24 Historical Quotes That Proved To Be Very Wrong

There are the statements made, then there is the reality that follows.  Here is a list of 24 historical quotes, words that were probably believed by many when they were first spoken but have since been proven to be very wrong.

24)  "There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable.  It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will."

  --Albert Einstein, 1932

23)  "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."

  --Decca Recording Company on declining to sign the Beatles, 1962

22)  "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.  The device is inherently of no value to us."

  --Western Union internal memo, 1876

21)  "Reagan doesn't have that presidential look."

  --United Artists executive after rejecting Reagan as lead in the 1964 film THE BEST MAN.

20)  "Train travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia."

  --Dr. Dionysius Lardner, 1830

19)  "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

  --Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

18)  "X-rays will prove to be a hoax."

  --Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1883

17)  "Everyone acquainted with the subject will recognize it as a conspicuous failure."

  --Henry Morton, president of the Stevens Institute of Technology, on Edison's light bulb, 1880

16)  The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty—a fad."

  --The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford's lawyer not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903

15)  "Television won't last because people will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night."

  --Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946

14)  "No one will pay good money to get from Berlin to Potsdam in one hour when he can ride his horse there in one day for free."

  --King William I of Prussia on trains in 1864

13)  "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home."

  --Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), in a talk given to a 1977 World Future Society meeting in Boston

12)  "If excessive smoking actually plays a role in the production of lung cancer, it seems to be a minor one."

  --W.C. Heuper, National Cancer Institute, 1954

11)  "No, it will make war impossible."

  --Hiram Maxim, inventor of the machine gun, in response to the question "Will this gun not make war more terrible?" from Havelock Ellis, an English scientist, 1893

10)  "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value.  Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?"

  --Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter's call for investment in the radio in 1921

9)  "There will never be a bigger plane built."

  --A Boeing engineer after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that held ten people

8)  "How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck?  I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense."

  --Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton's steamboat, 1800s

7)  "The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd.  It is little short of treasonous."

  --Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration 1916

6)  "I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea."

  --HG Wells, British novelist, in 1901

5)  "The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most."

  --IBM, to the eventual founders of Xerox, saying the photocopier had no market large enough to justify production, 1959

4)  "It'll be gone by June."

  --Variety Magazine on Rock n' Roll, 1955

3)  "And for the tourist who really wants to get away from it all, safaris in Vietnam."

  --Newsweek, predicting popular holidays for the late 1960s

2)  "When the Paris Exhibition [of 1878] closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it."

  --Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson

1)  "A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth's atmosphere."

  --New York Times, 1936

Right now, somewhere in the world, there is a prominent person making a statement about some new emerging innovation that will give future generations a good chuckle.

ACCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER—a conversation with Casey and Jake

He’s Mr. Right for the Weekend—a hot stranger with sparkling blue eyes and a body made for pleasure.

But one weekend…is that all there is?  Let's find out.  My guests today are Casey Treadwell and Jake Palmer from ACCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER, an erotic romance novella by Samantha Gentry, scheduled for release from The Wilder Roses (Scarlet Rose line of erotic romance at The Wild Rose Press) on Friday, July 25, 2014 (as well as from numerous other online vendors).

Casey…Jake…thank you for taking time from your schedules to be here.

Casey:  It's our pleasure, Samantha.

Jake:  Thanks for inviting us.

First and foremost, how did the two of you meet?  I understand it wasn't exactly a typical situation.

Casey:  (laughing)  You can say that again! (shoots a teasing glance at Jake) Definitely anything but typical.  I think it could more accurately be described as sneaky, deceptive, underhanded—

Jake:  Someone stop her before my reputation is totally ruined! (chuckles).

So, Jake…would you like to tell us the 'real' story?

Casey:  When he's finished, I want equal time to 'correct' his fanciful version of what happened.

Jake:  My cousin, Jennifer, and Casey are best friends.  One day while driving down the street I spotted the two of them coming out of a theater.  It was love at first sight.  I called Jen that night and asked her to arrange a meeting.  She checked with Casey who said she didn't want to be fixed up with a blind date.  I kept after Jen who continued to bring it up to Casey who continued to shoot it down.

