This story would be a tragic one if it didn’t involve two men who were undoubtedly creeps. Illustrious creeps, but creeps nevertheless. One was a world-famous architect, and the other a rich scion, from an even richer family. There are no nice guys here, and the girl in the middle, although considered the most beautiful woman of her time, and one of artist Charles Dana Gibson’s famous “Gibson Girls,” was no lily-white lassie herself.

So why do we care? Simply because it was the most deliciously decadent murder story of the early 20th Century.

On June 25, 1906, it was high society’s night out. It was the opening of the new musical Mamzelle Champagne, on the outdoor roof garden of Madison Square Garden, which at the time was bounded by Fifth and Madison Avenues, and 26th and 27th Streets. The structure, which included an amphitheater on the ground floor, was designed by world-famed architect Stanford White. In fact, White had a front row table, in which he sat by himself, to enjoy the show, which was not going over too well with the crowd, since people were milling about from table to table, kibitzing, instead of paying attention to the show.

Suddenly, the audience heard three loud shots. At first, they thought it was a part of the show. But when they saw White topple to the floor, his head encased in a pool of blood, they knew the theatrical scene was for real.

Harry Kendall Thaw, a spoiled, rich punk, had casually walked over to White, pulled out a pistol from beneath his long black coat, and plugged White three times: twice in the shoulder and once through his brain. After he fired his final shot, Thaw screamed at White, “You deserved this! You ruined my wife!”

Seeming to be not in any particular hurry, Thaw casually pointed the gun up over his head and strode to the elevator. Thaw took the elevator down and met his wife, the beautiful actress Evelyn Nesbit, in the lobby by the elevator. Mamzelle Champagne being the awful spectacle that it was, Thaw and Nesbit had left with another couple moments before the shooting. Nesbit did not realize her husband did not ride down the elevator with her. Nesbit heard the shots, and a few seconds later, when her husband strode out of the elevator holding a smoking gun, she screamed at him, “Good God Harry, what have you done?”

Back on the rooftop garden, the stage manager was trying to sort out exactly what had transpired. He jumped on a table and shouted to the orchestra, “Keep on playing! And bring out the chorus!”

The musicians, actors and actresses, dumbfounded over a real live murder being perpetrated right in front of their eyes, sat, or stood dumbfounded. A doctor, who was in attendance, rushed to White’s body. White’s face was disfigured from the powder burns. Still, the doctor announced with certainty that White was indeed dead.

Down in the lobby, a firemen in attendance wrestled the gun away from Thaw, who did not offer any resistance. Moments later, a policeman arrived and immediately arrested Thaw. The policeman brought Thaw to the nearest police station, which was located in the Tenderloin District, an area known for its gambling, prostitution, and various other crimes, both violent and nonviolent. When Thaw arrived at the police station, he identified himself as John Smith, a student at 18 Lafayette Square in Philadelphia.

The desk sergeant asked Thaw, “Why did you do this?”

Thaw seemed disinterested. “I can’t say why,” he said.

By this time, several news reporters, who were familiar with Thaw, had followed him to the police station, and identified him to the police by his real name. Thaw immediately clammed up and refused to say another word, unless he was represented by an attorney.

The following day, the killing of Sanford White was on the front page of every newspaper in New York City. The New York Times, usually staid and proper, ran this blaring headline.

THAW MURDERS SANFORD WHITE!

Shoots him on the Madison Square Garden rooftop

ABOUT EVELYN NESBIT

“You ruined my wife,” he cries and fires.

AUDIENCE IN PANIC

Chairs and tables overturned in a wild scramble For the Exits

Stanford White, who was born in 1853, was the most famous architect of this time. White was a partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, for which he designed houses and mansions for the rich and famous. White also designed the upscale gated community Seagate in Brooklyn. Besides designing Madison Square Garden, White designed the Madison Square Presbyterian Church, the New York Herald Building, the First Bowery Savings Bank (at the Bowery and Grand Street), and the Washington Square Arch. The final two White achievements are still standing to this day.

However, White, despite his exalted status, was a quirky man, who had several fetishes, some bordering on illegality. Even though he was married, White was a man-about-town, who courted several young ladies, some of them young enough to be his daughter. It was his encounter with a 16-year-old Evelyn Nesbit that was the cause of his demise.

Evelyn Nesbit was born Florence Evelyn Nesbit on Christmas Day 1884, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Her father was a struggling lawyer, who died in 1893, leaving his wife and daughter in considerable debt. Even at a young age, Nesbit was a stunning beauty. She began modeling in Pittsburgh, but she and her mother decided it was best she moved to New York City, to enhance her career. Almost immediately Nesbit was a hot New York City model. She modeled for such famous photographers as Frederick S. Church, Herbert Morgan, Gertrude Kasebier, Carl Blenner, and Rudolf Eickemeyer.

Nesbit’s beauty was such, newspaperman Irvin S. Cobb describe Nesbit as having, “The slim, quick grace of a fawn, a head that sat on her flawless throat like a lily on its stem, eyes that were the color of blue-brown pansies and the size of half dollars, a mouth made of rumbled rose petals.”

