The Max Gate: 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Presidential Pets. (Coolidge)

Calvin and Grace Coolidge literally had a zoo at the White House. Most famous and beloved was the white collie Rob Roy, purchased from Thomas and Olive shover, who owned Shomont White Collies. They also entertained and cared for:

Peter Pan, terrier
Paul Pry, an Airedale terrier that was originally named Laddie Buck
Rob Roy, white collie, originally named Oshkosh
Prudence Prim, another white collie
Also popular was Calamity Jane, a Shetland sheepdog
Tiny Tim, chow
Blackberry, also a chow
Ruby Rouch, brown collie
Bessie, collie
Boston Beans, bulldog
King Kole, German shepherd
Bessie, collie
Palo Alto, bird dog
Nip and Tuck, canaries
Snowflake, also a white canary
Old Bill, a thrush
Enoch, goose
Mockingbird belonging to Grace Coolidge
Tiger, cat
Blacky, another cat
Rebecca and Horace, raccoons
Ebenezer, donkey
Smoky, bobcat
Finally, given to them by dignitaries from other countries, there were also lion cubs (humorously named Tax Reduction and Budget Bureau), a wallaby, a pygmy hippo named Billy, and a black bear!

Merry Christmas

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Babe Ruth

St. Mary's was an unusual institution - part orphanage, part reform school, part private academy. The school was run by the Xaverian brothers, a Roman Catholic order whose members embraced piety and celibacy but not full priesthood, and the conditions were rigorously monastic.

All the students had a history of behavioral problems, but the brothers attributed that to inadequacies of upbringing rather than any deficiency of character - a decidedly enlightened view for the time. They believed that any boy treated with decency, encouragement and respect would grow into a model citizen, and they were nearly always right. Ninety-five percent of the Xaverian boys went on to live normal, stable lives.

~ Bill Bryson, describing the institution where Babe Ruth spent part of his childhood

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Actual Complaints to Thomas Cook Travel Agency

“It’s lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallarta to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during ‘siesta’ time — this should be banned.”

“The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room.”

“We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish.”

“They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax.”

“I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes.”

“My fiance and I requested twin-beds when we booked, but instead we were placed in a room with a king bed. We now hold you responsible and want to be re-reimbursed for the fact that I became pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked.”