Most authorities agree that the name topaz comes from Topazios, the old Greek name for a small island in the Red Sea, now called Zabargad. (The island never produced topaz, but it was once a source of peridot, which was confused with topaz before the development of modern mineralogy.) Some scholars trace the origin back to Sanskrit (an ancient language of India) and the word topas or tapaz, meaning “fire.”
The ancient Greeks believed that topaz gave them strength. In Europe during the Renaissance (the period from the 1300s to the 1600s) people thought that topaz could break magic spells and dispel anger. For centuries, many people in India have believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence.
The name for imperial topaz originated in nineteenth-century Russia. At the time, the Ural Mountains were topaz’s leading source, and the pink gemstone mined there was named to honor the Russian czar. Ownership of the gem was restricted to the royal family.
The name topaz has been used for any yellowish gemstones for at least two thousand years. Gem traders did not know that these yellowish stones were actually different minerals until about two hundred years ago. Gem traders recognized that quartz, beryl, corundum and olivine all had yellow variants and were not true topaz and that topaz could be other colors not just yellow. In addition, the island Topazios, after which the gemstone has been named, never produced topaz, but was a source of peridot, or olivine often confused as topaz. The island is now called Zabargad Island.
Ancient Egyptians believed that yellow topaz received its golden color from the Sun God, Ra. The ancient Greeks believed that topaz gave them strength and topaz is mentioned in the modern translation of the bible, although the word probably referred to a yellow stone, not necessarily true topaz.
During the middle ages, the main source of topaz was from a deposit in the Erzgebirge Mountains in Germany. Hundreds of kilograms of yellow to brown topaz crystals were mined from the deposit. Then in the 1730s, a large topaz deposit was discovered in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil. During this period, Brazil was a colony of Portugal, so in 1768, the Portugese Government officially recognised the deposit as an important commercial mine, and most of the gems were transported back to Europe. Brazil remains the largest producer of Topaz in the world.
Gem quality topaz was first found in Australia as a by-product of metal mining operations. In 1872, tin was discovered in the New England area of New South Wales and mining commenced shortly afterwards. When the miners concentrated the alluvial material, sometimes they found pebbles of topaz. Waterworn topaz was found associated with gold, tin and wolfram deposits throughout eastern Australia.
On October 20, 1882, one of the world’s most gifted performers was born. In his heyday, Bela Lugosi was hailed as the undisputed king of horror. Today, more than 85 years after he first donned a vampire’s cape, Lugosi’s take on Count Dracula is still widely hailed as the definitive portrayal of the legendary fiend. But who was the man behind the monster?
Bela Lugosi worked with the National Theater of Hungary.
To the chagrin of his biographers, the details concerning Bela Lugosi’s youth have been clouded in mystery. (In a 1929 interview, he straight-up admitted “for purposes of simplification, I have always thought it better to tell [lies] about the early years of my life.”) That said, we do know that he was born as Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882 in Lugoj, Hungary (now part of Romania). We also know that his professional stage debut came at some point in either 1901 or 1902. By 1903, Lugosi had begun to find steady work with traveling theater companies, through which he took part in operas, operettas, and stage plays. In 1913, Lugosi caught a major break when the most prestigious performing arts venue in his native country—the Budapest-based National Theater of Hungary—cast him in no less than 34 shows. Most of the characters that he played there were small Shakespearean roles such as Rosencrantz in Hamlet and Sir Walter Herbert in Richard III.
Bela Lugosi fought in World War I.
The so-called war to end all wars put Lugosi’s dramatic aspirations on hold. Although being a member of the National Theater exempted him from military service, he voluntarily enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1914. Over the next year and a half, he fought against Russian forces as a lieutenant with the 43rd Royal Hungarian Infantry. While serving in the Carpathian mountains, Lugosi was wounded on three separate occasions. Upon healing from his injuries, he left the armed forces in 1916 and gratefully resumed his work with the National Theater. When Bela Lugosi made his Broadway debut in 1922, he barely knew any English. In December 1920, Lugosi boarded a cargo boat and emigrated to the United States. Two years later, audiences on the Great White Way got their first look at this charismatic stage veteran. Lugosi was cast as Fernando—a suave, Latin lover—in the 1922 Broadway stage play The Red Poppy. At the time, his grasp of the English language was practically nonexistent. Undaunted, Lugosi went over all of his lines with a tutor. Although he couldn’t comprehend their meaning, the actor managed to memorize and phonetically reproduce every single syllable that he was supposed to deliver on stage.
Universal didn’t want to cast Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula.
The year 1927 saw Bela Lugosi sink his teeth into the role of a lifetime. A play based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker had opened in London in 1924. Sensing its potential, Horace Liveright, an American producer, decided to create an U.S. version of the show. Over the summer of 1927, Lugosi was cast as the blood-sucking Count Dracula. For him, the part represented a real challenge. In Lugosi’s own words, “It was a complete change from the usual romantic characters I was playing, but it was a success.” It certainly was. Enhanced by his presence, the American Dracula remained on Broadway for a full year, then spent two years touring the country.
