“Wag-atha Christie” Dog May Have Solved a Victorian Murder From 160 years Ago

Paul Phillips thought his Labrador Retriever had dug up a pipe from his garden in Devon, England, until he got a better look at the object. It turned out to be a blue vial with the words “Not To Be Taken” embossed on the glass. The 49-year-old did some virtual digging of his own and discovered that a woman named Mary Ann Ashford had lived two doors down from him and had killed her husband William in 1865. She put poison into his tea so she could take his money and be with her younger lover. Fast-forward to 2026 and Stanley the Labrador Retriever unearthed the evidence. After more research, Phillips learned that such bottles were used in the mid-19th century for poisons. He also learned that after tests showed that Mary Ashford had traces of arsenic and strychnine on her clothes, she was sentenced to be executed for the murder, but the hanging didn’t go smoothly for her. Reportedly, with a crowd of 20,000 people watching, it took her several minutes to die — a gruesome sight that would ultimately lead to the end of public hangings in England. Since the discovery, Stanley has not been digging in that spot at all anymore.

 

 

Continue Reading...

15-Year-Old Builds a $130,000 Business From His Bedroom

What if you could turn a teenage sports annoyance into a $100,000 business while juggling school, sports, and everything else that comes with being 15? Harrison Nott of Essex, England, has done just that. Starting at just 13 years old, he built CoolTowel into a business projected to hit ￡100,000 ($130,000) in revenue this summer. The spark came from a simple problem: getting overheated and uncomfortable while playing squash. Harrison saw an opportunity in the cooling towel market that barely existed three years ago. The towel is made of a 3-layer polyester material that holds onto moisture. The instructions say to wet the towel, wring it out, and snap the towel to get cooling relief. Unlike a standard cotton towel that simply gets wet and heavy, the CoolTowel uses a technical mesh that regulates how quickly water evaporates to provide a long-lasting cooling effect — often up to 5 hours. The product comes in a variety of colors, including black, blue, green, orange and pink, and sells for $17 on the CoolTowel website.

 

 

Continue Reading...

Ma Bell’s First Hacker Was a Blind Boy With a 172 IQ

Josef Carl Engressia, Jr. was born blind. His introduction to the sounds of the telephone began when his mother enabled him to dial the local number 737 for a recording of the time. She simply placed a piece of tape on the numbers 3 and 7, which enabled Joe to distinguish the numbers by the texture. At age 5, Joe learned he could dial numbers rapidly by clicking the phone’s hang-up switch — a process known as “tapping” — that simulated the pulses of a rotary dial. Also born with perfect pitch, Joe was able to whistle at exactly 2600 Hz. This specific frequency signaled to the phone system’s long-distance trunks that a call had ended, allowing him to stay on the line and redirect calls for free. Unfortunately, his activities led to several run-ins with the law. In 1971, he was arrested in Memphis and convicted of phone fraud after an employee at Florida Bell illegally monitored his conversations. Joe died of congestive heart failure in 2007 at the age of 58.

Continue Reading...

Warm and Hearty Potato Soup

This easy potato soup recipe is just like what you would find on a steakhouse menu. Its rich and velvety base is loaded with cubes of tender potato, pieces of salty bacon, a healthy dose of gooey cheese, and a final flourish of green onions for color. Once you learn how to make this potato soup, it will become your go-to comfort food dinner anytime the weather is chilly or you’re pushed for time and want something quick and easy to fix.

Servings: 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• • 6 bacon slices, diced
• • 3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
• • 1 small carrot, grated
• • ½ cup chopped onion
• • 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
• • ½ tsp salt
• • ½ tsp pepper
• • ½ tsp celery seed
• • 1 14½-oz can chicken broth
• • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• • 3 cups 2% milk
• • 8 ounces cheese, cubed
• • 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions:

• • In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally.
• • Drain bacon and set aside.
• • Add vegetables, seasonings and broth and bring to a boil.
• • Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes.
• • Mix flour and milk until smooth and stir into soup.
• • Stir in cheese and bacon until melted.
• • If desired, top with green onions and additional bacon.

Continue Reading...