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Jim Bradshaw

A brick to save us from The Bomb

In the middle 1950s, when the Cold War was at its hottest and we were being drilled on how to survive when the Commies dropped The Bomb on us, an LSU scientist said he’d found just the thing to save us.
Rice hulls.
And there may have been something to it.
If you pull out your frayed copy of the Chemical Engineering News for August 1955, you can find Professor John Hough’s article, in which he says the hulls not only made a sturdy, lightweight brick, but that they also offered unique protection against an atomic blast.

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Jim Bradshaw

The Duke and Duchess charmed all

There was a big scandal when King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne in 1936 to marry the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simson. But that was ancient history by the time the couple made an ever-so-brief appearance on Opelousas.
Edward was the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary. He was said to be a charming rogue during his youth and when he became king in 1936 quickly raised eyebrows by paying little attention to the way kings were supposed to act.

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Bryan Golden

What Do You Ask For?

Everyone asks for something. Some things you intentionally request. Other things you seem to get without asking. For example, I’m sure you’ve heard the expression that someone is asking for trouble. Since no one really wants adversity, this request is invariably made subconsciously. Another common expression is to be careful about what you ask for, because you may get it.

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William Thibodeaux

The Strange Case Against Andre Servinien

According to an article in the Louisiana Historical Quarterly, in 1752 during the French period in Louisiana, a young French soldier by the name of Andre Servinien took his own life. An unusual criminal prosecution subsequently took place against Servinien. Not for the crime of murder, but to determine the faith of his memory. It was an extremely strange case indeed. Apparently back in the days of old, if someone was found guilty their memory would be banished forever. Yeah, I know.

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