 Schlitzie the pinhead was a circus freakshow act who performed in the early to mid 20th century. Schlitze (possibly born Simon Metz) was born in the Bronx to a rich family around 1901. Schlitze was born with microcephaly, a neurological disorder that left him with an unusually small brain and skull, and small stature. He was also born with Myopia and a severe intellectual disability, which left him with the intelligence of a 3 or 4-year-old. He could also only speak a few monosyllabic words and a couple of simple phrases. Those who knew him described him as an “affectionate, exuberant, sociable person who loved dancing, singing, and being the center of attention, performing for anyone he could stop and talk with.”
Schlitze was given away at birth by his parents, and he then passed along to multiple carnivals including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Clyde Beatty Circus, Tom Mix Circus, Crafts 20 Big Shows, and Foley & Burke Carnival. Schlitze was often dressed in a muumuu and was presented as feminine or androgynous to add to the mystique of his unusual appearance. Schlitze was billed under names such as “Maggie, Last of the Aztecs,” “Monkey Girl,” and even “What is it?” In 1932, Schlitze booked his most famous role in Tod Browning’s “Freaks.” The film was considered to be extremely scandalous, and it was a financial failure. One woman even tried to sue the film, blaming it for her miscarriage. While performing in the Tom Mix Circus, Schlitze was adopted by chimpanzee trainer George Surtees, becoming his legal guardian. Under Surtees’ care, Schlitze continued performing in various sideshow circuits until Surtees’ death in 1965. After his death, Surtees’ daughter committed Schlitze to the Los Angeles County Hospital. Schlitze was eventually discovered by sword swallower Bill “Frenchy” Unks. Unks said that Schlitze seemed to miss the sideshow business, and also seemed extremely depressed. The hospital decided that it would be in Schlitze’s best interest to leave the hospital and go back to the sideshow circuit under the care of Unks. He continued to perform until 1968. In his final years, Schlitze lived in Los Angelas where he would occasionally perform in various sideshow circuits. He would also perform on the streets of Hollywood where he became a notable attraction. During his final days, Schlitze would spend a lot of time on Hollywood boulevard and in MacArthur Park where he would feed the pigeons and ducks, and perform for passersby. He died on September 24th, 1971 at the age of 70 in Fountain View Convalescent Home of Bronchial Pneumonia. In the 1960s, “Freaks” was rediscovered and eventually became a cult classic, bringing Schlitze to the public eye. In 1994, the film was selected by the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Schlitze has left a massive legacy and has inspired many characters throughout TV, Movies, and Novels. Story by Will Euler  Have you ever wondered how blind people read? They all read using a writing type called braille. Braille is a series of bumps on a surface formed in a certain pattern that allows blind people to read the pattern as a form of writing. Braille was made by a man named Louis Braille. At the age of three, he accidentally blinded himself in one eye with a stitching awl from his father’s leather workshop. His other eye was also blinded because of an inflammation of both eyes with blinding trauma to the other eye.
Louis entered into a school for the blind and he learned a system of writing using dots. The system was invented in 1819 by Capt. Charles Barbier. The system was called night writing and it was intended for night-time battlefield communications. When Louis was 15 he used Barbier’s system as a starting point and he then cut its 12-dot configuration in half. Final writing appeared in 1837. His system was immediately accepted by his peers but the School of the blind in Paris didn't accept it and use it until two years after his death. Since Braille was French, a universal English Braille was not made until 1932. In addition to the Braille code, there are other codes based off of Braille but they are made for different things, for example, the Nemeth Code of Braille Mathematics and Scientific notation (1965) provides for Braille symbols used in mathematical and technical material. There are also Braille systems for musical notes and other languages. In conclusion, Braille was created by a man named Louis Braille after he was blinded in an accident involving a stitching awl. He used a nighttime writing format created by Capt. Charles Barbier and he tweaked it to reading and writing language efficiently for the blind. Braille has many versions of it to fit other languages, music, and even math and science terms and symbols. We can thank Louis Braille for making the world a better place for the Blind. Story by Beck Henderson  Do you really know the back of your hand? Like, really? Take a look at it for a bit. Then, when you really think you examined all the details, put it under a table or pillow. Put a piece of paper on the surface, then try to draw where you think your hand is. Not so easy, is it? In fact, in 2010, scientists from the University College London tested to see if people were able to draw the back of their hands, which they drew as much shorter and wider. So in fact, most people don’t know the backs of their hands.
