I ASSUME THIS POST IS
WRITTEN BY: MISS SCHAAL

When I was a HS sophomore – decades ago! – my World History teacher was Mrs. Holloway, but we all called her Granny Holloway. She was a slight woman, scarcely 5 feet tall, seemingly fragile, but full of vim and vinegar….you know the type. She could speak for hours about the Fall of the Roman Empire, the Inquisition, the Industrial Revolution, and the World Wars. She never sat while she lectured, never stood at a lectern, but moved around the room making eye contact with all of her students. She was demanding too, and I can’t remember how many papers were sent back to me because she would note “you can do better than this, Miss Schaal.”

One day during class, an office aid interrupted her lecture to hand her a note. She read it silently, apologized, and said she needed to leave the room. We knew it had to be important because Granny Holloway stopped lectures for no one.

We sat in the room talking to one another when the door opened, and in walked Mrs. Abels, another teacher in our HS. She explained to us that Granny had been faced with an emergency, a serious one, and it was questionable if she would even be returning to finish out the semester. We were stunned. Would we get a chance to tell her goodbye? Would we get updates, so we would know she was ok? Mrs. Abels assured us that we need not worry, that Granny was safe but needed time away, and that the best thing we could do for her, and the best way we could show our devotion to her, was to be cooperative with her replacement. Mrs. Abels confirmed that she had been asked and had agreed to step in as Granny’s replacement.

Cheer up, she told us, this could be a good thing. Other teachers still believed in endless homework and projects with deadlines and hard work. She would not bring that into our class. She believed in clean slates. If there were grades that we did not like, she could give us a chance to bring them up. She asked us what suggestions we had to make the semester a better learning experience. Someone mentioned that lectures were boring and we wanted more films. Done, she said. Someone else mentioned that a free day now and then would help us if we needed to catch up on work in other classes. She didn’t see a problem with that. She asked us how we felt about an end-of-semester party. Um, yeah, sounded very good to us. And on and on. Mrs. Abels listened intently and agreed to all of our suggestions, continually emphasizing that her concern was that we have a good learning experience and enjoy the semester. She also reminded us that we were lucky to not be sent out to other classes where we would be working to catch up, and that of course this was all for Granny.

Near the end of the period, shortly before the bell rang, the door opened and Granny sauntered in with her usual Granny Holloway attitude. “How did they do?,” she asked. “Marvelous,” said Mrs. Abels. “They were completely in my hands.”

Granny then faced us and said “And that, my students, is how a dictator takes over a nation. Not with guns or tanks. They do it using promises and gifts.”

I can’t remember a lesson all through 12 years of public school that made such an impression on me, and has stayed with me.

*

Daily Wisecracks & Wisdom

June 15, 2026June 6, 2026 tolleystopicsLeave a comment

Some days you’re the pigeon;
Some days you’re the statue.
Scott Adams

Fun Facts: Amazing Facts Part 5

June 15, 2026June 11, 2026 tolleystopicsLeave a comment

In 1923, Bobby the wonder dog tracked 2,500 miles across the United States to reunite with his owners after he got lost in Indiana during a family road trip.

Violet Jessop was a ship nurse on the Britannic, the Olympic, and the Titanic. While on board the Olympic, it collided with a warship and nearly sank. While on the Titanic, it hit an iceberg and sank, and the Britannic hit an underwater mine and sank, yet Violet survived all three disasters.

Sam Griner from the “Successful Kid” memes used his success to start a GoFundMe page, which raised nearly $100,000 for his dad’s kidney transplant.

Mathematician Paul Erdos could calculate in his head, given a person’s age, how many seconds they had lived when he was four.

In 2001, the uncle of a boy named Jessie Arbogast wrestled a seven-foot bull shark to retrieve the severed arm of his nephew. After saving Jessie, the uncle dove back in, seized the shark, and wrestled it to shore, where a ranger shot it. The arm was pried from its gullet, put on ice, rushed to the hospital, and successfully sewn back on.

Roger Frisch, a concert violinist, was awake when he had brain surgery to get rid of his tremors. His surgeons got a private concert during the surgery as Frisch played the violin while the doctors worked on his brain.

In 2014, a stray dog named Arthur followed a Swedish racing team through the Amazonian jungle to complete a 427 mile race, just because one of them had given it a meatball during one of the earlier halts.

THE SPHINX—INTERESTING

June 15, 2026June 14, 2026 tolleystopicsLeave a comment

Teddy Roosevelt.

https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2026/06/14/ufc-unleashes-an-ai-ad-featuring-teddy-roosevelt-that-silences-the-critics-of-the-white-house-ufc-event-n2203328

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I’m waiting to see the entire Iran agreement.

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This isn’t very sportsman like.

https://nypost.com/2026/06/13/sports/new-yorkers-not-welcome-spurs-block-out-of-towners-from-buying-nba-finals-game-5-tickets/

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More Space X millionaires.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/06/12/spacex-ipo-creates-4000-millionaires-including-cafeteria-workers/

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Zac Brown to sing at the White House, FJB and the Democrats.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/06/12/zac-brown-defends-singing-national-anthem-at-white-house-ufc-match-patriotism-not-politics/

A fair judge.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/06/12/judge-delivers-knockout-blow-to-lefty-boomer-who-sued-to-stop-ufc-fight-at-white-house-n2677676

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At least we have a date. I want to see the entire wall.

