The thread of learning something new every day
-
I’m resurrecting this thread because I’m currently reading a book called The View From Alger’s Window by Tony Hiss. He was the son of Alger Hiss, the notorious Soviet spy.
That’s not the thing I learned though, it’s this. Alger Hiss clerked for Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was a US Supreme Court Justice. Holmes served in the Civil War. He had personally shaken the hand of John Quincy Adams - the sixth president - and Jack Kennedy, the 35th. Adams was alive during the War of Independence and Kennedy during Vietnam. If Kennedy had lived to 76 instead of 46, that link would have spanned from the birth of the US right through to the Gulf War.
-
@JC said in The thread of learning something new every day:
That’s not the thing I learned though, it’s this. Alger Hiss clerked for Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was a US Supreme Court Justice. Holmes served in the Civil War. He had personally shaken the hand of John Quincy Adams - the sixth president - and Jack Kennedy, the 35th. Adams was alive during the War of Independence and Kennedy during Vietnam. If Kennedy had lived to 76 instead of 46, that link would have spanned from the birth of the US right through to the Gulf War.
That reminds of this video
-
@JC said in The thread of learning something new every day:
I’m resurrecting this thread because I’m currently reading a book called The View From Alger’s Window by Tony Hiss. He was the son of Alger Hiss, the notorious Soviet spy.
That’s not the thing I learned though, it’s this. Alger Hiss clerked for Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was a US Supreme Court Justice. Holmes served in the Civil War. He had personally shaken the hand of John Quincy Adams - the sixth president - and Jack Kennedy, the 35th. Adams was alive during the War of Independence and Kennedy during Vietnam. If Kennedy had lived to 76 instead of 46, that link would have spanned from the birth of the US right through to the Gulf War.
You might like this
-
I learned that there is something called a Kumara Moth (aka the Convolvulus hawk moth) which is a big old moth with a big old proboscis (similar species overseas are called a Hummingbird moth) one was having a good old feed of nectar from some flowers we have at home last night...never seen one before.
-
@taniwharugby size wise how do they compare with a puriri moth?
-
@dogmeat don't think it isn't quite as big as the Puriri Moth, but still decent sized.
One I saw was almost 2 inch body with the similar sized proboscis
I did record it on my phone (photos under the light didnt really show much)
-
the first time one of these flew on to my patio i shit myself
-
@mariner4life said in The thread of learning something new every day:
the first time one of these flew on to my patio i shit myself
Jeez!! nearly a foot wide wing span!!!
-
@dogmeat here it is
When we were building several years back, the rental property we were in was in the middle of about 7acres of native forest, and we used to get Puriri moths all the time, attracted to the light from the big A-frame windows, and we could sit there and see the Moreporks swoop in and take them...poor buggars, upto 5 years in pupae stage, with a life of about 48 hours as a moth!
-
-
-
@MajorRage Peter Stringer was the king of the flap, pretty much started it!!
-
@taniwharugby said in The thread of learning something new every day:
I learned that there is something called a Kumara Moth (aka the Convolvulus hawk moth) which is a big old moth with a big old proboscis (similar species overseas are called a Hummingbird moth) one was having a good old feed of nectar from some flowers we have at home last night...never seen one before.
Absolutely Triggered. Hate moths, hate giant moths even more! Especially when you are asleep in the night an hear something tapping around the room in the dark, only ever seen one about an inch big but even that's big enough for me. Horrible horrible things. 😱
How two of President John Tyler's grandsons are still alive, 174 years later
Coscinocera hercules - Wikipedia
