"Agnes Darling" - Wild Bill's Eerie Letter

"Agnes Darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife---Agnes---and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore." - Wild Bill Hickok to his new wife Agness.

Wild Bill wrote these words in a letter to his wife the day before his death in Deadwood, SD, in 1876. He was shot in the back of the head by a disgruntled man who had lost money to him playing poker just the day before.

Bill had always sat with his back against the wall when he played cards. However, on this occasion his spot had already been taken and the man occupying it refused to move. Instead of causing a ruccous, Bill went against his own rule to never sit where someone could sneak up behind him.  It was the one and only time he would make this mistake.

Agnes received the letter a month later in the mail.

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Friends said that Hickok wrote the letter because he was now in his late 30's and felt that he was losing his edge. After many decades of fame he was still very much sought after by the public and young men used him to test their metal. Hickok knew he wasn't as fast as he used to be and that his days were numbered.

 

It is interesting to note that "Everyday Paranormal", a paranormal research group who supposedly uses scientific methods to capture evidence of the paranormal, supposedly caught an "EVP" of a "spirit" who seemed to answer their questions as Hickok might have. When asking:

- what his last words would be if he had a chance to voice them... a voice responded, "tell my wife I love her."

- what was the fifth card in Hickok's hand when he was shot, the spirit replied "nine diamonds."

The arrangement of cards Hickok last held while playing poker are famously known as "The Dead Man's Hand." He held a pair of eights, and pair of aces; the fifth card was lost to history.

One version of the trial: Hickok's murderer, Jack McCall, was found not guilty in a court of law (due to the false testimony that Hickok had previously killed McCall's brother), but was taken back to court a second time  and was tried again. It was found that McCall didn't even have a brother to begin with. The coward hung.

ALY DARLING!

Alydar, the famous chestnut throughbred racehorse who is best known for dueling with his rival Affirmed in all three legs of the 1978 Triple Crown, was named by the owner of Calumet Farms, Lucille Markey, after her close friend the Aga Khan of Islam. His name was Aly Khan and she addressed his royal highness as "Aly darling!" Alydar is a contraction of Aly darling!

Alydar was born March 23, 1975 at Calumet Farm and also died there of mysterious causes on Nov. 15, 1990.

Alydar had no trouble beating any of his adversaries by a huge gap, except for the impressive Affirmed.

Alydar finished his career with 14 victories -- and nine seconds -- in 26 starts and earned $957,195, while Affirmed, who was Horse of the Year at age 3 and 4, won 22 of 29 races and $2,393,818. sportsillustrated.cnn.com /horse_racing/news/2003/04/26/affirmed_alydar_ap  

Interesting tidbit: The Aga Khan was once married to one of America's own on-screen royalty, Rita Hayworth.

A "Toast" to Eighteenth Century England

It was considered appropriate for aristocratic men in eighteenth century England to say a few words at the banquet table. They enjoyed the tradition to such an extent that they did so without pausing to "relieve" themselves.

In a footnote of Amanda Foreman's book, Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire, p. 25, she writes, "The practice of proposing and replying continued throughout the dinner and with even more vigour after the women had left. Toasting the ladies, toasting the food, each other, and whatever else came to mind went on for so long there were chamber pots in each corner, and the person who has occasion to use it does not even interrupt his talk during the operation." It was a quote taken from Frenchman Andre Parreaux's, Daily Life, p.36.

Lack of ethics destroyed Challenger space mission.

"We all knew if the seals failed, the shuttle would blow up!" - Roger Boisjoly.

Roger Boisjoly was an engineer working for the Morton Thiokal company which supplied parts for NASA at the time of the Challenger space shuttle disaster back in January 1986. Months before the disaster he, along with three other employees, remembers speaking to the managers of his company about his belief that the elastic seals on the rocket booster (SRB) were faulty.

The outermost seal, also known as an O-ring, had been designed to seat itself and then flex along with the joint where two individual parts of the SRB came together. It was discovered, however, that instead of staying seated in its place during periods of flexion the ring would often shift out of position allowing exhaust to escape. This hot gas would then damage the ring.