Impressed by its box office prowess, Universal decided to adapt the show into a major motion picture in 1930. Horror fans might be surprised to learn that when the studio began the process of casting this movie’s vampiric villain, Lugosi was not their first choice. At the time, Lugosi was still a relative unknown, which made director Tod Browning more than a little hesitant to offer him the job. A number of established actors were all considered before the man who’d played Dracula on Broadway was tapped to immortalize his biting performance on film.
Most of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula-related fan mail came from women.
The recent Twilight phenomenon is not without historical precedent. Lugosi estimated that, while he was playing the Count on Broadway, more than 97 percent of the fan letters he received were penned by female admirers. A 1932 Universal press book quotes him as saying, “When I was on the stage in Dracula, my audiences were composed mostly of women.” Moreover, Lugosi contended that most of the men who’d attended his show had merely been dragged there by female companions.
Bela Lugosi turned down the role of Frankenstein’s monster.
Released in 1931, Dracula quickly became one of the year’s biggest hits for Universal (some film historians even argue that the movie single-handedly rescued the ailing studio from bankruptcy). Furthermore, its astronomical success transformed Lugosi into a household name for the first time in his career. Regrettably for him, though, he’d soon miss the chance to star in another smash. Pleased by Dracula’s box office showing, Universal green-lit a new cinematic adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Lugosi seemed like the natural choice to play the monster, but because the poor brute had few lines and would be caked in layers of thick makeup, the actor rejected the job offer. As far as Lugosi was concerned, the character was better suited for some “half-wit extra” than a serious actor. Once the superstar tossed Frankenstein aside, the part was given to a little-known actor named Boris Karloff.
Moviegoers eventually did get to see Lugosi play the bolt-necked corpse in the 1943 cult classic Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. According to some sources, he strongly detested the guttural scream that the script forced him to emit at regular intervals. “That yell is the worst thing about the part. You feel like a big jerk every time you do it!” Lugosi allegedly complained.
Bela Lugosi’s relationship with Boris Karloff was much more cordial than it’s usually made out to be.
It’s often reported that the two horror icons were embittered rivals. In reality, however, Karloff and Lugosi seemed to have harbored some mutual respect—and perhaps even affection for one another. The dynamic duo co-starred in five films together, the first of which was 1934’s The Black Cat; Karloff claimed that, on set, Lugosi was “Suspicious of tricks, fearful of what he regarded as scene stealing. Later on, when he realized I didn’t go in for such nonsense, we became friends.” During one of their later collaborations, Lugosi told the press “we laughed over my sad mistake and his good fortune as Frankenstein is concerned.”
That being said, Lugosi probably didn’t appreciate the fact that in every single film which featured both actors, Karloff got top billing. Also, he once privately remarked, “If it hadn’t been for Boris Karloff, I could have had a corner on the horror market.”
Bela Lugosi was a major soccer fan.
In 1935, Lugosi was named Honorary President of the Los Angeles Soccer League. An avid fan, he was regularly seen at Loyola Stadium, where he’d occasionally kick off the first ball during games held there. Also, on top of donating funds to certain Hungarian teams, Lugosi helped finance the Los Angeles Magyar soccer club. When the team won a state championship in 1935, one newspaper wrote that the players were “headed back to Dracula’s castle with the state cup.”
Bela Lugosi was a hardcore stamp collector.
Lugosi’s fourth wife, Lillian Arch, claimed that Lugosi maintained a collection of more than 150,000 stamps. Once, on a 1944 trip to Boston, he told the press that he intended to visit all 18 of the city’s resident philately dealers. “Stamp collecting,” Lugosi declared, “is a hobby which may cost you as much as 10 percent of your investment. You can always sell your stamps with not more than a 10 percent loss. Sometimes, you can even make money.” Fittingly enough, the image of Lugosi’s iconic Dracula appeared on a commemorative stamp issued by the post office in 1997.
Bela Lugosi almost didn’t appear in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein … because the studio thought he was dead!
The role of Count Dracula in this 1948 blockbuster was nearly given to Ian Keith—who was considered for the same role in the 1931 Dracula movie. Being a good sport, Lugosi helped promote the horror-comedy by making a special guest appearance on The Abbott and Costello Show. While playing himself in one memorable sketch, the famed actor claimed to eat rattlesnake burgers for dinner and “shrouded wheat” for breakfast.
A chiropractor filled in for Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Toward the end of his life, Lugosi worked on three ultra-low-budget science fiction pictures with Ed Wood, a man who’s been posthumously embraced as the worst director of all time. In the 1953 transvestite picture Glen or Glenda?, Lugosi plays a cryptic narrator who offers such random and unsolicited bits of advice as “Beware of the big, green dragon who sits on your doorstep.” Then came 1955’s Bride of the Monster, in which Lugosi played a mad scientist who ends up doing battle with a (suspiciously limp) giant octopus.
Before long, Wood had cooked up around half a dozen concepts for new films, all starring Lugosi. At some point in the spring of 1956, the director shot some quick footage of the actor wandering around a suburban neighborhood, clad in a baggy cloak. This proved to be the last time that the star would ever appear on film. Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956; he was 73 years old.
