So posting has been non-existent due to external obligations...

But will slowly return to light, then, perhaps at some point, normal.

Friday links

Here's Kurt Vonnegut's May 29, 1945 letter home after imprisonment in an underground slaughterhouse during the Dresden bombing.

The Real “No-Go Zone” of France: A Forbidden No Man’s Land Poisoned by World War 1.

How to Ship a Beluga Whale via UPS.

Pre-Sliced Bread was Once Banned in the United States.

This Is a Wheelchair for a Goldfish.

New Evidence May Solve Mystery Of America's Huge St. Louis Area Ancient City.

Japanese Farmer Finds an Enormous, Mutated Strawberry That Is Now Officially the Heaviest Ever Found.

Cartoon of the day: cheating football players and cheating Clintons

via Legal Insurrection

Friday links

It's V.E. Day: 70 years ago today, World War 2 ended in Europe.

What Did The Romans Eat? Food And Drink In Ancient Times.

How To Become A Fossil After You Die.

Roundup of Mother's Day links: good and bad animal and human moms, top sci-fi moms, history, videos and science, how grandmothers gave humans longer lifespans, gifts for your wino mom or wife, lots more.

How humans discovered cheese.

An Illustrated Guide To Cat Physics

ICYMI, Tuesday's links are here, and include why superheroes don't kill, an excellent set of botanical mazes, and a 5 year old boy who perfectly recreates Bruce Lee's famous nunchaku scene.

95-Year-Old World War II vet used his cane to fight off would-be thief

It's probably hard to intimidate someone who lived through the invasion of Okinawa. Too bad he didn't have one of those self-defense canes with a built-in stun gun.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) – Arthur Kemberis may be 95 years old and walks with a cane but this WWII veteran had the strength to fight off a would be robber who tried to steal his wallet.

“I am not a fighter. I am too old to do that but I did lift up my cane and struck him on the shoulder,” Kemberis said.

Arthur says the unexpected confrontation unfolded Saturday morning when he went to pick up his wife’s prescription at Walgreens in Manchester. Police say that’s when a suspect began following Arthur inside the store.

“I took the money out and he saw me after I took out the amount and I pushed everything back in my wallet,” Kemberis said.

Moments later outside in the parking lot the man approached Arthur and tried to grab his wallet several times but Arthur even at the age of 95 wouldn’t stand for it.

“He saw me coming up to strike him on the shoulders. I hit him three or four times,” Kemberis said.

Kamberis wasn’t hurt.

“He wasn’t very aggressive, but I was,” Kemberis said.

via The Blaze.