The US Presidency and Tecumseh's Curse

Battle of Tippecanoe - Photo: Wikimedia

In 1840, General William Henry Harrison easily won the US presidency. He was celebrated as a war hero for having participated in the Battle of Tippecanoe, which defeated Tecumseh's Shawnee forces. However, Harrison's presidency would be short-lived. Some say it's a result of "Tecumseh's Curse".

According to legend, Chief Tecumseh sent a prophetic message to General Harrison. The message contained a premonition outlined by Tecumseh's brother, who had accurately predicted a lunar eclipse and gained credibility as a seer. The Shawnee warning stated that if Harrison were to win the presidential election, he would not finish his term. 

Furthermore, "After him, every great chief chosen every twenty years thereafter will die. And when each one dies, let everyone remember the death of our people." A curse had supposedly been set on the White House and its future occupants. The legend of the curse was not widely known until 1931 when a "Ripley's Believe it or Not" book brought publicity. In 1980 the Library of Congress would be unable to substantiate that Tecumseh had sent this message. 

Nonetheless, Harrison's presidency was indeed brief and unfortunate. He delivered a long inaugural address on a cold and windy day, and then he was caught in a rainstorm. He contracted a cold that quickly led to pneumonia and death. His death would be seen as the beginning of a long pattern: from 1840 to 1960, presidents elected in a year ending in zero would be assassinated or die of natural causes while in office.

The next supposed victim of the curse was Abraham Lincoln, who was elected in 1860. He was assassinated during his second term in 1865, just a few days after the Civil War had officially ended. His assassin was the Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. The twenty-year cycle next met President James Garfield. He took office in March of 1881. He was shot within a few months and died in September of that year. His assassin was Charles Guiteau, who was "upset" after being denied a diplomatic post by Garfield's administration. 

Next, William McKinley survived his first presidential term, but he was elected again in 1900. He was shot in 1901 while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He died about a week later. The assassin, Leon Czolgosz, was a self-described anarchist who called McKinley "the enemy of the people". 

Warren Harding was the next president to die while in office. He was elected in 1920. During a 1923 cross-country Voyage of Understanding, President Harding died at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The cause of his death is uncertain. Food poisoning and pneumonia may have been underlying causes. Newspapers cited heart attack or stroke, but suspicions of suicide or murder abound. Harding was an unpopular president and publicly stated that he wasn't fit for office! Some have accused Mrs. Harding of ending her husband's life; he was known to have extra-marital affairs, and he secretly had a child with another woman. 

The 1940 presidential election was met with newspapers headlines shouting "Curse Over the White House!" Franklin Roosevelt was then elected to his third presidential term, and then a fourth in 1944. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945. The course's final victim would be President John F. Kennedy, who was elected in 1960. He was assassinated in 1963 while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. There are many conspiracy theories about his assassination, but Lee Harvey Oswald was officially judged to be the lone gunman. 

The Shawnee curse was well-publicized by the 1980 election. President Carter was asked his opinion about it during a campaign stop that year. He replied, "I'm not afraid. If I knew it was going to happen, I would go ahead and be President and do the best I could, for the last day I could." 

President Ronald Reagan, who was ultimately elected in 1980, is believed to have broken Tecumseh's curse. He escaped a serious assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. within months of his inauguration in 1981.

The curse is also known as the Curse of Tippecanoe, the presidential curse, the zero-year curse, and the twenty-year curse. 

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How to Pair Cigars and Alcohol

Cigar and Alcohol - Photo: Pixabay

The cigar has long been viewed as a luxury of the rich and powerful.  Images of well-to-do men puffing on a stogie and swirling a glass of good brandy have been well documented and memorialized in films and TV.  If you are just becoming interested in cigars and would like to relax with a stogie and drink after a long day's work, here are a few tips to get you started.  