Three years after Lugosi’s passing, this footage was spliced into a cult classic that Wood came to regard as his “pride and joy.” Plan 9 From Outer Space tells the twisted tale of extraterrestrial environmentalists who turn newly-deceased human beings into murderous zombies. Since Lugosi could obviously no longer play his character, Wood hired a stand-in for some additional scenes. Unfortunately, the man who was given this job—California chiropractor Tom Mason—was several inches taller than Lugosi. In an attempt to hide the height difference, Wood instructed Mason to constantly hunch over. Also, Mason always kept his face hidden behind a cloak.
Bela Lugosi was buried in his Dracula cape.
Although Lugosi resented the years of typecasting that followed his breakout performance in Dracula, he asked to be laid to rest wearing the Count’s signature garment. Lugosi was buried under a simple tombstone at California’s Holy Cross Cemetery.
Tourmalines come in a wide variety of exciting colors. In fact, tourmaline has one of the widest color ranges of any gem species, occurring in various shades of virtually every hue.
Many tourmaline color varieties have inspired their own trade names:
Rubellite is a name for pink, red, purplish red, orangy red, or brownish red tourmaline, although some in the trade argue that the term shouldn’t apply to pink tourmaline.
Indicolite is dark violetish blue, blue, or greenish blue tourmaline.
Paraíba is an intense violetish blue, greenish blue, or blue tourmaline from the state of Paraíba, Brazil.
Chrome tourmaline is intense green. In spite of its name, it’s colored mostly by vanadium, the same element that colors many Brazilian and African emeralds.
Parti-colored tourmaline displays more than one color. One of the most common combinations is green and pink, but many others are possible.
Watermelon tourmaline is pink in the center and green around the outside. Crystals of this material are typically cut in slices to display this special arrangement.
Some tourmalines also show a cat’s-eye effect called chatoyancy. Cat’s-eye tourmalines are most often green, blue, or pink, with an eye that’s softer and more diffused than the eye in fine cat’s-eye chrysoberyl. This is because, in tourmaline, the effect is caused by numerous thin, tube-like inclusions that form naturally during the gem’s growth. The inclusions are larger than the inclusions in cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, so the chatoyancy isn’t as sharp. Like other cat’s-eyes, these stones have to be cut as cabochons to bring out the effect.
A tourmaline’s chemical composition directly influences its physical properties and is responsible for its color. Tourmalines make up a group of closely related mineral species that share the same crystal structure but have different chemical and physical properties. They share the elements silicon, aluminum, and boron, but contain a complex mixture of other elements such as sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, chromium, vanadium, fluorine, and sometimes copper.
Tourmaline’s colors have many different causes. It’s generally agreed that traces of iron, and possibly titanium, induce green and blue colors. Manganese produces reds and pinks, and possibly yellows. Some pink and yellow elbaites might owe their hues to color centers caused by radiation, which can be natural or laboratory-induced.
Strikingly beautiful and intelligent, the Victoria crowned pigeon is a fascinating ground bird to watch. It is common to see at a zoo or aviary. Although this is a gentle bird, it is not a bird for novices. Even pigeon fanciers and experienced bird owners need to ensure they have the dedicated space and time required by these majestic creatures.
Originally from New Guinea and introduced to nearby islands, the Victoria crowned pigeon has been bred in captivity for hundreds of years. They’re a common sight in the United States and the United Kingdom at zoos and aviaries, though they are somewhat rare in the pet bird trade.
This bird is the largest living pigeon and the closest remaining relative to the extinct dodo bird. It was named in honor of Queen Victoria for its flashy blue crown of intricate lace-like patterns and its regal poise.
In the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, Victoria crowned pigeons were hunted for their meat and feathers. Due to hunting and habitat destruction, the wild population had declined rapidly, endangering the species to near extinction. As a protected species, it has improved from being a “threatened” and “vulnerable” species to “near threatened.” Deforestation of its natural habitat still occurs.
Temperament
Victoria crowned pigeons are known to be intelligent and quite easy to tame. This bird is docile by nature, which is why they’re a frequent attraction at zoos. They are often left to roam the grounds freely and tend to be happiest when foraging for food on the ground and wandering around.
This bird can fly short distances but will only fly when necessary, usually when startled, in danger, or in need of a high roost in the trees for the night.
Speech and Vocalizations
The call of this pigeon is unlike breeds you may be used to. It is not a soothing, cooing pigeon. Victoria crowned pigeons let out more of a hollow “boom” sound that can be quite loud and surprising.
Victoria Crowned Pigeon Colors and Markings
A stunning bird, Victoria crowned pigeons sport powdery blue feathers on their bodies with red eyes, a dark mask, and maroon breasts. They display a lighter shade of blue on their wings and in a band on their tailfeathers.
The crest looks like a beautiful display of dark blue lace with vivid white tips. This crown makes them seem more like a peacock than a pigeon.
This bird is a monomorphic species, meaning males and females look alike. A male may be slightly larger than a female, but it’s barely noticeable. To figure out the sex of your bird, it would require a surgical sexing procedure or a genetic test.
Caring for Victoria Crowned Pigeons
Victoria crowned pigeons spend quite a bit of time on the ground and need plenty of room to run around and exercise. They need a minimum of 200 square feet of ground space in their enclosures. They also need roosts at various heights.