WIll eating an apple a day prevent doctor appointments? No, but they may help with another sort of practitioner. Apples contain dietary fiber and other benefits, which will make you healthier. This will obviously not make you immune to disease. However, apples clean your teeth. The fiber in the apple can clean teeth. It takes the plaque off of your teeth. So, eating an apple every morning and evening may actually keep the dentist away. Now, for the most crazy saying. If you put a bull in a china shop, would it destroy everything in sight? Actually, no it wouldn't. The Mythbusters actually tested this saying by putting shelves with china inside a bullpen. They then let the bulls loose. The bulls, running at full speed, gracefully turned and sped around the pen. They didn’t knock over a single shelf. No china was harmed. So, maybe we should start saying some new phrases. “I know it as well as the back of my hand - I don’t.” “An apple a day keeps the dentist away.” “As graceful as a bull in a china shop.” Story by Nash Klein Pigeons. You might think they’re boring, but do you really know about them? Doves and pigeons are in the same family, the Columbidae family. Another bird in the Columbidae family is the Dodo. There are 300 types of pigeon, the most commonly known one is the Rock Pigeon, ones you may find on the streets. Many people call pigeons ‘Rats of the sky’ but those are people who don’t know how impressive these birds are. They don’t only dig for trash and poop everywhere in densely populated cities. They are actually fairly smart creatures, and beloved by many large historical figures, such as Charles Darwin and Nikola Tesla. Pigeons are very smart in their own way. While they may not be as smart as dogs or pigs, they are up there on the list. Exactly #19 0n the list, out of 8.7 million species.   Justin Chambers’s long time character Dr. Alex Karev officially got his send-off on March 5th, 2020. After 16 seasons we are saying goodbye to Dr. Alex Karev. Alex Karev played by Justin chambers has shared many amazing memories with the greys anatomy family. Justin chambers shared in January that he would be leaving the show saying “There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that has defined so much of my life for the past 15 years. For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.
Alex Karev started out as an intern at Seattle grace Memorial. Karev started as a rude snobby and overall mean person we have seen Alex turn into the loving warm kind most thoughtful man. Alex grew up in a house with a mom who was sick and dad who left him. He got married to a woman who developed cancer and left him, he dated a woman who got admitted into a mental hospital. He was shot & he held his wife while she almost died in his arms. Alex has suffered many times but he has grown more than anyone on the show. Alex got re-married, he became an amazing pediatric surgeon and most importantly he became a best friend and an amazing husband. “It is a matter of luck that Alex Karev is who he is today. He could’ve just as easily been lost to this world, aimless but he survived his home his family, his foster homes and became a man now a father. By luck by chance, a child’s future shouldn’t be a matter of chance and luck.”-Dr. Maranda Bailey Meredith Grey and Alex Karev had one of the strongest friendships ever seen on the show. He wrote all of his friend’s letters about why he was leaving. He left his wife his job and friends he picked up his life in Seattle to move to Kentucky to live with his ex-wife and children. The very first letter was to Meredith grey in this letter he talked about how he wasn’t coming back to Grey Sloan memorial and he couldn’t come back because if he did he would stay in Seattle forever and he couldn’t do that to his kids. His second letter probably the most emotional one was to Dr. Jo Karev his wife. He talked about how she deserved more than he ever gave her and how he was in love with Izzie and her. Karev told her that if it wasn’t for the kids that Izzie had from her and Karev’s frozen embryos he would be in Seattle with her. In the letter, he said how brilliant and brave jo is and how she made him better or at least kinder. He ended this devastating letter by saying “Thank you for taking care of me when I needed it most, you deserve everything good in this life Jo I hope you find so much better than me. Thank you, I’m sorry I don’t know how to end this and I don’t want to, Goodbye.” His third letter was to Dr. Miranda Bailey telling her how much she had helped him through so many tough times in his life. How she helped him through residency and becoming an attending all the way up until he became chief of peds. Alex Karev was one of the only original characters left on the show Karev. These letters mean so much to everyone, Characters, Cast and Greys family. Everyone was so sad to see Justin Chambers leave the show after 16 seasons, 15 years and 356 episodes. Alex Karev will be deeply missed but never forgotten. It doesn’t matter how tough we are. Trauma always leaves a scar. It follows us home, it changes our lives, trauma messes everybody up, but maybe that's the point: All the pain and the fear. Maybe going through all that is what keeps us moving forward. It’s what pushes us. Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up. ~Alex Karev Story by Charlotte Ross Sources: Source 1) https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a31351091/greys-anatomy-camilla-luddington-instagram-alex-karev-exit/ Source 2) https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a31261412/greys-anatomy-alex-karev-ending-reactions/ Source 3) https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-03-05/greys-anatomy-alex-karev-justin-chambers Coronavirus is a very contagious virus that has recently been classified as a pandemic. Many public places including schools are closing because of COVID-19 and people are sworming stores to gather resources. Many states are going into a State of Emergency as well as being quarantined. But there are still many entertaining things to do with family or by yourself that can keep you busy and safe.
