Yours portly is worn out after the second week of school, so I’m keeping it quick today: I’m sharing a video of some baked potatoes—and the recipe for making them yourself.
TBT^16: Rebuilding Civilization: The Hunter-Gatherer
Yours portly is teaching World History for the second consecutive year (before last school year, the last time I’d taught the course was way back in the 2011-2012 school year, although I also taught the close cousin of World History, Western Civilization, at the local technical college more recently), and I love these early weeks of the course, as we talk about early civilizations and how they arose. The short answer is “agriculture.”
That always gets me thinking about this post from 2021 about how remote hunter-gatherer tribes would survive the collapse of civilization—because they lack it entirely.
It occurred to me that these remote peoples likely would not be the ones “rebuilding civilization.” Having not developed it in the first place, and seemingly unlikely to do so within any reasonable timeframe (because over the course of 6000 years of human civilization, they have never developed it), it seems like the best hope for civilization would, ironically, be the very peoples that destroyed it in the first place.
We see this pattern play out throughout history. The people living in the remnants of the Roman Empire rebuilt—however slowly—a distinctly European civilization. That’s not even mentioning the Eastern European or “Byzantine” Empire, which endured until 1453. We often forget that only half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the first place.
But I digress. I am a big believer in civilization, warts and all.
With that, here is 29 August 2024’s “TBT^4: Rebuilding Civilization: The Hunter-Gatherer“:
“American” Trucking
It seems that lately there is an endless parade of evidence showing illegal immigrants behaving badly—or, at the very least, with lethal incompetence. The latest example is the infamous Indian Sikh truck driver who made an unsignaled, last-minute U-turn, causing a family of three to crash into his trailer, killing them instantly.
An ex-girlfriend’s dad was a trucker for many years, and I remember him telling me that the state of the industry has really declined. Instead of unionized drivers with rigorous training and employment protections, there are loads of young, hastily-trained, immigrant men driving recklessly. As we saw with the Indian driver, many of these immigrants are here illegally, and come from cultures that do not hold human life sacred to the same extent as Western cultures.
Open Mic Adventures CXLV: “Murphy on the Storm”
Here’s something a bit different for today’s Open Mic Adventures. I’m never one to let anything go to waste, and that includes silly, improvised cover songs that I send as voice texts.
One morning a couple of weeks back I sang a “cover” of “Riders on the Storm,” the song by The Doors, but changed it to “Murphy on the Storm.” I amused myself so much with my shenanigans that I texted a rendition to my older brother. I then took that audio and plugged into iMovie on my phone, along with a picture of Murphy.
The result is absurdist hilarity.
Monday Morning Movie Review: Intruder (1989)
The first, tiny hints of autumn are in the air in South Carolina. Temperatures have been down the past few days, and I can just make out the tiniest bits of golden-brown in the leaves. I announced the home varsity football this past Friday, and driving back up to campus with the windows down (my car’s A/C is still not working) gave me that sensation that only fall can give.
Naturally, this weather brings to my mind the best autumn holiday: Halloween. And Halloween means (among other things) horror movies.
Now, I’ve never been big on slashers, but one I re-watched recently on Shudder is a good example of the genre: Intruder (1989). Its unique setting—it takes place in a grocery store—and colorful cast of characters makes it really enjoyable. It’s also strangely wholesome for a slasher; as I recall, there aren’t the usual lurid displays of teenage sexuality, just lots of grocery kills.
Lazy Sunday CCCXXXIII: School Days
Yours portly has completed the first week of school, and it was great! It’s kind of wild to think that after this week, I already have a day off (Labor Day).
Regardless, I thought it would be appropriate to look at some recent school-related posts:
- “First Day of School 2025” – Some thoughts about the first day of school.
- “Delayed Midweek Update” – A quick update on how the first week of school was going.
- “TBT^4: Chapel Lesson: Listening” (“TBT^2: Chapel Lesson: Listening“; “TBT: Chapel Lesson: Listening“; and “Chapel Lesson: Listening“) – A look back at a little Chapel lesson I gave several years ago.
Happy Sunday!
