Chambers of the Occult - Old News Nonsense Vol. 12

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

Welcome to another round of Old News Nonsense! In this episode, we dig deep into the archives of quirky history and unearth tales that are equal parts bizarre and delightful:Unique Criminals and Unfortunate Bloodhounds: Meet George Hon, a man so crafty he stole the sheriff's bloodhounds and sold them for $5. Who needs a heist movie when you have 1906 ingenuity?Topsy the Ghost Cat: The legend of a cat that died, had a funeral, and then casually returned home like nothing happened. Nine lives? More like infinite drama.New Year's Resolutions You Shouldn't Make: From quitting smoking to riding an exercise bike until it "kills you," people have been creatively failing their resolutions for decades. Maybe 2025 is the year to skip the tradition?Kids and Resolutions: Sweet but ambitious kids in the 2000s dreamt of better grades, helping the homeless, and driving their mom's car. Inspirational? Yes. Realistic? Questionable.Midget Racer Dreams Big: Roger VanHorn proves that even the tiniest racing dreams can fuel life-changing goals. Bonus points for helping wayward youth while zooming around tiny cars!Pantsuits and the Battle of Fashion: A moment of triumph for women as pantsuits are officially accepted into Lima society. Finally, freedom from skirts in all the right places!Santa’s Reindeer Wrangler: Grady Carothers traveled far and wide to round up reindeer for Santa. An epic journey of lassoing, sledding, and spreading Christmas cheer.Cucumber-Eating Cat: Who needs mice when you have a feline connoisseur that prefers fresh cucumbers? This quirky cat’s diet is a farmyard legend.Get ready to laugh, scratch your head, and marvel at the strangeness of humanity’s past. It’s Old News Nonsense at its finest!Send us a text

Chambers of the Occult may contain content that might not be suitable for all listeners. Listener discretion is advised. Hello. Hello. I'm Frozen. As always. I mean, I'm Jay. I would love to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie.

I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie.

I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm going to be in the movie. I'm frozen. As always. I mean, I'm Jay. I would love to not be frozen, actually. I mean, I think it's like your thing at this point.

And there was that one episode where it wouldn't be my thing. And it wasn't for like a second, but no, it is again. We're back at it. I'm frozen. I'm Jay. I'm frozen. I'm Jay. I'm Jay.

I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay.

I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm Jay. I'm a second, but no, it is again. We're back at it. Unfortunately, we're back at it, yeah. You know what, we'll start recording in person, I'll still freeze for that just half a second. You'll start and you'll just be like, I'll be like, Jay, what are you doing?

I gotta freeze. Like, what the hell are you doing? I gotta freeze. Like what the hell are you doing? What? Anyway, welcome folks. Old News Nonsense, Volume 12. Technically, it's the last episode of the year because it's still 2024 as of recording this. You'll get to hear this in 2025.

Oh my God, that's crazy. Anyway, as you can see, I wanted to dress for the occasion. And I have no holiday spirit. As I'm looking around and I'm just like, I don't have a holiday spirit. That's okay. You're wearing the green. Fair. I'm wearing the red and the white and you're wearing the green the green. There we go. Yeah, it works. There we go Not planned at all No, we're professionals

That's 12 Nonsense volume which means we've technically had one for every month That's true, I know what it's during January but there's you could say there's one for every month. That's true. I know what it's during January, but you could say there's one for every month. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, and I mean, it's kind of cool because we have 12 for 2024,

and then we're gonna have 12 for 2025 because we're doing one a month, right? So, okay, that's cool, actually. I just noticed that, I I think like two days ago when I was thinking about it, but yeah, so Let's get started with let's wrap up this year actually. Woof woof woof. I don't know what the hell that was. Anyway. Finger guns. Who's going first?

I can start this time. I think last time you started. Sounds good. Yeah, I think I did start last time. For this one, we're going to keep it nice and short. Not too short, obviously. But this one is from the Fredonia Weekly Herald, Fredonia, in, let's see, is it Kansas? So this was from Friday, is, but for 1906, I would assume it was very unusual for a cat to eat a cucumber.

