Best-Worst-Last-First-Whatever Lists

[sdreid]

The last four living people who were born in the 1800s:

1-Gertrude Weaver (U.S.) born July 4 of 1898

2-Jeralean Talley (U.S.) born May 23 of 1899

3-Susannah Jones (U.S.) born July 6 of 1899

4-Emma Martinuzzi (Italy) born November 29 of 1899

Now there are three-Gertrude Weaver died today. R.I.P. Gertrude.

[Robert]

"Asking for it" list :

Jousting tournaments
Cannon salutes
Invading Russia
Calling a ship's sides larboard and starboard
Re-designing an aircraft's control display
Having aircraft replacement parts that are different but look very similar
Wearing your gun stuck down your trousers instead of in its holster
Having a government owe you a lot of money
Sending a ship to sea without enough lifeboats for everyone
Trying to commit a perfect murder that involves telephones, computers, video or audio tape, or any other form of technology where records can be traced or recovered

[Limehouse]

The last four living people who were born in the 1800s:

1-Gertrude Weaver (U.S.) born July 4 of 1898

2-Jeralean Talley (U.S.) born May 23 of 1899

3-Susannah Jones (U.S.) born July 6 of 1899

4-Emma Martinuzzi (Italy) born November 29 of 1899

That's really astonishing! I'm impressed.

[Mayerling]

Pushing the American's buttons to get them involved in World War, not once but twice.

Had America remained neutral the results "MAY" and I only say may, have been different.

I hate to say it about a country that is basically a friend of ours now, but really arrogant in 1915-1917. Same country that gave us the "backing" of the Easter Rebellion with promises of weapons - which did not materialize fully, the "Zimmermann Telegraph" promising Mexico the Southwest U.S.A. back again (and doing more than the submarines to get us into the war), and sending Vladimir Lenin back to Russia in 1917 to see what he could do to the pro-West Kerenski regime.

I suppose you can't keep a "good" rat down!

Jeff

[Mayerling]

Smarter than Cops and Public?

Sorry, couldn't resist one more - and closer to this website:

01) Travel while fleeing with mistress in disguise as your son (but still displaying affections), to suspicions of ship Captain - 1910
02) Repeat curious "accidental drowning" of wife on two further occasions - 1915
03) Show oneself to be highly intelligent, and arrogant, defendant in court at poisoning trial -1912
04) Telling courtroom that reason one shut burning hotel room with mother inside it before yelling for help was to prevent fire from spreading - 1930
05) Having yourself photographed by local newspaper standing over grave of dead (and missing) girlfriend - 1926
06) Cutting up mistress's body, wrapping up the portions in smelly wrappings, leaving them with curious ex-employee while getting cab, trying to bribe inquisitive constable ex-employee brought over - 1876
07) Establishing flawless personal Florida alibi for execution murders of members of rival's gang in Chicago, as though nobody will know you did it - 1929.
08) Attempt to commit "perfect crime" using old method (see "02") on wife, but having to kill second party, and ignoring past big misdeed of youth - 1954
09) After obnoxious creditor vanishes, professor suddenly giving expensive "turkey" gift to janitor at office building (although previously had bad relations with janitor) - 1849
10) Talking breezily of "harem" of women one has had sex with, and dismissingly of unknown victim in burning car, in open court - 1931
11) Never expecting slightly smarter partner in murders will turn state's evidence effectively - 1829
12) Expecting newly made Chief Executive will pardon him for killing predecessor because they are from same wing of political party - 1881
13) Clever but irritating defendant insisting he is too much of a gentleman to inquire where 11 former ladies he's dated have gone to afterwards - 1921
14) Slightly (?) strange woman tells examining police constables blood stains in her home are from dead mice - 1890
15) Idiot partner in police murder discovers, after handing in a confession of joint involvement to authorities, it is not protected as state's evidence this time (see "11") - 1928
16) Defendant in double homicide of landlord and son insists on being his own lawyer, and cross-examines (for alibi) the mistress he's wronged - 1849

I'm sure you can think of others.

[GUT]

Pushing the American's buttons to get them involved in World War, not once but twice.

Had America remained neutral the results "MAY" and I only say may, have been different.