In 1901, Nesbit met White for the first time. Nesbit and a girlfriend, who was accompanied by another man, were invited to have lunch at White’s apartment on W. 24th Street. Shortly after they finished their meal, her girlfriend’s male companion left. White then invited the two girls to an upstairs room, where he kept a red velvet swing. Like a father doting on his two young children, White gave both the girls a turn on his swing, gleefully pushing them back and forth, until their legs almost touched the ceiling.

“He had a big Japanese umbrella on the ceiling,” Nesbit said. “So when he swung us very high up in the air, our feet past through the umbrella.”

White became very smitten with Nesbit. Using her mother as a chaperon, White dated Nesbit quite often. At the time, White was the perfect gentleman, and he tried to make sure Nesbit had every advantage, as she pursued her career in modeling, and in acting.

However, everything changed when Nesbit’s mother decided to visit friends in Pittsburgh. White was so magnanimous, he even paid for Nesbit’s mother’s trip. By this time, Nesbit had gotten a bit part in a play called Floridora. On the second night that her mother was gone, White sent Nesbit a note at the theater, inviting her to a party at his apartment on 24th Street. When Nesbit arrived at White’s apartment, she was surprised no one else was there.

“The others have turned us down,” White told Nesbit.

“Then he poured me a glass of champagne,” Nesbit said at Thaw’s trial. “I don’t know whether it was a minute after, or two minutes after, but a pounding began in my ears. Then the whole room seemed to go around.”

Nesbit lost consciousness, and when she awoke, she was lying in bed, naked. The room, in which the bed was located, was completely mirrored, even on the ceilings.

“I started to scream,” Nesbit said. “Mr. White tried to quiet me. I don’t remember how I got my clothes on, or how I went home, but he took me home. Then he went away and left me. I sat up all night.”

The following day, White visited Nesbit at her apartment. He found her there in an almost hypnotic state, just staring out the window.

“Why don’t you look at me, child,” White said.

“Because I can’t,” she said.

White told Nesbit not to worry. “Everyone does those things,” he told her. White also told Nesbit her fellow starlets in Floradoa all were involved in sexual escapades with assorted men. White told Nesbit the most important thing was not to be found out. He made Nesbit promise not to say anything to her mother about what had transpired in his apartment the night before.

Harry Thaw was born in Pittsburgh, in February of 1871, the son of coal and railroad baron William Thaw. As a child, Thaw shuttled in and out of several schools. He was an insolent child, considered by this teaches not to be very bright, and a troublemaker. Yet, because he was the son of William Thaw, Harry Thaw was admitted into the University of Pittsburgh, supposedly to study law. However, Thaw was not much of a college student, so his father used his influence to get him transferred to Harvard University. At Harvard, Thaw did little more than drink, carouse with the ladies, and play night-long poker games.

Thaw left Harvard without a degree, and he became an expert in getting into trouble. It was about this time that Thaw began his systematic drug use. Thaw consumed large amounts of cocaine and heroin, and it was rumored that Thaw was heavy into “speedballing,” which was the process of injecting a combination of cocaine and heroin into a vein. High as a kite, Thaw once rode a horse into a New York City nightclub, from which he had been banned. Adding to his reputation of being an out-of-control lunatic, Thaw also drove a car through a display window of a department store, lost $40,000 in a single poker game, drank a full bottle of the narcotic laudanum, and hosted a decadent party in Paris, where the majority of his guests were the top whores in town. The tab for this party was said to be over $50,000.

When Thaw’s father passed away, Thaw was dismayed to discover, that even though he was left $5 million of his father’s $40 million estate, it was stipulated in the senior Thaw’s will that his son would only get an allowance of two hundred dollars a month. This small allowance would continue until Thaw showed he was responsible enough to handle such a large sum of inheritance money.

In 1905, Thaw became smitten with Nesbit. Thaw courted Nesbit with much enthusiasm, and when White found out about Thaw and Nesbit, he warned Nesbit to stay away from Thaw; telling her that Thaw was an erratic and dangerous man. White knew that Thaw maintained a New York City apartment in a brothel. White also knew that Thaw would entice young girls into his apartment, then he would whip them in a bizarre sex routine, that left the girls in conditions that would sometimes require hospitalization.

However, Thaw could not be discouraged from pursuing Nesbit. He repeatedly begged Nesbit to marry him, and she consistently refused. While they were on a cruise together, Thaw became outraged when Nesbit again refused to marry him. In an act of a madman, Thaw whipped Nesbit like he did the other young girls in his New York City apartment. During this whipping, Nesbit confessed to Thaw about the manner in which he had lost her virginity to White. Thaw said he still loved her and wanted to marry her anyway. Despite the fact that Thaw had whipped her, and was certainly not of sound mind, Nesbit married Thaw on April 4, 1905.

After they were married, Thaw maintained an extreme hatred for Sanford White. So contemptuous of White because of what White had done to Nesbit, Thaw forbade his wife to even mention the name “Sanford White.” Thaw insisted that Nesbit refer to White as, “The Bastard” or “The Beast.” Yet, Nesbit, more often than not, simply referred to White as “B.”

