Clarence Yoder, a 40-year-old from Idaho Falls, found himself in a wild predicament after a night of revelry ended with a bizarre encounter near Yellowstone's West Entrance. Allegedly intoxicated, Clarence decided to take on a bison, resulting in both injury and arrest.
Park rangers swiftly responded to reports of bison harassment and found Clarence's vehicle near the West Entrance. They didn't need to look far to locate him, as his drunken escapade had landed him in the nearby town of West Yellowstone, Montana.
Charged with offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to disturbing wildlife, Clarence's night of mischief didn't end well. He suffered minor injuries from his altercation with the bison, requiring medical attention before a less-than-glamorous ride to the Gallatin County Detention Center.
But Clarence wasn't alone in his misfortune. McKenna Bass, the driver of the vehicle, faced charges of her own, including driving under the influence and disturbing wildlife.
Both Clarence and McKenna pleaded not guilty to their charges, though the consequences could be steep, with fines reaching up to $5,000 and the possibility of six months behind bars.
As park officials noted, this incident marked the first instance of a visitor being injured by a bison in Yellowstone in 2024. Yet, it serves as a reminder of the inherent dangers of approaching wildlife within the park's boundaries.
Sitting comfortably on my grandparents’ red loveseat, I waited anxiously for my mamone (our name for grandmother) to read one of her many stories. Underneath a small night stand she plucked my favorite book – Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup by Tomie dePaola.
She sat down next to me, wetting her finger to better turn the beautifully illustrated pages. “Now listen Eugene, my grandma is nice,” she read, shooting me a smile. “But she pinches my cheeks a lot and her house is full of funny old stuff.”
The matriarchal Italian grandmother portrayed in the book – always cooking and spoiling her grandson – reminded me of mamone and the old house I always loved to visit.
Listening to my mamone read books was my favorite part of any trip to my grandparents’ quaint ranch-style home, save for maybe sneaking into their pantry to eat some Oreos or butterscotch Tastykakes.
I was of course always caught and softly scolded, but I knew my mamone had placed the treats on the bottom shelf just so my short arms could reach them.
As I grew older, as children stubbornly do, my life became busier. The trips to my grandparents’ house became more infrequent. After a while, fewer boxes of Tastykakes stocked the pantry’s shelves, and the books my mamone used to read to me started to collect dust.
I had almost forgotten these distant memories until a few weeks ago when I visited my mamone again, this time in a nursing home. For years, mamone had struggled with dementia, a horrible disease I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy.
By the end of her life, my mamone forgot how to feed herself, go to the bathroom and speak. Daily tasks as simple as swallowing ice cream – her favorite food – took minutes, sometimes longer, to accomplish.
Just weeks before her passing on March 15, my mamone was confined to a wheelchair and was nearly unresponsive.
A common misconception about dementia is that only the person with the disease loses his/her memory. More often than not, family members struggle to remember the person who they slowly lose as the disease progresses.
On one of my final visits, I reached over to her nightstand and pulled out a story book that my mom had brought from home. While my once lively mamone sat still and quiet, I began to read The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado.
As I read, I made sure to always show her the illustrations that adorned each page, just as she had done for me years ago.
The book recounted the life of a small lamb unable to travel to new pastures because of his crippled leg. The lamb was left behind with only one friend to keep him company. Yet, in the stillness and quiet of the night, the holy family – Jesus, Joseph and Mary – found shelter in the manger where the feeble lamb was sleeping.
While the lamb couldn’t offer much, he slept against the baby Jesus to keep him warm and safe from the cold of the night, reminding him that he was not alone.
As the lamb took his place once again beside his friend he said, “you were right, God does have a special place for me.”
When I held up the picture of the once forgotten but now proud little lamb, I could see a faint smile come across my mamone’s face.
It was in that moment that I could see she remembered me, and, looking at her smile, I remembered her too.
James, away for a week at a seminar, found himself missing his wife, Rachel, intensely. The separation heightened their yearning for each other’s presence, prompting James to request a picture from Rachel to feel closer, even if miles apart. Eager to fulfill her husband’s request, Rachel felt a wave of insecurity wash over her. Lately, she had been struggling with feelings of loneliness and a perceived decline in her physical appearance. Unbeknownst to James, Rachel was haunted by a sense of inadequacy that made her reluctant to show herself in the way she believed her husband deserved. In a moment of desperation, Rachel decided to send James an old photo from a time when she felt more confident – a period when she was still with her ex-boyfriend. The picture captured her in a car, smiling, but…
The reflection in the window betrayed her secret. The silhouette of her ex-boyfriend taking the picture was unmistakable. When James received the picture, he was initially thrilled to catch a glimpse of his wife’s smiling face. However, as he examined the image more closely, the reflection in the window revealed a figure that sent shockwaves of confusion and hurt through him.
