Silver Pockets Full: Hopes, Riches, and a Hoax

August of this year has five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays. That’s a fact.  A chain letter making rounds on the internet claims this happens only once every 823 years. That’s a lie.

Actually, the last time five Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays occurred in any month was in July, 2011. In 2008 was the last time it occurred in August. The eighth month is mentioned as magical when the five days happen.

A Chinese blogger is credited with starting the hoax in 2010. The blog went viral and traveled across the water to the United States and many European countries. After this year, it will happen again in August 2025, 2031, and 2036. The list goes on and punches a big hole into the every 823 years theory.

The hoax elaborates on using Feng Shui to get money from the so-called rare day alignment. People believe they will get money by passing on the information in chain letters and emails. They place small bags around their homes. These bags supposedly will fill with coins from the good feelings generated from Feng Shui that people believe generates well-being, good health and good fortune.  The money or good fortune bags became known as Silver Pockets Full.

Chinese Buddhism has the belief of good coming from the money bags placed inside homes during any August with the special five day sequence. The small bags are considered good luck charms. Feng Shui enthusiasts believe the specially arranged placement of furniture inside a room can generate good fortune in the same way the money bags work.

The whole philosophy of Feng Shui is driven by self-fulfilling prophecies. When a home owner hires an expert to arrange her furniture and to meditate on the vibrations emitted inside a house, there is an expense involved. People naturally want to believe they spend their money well. Therefore, any good that comes along can be attributed to the Feng Shui influence inside the home.

People always want to give justification to things that bring hardships into life. We often hear the following phrases: “It could have been worse. At least we still have (fill in the blank). What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

The truth is that we all live in this world filled with chaos. Circumstances out of our control dominate what happens to us. It’s all good and bad, none of which we control, that leave us coping with reality. Having something to help us understand why things happen to us is the basis for superstitions and beliefs such as the Silver Pockets Full.

Feng Shui based, Silver Pockets Full contradicts itself by repeating the chain letter and its errors every year. Any belief in this superstition is based on nonsense and wishful thinking.

Thank you for reading this blog. I’ll have another interesting one here later this month. Meanwhile, read my web site at www.joevlatino.com. My book of short stories can be seen there.

Watermelon: Ancient Fruit or Vegetable

Slices of cold watermelon provide temporary relief to summer’s sweltering heat. It’s a hot seasonal treat that people consume in thousands of tons across the United States.

Watermelon originated in Africa. Egyptian hieroglyphics display the vegetable; yes I said vegetable, as long ago as 2,500 BC. Watermelon seeds were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut).

Traders and explorers spread watermelon plants to China in the 10th century. It spread throughout Europe by the end of the 13th century. Native Americans cultivated melons in the 16th century. The vegetable was grown throughout this country by the 1800s.

 

The popular hot weather food is a member of the cucumber family. Like many vegetables, watermelons contain high amounts of water. A watermelon is made of 90% water. It was used as a water source by travelers thousands of years ago. The weight of a melon must have made it an impractical make-shift canteen, but it offered a natural container for carrying water.

People can be assured the enjoyment of eating cold watermelon is associated with health benefits. Watermelons are high in vitamins A and C. They contain no saturated fat, no cholesterol and only trace amounts of sodium. It has healthy amounts of potassium and lycopene. The red color of the flesh of watermelons comes from lycopene that is an excellent antioxidant.

Watermelon has varieties that have been genetically modified to meet public demand and increase sales. Two interesting modifications are seedless and square varieties.

Seedless watermelons are a genetic mutation that was developed about 40 years ago. Now the seedless variety amounts to almost 80% of the watermelons sold. Increasing the size and lowering the cost of seedless melons in past years made them the preferred variety by eliminating the seeds many people found to be a nuisance.

It’s difficult to find square melons in this country because of their high cost. Square watermelons are typically found in Japan where they were developed to fit the tight spaces of small refrigerators used in that country. Farmers put the melon plants into tempered glass boxes during the growing process. The vines grow into the square shape and are harvested as blocks that fill tight spaces. Sales of square melons in the U.S. are limited as a novelty only. Growing square melons involves intensive labor that adds to their price that is several times more than seedless ones.