While Thaw was in prison awaiting trial for the murder of White, Thaw’s mother, known in the newspapers as “Mother Thaw,” was in England visiting her daughter, the Countess of Yarmouth. Upon hearing of her son’s predicament, Mother Thaw announced that she was going back to the United States to help her son. “I am prepared to pay one million dollars to save my son’s life,” Mother Thaw told the press.

Part of Mother Thaw’s strategy was to use her considerable wealth to orchestrate a campaign in the press to discredit Sanford White. Suddenly, several newspapers began writing exposés on White, portraying him as a tyrannical abuser of young girls. Mother Thaw went so far as to hire a press agent to generate newspaper publicity detrimental to White, and favorable to her son.

One particular story, Mother Thaw paid the press to print, was extremely damaging to White’s credibility, decency, and honor (if he had any to start with). It seemed White had become infatuated with a 15-year-old girl named Susie Johnson. White had met Johnson at a wild party, at which Johnson had sprung from a large cake, almost totally naked. That night, White fed Johnson enough champagne to render her quite drunk. When Johnson became so inebriated she was barely conscious, White took Johnson back to his apartment, and he did to her, what he had done to Evelyn Nesbit. Soon after, White banished Johnson from his apartment, and threw her out into the street, totally broke. As White pushed Johnson out his front door, he told Johnson, “Girls, if you are poor, stay in the safe factory, or in the kitchen.”

Johnson lasted eight years hustling on the streets, before she died at the age of 23, and was buried in a pauper’s grave.

In order to influence the New York City potential jury pool, Mother Thaw hired a playwright to write a play almost identical to the circumstances surrounding Harry Thaw, Sanford White, and Evelyn Nesbit. The play featured three characters named Harold Daw, Emeline Daw, and Stanford Black. In the final scene of the play, Harold Daw proclaimed from his cell in the Tombs Prison, “No jury on earth will send me to the chair, no matter what I have done, or what I have been, for killing the man who defamed my wife. That is the unwritten law made by men themselves, and upon its virtue I will stake my life.”

Mother Thaw’s money even made it into the hands of Rev. Charles A. Eaton, who had John D Rockefeller as one of his parishioners. Rev. Eaton made an impassioned speech to his congregation defending Thaw’s actions. Rev. Eaton said, “It would be a good thing if there was a little more shooting in cases like this.”

While Thaw was in prison, his mother spread enough money around so that Thaw could enjoy extravagances no other prisoners in the Tombs were allowed. Instead of eating the standard prison grub, Thaw had all his meals delivered from Delmonico’s, a downtown restaurant, which was considered the finest eatery of its time. While other prisoners dressed in standard prison garb, Thaw was allowed to wear the finest clothes, including silk shirts and silk ties.

Thaw’s first trial for the murder of Sanford White commenced on January 21, 1907. Mother Thaw hired the illustrious California trial lawyer Delpin Delmas to represent her son. District Attorney William Travers Jerome, the uncle of Winston Churchill, prosecuted the case for the state.

Jerome told the jury in his opening statement, “With all his millions, Thaw is a fiend. In the conduct of this trial, I shall prove that no matter how rich a man is, he can’t get away with murder in New York County!”

The sensationalism of the trial was so extreme, tickets to the trial were scalped at $100. More than 80 world-famous artists and writers flocked to the courtroom to see if maybe they could benefit by either writing a book, or making a movie about the sordid affair.

The defense’s shining hour was when Evelyn Nesbit took the stand in defense of her husband. Rumors had it that Mother Thaw enticed Nesbit to testify by promising Nesbit that her son would agree to a divorce. Mother Thaw also promised Nesbit one million dollar after the trial, but Nesbit never received one penny of that money.

On the stand, Nesbit told of the bizarre sexual behavior of Sanford White. Nesbit said that White made her wear little girl’s dresses when she came to his apartment. Nesbit also told the jury the manner in which she lost her virginity to White, and that White had plied her with champagne, in order to render her unconscious, so that he could have his way with her.

The prosecution countered Nesbit’s words by eliciting testimony from a leading toxicologist, Dr. Rudolph Witthaus. Dr. Witthaus said that Nesbit’s story about how White had gotten her drunk in order to take advantage of her, did not hold water, because no drug known to science would have worked as rapidly as Nesbitt said that champagne did to render her unconscious.

Although a group of psychiatrists declared Thaw to be totally sane, during the trial Thaw acted erratically, by constantly crying like a baby, and flying into rages, in which his eyes bugged out, and his face turned nearly purple.

In his final summation, Delmas told the jury that his client, when he shot Sanford White, had been consumed by “Dementia Americana, a form of insanity which makes every home sacred, makes a man believed that his wife is sacred. Whoever strains the virtual life has forfeited the protection of human laws, and must look to the internal justice and mercy of God.”

Attorney Delmas had done such a remarkable job, the jury was not able to come to a unanimous verdict. It was revealed later that seven jurors had wanted to convict Thaw on a first-degree murder charge, while five jurors decided on a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. However, at Thaw’s second trial, in January of 1908, the jury unanimously voted Thaw not guilty by reason of insanity.