1. Listen to new music or make a new playlist There are many new artists and songs that you may not know you like and it’s very fun to discover new music. 2. Bake Something There are many sweet treats like Brownies and Cupcakes that can be very entertaining to try and make in your free time. 3. Learn how to cook Since Restaurants are closing it is a great opportunity to learn how to cook different meals for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, for you and or your family. 4. Read a new book Reading and discovering new books is a good time killer if you are bored. 5. Go for a walk Outside is one of the safest places to be right now and you can do many things like going on walks or trying out different outdoor sports which gives you the chance to get in some physical activity. 6. Take Pictures Outside We are fortunate to live in a very pretty place and taking pictures of the beautiful plants, skies, and mountains is a great way to showcase that. 7. Watch your Favorite Movie Watching your favorite movie or discovering new ones is a great way to kill time in an entertaining way. 8. Start A Journal Right now there are many very stressful things going on in the world so starting a journal is great to get out your emotions and see how you are feeling or you can just use it to get more organized. 9. Write a Story Writing a story is a great way to express your creativity and have fun. 10. Binge watch a new show There are many entertaining shows to watch that can take up alot of time if you have nothing to do. There are many fun things that you can still do. Just keep in mind, stay safe and avoid being around big groups of people. And consider other people if you do go out in public because many people are in danger right now. Story by Rowen Dollar-Reynolds  Many humans love dogs, and although that might sound like an opinionated statement, it’s not. It has been scientifically proven that humans care more for dogs than they do other humans. There have been studies done to prove that humans are more empathetic towards dogs as they are humans.
One study that was done to prove this took place at a park. The study involved a baby, a 30-year-old man, a puppy, and a 6-year-old dog. The people who ran the study claimed that one of the 4 subjects, listed above, broke a man’s leg. They asked all of the people who came by which one they thought had done it. Sure enough when the results where all put together, many people had thought it was the 30-year-old man. In second for the accusation, the 6-year-old dog. These were followed by the baby, and lastly, the puppy. The strangest part of this experiment, in my opinion, was that fewer people thought the puppy broke the man’s leg than the baby. Owning a dog is actually very beneficial to their owners. It is a fact that dog ownership reduces the risk of death by 33% in people who live alone, and that is not the only thing dogs can do for humans. For example, having a dog gives you a lower chance of heart disease, higher mental health, and makes a lot of people happier. Oxytocin lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, strengthens your immune system, and lowers rates of stress, anger, and depression. Well, how do you get oxytocin? The answer is relationships, being around other creatures. Dogs give you more oxycontin than any other relationship. Also having a dog in the office makes the employees more productive and happy. Based on all of these facts, having a dog is productive and good for all people. Also, I think that these facts prove we need classroom dogs. Story by Anabel Kehoe  Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in the Kansas United States. Even from a young child, Earhart showed that she had great interest in exploration and was a very adventurous child. Her father was addicted to alcohol so the family struggled financially. In early college, Amelia dropped out to take care of wounded soldiers from world war 1. In 1920 she went to New York which is where she flew on her first plane. This first plane ride promoted her to take flying lessons. Around this time where she was taking interest in flying promoters found that they wanted a female to fly across the Atlantic ocean. This is where her mission and history really begins.