Because of course- I think it's still kind of unusual for a cat to eat a cucumber. Yeah, it ended up in like the news newspaper. And it just starts with this cat ate cucumbers. That's the name of the article? Straight to the point. Yep. And it just says, animal with strange taste has been living in Wells. It starts by saying, a cat that eats cucumbers and squashes just has just been discovered in the town of Wells and so far as known there is no there's none other like it in your county. The animal I just zoomed in zoom County. The animal has been living on Elm Farm, which is owned by Mrs. Vesta E. Hammond,

and for some years the people living on the place have been troubled by some animal eating into the cucumbers and squashes and ruin in a great many of them. Only the very outside of the cucumbers were left and the squashes were faring about as badly. What? How do you only eat the inside of a cucumber? I don't know. Like as a cat. I wish there was some pictures, but as a cat, yeah,

you use your paw to scoop it out, I imagine. I guess so. Still not a very easy task to do, anyway. It continues by saying, It was a long time before it was discovered what was doing the work. The cucumbers and squashes were harvested, and it was thought that they would be alright in the barn. On day Charles Graves, the hired man, went to the barn rather quickly and there found the cat eating away on a ripe cucumber and had already put one Put one of the squashes out of business so far as it has ever been made into pies was concerned.

Further operations along this line were then prevented by the disposition of the cat that preferred cucumbers without any vinegar, salt, and pepper to pure county milk, country milk with any water in it. And then- Weird-ass cat. I don't know what happened to the cat because it wraps it up by saying, The cat is now in his last resting place as a reward for being a faithful mouse catcher. Does that mean like in the house? I guess so. A bid for journal. And yeah, no picture to go with it. There was another case of another cat eating cucumber like 40 years later that also

got reported and there's a picture of it, but not for this one. Okay Well I One weird ass cat like it's super ridiculous about what it wants and two I'm Still thinking about how you only eat the middle of a cucumber. Yeah Like I know we could probably use a spoon and just like scoop out the middle of it, but like a cat's claw? I don't know. Weird. Yeah, it's- I also like how they specify the cucumber without vinegar, salt, or pepper. Like so a cucumber and not a pickle. Yeah.

I wonder if they set that because maybe they try to offer him a pickle and the cat was just like nah But probably actually that's probably what happened. Yeah, they're like hey, can you like have a preference for? Not our fresh cucumbers But yeah, what do you have for us? Me my oh my um Well in keeping with the theme of me wearing this big ass Santa hat, I wanted to start off kind of Christmasy.

Okay. So, I have an article from the Oakland Tribune in Oakland, California, Friday, September 7th, 1951. Okay. in California, Friday September 7th, 1951. So this one's called Reindeer Herder on his way to round up team for Santa. What? So one of Santa Claus' closest advisors, the keeper of his reindeer, is on his way

to the North Pole again to replenish old St. Nick's herd. He is Grady Carithers, a tall and tanned Texas rancher, and America's only importer and trainer of reindeer, who is flying to a roundup of the creatures in northern Alaska. Planning to be in the Northland until mid-November, Carrether stopped briefly in Berkeley to visit Willis D. Parker, prominent animal dealer and creator of television's Animal Bazaar show, at his 2712 Benavieu Avenue apartment. Quote, I guess we've got the nearest thing there is to real Santa Claus," the rancher declared

as he told of his unique business of supplying reindeer for Christmas displays and parades throughout the United States. The whole thing started back in 1941 when his own boys, now aged 11 and 17, expressed a desire to see Santa's reindeer. Quote, it dawned on me then that something ought to be done about this desire and I decided to go after them. End quote. He explained the war delayed the project, but in 1948, he secured permission of the Alaskan territorial government

to bring out eight deer. Okay. It's crazy, he had to get permission from the government to secure these reindeer. It's yeah cuz I was like I don't think we can just like go into the wild and get them. And get reindeer. No. So that part makes sense. The one part that makes sense so far. Yeah. I mean it's a cute article like I definitely appreciate the fact that work is being put into the holidays. So it says, the following year, he brought out six deer, 12 last year, and this trip he

plans to secure 20 or 22. He also hopes to bring out for the first time several female deer from Kodiak Island. So he's branching out, he's got more variety. So he's going to want to have his own baby deer. Yes. Caratheirs will fly to Seattle, then to Juneau and Kodiak Island. After Kodiak, he will journey to Katsabu, an Eskimo village within the Arctic Circle, and the large reindeer herd which ranges at a

distance four days travel from the community by dog sled. Hiring Eskimos as quote deer punchers, end quote, the Texan will walk down the herd a two weeks job and corral it, then begins the job of roping out and gentling the specimens. He will return to the states This involves tying the deer to stake ropes and teaching them to eat oats to eat from a trough and drink from buckets Finally, they'll be taken to Kotzebue and then flown by an Arctic Pacific airline DC for to Carrethers Goldwaith, Texas Ranch there they will be broken to harness and finally go to work for Santa Claus himself. Love it.