Still, the verdict of not guilty did not set Thaw free from prison. Thaw was declared criminally insane and imprisoned for life at Matteawan, New York. In August 17, 1913, Thaw escaped, and with a limousine waiting for him outside the asylum, Thaw fled to Canada, where he took refuge.

While Thaw was on the run, Nesbit, obviously angry at the fact she had been not paid the one million dollars she was promised by Mother Thaw, made an announcement to the press.

She said, “Harry Thaw has turned out to be a degenerate scoundrel. He hid behind my skirts through two trials and I won’t stand for it again. I won’t let lawyers throw any more mud at me.”

Soon afterwards, Nesbit signed a contract to appear in a vaudeville show, at a salary of $3500 a week.

In September, 1913, the United States government forced the Canadian Minister of Justice to return Thaw to the United States. Thaw faced a third trial in 1915. Bolstered by a cadre of the best lawyers money could buy, Thaw was found to be sane, and the jury found him not guilty of all charges.

Back on the streets, Thaw went back to his old evil ways. Eighteen months after he was released from prison, Thaw was arrested for kidnapping and whipping Frederick Gump. At his trial, Thaw was again declared insane. Yet, before Thaw went back into the asylum, he gave Nesbit her promised divorce. Nesbit spent the next decade appearing in vaudeville, occasional movies, and as a dancer in nightclubs throughout New York City.

In 1924, after seven years in the asylum, Thaw was finally declared sane, and was released from prison. Thaw spent the rest of his life in and out of lucidity. Thaw died on February 22, 1947, at the age of 76, of a heart attack in Miami, Florida. Thaw left a mere $10,000 of his vast fortune to Evelyn Nesbit.

Nesbitt, beset by alcohol addiction, morphine addiction, and several suicide attempts, somehow lasted until January 17, 1967, when she died at the age of 82. Nesbit served as a technical advisor on the 1955 movie “The Girl In the Red Velvet Swing,” which was loosely based on her life story.

Marilyn Monroe was originally scheduled to play Evelyn Nesbit, but ultimately, she refused to play the part, which then went to Joan Collins. Ray Milland played Sanford White, and Farley Granger played Henry Thaw.

Anyone who has a desire or need for immediate, tax-free cash should have life insurance. It either creates an estate or protects an estate.

Is it to say that if someone buys a life insurance policy they have automatic, immediate access to tax-free cash?

It’s possible but unlikely.

If someone buys a true life insurance policy, which means the first premium has been paid and the policy has been issued or they are covered by the temporary agreement that’s offered by most companies, then unexpectedly dies the same day and no fraud is involved or suspected, the beneficiary(ies) is/are immediately entitled to a tax-free death benefit. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the death benefit claim.

Exceptions

If the policy is an accidental death policy and the insured person dies as a result of anything other than an accident, for instance a sudden heart attack or brain aneurysm the death benefit will not be paid. However, if death occurred as the result of an accident, the death benefit would be paid.

More commonly

It’s rare for someone to die immediately following the purchase of a life insurance policy, although sadly, there are people who believe buying a policy will cause death to come knocking. Everyone is entitled to an opinion or belief.

If someone buys a permanent life insurance policy, unless they purchase a single premium whole life (SPWL) policy, it will probably take time before there is cash value that can be accessed. It’s not magic. It depends on how much was put in the policy and the type of policy. Whatever cash value is available can be accessed at any time, even while still alive.

Advantage(s)

It should be obvious why most people should have a life insurance policy for its death benefit. The reality is there are a lot of people who either believe they don’t need it or don’t want it. They either don’t realize the need or aren’t willing to admit it. Worse, there are those who do realize the need, do admit it but do nothing about it. It’s one of those things they plan to get to someday but someday never comes. Then a sudden death occurs and there’s a major financial burden. Either that or death is imminent but they cannot get it because they don’t qualify.

It beats having to take up a collection to pay expenses.

When someone dies, there are a lot of things that need to be taken care of. Most often, little or none have been taken care of. At that point, who’s going to say, “I really don’t need this death benefit check”?

What if someone has a lot of money?

Perhaps the need is not as great in that case, but unless that person has done some careful estate planning, they will have estate taxes to deal with. Life insurance can be used to pay estate taxes and/or keep the estate from having to liquidate assets.

It has been observed throughout the course of history that books, cinemas and many other avenues of creative manifestation faces the wrath of censor boards. Some of them never see the light of the day, while others are censored to such an extent that the content becomes insipid. Also, routine censor of such things are common worldwide and creators have to oblige by the insane, archaic laws of regulators.

Now, it is quite natural that the question regarding censoring of publications will arise and debates will take place over such an issue which is highly subjective. Regulators and censor authorities are often accused of exaggerating the potential harmful effects that publications might kick-start, if allowed to hit the market uncensored. They believe that the creativity of millions of authors, artists and movie-makers should be controlled for the greater good of the society.