Watermelons have limited availability. The overall season in the northern hemisphere runs from May to September with the peak time from June to the end of August. That limited access makes watermelons very desirable. United States farmers cultivate watermelons for commercial sales in forty-four states. The largest producers are Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.

Demand keeps getting bigger from the different uses people create with the consumption of melons. People put watermelon into drinks, salads, and soups. Watermelon rinds are used for pickling and making wine. Cooks also put slices of watermelon on their outside grills.

Rural areas have contests to see who can grow the largest watermelon. The world’s heaviest melon weighed 350.5 pounds. It was grown in Sevierville, TN, in 2013. 

Selecting a ripe watermelon is simple. Thump the side of the plant. It should have a dull, hollow sound. Placing a whole melon in a refrigerator will keep it fresh for at least a week. The melon you buy should look symmetrical with no flat sides. Check the underside that was on the ground. It should be a pale yellow, not white or light green.

I hope you enjoyed this blog. I’ll a new one later this month. Check my website at www.joevlatino.com. You can see information about my book of short stories “The Device.” See a free sample of my stories there.   

George Washington: General, President, Whiskey Maker

George Washington was a founding father of the United States, the supreme leader of the Revolutionary Army, the first U.S. President and among the country’s heroic patriots.  The last two years of his life took an entirely different path. He produced some of the country’s finest whiskey at the largest known distillery of its time.

Washington switched from raising tobacco to corn and grain at his Mr. Vernon plantation in Virginia. The grain production and water from a large creek that ran through the property provided the major items needed to make distilling whiskey an obvious enterprise.

The manager of the Mt. Vernon estate was James Anderson who came from Scotland where he worked in his family- owned whiskey distilling business.  He recognized the potential at Washington’s plantation and encouraged the retired general and president to get into the whiskey business.

Washington hesitated for several months before giving Anderson authority to get the business started. He was concerned about taking time away from his several enterprises.  Among his personal papers was a comment Washington made to Anderson about accepting his recommendations:

Distillery is a business I am entirely unacquainted with, but from your knowledge of it and from the confidence you have in the profit to be derived from the establishment, I am disposed to enter upon one.

The two men agreed to put Anderson in charge of the whiskey production to keep the workload off of Washington’s shoulders. The whiskey production began in 1797.

Washington insisted that the whiskey production not be restricted to an inexpensive variety that would lead to drunkenness by the masses. Anderson agreed and produced a high quality rye (blended whiskey) that was expensive but very popular. They called it Liquid Gold; a premium whiskey that is still made today in limited production.

Anderson started with a two-still operation. Public demand was so good that a larger facility was built to hold five stills before the end of the first year. That was the largest distillery in the country at its time.

Business peaked in 1799 with a gross income of $7,500. That’s about $120,000 in today’s dollars. The business distilled nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey and smaller amounts of peach, apple, persimmon and cinnamon brandies.

Washington died in December of that banner year.  He was 67 years old. Washington’s survivors continued the business until the distillery building burned in 1814.

A working replica of the distillery now offers visitors an opportunity to witness the methods Anderson used to make quality whiskey.  It’s one of the things we can admire about Washington who led the war against the British for eight years and served two terms as the first U.S. president.

Thanks for reading this blog. Look for a new blog in this space in about a week. See my web site at www.joevlatino.com. You can see samples of my next book of short stories that’s being written now. My first book, “The Device,” is on sale on the website. An e-book version of the short story collection is available through Amazon.com. 

The United States Turns 238 Years Old

The Second Continental Congress accepted the Declaration of Independence in the first few days of July, 1776.  That document officially separated the 13 colonies of the United States from the rule of Great Britain. It also escalated the war between England and the U.S.

Officially, the document was accepted on July 2nd, revised and released on July 4th. The first public presentation was done during a reading in a public square July 8th in Philadelphia. Using the fourth day of July as the country’s birthday wasn’t always accepted. In fact, John Adams, patriot and future U.S. president, always argued that July 2nd needed to be the official day of the Declaration of Independence.

So take your pick of the best date to use, but tradition has firmly established the Fourth of July as the birthday of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration, and ironically he died July 4, 1826, just hours after John Adams died on the same historic date. A third former president, James Monroe, died July 4, 1831.

The term “Independence Day” was not officially used until 1791. Long before then, however, celebrations throughout the country to recognize our separation from England became common.

