipedia has an entry on The Female Stranger
- The inscription on the Female Stranger's tombstone includes a snippet from Alexander Pope's Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady
- This is the perfect Johnny Cash song to listen to while visiting the Female Stranger's grave at night, with a growler of Black IPA and two glasses.
Post Script: L.I.N.K.S. is a recurring feature here at PhilosFX. You can find and enjoy previous editions of L.I.N.K.S. (hyperlinks that Lure, Intrigue, Nurture, Kindle, or Stimulate) by using the search term, L.I.N.K.S. Enjoy them all!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Top Brewery Road Trip, Routed Algorithmically
"This is now on my bucket list."
Comes now a new Road Trip story, this one via Nathan Yau and his fantastic work on Flowing Data.
Well, let's see: I love beer and brewers and breweries, I love road trips, and I love Nathan's Flowing Data site. Triple win!
I would like to see a similar map for a bicycling tour of Belgium.
Actually, I would also love to see a similar map for the top 70 breweries within 100 miles of the US Capitol Building.
H/T: SN
Monday, October 26, 2015
RIP Radio Legend Ed Walker
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| Hall of Fame Broadcaster Ed Walker April 23, 1932 – October 26, 2015 |
I've been enjoying Ed Walker's nostalgic Sunday evening radio show since moving to the DC area in 2000. For 15 years, The Big Broadcast was appointment radio for me. I loved the show because it offered a glimpse into family life during a simpler time when radio was the main source of entertainment--the '30s, '40s, and '50s. When I was young in the '60s, TV was already popular. I remember watching Gunsmoke, Dragnet, and the Lone Ranger on TV with my family the way my parents and grandparents had probably listened to Fibber McGee and Molly or the Jack Benny Show. Through The Big Broadcast, I came to appreciate that the lineage of the shows we watched in the '60s went back to popular radio broadcasts long before the television era.
Despite Mr. Walker's status as revered co-founder of WAMU-FM and long-time host of his popular Sunday evening show, I really did not know much about the man himself until he decided to retire earlier this month. At the age of 83, Mr. Walker received a cancer diagnosis. He announced his decision to retire so he could focus on his health, and people in the listening audience and the wider WAMU community responded with news and stories commemorating his accomplishments and his character. That is when I began learning more about Mr. Walker. For example, I learned something that listeners of radio would have no way of knowing--that Mr. Walker was born blind. He was the first blind student accepted at American University.
His friend and fellow WAMU broadcaster, Ray Bamberger, guest-hosted Ed's show on October 18th, the first Sunday after Ed stepped down. Ray also announced that he would continue guest-hosting until a full-time host for The Big Broadcast was chosen. Meanwhile, Ed's family encouraged Mr. Walker to record one final broadcast. The report I read indicated that he really did not want to, as he felt weak and his voice was raspy. But his family convinced him to put together one final show. At the time, they probably did not realize that this final show would literally be Mr. Walker's Swan Song.
Recorded in his hospital room. the final show was different from previous shows. Rather than try to play what his audience wanted to hear, Ed set out to play his personal favorites. As you listen to the show, you can hear his raspy voice, a little quieter than usual, but his thoughts, insights, and recollections are every bit as colorful and lively as ever. Rather than simply airing the next episode in the Johnny Dollar series, Ed played his favorite episode. There were Christmas-themed shows, not because the season was right but because the content touched his heart. The sadness as he bade farewell was palpable.
The final broadcast aired on Sunday, Oct 25th, from 7 to 11 p.m. Surrounded by his family, Ed listened to the broadcast in his hospital room. You can listen to the broadcast by following this LINK. We learned today the sad and poignant news that within a few hours of hearing his signature sign-off, Ed Walker slipped into a deep and permanent sleep.
What a bittersweet story...
Rest in peace, Ed Walker.
Ed Walker (April 23, 1932 – October 26, 2015) was a Washington, D.C., radio personality. He hosted a weekly four-hour Sunday night program, The Big Broadcast, on WAMU-FM, featuring vintage radio programs from the 1930s to 1950s, such as Gunsmoke,The Jack Benny Show, The Lone Ranger, Fibber McGee and Molly, and Superman. Walker began hosting The Big Broadcast in 1990 when his friend John Hickman discontinued hosting due to illness; the show, which started in 1964 as Recollections, has been the longest running program on WAMU. The show ranks first in its time slot, and its audience is "remarkably young for a public radio crowd."