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May

2026

Happy MONDAY! It could be worse…

On this day in 1996, Valuejet Flight 592, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashed into the Florida Everglades about 10 minutes after departing Miami due to a fire in the cargo compartment. The fire was caused by mislabeled and improperly stored chemical oxygen generators. All 110 people on board were killed.

ValuJet, a low-cost carrier, already had a poor safety record before the crash, and the incident brought widespread attention to the airline’s problems. Many of the airline’s planes were purchased in used condition from other airlines, and little training was provided to workers and contractors who were hired for maintenance and other services. ValuJet quickly developed a reputation for a lackluster safety record.

The aircraft had suffered a series of incidents in the two years before the crash, including two aborted takeoffs and eight emergency landings. Engine and pressurization errors were the primary issues in several of the incidents. In May 1995, the FAA issued a rewiring directive for all DC-9 cockpits because the wire bundles in the switch panel could cause “fire and uncontrolled smoke throughout the cockpit as a result of chafing and shorting.”

On the afternoon of May 11, 1996, Flight 592 left Gate G2 in Miami after a delay of one hour and four minutes because of electrical problems. In the flight deck were two experienced pilots, Captain Candi Kubeck (35) and First Officer Richard Hazen (52). There were 110 people on board: 105 passengers, mainly from Florida and Georgia, and a crew of two pilots and three flight attendants. At 2:04 p.m. EDT, the DC-9 departed from Runway 9L (now Runway 8R) and began a normal climb.

At 2:10 p.m., the passengers began to smell smoke. At the same time, the pilots heard a loud bang in their headsets and noticed that the plane was losing electrical power. The sag in electrical power and the banging sound were eventually determined to be the result of an explosion of a tire in the cargo hold.

Kubeck and Hazen immediately asked air traffic control to return to Miami and were given instructions for a return to the airport. Eyewitnesses watched as the plane banked sharply, rolled onto its side and nosedived into the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area in the Everglades, a few miles west of Miami, at a speed in excess of 507 miles per hour. A group of sightseers in a small private plane also witnessed the crash and provided a nearly identical account, stating that Flight 592 seemed to “disappear” after hitting the swamp and that they could see nothing but scattered small debris, part of an engine and a large pool of jet fuel near the crash site.

The NTSB determined that just before takeoff, 144 expired chemical oxygen generators, each slightly larger than the size of a tennis-ball can, had been placed in the cargo compartment. Failure to cover the generators’ firing pins with the prescribed plastic caps made accidental activation much more likely. Investigators determined that one of the oxygen generators was likely triggered when the plane experienced a slight jolt while taxiing. As the aircraft taxied and took off, the generator began releasing heat that caused other canisters to activate. Each activation created more heat, which rapidly caused all of the generators to activate. The intense heat ignited a fire in the other materials in the cargo hold.

The fire began to destroy control cables that ran to the back of the aircraft, which explained why the pilots began losing control before the plane crashed. Recovery of the aircraft and victims was severely complicated by the location of the crash. The nearest road of any kind was more than a quarter of a mile (400 m) away from the crash scene, and the location of the crash itself was a deep-water marsh with a floor of solid limestone. The aircraft was destroyed on impact, with no large pieces of the fuselage remaining.

ValuJet was grounded by the FAA on June 16, 1996. It was allowed to resume flying again on September 30, but never recovered from the crash. In 1997, the company acquired AirTran Airways. Although ValuJet was the nominal survivor, the merged airline took the AirTran name. ValuJet executives believed that a new name was important to regain the trust of the flying public.

A ValuJet Airlines DC-9-32 at Washington – Dulles International (KIAD) May 1995. One year later, this plane crashed just west of Miami.

Trump Derangement Syndrome…

22 feet long – don’t try a U-Turn…

Flying Cars…

An Introduction…

math is not for everyone…

I hope everyone enjoyed Mothers’ Day

Thanks, Debra…

Today is the birthday, in 1943, of Les Chadwick, who with Gerry And The Pacemakers had the 1963 UK No.1 single ‘How Do You Do It’ and the 1965 US No.6 single, ‘Ferry Cross The Mersey’. In common with The Beatles they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV5_LQArLa0

May

2026

FRIDAY should come more often

On this day in 1886, pharmacist John Stith Pemberton developed an early version of a beverage that would later become Coca-Cola, but sold the rights to Asa Griggs Candler for roughly 2,300 ($79,946.31 in 2026) dollars shortly before his death in 1888.