Carather said that his deer are already booked for appearances in more than 400 cities in 14 states. Quote, and a lot of American kids are going to get their first view of Donder and Blitzen and the rest of Santa's reindeer team, he declared. I would want to go see them. I would too. Like real reindeer, that's so sick. And it took, but the fact that it took so much work to get this going, it's kind of funny. And it seems like every year it was just more

and more reindeers being added on. I mean, clearly like he's going- He had to fly to like Alaska, multiple parts to get them and then bringing them back to the US crazy clearly He's at that point known across the country like different states and all that stuff. So that's pretty cool. I Did not know that that was like a business venture that someone could go into I Mean in 1950 1951 yeah, I mean anything is a business venture. Yeah. Yeah, I guess so I guess so

Fair All right. Well, there's my first article. Thank you. What's a very on the holiday spirits I wish I was born the holiday spirits, but you know, I guess it depends who you ask because Don't some people say that it's all about like the Christmas spirit Don't some people say that it's all about like the Christmas spirit? I guess so. Or like yeah, the spirit of the holidays. Well, I'm gonna be talking about the spirit of a cat Bom bom bom So this article is from

The Daily Republican Register, Mount Carmel, Illinois, Friday, June 15th. From a cat's grave in the rear of a farm shed has risen Zion. Catdom latest bit for fame. It is Topsy, the ghost cat. Topsy has risen to fame in literal sense for several days ago. She was buried after apparently meeting death in an accident. What?

Yeah. But with eight lives left, to her credit, Topsy wasn't content to remain underground. Oh, of course not. No. Today she is placidly enjoying the second of her nine lives. Topsy return from the feline shadowland is told by Ira Blackwell, one of Lake County's dry agents. According to Blackwell, Topsy belonged to one of his cousins.

Topsy was marked with brown, black, and white spots. Her left hand leg had been broken and had... Recknid? Had. Right? Ah! What? I don't know. R-E-K-N-I-T?

Recknid. Weird, I've never heard that word before. Yeah. And I read this, but I'm just gonna just skip that. No fair. But apart from that, she has... She was an ornary... Okay.

Hold on. Sorry. It's... Okay. Ornary sort of cat. With no signs for future fain apparent. On day, Topsy was chasing mice in a corn crib when a heavy barrel fell on her. Topsy's mashed, bleeding remains were dug out by her owner. There was no sign of life. It was decided to hold a regular funeral for Topsy. A grave was dug at the edge of the orchard and the remains deposited therein with due they are in, with dew prompt and ceremony, and a little mound marked with a headstone

heaped on the grave. The next day, a cat strolled in the kitchen. It was a bit wobbly, and its whiskers were dirty. It had brown, black, and white spots and seemed strangely at home. An examination disclosed a left-hander leg that had been broken and kinted. At last, Toppsie's mourners hastened to the grave. They opened the grave and dug down to the bottom. There was no cat remains there.

Where this cat like literally keeps dying and then coming back to life. A barrel fell on this cat and they're like there's no signs of life. They buried its mashed remains. Yeah. What? The description is crazy. No, I loved it. I saw this and I'm like, is this for real?

And I just kept reading through it and I'm like, there's nothing that says like, no, like it's a joke or anything. So cool. And that's it. Yeah, that's it. That's it. I want to hear more tales of this cat. Same! I want to know like, you know...

What did it use its other six lives for? Yeah, I want to know that as well. You know? Um, but who knows? Maybe Topsy will show up again. I hope so. That's the name though, so now we know what to search for. Topsy.

Topsy the cat. Yeah. Okay. Now, what to search for topsy topsy topsy the cat. Yeah, okay Now what do you have for us? My next article is from the Lima news in Lima, Ohio Sunday November 27th 1966 1666 Men concede battle of pantsuit

Okay, I don't know what to picture there's so many things going through my head Well, I'll just get into it. Go for it. Go for it. Forget what some say about the fashion conservatism and backwardness of Midwesterners. It's just true. It just isn't true in Lima, at least in the current national battle of the pantsuit. Lima's finest restaurants are rolling with the times in permitting women to dine in trousers cut like a man's. The one restaurateur said, quote, I must admit I haven't seen a pantsuit yet, end quote. By definition, the pantsuit is a matched and mated pair of slacks and a jacket. Pants tailored or formal and the women in them are causing big city bouncers and

made of these physical headaches and mental hallucinations in the no admittance wake They are making enemies of customers who have their pantsuit pockets loaded with the green backs. I Don't know what that means But in our town for the woman with the verve and the nerve to wear the tailor, there are no restaurants barred, nor are the bars. Louise's restaurant co-owner Joe Venturella went a few words further, quote, we have no objection to pantsuits at all. In fact, as long as the woman has clothes on she can be served and quote She that's true Joe as a relo co-owner of the Alpine Village

Opinions quote pants suits are fine, but if the girl wears those slacks stretch or whatever you call them We try to place her in the cocktail lounge Rather than the dining room. Shorts, though, are out," he added. Shorts are out. They definitely are. At the Argonne Hotel, manager W. James Wright noted, quote, we don't have hard and fast rules. If the outfit looks reasonably nice, we'd have no objection.

