Did you know?

[Aggie]

Did You Know. People used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & Sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of the low
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . ...... . Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting Married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof... Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer.
And that's the truth....Now, whoever said History was boring?

[Aggie]

COWS DON’T GIVE MILK
A father used to say to his children when they were young: —When you all reach the age of 12 I will tell you the secret of life. One day when the oldest turned 12, he anxiously asked his father what was the secret of life. The father replied that he was going to tell him, but that he should not reveal it to his brothers.
—The secret of life is this: The cow does not give milk. "What are you saying?" Asked the boy incredulously. —As you hear it, son: The cow does not give milk, you have to milk it. You have to get up at 4 in the morning, go to the field, walk through the corral full of manure, tie the tail, hobble the legs of the cow, sit on the stool, place the bucket and do the work yourself.
That is the secret of life, the cow does not give milk. You milk her or you don't get milk. There is this generation that thinks that cows GIVE milk. That things are automatic and free: their mentality is that if "I wish, I ask..... I obtain."
"They have been accustomed to get whatever they want the easy way...But no, life is not a matter of wishing, asking and obtaining. The things that one receives are the effort of what one does. Happiness is the result of effort. Lack of effort creates frustration."
So, share with your children from a young age the secret of life, so they don't grow up with the mentality that the government, their parents, or their cute little faces is going to give them everything they need in life.
Remember
"Cows don't give milk; you have to work for it."

[Aggie]

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴀɢɴᴇsɪᴜᴍ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ sᴛᴏᴏʟ sᴏғᴛᴇɴᴇʀs? (ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴅᴇʜʏᴅʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴡᴇʟ)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅɪᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʙᴜʀɴ/ɪɴᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ Pʀɪʟᴏsᴇᴄ? (ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴜʀɴ, ᴄᴏʟᴏɴ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ & ᴏsᴛᴇᴏᴘᴏʀᴏsɪs, ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇs ғᴏᴏᴅ ғᴇʀᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀʙs & ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ғᴏᴏᴅs ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴇᴀʟ? (Ashwagandha)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴛᴏxɪᴄ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟs ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴀᴄʜᴇs & ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴇs? (ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ғʀᴀɢʀᴀɴᴄᴇ & ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛᴏxɪᴄ ʙᴜɪʟᴅᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴇʟʟs, ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴇs & ʜᴇᴀᴅᴀᴄʜᴇs)
Wʜʏ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴀᴛ ᴀ ɢʀᴀᴘᴇғʀᴜɪᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴅᴀʏ, ɪᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟʟʏ & ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ? (ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴡʜʏ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴏɴ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴇᴅs)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ’ᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴄᴏᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴀᴄʜᴇs, ʙʟᴏᴀᴛɪɴɢ/ɢᴀs, sᴋɪɴ ɪssᴜᴇs, ᴄᴏʟᴅs, ғᴏᴏᴅ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴɪɴɢ? (ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴄᴏᴀʟ ʙᴏɴᴅs with ᴡᴀsᴛᴇ/ᴛᴏxɪɴs ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴍᴏᴠᴀʟ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀʙs & ʜᴇʀʙᴀʟ ᴛᴇᴀs ᴛᴏ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ɪᴍᴍᴜɴᴇ/ᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴠᴇ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴs? (ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀʙs ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴏʀɢᴀɴs ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴊᴏʙs ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ.)
Wʜʏ ɪsɴ’ᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ᴅᴀɪʟʏ? (ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏsᴛs ɪᴍᴍᴜɴᴇ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ʜᴇʟᴘs ᴄʟᴇᴀɴ & ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴡᴇʟ, ʜᴇʟᴘs ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴀʙsᴏʀᴘᴛɪᴏɴ & ᴇʟɪᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴄᴏʟᴅs & ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴇs ᴀᴛ ʙᴀʏ)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴛ/ʟɪғᴇsᴛʏʟᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴs ғᴏʀ ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛs ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ᴏғғᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴘɪʟʟs? (ᴅɪᴇᴛ & ʟɪғᴇsᴛʏʟᴇ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇs ᴀʀᴇ 90+% ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴀʟʟ ɪʟʟɴᴇss)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ sᴜᴘᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴛᴏ ʙᴏᴏsᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴘʀɪᴏʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ sɪᴄᴋ & instead ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴘɪʟʟs
(sᴜᴘᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs/ʜᴇʀʙs/ᴛɪɴᴄᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴄᴀɴ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ɪʟʟɴᴇss ʙʏ ʙᴏᴏsᴛɪɴɢ ɪᴍᴍᴜɴᴇ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ & sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴏʀɢᴀɴs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴs)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs sᴛᴏʀᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴀɴɢᴜɪsʜ; ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ sᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. (ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs ᴄᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴀ sɪɢɴɪғɪᴄᴀɴᴛ ʀᴏʟe ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ; ᴡ/o ᴛᴏᴏʟs ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs, ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴇᴀsɪʟʏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ɪʟʟ)
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʀᴏʟᴇ ɪɴ ʜᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs?
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ sᴇᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴏᴄᴏʟs ᴏғ ᴘɪʟʟs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ?
Wʜʏ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ɢᴇᴛ sɪᴄᴋ?
Tʜɪs ɴᴇᴇᴅs ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ!
Hᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ɪs REAL & ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ!
Wᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ!
Maybe it's time to take back your power.