Cold temperature was also noted to be a safety concern. Engineers working on the project knew that freezing temperatures would cause the rings to stiffen. Once they were incapable of flexing, gas was bound to escape. One spark is all it would take cause the SRB to explode, as well as the shuttle itself. This is what Boisjoly had tried so hard to warn everyone about.

At around this same time, the Morton Thiokal company were in the middle of negotiating with NASA on the renewal of their contract. Ethical or not, it is believed that the company's plan was to keep Boisjoly's warnings low key until after the new deal was "sealed."

NASA evidently was aware that there was a problem. A day before the scheduled launch NASA and Morton Thiokal held a teleconference to decide once and for all if the shuttle was flight worthy. After one last debate the managers of the company gave the okay to proceed as planned.

Boisjoly was alarmed upon hearing this! This January had been the coldest on record in Florida; he knew the rings were sure to fail. Behind the scenes he made attempt after attempt to cancel the flight. Only moments into the flight, the shuttle was lost. The company managers had gambled on the other people's lives and lost.

Unfortunately Boisjoly was branded a "whistle blower" by his colleague's and was ostracized by the engineering community at large. I, however, believe there should be more people out there like Boisjoly who will step up and do the right thing even when you stand alone. You are a hero in my book.

Others also have acknowledged his bravery before the disaster. He was given the Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1988.

Mr. Boisjoly, you will be remembered for your honesty and integrity. May you rest in peace. April 25, 1938 – January 6, 2012.

Kennedy's Eery Foreshadowing of Day of Own Funeral

JFK made private recordings of his conversations before his assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

In a scheduling discussion three days before his killing, JFK comments on what would become the day of his funeral.

Kennedy - "Monday?" he asks. "Well that's a tough day."

Staff Member - "It's a hell of a day, Mr. President."

MSNBC.com, Secret Tapes of JFK's Last Days Released, 24 January 2012.

No political progress since the days of Kennedy...

The conversation below speaks for itself.

In a conversation with political advisers about young voters, Kennedy asks, "What is it we have to sell them?"

"We hope we have to sell them prosperity, but for the average guy the prosperity is nil," he says. "He's not unprosperous, but he's not very prosperous. ... And the people who really are well off hate our guts."

Kennedy talks about a disconnect between the political machine and voters.

"We've got so mechanical an operation here in Washington that it doesn't have much identity where these people are concerned," he says.

MSNBC.com, Secret Tapes of JFK's Last Days Released, 24 January 2012.

THE WAR IS OVER: Official message.

Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn

They [Soldiers] will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high. One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the American military will come to an end. Iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. America's war in Iraq will be over.

President Obama, 14 December 2011

The magnitude of what this Nation and our Soldiers have accomplished in Iraq is unprecedented. We have never been more proud of our Army – our Soldiers, Civilians and our Families. You freed over twenty-five million people from tyranny and given hope when hope was forsaken. Our Army provided new opportunity for the people of Iraq. No other Army in the world could have accomplished what you have done - Only American Soldiers.

Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, our Soldiers embodied physical and mental toughness and courage under fire. Over the past eight years, the quality of our Soldiers has stood in stark contrast to the desert sands. Just as the WWII generation defeated tyranny across the globe, a new generation - galvanized by the attacks of September 11th - bravely defeated tyranny once again. Even during the darkest days in Iraq, our Soldiers never wavered in the face of growing doubt. They continued to risk life and limb for a cause larger than themselves. For their heroic action, they received nearly 9,000 awards for valor including two Medals of Honor, 16 Distinguished Services Crosses, and 408 Silver Stars.

We remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, our Wounded Warriors, our Gold Star Families, and all of our loved ones who have been touched by the horror of war. Their sacrifices have given meaning to our values and ideals. For that, we thank them. A grateful Nation will always remember, respect, and appreciate these heroes as the Next Greatest Generation.

We are extremely proud of all of our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families. Our Army has once again proved that it is America's Force of Decisive Action. Thank you for a job well done. Army Strong!

//Original Signed//

Raymond F. Chandler III

Sergeant Major of the Army

//Original Signed//

Raymond T. Odierno

General, United States Army Chief of Staff

//Original Signed//

John M. McHugh

Secretary of the Army