Bill Gates Is The Only Private Person To Own One Of Leonardo da Vinci's Notebooks

The Codex Leicester was purchased in 1995 for 30 million dollars.  Its contents detail Leonardo's ideas about water and its movement, including an illustration of what looks like a toilet.

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/codex/


*From Leonardo da Vinci by Kathleen Krull

Leonardo da Vinci Was Arrested & Tried For Homosexuality

In1476 Florence (when Leonardo was 24) an anonymous accusation was all it took to be investigated for this "crime".  After over 2 months of trials, the charges against Leonardo were dropped.

Over 70 years the department which exclusively investigated these types of charges investigated 17,000 men.  Only 3,000 were convicted.

http://www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/globe/leonardo_da_vinci.htm

*Learned while reading Leonardo da Vinci by Kathleen Krull

Andrew Jackson Was The First American President On Whom An Assassination Attempt Was Made

Though his attacker had two pistols, both misfired and Jackson was unharmed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts_and_plots

*Learned while watching Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil & the Presidency on PBS.

How to Pronounce Ague

http://mw4.m-w.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?ague0001=ague

I have always pronounced it "awg". :(

*Learned from Little House on the Prairie on CD

How Everyday Behaviors Can Produce Clean Energy

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/146/supertiny-power-plants.html

Fascinating!

We Can Heal What We Have Destroyed

From TED

Talk & Photography by Brian Skerry

This 16 minute talk by underwater photographer Brian Skerry doesn't really present new information.  It does present a visually graphic reminder of the problems man has caused in the oceans of the world.  I like that he ends on a hopeful note.  We can change the way we use our natural resources.

Ralph Macchio Still Looks Great

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Macchio

He's also pretty funny!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c8ad4aa802/wax-on-f-ck-off-with-ralph-macchio

Stay cool, Pony Boy!