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Issue 830
SNIPPETZ DOESN'T WANT YOU TO GET LEFT OUT IN THE COLD THIS WINTER by Lindsey Harrison 
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”
– Paul Theroux, American novelist Colorado is notorious for its random weather patterns. One day, it could be a muggy 81 degrees in the morning, with a hailstorm striking at noon and a blizzard by the early evening. “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes,” right? Just because the weather is unpredictable at times doesn’t mean there’s no way for Coloradans to prepare for the impending cold weather. Certainly, cold weather in our state warrants some serious consideration. With snow sometimes measured in feet rather than inches and temperatures that barely reach the double digits, it makes sense that cold weather prepping should be a priority. But it can seem a bit daunting trying to figure out everything you should do and have ready prior to that first nasty storm. That’s where Snippetz has got your back. We’ve compiled a great run-down of things to do to prepare for the cold months ahead so read on and get ready to get ready! IT STARTS AT HOME There’s no point gathering all the essentials you need to spend the winter comfortably holed up in your house if your house isn’t ready for the cold! It may seem like an intimidating task to prepare your entire house, but a few simple, low-cost things can make all the difference once the wintry weather sets in.
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS Now that you’ve done your due diligence to get your house winter-ready, it’s time to consider what you can do outside your home to ensure your family’s safety during the long, cold months in Colorado. For starters, if you are concerned about being able to get out of the house due to a blizzard, stock up on the essentials like non-perishable food, extra fuel for a generator if you have one, matches, candles and batteries. Consider stocking up on pet-safe deicer so you can clear a path between your home and the streets, which will hopefully get their own deicing treatment from the city or county. If you are concerned about having enough water during a forecasted blizzard, fill up each bath tub in your house (after you’ve cleaned them, of course) so you’ll have a good supply to get you through whatever days lay ahead. And don’t forget about those pets! Stock up on pet food, too. If you have a cat, kitty litter can be the difference between a happy family and one practically dying from the smell of cat pee! Trim branches from the trees near your home so ice build-up doesn’t break them off and cause them to topple onto your roof or through a window. You may not be able to avoid every unpleasant situation this winter, but taking a few steps in the months leading up to the cold season could be all it takes to keep your family happy and warm! Issue 831
DON'T QUOTE US ON THIS, BUT SNIPPETZ HAS DISCOVERED SOME MEMORABLE MOVIES LINES by Lindsey Harrison 
“Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary.” – Jean Picker Firstenberg, President Emerita, American Film Institute
Most people would probably agree that actors and actresses hold a certain status in American society that frequently outweighs the positive impact they have on the people of this country. That’s not to say that actors and actresses don’t deserve their fame and fortune, but there’s something to be said for the fact that our teachers are so poorly compensated and people who are good at pretending (i.e. actors and actresses) make millions per year. Anyway, we’ll hop down off our soapbox now and move on. Actors, actresses and the film industry in general has a profound influence over Americans in general. So, it’s no surprise to find out that yes, movie quotes have become a part of our cultural vocabulary. Undoubtedly, there are certain movie lines that have more “staying power” than others and we at Snippetz wanted to rewind for a minute and look at some of the most memorable movie lines of all time. We’re going to make you an offer you can’t refuse and round up the usual suspects (get it?). THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) Naturally, there are some movie lines that are more popular with adults while others are favored by younger generations. Every so often, there comes along a movie that appeals to both children and adults alike. When that happens, you can be almost certain that a line or two will become integrated into our everyday speech. The Wizard of Oz is one such movie and its popularity is so wide-spread that we actually found three pretty clear instances of quotes from the movie that have real staying power. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” – Dorothy has just found herself in Munchkin Land and, being from Kansas, very astutely notes that she is clearly no longer in there. Regardless of where people are actually from, this particular quote has become the equivalent of saying that you have found yourself in a strange, unfamiliar place. “There’s no place like home.” – At the end of her journey, Dorothy clicks her heels together and repeats this line. Supposedly, the ruby red slippers on her feet will take her to wherever her heart desires and being the good Kansas girl that she is, Dorothy only wants to go home! Can we blame her? If you’ve ever taken a road trip with small children, you know how absolutely, positively true this quote is! “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” – The sound of the Wicked Witch of the West’s voice threatening poor Dorothy and Toto probably still echoes in many viewers’ minds years after they first saw this film. No wonder, considering how screechy and ominous the statement is. THE TERMINATOR MOVIES (1984 and 1991) Although The Terminator is less likely to be a movie enjoyed by kids and adults alike, if you had cool parents (or you happen to be one) maybe you got to see this movie as a kid. Regardless, the important part is that we have two more movie quotes with staying power from this super sci-fi flick series. “I’ll be back.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an android assassin sent back in time to kill the mother of the future leader of a rebel group that rises up to resist the machines that seek to take over the world. The android, known as the Terminator, attempts to gain entry into a police station and is denied so he tells the police officer behind the counter that he will be back. And when he returns, it’s with a car which he drives through the front door of the station. This phrase is said in some iteration in each of the next four Terminator movies. “Hasta la vista, baby.” – In The Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Jon Conner teaches the Terminator this wonderful phrase in an attempt to help him seem less machine-like. It doesn’t really work but the saying certainly has made its way into our culture. Pretty sure there are second grade students running around saying this right now . . . SCARFACE (1983) Now this movie is even less likely to be one that kids around the world watch when they first get home from school, during spring break or when they’re home sick and have nothing better to do. But once again, Scarface produced a line that those kids have probably said to their friends without truly knowing what it meant or where it came from. Such is life! “Say ‘hello’ to my little friend!” – Al Pacino’s character Tony Montana is cornered in a room of his massive mansion with his rival Alejandro Sosa’s men positioned just outside the door, waiting to kill him. Montana reaches his breaking point and yells this famous quote at the men before unleashing a spray of bullets and mowing down most of them. Montana is also shot several times and dies as well. But man, he sure went out with a “bang.” Get it? THE SHINING (1980) As with many of the above quotes, the one we’ve pulled out from Stephen King’s The Shining is recognizable by a wide range of age groups, but will also likely earn you an eyeroll should you decide to use it on your friends or family. Oh well. It’s an epic scene from an epic film and it’s most certainly worth including! “Here’s Johnny!” – Imagine sitting on the opposite side of a door from your psychotic husband who happens to be chopping the door down with an ax. That’s exactly how the scene that includes this famous quote plays out. When the psychotic husband – a.k.a. Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson – finally chops a large enough hole to push his face through (partially, at least) he spouts this quote and sends chills up the spines of viewers everywhere. Genius. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) Starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, Gone with the Wind was a fairly innovative, groundbreaking film for its time. Not only did the quote we chose set a precedent for the use of certain words during filming, but actress Hattie McDaniel (who played Mammy in the film) was the first African-American to win an Oscar for her performance. With those kinds of accolades, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that we included this film or the following quote: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” – Yes, we know. This quote has a curse word in it. But when Rhett Butler said these last words to his former paramour Scarlett O’Hara, it was even more shocking to viewers than the use of it in this wonderful magazine. A rumor was circulated that producer David O. Selznick was fined $5,000 for using the word but instead of punishing Selznick, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America’s board of directors passed an amendment in the Motion Picture Production Code to allow it. The amendment, which was passed just a month and a half prior to the film’s November 1, 1939 release stated that the use of words like “damn” was allowable when its use was “essential and required for portrayal, in proper historical context, of any scene or dialogue based upon historical fact or folklore . . . or a quotation from a literary work, provided that no such use shall be permitted which is intrinsically objectionable or offends good taste.” Basically, they said, “No worries!” to the producers and with that, a legendary line was born! Issue 832
SNIPPETZ MARVELS THAT SOAP OPERAS AREN'T ABOUT SOAP AT ALL! by Lindsey Harrison 
“I think the joy of any soap opera is it is always there. You are allowed into this world for a little while and it’s safe in that you are watching other people go through some trouble rather than yourself. It’s there every night, and there is something special about that sort of terrestrial experience for a mass audience.”
