They tried to raise an army and invade an island near Haiti

Two men from North Texas have been charged over violent plans that included an armed coup on the Haitian island of Gonave, according to the Justice Department. Gavin Weisenburg, 21 years old of Allen, and Tanner Thomas, 20 years old of Argyle, along with other co-conspirators planned to murder all men on the Haitian territory before taking over the island, and enslaving the women and children as "sex slaves," according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday. "The co-conspirators conducted research, reconnaissance, recruiting, planning, and sought training to effectuate their plan," the indictment reads. "It was the goal of the conspiracy to take military control of the Island of Gonave by murdering all the men on the island and capturing all the women." Both men are charged with conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country and face one count of producing child pornography. (via NPR)

The man who wrote Apocalypse Now also created the Ultimate Fighting Championship

John Milius got an Academy Award nomination for penning the Apocalypse Now screenplay and also wrote and directed Conan the Barbarian. But, Milius's larger-than-life persona extends far beyond the world of cinema. For 29 years, UFC has been a juggernaut in the world of combat sports. While CEO Dana White has long been viewed as the face of the organization, it was Milius, along with several others, who helped to conceptualize UFC in the first place. Milius saw himself in many of the male characters that he crafted, which led to him pursuing several high-octane activities, including shooting guns, surfing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Milius's teacher was a man named Rorion Gracie, a skilled BJJ practitioner whose father Helio actually helped develop the now widely-popular self-defense martial art. Eventually, Milius's interest in Brazilian jiu-jitsu morphed from a pastime to a lucrative business opportunity. (via MovieWeb)

The UK finance minister is allowed to drink an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget

The word Budget comes from an old French word ‘bougette’ meaning little bag. It was customary to bring the statement on financial policy to the House of Commons in a leather bag. The modern equivalent of the bag is the red despatch box or Budget box. By tradition, the Chancellor, unlike Ministers at the despatch box at any other time of the year, may drink alcohol during the Budget Speech if they wish. Former Chancellor George Osborne chose to drink mineral water. Oher Chancellors have chosen mineral water (Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling), whisky (Kenneth Clarke), spritzer (Nigel Lawson), gin and tonic (Geoffrey Howe), brandy and water (Benjamin Disraeli) and sherry and beaten egg (William Ewart Gladstone). The distinctive red Budget Box which Chancellors used to carry their speech from 11 Downing Street to the House of Commons was in use for over one hundred consecutive years. The wooden box was hand-crafted for William Ewart Gladstone around 1860. (via Parliament.uk)

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.

Aristocrats in the 17th century used this device to mask the noise and smell of their flatulence

The origins and history of the vanvera are shrouded in mystery; some sources claim it can be traced back to ancient Egypt, while others that it was inspired by Roman creativity, but there is no real evidence that this gas-muffling invention has its roots in ancient history. What everyone seems to agree on is that the vanvera was used by the aristocracy of that era, primarily women who could easily conceal it under their large, elaborate dresses. The vanvera on display at the Sex Machines Museum in Prague consists of a leather pouch that connects to the wearer’s behind, muffling farts and containing the foul-smelling gases during social events. Historians say the vanvera was used in Italy during the 17th century, and it came in several varieties. There was the small tube worn by women under their skirts, and a larger, more complex apparatus that consisted of a series of pipes that carried the flatulence of aristocrats from under the covers of their beds, through the window, outside. (via Oddity Central)

Abraham Lincoln was a bartender who owned a tavern before becoming president

When Abraham Lincoln came home after serving in the Black Hawk War, he had an idea of becoming a blacksmith, but somehow his plans changed and the 23-year-old Lincoln entered a partnership with 21-year-old William Berry and they bought a general store on credit in New Salem, Illinois, where Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837. Since it was illegal to sell single drinks to consume at the store without a license, in 1833, the venture became a tavern as well. Berry managed to take out a license for Lincoln and himself. The license cost them $7. Now when they became licensed bartenders they were permitted to sell spirits, including liquor at 12 cents a pint. Berry was apparently an alcoholic, and when they got the license he started drinking heavily. Eventually, they began to spend more time closed than open and they fell in debt. Lincoln managed to pay off the debt once he entered Congress in 1847. (via Vintage News)

She built a pair of life-like animatronic wings

Acknowledgements: I find a lot of these links myself, but I also get some from other newsletters 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, Noah Brier and Colin Nagy's Why Is This Interesting, Maria Popova's The Marginalian, Sheehan Quirke AKA The Cultural Tutor, the Smithsonian magazine, and JSTOR Daily. If you come across something interesting that you think should be included here, please feel free to email me at mathew @ mathewingram dot com