Actually, for women in general, the rule should be how does it look what condition are they in these are the questions I'd ask if I were a woman okay Milano clubs co-owner Joe Guadgente qualified his okay with quote as long as they are suits the pants and jacket but the ordinary stretch pant is out people don't really like these stretch pants I don't know. I don't know what a stretch pant is anyway, um I wasn't sure if that was like on the article or would just do your comment Oh, no, no, no, that was just my comment. Is it those that just have like the stretchy like thing waist band. I guess so

Yeah, I guess so probably that makes sense I guess so. Yeah, I guess so. Probably, that makes sense. At both Shawnee and Lost Creek Country Clubs, men are required to wear coats in the main dining rooms and stretch slacks for women are frowned upon, except in the grill rooms where Bermuda shorts too are permitted. As one Shawnee board member said, actually, who's to object if the pantsuit is smart and chic?

We don't go by the letter of the law rather. It's the intent I don't see any problem with feminine members wearing elegant pantsuits No, quote although Lost Creek spy laws do not permit women and slacks in the dining room The specific as yet has not been attested Barney Hassan dining room manager of the Elks Club added quote We have no restrictions. If a woman has a courtesy card, she can wear what she pleases. The girls who work behind our bars wear slacks.

At the Hudson, Maître D said, As long as the woman looks nice, we serve them. There is one girl who comes in with a suit like you describe, and she looks cute. The pantsuit tempest started last summer when high fashion designers in New York and Paris advocated the look for noon luncheons and evening dining and dancing rather than for strictly at home. At the time, most of the posh restaurants in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles refused feminine entry and such. This writer couldn't get in the Four Seasons restaurants in July clad in an evening pants

suit. Since then though, Four Seasons director Stuart Levin has changed his mind. Coked evening pants are accepted anywhere. There's a difference between pants, pants and the feminine look. Whatever that means. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not long ago, one of the world's best dressed women. Mrs. William Paley wife of the chairman of the board Of the CBS Corp was refused admitted to at the El Marroco

Because she sported the look another socialite Susanna York were glittering pargy clothes to the elite Colony club to have the manager politely but firmly say no. Associated Press fashion writer Jean Sprain Wilson set up a meeting of New York distinguished restaurateurs to get their opinions. With 30 members of the American Press Institute for Seminar for Women's Editors as Witnesses, various pantsuit styles were paraded. The most tolerant was Edward Zwaff of the new LaTolle restaurant. Plaza Hotel's assistant manager said, Pants are pants, and if women wear them, they'll be asked to leave. It doesn't matter what shape or form they take. If we admitted one, we couldn't refuse others.

The Trattoria restaurant in NYC is one of the many establishments that differentiates between day and evening pants, allowing the formalized evening ones. In New York City, there currently is a great unenhimited wave of pajama fashions, with practically all of the name 7th Avenue Design is presenting a version for next spring. Even some of the classicists such as Pauline Traeger, Adele Simpson, Donald Brooks, and Larry Aldrich include pants in their collections. Out of about 70 numbers in the Brooks showing, for instance, there are at least 15 pairs of evening pajamas, which is a lot of pajamas. That is a lot. But it's kind of cool. His bestseller is the bandana pajama.

In which a bandana is inserted in the soft top and wide wide legs drop from the bandana to the floor. Okay. I'm trying to picture that. Yeah, same. Oh wait, actually there is a picture of the bandana pants. Okay cool. We'll get to see that.

We'll get to see that. Nice. Dinner Pants and PJs by Bill Blass brought more applause than any other fashion at a benefit show the other day. He mixed wild prints and often softens the pant leg with floating belts. Miss Treshear shows collat skirts with suits. The collat hem's just above the knee. Party pants go all the way to the floor party pants now I don't know even fashion senior American designer Norman Norrell permits eating pajamas while moaning what's all this fuss what's all this business about pants

and that's the article love that that. Although, I... What year was this again? 1966. Man, the fact that like, they couldn't wear pants and be like... I mean, they could, but it wouldn't be like... They would be turned away. Yeah, people were like, no, you're not allowed to wear pants. Only men wear pants. Like, what?