Sounds like Casey was very specific about not being interested.

Casey:  I don't know how I could have been more definitive.  By no stretch of anyone's imagination did I want to be set up on another blind date.  All my experiences with blind dates had been major disasters.  And on top of that, I had recently broken up with the most recent candidate for Mr. Right, someone else who turned out to be yet another Mr. Wrong.  I told Jen I was through trying to find that one special man because he obviously didn't exist, at least not for me.

Jake:  I refused to be relegated to the 'thanks but no thanks' pile.  So I came up with a scheme to 'accidently' meet the woman of my dreams and I relentlessly bugged Jen about it until she finally gave in and agreed to help me.  She arranged for Casey to meet her at a seaside inn on the coast between Ventura where we lived and San Francisco where Jen would be for a business meeting.  Casey finally agreed to meet Jen there.

Let me guess…Jennifer had no intention of showing up, leaving Jake there to take her place for the weekend?

Jake:  That was the plan, one obviously born of desperation.  As I look back on it now, it was a ridiculous ploy that had potential disaster written all over it.  Then the worst possible outcome of my stupid plan became reality.

What happened?

Casey:  I was devastated when—

Jake:  Let's suggest they read the book to find out what happened…how everything unraveled, then crashed and burned.

Casey:  Good idea.

You're going to lead us down the path then suddenly hit us with a dead end detour sign?

Casey:  (laughs)  Pretty much so.  You'll need to buy the book.

Jake:  (grins)  The lady has spoken.

Thank you, Casey and Jake.  So, everyone out there, on July 25th get to The Wilder Roses (or your favorite online retailer) and purchase your copy of ACCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER.

The Wilder Roses buy link:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/wildcatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=182&products_id=999

BLURB:

After the last Mr. Right turns out to be another Mr. Wrong, Casey Treadwell swears off relationships. Even her best friend's efforts to set her up on a blind date are shot down. Nope, from now on, it's hot sex with no strings. But then her friend suggests a trip out of town for a weekend of sexual fantasies come true, and Casey's primed for adventure. And Fate is with her when she meets Mr. Right for the Weekend—a hot stranger with sparkling blue eyes and a body made for pleasure.

Jake Palmer spotted the woman of his dreams two months ago, yet Casey refuses to go on a blind date. Not easily deterred, he stages an accidental encounter between the stubborn beauty and a "stranger" at a seaside getaway. But Jake's guilt over misleading her, combined with his fear of losing her when she discovers the truth, has him on edge. He has to tell Casey the truth. And he will. But first he has to get her to fall in love with him.

R-EXCERPT:

At that moment, Jake Palmer was the only item on her menu. She wanted to intimately know every inch of his body—his feel, his taste, the heat of his passion. A pulsing need emanated from between her legs. She could almost feel the sensation of his cock buried deep inside her, reaching the depths, giving her the incendiary orgasm she wanted.

The orgasm she needed.

"Look." He pointed out the window. "The dolphins are putting on a show for us." He took a sip of his wine. "If we're lucky, we might see some whales passing by on their annual migration."

They watched for several minutes as the dolphins jumped out of the water, disappeared, then surfaced again to make another jump as if playing a game.

She weighed her words for a moment before speaking, not sure if she should share the thought that popped into her mind. "I read somewhere that dolphins are the only animals, other than we humans, who have sex for pleasure."

He winked. "That's because dolphins are very intelligent."

More excerpts from ACCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER are available on my website www.samanthagentry.com

Stop by my website and check out my other books while you're there (excerpts and reviews).

13 Things NOT To Put In The Microwave

Microwave ovens—you will find them in almost every residence whether house, condominium, apartment or college dorm room.  They are also in many places of business, both for use by employees only and for use by the public.  Those for consumer use come in various sizes and power from the small .7 cu.ft. 700 watt dorm room size to those large enough to hold a turkey with a power rating of 1250 watts or higher.  They can be counter top models, installed under a cupboard, or above/part of the stove.