Fireworks became a part of the July 4th celebration quickly after the Declaration of Independence was ratified. The noise and spectacular beauty of colorful explosives keeps getting bigger every year with major cities trying to compete with each other.  

John Adams described how the day should be celebrated in a July 3, 1776, letter to his wife Abigail. Adams said the day should have “pomp, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations.”

Fireworks displays held all over the country bring credibility to Adams’ sentiments. He was among the 56 patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Congress encouraged the use of fireworks on the country’s birthday and authorized a display in 1777 in Philadelphia. It was described in the local newspapers as an exhibition “which began and concluded with thirteen rockets on the commons.” Boston had its first municipal display on July 4, 1779.     Major cities continued to provide organized displays. They were meager, compared to the pyrotechnic displays that cost tens of thousands of dollars to shoot off today.  

Colonialists used fireworks around their neighborhoods the same way many of us do today. An important difference was the danger of homemade fireworks used to celebrate the birth of the new republic we call the United States. Black powder was common and used in the firearms of the colonists. It also provided the explosive effects used in fireworks. Severe burns and deadly accidents resulted from the use of highly unstable black powder.

In 1870, Congress made July 4th an official, unpaid holiday. In 1938, the federal government made the 4th of July a paid holiday. Today’s government employees get the holiday on a Friday or Monday if the 4th falls on a weekend.

King George III named the men who signed the Declaration criminals and enemies of Great Britain.  They would be executed if captured. We admire them as patriots.

The average age of the signers was 45 years. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest at 70. Edward Rutledge was the youngest and signed the document when he was 26 years old.

Celebrate our country’s birthday by spending time with your family and friends at a cookout. Watch professional fireworks displays, and avoid the dangers of fireworks at home. Fly a U.S. flag outside your home. 

Thank you for reading this blog. Visit my web site for information about my book “The Device.” It’s also available as an e-book on Amazon.  Check this place for another subject during the first part of July. 

Summer Brings Extra Work and Heat

Summer begins Saturday, June 21^st at 6:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. It’s the day with the most sunlight (the Summer Solstice) until fall returns September 23^rd.

During summer the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. Higher in the sky throughout each day, the sun beats down its rays at a more direct angle than during the rest of the year. Hot days for most of North America can become unbearable. 

Time for vacations usually dominate family plans. Changes in the typical American family affect how activities in the summer months have changed. School vacations are not as long as in the past. Many elementary schools and high schools have shorter vacation periods than just 20 to 25 years ago.

People often explained the long, up to three months, school vacations were needed to allow children to help with the planting and cultivating of farm crops. Actually, the best times to plant and reap are in the spring and fall of the calendar. Educators decided children needed a long summer break to rest after nine or 10 months of studying.

A practical explanation to having a long summer break is in the teachers’ needs for education. In the 1800s when most local governments required elementary education, many teachers had no formal teaching certifications. They used the summer months to learn their craft and get the required knowledge to teach.

For many years mothers typically didn’t work. The freedom to be housewives allowed mothers to take their children on extended summertime trips. These trips often involved several days to the seashore. Now working mothers are the norm, and the luxury of long vacations rarely exceed two weeks any more.

Today’s high school seniors often use their summertime to prepare for college. It helps to show an internship and volunteer work on college applications. It’s also an economic necessity for most college applicants and those already enrolled in college to work summer jobs to help meet the ever-increasing expenses of getting a college degree.

Visiting college campuses before making a commitment to a particular school became more than an occasional trip a few years ago. Prospective freshmen should be aware that an application showing that a prospective incoming student visited a campus adds credibility to their application package. Summer fun and freedoms have changed for many families because of mothers working full time and the requirements to prepare for college enrollment. We can’t forget the curse of summer vacation—the horrible attendance at summer school.

Maneuver your time schedule as much as you can to get time to do what you want in the hot, summer months. Stay cool during the overwhelming hot time many people call the “dog days.” And don’t forget the best advice you can get to help in the summer heat—use sunscreen.

Check my web page for a new flash fiction story at www.joevlatino.com. You can read about the Local Authors Showcase scheduled for June 27^th at the main library in Fayetteville, NC, on Maiden Lane. Several local authors will present their books for sale from 7 to 9 p.m.

Thanks for reading this blog. A new one will be in this space during the first part of July.