Pemberton suffered from a sabre wound sustained in April 1865, during the Battle of Columbus. His efforts to control his chronic pain led to morphine addiction. In an attempt to curb his addiction he began to experiment with various painkillers and toxins. The development of an earlier beverage blending alcohol and cocaine led to the recipe that later was adapted to make Coca-Cola.

In April 1865, Pemberton sustained a sabre wound to the chest during the Battle of Columbus. He soon became addicted to the morphine used to ease his pain. In 1866, seeking a cure for his addiction, he began to experiment with painkillers that would serve as morphine-free alternatives. His first recipe was “Dr. Tuggle’s Compound Syrup of Globe Flower”, in which the active ingredient was derived from the buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), a toxic plant. He next began experimenting with coca and coca wines, eventually creating a recipe that contained extracts of kola nut and damiana, which he called Pemberton’s French Wine Coca.

With public concern about drug addiction, depression, and alcoholism among war veterans, and “neurasthenia” among “highly-strung” Southern women, Pemberton’s “medicine” was advertised as particularly beneficial for “ladies, and all those whose sedentary employment causes nervous prostration”.

Pemberton blended the base syrup with carbonated water by accident when trying to make another glassful of the beverage. Pemberton decided then to sell this as a fountain drink rather than a medicine. Frank Mason Robinson came up with the name “Coca-Cola” for the alliterative sound, which was popular among other wine medicines of the time.

More details

Believed to be the first coupon ever, this ticket for a free glass of Coca-Cola was first distributed in 1888 to help promote the drink. By 1913, the company had redeemed 8.5 million tickets.

The EYES have it!!

Today is the birthday, in 1953, of Alex Van Halen, Dutch-American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen who had the 1984 US No.1 & UK No.7 single ‘Jump’. Alex has become an ordained minister and presided at the wedding of his brother Eddie Van Halen in 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN7mTi6HM

May

2026

THURSDAY – right on schedule!

On this day in 1954, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu ended with a French defeat.

By 1953, the First Indochina War was not going well for France. A succession of commanders had proven incapable of suppressing the insurrection of the Viet Minh, who were fighting for independence. During their 1952–1953 campaign, the Viet Minh had overrun vast swathes of Laos, Vietnam’s western neighbor, advancing as far as Luang Prabang and the Plain of Jars. In 1953, the French had begun to strengthen their defenses in the Hanoi delta region to prepare for a series of offensives against Viet Minh staging areas in northwest Vietnam. They set up fortified towns and outposts in the area.

The French began an operation to insert, and support, their soldiers at Điện Biên Phủ, in northwest Tonkin. The operation’s purpose was to cut off enemy supply lines into the neighboring Kingdom of Laos (a French ally) and draw the Viet Minh into a major confrontation in order to cripple them. The French based their forces in an isolated but well-fortified camp that would be resupplied by air, a strategy adopted based on the belief that the Viet Minh had no anti-aircraft capability.

The Viet Minh, however, under General Võ Nguyên Giáp, surrounded and besieged the French. They brought in vast amounts of heavy artillery (including anti-aircraft guns) and managed to move these bulky weapons through difficult terrain up the rear slopes of the mountains.

After a two-month siege, the garrison was overrun, with the surviving French forces were forced to surrender. Although it did not significantly alter the strategic situation in Indochina, the defeat at Dien Bien Phu brought a profound psychological shock to France. It led to a gradual withdrawal of French forces from all of Indochina (with the exception of Laos).

An image of Viet Minh troops planting their flag over the captured French headquarters at Dien Bien Phu, 1954.

Today is the birthday, in 1840, of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the classical repertoire, including the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, the Violin Concerto, the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, several symphonies, the opera Eugene Onegin, and the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUpuAvQQrC0

May

2026

WENNSDAI

On this day in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 7034 establishing the Works Progress Administration. It was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. Headed by Harry Hopkins, the WPA supplied paid jobs to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States, while building up the public infrastructure of the US, such as parks, schools, roads, and drains. Most of the jobs were in construction, building more than 620,000 miles (1,000,000 km) of streets and over 10,000 bridges, in addition to many airports and much housing.