—TPP
Other Lazy Sunday Installments:
- Lazy Sunday – APR Pieces
- Lazy Sunday II – Lincoln Posts
- Lazy Sunday III – Historical Moments
- Lazy Sunday IV – Christianity
- Lazy Sunday V – Progressivism, Part I
- Lazy Sunday VI – Progressivism, Part II
- Lazy Sunday VII – Deep State
- Lazy Sunday VIII – Conservatism
- Lazy Sunday IX – Economics, Part I
- Lazy Sunday X – Economics, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XI – Walls
- Lazy Sunday XII – Space
- Lazy Sunday XIII – Immigration
- Lazy Sunday XIV – Gay Stuff
- Lazy Sunday XV – Work
- Lazy Sunday XVI – #MAGAWeek2018
- Lazy Sunday XVII – #MAGAWeek2019
- Lazy Sunday XVIII – SubscribeStar Posts
- Lazy Sunday XIX – Music
- Lazy Sunday XX – The Laziest Sunday
- Lazy Sunday XXI – Travel
- Lazy Sunday XXII – Reading
- Lazy Sunday XXIII – Richard Weaver
- Lazy Sunday XXIV – Education
- Lazy Sunday XXV – Techno-Weirdos
- Lazy Sunday XXVI – Small Town Living
- Lazy Sunday XXVII – Bric-a-Brac
- Lazy Sunday XXVIII – World History
- Lazy Sunday XXIX – The New Criterion
- Lazy Sunday XXX – Trump, Part I
- Lazy Sunday XXXI – Trump, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XXXII – Festivals
- Lazy Sunday XXXIII – Virtue Signalling
- Lazy Sunday XXXIV – The Desperate Search for Meaning Series
- Lazy Sunday XXXV – Corporate Grind
- Lazy Sunday XXXVI – Best of the Reblogs, Part I
- Lazy Sunday XXXVII – Best of the Reblogs, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XXXVIII – Best of the Reblogs, Part III
- Lazy Sunday XXXIX – A Very Dokken Christmas Series
- Lazy Sunday XL – Christmas Carols
- Lazy Sunday XLI – Food
- Lazy Sunday XLII – 2019’s Top Five Posts
- Lazy Sunday XLIII – Music, Part II: More Music
- Lazy Sunday XLIV – SubscribeStar Saturday Posts, Part II: The Search for More Money
- Lazy Sunday XLV – Techno-Weirdos II
- Lazy Sunday XLVI – Man Time
- Lazy Sunday XLVII – Winning
- Lazy Sunday XLVIII – Culture
- Lazy Sunday XLIX – Family
- Lazy Sunday L – The Best of Lazy Sunday
- Lazy Sunday LI – Just for Fun
- Lazy Sunday LII – Democratic Candidates, Part I
- Lazy Sunday LIII – Democratic Candidates, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LIV – Coronavirus
- Lazy Sunday LV – Animals
- Lazy Sunday LVI – Movies
- Lazy Sunday LVII – Christianity, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LVIII – Spring Break Short Story Recommendations Recap
- Lazy Sunday LIX – The God Pill Series
- Lazy Sunday LX – Music, Part II: Gigging
- Lazy Sunday LXI – The Tuck
- Lazy Sunday LXII – The South
- Lazy Sunday LXIII – Holidays
- Lazy Sunday LXIV – Grab Bag
- Lazy Sunday LXV – Rioting
- Lazy Sunday LXVI – Video Games
- Lazy Sunday LXVII – Phone it in Fridays, Part I
- Lazy Sunday LXVIII – Phone it in Fridays, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXIX – Phone it in Fridays, Part III
- Lazy Sunday LXX – Phone it in Friday, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday LXXI – Road Trips
- Lazy Sunday LXXII – Forgotten Posts, Volume I
- Lazy Sunday LXXIII – Forgotten Posts, Volume II
- Lazy Sunday LXXIV – Forgotten Posts, Volume III
- Lazy Sunday LXXV – Forgotten Posts, Volume IV
- Lazy Sunday LXXVI – Forgotten Posts, Volume V
- Lazy Sunday LXXVII – Rural America
- Lazy Sunday LXXVIII – Space, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIX – SCOTUS
- Lazy Sunday LXXX – Big Ideas
- Lazy Sunday LXXXI – Education, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXXXII – Universal Studios
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIII – The Mountains
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIV – Halloween Hijinks
- Lazy Sunday LXXXV – Elections
- Lazy Sunday LXXXVI – Questions, Part I
- Lazy Sunday LXXXVII – Questions, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXXXVIII – Questions, Part III
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIX – 100 Week Review
- Lazy Sunday XC – Questions, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday XCI – Questions, Part V
- Lazy Sunday XCII – Christmas
- Lazy Sunday XCIII – 2020’s Top Five Posts
- Lazy Sunday XCIV – My Favorite Things
- Lazy Sunday XCV – The Best of Lazy Sunday
- Lazy Sunday XCVI – More Movies: Movie Reviews, Part I
- Lazy Sunday XCVII – More Movies II: Movie Reviews, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XCVIII – More Movies III: Movie Reviews, Part III
- Lazy Sunday XCIX – Romantic Music
- Lazy Sunday C – Valentine’s Day