Traditionally, the cigar has been paired with a strong drink.  Popular spirits include rum, brandy, or whiskey.  Some argue that a good cigar should always be paired with a strong drink that has a hint of sweetness.  Indeed, cigar smokers have long enjoyed these popular pairings.  For years, the idea of pairing cigars with beer has gone overlooked.  But why overlook good old beer?  Recently, the trend has been to pair cigars with various varieties of beer.  It seems that as cigars have entered the mainstream, it has been democratized and popularized.  What better way to enjoy a puff of this newly popularized treat than to pair it with beer?  

 Pairing a good cigar with a good beer is not an easy feat, but when accomplished, it is well worth the effort.  Much of the pairing has to do with your experience level.  If you are a novice, you will probably need help in pairing your specific cigar with an appropriate beer.  If you have a more experienced palate, and you know what you like, you can probably make connections between certain types of cigars and beers.  

Because cigars are so strong and flavorful, one of the challenges in pairing is to find a beer that complements the intensity of most cigars.  Most cigars will pair nicely with a good barley wine or a single malt scotch.  If your cigar can be described as woody, spicy, with hints of cedar, try pairing it with a barley wine.  The fruity hint of bare wine should complement nicely with the spicy flavor of your cigar.  The combination of a spicy cigar with a slightly fruity beer can create an overall creaminess that enhances the flavors of each significantly.

If you have no clue as to what flavor combinations might work, experiment.  First, find a cigar that you enjoy.  Try to identify the characteristics that you enjoy it.  Then, find a beer whose flavors you think might 'match' or complement the cigar.  Many incredible discoveries have been made in much this same way.  

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Winter Olympics

8th Winter Olympic Games, Squaw Valley, California, February 18-29, 1960
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are plenty of different sports to keep your attention if you are watching the Winter Olympics. They take place every four years at different locations found around the world. Some of the most exciting events of the entire Olympics take place during the winter games. The most popular winter sports events that get watched are the skiing competitions and the skating events.

There are ten different events that take place for both men and women to compete in for the Alpine skiing competition. Cross-country skiing is offered as an individual and as a team event with competitions spanning over several different distances ranging from 15 km to 40 km.

Freestyle skiing allows those in competition to be judged on their style, their stunts, and the level of difficulty that they are able to offer during their routine. Ski jumping allows contestants to race down hills and then see how far they can jump in the air across an area. The way in which the land is also judged. The Nordic combined is a skiing event that offers a combination of cross-country skiing combined with jumping.

Snowboarding was added to the Winter Olympic Games in 1998 and continues to be one that many people love to watch. These events require the individual to use a board strapped to their feet without any poles as you would use in regular skiing. The individual controls the direction of the snowboard with their feet and body.

In the skating categories of the Winter Olympics, figure skating is watched by millions of viewers. There are individual and team events which have both been plagued with controversy over the years. In 1992 Nancy Kerrigan was attacked and injured while practicing for the Olympics. It was later determined that a rival, Tonya Harding, had launched the plan with her boyfriend to get Kerrigan out of the way for the competition.

In 2002 there was controversy surrounding the judges as the Canadian team had a flawless routine but the Russian team walked away with the gold. Rumors that some judges had been paid off quickly circulated and eventually the Canadian team was offered a gold medal. However, the accusations could not be substantiated enough to justify the removal of the gold medal from the Russian team.

The event of speed skating in the winter Olympics is one that has gained the attention of the audience in recent years. This involves individuals and teams racing around the ice at neck-breaking speeds. There is plenty of action though to keep you on the edge of your seat as they skate around the track.

Ice hockey is always a fun sport to watch, and there are events in the Winter Olympics for both men’s teams and women’s teams. Canada holds the record for the most gold medals in this event with 13. There is plenty of stiff competition in the ice hockey games though so make sure you tune in to cheer on your favorite teams.

The fastest sport in the Winter Olympics is the Luge. This event involves one or two people on a small sled that quickly descends down the course. The riders control the speed and the movement of the sled with their bodies so they have to exhibit strength in their calves and their shoulders in order to be very fast.

The bobsleigh events are very similar but there are events for a full five-person team as well as a two-person team. They sit upright for this particular event in the Winter Olympics while they lay down for the Luge events.

The next Winter Olympic Games will be taking place in 2010 and will be hosted by Canada. You will be able to watch all your favorite sports as the teams from around the world compete to take home the gold medals in the various individual and team sports.