At its peak in 1938, it supplied paid jobs for three million unemployed men and women, as well as youth in a separate division, the National Youth Administration. Between 1935 and 1943, the WPA employed 8.5 million people (about half the population of New York).^[3] Hourly wages were typically kept well below industry standards. It tried to supply one paid job for all families in which the breadwinner suffered long-term unemployment.

In one of its most famous projects, Federal Project Number One, the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in arts, drama, media, and literacy projects.^[1] The five projects dedicated to these were the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP), the Historical Records Survey (HRS), the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), the Federal Music Project (FMP), and the Federal Art Project (FAP). In the Historical Records Survey, for instance, many former slaves in the South were interviewed; these documents are of immense importance to American history. Theater and music groups toured throughout the United States and gave more than 225,000 performances. Archaeological investigations under the WPA were influential in the rediscovery of pre-Columbian Native American cultures, and the development of professional archaeology in the US.

In a short period of ten years, the Public Works Administration, the Works Progress Administration, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built facilities in practically every community in the country. Most are still providing service.

Photograph of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House, preparing to give a national address.

Good protein!!

MAGA?

left over from Cinco de Mayo…

Introducing myself to my new neighbors…

Thanks, Debra

Bada Bing!

Yard sale… Me: How much for the angry lawn gnome? Yard sale lady: That’s my toddler.

As an outsider, what are your views on intelligence.

I wish I lacked common sense, you seem so happy.

You state the obvious with such a sense of discovery.

It’s interesting how you never let facts get in the way of your opinion.

I admire your courage to speak in the absence of knowledge.

Between you and me, one of us is smarter than you.

The acoustics in your head must be incredible.

You have the unshakable confidence that usually comes with competence.

I love how much smarter I feel with I walk away from a conversation with you.

I guess common sense isn’t a flower that blooms in every garden.

You might be the only person I’ve ever met that has reached their full potential.

A defense attorney was questioning an eyewitness of a crime that took place at night. The attorney tries to discredit the witness by asking him, “Just how far can you see at night?”. The man says, “Well.., I can see the moon, how far is that?”

Melania’s documentary had a score of 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a website named after her husband’s testicles.

I helped a Nazi cover-up their swastika tattoo today. Looking at it now you’d never know it was there, pretty wild what six feet of dirt can do.

I ran out of clean socks. So I piled the dirty socks on a tray, grabbed the detergent and headed to the laundromat down the block, a steep hill. As I was walking down the hill, I slipped and fell. The dirty socks went flying, the detergent went flying and there I was, sitting on the sock by the tray, watching the Tide roll away.

I thank the universe every day that I wasn’t born dumb enough, evil enough, insecure enough, and hateful enough to have grown up to become a Trump supporter.

The fact that jellyfish have survived for 650 million years despite not having brains gives hope to many people.

I might not put the sparkle in your eyes but I’ll definitely put the “WTF” wrinkles in your forehead.

“You wouldn’t hate Trump if he was a Democrat.” Dude, Donald Trump was a Democrat for most of his life and we hated him so much he had to switch parties to get supporters.

If you believe that teaching about god in public schools will improve people’s morality, you first need to explain why it doesn’t work in a church.

Today is the birthday, in 1945, of American singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist Bob Seger, who scored the 1977 hit ‘Night Moves’, the 1987 US No.1 single ‘Shakedown’, taken from the film Beverly Hills Cop II, and the 1995 hit single ‘We’ve Got Tonight’. Seger has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH7cSSKnkL4

May

2026

TUESDAY…all day

Today is, of course, Cinco de Mayo, the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when Mexican troops under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated a French invasion force. However, and a larger French force ultimately defeated the Mexican army at the Second Battle of Puebla and then occupied Mexico City.

More popular in the United States than in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. The day gained nationwide popularity beyond those of Mexican-American heritage in the 1980s due to advertising campaigns by beer, wine, and tequila companies; today, Cinco de Mayo generates beer sales on par with the Super Bowl. In Mexico, the commemoration of the battle continues to be mostly ceremonial, such as through military parades or battle reenactments.

Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on alcoholic beverages, foods, and music. To celebrate, many display Cinco de Mayo banners while school districts hold special events to educate students about its historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Examples include baile folklórico and mariachi demonstrations held annually at the Plaza del Pueblo de Los Ángeles, near Olvera Street.