– Amanda Donohue, English actress When you think of soap operas, there are probably a few different things that come to mind: overacting, crazy plot twists, more drama than you can shake a stick at, and entertainment. That’s right. Regardless of your personal opinion on soap operas, they’ve been around so long for a good reason: they are entertaining. Someone’s always dying or coming back to life, or they’ve met their long-lost twin who happens to be the wife of their cousin. OK, maybe it’s not quite that convoluted, but you get the idea. If you haven’t ever jumped on the soap opera band wagon, you probably don’t know much about the history of this type of programming and that’s just fine. Snippetz has got your back, because honestly, we didn’t know too much about them, either. And whenever that happens, it seems like a pretty clear indication that we need to do some digging. So, take a seat, get some popcorn and get ready to travel back in time to the very beginning of soap opera history! IRNA PHILLIPS AND HER PAINTED DREAMS OK, that reference doesn’t make a lick of sense just yet, but bear with us. Imagine you’re a bored housewife back in the 1920s. Television wasn’t available. You couldn’t just bust out your laptop and start surfing the web for a great online deal from Amazon. So, let’s say your children are all old enough to go to school. You’ve packed them off for the day . . . what do you do with your time? Clean, sure. Cook, certainly. But eventually you’re going to need some sort of diversion to keep from losing your mind. Lucky you, you’ve got a fancy new radio-thingy that your husband bought and set up for you last night. In fact, the two of you sat together last night and listened to a broadcast, which was super fun. What if, and this might be too far-fetched, but what if you listened to something on your own? That might be how a day in the life of 1920s housewife went when her family got their first radio and she realized she might not have to live in silence. Full of optimism and excitement. But the truth is that there was hardly any programming sent out during the day because broadcasters weren’t thinking of housewives. They broadcast the majority of their regular programming in the evening when the men were home from work. So, poor little you, you’re stuck with silence while you cook and clean. Enter Irna Phillips. Earning a living as a radio actress in Chicago, this innovative individual had the idea of doing a daytime program called Painted Dreams. Of course, the storyline Phillips created would be geared toward the female audience members and she went out on a limb with the station managers at Chicago’s WGN to see what they thought of her plan. Unsure how a story about the widowed matriarch of a large Irish-American family would be received, the station managers gave Phillips a 15-minute slot to air her series, which first ran in October 1930. Phillips was spot-on with her prediction that Painted Dreams would be a success and found herself as not only the writer of the program but an actor as well. Unfortunately, her own drama got in the way of things between herself and the radio station so she moved over to WMAQ and developed a new (but similar) show called Today’s Children. But Phillips didn’t stop there; she took her idea to the big leagues and scored herself a spot with several national networks, all while adding yet another program to her repertoire: The Guiding Light. The popularity of this new genre was so great that the national networks tripled their revenue from their daytime programming in the 1930s. Phillips can essentially call herself the Queen of Soap Operas, simply because she created many of the typical conventions we see in soap operas today. It was her idea to jump between story lines, showing a brief bit about each during every episode. She used intense, dramatic music to stress important situations. Phillips also employed the use of cliff-hangers to ensure her audience would return the next day. And what would modern soap operas be without the temptress who uses her feminine wiles to deceive men and get whatever she wants, whenever she wants! VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR About a decade after the first soap opera aired on the radio, Phillips managed to secure places on television for five of her original programs. Although she no longer acted in her programs, Phillips still wrote the scripts for each of them. In her own estimation, she was developing about 2 million words of script each year. That’s impressive all on its own but coupled with the fact that Phillips would act out each scene – literally, every part in each scene as if she were each of the characters – while her assistants wrote up what she said and did, it’s downright super-human. As is the case with technological advancements, the popularity of soap operas on television eventually faded out the radio programs. But nonetheless, during soap opera’s heyday, eight of the 11 nationally broadcast TV soap operas could be traced back to Phillips, either directly or indirectly. BIG NAMES WITH HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Say what you will about soap operas, but many famous actors and actresses have gotten their start on this daytime TV genre. Here are a few:
SOAP OPERA SNIPPETZ
Issue 833
SNIPPETZ HAS THE BUZZ ABOUT BEES by Lindsey Harrison 
“Human beings have fabricated the illusion that in the 21st century they have the technological prowess to be independent of nature. Bees underline the reality that we are more, not less, dependent on nature’s services in a world of close to 7 billion people.”
– Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme The summer is behind us now and the leaves are falling, indicating the changing of the seasons. Many of us welcome such changes, especially if we’re accustomed to having four distinct seasons each year. But there are other reasons to enjoy the colder weather, not the least of which is the noticeable lack of flying insects like mosquitoes, flies, gnats and wasps, to name a few. There’s one particular insect that we may see less and less of, and not simply because of the colder weather. Of course, we’re talking about bees. Now, you may be asking yourself why we would single out bees from the laundry list of insects we experience in the warmer months here in Colorado and the answer is simple: we need them. If you’ve ever read our wonderful magazine before, you know that we at Snippetz can’t just say that we need bees and then not dive into any and all information we could find about bees. It’s just not how we do things. So, if you’ve ever wanted to know more about bees (and even if you haven’t) keep reading because there’s a certain buzz about these insects that we think you need to hear! BEE BASICS Most of us know what a bee is. We know that it’s black and yellow striped, has a stinger, makes a buzzing sound and makes honey. But most of us likely don’t know that there are almost 20,000 species of bees, and those are just the ones we’ve identified thus far. And actually, not all bees have stingers. So there. Anyway, depending on the species, bees can range from about .08 inches in length all the way up to 1.54 inches. The most common species of bee found in the Northern Hemisphere is the sweat bee, which are small and frequently mistaken for wasps. Bees are found on every continent except Antarctica. With so many species of bees out there, it stands to reason that there must be quite a few species of other insects, like wasps . . . and in that case, how is anyone ever supposed to keep them all straight? There are a few characteristics that bees share which can be used to differentiate between these insects and other similar ones. For instance, bees have fuzzy-looking hairs called setae all over their bodies. They also have combs on their front legs to help clean their antennae, which can get kind of messy from dancing around in pollen all day. Additionally, the hind legs of a bee may have pollen baskets in which they place collected pollen. Perhaps you aren’t planning to get that close to a bee-like insect to determine if it is, indeed, a bee. That’s understandable. There are other ways to distinguish a bee from another insect but most are so subtle that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do so, especially while screaming and flapping your hands as you try to get away. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but if you’re planning to identify bees by sight alone, you have your work cut out for you! MISTAKEN IDENTITY?? While there are some people who are allergic to the sting of certain insects like bees or wasps, the majority of us don’t have to fear death any time we see one of these little buggers cruising around our yards. However, there is a certain type of bee that just about everyone should dread encountering: the African honeybee. More commonly known as killer bees, African honeybees are like regular honeybees (known as European honeybees) on steroids. That may sound dramatic but it’s completely accurate! For instance, in a typical defensive situation, a European honeybee swarm will send out about 10-20 bees to monitor and guard against a threat up to about 20 feet away. African honeybees send out a couple hundred bees to guard against a threat up to about 40 yards away. That may sound crazy, but you ain’t heard nothin’ yet! European honeybees will remain on high alert for about 1-2 hours after they’ve been agitated, while African honeybees, on the other hand, can stay in that agitated state for up to several days. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the amount of stings that result from a disturbance is markedly different as well; a disturbed European honeybee colony will usually result in about 10-20 stings. A disturbed African honeybee colony, however, can result in 6-10 times more stings than that! In case you haven’t quite figured it out yet, African honeybees are bad news. But there are some ways you can protect yourself from these highly-aggressive insects. If you encounter what you fear might be a colony of African honeybees, don’t stand still and wait for them to calm down because they won’t. High-tail it inside and into a darkened room, if possible, and cover yourself with something. Most bees of any type won’t follow you inside and if they do, they will likely be drawn towards the light of a nearby window or door rather than the darkened area you escaped into. Do not jump into water if you can’t make it inside. African honeybees are smart enough to know that you can’t stay underwater forever and they’ll be waiting for you! Instead, head into tall grass or weeds, or even into a nearby bush or vehicle. Of course, don’t swat at the bees. Just run. And while you’re running, cover your eyes, nose and mouth as best you can because that’s where they will likely attempt an attack. If you do happen to get stung, just the blunt edge of a knife or something similar to scrape the stinger from your skin. Attempting to pull it out can result in pushing the toxin into your system faster. Lastly, get to a doctor ASAP! BEE GOOD Not all bees are bad news, though. In fact, recent studies have shown various benefits to bees, aside from pollinating roughly 80 percent of our country’s crops. For example, the melittin in bee venom may help prevent HIV. Melittin pokes holes in the virus’s protective sac while leaving normal cells unharmed. Bee venom may also help ease rheumatoid arthritis pain because it increases the levels of glucocorticoid in your body, which is an anti-inflammatory hormone. The resin from poplar and evergreen trees that bees use to fortify their hives, called propolis, may help relieve cold sores, canker sores, cavities and eczema. Bee behavior has been used to help catch serial killers; both bees and serial killers tend to work close to home but far enough away so as not to arouse suspicion from their neighbors. Bees stick to collecting pollen close to home but not so close that a predator can find their hive. Serial killers often use a similar “buffer zone” to determine where they will perform their evil deeds. Bees’ brains may also hold the key to slowing the onset of dementia. When aging bees end up doing the jobs of younger bees, their brains literally stop aging and actually start working like a younger bee’s brain does. Un-bee-lievable! (Sorry, we had to). BEES SNIPPETZ
Issue 834
HI-YO SNIPPETZ AWAY! REMEMBERING TELEVISION WESTERNS FROM YESTER-YEAR by Lindsey Harrison 
“People love westerns worldwide. There’s something fantasy-like about an individual fighting the elements. Or even bad guys and the elements. It’s a simpler time.”