And I think it was like a case by... Not case by case, but like restaurant by like restaurant It was like owner by owner different opinions. Yeah, I don't know a lot of the men are just gonna be men and be like no You can't wear like our waitress. Yeah slack, but then we went from pants suits to like pajamas. Yeah, I was like I don't know how we get there because aren't Pyjamas also a form of pants maybe? This is true.

I guess so. This is true. Also while I was reading this, I thought it was kind of funny how many names they mentioned. Oh my God, yes. And how I knew none of them. Like how I knew none of them. Cause this is in the 60s.

Yeah. And I was like, I'm sure these names meant something back then, but right now, no clue. I don't care. I don't give a fuck wear pants all you want girls Yeah, no, I came across an article as well and Honestly, I was like, okay, it's kind of interesting It was like a decent size, but then like three quarters of the article were just naming people and it was just like I'm sure they were relevant at the point at that time. But it's like, what am I gonna do with this now?

Yeah, but when you name more people than the length of the article, I think that's an issue already. Yeah. Anyway, pantsuits and how they were such drama back in the 60s. Yeah. Yeah, I mean Now they can wear whatever they want. Also, I I don't understand why like when a guy wears a suit We just kind of call it a suit, right? Yeah, but when a girl calls a suit, we call it a pantsuit. Oh

No, like it right like isn't that typical is that what it is Cuz a pantsuit I looked it's just a suit. Yeah, but yeah, yeah Yeah, I don't know anyway if you know right if you know what is Is it is it just like another like misogynistic thing that passed down from men like Is it just like another misogynistic thing that passed down from men? Like wanting to differentiate what they're wearing from women? Probably something like that. It's clothes. It has no gender.

Literally. So just let it be clothes. Literally. Anyway, moving on from your pants that apparently seem to be a crime. I guess so. We're moving to an actual crime. So just gonna give you the headline. It just says, unique criminal.

And then right underneath that it says, he stole the pursuing bloodhounds and sold them to a farmer for $5. So this was in Columbus, Ohio, June 28th. And it starts by saying in Columbus, CF Wyckoff of, oh my God, this town names and cities, Chilli-Cutie, I'm gonna go with that. Okay, yeah. Is in Columbus attempting to secure a pardon for George Hahn, sentenced to the penitentiary for 10 years from Adams County for forging an order for 25 cents worth of

tobacco. What year was this? Good question. I don't know. Not recent, that's for sure. No worries. My 25 cents worth of tobacco, that's not a lot. And it continues by saying...

It continues by saying... Honest is... Honest One of the noted prisoners in the Penitentiary. His severe sentence was not so much for his crime as for his actions after he was committed. Han was the first prisoner to be confined in the new jail in West Union. to be confined in the new jail in West Union. The builders of the prison offered a price of $100 to any man who would escape from its cells. Han had been confined in the jail,

but 24 hours when he made his escape, after he was re-arrested, he claimed the reward because of course. Okay. Oh yeah. He's winning it. But the contractor set up the claim that he had been assisted by one on the inside and refused to pay. So, because he didn't do it on his own. Yeah, he was like, no, I'm not paying you. Yeah, it's like you were supposed to do it on your own. He was like, well, where was the fine print? Bruce swindled him.

Han talked for a long time about bringing suit, but at last dropped the matter. And it continues by saying, The escape became a political issue in the county and destroyed careers of several politicians. After Han's escaped, the sheriff put two bloodhounds on his track. Han made friends with the dogs, on his track. Han made friends with the dogs, stole them, and sold them to a farmer for five dollars. He just sold them off that easy? No hesitation? No, no. Clearly those bloodhounds were a little too friendly. That's crazy. At Manchester he stole the laprobe and cushion from the buggy of the deputy sheriff who was after him.

He made his way to Wisconsin where he was finally arrested and landed in the penitentiary. As he has served three years his friends consider he has been sufficiently punished and will try to secure a pardon. And that's all. That is very unique. Yeah. It's like, what are you in for? Well, I broke out because there was a reward if I broke out.

Yeah, and then that caused more problems and then... Yeah, I don't even know why I was even here in the first place. It just, all this other stuff happened. I don't feel too bad for him selling those two dogs for $5. Because he did not get that $100. Mm. And I'm sure he got the dog. So he at least got something.

Yeah. Wait, so when was this posted to this article? Do you know? Let me take a quick look. If not, it's fine. No, it's fine. I'm sure I can. I just want to know how much 25 cents would equal. Fair.

You know? Unique criminal. Ohio, June 28th. Let's see. Wait, why am I? I mean, obviously it's old, but like, how old? Because 25 cents worth of tobacco? Yeah. Why would you go out of your way to steal that?

