Was Adolf Hitler lopsided, a/k/a one grape short?

By Mona Goldwater, European Affairs Ed.

An account by a German army medic confirms what the world long suspected: Hitler was lopsided, or, one grape short.  War vet Johan Jambor revealed the secret to a priest in the '60s.  The Priest wrote it down, according to The Sun, and his account surfaced 23 years after Jambor's death.

This seems to confirm an alleged Soviet autopsy on Hitler's remains made shortly after the war claimed Hitler was short one testicle. Most historians dismiss this reference as Commie propaganda.

Records do show Hitler was wounded in the groin in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, and 

The Fuhrer's missing testicle has been mocked for years in a British song:

Hitler has only got one ball,

The other is on the kitchen wall,

His mother, the dirty bugger,

Chopped it off when he was small. 

She threw it over Germany,

It landed in the deep blue sea,

The fishes got out their dishes,

And had scallops and bollocks for tea. 

Frankfurt has only one beer hall,

Stuttgart, die München all on call,

Munich, vee lift our tunich,

To show vee "Cherman" have no balls at all.

 

Until then, there was never actually proof Hitler was asymmetrical Down There. The priest wrote that Jambor saw the evidence with his own eyes. Johan Jambor's friend Blassius Hanczuch confirmed that the medic had indeed saved Hitler’s life in 1916, but alas not the missing ball.

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Rethinking the Bellamy Salute

By Mona Goldwater, Symbols & Gesture Ed.

The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance is usually accompanied by a hand-gesture, or salute. The first salute, adopted in 1892, is known as the Bellamy Salute.

The similarity of the Bellamy salute to the Nazi salute (which scholars think was directly inspired by from the U.S. salute), led Congress to mandate the hand-over-the-heart salute we now use (civilians anyhow) when saying the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the national anthem.  The Bellamy salute was decommissioned on December 22, 1942, one year after the U.S. declared war on Germany and Japan.

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Painting: Map 12

By Jack Brummet

click to enlarge

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Bathroom Mirror Selfie

By Jack Brummet

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Mary & Gretl, a 1917 stop motion video by animator Howard S. Moss

By Jack Brummet, Archives Ed.

In the film Mary & Gretl, a fairy brings two dolls to life.  This is from a series of stop-motion puppet movies by the animator Howard S. Moss.

The book, "Origin of American Animation 1900-1921" describes the film: “Alice in Wonderland meets the Garden of Eden…[a] surreal fable of a drunk rabbit, bowling dwarfs, and the two bewildered girls..."

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KeeKee's horror film star turn

By Jack Brummet, Cinema Ed.

Here are some of the screen captures from Keelin's appearance in the student film "Dead End." The zombie mom.

click to enlarge

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Drawing: Faces #796 - Corners

By Jack Brummet

click to enlarge

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Drawing: One hard day

By Jack Brummet

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ATIT Reheated: Robert, the Sentient Doll (and probably inspiration for Chucky)

By Jack Brummet
Unexplained and paranormal editor

Robert The Doll just about had to be the inspiration for the Twilight Zone episodes "Living Doll" and another one I remember but can't track down (it was probably in Night Gallery).  In "Lucky Doll," the doll says "My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you."  

Robert clearly spawned Chucky.  Just about every TV horror series does a doll story sometime [1], or a few times, in their run.   Thanks to frequent paranormal, alien lore, and news of the bizarre tipster, Jeff Clinton, for this one.  I had heard of Robert a few times before, but never dug in until Jeff hooked me up.


In Key West, FLA, there is a history museum inside a fort.  In the fort "lives" Robert, the Haunted Doll.    He was made, or maybe bought, by a family servant for a five year old, Gene Otto, in 1904. From early on, people claimed that Robert was a disturbing presence,  His eye blinks, giggles, and moans have been written about over the last hundred years. Wherever he's "lived." there have been reports of strange doings.




Robert the Doll photo by Rob O'Neal, Key West Art & Historical Society press release dated September 20, 2004.





Gene Otto died in 1974.  Robert ended up  in a glass case in the museum.  robertthedoll.org says (supported by many letters from witnesses) that he doesn’t like to have his picture taken.  He may drain the battery or jam you camera, or create other small misfortunes during your visit.  Of course most people report no problem taking his picture.  Robert may roil the waters, but he is no Chucky, or Living Doll.

Hey, you can even buy your own Robert.  The Key West Art Historical Society will sell you one.  Click here to see their Robert The Doll merch.

[1] Some TV/movie Doll types you may have seen: 
1. Dolls made to replicate a lost loved one, such as a child, spouse or sibling. 
2. Dolls made from human components, dead or...maybe not. ...
3. A dollmaker or owner prefers them over humans (thinking here of Gepetteo and Pinocchio).
4. Dolls possessed by a malevolent spirit, that have become sentient/animated and actively malevolent. (Chucky).

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Poem: A flight of swallows

By Jack Brummet

A flight of swallows
Spins outside the window.

One by one,
The stars turn on

And the yellow sun
Transmogrifies to dusty rose

As it sinks
In its ebbing light.

The moon's in tune,
Stars turn on

And clouds drape
Across the sky.

In the web
Of the Milky Way, we careen

Through space, twirling on earth's axis,
Around the sun, and into the black.
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Easter eggs for Hitler

By Jack Brummet, World War II Ed.

On Easter Sunday, 1945, almost 70 years ago now, Sergeant William E. Thomas and Private First Class Joseph Jackson put together a special “Easter Eggs” gift for Adolph Hitler and the German Army.

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The socialist fraternal kiss between Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev

By Mona Goldwater, Social Mores Ed.

The "socialist fraternal kiss" became famous when Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev were photographed performing the ritual at the 30th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in 1979.  Photographer Regis Bossu snagged a photo of the commie lip-lock. 

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