[Mayerling]

Nautical Misadventures

I'll limit myself to a dozen this time:

1) Believing some vague statement about "unsinkability" - 1912
2) Giving confused, erroneously measured maneuver orders to main British fleet - 1893
3) Reducing speed and not staying "mid-channel" despite Admiralty warnings about U - boats - 1915
4) Rushing to judgment about "mysterious" explosion on battleship sent on "friendly" visit - 1898
5) While in major civil war deciding to remove secessionist representatives off steamer from world's major naval power - 1861
6) Dismissing U-boat threat after one of three cruisers is sunk, and stopping to pick survivors up - 1914
7) Repeat of above by last of three cruisers - 1914
8) Announcement of unrestricted submarined warfare against Allies - 1915
9) Decision (after a year and a half hiatus) to resume unrestricted submarine warfare - 1917
10) Decision to demonstrate new ship's cannon (that engineering genius thought badly designed) for second time to Presidential party - 1844
11) Using fireboats to try to put out fire on burning French liner at pier, instead of opening watercocks and quietly flooding ship to save it - 1942
12) Two ships in fog totally misunderstanding significance of position of each other's lights on St. Lawrence River - 1914

[Amanda]

Just to make you hungry, last four meals I cooked :

1. Roast beef & Yorkshire puddings

2. Lobster with tagliatelle & white wine sauce

3. Halloumi salad with chicken & roasted beetroot

4. Venison steak with red wine & juniper berries

Amanda

[GUT]

Got that one right GUT. And it's the centennial this month too.

Pretty big interest here as you would imagine.

[Mayerling]

Stuff up at Gallipoli is one I'd add to Jeff's list.

Got that one right GUT. And it's the centennial this month too.

[GUT]

And since it is Pub Talk, best husband my wife has ever had


ME

[GUT]

Stuff up at Gallipoli is one I'd add to Jeff's list.

[Mayerling]

Worst Military Decisions/Executions of Plans

1) Invasion of Russia (1941 - 1943)
2) Invasion of Russia (1812)
3) Spanish Armada (1588)
4) Protecting Camp at Isandhlwana (1879)
5) Battle of the Little Big Horn (1876)
6) Frontal assault(s) at Fredericksburg, Va. (1862)
7) Frontal assault on entire Yankee Center (Gettysburg/"Pickett's Charge) - 1863
8) Battle of the Crater (1864)
9) Failure to gauge depth of Antietam Creek ("Burnside's Bridge") - 1862
10) Underestimating Afrika Korps and Rommel when proven (Kassarine Pass) - 1943
11) Series of small errors mounting for invasion of Low Countries (Arnhem) - 1944
12) Last chance throw of German military units at West ("the Bulge") - 1944
13) Appointing Winder commander of troops around U.S. Capital (Washington, D.C. - 1814)
14) Decision to demand right to protect "Holy Land Sites" from Ottomans (Crimean War) - 1854
15) Decision to feel previous demand was grounds for declaring war on Russia - 1854
16) Sending terrible, confusing orders to crack light cavalry unit - 1854
17) Sending corrupt, greedy rich Roman who claimed he broke slave revolt to invade Parthia/Persia - 55 B.C.
18) Decision to fight in Teutonberg Forrest - 4 A.D.
19) Roman decision to charge seemingly cracking Carthaginian Center (Cannae) - 212 B.C.
20) Decision not to sweep down on Rome immediately after previously accomplished great victory over Rome - 212 B.C.
21) Decision to win Peloponnesian War (which is in Attica) by invading Sicily - 415 - 413 B.C.
22) Decision not to march from Derby to London in last faintly successful invasion of England (1745)
23) Decision to continue frontal assaults at Breed's Hill, Massachusetts (1775)
24) Decision to concentrate Continental forces (winning battle) on Chew House attack at Germantown (1777)
25) Tsar Nicholas II's order for General Alexei Brusilov to halt his fantastic advance into Austria-Hungary and aid Roumania, which had declared war - 1916.
26) Logic behind "Battle of the Somme" - 1916
27) Logic of Von Falkenheym for Battle of Verdun - 1915-16
28) Logic behind Nivelle offensive - 1917
29) Decision to force Admiral Yamamoto to create "Pearl Harbor attack", decide to use it, and then botch parts of it - 1941
30) Decisions behind Japanese plans for Leyte Gulf battle (s) - 1944
[I'll stop now - there are just too many of them. Could have included Vietnam, for example.]

Jeff

[sdreid]

My Top Twelve Classic UFO Stories-in order of occurrence:

1-Aurora, Texas UFO crash(1897)
2-Battle of Los Angeles Foo Fighter incident(1942)
3-Flight 19 disappearance(1945)
4-Kenneth Arnold Saucer sighting(1947)
5-The Flying Saucer that crashed at Roswell(1947)
6-The S-T-E-N-D-E-C incident(1948)
7-Thomas Mantell UFO interception and crash(1948)
8-Flatwoods Monster incident(1952)
9-Felix Moncla UFO interception and collision(1953)
10-Betty and Barney Hill UFO abduction(1961)
11-Lonnie Zamora UFO close encounter(1964)
12-Kecksburg, Pennsylvania UFO crash(1965)

[sdreid]

The two living bird species that have attacked and killed adult humans:

1-Ostrich, the world's heaviest and tallest bird

2-Cassowary, the world's second heaviest and third tallest bird