- Lazy Sunday CI – Obituaries, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CII – Obituaries, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CIII – Begging
- Lazy Sunday CIV – Time
- Lazy Sunday CV – Grab Bag II
- Lazy Sunday CVI – Adventures
- Lazy Sunday CVII – Easter
- Lazy Sunday CVIII – Spring Break Short Story Recommendations 2021 Recap
- Lazy Sunday CIX – Pillow Talk
- Lazy Sunday CX – Inspector Gerard Reviews
- Lazy Sunday CXI – Bric-a-Brac II
- Lazy Sunday CXII – Responsibility
- Lazy Sunday CXIII – Short Stories
- Lazy Sunday CXIV – More Movies IV: Movie Reviews, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday CXV – Memorable Mondays
- Lazy Sunday CXVI – Delays
- Lazy Sunday CXVII – More Movies V – Movie Reviews, Part V
- Lazy Sunday CXVIII – More Movies VI – Movie Reviews, Part VI
- Lazy Sunday CXIX – Summer Camps
- Lazy Sunday CXX – Animals, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CXXI – MAGAWeek2021 Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXXII – MAGAWeek2020 Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXXIII – Murphy
- Lazy Sunday CXXIV – Bible Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXXV – More Movies VII – Movie Reviews, Part VII
- Lazy Sunday CXXVI – Joy, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXXVII – Joy, Part II – Music
- Lazy Sunday CXXVIII – Civilization
- Lazy Sunday CXXIX – Friends, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXXX – Friends, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CXXXI – Friends, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CXXXII – Milestones
- Lazy Sunday CXXXIII – Inspector Gerard
- Lazy Sunday CXXXIV – Friends, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday CXXXV – More Movies VIII – Movie Reviews, Part VIII
- Lazy Sunday CXXXVI – More Movies IX – Movie Reviews, Part IX
- Lazy Sunday CXXXVII – More Halloween Hijinks
- Lazy Sunday CXXXVIII – Friends, Part V
- Lazy Sunday CXXXIX – More Movies, Part X – Movie Reviews, Part X
- Lazy Sunday CXL – More Movies, Part XI – Movie Reviews, Part XI
- Lazy Sunday CXLI – Thanksgiving Stuff(ing)
- Lazy Sunday CXLII – More Movies, Part XII – Movie Reviews, Part XII
- Lazy Sunday CXLIII – More Movies, Part XIII – Movie Reviews, Part XIII
- Lazy Sunday CXLIV – More Christmas Carols
- Lazy Sunday CXLV – Christmas Cheer
- Lazy Sunday CXLVI – 2021’s Top Five Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXLVII – More Movies, Part XIV – Movie Reviews, Part XIV
- Lazy Sunday CXLVIII – The Gemini Sonnets #1 and #2
- Lazy Sunday CXLIX – The Gemini Sonnets #3 and #4
- Lazy Sunday CL – The Gemini Sonnets #5 and #6
- Lazy Sunday CLI – More Movies, Part XV – Movies Reviews, Part XV
- Lazy Sunday CLII – Romance
- Lazy Sunday CLIII – Behind the Songs, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLIV – Behind the Songs, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLV – Péchés d’âge moyen Posts
- Lazy Sunday CLVI – More Son of Sonnet
- Lazy Sunday CLVII – Ponty’s Posts, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLVIII – Ponty’s Posts, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLIX – Scrambie Eggs
- Lazy Sunday CLX: Fine Arts Festival
- Lazy Sunday CLXI: Easter II
- Lazy Sunday CLXII: Spring Break Short Story Recommendations Recap 2022
- Lazy Sunday CLXIII: Friends, Part VI
- Lazy Sunday CLXIV: Friends, Part VII
- Lazy Sunday CLXV: Friends, Part VIII
- Lazy Sunday CLXVI: Friends, Part IX
- Lazy Sunday CLXVII: Friends, Part X
- Lazy Sunday CLXVIII: More Movies, Part XVI: Movie Reviews, Part XVI
- Lazy Sunday CLXIX: More Movies, Part XVII: Movie Reviews, Part XVII
- Lazy Sunday CLXX: More Movies, Part XVIII: Movie Reviews, Part XVIII
- Lazy Sunday CLXXI: Frederick Ingram, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXII: Frederick Ingram, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXIII: MAGAWeek2022
- Lazy Sunday CLXXIV: More Movies, Part XIX: Movie Reviews, Part XIX
- Lazy Sunday CLXXV: More Movies, Part XX: Movie Reviews, Part XX
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVI: More Movies, Part XXI: Movie Reviews, Part XXI