These space requirements can be hard for even the most dedicated enthusiast to meet. In other words, if you can’t provide your bird with a flight the same size as the average bedroom, then you should not consider adopting a Victoria crowned pigeon.
These pigeons tend to do best as a pair in a single flight enclosure; a solo bird may become too lonely. During the breeding season, males may fight each other. The males have an elaborate courtship dance. Generally, a mating pair will only produce a maximum of three eggs each year. Both the male and female incubate the eggs, which takes around a month to hatch and raise the young squabs.
Despite their docile personality, this is not a low maintenance bird. Since they are foragers, clean the enclosure regularly, so they don’t get health issues from eating their droppings along with their food.
Keep in mind that the birds are native to a tropical climate and will do best in warm, humid regions. They cannot tolerate temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If your region gets cold, you’ll need to figure out how to provide heat. The enclosure should also protect the birds from wind and rain.
Victoria crowned pigeons generally tolerate birds of other species quite well. It is often best when they’re the only ground bird. For example, you do not want to keep these birds with a busy flock of chickens; it will stress out the pigeons that often prefer a calm environment.
Common Health Problems
The biggest health threats for these birds are fungal infections they can get from their fecal droppings. The birds breathe in fungal spores that form on their droppings. These spores can cause potentially fatal respiratory diseases, such as histoplasmosis and candidiasis.
Diet and Nutrition
Like all pigeons, Victoria crowned pigeons feed on the ground. In the wild, their diet consists mainly of fallen fruits, seeds, grains, and small invertebrates. They’re particularly fond of figs.
Captive crowned pigeons do well on a high-quality seed and grain mix, and many keepers stick with a standard dove mix. They should also get regular servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. Offer about a 1 cup of seed mix and 1 cup of fruits and vegetables per day—adjust the daily portion according to their appetite. This species is not known for overeating. Remove any uneaten fresh food at the end of each day to prevent spoilage.
Cosmos are freely flowering annuals that are easy to grow by sprinkling some seeds in the garden after any danger of frost has passed. These quintessential cottage garden flowers reach full maturity in about two months. Cosmos can be slower to germinate, but it blooms quickly after that and continues to flower through the fall. The flowers sit atop long slender stems and form a cloud of attractive color all summer that attracts bees, butterflies, and birds to your garden. Cosmos flowers look a lot like daisies. They come in a broad range of colors, with more cultivars developed every year. The leaves grow opposite on stems and are deeply lobed, pinnate, or bipinnate and feathery-looking depending on the type. If you plan to have cosmos and live in the southern U.S., consider keeping them as potted plants since they tend to be invasive there.
Cosmos grow easily in beds and make great cut flowers. When established, the plants can handle drought, poor soil conditions, and general neglect. They even self-sow. This is a truly low-maintenance plant.
While some pests, like aphids, flea beetles, and thrips feed on cosmos, they’re easy to control with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap. Aster yellows, bacterial wilt, and powdery mildew may also affect cosmos. Space plants accordingly to ensure good airflow to avoid diseases.
Taller varieties look good in the middle or rear of the border with goat’s beard, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans. Shorter varieties make very colorful, airy edging plants.
Light
For the best flowering, choose a site that gets full sun. Cosmos will grow in partial shade but will have fewer blooms and be less vigorous when planted in shady areas. These plants will also thrive under uninterrupted full sun in the hottest conditions, much like their native habitat: the arid regions of Mexico and Central America.
Soil
Cosmos plants prefer a neutral soil with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0, although they will grow in poor soil where many flowering plants languish. They perform best in medium moisture, well-drained soils, but they will perform adequately in dry soils. Avoid planting in a rich soil; it can cause the plants to get too tall and flop over. You can prevent drooping by staking the plants or growing them close to other plants that can support them.
Water
Once established, you will not need to water your cosmos plants unless there is a prolonged drought. Where water is limited, these are the last plants that require irrigation.
Temperature and Humidity
Hot weather is ideal for cosmos, and they thrive in any humidity level.
Fertilizer
Fertilizing can negatively impact cosmos. Cosmos can handle poor soil. Too much fertilizer can often lead to strong plants with lots of foliage but few blooms. Unless your plants seem to be struggling, these plants do not need fertilizer.
Types of Cosmos
There are over 25 species of cosmos. However, three species are most commonly used in gardens and landscaping. Cosmos sulphureus is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. With golden yellow blooms, it is very drought tolerant and loves hot weather. The plant grows 2 to 6 feet tall and comes in double and semi-double flowers. Some of the more recent cultivars tend to be shorter, more orangy, and with smaller flowers.
Cosmos bipinnatus are colorful daisy-like flowers that come in white, pinks, reds, and orange. At 1 to 4 feet in height, they are shorter than C. suphureus and are available in several popular hybrid series. Although they are not quite as heat tolerant as C. sulphureus, C. bipinnatus will grow well in just about any sunny space.
Chocolate cosmos are a separate species: Cosmos atrosanguineus. The dark red flowers smell like chocolate. This perennial is hardy to USDA zone 7, but it is higher maintenance than annual cosmos. Like dahlias, it grows from tubers.