Often, it is seen that censored boards are dominated by people who has the least understanding of the psyche of the audience for whom the publication is meant for. Like in many other social issues that highlights the problem of generation gaps and shifting paradigms, censoring also reflects the helplessness of the creative personalities before those who are probably past their best days in their respective professions.

The million dollar question that must be answered at this point is that who gets affected if the practice of censorship is scrapped? For whose benefit is this still practiced globally? Who are deprived of the benefits that such publications would have created, if they were allowed to be tasted by the society? Most importantly, who are these people and what are their rights to judge the effect of an uncensored publication? Who are they working for? Is it for the society at large or someone else?

Any argumentative attempt to answer these questions will receive a scornful look from many. However, in the best interest of humanity, we must discuss and debate these issues openly, without any fear or favor.

First of all, the argument that censor boards work to save the society from vulgarity, obscenity and many similar adjectives is a complete nonsense. Society is composed of all types of people; some of them may oppose the publication while others may support it. It has been observed that censor boards act as pawns of the politicians who, in order to save their vote banks and appease fundamentalist groups in the name of maintaining peace and order, doesn’t hesitate to crush the voice of the weak sections for whom the publication might have meant many things. If a country is lead by a monarch or an autocrat, then there is little that can be done. But we can at least expect a far more unbiased approach from the leaders of democratic countries.

To drive home the point, let us take an example. Billions of dollars have been spent on debating over the merits and demerits of alternative energy sources. Many powerful nations, lead by the industrialists’ forums, actively argues against the use of alternative energy. They camouflage their own selfish interests under the canopy of national economic interests and spend millions of dollars for the campaigns of the legislatures who support their causes. Since money can buy many things and influence the rest, it is quite natural that censor board authorities will have to bow down and nod their heads as per the instructions of these legislatures. Now, if any alternative energy magazine in such a country dares to publish anything that might reveal the scientific truths, they are doomed for the worse. Quite naturally, no magazine even dreams of attempting such suicidal feats and subverts to the financial muscles of such authorities and the story goes on!

Many times when you’re involved in a long-term relationship, particularly one that’s unhealthy, it’s easy to lose touch with who you are and the things that you’re good at and enjoy. Unfortunately, I know this all too well from personal experience. You can become so overly focused on your significant other that you end up neglecting your own needs. The relationship takes care of your basic need to feel valued, secure and protected.

Then, if that relationship suddenly ends, it can feel like you no longer have value or that you are completely alone.

The truth is that you already have value. To help you instill this belief and build confidence, try these steps. Remember, if you want to attract a healthy relationship in the future, you need to first learn to value yourself!

1. It’s essential that you allow yourself to grieve the loss of the relationship. In this process, you might even discover that it’s not your former mate that you miss as much as the security that the relationship appeared to provide. Give yourself permission to really wallow and experience the loss for as long as you can stand it. I personally recommend Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream and romantic movies, preferably at the same time!

2. When you feel ready, pick yourself up (literally if necessary), dust yourself off, and get curious about what really matters most to you in life. I recommend reading The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood to identify your top five passions and learn how to keep them front and center in your day-to-day life. The authors invite you to describe what your ideal life would look like and what you would be doing.

3. By exploring your passions, you will likely discover your most important values. These might include integrity, commitment, self-respect and respect for others, connectedness, community, compassion, making a difference, excellence, honesty, or security, to name a few.

4. Discover your natural strengths and talents. Start with recalling an activity that you enjoyed so much as a child that you could do it for hours on end without noticing the passage of time. Continue to seek out and try new activities and adventures. I also highly recommend purchasing and reading the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. This book will give you the opportunity to complete an in-depth on-line assessment to discover your top five talents and obtain specific actions you can take to help you leverage your natural talents.

T. Harv Eker, CEO and President of Peak Potentials Training, sums it up best in Secrets of the Millionaire Mind when he writes:

Each of us has something special to offer the world. Each of us has our own natural gifts and talents. To be truly happy, we must use our own uniqueness to add value to the lives of others.

Best of luck on your unique and exciting journey! Please feel free to share this article with someone you think would find it useful.

There is not much information about who invented bacon but the bacon or also known as bacoun, was being used to generally describe the pork. Bacon is the meat from the sides, belly or back of a pig. Meat of other animals can also be used to prepare bacon-like meat. It is cured and normally smoked before people buy and cook it at home. Bacon has fats that provide the most intense flavor besides making it crispy and tender when cooked. However do not despise the fats as good bacon requires a hefty amount, usually one-half or two-thirds of fats. But since bacon can only be consumed after cooking, most of the fats are rendered out.

In the 17th century, the Oxford Companion to Food started referring bacon as a product of the United Kingdom. However there were others who stated that bacon was not the sole product of British. The British’s system to produce the meat was used in other regions as well. There were claims that preserved pork had been listed among the British diet for few hundreds of years. Yet there was no one who knew who invented bacon.

During the 18th century, the bacon production in British has been widely spread. From the reference of the recorded bacon history, John Harris from Wiltshire operated one of the first shops in the country to cure bacons. Since then it has become a famous place for bacon production.