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVII: School, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVIII: School, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXIX: More Movies, Part XXII: Ponty’s Worst Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXX: More Movies, Part XXIII: Portly’s Worst Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXI: More Movies, Part XXIV: Ponty’s Worst Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXII: More Movies, Part XXV: Portly’s Worst Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXIII: More Movies, Part XXVII: Ponty’s Worst Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXIV: More Movies, Part XXVIII: Portly’s Worst Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXV: More Movies, Part XXIX: Ponty and Portly’s #1 Worst Films
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXVI: More Movies, Part XXX: Midweek Myers Movie Reviews, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXVII: More Movies, Part XXXI: Midweek Myers Movie Reviews, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXVIII: Video Games II: Ponty’s Picks
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXIX: Even More Halloween Hijinks: The Musical
- Lazy Sunday CXC: Cozy Time
- Lazy Sunday CXCI: Veterans Day Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXCII: Myersvision, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXCIII: Thanksgiving Week Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXCIV: Solo Cover EP, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXCV: Solo Cover EP, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVI: 2022’s Top Three
- Lazy Sunday CXCVII: Review[s] of A Christmas Carol (1951)
- Lazy Sunday CXCVIII: The Worst of 2022
- Lazy Sunday CXCIX: More Movies XXXII: Portly’s Best Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CC: More Movies XXXIII: Ponty’s Best Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCI: More Movies XXXIV: Portly’s Best Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCII: More Movies XXXV: Ponty’s Best Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCIII: Péchés d’âge moyen Picks
- Lazy Sunday CCIV: Arizonan Sojourn, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCV: Portly’s Best Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCVI: Ponty’s Best Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCVII: The Beach
- Lazy Sunday CCVIII: Walks
- Lazy Sunday CCXIX: Paintings
- Lazy Sunday CCX: Arizonan Sojourn, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXI: Hono[u]rable Mentions
- Lazy Sunday CCXII: Easter III
- Lazy Sunday CCXIII: Spring Break Short Story Recommendations 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCXIV: Ponty and Portly’s #1 Picks
- Lazy Sunday CCXV: Myersvision, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXVI: Myersvision, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCXVII: Myersvision, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday CCXVIII: Myersvision, Part V
- Lazy Sunday CCXIX: Myersvision, Part VI
- Lazy Sunday CCXX: Myersvision, Part VII
- Lazy Sunday CCXXI: Intergalactic Nonsense
- Lazy Sunday CCXXII: Stories
- Lazy Sunday CCXXIII: Original Music, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCXXIV: Original Music, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXXV: MAGAWeek2023 Posts
- Lazy Sunday CCXXVI: Greatest Hits Recap
- Lazy Sunday CCXXVII: Ponty Week 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCXXVIII: D.C., Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCXXIX: D.C., Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXXX: TJC Deep Cuts
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXI: Weird Piano Music
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXII: Cinema
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXIII: Monarchy
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXIV: Sandwiches
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXV: Skeletons
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXVI: Myersvision, Part VIII
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXVII: Myersvision, Part IX
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXVIII: Festivals II
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXIX: Two Cryptid Tunes
- Lazy Sunday CCXL: Ghostly Doings
- Lazy Sunday CCXLI: Veterans Day Posts II
- Lazy Sunday CCXLII: Indie Musician Rants
- Lazy Sunday CCXLIII: 2023 Releases
- Lazy Sunday CCXLIV: Civilization Series
- Lazy Sunday CCXLV: Chapel Lessons, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCXLVI: Chapel Lessons, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXLVII: Christmas Concert Reviews
- Lazy Sunday CCXLVIII: The Best of 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCXLIX: Best Ponty Posts of 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCL: Best Myersvision Posts of 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCLI: YouTube Roundup Roundup I