Fueled by a mixture of betrayal and anger, James made a hasty decision. He called his lawyer, instructing them to start the divorce proceedings. The pain of seeing Rachel seemingly in the company of her ex overwhelmed any rational thoughts. Meanwhile, Rachel, unaware of the turmoil she had unleashed, anxiously awaited James’ response. As the hours passed without a reply, she felt a gnawing regret for her impulsive decision to send an old photo.
Dr. Vanessa MacKay, affiliated with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, elucidates:
“The vagina possesses an innate self-cleansing mechanism facilitated by natural secretions, which harbor beneficial bacteria essential for its protection.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, the typical vaginal pH falls within the range of 3.8 to 5.0, indicating a moderately acidic environment compared to the naturally neutral pH of 7.
Dr. MacKay further emphasizes that it is entirely normal and indicative of good health for women to experience clear or white discharge from the vagina. Disrupting this natural equilibrium, however, can predispose individuals to infections.
This is what it means if you find a “bleach” spot on your underwear:
The Internet and the huge amount of information it offers are very useful tools for many reasons that anyone can list.
It
seems to have a lot of benefits for our daily lives, but the fact that
it’s a never-ending source of shared knowledge may be what makes it the
best invention of the last few hundred years.
If you know where to
look, there is no subject you can’t read up on and no answer you can’t
find. We can solve mysteries that would have been impossible to solve
for decades with just a few clicks of the mouse or keystrokes on the
keyboard.
In the past few years, many old myths have been busted
online. At the same time, life hacks and helpful hints have become
common knowledge, when only a few people knew them.
For example,
have you ever thought about why your underwear looks like it has a
bleach spot on it? If you have, you’re not the only one. Women looking
for answers have asked the same question online.
As well as
answers they found. It turns out that those spots of color have nothing
to do with your machine, as some people thought.
Different news sources say that these “bleach” spots are actually caused by the vagina’s natural pH levels.
In the words of philosopher and poet George Santayana, “Those who
cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” But this time
around, we beg to differ! We agree that advice from the early 1900s is
not the first place you go for hacks to make life simpler. (Thanks,
Google!) However, the New York Public Library digitized 100 “How to Do It” cards that manufacturers would place inside cigarette boxes.
Back
in the early twentieth century, cigarette companies would place these
cards in their products. They quickly became collectibles that included
anything from celebrity photos to advertisements. But printing life
hacks on these cards was an idea pioneered by the UK-founded tobacco
company Gallaher cigarettes. Now, while we can’t support cigarettes
themselves, there is no doubting these cigarette card life hacks
probably helped make many people’s lives easier, at least a little bit.
For
your viewing pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of the most clever and
practical 100-year-old life hacks that are still useful today.
These
images are the life hacks people used to get in their cigarette packs,
coupled with a little instructional sheet which we’ve quoted for you
below each one.
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“A
splinter embedded in the hand is often very painful to extract. A good
way to accomplish this is to fill a wide-mouthed bottle with hot water
nearly to the brim, and press affected part of the hand tightly against
mouth of bottle. The suction will pull down the flesh, and steam will
soon draw out the splinter.“
2. How to Cut New Bread into Thin Slices
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“
The
difficulty of cutting new bread into thin slices can readily be
overcome by the following expedient. Plunge the bread knife into hot
water and when thoroughly hot wipe quickly. It will be found that the
heated knife will cut soft, yielding new bread into the thinnest slices.“
3. How to Revive Cut Flowers
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“To
revive choice blooms that have faded during transit, plunge the stems
into hot water, and allow them to remain until the water has cooled. By
that time the flowers will have revived. The ends of the stems should
then be cut off and the blossoms placed in cold water in the usual way.“
4. How to Make a Fire Extinguisher
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“Dissolve
one pound of salt and half a pound of sal-ammoniac in two quarts of
water and bottle the liquor in thin glass bottles holding about a quart
each. Should a fire break out, dash one or more of the bottles into the
flames, and any serious outbreak will probably be averted.”
5. How to Test Butter
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“A
good way of testing butter is shown in the picture. Rub a little of the
suspected compound upon a piece of paper and set the paper alight. If
it is pure butter, the odor will be daintly and agreeable, while the
presence of Margarine is made known by an unpleasant tallowy smell.”
6. How to Judge the Weather
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“The
traveler, setting off in the early morning, will find a fairly sure
guide as to the weather he is likely to encounter by watching a very
small distant cloud. If the cloud grows gradually larger, then
unsettled, rainy weather will probably come. But if the cloud decreases
in size, the day should be a fine one.