A more detailed description was that the word bacon was actually derived from the German word bak. The French then obtained it from the Germans and introduced it to the English men. The word was first used in English in the 12th century. However many have been uncertain as there is an ambivalence about the meaning of bacon; either referring to cured meat or just pork meat.

The Romans had their version of bacon, the petaso. Based on the history of bacons, the Romans invented bacons by browning the meat and flavored it with pepper and wine. The Anglo Saxons use the bacon fat as an additional flavor for other foods, even until today.

William Ellis wrote that in 1750 bacon was a very popular diet among the English and French. More specifically, the meat was a favorite among the people in northern England. It was named pickled pork. Though much history was found about bacon yet till today, there are still lingering queries about the inventor of bacon.

Who uses snake repellers?

Snake repellers keep homes and other designated areas snake free and safe. There are a variety of snake repellers on the market that effectively remove snakes from locations they are not wanted. There are environmentally friendly repellers, natural repellers, homemade repellers, electronic repellers, chemical repellers and simple constructions like fences that are used to keep snakes off property. These repellers work by generating odors, feelings, sounds or smells that make the snake feel uncomfortable in the area so that they go elsewhere. In areas where snakes are pests, there are many different types of repellers, not only because the snakes react differently to different stimuli but also because there are several different types of users. These include:

The Farmer

The main aim of the farmer is to take care of his livestock and snakes threaten the sustainability of the livestock and to a greater extent the livelihood of the farmer. Snakes will eat eggs and smaller animals and some snakes can emit deadly poison that can kill very large animals. Snakes make homes in tall grass and in cozy areas on a farm where they are not easily seen and come out to feed. Losing livestock to snakes means a loss of income and so farmers will gout of their way to get the best in snake repellers to protect their investment. They usually use fences and electronic devices to keep snakes at bay.

The environmentally friendly

The environmentally friendly person would want to keep the snake away from their property without harming the snake or upsetting the processes of nature in any other way. They want to repel the snake just as much as the next person but they prefer to use natural elements to influence the activities of the snake. The urine or feces of predators are used to make snakes think that there is a predator in the area and make them go in another direction. This does not always work and is sometimes reinforced by electronic devices the emit pulses that gives the snake the same impression that makes them afraid to enter the area.

The Home maker

The home maker is tired of cleaning up after snakes and sacred of attacks on children and pets. They reduce the bushes in the yard and ensure that the grass is cut low to ensure the snake cannot find a place to hide. The home maker would be more inclined to use chemicals like mothball flakes and sulfur to ward off snakes.

The property owner or caretaker

Having a property with snakes devalues the property and does not do much for it aesthetically either. The caretaker will want to have a pristine looking property with no predators or pests. Therefore they will stop at nothing to keep snakes out. The property owner or caretaker will ensure that the grass is cut to prevent snakes from hiding and nesting on the property, they will put up fences to keep snakes out, they may use electronic devices to redirect snake and as an additional precaution they will use chemicals to eliminate the pest nuisance.

The type of environment is a definite indicator of what type of snake repeller will be used to get rid of snakes from properties. The preference of the individual is a major deciding factor also. Some persons have their own personal beliefs and agenda in addition to their need to get rid of the snakes. This coupled with the state of the infestation and the type of property ultimately determines the type of action the user will take.

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. His feast day is celebrated on 17th March every year and there are parades held on this day right across the world. There are many known facts about the man but there are even more myths and legends that have gathered up over the years. Generally the Irish are a superstitious people and even though we know most of these myths not to be true, you will be hard pushed to find anyone in Ireland who will actually openly deny that to be the case.

Who Is Saint Patrick?

I will begin with the facts that we do know of. He was actually born in Scotland and was also known to have wealthy parents called Calpurnius and Conchessa who were Romans. Nothing is clear from history of the precise year in which he was born but it is estimated that this was around 385 AD. Between the age of fourteen and sixteen years of age, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who took him to Ireland where he spent six years as a slave in captivity. The precise location is not recorded but many claim this to be at Mount Slemish, near to Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is also known he worked as a shepherd.

He did escape when he was around 22-23 years of age. After that and according to his own documented writing God spoke to him in a dream and told him he had to leave Ireland and then when he returned to Britain he had a second dream that he was to go back to Ireland as a missionary. St Patrick began his religious training, and it lasted more than fifteen years. He was ordained as a priest by St Germanus, and then sent back to Ireland with the task of ministering to the few Christians already in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish to Christianity. He was later made a bishop.

Ireland at that time was a country full of pagan beliefs and strong fixed cultures. Patrick would have been aware of this and also fluent in the Irish language. Rathern that fight against that he incorporated his Christian teachings with their old beliefs. An example of this was the creation of the Celtic Cross where he added the sun in the centre of the standard Christian cross. He also used the common growing shamrock to explain concept of the Holy Trinity. Its three leaves represented God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, A classical myth is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland, but the reality was that they never existed in Ireland in the first place. All I can tell you is there are no snaked in Ireland, so read from that what you will.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the 17th March and is believed to be the date of his death though again this is not officially recorded anywhere. Historians believe he died at Saul which is near Downpatrick in Northern Ireland around the year 461.

