That time Abraham Lincoln had a terrible blind date

In 1838, 29-year-old Illinois state representative Abraham Lincoln went on a pseudo blind date set up by a friend. The date wasn’t entirely blind — Lincoln had seen the sister some years before, and said she seemed to be “intelligent and agreeable.” But things quickly went from great to uncomfortable when Mary Owens did not look as Abe had remembered her. "I knew she was oversize, but she now appeared a fair match for Falstaff," he wrote. "When I beheld her, I could not for my life avoid thinking of my mother; and this, not from withered features — for her skin was too full of fat to permit of its contracting into wrinkles — but from her want of teeth, weather-beaten appearance in general." Despite this initial impression, Lincoln seems to have changed his mind later, because he proposed marriage — and Owens refused. Twice. (via Mental Floss)

If you have an allergy to pork scientists say you are probably also allergic to cats

A pork allergy is an adverse immune response after consuming pork and its byproducts. It is also called pork-cat syndrome because most pork allergies are related to cat allergies. The reason that some cat-sensitized individuals are susceptible to pork allergies is that some individuals are not only allergic to the cat dander, but are also allergic to a protein found in cats called albumin.  Albumin is also found in meat from pigs and other animals. Other causes of pork allergy are unknown. Undercooked pork or dried pork products tend to cause more reactions than well-cooked pork. Symptoms include urticaria (hives), pork allergy rash, and inflammation of the skin; gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps; runny or stuffy nose; mild fever; wheezing and difficulty breathing; and in rare cases, anaphylaxis. (via NY Allergy)

The US Postal Service still does mail delivery by pack mule in one location

The most unusual mode of delivery used by the Postal Service is the mule train. Since the 1930s, mules have been carrying mail and goods to the Havasupai people inside the Grand Canyon. Daily delivery includes 10-22 mules, along with one
wrangler on horseback, five days a week, traveling nine miles down into the canyon to the Supai Post Office.  It takes three hours to get down and five hours to
get up. On the way up, the wrangler untethers the mules and sends them back on their own. Each mule can carry up to 200 pounds, and the weight is distributed equally on each side of the animal for balance. The Supai Post Office has a special Mule Train postmark. (via the USPS)

Hi everyone! Mathew Ingram here. I am able to continue writing this newsletter in part because of your financial help and support, which you can do either through my Patreon or by upgrading your subscription to a monthly contribution. I enjoy gathering all of these links and sharing them with you, but it does take time, and your support makes it possible for me to do that. I also write a weekly newsletter of technology analysis called The Torment Nexus.

Two 70-year-old football legends started a fight at a gala because of a 50-year-old grudge

Former CFL legends Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca became involved in a fight Friday during a CFL alumni luncheon in Vancouver. A video of the incident on YouTube showed Kapp attempting to give Mosca flowers as an apparent peace offering and Mosca rejecting the gesture with an expletive. Kapp, 73, a former B.C. Lions quarterback, then shoved the flowers in Mosca's face, prompting the 74-year-old Mosca, a former Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive lineman, to attempt to shove them away with his hands. Kapp then swatted Mosca with the flowers, and Mosca retaliated by swinging his cane and striking Kapp in the head. Kapp then landed a right hand to Mosca's jaw, then a left that felled Mosca. "It was the most bizarre thing that's happened to me in 31 years in the game," said comedian Ron James, who was serving as the luncheon's host. (via CBC News)

The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Spart didn't officially end until 1996

The Peloponnesian War of 431-404 BC between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta was a pivotal period in world history. Athens, the semi-democratic state that lent so many of its ideals to western civilization, and Sparta, the military state that seemed to have no rivals on the battlefields of the time, fought a war for control of Greece and the eastern Mediterranean Basin. In 404 BC the Spartans of Lysander conquered the Acropolis, imposed the destruction of the walls, the end of democracy and the dismantling of the naval fleet. The Second Peloponnesian War, found its conclusion after 27 years. Or did it? According to historical records, the second Peloponnesian war, officially fought between 431 and 404 BC, saw no signing of a peace treaty. A peace declaration was finally signed by the cities’ mayors Dimitris Avramopoulos and Dimosthenis Matalas at a special ceremony in ancient Sparta, or Lakedaimonm, on 10 March 1996. (via Random Times)

A company says it has created a hover-bike like in the Star Wars movies

Acknowledgements: I find a lot of these links myself, but I also get some from other places that I rely on as "serendipity engines," such as The Morning News from Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack, Jodi Ettenberg's Curious About Everything, Dan Lewis's Now I Know, Robert Cottrell and Caroline Crampton's The Browser, Clive Thompson's Linkfest and Why Is This Interesting by Noah Brier and Colin Nagy. If you come across something you think should be included here, feel free to email me at mathew @ mathewingram dot com