– Clint Eastwood, American actor and director In the current day and age, the idea of a simpler time certainly holds its appeal. Who isn’t drawn to the idea of no technology clogging up our brains? Seriously, every time we turn around, it seems that another hacker group has gained access to the sensitive information of people around the world. But back in the days in which westerns are supposed to have taken place, that type of threat didn’t exist. Sure, it’s nice to be able to shop online for groceries or Facetime your friends and family when something good has happened. Technology certainly has its perks. There’s no denying, however, that we all have a certain longing for simpler times. For many of us, television shows provide the type of escape we all need to get through the long work week. Westerns, in particular, have just the right combination of historical accuracy and fantasy to provide a unique viewing experience. So, hop-a-long little doggies and join Snippetz as we travel back to the old west and rediscover some awesome television westerns from yester-year, in no particular order, of course! RAWHIDE (1959) Starring Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood, the TV series “Rawhide” aired weekly for eight seasons from Jan. 9, 1959 to Jan. 4, 1966. All of the 217 episodes aired in black-and-white, and portrayed the daily ups and downs of driving cattle in the mid-1800s. Fleming played trail boss Gil Favor, whose monologue typically introduced the show each evening it aired. Eastwood played the young, impulsive (and aptly named) Rowdy Yates, giving the trail boss a run for his money. When you consider that a common theme throughout the show’s lifetime was simply to find water for the cattle, it’s easy to see how the complicated lives we lead today could prompt many of us to escape into that “easier” time. Of course, the idea that driving a herd of cattle and trying to find water to keep them alive is easy is simply our misguided perception of life in those times. However, “Rawhide” touched on other themes as well, from wolves to murderers to ghost riders, and even delved into the touchy subjects of addiction and racism. Rawhide Snippetz
GUNSMOKE (1955) While “Gunsmoke” started out as a radio series, it quickly became a television series that ran for 20 seasons, from Sept. 10, 1955 to March 31, 1975, and amassed 635 episodes to its name. Set in about the same time as “Rawhide,” this series took place in Dodge City, Kansas, and focused much more on the realistic, brutal life of the Old West. While some may have seen it as too “deep” for the genre, it was purposefully produced to be an “adult” western that hit on tough, raw topics. In fact, the star of the series, Matt Dillon (played by James Arness), was written as sort of the antithesis of the typical Western hero. Some might have seen the move as risky, but 20 seasons says otherwise. Whenever a series morphs from one form of media to another, there will always be some backlash. For instance, many listeners to the radio show felt the television version was just a poor knock-off. However, “Gunsmoke” had quality writing from John Meston and Norman Macdonnell (both of whom wrote for the radio series before it was adapted to television) and it drew a new crowd of fans that loved its edgy and grown-up feel. Gunsmoke Snippetz
THE LONE RANGER (1949) Starring Clayton Moore, “The Lone Ranger” television series aired from 1949 to 1957, although from 1952 to 1954, John Hart took over the starring role due to a contract dispute. The storyline was another spin-off of a radio series from the early 1930s. The Lone Ranger’s trusty sidekick Tonto was played by Jay Silverheels, a member of the Mohawk Aboriginal people in Canada. The series was based on the idea that a patrol of six Texas Rangers are killed, leaving only one member alive, thus the “lone” ranger title. The surviving ranger disguises himself with a black mask and he and his sidekick, Tonto travel around bringing justice and a sense of order to the otherwise disorderly Wild West. If it’s escapism you’re looking for, “The Lone Ranger” certainly fits that bill. For instance, The Lone Ranger is independently wealthy, having access to a silver mine that he uses to smelt his own silver bullets. Additionally, nearly every episode ends with someone asking who the masked man is, with the response being, “The Lone Ranger.” And at that precise moment, The Lone Ranger is heard shouting, “Hi-Yo Silver, away!” as he and Tonto dash away on their horses. In case you didn’t know, Silver was also the name of his horse. Although it may sound corny now, The Lone Ranger represented the highest-rated television program on the ABC network in the early 1950s and is often heralded as the network’s first “hit.” It was also our publisher's favorite television show when he was just a lad. The Lone Ranger Snippetz
Issue 835
DON'T BE SCARED, THEY'RE JUST ACTORS FROM SOME MEMORABLE HORROR FILMS by Lindsey Harrison 
“My parents were dismayed by my love of horror movies as a young girl, then even more dismayed when I kept rooting for Dracula to win instead of Van Helsing.”
– Jeaniene Frost, American author Halloween is just a day away and for many of us, that means our thoughts have turned to all things spooky and scary. Maybe that means helping our kids or grandkids get into their costumes and wander the neighborhood trick-or-treating. Sometimes that many kids running around can be a super scary thing! Plus, costumes these days are so good, you might think you’ve entered an alternate universe where Stephen King’s imagination has run wild. But trick-or-treating is only one night and not all of us get (or even want) to partake. October has undoubtedly become a month-long celebration of horror of all kinds so it’s probably no surprise that nearly every night, a different horror film can be easily found on any number of television channels. Why not? Stores start putting up Christmas decorations in July so why can’t we all enjoy a month of horror films? OK, OK, horror films are not exactly everyone’s cup of tea. But for those of us who love them, there are certain films that rank higher than others. And naturally, there are certain actors (and actresses but we’re focusing on actors this time around) that made those films as memorable as they are. So, turn off all the lights (well, most of them . . . you still need to be able to read this amazing article) and come with us into horror film history as we conjure up some of the best horror film actors. Bwahahahaha! LON CHANEY As you may have guessed, we’re bringing you these incredible actors in no particular order . . . except we had to have Lon Chaney be first. Why? Well, considering he was born nearly 100 years to the day before a certain Snippetz author, we think it’s pretty important to give him top billing. There’s got to be some correlation with his spookiness and this author’s love of everything dark and demented. Anyway, as we mentioned, Leonidas Frank “Lon” Chaney was born on April 1, 1883, in Colorado Springs of all places. Not to get weird or anything, but guess who else was born in Colorado Springs? Hint: it’s this author as well! His parents were Frank H. and Emma Alice Chaney, and interestingly enough, his maternal grandmother was the original founder of the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (formerly the Colorado School for the Education of Mutes). Both of Chaney’s parents were deaf, which puts the whole CSDB thing his grandmother did into perspective. But it also helps explain why he was so incredibly skilled at acting, especially in pantomiming to increase the entertainment value of each character. Additionally, it helped him earn the nickname “The Man of a Thousand Faces.” Chaney’s career began in 1902 on stage with a traveling Vaudeville act. He honed his skills as a make-up artist to go along with his characters, eventually putting both talents to use when he played