The first microwave oven was invented after World War II from radar technology developed during the war. The Radarange, as it was called, was first sold in 1946 but was prohibitively large and much too expensive for all but the largest of commercial applications.  The home-use microwave oven was introduced in 1955, but was still too large and expensive for general home use. The practical counter top home-use microwave oven was introduced in 1967. For those of us 'older' folks, we quickly adapted to their use.  The younger among us grew up with them.

This list of 13 relates to specific dangers from trying to heat certain items in your microwave.  I imagine we've all learned the hard way (no pun intended) what happens when we try to microwave bread-type products rather than heating them some other way.  That one is not dangerous, but it dries out the food and when the items start to cool they become too hard to eat.

1)  Aluminum Foil—we all knew that one, it literally catches on fire.

2)  Stainless Steel—we all know not to put our metal pots and pans in the microwave.  That also includes our stainless steel travel coffee mugs.  In addition to possible harm to the microwave, the metal blocks the waves so it won't heat your cold coffee anyway.

3)  Plastic Storage Containers—these contain chemicals that could be toxic, or at the least alter the taste of the food you are reheating.

4)  Chinese Take-Out Cartons—the metal handles on the carton are dangerous and the cartons themselves contain plastic.

5)  Styrofoam—this is plastic.

6)  Raisins—these smoke when heated in a microwave.

7)  Grapes—if raisins are bad, it follows that the fruit that gives us raisins are also a microwave no-no.  The grapes will catch fire.

8)  Plastic Bags—the type the store uses to bag your purchases in addition to the more heavy-duty storage type.  These are toxic and can catch fire.

9)  Brown Paper Bags—these are as dangerous in the microwave as the plastic bags the stores use.

10)  Eggs—if in the shell, they will explode.

11)  Dried Hot Peppers—chemicals are released.

12)  Sauce—without a lid, it will splatter all over the inside of the oven and create a messy cleanup.

13)  Nothing—to run an empty microwave can harm the appliance as there's nothing there containing water molecules for it to absorb.

10 AWESOME MUSEUMS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

[This is the Museum of Natural History in London, England, which IS open to the public]

Museums…those public and private repositories of anything and everything that might be of interest to someone, collections open to the public to enjoy and that educate.  They encompass a wide variety of interests such as fine art, items showing the natural history of a region, or something as specific as a hair collection.

I recently found a list of 10 very specific museums/collections with a common thread—they are not open to the public.

CIA Museum

Needless to say, one of the most secretive agencies in the entire United States government (and the world) wouldn’t just throw the doors of their archives open for everyone. The Central Intelligence Agency’s internal museum is one of the most thorough collections of intelligence memorabilia on Earth with over 3,500 items. The collection includes documents from the OSS [Office of Strategic Services created in WW II, the forerunner of the CIA], spy weapons and equipment, and even an AK-47 rifle that belonged to Osama Bin Laden. The only public aspects of the Museum are three showcases at the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia. And that building isn't easy to get into, either.

International Museum And Library Of The Conjuring Arts

If you’re looking for a community of people who like to keep secrets, the CIA isn't the only place to look.  Professional magicians are right up there, too. Considering that their careers hinge on being able to fool people, magicians aren’t crazy about opening up to the public. David Copperfield has used his vast fortune to amass a collection of over 150,000 pieces of magic history from practitioners like Harry Houdini and hundreds of others.  It’s located in a 40,000 square foot Las Vegas warehouse that has a fake hat shop in the front. [I saw a television special about Houdini including an auction of items from his career with David Copperfield being one of the major successful bidders on several items]

MIT Museum Of Espionage [in Turkey, not the Massachusetts Institute of Technology :) ]

The United States isn’t the only nation that keeps its intelligence archives in a private museum. Turkey’s MIT spy group has been amassing an impressive collection of memorabilia from top-secret operations for years. Stored at the group’s headquarters in Ankara, the museum’s glass display cases contain such spy craft relics as a shoe wedge designed to store a hidden microphone, hollowed-out objects for secreting code books, and bugging devices discovered in Turkish embassies abroad during the Cold War. A Turkish newspaper requested access to the museum and was allowed in for one day, but that’s the only time the Museum of Espionage has ever been seen by the public.