[Aggie]

[Aggie]

As I was lying around, pondering the problems of the world, I realized that at my age I don't really give a damn anymore. If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, but is still fat. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years, while a tortoise doesn't run and does mostly nothing, yet it lives for 150 years. And you tell me to exercise? I don't think so.
Now that I'm older here's what I've discovered:
1. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
2. My wild oats are now mostly enjoyed with prunes and all-bran.
3. I finally got my head together, and now my body is falling apart.
4. Funny, I don't remember being absent-minded.
5. Funny, I don't remember being absent-minded.
6. If all is not lost, then where the heck is it?
7. It was a whole lot easier to get older, than to get wiser.
8. Some days, you're the top dog, some days you're the hydrant.
9. I wish the buck really did stop here, I sure could use a few of them.
10. Kids in the back seat cause accidents.
11. Accidents in the back seat cause kids.
12. It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.
13. The world only beats a path to your door when you're in the bathroom.
14. If I was meant to touch my toes, they'd have been put on my knees.
15. When I'm finally holding all the right cards, everyone wants to play chess.
16. It's not hard to meet expenses . . . they're everywhere.
17. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
18. These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter . . .I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I'm "here after".
19. Funny, I don't remember being absent-minded.
20. HAVE I POSTED THIS BEFORE? Or did I get it from you?

[flippr 2.0]

[Aggie]

A BIT OF TRIVIA--On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil
Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words
after stepping on the moon, "That's one small step for a man, one giant
leap for mankind", were televised to Earth and heard by millions.
But just before he re-entered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark:
"Good luck, Mr. Gorsky."
Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival
Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either
the Russian or American space programs.
Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions
following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26 year old question to
Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died and so
Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
In 1938 when he was a kid in a small Midwest town, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in his neighbor's yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. and
Mrs. Gorsky.
As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs.Gorsky
shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex?! You'll get sex when the kid
next door walks on the moon!"

[Aggie]

It takes about 556 worker bees to gather 1 pound of honey from about 2 million flowers. It takes about 55,000 flight miles per gallon (12#) of honey. The average honey bee will make only 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime (6 weeks).

[Aggie]

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/ 100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the ch ild reaches 2 to 6 years of age! .
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
Now you know everything

[Aggie]