Quasimodo, the title character of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and Erik, the title character of “The Phantom of the Opera.” While they may not seem like horror films by today’s standards, there’s no denying the effect Chaney’s acting and makeup artistry had on audiences. American author Ray Bradbury said, “He was someone who acted out our psyches. He somehow got into the shadows inside our bodies; he was able to nail down some of our secret fears and put them onto the screen . . . you fear that you are not loved, you fear that you never will be loved, you fear there is some part of you that’s grotesque, that the world will turn away from.” VINCENT PRICE If you manage to earn yourself the nickname “Master of Menace,” it’s probably no surprise that you’re in the horror film industry. Vincent Price just so happens to have earned that nickname. Born on May 27, 1911, Price began his life in an upper-middle-class family and enjoyed the benefits of private schools, even attending Yale University where he studied history and English. Price traveled to England to study at the University of London and it was there that he made his stage debut in 1935. It wasn’t long before he made the leap to film where his tall, gangly frame made contorting his body into disturbing poses easy. Couple that with his unmistakable voice and you have the perfect combination for any horror film. In 1953, Price played a maniacal artist who makes wax sculptures out of real people in one of the first films ever shot in 3D, “House of Wax.” Other horror films to his credit include: “The Mad Magician” in 1954; “The Fly” in 1958; Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” in 1964; and “Theater of Blood” in 1973, just to name a few. Although it’s not a horror film, one of the most notoriously-monstrous songs, which spawned a music video, is Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” from 1983. Price lent his amazing voice to a monologue at the opening of the video. And let’s not forget his final acting role as the creator of the title character in “Edward Scissorhands” from 1990. BELA LUGOSI Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (a.k.a. Bela Lugosi) was born on October 20, 1882 and is probably best known for his portrayal of Count Dracula. Not only did he play the famous vampire in the 1931 film, but he also started out on Broadway in an adaption of Bram Stoker’s book, “Dracula” in 1927. There’s a certain amount of respect and awe that should be given to anyone who manages to snag a creepy role like Count Dracula on more than one occasion and Lugosi definitely deserves it! Additionally, Lugosi said of the Broadway version, “It is a marvelous play. We keep nurses and physicians in the theatre every night . . . for the people in the audience who faint.” Now that’s worth some bragging rights! As a Hungarian-American, Lugosi had a distinctive accent that often led to his being typecast. But for someone in the horror film industry, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For instance, he scored roles in “Murderers in the Rue Morgue” and “White Zombie” from 1932, “The Black Cat” from 1934, “The Raven” in 1935 and “Son of Frankenstein” in 1939, to name a few. Aside from his acting accolades, Lugosi also earned respect from his comrades during World War I, where he served as an infantryman in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He was awarded the Wound Medal for injuries he suffered while fighting on the Russian front between 1914 and 1916. Pretty neat, if you ask us! Totally random but super fun Snippetz about Lugosi: The 1931 film “Dracula” was originally titled, “The Strangest Passion the World Has Ever Known.” Doesn’t exactly stir the same feelings of fear and trepidation but certainly hits the nail on the head! He once said, “I want sympathetic roles. Then parents will tell their offspring, ‘Eat your spinach and you’ll grow up to be a nice man like Bela Lugosi.’ As it is, they threaten their children with me instead of the bogey-man.” Being compared to the bogey-man leaves little doubt about one’s place in horror film history, that’s for sure. Issue 836
SANTA'S BUDGET IS UNLIMITED, BUT YOUR'S PROBABLY ISN'T: SAVE SOME MONEY THIS CHRISTMAS! by Lindsey Harrison “As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December’s bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same.” – Donald E. Westlake, American writer There’s no denying that the holidays can be very stressful. As Mr. Westlake pointed out, the weather during this time of year doesn’t exactly lend itself to easy ventures from store to store. Add to that the mad rush of people you can expect to experience during those massive sales and you’ve got a recipe for a not-so-happy holiday season. But it doesn’t have to be as bad as all that. In fact, shopping for the holidays can be a pretty fun time if you do it the right way. Seriously, the amount of satisfaction you can feel from finding the perfect gift at a great price is almost as fun as opening presents on Christmas morning. Almost. You might be questioning our sanity right about now but not to worry: Snippetz has got your back! Grab a mug of hot cocoa, sit back in your favorite chair and read all about some tips to save money (and time) this holiday season! SET A BUDGET AND STICK TO IT This might sound like a super obvious piece of advice, but the bottom line is that nearly every article you will ever read about how to save money, whether it’s about Christmas or not, will include the need for a budget. Why? Perhaps that’s because we tend to have the whole gift-buying thing backwards: we think about what we really want and then we consider how much money it’ll take to get it. That’s all fine and dandy when you’re saving up for something special but it’s much more difficult to pull that off during the holidays when you have multiple people to shop for. Instead, create a budgeted amount you plan to spend on each person and then go hunting for a gift that fits your budget. LESS IS MORE Have you ever found yourself searching through bins of random gift items just to try to find something for a friend or relative? We’re not talking about the close relatives like your kids or spouse. We mean the second cousin twice removed who is planning to attend Christmas dinner at your parents’ house. As nice as it is to give a gift to each and every person that you encounter on that special day, it can also add up quickly. Talk with those folks and see if they’re on board with forgoing random, unmeaningful gifts in the interest of saving money and time. You’ll save them (and yourself) money but you’ll also save face if they planned to bring you something, but you hadn’t planned anything for them. CASH IN ON CASH BACK OR REWARDS OK, it’s certainly not the best advice to put all your Christmas shopping on a credit card. But if you happen to have one that gives spectacular cash back bonuses or other rewards, that just might be the right way to go. You’ll rack up the rewards while buying for people you love and then you can turn around and use those rewards to save yourself some cash when making purchases later on. Better yet, set aside the same amount of money you spend on your credit card to pay it off immediately so there’s no nasty interest piling onto the balance month after month. SHOP ONLINE, SAVE TIME We truly cannot emphasize this tip enough. Find ways to save the time it takes to drive to the mall and wander from store to store by browsing those same stores’ websites instead. Frequently, stores will offer savings that outweigh the cost of driving all around town, plus free shipping. Not only do you avoid the mad rush at the stores, the terrible conditions in the parking lots and the grumpy sales people who wish they could be anywhere but where they are, but you can compare prices and pick the best bargain, all while sitting in your pajamas. MAKE CYBER MONDAY YOUR FRIEND We’ve