With the increasing popularity of mesotherapy treatments and its broad range of benefits, questions are raised if everybody can acquire such treatment. The treatments are simple forms of customized micro injections inserted underneath the skin into the mesoderm layer. Injection solution for mesotherapy treatments are mixture of customized components such as vitamins, medication, supplements and Amino Acids.

The uses can benefit broader ranges of application. Cosmetic application using these methods are used to treat varieties of skin conditions. It is used to treat stretch marks, reduction of cellulites, neck and face rejuvenation, smooths out wrinkles and correction of scars. Benefits are not limited to cosmetic applications alone. It is also extended to treat pain caused by arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis and other musculoskeletal disorders. Another application that uses mesotherapy is stubborn fat liquefaction and insinuating weight loss effectively. Alopecia or hair loss is also treated with it.

With all the benefits it can offer, almost everyone faced with issues such as those aforementioned would greatly want to know if they can be a qualified candidate for mesotherapy treatments. In general, anybody who is perfectly healthy can be a good candidate to receive treatments. Before you undergo any type of treatment, complete medical evaluation will be conducted first. Each patient will be evaluated if results are applicable and qualified to undergo treatments.

People who should not receive treatments are pregnant women, AIDS infected individuals, patients with irregular heart murmurs/rhythms and those who are on blood thinners, strokes and blood clot history. Patients suffering from severe chronic ailments such as heart dysfunctions and coronary heart diseases are off limits. Insulin dependent diabetics are not lucky as well.

It is very important to let your doctor know everything particularly important concerning your health conditions. Your doctor needs to know if you have diabetes, active skin infections, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and symptomatic mitral valve prolapse. You should also inform your doctor if you are under any of diet medication or taking any other medications such as Beta Blockers.

The ideal candidate to undergo treatments should possess realistic needs and expectations. Factors that will determine the readiness of the candidate are the following and they include being 18 years of age or even older, being in good psychological and physical health. The person should also possess maturity, realistic expectations and full understanding of the mesotherapy procedures.

Despite the common belief amongst most mezcal aficionados, women are integrally involved in the production of the Mexican agave distillate, at least in the southern state of Oaxaca. Its distillation, and earlier phases of production, depend on women in many respects. However the involvement of the female of our specie, on the other hand, is nevertheless by and large determined and restricted by the same criteria used to understand sex roles in other vocations in rural Oaxaca; physical limitations, raising children, and other necessities of and for the family at large.

Traditional distillers (often referred to as mezcaleros, or here in and around Oaxaca as palenqueros) are taught by the elder family members, as opposed to reading about distillation online or in journals or watching videos. Young women just as young men, almost from birth begin to learn the trade. They may be referred to as mezcaleras or palenqueras, but for the purposes of this article let’s just generically say palenqueros.

Customarily women raise families, dating to the hunter and gatherer division of labor in humankind. Mothers remained close to home with the children, gathering fruits, nuts, berries, etc., and preparing meals, while their male partners were off on extended hunting expeditions; often requiring that they be fleet of foot, and at times requiring more physical fortitude than women can often muster. With mezcal production, often the fields of agave under cultivation are far from home, and if wild maguey is sought, the palenquero is frequently required to walk a couple of hours into the hills before encountering his bounty. The same holds true for sourcing firewood to fuel ovens and stills. Furthermore, lifting the piñas (heart of the succulent used in production) often requires more strength than often exhibited by women. Although sometimes while the palenquero is still in the field the piñas are cut into smaller pieces for their eventual baking, whether whole or halved they can weigh hundreds of pounds and must be lifted into trucks or onto donkeys or mules.

Once back at the palenque (artisanal mezcal distillery), which often adjoins the homestead, women’s work making mezcal begins in earnest, of course subject to their priority obligation of preparing meals and tending to the children. They nevertheless are often an integral part of the baking, crushing, fermenting and distilling processes, working alongside and even directing men.

True enough men are more often involved in cutting the agave into appropriately sized pieces back at the palenque in preparation for baking, again the reasons relating to stamina and strength. Similarly splitting logs and loading the oven with large, heavy tree trunks is typically men’s work. But when it comes to filling the oven with stones, wet bagazo (waste fiber from distillation), piñas, tarpaulins and earth, women participate as equals to men. Even in the face of whatever remnants persist of the perceived macho mexicano, once the rocks in the oven have been sufficiently heated, it is important to second as many helpers both male and female to get the rest of the work done as expeditiously as possible filling and then sealing the oven airtight.

Women as well as men remove the piñas from the oven once the carbohydrates have been converted to sugars, or caramelized. Later on, in preparation for a subsequent bake, once again individuals of both sexes empty the chamber. The women are the daughters, daughters-in-law, mothers, partners, nieces and granddaughters. I regularly see them all participating. They are as much a part of the process as their male counterparts, including being charged with decision-making.