Other common cosmos cultivars include:
‘Bright Lights’ mix: This variety boasts a blend of exuberant yellows, oranges, and reds.
‘Cosmic Orange’: This brilliant, semi-double orange flower has great drought tolerance.
‘Peppermint Candy’: An award-winning variety, the petals are splashed in magenta and white.
‘Sea Shells’ series: A pretty mix of pastel colors, it has distinctive tubular petals.
‘Ladybird’: This cosmos is a shorter variety that blooms in red, yellow, orange, or gold, averaging 18 to 24 inches tall.
Mata Hari was executed on October 15, 1917 more than a hundred years ago today. I found an article on All That’s Interesting chronicling her life and death.
In 1917, Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari was executed by the French for working with the Germans. But her apparent role as a double agent remains unclear to this day.
Many have heard of Mata Hari, the famous exotic dancer who supposedly became a lethal wartime spy. But few know exactly which parts of her fascinating story are fact and which parts are fiction.
What we do know is that Hari was well-traveled and fluent in several different languages. And during World War I, her romantic exploits with soldiers landed her in a web of espionage so tangled that not even her fame could save her.
In 2017, the French government finally declassified the so-called “Mata Hari papers” — trial archives that were kept secret for an entire century. And around that same time, a cache of Hari’s personal letters was also released.
But in many ways, this has only deepened the mystery.
The Early Life of Mata Hari
The details of Mata Hari’s early life are sadder than they are glamorous.
Born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle on August 7, 1876, in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, Mata Hari was known for her dark hair and eyes — which were unusual among her Dutch peers. She was also known for being sociable and bright. Hari’s father, who owned a hat shop, was relatively wealthy and doted on his daughter.
However, Hari’s luck soon changed. Her father went bankrupt, her parents divorced, and her mother died all by the time she was in her early teens. Her father remarried and sent Hari and her siblings to live with other relatives.
After being expelled from school for having an “affair” with the headmaster, Hari ran away to live with her uncle in The Hague. (Hari was only 16 years old at the time of the alleged “affair,” so historians believe she may have been sexually abused.)
At age 18, she answered a lonely-hearts ad written by 39-year-old Dutch soldier Rudolf MacLeod. The two married in 1895, she became Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, and the couple moved to the island of Java in Indonesia (formerly the Dutch East Indies). The union was not a happy one.
MacLeod drank frequently and kept a mistress — something that didn’t sit well with his new wife. But around this time, Hari also began immersing herself in Indonesian culture, which would prove useful later on.
The couple had two children, both of whom fell very ill in 1899. Their son died that year at the age of two, but their daughter survived.
The young boy’s cause of death is widely believed to have been congenital syphilis — contracted from his parents. However, other sources claim that he died after a disgruntled nanny poisoned both of the kids.
After the tragic death, MacLeod left the army, and the couple returned to the Netherlands, where they parted ways. They officially divorced in 1902.
At first, the couple’s daughter mostly stayed with her mother, but Hari had difficulty finding work as there were few jobs available for women.
Without the means to support her child, Hari made a difficult decision. She handed her daughter over to her ex-husband — and moved to Paris.
The Paris Years
Hari first arrived in Paris in 1903. While she was grateful to have a fresh start, she missed her daughter — and she still struggled to make money.
From giving piano lessons to teaching German, Hari tried to make ends meet however she could. By 1904, she confessed in a personal letter that she had turned to prostitution in order to support herself. She also worked as an artist’s model for painters.
But then, a friend suggested working as a dancer — a career that would change her life. By 1905, she was not only finding success in her new profession but also crafting a couple of new personas for herself.
Claiming variously to be a Hindu artist, the daughter of an Indian temple dancer, or a European who was born in Java, she took the stage name “Mata Hari,” which means “eye of the day” in Malay. She drew crowds for her provocative “sacred dance” — which was basically just a striptease.
After her debut at the Musée Guimet in Paris, the name Mata Hari would be known all over Europe. She was an undeniable sensation. On top of her seductive performance, she also had the rare advantage of “educating” her audience on a different culture and way of life. That way, both she and her audience had a respectable reason for being at the show.
Men around the world would covet her, but Mata Hari mostly had eyes for military officers — a preference that would later get her in serious trouble after Europe plunged into World War I.
Mata Hari’s Connection to World War I
Given the Netherlands’ neutral stance in World War I, Mata Hari had no trouble crossing national borders. So she did that often — which is why she appeared on a watch list for both French and British intelligence.
What happened next depends on who’s telling the story. It remains unclear whether Mata Hari was actually a lethal spy for the Germans or for the French, or which country she agreed to help first and for what reason.
One version of the story is that around 1914, Hari had personal property (including furs) confiscated in Germany. As the story goes, she went back to the Netherlands shortly thereafter. And in 1915 or 1916, the Germans approached her about going back to France to work as a spy — offering her 50,000 francs to do so. They apparently thought that she would be valuable to them due to her many romantic connections with soldiers.
