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Kris Kristofferson’s Family Sees Rainbow On Thanksgiving: “When You See A Rainbow, Know He’s Smiling Down At Us All”

Surely a Thanksgiving rainbow is a sign from Kris Kristofferson. Thanksgiving Day marked two months to the day since the passing of the country music legend. The holiday season is undoubtedly the best time of the year, but it can be challenging for those that have recently lost a loved one. For the Kristofferson family, this was the first holiday celebrated without their beloved patriarch. Country artist Margo Price was one of the guests that was invited to Hawaii (Kristofferson's home state) for the Thanksgiving weekend. She gave the social media world a look into the celebration and gathering, which was also attended by another famous former member of the Highwaymen - Willie Nelson. Price shared pictures and explained more about her visit to Hawaii for Thanksgiving in the caption of her post: "This is our third year to visit our chosen family, Willie and Annie Nelson (and the Kristoffersons!) for the holiday in Hawaii. We had a leftovers and listening party at Willie’s where we played each other mixes from our unreleased albums and swapped jokes." Sounds like an enjoyable and memorable Thanksgiving to me. I know I would have loved to get to listen to unreleased Willie Nelson music at my Thanksgiving (I instead got to hear my uncle spew about conspiracy theories while strategically working in compliments about the food). Price also shared pictures of some of the adventures and activities she experienced while in Hawaii, including a trip to the Kristofferson family home in Hana, Hawaii. The country and America singer also captured an unbelievable moment when - on Thanksgiving Day - a rainbow appeared out over the ocean that could be seen clear as day from the Kristofferson household. As she described in the rest of her caption: "We also had the once in a… Read More

Collector Finds What Is Believed To Be The Earliest Country Music Recording Ever Made

Now this is cool. Country music has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s. The first country recordings were generally considered to be made by Eck Robertson back in 1922 when he recorded four fiddle songs including "Turkey In The Straw" and "Arkansaw Traveler" for the Victor Talking Machine Company. In the 1920s, artists like Uncle Dave Macon and Vernon Dalhart traveled to New York City to record what was then known as "hillbilly music." But country music changed for good in 1927 when producer Ralph Peer stopped in Bristol, Tennessee to record artists like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. The "Bristol Sessions," as they came to be known, are generally regarded as the most influential in country music history and earned Bristol the nickname of the "Birthplace of Country Music." But as it turns out, there are actually country recordings that are more than 30 years older than the Bristol Sessions. A collector named John Levin purchased a box of wax cylinders at an auction in Pennsylvania. And when he put them on his player, he found that they contain what may be the first country recording ever made. The song is "Thompson’s Old Gray Mule," which was later recorded by Uncle Dave Macon. But the recording, which dates back to 1891, was made by a black New Orleans singer named Louis Vasnier. According to the Washington Post, Vasnier began singing publicly in the 1880s, and in the 1890s began recording parody sermons for the Louisiana Phonograph Company. It's not clear where the cylinder containing this recording came from, but it's probably safe to say that at one point it was played on a jukebox somewhere in the New Orleans area. And late last month, the recording became available for the first time. Released by Archeophone,… Read More

Massive Burmese Python Spotted In Mouth Of Alligator, Possibly The Longest Ever Found In Everglades National Park

Typical Florida activity. I think we need to rethink the nickname of "Sunshine State." The fact that Florida gets a lot of sunshine is just as obvious as the fact that the state is overrun by pythons, or even worse: Disney adults. Calling Florida by a nickname that's Vitamin-D positive seems to be giving it too much credit... at least in my mind. What should it be nicknamed? I think the "Burmese Python State" has a nice ring to it. Maybe even the "Mickey Mouse" or the "We Have Harry Potter World" state. There are plenty of other, more specific options to choose from. Much like the deceased python in the video below, I'm just floating ideas out there. I'll get off my Florida soapbox to start talking about this wild video out of southern state, which shows a smaller alligator parading around a massive, dead-as-a-doorknob Burmese python. The large snakes are basically the definition of invasive species. Ever since they were accidentally introduced to Florida in the 1970s and 1980s, they've been a huge thorn in the side of the state's natural ecosystem. That's why the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hosts a Florida Python Challenge every year. Since the large reptiles pose a threat to the native wildlife of the state, the FWC encourages residents to go into the Everglades and kill as many as they can (such a Florida thing to do). Whoever kills the most has historically been awarded a grand prize of $10,000. As crazy as that whole thing sounds, it's necessary to keep the ever-and-rapidly-expanding Burmese python population as low as possible. Female pythons can lay around 50 to 100 eggs at one time, so more and more of the invasive species are almost always being born into an ecosystem in which they… Read More

The Internet Is Obsessed With CHUNKY Bear Ready For Hibernation

Well fed. Hibernation season is here. All over the nation, bears are preparing to hibernate during the winter as food becomes scarce. Hibernation has always been one of those things in nature that fascinates me. It's amazing to learn how bears of all kinds have adapted to their climate and evolved so that when food supplies are limited, they can survive without food. Of course, this requires some planning on their end to eat a little more beforehand so they do not starve over their hibernation period. While it's often thought that bears sleep throughout their entire hibernation, that is, in fact, not the case. The Alaska Department of Fishing and Game cleared up that rumor when publishing an article detailing the specifics of what hibernation looks like for a bear. "Bears have developed unique adaptive strategies in order to survive for so long without food and water. They lower their body temperature by 8-12 degrees and break down fat stores for energy. Some protein is used as well, but bears largely conserve their muscle mass and thus do not become appreciably weaker during hibernation. Bears do wake up, however, and move around inside the den. It’s kind of like your dog sleeping. Bears will go through a lot of posture changes where they wake periodically to shift around. It is thought this helps prevent pressure sores from developing." During hibernation is also when female bears give birth to their cubs. The mother wakes up to give birth, and then goes back into hibernation. The cubs stay in hibernation with their moms after entering the world, and after they nurse, they too, enter a state of hibernation. Cubs won't eat solid food for the first time until they are close to six months old. Because of this, momma bears need… Read More

Donald Trump Has A Robot Dog Named Spot Protecting His Mar-A-Lago Home

That's a good boy...or girl...or robot. Security is no doubt tight around Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate these days. Not only was Trump recently re-elected President of the United States, but there have also been several attempts on his life already this year, including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania over the summer and the arrest of a man on one of Trump's golf courses who was attempting to kill the former/future president. The Department of Justice also recently revealed that they had disrupted a plot from an Iranian official who had ordered agents in the United States to assassinate Trump before his inauguration next year. So at this point, the Secret Service - and Trump himself - can't be too careful when it comes to security for the future President. Ahead of the inauguration on January 20, Trump is of course spending a lot of time at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. And the club presents its own challenges for protecting the president - so it appears they've had to bring in some special resources. Since the election, a robot dog named Spot has been...well, spotted...patrolling the grounds at Mar-a-Lago, a bizarre sight as children can often be seen playing on the lawn beside it. https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1863679710208856510 The Secret Service confirmed that the dog is part of their measures to protect Trump at his home, revealing that Spot is equipped with special surveillance technology to help them out: "Safeguarding the President-elect is a top priority. The robotic dogs at Mar-a-Lago are Secret Service assets and while we cannot discuss the specific number or their capabilities, we can say the robotic dogs are equipped with surveillance technology, and an array of advanced sensors that support our protective operations." The dogs are made by a company called Boston Dynamics, and the… Read More

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