Amelia Earhart was chosen to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, but only as a passenger. The knowledge at this time was that females couldn’t drive a plane because it would be too dangerous. After she successfully flew with her male pilot across the Atlantic Amelia got married and was determined to fly alone so she did. In 1937 Amelia Earhart had her heart set on flying cross the world. With Fred Nooman as her navigator, she set off on June 1st to be the first person to travel by air across the world starting with Mamai. On July 2nd she set off for Howland Island which was planning to be a difficult plane flight to track. Late in the journey Amelia let out a call to the Coast guard saying that they were running out of fuel. About an hour later she let out a call saying that she was “ going north and south”. Extensive searches were put out to find her but no one found any evidence of any crash but, all evidence leads that way. Some wonder what happened to her and over the years some theories have evolved. 2 theories surrounding this case sound the most probable. One is that the plane crashed in the ocean and they were less likely to die in the ocean. This theory sounds probably because the plane did not have a lot of fuel and her distress signal said that she was going down. Another theory is that earhart survived the crash and landed on an island. A piece of evidence that supports this theory is a photo of a white female on an island around the time of her disappearance. Neither of these theories have been proven correct yet. Ameila Earheart died a hero not only for being the first female to fly around the world but also a strong female influence. Today we celebrate her life and career on July 24th which is her birthday. Story by Sierra Stock Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amelia-Earhart https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/10-facts-about-amelia-earhart https://www.biography.com/explorer/amelia-earhart  Hamsters are loved by so many worldwide, these small, yet cute and cuddly creatures are so adorable! Great for kids and just about anyone!
When and where were they found? Hamsters are a worldwide known creature mostly known for being kept as pets in little cages. They have actually been around for a long time and haven't always been known as pets. They were originally discovered in Syria but have lived in many places around the world. In 1936 they lived freely in the wild eating berries and greens but were soon found and later domesticated to begin the tests. Vets did tests on them and later bred them to start making them to be what they are today. Originally they were only used for labs or food for other animals and according to live science they officially became “pets in 1942. All types and personalities Hamsters are so distinguishable from other rodents with small ears, and stubby tails making them so cute! They come in all different colors and have so many different personalities and are such an adventure to get one. They can adapt to you and know you apart from everyone else they can recognize you and just generally remember your smell. They keep you company and always make you smile with their cute faces and little claws. After reading humane society I realized how sweet they really can be! Some hamsters are a little aggressive so some kids can get startled if they bite so just remember that they do need time to sleep and just chill alone. Although hamsters seem easy to take care of that might not be the case so be prepared before you adopt one. Taking care of a hamster The average lifespan of a hamster is 2-3 years; it can depend off of the breed though. Many hamsters are put into small cages for those 3 years not getting the physical activity that they need so here are a few ways to take care of them. 1.Provide play time when they can come out of their cage and roam around to reduce energy. 2. Give them chew toys and fun hides to climb around in. 3. Keep them in a large enough home for room to play, and sleep. 4.every once in a while give them a bath to clean them and watch them roll around. 5. Hold them and let them crawl and play on you and in a rolling ball on the floor, according to Wiki-how let your hamster run on its wheel. Story by Stella Ballard  Emma Watson is an activist, actress and very well known for her role in the series of ‘Harry Potter’. According to Emma Watson Biography: Success Story of Actress, Model, and Activist “She won 25 awards and was nominated 35 times.” also according to https://astrumpeople.com/emma-watson-biography/ In 2001 she was nominated for 5 awards. She also won the young artist award for leading young actress. According to UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, “In 2012 Emma was honored with the Calvin Klein Emerging Star Award at the ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards.” So in a relatively short career, she has won many awards. She has also been nominated for 25 awards.
According to Emma Watson - Age, Movies & Life “ Emma Watson was born on April 15, 1990, in Paris, France, but raised in England.” Some say it is ironic that she was born in Paris. Simply because of her role in ‘Beauty & The Beast’ as Bell. How a scene took her back in time to Paris, France. Also according to Emma Watson - Age, Movies & Life, “Her parents divorced when she was 5, and she moved back to Oxfordshire, England with her mother and brother.” later on in her life according to Emma Watson Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline, she has appeared in ‘The Tale of Despereaux’ and also starred in the film adaptation of ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’. As well, acted in ‘Noah’ and In 2013, she appeared in ‘The Bling Ring’, based on the ‘Bling Ring’ robberies, where she played the role of Nicki. She also starred in a supporting role in ‘This is the End’. Emma Watson is a brilliant activist, actress and has won many awards. She has starred and appeared in many popular and well-made movies/series. Story by Zoe Stock |
