THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED TO KNOW

  "Andrew Borden is now dead,  Lizzie hit him on the head.  Up in heaven he will sing,  On the gallows she will swing." That is the lesser known second verse of the famous rhyme "Lizzie Borden took an axe..." that most people know even if they don't fully know Lizzie Borden's story. The murders of Andrew and Abbey Borden, possibly at the hands of Andrew's daughter Lizzie certainly were a subject of fascination in 1892, but Lizzie Borden has become an absolute legend. Her story is intriguing - why would a spoiled daughter of privilege take a hatchet (not an axe) and give her stepmother 17 (not 40), and her father 11 (not 41) whacks? If Lizzie Borden did it at all. Andrew Borden was Fall River, Massachusetts' foremost property developer. He made his fortune manufacturing caskets (oh the irony - was he buried in a casket his company had made?) He bought commercial properties then developed them into successful businesses. He made a fortune of $300,000.

  Witches come in many forms - old crones, green skinned neophytes, bubbly 1960s housewives, sisters unlucky in love, and middle-aged Scottish ladies. That last one really isn't typical, yet Helen Duncan was tried as a witch... in 1944. Born in Callendar in 1897 Helen Duncan was a psychic medium tried for witchcraft. Helen often gave prophecies as a child. In 1916 she met Henry Duncan, who supported her in her paranormal efforts. The two married and had six children. In 1926 Helen became a physical medium. In physical mediumship spirits manifest themselves in a physical way. A spirit manipulates the medium corporally, as in automatic writing, or putting their words into the medium's mind to be spoken. Helen would spit up ectoplasm which was supposed to be the after effects, and proof, of Helen having spirits enter her body. Helen had a spirit guide named Peggy who assisted her during seances. In November of 1941 Helen connected with a soldier aboard the HMS Barham. That soldier

  Ladies have accomplished many things in history, some great and long-lasting, others just unique. A 17th century Countess may have been the world's first lady serial killer, and is credited as being the most prolific serial killer ever - body count : 650. But did Elizabeth Bathory really slaughter virgins to bathe in their blood, or was that way back in the day anti-feminist propaganda? Erzabet Bathori was born into a very politically well connected family in 1650. She was well educated, even by today's standards. She learned languages, literature, science and math. Her parents were wealthy and owned a great deal of land.  When she was 10 Elizabeth's father died and at age 11 she became betrothed and was sent to live with her future husband's family. She and her husband married when he was 15. They were given a castle as a wedding gift - you know, cause blenders are so over gifted. Elizabeth and her husband had five children - mostly sons. Her husband died in 1604 le

  Two women traveling in Paris in 1901 saw many sites - The Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe. Surely they ate baguettes, brie, and eclairs and perhaps bought themselves new chapeaux. But they also traveled back in time - okay not exactly, but something similar. They saw an imprint of the past, kind of like how when exposed to bright light you can see an after image. Only this after image lasted longer than a few seconds, and featured other people, including Marie Antoinette. Let's go back to 1672. King Louis XV built Le Petite Trianon on the grounds of Versailles as a gift for his mistress - a high class shag shack if there ever was one. Louis XVI gave Le Petite Trianon to Marie Antoinette, and she decided to make the grounds of working farm. Gardeners grew vegetables, and servants tended to farm animals. In the Sofia Coppola film Marie Antoinette , the queen and her baby daughter feed a lamb - Marie Antoinette in her Cottage Core era. Marie Antoinette used Le Petite Trianon as her hom

   Ghostly - two school teachers met Marie Antoinette...118 years after she died Ghastly - splish splash she was takin' a bath... in the blood of virgins Witchy - a woman tried for witchcraft...in 1944 Bitchy - Lizzie Borden took an ax ... or did she? Yeah, she probably did  

The term folk music conjures a certain image : a smoky cafe, an earnest singer-songwriter with a guitar protesting with their lyrics. That is what folk music eventually became. Prior to that folk music was tragic tales of the workin' man - farmers and coal miners bemoaning their plight. Before that folk music consisted of artists covering ballads Scottish and Irish immigrants brought over from the old country. One woman changed folk music but is never heralded with a great who came after her. Connie Converse was called "the first singer songwriter" because she interjected her feelings into political statements rather than using her songs to tell others' tales of woe. In 1974 she packed her car, told her family goodbye, and never surfaced again.  Elizabeth Eaton Converse, born August 3, 1924 in Laconia, New Hampshire, grew up in a strict Baptist home. Her father, minister, and her mother, and accomplished musician, only allowed religious or classical music in the hous