all heard about the amazing sales people find on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. But for many of us, this writer included, nothing is scarier than the idea of pushing your way through a bunch of greedy shoppers to save a couple bucks. The fact of the matter is, the savings are pretty darn remarkable. So, piggy-backing off the idea of shopping online, make a note to participate in Cyber Monday instead. Cyber Monday is the Monday immediately following the weekend after Thanksgiving. Again, you’ll save gas and stress, and you might end up with a better deal than if you had braved the crowds on Black Friday. Another bonus: you aren’t part of the problem for store employees who have to leave their Thanksgiving dinners to go to work! FOOD IS JUST FOOD The holiday season often means lots and lots of food. It can also mean lots and lots of leftovers, which can be a good thing. But if you find that your family has way more leftovers than you can actually use, consider saving money in that arena. Get a better understanding of who you will be feeding, what they like and how much they can reasonably eat. Maybe instead of three pies, just buy two and bake a batch of gingerbread cookies. Or better yet, find out if there’s a local soup kitchen that will take your leftovers to help feed the homeless in your area. THE GIFT OF GIVING You have probably been told more than once that it’s better to give than receive. That is certainly true, but when you’re trying to save money, that credo can become problematic. Unless, of course, you find a way to give to your loved ones in ways that don’t require a ton of cash. For instance, if you happen to be particularly good at crocheting, perhaps you crochet your kids a little yarn figure of their favorite movie character. Something that would cost upwards of $40 in a retail store could be less than $10, with a bit more time taken on your end. On that same note, there’s always the temptation to buy something for yourself while you’re out shopping (or online shopping) for your family and friends. It truly is better to give than to receive, even if the deal is amazing and it’s something you’ve wanted for a long time. Resist the urge to splurge on yourself and maybe just drop a subtle hint to your spouse about said item. Perhaps you’ll end up with it as a gift under the Christmas tree after all! MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE If you’re organized enough to know what you want to get for your loved ones, make a list of those items before you head out or sit down to shop online. It is much easier to impulse buy when you don’t have a plan. Plus, you’ll save tons of time wandering through the stores or browsing websites if you know what you’re looking for. You can really start shopping whenever; you don’t have to wait for the holiday season to roll around. Think about how much easier it is to spread out $500 worth of gift-buying over several months rather than taking it all from you December paycheck. Christmas is supposed to be a time of togetherness and peace so don’t let the materialistic urge to buy buy buy ruin that! Issue 837
WE FOUND THE COOLEST GRANDMA AROUND: GRANDMA MOSES by Lindsey Harrison 
“I look back on my life like a good day’s work, it was done and I feel satisfied with it. I was happy and contented, I knew nothing better and made the best out of what life offered. And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.”
– Grandma Moses, American folk artist This may come as a surprise to a few of you, but we were all kids once. We promise, it’s the truth. And what was one of the most common questions adults asked us when we were little? “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Now, that seems like an innocent question until you grow up and realize you STILL have no idea what you want to be! The fact of the matter is, not everyone is able to pick a path and follow it straight through. Sometimes, we hit a fork in the road on the way to becoming that astronaut we always wanted to be and instead, we end up writing amazing articles for an amazing magazine called Snippetz. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Especially if you happen to be extremely claustrophobic and more than a little prone to motion sickness. Anyway, the point we’re trying to make is that life doesn’t always end up like we thought it would and sometimes that can be the best possible outcome. Grandma Moses was one such person who had no idea her life would take the turn it did, especially when it did. You may not know much about her but don’t fret; Snippetz has always got your back. Read on and find out why you should never assume it’s too late to make your mark on the world! EARLY LIFE Let’s start off with some basics about Grandma Moses. She was born Anna Mary Robertson on Sept. 7, 1860, in Greenwich, New York to parents Margaret Shanahan and Russell King Robertson. She was one of 10 children in her family, which wasn’t uncommon for a farming family. However, she left home at 12 years old to work at a nearby farm, which by today’s standards is certainly a bit young for starting one’s first job. Prior to her leaving home, though, Anna received a brief education in a one-room schoolhouse that is now the Bennington Museum in Vermont and currently houses the largest collection of her paintings in the country. In 1887, Anna married Thomas Salmon Moses (hence the last name “Moses” in her later years) and the couple made their home in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where they had their own farm. Taking a page from her parents’ book, Anna and Thomas had 10 children, but only five survived beyond infancy. After nearly 20 years on their farm in Virginia, the Moses family moved back to New York to be near her family. There, Anna and Thomas once again ran a farm, this time in Eagle Bridge, New York. It was there that Anna first started trying her hand at painting, but it was nothing more than a passing hobby at the time. Her first piece was done on a fireboard in 1918. Anna was dealt a devastating blow in 1927 (as if the death of five children wasn’t enough already!) when her husband died from a heart attack. As you may have guessed, she began searching for ways to keep her mind off her grief and inevitably turned to painting once again, while living with her daughter. By this time, she was a bit too old to live alone on a farm. PAINTING A NEW LIFE FOR HERSELF You may be wondering when we get to the part about Grandma Moses being someone worth knowing about . . . and here it is! Now, you’ll recall from above that Anna was born in 1860 and doing the math, she was 67 when her husband passed away and she began to focus on her painting. And that was actually in part because her arthritis made it so she could no longer embroider, which was her first “love” when it came to crafty things like that. Add another 11 years to her age and that’s when Grandma Moses finally had her big break into the world of art. That’s right, she was 78 when her work was first discovered by an art collector from New York City. Apparently, he was passing through her hometown when he saw her paintings hanging up in a local drug store. Moved by what he saw, the art collector bought every last one of Grandma Moses’ paintings that he could get his hands on. The next year, Grandma Moses held her first exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She was among a group of unknown contemporary painters but wasn’t destined to remain “unknown” for much longer. More than anything, it was the familiar subject matter that seemed to draw interest to Grandma Moses’ paintings. As the wife of a farmer and mother to a brood of children, she drew on her experiences and painted the things she remembered from her earlier life. Somehow, she managed to capture the simplicity and optimism of a time that was probably anything but simple. But her realistic paintings, coupled with the bright colors she enjoyed and the frequent use of familiar scenery like snowy towns or rolling hills struck a chord with plenty of people. Grandma Moses once said of her subject matter: “I’ll get an inspiration and start painting; then I’ll forget everything, everything except how things used to be and how to paint it so people will know how we used to live.” Considering she purchased many of her canvases for somewhere between $3 and $5, she certainly saw a considerable return on her investment: her smallest paintings start at around $15,000 in today’s market and the large oil paintings can fetch more than $100,000 each. What was so special about these paintings, you might ask? Well, considering she didn’t start “seriously” painting until she was nearly 80 and that 25 of her more roughly 1,500 total paintings were completed after she turned 100, Grandma Moses’ work certainly earns a new level of respect! Grandma Moses died on Dec. 13, 1961 at the age of 101. She is buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery in New York. GRANDMA MOSES SNIPPETZ
