Wednesday, November 4, 2020

The Spurious Nib Elections Results

We are incredibly fortunate here at the Nib to have located previously un-thought of election results.



On 25 January 1789 the crew of the HMS Bounty voted to add a large sock to its signal flags in order to alert other vessels that their feet were cold! 

Saturday, October 31, 2020

The Spurious Nib Halloween Edition 2020

The Spurious Nib has never been short on tales. 
We have tuned up a few just for you on this Halloween.

A spurious folk tale from Westchester County, New York includes a rather curious suggestion. If one should float out to the middle of the Tappan Zee in a coracle, on Halloween, at precisely 11:31 p.m. you can hear Washington Irving, Jesse Merwin, and Ichabod Crane singing, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!”


Another spurious folk tale comes from the Westminster Church in Baltimore. If you hop around Edgar Allan Poe’s grave marker on your left foot while holding a bottle of Irish whiskey in you right hand and scream, “Tamerlane” three times, you will hear Poe singing, "There Is a Tavern in the Town."


It is impossible to believe that Alexander Graham Bell has anything to do with Halloween folk tales but that will not deter the Spurious Nib!


If you dial 666 (any time between 9pm and 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time) you can hear Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson sing, “My Bonnie lies over the ocean.” 
And one more spurious folk tale.



Every Halloween Pilgrims in Wittenberg, Germany insist you can summon Johann Tetzel by drinking three large lagers, knocking on the Reformation Memorial Church door thirteen times and then singing a rousing version of, “95 Theses Nailed On the Door” to the tune of, “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” 

Monday, October 12, 2020

Spurious Columbus Day Sale

Many people have believed many things about Christopher Columbus. Not to be out done by so many of those things, The Spurious Nib has investigated an amazing advertisement from the October 12, 1503 edition of the Sevilla Noticias Diarias.



For Sale:
Set sail for Oak Island in your very own Spanish galleon! The Pinta may be used but you will still treasure this easy-to-maneuver old classic! Original ships wheel (you can still see Admiral Columbus's hand prints on her spindles!) Sure there are some oak rotted planks. But your crew will enjoy the long, prominent beakhead for working the sails of the bowsprit (& refurbished head)! The arrow heads in the bow give it that great vintage look. Nice mizzen masts. Four friendly rats. Fore & aft lighting. One bronze salute cannon. Needs new rigging.
Vicente Díaz de Vendedor
13 Calle Nueva
San Esteban de Gomaz, Spain






#ChristopherColumbus
#Columbus
#ColumbusDay
#FakeNews
#Oak Island

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Spurious July 4th Hand-In-Waistcoat

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

The crack staff here at the Spurious Nib understand how much worry and frustration our readers are submersed in over the latest controversies on July 4, 2020. Yes, that’s right, we too have become completely fixated on the “hand-in-waistcoat” conspiracy theories! Now we can reveal the truth of what was in some of history’s most famous waistcoat pockets!

President George Washington

The Father of our Country and the first president of the United States. He was America’s general and commander in chief during the American Revolution. In his waistcoat pocket could be found: a Gideon bible with the Psalms, his reading glasses, keys to his mustang, and his lucky tooth.


Napoleon Bonaparte

Known as The Emperor of the France and considered one of the greatest commanders in history, and his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. In his waistcoat pocket could be found: one county fair first place medal for his, "Family Volcano Chip Meal" and one gold hand mirror.


Theodor Friedrich Ludwig Nees von Esenbeck

Esenbeck was a German botanist and pharmacologist. In his waistcoat pocket could be found: a pen knife, one magnifying glass and four gañjā leaves. According to Spurious Nib sources his friends called him, “Dr. Dank Ludweed.”

William Tecumseh Sherman

American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. One of the great generals of the Union Army during the American Civil War. In his waistcoat pocket could be found: a rosary from his wife Ellen, one personalized silver flask, and one Zippo lighter.


Lucius Ambrose de Farnelleis

Once hailed as, “Rhode Island's Favorite Raconteur,” Lucius was a part time knockknobbler, and expert knocker-upper. He once famously said to Meriwether Lewis, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you as long as you can read a map.”
In his waistcoat pocket could be found: 10- 1790 Duits, one porcupine quill comb, and his pet cockroach named Barebones Lee.



#HappyIndependenceDay #july4th2020 #july4th #IndependenceDay

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

The Spurious Nib's Earth Day Observation

April 22
You will never know just how much the April 22nd Earth Day celebrations anger the other planets in our solar system.


Saturday, April 11, 2020

Spurious Easter Nibs

The Spurious Nib would like to wish our Christian friends a joyous and enriching Easter!
Just a moment ago good old Dusty Japes recalled a story he received from an old neighbor of the Nibs originator, Maximus Tornblatt. Mr. Benjamin Cohen and his family lived next door to the Tornblatts. 
I was preparing for Passover one year. I decided to hide the Afikoman outside near the Azaleas. I noticed old Maximus coming out of his home. 
“Good day, Maximus!” I called out. 
“Good day, Mr. Cohen! Just hiding the eggs for our little grandson, Bunkie.”
Later, when the Seder was coming to a close I told my children, Bobby and Sissy to go out and search for the Afikoman.
Oy vey! Such the noise they were making. And here they come with back in with two of Tornblatts painted eggs! 
“L'chai-im, l'chai-im! Papa.”
“Yes, we already had the roasted egg. Let me see what is going on here.”
And so I got up from the table and looked out the back window. There was Maximus, standing as if in a riddle. Then he turned and walked in our direction. 
I gathered the family back to the table. Bobby reminded me it was time to see if Eliyahu was coming so he ran to the front door and began to open it.
Suddenly Bobby was startled, “Papa it’s Eliyahu!”
It was Mr. Tornblatt looking a bit startled himself.
I looked at Bobby and said, “Oy! That’s not Eliyahu, that’s the Easter bunny!”
We all had a good laugh.

With that said…
Happy Easter!
How does a pirate end Easter? 
With an "AAR"!
Be well my friends.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Spurious Passover Nibs


The Spurious Nib would like to wish our Jewish friends a joyous and enriching Passover!
Just a moment ago good old Dusty Japes recalled a story by our founder Maximus Tornblatt.

Back when I was starting The Harried Hessian Journal we lived next to the Cohen family. I was hiding Easter eggs for my grand-child Bunkie Fuzzbutton to find in the morning. I spotted little Bobby and Sissy Cohen outside searching for the Afikoman. And what’a ya know they each found an Easter egg and excitedly hurried back inside their home.
I wasn’t sure what to do. I hemmed and hawed for a bit. I didn’t want to intrude on their special night. But then I decided it would be best to go make sure I hadn’t gotten the little folks into any trouble. As I approached the front door it began to open. There was Bobby, eyes as wide as saucers, “Papa it’s Eliyahu!” Startled I stopped at the threshold. Mr. Cohen looked up and said, “Oy vey! That’s not Eliyahu, that’s the Easter bunny! We all had a good laugh.

With that said…
Happy Pesach
Chag Pesach Samech
Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach
Gut yontif
Why do we have a Haggadah at Passover?
So we can Seder right words.
Be well my friends.