Every Independence Day I like to tell this story about my ride on a decorated party barge in the Fourth of July Boat Parade on False River in the '80s. Because other barge riders were from New Roads, there was great food on the craft, including some delectable deviled eggs from one of the ladies. I made sure to be close to the eggs as we cruised down the lake, waving to the spectators on shore. Unfortunately, water balloons had become popular with teenage boys, and we soon were being bombarded. When one of the balloons hit the nearby railing and burst, soaking me, I was outraged to see the boy who threw it laughing maniacally. Without thinking, I reached behind me, grabbed a deviled egg and hurled it. It hit him square on his bare chest. The expression on his face was priceless as he looked down at the yellow goo. My fellow barge passengers got a big laugh out of my counterattack — except for the deviled egg lady. She was not amused… Psychology 101 Mike Boudreaux, … [Read more...] about Smiley: Barge armed with a devilish weapon
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Snakes, swamps and whisky: the British explorers who went on the ultimate boys’ own adventure
In the early months of 1972, word passed between the indigenous tribes living in the Darien Gap that a man with mythical powers had arrived in the remote swamplands between Colombia and Panama. He wore a white pith helmet and a clipped pencil moustache and was leading an expedition team of two Range Rovers, 59 men, five women and 28 pack horses through the jungle. He carried enough dynamite to blast swathes of trees to smithereens and at night would use a radio set to call in an Army Beaver light aircraft to drop supplies of petrol and beer, which the remote Indians living in the Darien Gap described as “firewater”. “They thought we had magic,” recalls Colonel John Blashford-Snell . “And told each other the most wonderful stories about us.” Blashers, as he is known, who was then a major in the Royal Engineers, was already considered one of the greatest British explorers of the 20th century. A few years previously he had led a successful expedition, as the first European to … [Read more...] about Snakes, swamps and whisky: the British explorers who went on the ultimate boys’ own adventure
Remembering WWII Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams
"Hero" is a word used perhaps a little too often these days. Last year, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin talked with the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Second World War: Hershel "Woody" Williams. Williams died Wednesday at the age of 98 . We think you'll agree, he is, indeed, a true American hero. [This story was originally broadcast May 30, 2021] Hershel "Woody" Williams is literally one-of-a-kind. At the age of 97 he is the last living recipient of the Medal of Honor from World War II. But it's the way he's lived all those years since that really sets him apart. "I felt that I owed back more than I could ever possibly give," he told Martin. He grew up on a farm in West Virginia during the Great Depression. "There were 11 born to my family," he said. "Only five of us survived to adulthood." After Pearl Harbor , he tried to enlist in the Marines, but was rejected as too short. When the Marines started taking horrendous casualties … [Read more...] about Remembering WWII Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams
What Donald Trump said that made TV talkshow host Steph McGovern laugh
Steph McGovern in the press room at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards 2018 (Image: Ian West/PA Archive/PA Images) Sign up for FREE for the latest news from the world of showbiz SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Chatty and friendly are the order of the day, something that pervades her successful daily Packed Lunch on Channel 4. And yet, the world might never have got to know her. "I come from Middlesbrough and I went to a college that was very much focused on the needs of the local area which is rooted in heavy industry," she explains. "We spent a lot of time getting input from companies like British Steel and ICI. I was pretty good at science so I saw my future in engineering." Related articles BBC's Naga Munchetty … [Read more...] about What Donald Trump said that made TV talkshow host Steph McGovern laugh