Issue 838 - 11/20/2017
WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT THANKSGIVING by Lindsey Harrison 
“What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody and it doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
– Daniel Humm, Swiss chef We’ve all heard the story of the first Thanksgiving feast, where the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sat down to enjoy a meal together and give thanks for what they had. Of course, since not one of us was actually there to witness the festivities, there’s a chance we’ve had the story wrong all along. But here’s the truth of the matter: centuries have passed since that first Thanksgiving celebration. During that time, perhaps some facts got lost in translation while other “facts” came into being. What’s the point, you ask? Well, if you know anything about Snippetz, you know that we can’t just sit back and let untruths spread across the world without at least attempting to correct them. So, with that in mind, keep reading and we’ll help you sort out the things you should know from the things you shouldn’t know about Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING UNTRUTHS Since Thanksgiving is supposed to be a happy day filled with positive energy, we decided to get the falsehoods out of the way right off the bat. Here are some of the most notorious Thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving-related) untruths. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year Nope. In fact, the busiest travel day of the year isn’t even in November at all. Typically, that title is reserved for one of the Fridays during June, July and August. All turkeys gobble Wrong again. Only male turkeys, known as toms, gobble. Female turkeys, called hens, cackle, cluck or click. As goofy as a gobble sounds, it would certainly be interesting to hear a bird cackle. We’re thinking Wicked Witch of the West style . . . Thanksgiving is an American holiday Thanksgiving is actually celebrated in Canada as well. The difference is that Canadians celebrate the holiday on the second Monday in October, rather than the fourth Thursday of November. We could start a fight about whose date is accurate, but that isn’t exactly in the spirit of coming together to give thanks, is it? The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 and every year after that This one is actually true. Just kidding. It wouldn’t be under Thanksgiving Untruths if it was true, now would it? Anyway, that first Thanksgiving in 1621 wasn’t even called Thanksgiving. It was a feast based on English harvest festivals that the Pilgrims had celebrated prior to coming to the New World. In their minds, any day of thanksgiving would be a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for specific things like winning a battle. Since the first Thanksgiving feast was filled with dancing, playing games, eating, singing secular songs, etc., and took place over a three-day period, it was not considered a typical thanksgiving day at all because those activities would not have been allowed on a religious day of thanksgiving. That sounds very confusing, we know. But keep reading; we promise it will all make sense in the end! The first Thanksgiving was held on the fourth Thursday of November Again, another falsehood. As we mentioned above, the first Thanksgiving feast as we know it today was held over a three-day period at the end of the harvest, which was sometime between Sept. 21 and Nov. 11. Governor William Bradford declared a day of thanksgiving and prayer after that first harvest was completed, which resulted in the first Thanksgiving feast. The offer of joining in the celebration was extended to the Wampanoag Indians, who accepted. However, not every harvest season was as successful as that first one. In fact, the day that originally celebrated the prosperity of the harvest morphed into one of prayer and fasting with a drought that descended over the colonies. In 1623, the rains returned and instead of praying for rain, the Pilgrims gave thanks for the end of the drought and the return of their harvest. Eventually, the tradition to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for the prosperity of the colonies stuck and became what we know as Thanksgiving Day today. THANKSGIVING TRUTHS Holding true to our word, here are the positive things, the truthful things about Thanksgiving Day. The day after Thanksgiving is a busy one for some people and not just ones working in retail stores Anyone in the plumbing industry can tell you that the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for people in their line of work. We’ll let you connect the dots on that one . . . Americans love them some turkey on Thanksgiving According to the National Turkey Foundation (yes, that is a real organization), about 88 percent of Americans will dine on turkey for their Thanksgiving meal. Typically, Americans will be drawn to the white meat of the turkey, like the breast, but in other parts of the world, the tail is the meat of choice. That’s right, turkeys have tails and people from the Pacific Islands often prefer that meat to any other. To be more precise, it’s not necessarily the tail they’re after. There is a gland that attaches the turkey’s tail to its body and is filled with oil that the bird uses to preen its feathers. Apparently, that gland is delicious but that may not be an option for many of us in the U.S. to find out. Speaking of turkey meat, the Butterball company actually has a Turkey Talk-Line, a phone number people can call during November and December to have their turkey questions answered. The hotline was established in 1981 and answered about 11,000 calls. Since then, the hotline has seen up to 100,000 calls in a single season and has expanded to include Spanish-speaking Turkey Talk-Line experts along with email, text, live chat and social media platforms through which people can ask their questions. President Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day Some people theorize that Lincoln chose this date because he related it to the date when the Mayflower anchored at Cape Cod on Nov. 21, 1621. But it wasn’t until 1939 that the date was set as the fourth Thursday in November by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Prior to that and after Lincoln’s designation, each president had to issue a Thanksgiving Day proclamation so it could be recognized as a national holiday. That’s not to say it wasn’t celebrated prior to Lincoln’s decision to set the date. Thanksgiving Day became an annual custom in New York State in 1817, which was suggested by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Clearly, everyone recognized the importance of giving thanks, even if for just one day each year. T.V. dinners are a direct result of Thanksgiving dinner The Swanson company, responsible for the infamous T.V. dinner, actually created the frozen dinner option in 1953 when they overestimated the number of frozen turkeys they would sell that year for Thanksgiving. They overshot the actual number sold by 26 tons. To recoup some of the possible losses, they decided to slice the meat, package it with some of the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes and sell it as a frozen meal. Genius! Issue 839