- Lazy Sunday CCLII: YouTube Roundup Roundup II
- Lazy Sunday CCLIII: Firefly Dance Tracks, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLIV: Firefly Dance Tracks, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLV: Firefly Dance Tracks, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCLVI: Days Off
- Lazy Sunday CCLVII: Murphy Vids, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLVIII: Food II
- Lazy Sunday CCLIX: Four Mages, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLX: Murphy Vids, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXI: Ultra Laziness
- Lazy Sunday CCLXII: Mothers
- Lazy Sunday CCLXIII: Four Mages, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXIV: End of School Events
- Lazy Sunday CCLXV: Disco Elysium Reviews
- Lazy Sunday CCLXVI: Political Stuff, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLXVII: Political Stuff, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXVIII: Milestones II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXIX: Cryptid Epistemology Mini-Series
- Lazy Sunday CCLXX: TJC Deep Cuts II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXI: Trump Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXII: Harris Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXIII: Heptadic Structure Tracks, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXIV: More Movies XXXVI: Movie Reviews, Part XXII: Reviews for Audre
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXV: Singing to Murphy
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXVI: Music Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXVII: Reviews of Video Games After Only Playing a Tiny Bit of Them
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXVIII: Composing Antiquity
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXIX: Ancient History
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXX: Mel Brooks Films
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXI: Smooth Brass Tunes
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXII: Spooky Season Prep
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXIII: Spooky Season Prep II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXIV: Spooky Season Prep III
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXV: Post-Spooky Season Blues
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXVI: GEOTUS
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXVII: Vague Updates
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXVIII: Thanksgiving Follies
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXIX: Christmas Cheer
- Lazy Sunday CCXC: Christmas Cheer II
- Lazy Sunday CCXCI: Christmas Cheer III
- Lazy Sunday CCXCII: The Best of 2024
- Lazy Sunday CCXCIII: Life Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCXCIV: Stop Motion Animation
- Lazy Sunday CCXCV: The Bitter, Wretched Cold
- Lazy Sunday CCXCVI: Golden Age
- Lazy Sunday CCXCVII: Golden Age II
- Lazy Sunday CCXCVIII: Civilization VII Posts
- Lazy Sunday CCXCIX: Civilization VII Posts II
- Lazy Sunday CCC: Cosmic Critters
- Lazy Sunday CCCI: Saxophone Sunday
- Lazy Sunday CCCII: Culture II
- Lazy Sunday CCCIII: Cold Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCCIV: Springtime Musical Follies
- Lazy Sunday CCCV: Mostly Mediocre Horror Movies
- Lazy Sunday CCCVI: Old Tech
- Lazy Sunday CCCVII: Churchy Vibes
- Lazy Sunday CCCVIII: Clarinets!
- Lazy Sunday CCCIX: Analog Horror
- Lazy Sunday CCCX: MP3 Players
- Lazy Sunday CCCXI: Retro Games
- Lazy Sunday CCCXII: Scandinavians
- Lazy Sunday CCCXIII: The French
- Lazy Sunday CCCXIV: More Murphy
- Lazy Sunday CCCXV: LEGO Craft
- Lazy Sunday CCCXVI: Australians
- Lazy Sunday CCCXVII: Musical Reflections
- Lazy Sunday CCCXVIII: Jeffrey Epstein
- Lazy Sunday CCCXIX: July 2018 Deep Cuts
- Lazy Sunday CCCXXX: Minor Inconveniences
- Lazy Sunday CCCXXXI: Food III
- Lazy Sunday CCCXXXII: The 1920s
SubscribeStar Saturday: Myrtle Beach 2025: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
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My brothers and I took an overnight trip last weekend to Myrtle Beach. Growing up, we would go to Myrtle Beach every summer for our dad to attend a big public works conference. While he languished away in conference sessions all day, our mom would take us all over Myrtle Beach to various attractions.