Canadian Museum Of Making

It is possible to get inside the doors of the Canadian Museum of Making, which is located on a private ranch near Cochrane, Alberta, but it’s not easy. The museum’s owner, Ian MacGregor, is very picky about who he allows through the doors. From the outside, you’d never know that the 20,000 square foot museum is even there, because he constructed the complex entirely underground. Inside is one of the world’s most extensive collections of mechanical objects from between 1750 and 1920. Every once in a while, MacGregor will open the doors to select people, but it's a rare occasion.

El Museo del Enervantes

Intended for use in the training of military staff waging Mexico’s seemingly endless war against the drug cartels, El Museo del Enervantes, located in Mexico City, is a private museum that chronicles every aspect of the world of narcoterrorism. In-depth exhibits illustrate the manufacturing process involved in making cocaine, heroin and other drugs. A huge display case shows off dozens of handguns confiscated from drug lords, many encrusted with gold and jewels. There is also a plaque commemorating all the Mexican soldiers who died on duty since 1976.

The Honda Secret Museum

Many automakers rent out space to spotlight important moments in their history, but Honda defies the trend by making their history museum closed to the public. Assembled by company veteran Lou Staller, it’s a collection of almost 50 cars and motorcycles that commemorate Honda’s successes and failures. Included in the collection is a Honda N-600 from 1970—the first passenger car the company sold in the States—and the 1997 EV Plus, the very first electric vehicle to be marketed here. The museum is only accessible to Honda employees, and the vast majority of them have never been there, making it a treasure trove for car enthusiasts.

Musée d'Anatomie Delmas-Orfila-Rouvière

The Musée d'Anatomie Delmas-Orfila-Rouvière permanently closed its door to everyone—public and invited only—in 2005. Prior to that time, it was the largest and most complete anatomy museum in France. The Museum’s collection began in 1794 and expanded steadily over the years to include upwards of 5,800 anatomic items from humans and other animals. Some of the coolest stuff on display includes casts of the heads of executed 19th century criminals, comparative anatomy displays of reptiles and birds, and skulls of deceased mental patients. It occupied the eighth floor of the Descartes University’s school of medicine, and access was granted only to the medical elite.

The Black Museum

Scotland Yard, one of the most famous crime-fighting institutions in history, has amassed some serious items. If you want to see them, they’re kept in the Black Museum. Located at police headquarters in London, this collection of evidence from some of Scotland Yard’s most notorious crimes includes the pots serial killer Dennis Nilsen used to cook his victims and a taunting letter from Jack the Ripper. Also on display is a vast array of weapons used in the commission of crimes, including some cleverly disguised tools of mayhem. There is a current discussion about finally making the museum open to the public, but as of now it’s still cops only.

The U.S. Secret Service Museum

It appears that taxpayer money is supporting a disproportionate number of museums that aren’t open to the public. Located in the nondescript office building that houses the Secret Service headquarters is a small private museum that’s only open to invited guests. Inside the one-room museum are artifacts from some of the most shocking crimes in American history—assassination attempts on Presidents. Among these artifacts is the bullet-scarred window from Ronald Reagan’s limousine on the day that John Hinckley attacked and the assault rifle that Francisco Duran used to spray bullets into the White House in 1994.

The Zymoglyphic Museum

The Zymoglyphic Museum in San Mateo, California, is open to the public—but only for two days out of every year. The museum's creator houses his collection in a small outbuilding off of his garage, down a nondescript suburban cul-de-sac. Inside is the world’s largest assemblage of animals and artifacts from the Zymoglyphic Era…a period in Earth’s past that never existed. The dioramas, housed in aquarium tanks, are well thought out and executed with incredible attention to detail.