LIFE'S LITTLE IRONIES

Kenneth Johnson and James Booth, two rural Grand Rapids, MN, men who had been hired by Harris Township to remove dead trees from the area, were killed while at work when a rotting 50-foot oak tree fell on their pickup truck.
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James Smithson was a distinguished chemist and founder of the famed Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C. Born in France of English parents, he was never in the United States until after his death, when his remains were brought to the Smithsonian in 1904 for reinterment.1
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Several years ago Dr. Richard Olney, hoping to find a cure for the devastating disease known as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) founded a clinic in San Francisco for neurological research.
Now the doctor himself is a victim of the very disease he sought to cure. Although confined to a wheelchair and barely able to speak, he continues his research with the aid of a computer.2
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Rudolph Valentino, the smoldering “Great Lover” of early films, was less successful at romance in real life. On his wedding night he was locked out by his lovely bride, actress Jean Acker. The marriage lasted less than six hours.3
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It appears that Christopher Columbus had a penchant for error. Searching for a shorter route from Europe to Asia, he accidentally landed on islands in the Caribbean. Mistakenly believing he had landed in India, he named his discovery the West Indies and its inhabitants Indians. Later he discovered what is now Costa Rica and gave it that name, which means “rich coast,” because he saw natives wearing gold necklaces and believed the land was rich with gold and silver. In truth, Costa Rica has proved to be among the Latin American countries with the least amount of mineral wealth.4
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Over half a century ago an Asian vine called kudzu was planted in the South as a means of controlling soil erosion. Because of the way its long tendrils and deep roots gripped the soil and replaced nitrogen, it was hailed as a miracle - “the savior of the South” and widely promoted.

But today kudzu is a threat and an embarrassment. In one summer a single stem can grow sixty feet in every direction and cover the ground four feet deep. Under ideal conditions kudzu vines grow up to a foot a day, creeping over anything in their path - trees, buildings, utility poles, gardens, old cars. To stop the vine people have tried chain saws, hatchets, fire and various chemicals, all without success. Although a Dow Chemical product, Tordon K-lO, kills the roots if applied in spring and fall, it is likely that the vine will never be completely eradicated but will continue to grow out of control.5
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Sources include: 1Celebrity Trivia, by Edward Lucaire; 2“60 Minutes,” May 2005; 3The Book of Lists #3, by Wallace, Wallechinsky & Wallace; 4,5The Blunder Book, by M. Hirsh Goldberg.