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Related articles

• The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang might have a new problem - it's too cold for everyone(businessinsider.com)

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• Winter Olympics 2018: When is it, where is it, which sports are involved and who are Britain's medal hopes?(telegraph.co.uk)

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Targets used for Archery

Archery Target - Photo: Flickr

Archery is the skill of shooting arrows from a bow at a target. The individual scores are counted in the game and the archer with the highest total is declared the winner of the competition. There are two types of archeries the Target Archery and the Field Archery. This entails shooting at one target from different distances.

The Field archery is different from the Target Archery. It involves moving around a track, shooting at different sized targets from the distance that is unknown. If you want to learn about Archery Target, browse the website for more information. It is interesting knowing about the archery target.

Bows are used to achieve the target in the archery. These bows are made of materials like fiberglass, carbon and they have a sight and stabilizers. The stabilizers are connected to the bow to help keep it stable while shooting. Generally, bows are used in the field archery. Arrows hold a pointed metal tilt at the front and a furrow at the back, which makes a hole over the bowstring. The targets or butts are made of straw wires that are connected together. Canvas targets or the colored papers are joined to the targets.

To meet the archery target, a competitor has to shoot at the goal from diverse distances. There are two types of archery targets Out Door archery and In-Door archery. The diameters of the standard faces in the outdoor archery are approximately 122 cm and 80 cm. the 122 cm face is collected of a loop in the center of 24.4 cm diameter, which is circled by four concentric bands.

The 80 cm face is composed of around in the center of 16 cm diameter and it is also circled by four concentric bands. The width of each circle is around eight cm. Both the target faces are colored from the middle outwards in gold, red, blue, black and white.

The center of the gold is known as the pinhole, it should be marked with a tiny cross, and its lines should not surpass 2 mm in width.

The archery targets should be set up at one end of the ground. These targets should be appropriate at an angle of around 15 degrees and there should be pinholes 130 cm + 5 cm above the land. The altitude of the pinhole on a line of faces should be straight while looking at any time. All the archery targets should be visibly numbered and the shooting line should be exact because over this line the archers will take up the shooting position.

The shooting marks including discs and flat markers should be placed opposite the targets at the proper distances. These shooting marks are used to consider the number of the target. A waiting line should be painted five yards behind the shooting line.

The area on the ground where the people have right to enter should be roped off to point out that people are not allowed to pass the border. This will help the shooter to achieve his archery target and he will not get disturbed.

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The Chinese Chess

Some serious thinking going in this game of Xiangqi (Chinese chess) - Photo: Flickr

The Xiangqi falls under the same family as the Chaturanga, Shogi, Janggi and Western chess. This is a two-player chess game that originated in China and is commonly known as the Chinese chess.

Xiangqi is one of the most popular board games in the world. Features unique to the game is the movement of the pao or cannon piece, the rule prohibiting the generals or chess kings from directly facing each other and the place and river features that restrict the movement of some pieces.

History of Xiangqi

The game has a long history through the accurate origin has not been definitely confirmed. However, earliest indications reveal that Xiangqi may have been played during the 4th century B.C. by the Lord of Mengchang, Tian Wen. 

The word Xiangqi can mean "figure game", which can be treated as the "constellation game". The boards used for the game is also called the "heavenly river", which may mean the Milky Way. More so, the early versions of the game have been based on the movements of the objects in the sky.

During the Song Dynasty, the game took three forms. One of the forms consisted of thirty-two pieces, which was played on a board consisting of nine horizontal and nine vertical lines. Additionally, the popular board used during those days was the one without the river borderline.

When the Qing Dynasty entered, the economic and cultural progress gave way to the new stage of

Xiangqi. There are different schools of players and circles that came into prominence. Along with the

popularity of the game, a number of manuals and books regarding the techniques of playing the game were also published. These publications played a vital role in popularizing Xiangqi and improving the techniques used in modern times.