”
7. How to Treat Sprains
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“Elevate
the injured joint and wrap in cloths wrung out in cold water. The
picture shows how to keep the cloths constantly wet without having to
change them. A jug of water placed higher than injured limb, and a strip
of linen with one end in the jug and the other end resting upon the
wrapping of sprained joint, is all that is necessary. The water will
pass from jug to compress by way of linen strip. Give a rubbing with oil
or liniment as sprain gets better.“
“The
familiar difficulty of lighting a match in wind can be to a great
extent overcome if thin shavings are first cut on the match towards its
striking end, as shown in the picture. On lighting the match, the curled
strips catch fire at once; the flame is stronger, and has a better
chance.”
9. How to Clean Oil Paintings
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“The
pictures show a very effective method. Painting should first be well
dusted and then rubbed gently with the flat surface of cut raw potato,
the lather being wiped away with a soft rag. The dirty part of potato
must constantly be pared off in order to keep clean the surface applied
to the picture. Finish off with a rub of pine linseed oil.“
10. How to Boil Cracked Eggs
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“To
boil cracked eggs as satisfactorily as though they were undamaged, a
little vinegar should be added to the water. If this is done, it will be
found that none of the contents will boil out.”
11. How to Preserve Valuable Vases
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“If
the following precaution is taken, the danger of knocking over a
valuable vase will not be so great. Partly fill the vase with sand,
which, acting as a weight, keeps it upright and firm on its base. This
idea is particularly useful in the case of vases which are inclined to
be top heavy, owing to their having small bases.“
12. How to Take Ink Stains Out of a Handkerchief
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“A
fine linen handkerchief which has had the misfortune to become stained
with ink can be restored to its original spotlessness. When the accident
occurs, the handkerchief should at once be plunged into milk. After
soaking for some time it will be found that the ink stains have
disappeared.”
13. How to Clean Bottles
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“To clean the interior of
bottles, a little sand and water should be well shaken about inside
them. This will have the effect of cleansing every part, and the bottles
can then be washed out and drained.“
14. How to Increase Lung Power
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“Stand
erect on the balls of the feet, and with the head held well back. Then
inhale deeply until the lungs are fully inflated, gradually exhale,
allowing the chest to sink first, followed by the lungs. Repeat the
exercise several times both morning and evening.”
15. How to Clean Real Lace
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“To
clean real lace, lay the lace on a sheet of blue or white tissue paper,
and well covered with powder of calcined magnesia. Cover with more
paper and place under a weight for a few days. The lace will be found to
be quite clean after shaking out the powder, and the most delicate
texture remains uninjured.“
16. How to Make a Simple Gate Latch
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“A
loose gate latch of the ordinary shape generally allows gate to swing
open. The picture gives shape of a latch which does away with this. When
screwed to gate post, this latch will be found to swing in position to
secure gate, as the greatest weight of latch is beneath screw pivot.”
“If
a tree stump is not removed from the ground, it often starts sprouting,
and strong undergrowth results. To prevent this, holes should be bored
in top of stump, and a patch of bark cut from inside and more holes
bored there. A mixture of solignum and salt filled into these holes will
soak through the tree stump and kill it.”
18. How to Bandage an Injured Foot
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“Rest
injured foot on operator’s knee on a clean towel. Commence bandaging in
manner shown by the lower diagram, the bandage being bound over and
round the back of the foot in a spiral fashion, and eventually affixed
by means of a safety pin, just beneath ankle, as shown in the upper
illustration.”
19. How to Prevent Colors Running
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“To
prevent colors in household linen from running and staining other linen
when washed together, colored things should first be steeped in a
solution of walt water. A double handful of salt to a gallon of water is
a good proportion, and colored things should be left to soak in this
for about twenty-four hours.”
20. How to Save Gas on the Gas Stove
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“Get
a piece of sheet-iron large enough to cover the top of the stove. You
will then find that enough heat can be diffused throughout it to cook a
whole dinner. The saucepan needing the greatest heat should be placed
directly over the burner, where the sheet-iron is hottest.“
21. How to Make a Good Polish
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“A
splendid polish can be made for pictures, mirrors, pianos, floors,
etc., by mixing in a bottle of equal parts vinegar and paraffin. Cork
and keep for use. A few drops of oil of lavender will give the polish a
pleasant smell, and make it doubly effective in keeping away the flies.”
22. How to Mend Broken China
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“To
mend broken china so that the mended article will stand washing in hot
or cold water, some common alum should be heated in an old iron spoon
until it melts, and then applied to the broken pieces. The pieces should
be retained in position by string and allowed to thoroughly set.“
23. How to Clean New Boots
Image Credit: New York Public Library
“New
boots are sometimes very difficult to polish. A successful method is to
rub the boots over with a half a lemon, allow them to dry, after which
they will easily polish, although occasionally it may be found necessary
to repeat the application of the lemon juice.”
Over the
decades, more innovative and efficient methods of doing some of the
things listed above have been created. But if you ever find yourself
without certain products or ingredients, these life hacks may just come
in handy!