I don't know. I am having so much trouble with like the website right now. No, it's fine. We'll come back to it later. Yeah, we'll come back to it later. All good. But yeah. What do you have for us? We'll come back to it later. Yeah, we'll come back to it later. Okay, but yeah For us um

I have something completely different fair fair. That's the fun about this. This is from the Wichita beacon Wichita, Kansas It is it was posted on Tuesday January 23rd 1979 on Tuesday January 23rd 1979. This article is called Midget racer's dream, not so small now. Okay. Where is this going?

I'm assuming there's a race involved maybe. I don't know to be honest. Oh, there is. So this says Roger Van Horn doesn't claim to be clairvoyant, but he did have a dream that is about to become reality and may change the lives of area wayward youths. The results will be the first annual

Mid-America Midget Championships, scheduled March 31st to April 1st at the Kansas Coliseum. All proceeds will go toward the Kansas Sheriffs Association Boys and Girls Ranch to be located north of Wichita. Now it all began about three years ago for Van Horn, a Mays, Kansas mechanic who began driving a short, lightweight midget racing machine in 1962. Van Horn had been an avid fan of midget racing since he used to watch his father drive them at a young age, searching for a way to help

the Mays Lions Club and promote midget racing at the same time. Van Horn decided his organization should hold a race in Wichita. Quote, it was something I'd always wanted to do and I thought it was a pretty good idea, he said, but when I brought it up, I didn't hear anything about it for a year. When the Lions Club did get around to checking on the possibilities of sponsoring a race, Van Horn was given the go-ahead to put it together.

But there was still one problem. Quote, I realized we had a show and nothing to do with the money," said Van Horn, who his Lions Club sponsors several benefits a year. While watching television one day, Van Horn says the idea of having the money go towards a youth ranch came to him. After he saw the commercial, Van Horn says he telephoned Adrienne Farber, president of the Kansas Sher's Association. Farber, whose department has undertaken the task of creating a ranch for homeless youths, says the program is still in its infancy.

Farber says the project began several months ago and is being modeled after a similar program in Alabama. Construction of the ranch in Kansas is scheduled to begin in April. Quote, it's not for kids who are really offenders of the law. More for victims, said Farber. It's kind of like an orphanage, the ones that our offenders will be getting away from the contributing factors of the city. Van Horn says the ranch should be a place for youngsters to get their thoughts and values

together. I think it will be a good place to find themselves, he said. They can relax and work hard there. It's out in the fresh air and they'll have animals to take care of. They won't have much time to be alone. Van Horn says $8,000 is needed to get the rant started. He hopes to raise $10,000 from the race. In order to draw top flight drivers, Van Horn advertised the first annual Mid-America Midget Championships throughout the country. He rented the Kansas Coliseum for the two-day affair, even though he says it would be cheaper to hold it outdoors.

Coat, I know we're investing a lot of money, he said, but I think we'll make more money than if we had it in a pasture somewhere. Van Horn has been accepting applications for five weeks now and says all the preparations are starting to pay off. Thus far, the race has attracted 35 drivers from 12 states. Deadline for entering the race is February 15th. Van Horn says four of the top 10 national class double-A champions will be on hand for the event, including Johnny Pickle of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Johnny Pickle of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Mike Gidget of Garden City, Kansas. The total purse is set at $2,000 but Van Horn says if the crowd gets bigger I'm going to add to the purse. Times were when the midget racer's engine noise was extremely loud but Van Horn says mufflers have changed that. Van says the tiny gas efficient vehicles are a favorite of Indianapolis 500 drivers because of their man maneuver maneuver ability and easy handling there's so many like misspellings of words in this article or typos and stuff it's either misspelling or it's super old and it's not clear font. Exactly. Go ahead.

Anyway, because of their maneuverability and easy handling, Van Horn adds that although the cars probably won't exceed 65 or 70 miles per hour on the 1 eighth mile coliseum track, they often reach speeds of 100 miles per hour or more. Indy 500 drivers will tell you they have more fun and excitement driving midgets than their own cars. He said, when you get in a midget, all you have to do is drive. Love that. Do we not know the winner?

Nope. I mean, I could probably look at that. We're going to have to like follow up on that. Maybe something happened. Yeah But that's pretty cool though Tidal definitely gets you intrigued. You're like, huh? It does right? Yeah. Yeah, you're like, let me let me take a look at that love that mid America midget

racing Championship was a Johnny Pickle Racing championship was a Johnny Pickle My god, it's still going it's still a thing. Oh is it Wow? Okay, so this is the first of many many more My god, that's cool All right, well Europe sounds good. I have one more article and because this is the last episode of the year, let's talk about, let's not talk about resolutions because I don't know what I'm doing yet.