Rules of Xiangqi

The board used in Xiangqi is nine lines wide and ten lines long. The pieces are played on the intersections or points. Files are the term used for the vertical lines, while ranks are for the horizontal lines. It is also possible to play Xiangqi in a standard chess set but with few substitutions.

Two players control pieces located on either side of the river. The pieces are also painted in red, while

the other player’s in black. The rules regarding who moves first are varied throughout history and also from one part of Chine to another. There are books stating that the black moves first though others indicate that the red should move first. More so, there are other books referring to the two sides as north and south.

The General is the equivalent of the King used in Western chess. Much like the modern chess, when the General is threatened by an enemy piece, it is "in check". Additionally, it can be checkmated when it is unable to escape a check from an opponent.

The Guard or Advisor is the equivalent of the Queen since most of their powers are similar to that of the Western chess piece. The War Elephant or Minister move two points diagonally and cannot cross rivers, thus they usually serve as defensive pieces.

The Horse or Cavalry begins the game next to the elephants and moves one point horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The Chariot or Rook can move at any distance either horizontally or vertically. The movement of the Cannon or Catapult is similar to the chariot but can capture by jumping at one piece over its target. Lastly, The Private or Soldier can move and capture by advancing one point similar to the pawns.

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Allington Castle

Allington Castle - Photo: Wikipedia

Allington Castle stands beside the River Medway about a mile north of Maidstone.  This beautiful, moated castle seems perfect, but the perfection has been contrived in modern times.  

Henry II destroyed a Norman castle after the revolt of 1173-74.  The low mound immediately southwest of the present castle represents the motte and some herringbone masonry is visible in the curtain facing it.  Other than that, Sir Stephen de Penchester, Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports built the existing structure.  He obtained a license to crenellate in 1291 and the original survives.

His castle is characteristic of the Edwardian age but is not uncompromisingly military like the contemporary castles of Wales.  In design, it reflects the quadrangular layout that was becoming popular, but the rear bows outwards in a gentle curve and the distribution of towers is quite irregular.

Five D-shaped towers of different sizes project from the curtain, though one or two others existed originally.  Solomon's Tower, at the south corner, is the largest and may be regarded as an early tower house. There is also a gatehouse flanked by simple, half-round turrets; the machicolations above the gateway are modern. 

Some ruins of barbican survive on the far side of the moat.  The range on the southwest side of the courtyard, known as the Penchester Wing, may incorporate a slightly older manor house.  However, once the castle was built, the main apartments stood opposite, centred on a hall that still exists but is largely a reconstruction.  Only its fifteenth-century porch is authentic.

In 1492, Allington was granted to Sir Henry Wyatt in recognition of his loyalty to Henry VII.  He upgraded the castle by building the narrow range which divides the courtyard into two unequal parts.  Its upper floor forms a long gallery.  The picturesque, half-timbered house within the smaller enclosure also dates from the Wyatt period.

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Baroque Architecture

Baroque Castle - Photo: Max pixel

A very early style of architecture, but a very beautiful style is Baroque architecture, which began in the early 17th century in Italy.

Taking the renaissance architecture and modifying it to a new theatrical, sculptural fashion, Baroque architecture became a very fanciful, extravagant style of structural design.

While the Renaissance style was designed for the well to do of society, the Baroque architecture initially played into the wealth and power of the Roman Catholic Church.

The concerns were for light, shade and color intensity and Baroque found its secular expression in grand palaces first in France, then throughout Europe.

If you were to visit France today, the Chateau de Maisons would be one of the highlights of Baroque architecture.

One of the most famous though of the Baroque architecture pieces is the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is the most prominent building inside Vatican City. Topped with its towering dome, it is a notable feature in the Roman skyline.

Baroque structures are grand in size and ornaments. As baroque moved through Europe, it eventually took on the look of European Colonialism.

Greenwich hospital in London, England is another beautiful example of Baroque architecture. Founded in 1694 as the Royal Naval Hospital for sailors, the Greenwich hospital is famous for its Baroque Painted Hall, which was painted in honor of King William and Queen Mary.

The chapel is an awesome example of not only Baroque architecture but of baroque art with its high gold painted ceilings.

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