When crushing the baked agave is done by hand, then yes, almost exclusively it is men who attend to this most arduous task. But the rest are often tasks shared equally: working the horse; determining when the pieces of maguey have been sufficiently pulverized; loading the receptacles for fermenting whether into wooden slat tanks, in-ground lined pits, bovine skins, or otherwise; and distilling. They decide upon the optimum ABV (alcohol by volume) and how to achieve the best possible flavor.

But let’s assume that the palenquera is also charged with typical household chores including family meal preparation and raising the children including attending to their health, education and general welfare. She cannot of course be reasonably expected to look after all this, as well as partner with her husband for example, in terms of directing and attending to all of the foregoing tasks required in the spirit’s production. However upon hearing the shout or receiving the phone call from her male partner, cousin, son or father, she’s there, as needed. In addition, she is the one remaining at home in charge of sales. She typically also prepares comida for the men, and in fact it is customary when the home is not alongside the palenque, for women to bring food and drink for those (men) who are at some stage of producing the spirit.

Economic necessity on occasion dictates that a woman, to almost the complete exclusion of men becomes a palenquera. She plants, tends, cuts and harvests maguey; splits logs, and crushes by hand. In one case a husband/palenquero died suddenly in a car accident, leaving his wife and four young children. She became a palenquera in the traditional sense, doing everything previously done by her late husband, in addition to raising the children. In another case a single mother’s two children left home for the US in their late teens, leaving her and her mother as the householders. She had learned mezcal production from her grandfather. Currently she has a reputation for being one of the very few palenqueras who does it all, producing one of the finest mezcals in Oaxaca. She directs her underlings, that is, male cousins and neighbors, as to how to produce mezcal based on her exacting recipe. The foregoing are two exceptions to the tradition of both men and women working together, cooperatively with members of their families and communities.

A shift in paradigm is both warranted and strongly suggested when it comes to our perception of the industry being mainly within the purview of men. Women deserve to have their proper and important place acknowledged in the world of Oaxacan mezcal production.

In the summer, many vacationers and families from Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey drive to the Jersey Shore. One of the favorite past times of most vacationers is to go on the rides at the boardwalk. So who maintains the rides? Are the rides safe? What happens if there is an accident and someone gets injured?

The New Jersey Division of Codes and Standards, a part of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), governs ride safety in amusement parks and carnivals to ensure the safety of these rides for the public pursuant to the Carnival and Amusement Ride Safety Act. NJAC 5:14A-1.1 – 5:14A-13.5, which was only implemented in the recent years. The Act provides responsibilities not only for the owner and manufacturer of the rides, but also the rider. The Act has 13 Subchapters, but only a few chapters of interest will be addressed in this article. The entire act can be found on DCA’s website.

Subchapters 2 and 4 address the owners and manufacturers’ responsibility with regard to maintaining the rides. Prior to a ride being open to the public, the DCA requires the owner and manufacturer of the ride to submit documentation for review regarding all carnival and amusement rides. These documents result in an annual inspection and permit to operate the ride in New Jersey. In addition, the rides are inspected by DCA prior to the ride is open to the public

Other than annual inspections by DCA, the owners must inspect and test the ride on each day of intended use. The inspection and test shall be made by a qualified person experienced and instructed in the proper assembly and operation of the device and shall be performed before the ride is put into normal operation.

Subchapter 3 addresses the riders’ responsibility. The Act basically says that a rider shall comply with the written warnings and directions posted by the operator of the ride, which include rider conduct signs; height, weight and size restrictions. § 5:14A-3.2. It also states that if a rider is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage, prescription drug or other controlled substance, he/she shall not board the ride. § 5:14A-3.3

What happens if there is an accident? The Act requires the owners to report the accident. There are two types of incident reporting requirements: 1) Shut down and report and 2) report within 24 hours.

“Shut down and report” involves any incidents of death or serious injury, ejection from the ride or failure of a critical structural or mechanical component, regardless of cause. The owner must shut down the ride and report it immediately to the Department by phone and prepare a written report and fax it to the Department within 24 hours of incident. The ride stays shut down until opened by the Department. NJAC 5:14A-14.3(a).

“Report within 24 hours” involves any ride-related injury requiring first aid, or any mechanical malfunction, or an emergency evacuation of the ride. The owner needs to report the incident to the Department within 24 hours by fax or phone. Owner then has 5 days to submit a written report to the Department. NJAC 5:14A-14.3(b).

Lastly, the owner is also supposed to keep a log of all incidents not reported to the Department that involve any ride-related injury or complaint. NJAC 5:14A-14.3(c).

With the regulations implemented in the recent years, safety has improved. In fact, New Jersey’s 2009 summer season was free of serious injuries on roller coasters, Ferris wheels and log flumes, as reported by New Jersey State Officials.

It is important to keep in mind that regulations alone cannot prevent accident and injuries, riders must also be mindful of the safety issues. Read ALL of the warnings and requirements for the ride. For example, do not rely on the ride operator to enforce the height requirement. If you have young children with you who do not meet the ride height requirement, do not let him or her get on even if the ride operator lets them.

With stringent regulations and responsible riders, let’s hope the 2010 summer season is also free of serious injuries.