SCHUETZEN VEREIN
By Julian MarDock
Deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country is the oldest shooting club in America. New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein (shooting club) held its first prize shoot July fourth, 1849. It carries on a much older tradition. Shooting clubs in Germany predate the gun. King Henry I of Germany began sanctioning Schuetzen clubs the early 900. The tradition was not limited to Germany as other clubs were formed in Bohemia and Switzerland. These early competitors used crossbows as in the Swiss legend of William Tell.
The gun was invented in China, where the Ming rebels used the gun to overthrow some of the greatest warriors in history, the Mongols. When the gun was introduced in Europe, schuetzen clubs adopted the gun for their competitions. Germans then invented the rifled barrel around 1500 which was greatly improved by August Kotter in 1520 in Nuremburg.
The Schuetzen rifle arrived in America, brought here by German immigrants to Pennsylvania. Unknown to the military authorities of the day, the accuracy and utility of the “Pennsylvania” rifle was discovered by American frontiersmen. Rifles were made in smaller calibers with longer barrels to get more efficient combustion and greater economy of powder and lead in the wilderness, far from resupply. These were the Kentucky rifles that won the American Revolution and later the West. The first time the armies of the world saw rifles was when Daniel Morgan and his backwoodsmen brought theirs to help lift the siege of Boston in 1775. British and Mexican armies learned about the dangers of attacking Americans behind walls at New Orleans and Texas.
The New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein was chartered in Germany as part of the preparations for emigration to the wilds of Texas. Practice with rifle competition was deemed useful for defense and hunting.
In its 171-year history, NBSV members have competed with muzzleloading and centerfire cartridge rifles as they became available. There have been at least five ranges and clubhouses. In the early years these were located within the city limits. Today, the range and clubhouse are located just outside the city limits.
After World War I, .22-rimfire competition at 100 yards began along with the standard centerfire cartridges at 200 yards. Before 2002 it was iron sights only for those under 70. Today the club holds competitions for both scope as well as iron sights in .22 rimfire only shooting at 100 yard targets. There was talk this year at the annual scheduling meeting of having one competition with deer rifles offhand at a metal silhouette, 200 yards.
Shooters may enter either offhand or “rest” stances. Slings and shooting jackets are not permitted in offhand shooting although a palm rest is allowed.
The rest consists of a metal bar with two spikes designed to stick in a plywood board with different heights for the shooters. This might be said to be like shooting out a cabin window.
The club slogan is, “Where Friendly Shooters Gather”. The club holds practice shoots that begin at 2 PM on Sunday, late enough for church and a change of clothes.
Members may shoot modern competition bolt-action rifles as well as antique falling block rifles. Some of the antique rifles have been rebarrelled from centerfire calibers and many have been restocked and modified. Many of these older rifles have been passed down for generations or sold to newer members. Modern scopes compete with older Unertls. All of these combinations have found success. It is an ancient tradition of armed citizenship that has remained current through these changing times.
The season runs from March to October and visitors are welcome at all shoots. The website is www.nbsv.org. A calendar and club contact information is on the site.

[flippr 2.0]

i had  Schuetzen Verein when i ate some bad shrimp.

[Aggie]

This is new to me! Came across this and figured I would share.
These are called "Bay leaves"
Many people add bay leaves to foods especially jollof rice (Nigerian), red meat and poultry but do you know why bay leaves are added to food?
When asked why, some reply: to add flavor to the food?
Do you know that If you boil some bay leaves in a glass of water and taste it, it will have no flavor?
Now why do you put bay leaves in the meat?
The addition of bay leaves to meat converts triglycerides to monounsaturated fats, and for experimentation and confirmation:
Cut the chicken in half and cook each half in a pan and place on one bay leaf, and the other without bay leaf and observe the amount of fat in both pans.
If you have bay leaves, there is no need for a pharmacy. Recent scientific studies have shown that bay leaves have many benefits & helps to get rid of many serious health problems and illnesses.
The benefits of bay leaf are:
*Bay leaf treats digestive disorders and helps eliminate lumps, Heartburn, Acidity & Constipation.
*It helps regulate bowel movement by drinking hot bay tea.
*It lowers blood sugar and bay leaf is also an antioxidant
*It allows the body to produce insulin by eating it or drinking bay tea for a month.
*IT eliminates bad cholesterol and relieves the body of triglycerides.
*It's very useful in treating colds, flu and severe cough as it is a rich source of vitamin "C", you can boil the leaves and inhale steam to get rid of phlegm and reduce the severity of cough.
*Bay leaf protects the heart from seizures and strokes as it contains cardiovascular protective compounds.
*It's rich in acids such as caffeic acid, quercetin, eigonol and bartolinide, substances that prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body.
*It eliminates insomnia and anxiety, if taken before bed, helps you relax and sleep peacefully.
Drinking a cup of boiled bay leaves twice a day breaks kidney stones and cures infections ...
Just like garlic and ginger are a must find amongst my collection of spices, Bay leaves are a must see in my collection of spices too(my little spice secrets to good aroma and flavor)

[Aggie]

Germanic people in history went by nights rather than days and had Christmas beginning at dark on December 24th. My German ancestors always had gifts on the night of 24th delivered by the golden angel from The Christ child until the American commercial Santa Claus took over and had gifts from Santa on the morning of December 25th. The Christmas tree was put up on December 24th and keep until Twelfth Night on the night of January 5th when it is said the Wise Men reached Jesus with gifts. Wondering if anyone still follows the old tradition?