Valid. I have an article related to stirring a new year and And this is from 2003. And the title just says, kids plan to start the new year right. And how are they going to do that? This are the kids' resolutions. They asked some kids to put them on the newspaper and I think it was really cute, really fun. And it says, what are your resolution wishes for the new year?

And then I'll tell you the resolution of the kid and then the kid and then we'll move on to another one. So the first one says, in the past few years, I have resolved to do or not to do too many things and lose my focus on most of them. So for the coming year, That's so mean. Yeah. I'm going to focus on

Number one, setting a good example for being a good role model for younger kids. And number two, donating a portion of any earnings I may receive to charitable causes. Aw, that's really nice actually. Now, this was from Jeremy. Will not butcher his last name, but people will see it. And he's a middle school, he's an eighth grader. Now there's another one that continues by saying, my resolution for the new year are that I'm going to be more given.

I could start a canned food drive or donate close to the homeless shelter. I could do community work too. I could just help my mom around the house. My wishes for the new year are that more people try to help those in homeless shelters. More people are recycling. People are helping clean parks and playgrounds. More people are given to our community. This was from Christine Douglas from Jeff Davis Elementary School. She was a fourth grader at the time. That's so cute. The next one says, my resolution for the new year is to make better grades. I don't want

any more Cs. I want to make As and Bs. I want high scores on my work. I hope I get high scores on my report cards. This was from Haley Frisk from Jeff Davis Elementary. He was also a fourth grader at the time. The next one says, my resolution is to make better grades in school. That is my resolution because I want to pass School and graduate from high school He's so me He is so me and this was from Cody Lizzana from Cody West middle school He was a seventh grader at the time Cody's probably older than us right now like way older than I mean this was 2001 2003 Oh

Okay So he's seventh grader in 2003 definitely older than me, but yeah I mean, this was 2001, 2003. Oh, okay. So he's- Seventh grader in 2003. Definitely older than me, but- Yeah. And then the next one says, my resolution for the new year

is to try to make better grades. It would make both me and my mom happy. Karen Metzroth from West Worthman Middle School. She was a seventh grader as well. And then we deviate a little from grades. This says, my New Year's resolution is to start driving my mom's car. My other one is for my friends and I want to get along and talk to each other. I also would want to do more stuff like help my mom in her house, help my dad build a house, and most of all be more responsible. That's really sweet. I

like this. This is from Chris Grant, West Worman Middle School, seventh grader who wants to learn to drive cars as a seventh grader. Respect, he can be a midget racer when he gets older. He could be and then the next one says my resolution is to be a smart person. Oh me too. I want to go to college. I want to have a good job. These kids are so mean. I really want to have a lot of money. This is so mean. This is from Chastity Lander, West Worth Middle School. Yeah. And then the last one says, one of my resolutions, it's to be more confident in myself.

Oh, yeah. I need to trust myself at what I can do. One of my wishes is to do the best that I can at my gymnastics meet in Atlanta. This is a really big meet and I would love to do a to do great at it. And this was from Lindsey Gray, West Worthman Middle School, seventh grader as well. And after hearing all these resolutions I think I can agree that I kind of want mine to be the same. Be smart, make a lot of money, get good grades, go to college, yeah, be nice, and learn how to drive. Yeah, yeah, help around the house, donate, and you know, yeah.

Simple things that can get done throughout the year. Cute. That's really cute actually, I like that. I wasn't expecting these like nice little resolutions from the seventh graders. I don't know. I mean I think that's the difference between like if you asked younger kids like elementary school kids what they want for resolutions compared to like kids that have matured a little bit more. So yeah. So this was 2003 yes? Yes.

Yeah, and they were in seventh grade. So these guys are all roughly like 35-ish? Like they're all in their mid-30s right now? Honestly, if any of our listeners was one of these kids, write it in. That would be crazy. That would be insane if you were one of these kids. Let us know if you- Really cool. Actually, just let us know if you really cool actually just let us know

What your New Year's resolution is? Yeah, well yeah, let us know if you have any what you're gonna make if you're actually gonna stick to them this year I know I Probably will not um let's be honest. I don't remember my resolutions from this year Yeah, me neither um I don't know if I even made any because like I knew I was just gonna just go on with whatever's happening. Yeah. Fair. But yeah, what do you have for us? Following in the theme of New Year's resolutions to close out this year for us and start off the new year for you.

Listeners. I'm also talking about New Year's resolutions, but not in the way that you might think. This is from The Daily Tribune. It's from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, posted on Monday, January 3rd, 2000. The broken resolution solution. Don't make one.