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/us-expects-to-finish-wall-along-mexican-border-by-late-2027/2026/06/09/id/1259117/

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The Democrats think if they keep everyone smelly and living in fifth that a few taxpayer dollars will keep their vote.

https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/opinion/the-deeper-agenda-behind-trumps-reflecting-pool-glow-up/

Trump’s most accomplished act in D. C. was to get rid of this POS. Paint the message on the front of the council’s and Bowser’s homes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter_Plaza

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Fire them all.

https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/06/10/bari-weiss-prepares-to-do-to-cnn-what-shes-doing-to-60-minutes-n4953806

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She will want Federal Tax Money to pay for her kindness.

https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/06/09/miserable-massachusetts-maura-metes-out-a-hundred-million-on-migrants-n3815784

Fraudsters.

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/06/10/the-feds-clean-up-what-walz-didnt-first-most-wanted-fraudster-arrested-n2203236

What a creep.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/06/11/video-homelessness-advocate-ben-stiller-called-out-after-walking-straight-passed-homeless-man-on-way-to-knicks-game/

More crooks.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2026/06/11/two-former-utah-court-clerks-arrested-for-allegedly-helping-illegal-alien-escape-ice-n2677636

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The Show Me Editor: What is interesting, LL ?

The Mile High Cat: This is very interesting. Since its opening, the Denver Airport has had more conspiracy theories about it than Hillgal Clinton.

https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/denver-airport-to-open-mysterious-underground-tunnels-often-cited-by-conspiracy-theorists/

https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/denver-airport/denver-international-airport-conspiracy-theories

The Guthrie kidnapping appears to have become an interesting mystery.

https://nypost.com/2026/06/01/us-news/nancy-guthrie-likely-targeted-by-local-worker-who-believed-family-was-wealthy-veteran-investigator/

This must be part of Alphabet’s life science division.

https://moneywise.com/news/top-stories/alphabet-google-verily-debug-lab-mosquitoes-wolbachia-wnv-slev-sterile-insect-technique

Cream and or sugar ?

https://genesiustimes.com/all-things-considered-problematic-the-quiet-violence-of-coffee/

https://www.denverpost.com/

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Who is surprised ?

https://babylonbee.com/news/nation-shocked-as-candidate-with-nazi-tattoo-turns-out-to-be-total-scumbag

https://redstate.com/

Astronomy Picture of the Day

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 kenmitchell92Leave a comment

Triple Shockwave from Sun Crossing Rocket
Image Credit & Copyright: John Winkopp (WAI Media)

Explanation: What’s happening to this Sun-crossing rocket? The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, visible on the upper left, launched only about one minute before this amazing image was captured. As it rose to low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, in late May, the rocket became supersonic before it crossed the disk of the distant Sun — from the perspective of the well-placed photographer. The spacecraft’s high speed caused bow-shaped compressed-air shockwaves to form across leading surfaces, with at least three visible even outside the Sun‘s disk because they refract sunlight. The trailing exhaust caused turbulence visible on the lower right. None of this was damaging to the robotic Starlink 10-53 mission, which delivered 29 communications satellites to low Earth orbit as planned. And if that isn’t amazing enough – the Sun had spots!

Tomorrow’s picture: rings and moons

Bible Verse

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 tolleystopicsLeave a comment

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I ASSUME THIS POST IS WRITTEN BY: MISS SCHAAL

One day during class, an office aid interrupted her lecture to hand her a note. She read it silently, apologized, and said she needed to leave the room. We knew it had to be important because Granny Holloway stopped lectures for no one.

Near the end of the period, shortly before the bell rang, the door opened and Granny sauntered in with her usual Granny Holloway attitude. “How did they do?,” she asked. “Marvelous,” said Mrs. Abels. “They were completely in my hands.”

Granny then faced us and said “And that, my students, is how a dictator takes over a nation. Not with guns or tanks. They do it using promises and gifts.”

I can’t remember a lesson all through 12 years of public school that made such an impression on me, and has stayed with me.

*

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Some days you’re the pigeon; Some days you’re the statue. Scott Adams

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In 1923, Bobby the wonder dog tracked 2,500 miles across the United States to reunite with his owners after he got lost in Indiana during a family road trip.

Violet Jessop was a ship nurse on the Britannic, the Olympic, and the Titanic. While on board the Olympic, it collided with a warship and nearly sank. While on the Titanic, it hit an iceberg and sank, and the Britannic hit an underwater mine and sank, yet Violet survived all three disasters.

Sam Griner from the “Successful Kid” memes used his success to start a GoFundMe page, which raised nearly $100,000 for his dad’s kidney transplant.

Mathematician Paul Erdos could calculate in his head, given a person’s age, how many seconds they had lived when he was four.

Roger Frisch, a concert violinist, was awake when he had brain surgery to get rid of his tremors. His surgeons got a private concert during the surgery as Frisch played the violin while the doctors worked on his brain.

In 2014, a stray dog named Arthur followed a Swedish racing team through the Amazonian jungle to complete a 427 mile race, just because one of them had given it a meatball during one of the earlier halts.

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I ASSUME THIS POST IS
WRITTEN BY: MISS SCHAAL

Some days you’re the pigeon;
Some days you’re the statue.
Scott Adams