People Archives - Page 3 of 3

24Feb 2016 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Misfortune Gave Me Life

[caption id="attachment_13225" align="alignright" width="440"] The Honourable Sir Wandesforde[/caption] One woman's misfortune gave me life! How is that? Sometimes things just work out that way. One person’s prosperity results in another person’s misfortune. The opposite is also true. One person’s misfortune can result in the prosperity of someone else. In my case, the misfortune of my 3X-great grandmother opened the way for “yours truly” to prosper. How so? Sometime in Ireland during the interval 1791 to 1795, Bridget “Biddy” Kavanagh was born. Most girls married and Biddy was no exception. It was about 1823 to 1825. The man was Thomas Large. The location was probably Castle Comer, County Kilkenny. The couple was apparently in the employ of the “Honourable” C.H.B.C.S Wandesford [1]. He would also have been their landlord. Life Turns…

11Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Exposing Kids to the Opera

People

[caption id="attachment_7776" align="alignright" width="480"] Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini[/caption] So I wanted to impart a little taste of musical culture to my grandkids. The best defense is a strong offense. I would head the bad guys off at the pass. An aria from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot, namely “Nessun Dorma” (sung by Pavarotti), would be an excellent choice. If you think not, listen to the video below and see if it does not play a chord on your heartstrings. Opera for Kids 3 & 6? This decision would prove illuminating. Kids can teach their grandparents things, too. What do you think was the result? Think back to when you were a little child (mine were aged 3 and 6 years). The next day, my three-year old grandson said, “I…

28Aug 2015 by Vincent Summers 5 Comments

String Genealogy and My Connection to Actress Clara Bow

Genealogy, People

[caption id="attachment_7729" align="alignright" width="440"] The truly beautiful actress, Clara Bow.[/caption] Clara Bow was a (let's call a spade a spade) gorgeous silent movie actress who suffered an unusually difficult upbringing. Her father Robert though a capable man never prospered. As a result, the family was poor. Her mother Sarah, injured in a fall, suffered brain damage that severely affected her personality and behavior. Sarah was cared for by her daughter, even though Sarah had at one time, nearly murdered Clara. Her Career Although she had been picked on as a child, she was surpassingly successful in her role as actress, making 46 silent films and 11 talkies. Called the “It” girl because of her appearance in a film having that title, she was viewed as a sex symbol of the…

23Feb 2015 by Vincent Summers 5 Comments

Science: Sun Worship?

People

I once read that science for some is roughly the same as Sun Worship. At first, I thought, "That's ridiculous." But over the years, I have changed my mind. Why? Religion a Science? For centuries, men worshiped Nature. Foremost was sun worship. The sun imparted light and warmth. Of course, there were other gods. The moon, rivers, dogs, cats, and so on. I am a scientist - a chemist. I love science. It explains much about our surroundings and about ourselves as well. Science is the source of technological advances. But with anything good, expect misapplication, if not outright abuse. Science a Religion? Science has been glorified with almost mystic properties, as if it is the ultimate source of understanding, in a sense a source of salvation. Journalists have painted…

03Jul 2014 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Privacy Statement for Quirky Science

People

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at vsummers@gmail.com. At www.quirkyscience.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.quirkyscience.com/ and how it is used. Log Files Like many other Web sites, www.quirkyscience.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that…

19Mar 2014 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Scientists Have a Sense of Humor

People

I was originally going to write a serious topic about a unit of measurement in the field of nuclear physics, called the barn, but I'm in a whimsical mood. My funny bone has the best of me. You see, it is not accurate to say scientists have no sense of humor. We'll still discuss the barn, but in a slightly different light. Flashback It all goes back to that well-known institution of higher learning, Purdue University. It was the time of World War II and telephone communication with other scientists concerning particle physics was a touchy subject. Secrecy was vital, so mundane terms had to be used to replace easily identifiable technical terms. You see, the subject involved the cyclotron and the U.S. Government's interest in nuclear affairs. Background In…

13May 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Imagine ME – a TV Star!

History, People

[caption id="attachment_3849" align="alignright" width="440"] Camera - Fletcher6 - CCA-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License[/caption] Me a TV Star? What is the world coming to? One day I received a telephone call from my stock broker, Rich Muhlberg of Metis Advisors in Cherry Hill, NJ. I owned shares of LifeCycle mutual fund. LifeCycle’s managers reviewed each customer’s portfolio on his birthday. At this time some of the growth stock was sold and more income producing stock was purchased. The former has more risk and less income than the latter, so this process is appropriate action as one ages. I Am Informed Rich said that LifeCycle was hiring a video company to make an infomercial for the company. Did I want to participate by giving a testimonial? I valued the securities and jumped…

12May 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

What is the Origin of Races?

Bible, People

[caption id="attachment_3831" align="alignright" width="440"] Race - Image: IIpdigital, US Embassy[/caption] Interestingly, the origin of races of mankind is quite easy to understand if one does not assume that mankind evolved, but was created as in the Bible account. The Bible indicates the first human couple was directly created, and that the rest of natural born mankind came about through the process of procreation, the passing on of life from one person to the next. From Adam to Noah Adam and Eve were the ancestors of Noah and of Noah’s wife, that one’s name being unknown. By the day of Noah, and under the influence of the demon angels, the world of mankind became violently wicked. Noah was thus told by God to build an ark to carry those who would…

18Mar 2013 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Locating Missing Persons

Genealogy, People

[caption id="attachment_8367" align="alignright" width="440"] Is your puzzle missing a piece?[/caption] Although such may not always be the outcome, I have good success locating missing persons I knew using methods discussed here. For the following family it took me perhaps two days to locate them and verify a favorable outcome. Please grab a cup of coffee and follow along as I reveal how I find missing persons (in this case, missing neighbors) even 58 years after parting. Who? As much as I’d like to use the real surname, I do not feel it is my right to do so. Therefore, I offer no last name. I do present actual first names. The game of locating missing persons is afoot! Won't you please join me? In addition to sharing my experience, it…