FAILED WEAPONS THROUGHOUT HISTORY: THE WORLD WAR II EDITION by Lindsey Harrison “Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right.” – Ani DiFranco, American musician Life in general seems to be an awful lot of trial and error. Think about it: you try to crawl as a baby and certain techniques don’t work, so you move on and try something else. The same goes for just about everything we experience throughout our lives. Why, then, would we expect it to be any different with the development of weapons? The answer is that we don’t expect it to be different, so stop badgering us. Just kidding. The point of these ramblings is to simply say this: weapons, as the wise Ani DiFranco once said, are really in the eye of the beholder. You see a coffee mug and another person sees a suitable blunt object with which they could easily bash someone on the head. It all depends on how you hold it. But, as you’ll probably come to agree, some weapons are better, more effective than others. Certainly, it took some trial and error to figure that out. We at Snippetz wanted to know what some of those less-than-successful weapons were and with that in mind, we did some investigating and came up with the following fantastic article about failed weapons throughout history, with an emphasis on World War II failures. You’re gonna love these. (BAT) BOMBS AWAYS! Yes, you read that correctly. Bat bombs were a thing. And in doing our research, it was certainly one weapon that caught our attention, so why not just jump right in with it first of all? Here’s how the whole “bat bomb” thing came to be: Imagine this: it’s World War II. Everyone in the world (essentially) has some interest in who wins and loses this war. Americans were not drawn in until the bombing of Pearl Harbor, at which time, scores of people from across the country wanted to do their part to help the Allies win the war. They sent ideas for new weapons to the United States government with the hopes of having that one amazing idea that would be ground-breaking and all-around awesome. Enter Lytle S. Adams, a dental surgeon from Pennsylvania. Adams submitted his idea which went something like this: attach an incendiary device to a bat; deposit the bat (along with thousands of its similarly-equipped friends) in Japan. The bats would roost in the eaves of the wooden homes and buildings across the nation. Since no one would ever think that a bat would be explosive, the bat bombs could do their jobs virtually undetected and burn the country down. On paper, the idea sounded pretty great. Bats, in general, can carry up to 175 percent of their body weight, so they could easily handle a small bomb added to their payload. So, what did the American government do? They threw $2 million of the taxpayers’ money at the project to develop the bat bombs using the decided-upon Mexican free-tail bats, which were apparently in abundant supply in the U.S. Right from the start, the project hit snags. First, imagine trying to lift the super thin skin of a bat to place a bomb where the animal would not be able to dislodge it. Second, when the bats were placed into containers and air-lifted for deposit, the containers wouldn’t always open, causing the bat bombs to freefall to their deaths. But say the container did open. Well, in order to place the bats into the containers, they had to be put into a sort of false hibernation, so they would be pliable. But not all of the bats came out of their hibernation and resulted in those bat bombs also plummeting to their death. Probably most notable of all the issues was the fact that bats will roost wherever the heck they want. They didn’t know the difference between American structures and Japanese ones. The result? The bat bombs started a fire in an American airplane hangar. Eventually, the bat bomb idea fizzled out but not before it gave us some great fodder for our magazine! PANJANDRUM PANDEMONIUM Another failed weapon hailing from WWII was developed by an aeronautical engineer named Nevil Shute. Shute, with the backing of the British Admiralty’s Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development, designed what he called the Panjandrum. It was basically 10-foot wooden wheel pairs with a large barrel of TNT in place of the typical axle. Around the rim of each wheel were 70 solid-fuel rockets that would ideally propel the Panjandrum into (and through) any enemy obstacles, allowing for back-up troops to invade and conquer. If it sounds a bit wonky, that’s because it is. First off, when is it ever a good idea to place rockets around a 2-ton barrel of TNT? The rockets had to be lit by someone in order for them to work and it’s unlikely the enemy troops were going to volunteer for that job. Second, the Panjandrum would only roll in a straight line if a). none of the rockets was a dud; and b). the wheels didn’t hit anything (like a rock) to throw the weapon off course. Bottom line: the Panjandrum was just a Panjan-dumb idea. Get it? ANTI-TANK DOGS . . . NEED WE WAY MORE? OK, as a writer who happens to love dogs more than people (in general), this idea is appalling. It’s right up there with the bat bomb idea, although the general population would probably agree it’s far more depressing to consider the demise of a dog in an explosion than a bat. Anyway, back to the weapon at hand. Remember those other two weapons from WWII? Well, this one also happens to be a failed WWII weapon. We told you from the get-go that WWII was a great starting place . . . This time, we have the Soviet military to thank for the horrible weapon idea. Similar to the bat bombs, the anti-tank dog idea was relatively simple: strap a bomb to the back of a dog; teach said dog to crawl under enemy tanks; when the detonator rod on the bomb hits the underside of the tank . . . BOOM! Dead troops but also, dead dog. Sad. Now, we all know that dogs are smart but Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory” they are not. During their training, the dogs would learn to recognize the smell of the fuel used in the tanks . . . but there was one key issue no one thought of. Soviet tanks used diesel fuel which reeked of kerosene, while the enemy tanks, i.e. the German tanks, ran on gasoline fuel, which is a different smell altogether. So, when the Soviets sent their anti-tank dogs out into the field to search out those nasty German tanks, the poor confused pups naturally homed in on the more familiar smell, the one they had been trained to seek out! You can guess how that turned out. But there was another hitch the Soviets didn’t see coming. Remember that whole “fox-hole” thing? Troops would literally dig down into the earth to hide, creating underground bunkers. Pair that with the idea of digging trenches to keep from being out in the open during volleys of gunfire and you get the idea of how these soldiers were forced to protect themselves. Now, any normal dog might get frightened out in the world but imagine how sacred a dog might be in the middle of a gun battle. They reacted as any other dog would: they sought out the familiar and trusted people they had been working with. But if you are a dog with a bomb on your back, the last thing anyone wants is for you to get scared and come running back to blow up an entire bunker’s worth of troops. It happened, though and that’s part of the reason why anti-tank dogs, like bat bombs, fall under the category of “Failed Weapons.” Stay tuned for another installment of Failed Weapons throughout History. . . you won’t want to miss it! |
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