While she allegedly accepted the money, she later claimed that she did so only to get back what the Germans had taken from her — and wasn’t seriously intending on spying. However, she did make two trips to France in 1915 and 1916 — during which she fell in love with a Russian officer.
And in 1916, she reportedly accepted an offer from the French counter-intelligence chief to spy for his country for a million francs. She would later claim that this was only so that she could retire from her former life and settle down with the man she truly loved. But this decision would ultimately spell her doom — as she was soon caught working as a double agent.
However, another version claims that she accepted a lucrative offer from the French to spy first (again, because of her romantic links to soldiers). In this story, she gets falsely labeled as a German spy — after an unsuccessful attempt to extract information from a German attaché.
That said, it is possible that she simply accepted money from either or both sides just for the sake of supporting herself and her lover. But even if she never took a single spying assignment, this suspicious connection with different intelligence programs would lead to her downfall.
The Arrest and Trial for Espionage
In 1916, when a ship Mata Hari was aboard entered the English port of Falmouth, police arrested her, believing she was a different spy. Though she was ultimately released, things quickly began to go downhill from there.
In January 1917, an officer at the German Embassy in Madrid sent a coded message to Berlin outlining the activities of a German spy named H-21. The French intercepted this message and identified H-21 as Mata Hari.
However, many believe that German intelligence knew this code had already been cracked. In other words, they were setting Hari up for the fall. And at some point in February, she was arrested in a Paris hotel room and promptly thrown in a rat-infested jail cell.
Mata Hari’s trial, which would be held at a military tribunal, was set for July. The charges included spying for the Germans and thus causing the deaths of some 50,000 soldiers.
On the stand, Mata Hari admitted to accepting money from a German to spy on France — but claimed she didn’t do the deeds he asked of her. She said she only offered trivial, meaningless information to demonstrate her ultimate loyalty to her adopted country of France.
She added that she considered the money payment for her formerly confiscated property. But the French didn’t believe that she was innocent. The military tribunal deliberated for only 45 minutes before declaring her guilty — which led to her being sentenced to death.
Mata Hari could only plead her innocence to the Dutch Ambassador in Paris: “My international connections are due of my work as a dancer, nothing else. Because I really did not spy, it is terrible that I cannot defend myself.”
Mata Hari’s Execution and Legacy
A trailer for the 1931 film Mata Hari, starring Greta Garbo as the titular character.
Regardless of whether Mata Hari was guilty or innocent, her fate was sealed. She would be executed by a firing squad on October 15, 1917.
The details of her death, like her life, are mired in mystery and myth. Some say she blew a kiss to the firing squad before they began shooting. Others say she refused a blindfold and bravely looked her executioners in the eyes.
Perhaps the most believable is this eyewitness testimony: “She displayed unprecedented courage, with a small smile on her lips, just like in the days of her great triumphs on stage.” Nobody arrived to claim her body.
For nearly 100 years after her death, Mata Hari was portrayed as the ultimate “Femme Fatale” who preyed on unsuspecting soldiers. She also became a small fixture in pop culture — especially after she was portrayed by Greta Garbo in the 1931 film Mata Hari.
But outside of the notorious spy legend, the recently released documents on Hari attempt to paint a more complete picture of her life. And it’s a sad picture indeed. Not only was Hari abused and abandoned by many people, she very well may have been used as a scapegoat or pawn during her trial — perhaps because of her controversial profession and reputation.
On top of that, France or Germany (or both) may have also been angry at her for failing to produce useful information. In addition, it’s possible that France wanted someone to blame for issues they were facing during the war.
But unfortunately, the full truth behind the legend probably died with Hari.
To this day, historians still argue over whether Mata Hari was indeed a double agent or even a spy at all. With every recounting of her story more complicated than the last, it seems that she may have been — if anything — a victim of sexual politics. After all, she was not a chaste, self-sacrificing woman — so it’s little wonder why she wasn’t trusted.
There are 5 subspecies of the markhor that have been recognized, with the main differences being their location and shapes of their horns, which can differ in size and shape of the corkscrew.
The subspecies are the Astor markhor (or ‘flare-horned markhor’), Bukharan markhor, Kabul markhor, Kashmir markhor and Suleiman markhor.
Markhor are adapted to mountainous terrain and are generally found at high elevations between 2,000-12,000 feet, where females they live in herds of up to ten animals. They are excellent climbers and jumpers.
They are herbivorous, and graze in the summer and eat leaves and shoots from trees in the winter.
They have a red–brown coat in the summer, which turns to a long, grey and silky coat in the winter. Males can be distinguished by their long and heavy fringe on their throat and chest. They stand at a height of approximately 95-102cms up to 160cms.
The markhor is listed by the IUCN as near threatened, but some subspecies vary between endangered and critically endangered. The reason for their decline is due to them being overhunted for their meat and their prized horns.
There’s a high price tag to hunt Markhor
The wildlife department in Pakistan issues permits to selected bidders for trophy hunting of markhor and other species each year. The award of an annual markhor trophy hunting permit fetched a whopping $597,200 from different bidders in the winter of 2021.
The highest bidder was an offer for $160,250 for a single markhor to be hunted in a game reserve called Toshi-I in the Chitral district. This is the highest rate ever offered in history for this type of markhor trophy hunting.