New Year's resolutions are a lot easier to make than to keep. New Year's resolutions aren't what they used to be. It seems that at one time, everyone had a specific resolution chosen long before Father Time exited the current year and Baby New Year pranced in with his top hat and diaper. At the stroke of midnight I am going to smoke my last cigarette.

I will dust the cobwebs off that darn exercise bike and ride it five miles each and every morning. I'm going to fit into a size 8 if it kills me." Sound familiar? The reason these kinds of resolutions have to be made year after year is that they often aren't kept. Difficult or unrealistic resolutions are often meaningless vows made at midnight just because it seems like the thing to do. And as more and more people come to realize this, fewer and fewer are making hard and fast resolutions. In fact, most people interviewed by this Daily Tribune reporter as 1999 came to a close either had no resolution or had to take a moment to think

about what they would or should do. Quote, I don't make them because I break them, said Paul Sherrier, Wisconsin Rapids. I have good intentions, but they don't work out. End quote. Another quote, I don't make resolutions. I'm too pragmatic, said Stephanie Brown Adams. It's just another day. Paul Arnold, Wisconsin Rapids said he is, quote, not a big resolution maker, although he said he made resolutions in the past that included a vow to stop smoking. Although he since broke his cigarette habit, it was due to health reasons, not his New Year's resolution.

Other people did not have a firm resolution on the tips of their tongues, but after giving it a little thought, came up with vows that would make them better people in general. Louis Peters Adams said he would like to try to help others more, particularly the elderly. There's always someone worse off than you, he said. My New Year's resolution is to spend more time with my children. I have five, said Mary Boyd, town of Port Edwards. They're growing up too fast on me. Her ten-year- old daughter, Theresa, made her very first resolution this year,

saying she would try to fight less with her brothers. That's a good one. That's a good one, yeah. Personally, yeah. Ruth Butin Babcock resolved to read more, including reading more of God's word and to spend quality time with her grandchildren. Jamie Parmiter and Lindsay Barrett, 16-year-old sophomores at Assumption High School, both

said they would like to sharpen their basketball skills, and Barrett said she would try to start off the second semester of school with good, or better, grades. Both girls said that resolutions they made in past years were quickly forgotten. About the second week, usually, Barrett said with a sheepish grin. Resolutions aren't always radical lifestyle changes. For some, the new year is simply a time to rekindle a pledge to do something that they do all year anyway. Greg Stelmacher, Wisconsin Rapid said he planned to do

whatever it takes to stay healthy, including exercising and eating right. I usually do, but I have a renewed commitment at New Year's," he said. And finally, there are people who don't wait for the calendar to tell them it's time to better themselves. It's kind of silly, Julie Zacherl said of the whole New Year's resolution idea. You can make a resolution any time of year. You don't have to wait for the New Year.

Yeah. I like it. And there we have it. And I guess just to say, yeah, you don't need to force yourself into a resolution, but if you go at it with the right mindset and do something small to really just make yourself like 1% better in this new year, I think that's the way to go. Yeah. I think everyone considers the new year resolutions to be like drastic changes in their lives. And I'm just saying it just has to be like a small like improvement on yourself. Like anything, you know, could be like,

get an extra hour of sleep. Yeah. Or, you know, yeah. Really, really a really dumb, dumb saying. But if you make yourself 1% better every day at the end of the year you'll be 365% better. Yes. So yeah I don't know be good be kind be good to yourself be good to other people um and I guess with that I just want to say happy 2025 everybody. I hope this year goes well for you.

It's crazy 2024 is already over, but I'm excited for the new year. Looking back, it just flew by. Parts of it felt slow, but it just flew by. And yeah, we hope you stick around for 2025 with us. If you don't, thank you for joining us so far. If you're new, welcome. Thank you for joining us. Great time to find us, I would say.

Yeah, oh, definitely, definitely. We have a lot of things for you to check out. But we're excited. We're excited about this whole new year because I know for both of us, like personally and with the podcast, there's just been a lot that's changed. A lot that's happened here in 2024. And 2025 for me, at least, almost feels, yeah, 2025 for me almost feels like not a new start, but just a, like the guy kind of said in the article, like a renewed commitment to wanting to be better. Yeah, I was thinking of like a continuation of the good. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I'm excited and I hope you guys are too for this and for yourselves. Yeah. If you guys need some advice with New Year's resolutions a really simple one could be To write into your favorite podcast a little bit more That would be so easy just type type type send and that's one more than you sent last year Yeah, anyway enjoy folks we'll see you soon Um, yeah.

Anyway, enjoy, folks. We'll see you soon. Yeah, yeah we will. Till next time. Goodbye. Auga. Aaaaaah! No, Smurf!

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