Did you know that there's a football ('soccer') team in Germany that only plays home matches with a manager who's fondest dream is to get fired?
Okay, it's more a 'released' for the manager, since the team, FC Fuhlsbüttel, is a prison team, playing in 'Kreisklasse' (9th tier of football leagues).
@Walter Hinteler,
I didn't know that, Walter.
Did you know that today is RJB's birthday?
The British Are Coming! The Midnight Ride of ... Jack Jouett.
230 years ago today - June 3, 1781 - young Jack Jouett spent the afternoon at the Cockoo Tavern. He ate and evidently drank well. It was an unusually hot Sunday, and Jouett felt the need for some air and a nap. He lay down in the shade of an elm tree separated by a picket fence from the road. He removed his scarlet coat, and military hat and plume and fell asleep. He awoke just before midnight to see British soldiers stopped on the Mountain Road in front of tavern.
There were 250 of them under the command of Lt Col Banastre Tarlton, like Jouett, 26 years old. He had a reputation for ordering his troops to be particularly brutal; slaughtering surrendering troops.
Virginia, despite being one of the more populous and powerful colonies, had quickly fallen in the early years of the war, with the state government largely crippled. It took almost 5 years to re-establish a militia. Gen Charles Cornwallis ordered troops camped out on the coast to take Richmond. Which they did, overwhelming the city and sending residents fleeing as the factories burned.
Right with them was Gov Thomas Jefferson and the entire state legislature. They headed 70 miles west to Monticello and (my town of) Charlottesville.
So Jack Jouett, who despite his garb was never in the milltary, decided that he needed to get ahead of the Brits before they made it to Cville, 38 miles away. Fortunately, he knew of a long abandoned logging road that connected to the old Three Notch'd Road which ran parallel to the road Tarleton was on.
Jouett was a large man - 6'4" and weighing perhaps 220 lbs. His horse, Sally, carried him over matted undergrowth, tangled brush, overhanging vines and gullies. Jouett reportedly suffered facial scars said to remain for the rest of his life.
He beat the British by only a few hours which allowed the legislature to flee further west. The escapees included Jefferson, four signers of the Declaration of Independence, Patrick Henry and the fathers of two future presidents.
Credit: My thanks to my friend Rick Britton. I cribbed a bunch of this from an article in the 5/12-5/18 of the Hook. He did some cool research on my property going back to the Civil War and involving George Custer and Hessian prisoners of war camped in my back yard.
Etihad means 'united' in Arabic.
The longest sea bridge in the world is in China; 42km
Did you know that Volkswagen (VW) produces (in Wolfsburg) more sausages than cars?
@Walter Hinteler,
Walter Hinteler wrote:
Did you know that Volkswagen (VW) produces (in Wolfsburg) more sausages than cars?
Farfegnugen at the table. Wonderful.
@Walter Hinteler,
Quote:Did you know that Volkswagen (VW) produces (in Wolfsburg) more sausages than cars?
Really?
Not in the same factory, I hope!
@msolga,
msolga wrote:
Not in the same factory, I hope!
Indeed, yes ... well, on the factory's ground - Volkswagen in Wolfsburg has one of the best butcher's in the state (only for workers, employees and visitors), and one of best catering services in the republic.
@msolga,
The "sausage part" is officially called
Volkswagen ServiceFactory Gastronomy. (VW has 12 factory restaurants, ten factory bistros and seven factory self-service shops in Wolfsburg.)
@Walter Hinteler,
did you know that amsterdam has " portable weekend pissoirs " ?
they are set out on friday nights and collected early sunday mornings !
you can watch the one on koningsplain - and it's users - on this webcamera at the appropriate times .
http://www.terena.org/webcam/
have fun next weekend - the amsterdamers are not inhibited at all !
just a picture to " wet " your appetite !
http://www.moderngonzo.com/pics/eurail/eurail-Thumbnails/18.jpg
@hamburgboy,
I'm not going to go there, and I'm not going to go there.
@roger,
did you know that in this city animal control officers are NOT allowed to move raccoons further than 1/2 mile from the spot where they are being trapped or caught - not even in the downtown area !
Quote: you've moved me an 1/8 of a mile too far ... take me back NOW !
Did you know that at the
Battle of Vellinghausen (which was exactly 250 years ago), the British Guards Brigade was commanded by Julius Caesar?
In the battle, Major-General (later, Lieutenant-General), Coldstream Guards. In the picture, shown as Colonel.
(Born around 1709, in London. In Melsungen on the River Fulda, on 7th August 1762, while Julius was making his rounds, visiting the battalions, his horse slipped and he was killed in the fall. He was buried at Elferhausen.)
@ossobuco,
did you know that the CITY OF HAMBURG received its charter as FREE AND HANSEATIC CITY in 1189 yet has not a single building predating 1842 ?
the GREAT FIRE OF 1842 destroyed much of the city , in the 1880's the city fathers decided to modernize the city and had most - if not all - of the older buildings torn down ... finally the fire of 1943 destroyed what may have been left .
it's probably the only OLD yet fully modernized city in europe ... even the OLD DOM ( cathedral) was torn down ( there weren't enough catholics left to pay for its upkeep !!! ) .
this truly magnificent church was simply demolished !
@hamburgboy,
Oof, what a building! No, I didn't know. ; )
@ossobuco,
before it was torn down , the church was used for stableing horses ... have a good look at the picture .
in the lower left you can see the barndoor !