80% of the proceeds from this program will be distributed to local communities. Excessive hunting has caused the population to decrease.
They are the largest of the goat family
Markhor are large goats and can reach up to 1.6m in length and weigh as much as 110kg.
Markhor corkscrew horns can grow over 60 inches
Males have much longer horns, while female horns typically only grow to 10 inches.
Markhor fight for the right to breed
While Markhor will use them in defense against predators, they will also use them against other males when fighting for a mate.
They will fight each other by lunging, locking horns and pushing each other off balance on the rocky mountain. Mating season occurs during winter and the gestational period is between 135-170 days.
Markhor do not like the cold
Markhor do not like to be in deep snow or in cold temperatures. They prefer to be in dry terrain and they have the tendency to stay close to the mountains below the altitudes of 2,200m in winter.
Markhor smell really bad!
The are known to be one of the smelliest goat species. It’s thought that their smell might help them repel predators, and mark their territory.
The Government are trying to protect the species
In Pakistan, hunting markhor is limited and only legal with expensive hunting licenses. In India, it is illegal to hunt markhor. Governments are working hard to protect the species from poaching.
In the South of the Khyber Pass in Pakistan in the tribal areas, there are no wildlife laws, so the straight horned markhor is most at risk. They require protection as there are possibly fewer than 2,000 individuals due to the scattered populations.
This total is comprised of flare-horned markhor in eastern Afghanistan and in the Chitral, Dir and western region of Pakistan at around 1,500. Many more exist further east along the upper Indus.
Markhor horns are likened to snakes
The word Markhor is derived from two Persian words, ‘Mar’ which means ‘snake’ and ‘khor’ which means eater.
In Folklore it is believed that it is able to kill snakes by using its horns and then it can eat them, although there is no evidence that this is true.
It is more likely that the Markhor has the ability to kill snakes with its strong hooves and that their horns actually resemble snakes due to their features.
The male markhor is a solitary animal
The male markhor tends to be seen alone on the open grass and clear slopes, whilst in comparison the females tend to be in herds and want to climb up to the high ridges which are rocky. This makes them difficult to catch as they stand up on these areas.
The markhor has some unusual predators
Alongside lynx, leopards, wolves and bears – feral dogs are suspected to be threat to the markhor as they have increased in the communities.
There has been calls for more control of the feral dog population and more education around the clean environment and disposal of waste correctly for biodiversity conservation.
Incredibly golden eagles have also been reported to prey upon young markhor.
Markhor were considered one of the most challenging game species
This is due to the danger involved in hunting them in then rocky mountainous terrain at high altitudes. Markhor are also extremely aware of their surroundings, with excellent hearing and eyesight and will quickly run and let out an alarm call from any potential threat.
It’s estimated there are under 6,000 Markhor left in the wild
Markhor are classified as a near threatened species due to its small population size, which was estimated below 6,000 in 2013. While there are concerns over poaching and habitat destruction, ongoing conservation efforts seem to be helping maintain population levels.
In honor of Halloween later this month, today’s recipe is from Reader’s Digest and it’s for FAKE BLOOD & GUTS, lol. I am only presenting the fake blood part of the article because the rest is too out there even for me. But there are many, MANY videos on how to make your own intestines if you really want to know how.
From the article:
Many years ago, I worked as a celebrity makeup artist. And for a while there, I trained in special effects makeup—you know, the gooey, gross, and oozing stuff that makes you gasp or peek through your hands as you’re watching a scary movie. If you’re opting for an easy Halloween costume this year and trying to figure out how to make fake blood to accent your creation, we’ve got you covered. Literally.
Making fake blood is both creative and easy, depending on your needs. The king of modern splatter makeup, Greg Nicotero, who’s best known for his work on The Walking Dead, once told CBS News that creating fake blood was “kind of—oddly—a weird art form.” He’s not wrong. And Nicotero’s creative zombie art has inspired countless Halloween costume ideas and Halloween makeup ideas.
So why should you whip up your own fake blood? Well, what is Halloween without a little gore? Plus, it’s easy, inexpensive, and really fun to make. And let’s not forget about bragging rights. You can reference it in your Halloween Instagram captions, or share a TikTok of yourself scrolling through Halloween face paint ideas and scary Halloween costumes and then pan out to an image of you stirring up a batch of fake blood.
These fake blood recipes are total no-brainers, but keep in mind that a lot of these ingredients will stain your skin and property. And remember: Don’t sacrifice safety for fun. Fake blood that comes in contact with your skin or mouth needs to be edible.
So, what should you expect from this creepy crafts experiment? The DIY fake blood should be slightly runny, like the fake blood in movies. Think Dexter and his blood spatter, and you’ll have an idea of what the texture should look like. Ready to create your own (make-believe) blood? Here’s how:
Ingredients:
3/4 cup corn syrup (if you’re trying for the look of old blood, consider using a few drops of maple syrup as well)
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
5 drops blue food coloring
2 drops green food coloring
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Step 1: Combine the water and corn syrup. You’re trying for runny, but not so runny that it drips off your face or body and just leaves stains.