Naturally, we have fond memories of these annual trips, and we have several regular spots we like to check out on our visits as adults. One is the weird, wacky museum (for lack of a better word) that is Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Ripley’s is named for the famed cartoonist Robert Ripley, who started his Believe It or Not! concept as a newspaper column. Ripley travelled the world and scrupulously documented everyone of his claims, even employing a team of researchers to help corroborate the wild facts that came pouring in from his journeys and his readers alike. Ripley built his first museum of oddities, which he called an “Odditorium,” in Chicago in 1933. He was also responsible for mobilizing public opinion in favor of making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States (Congress passed a law, which President Herbert Hoover signed into law, in 1931, making the song the official anthem).
Ripley’s “Odditoriums” capture something of the spirit of a circus sideshow while also being, essentially, cosmopolitan museums of anthropology and natural history. If all of the artifacts, human remains, fossils, animals, etc., in a Ripley’s were presented less sensationally, almost all of them would fit nicely into the environment of your standard history or natural history museum. Ripley’s, however, goes a step further, and makes these weird, scary, cool things even more weird, scary, and cool by way of a mysterious, slightly sleazy, very sensationalistic presentation.
Consider that the name of the “Odditoriums” officially end with an exclamation point: Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Almost every placard has a nice exclamation point in its description, adding that extra level of grammatical excitement. It really draws attention to how wild, crazy, and/or unusual the factoid is, which just makes it even more memorable.
Then, of course, there are the artifacts themselves. Some are replicas; some are full-sized wax figures; some are actual artifacts. I was surprised by the sheer number of actual human remains on display in the museum, from shrunken heads to limbs to mummies. There are additionally wax reproductions of people with strange deformities, like a man with two pupils and irises in each eye; a Chinese man with a candle implanted into his skull; and a woman with a horn growing out of her head. There’s even a model of a pig, John Arnold, with six legs (and he’s from Darlington, South Carolina!):
The museum has a fun, often spooky, slightly dangerous feel to it, even though it is perfectly safe. It very much conjures up that sensation of being at a weird circus or county fair, with all sorts of freaks and oddballs skulking about.
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Phone it in Friday CI: YouTube Roundup CLXI: Hoarder House
As readers know from my epic “Ululations for U-Haul,” I had to move a significant amount of heavy and large furniture from my future in-laws’ house to my humble abode. My house is not large—it’s roughly 1000-square feet—and already stuffed with my junk.
Fortunately, I’m excellent at Tetris and the grandson of a furniture store owner. I also grew up in a Victorian house that my mother crammed so full of knick-knacks, bric-a-brac, and gewgaws that I know how to maneuver around tight spaces overstuffed with furniture. As such, I’ve adapted well to my new hoarder-like conditions.
I documented the state of my home post-move, mainly for my future in-laws’ amusement. Then I uploaded it to YouTube, where it somehow managed to rack up 1,469 views (at the time of writing). Let’s get that to 1500, eh, dear readers?
TBT^4: Chapel Lesson: Listening
One of the appeals of teaching is that there is a rhythm and regularity to the school year. The same events occur at roughly the same times each week, each month, each year. I became a teacher for many reasons, but the predictability of the schedule has always been a major appeal. I like a structure of routine that allows for great variety of experiences and activities within that larger structure.
So it is that we have come, once again, to the first day of Chapel for the new academic year. We have Chapel every Thursday morning during our Morning Break/Meeting time.
Very occasionally, yours portly is called upon to deliver a brief Chapel lesson. Here is one from a few years ago. My only regret is that I did not do more to tie the message specifically and overtly back to Christ.
With that, here is 22 August 2024’s “TBT^2: Chapel Lesson: Listening”:
Delayed Midweek Update
Yours portly is back into the swing of things at school, and therefore have not had much time to write. I meant to hammer out a post last night after work, but the siren song of Civilization VII, coupled with post-teaching relaxation, was too strong to resist. As such, here’s a quick update:
The Portly Politico 