Step 2: Slowly add the food coloring until you reach your ideal color.
Step 3: Slowly mix in the cornstarch. You can add a drop of water to the cornstarch first to keep it from clumping.
Step 4: Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before use.
Note: This is going to stain your skin and clothing.
The food coloring proportions are optional; only you know the exact color you’re trying to create. That said, using green and blue makes the color more realistic. Bear in mind that red and blue create purple, and green will give your fake blood the sickening look you’re trying for.
How to make fake blood for clothes
If you’re hoping to make your clothes look bloody, you’ll need to create blood that is thicker and darker. The fake blood recipe below is nontoxic and made with edible ingredients. Ideally, you’ll make a bigger batch of this fake blood so you can thoroughly soak your costume.
This fake blood recipe uses a ratio of corn syrup to water, versus exact measurements, so you can make as little or as much as you like. If you and your friends are batting around group Halloween costume ideas, consider making a single batch of blood for everyone to use.
Ingredients:
Corn syrup
Water
Red food coloring
Cocoa powder
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine three parts corn syrup with one part water. Mix thoroughly.
Step 2: Add a couple drops of red food coloring into the mixture while stirring continuously. Keep adding more drops of food coloring until the blood is your desired color. Stir for at least five minutes to distribute the food coloring evenly.
Step 3: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder to the mixture and stir. This thickens the blood. Keep adding cocoa powder, a tablespoon at a time, until the blood reaches your desired consistency. The blood will be thick but not lumpy, so it can sit on your clothing and absorb without running.
You can also try using old red paint and water, blending in blue and green paint until you have the right color and texture of dried blood.
Potoos are neotropical birds of the family Nyctibiidae. There are 7 species of potoos and all of them are famous for their incredible camouflage skills.
They are often seen in memes due to their slightly goofy-come-creepy looks, with enormous googly yellow eyes, as well as their amusing name (often mistakenly spelled ‘pooto‘).
Potoos are insectivorous, nocturnal and related to nightjars and frogmouths. They can be found in every central and south American country, on Caribbean islands and have the greatest diversity in the Amazon, which holds five of the seven species.
During the day, they perch almost completely still with their eyes closed on the ends of dead branches or tree stumps. This behavior combined with their tree-like plumage makes them so well camouflaged that it is almost impossible to spot them.
At night, they are excellently evolved for hunting flying insects. Their large eyes combined with huge mouths allow them to swoop down from their perches and grab beetles, moths, termites and more.
Interesting Potoo Facts
Potoo camouflage perfectly with dead branches.
While some animals focus on defense techniques, these birds instead have become talented at hiding. They perch at the top of a dead branch usually, where they position themselves at a sharp angle and stay completely still, with their eyes closed.
The Great potoo below even points its beak upwards, making itself look even more like a branch.
Potoos will stay in this position all day, barely moving, and almost invisible.
They can see you even with their eyes closed.
They have “magic eyes”, which are small folds along the upper eyelids that allow them to sense movement with their eyes closed. This means that from their camouflaged positions during the day, they can still watch for predators.
Potoo have huge mouths.
In the same way that humpback whales have huge mouths to catch as many krill as possible, these birds’ huge mouths allow them to scoop up lots of flying insects.
They have equally huge eyes.
As night-time hunters, their huge eyes mean they have excellent night vision allowing them to spot insects from their perch. They also add to the dorky look that has made them so popular in memes.
Potoo lay a single egg in the top of broken branches.
They lay a single egg in the same place they perch for camouflage during the day, usually in the hollowed-out top of a broken branch. They add no materials to the nest, making it harder to spot. They are also meticulously clean, removing all of the chick’s poop from the nest making it hard for predators to find them by smell.
They start young.
From a young age, nesting potoos imitate their parents, standing in camouflaged positions next to their parents, as can be seen in the adorable photo below.
Potoo have strange and wonderful calls.
Across Nyctibiidae there is a wide range of weird and wonderful of calls, all of which are likely to disturb new night-time wanderers of the neotropics. The Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus) has earned itself the local name of “Ayaymama”, after it’s long and mournful call “ayyyyyy ayyyyy maaaaa maaaa”. While the Great Potoo has terrifying moaning howl.
Their eerie night-time calls make them a subject of many myths.
The Common Potoos eerie call of “aaaaaay aaaaay maaaaa maaaaa” has led to the Amazonian version of Hansel and Gretel. Two children, abandoned in the forest by parents too poor to feed them, eventually turn into birds. They are eternally calling out “mama” to the mother that left them. While in Ecuador there is an equally sad story of two lovers separated, one becomes the moon and the other a potoo. The potoo is eternally calling out to the lover it can never reach, the moon.
The adorable Rufous Potoo is the smallest of the potoos.
The Rufous Potoo (Nyctibius bracteatus) is the smallest potoo, weighing in at around 50g. Its tactic is to pretend to be dead leaves. It even rocks back and forth slightly so that it resembles a leaf moving in the wind.
They’ve started perching on human-made things.
An extensive study showed that potoos have taken to hiding on human things, like plastic bottles. This is an interesting side effect of humans continuing spread into wild habitats.
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Sew Colorful 