Tag Archives: San Luis Obispo

Gladiator Games of Bulls and Bears: A California Blood Sport (1800s)

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Jack Elliott

This post is the first entry in a series of four: Second: Gladiator Games of Bulls and Bears: Recollections of Jacinto Damien Reyes (1880) Third: Gladiator Games of Bulls and Bears: Lassoing Grizzlies (1904) Fourth: Gladiator Games of Bulls and Bears: Sport … Continue reading →

Posted in California | Tagged Bear Baiting, Bears, Blood Sport, Bulls, Grizzly, History, Non-fiction, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura | 3 Comments

The Castor Bean Plant: Common, Valuable and Deadly

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Jack Elliott

Cold War Biological Warfare Georgi Ivanov Markov climbed the stairs on the south side of the Waterloo Bridge in London for the last time on September 7, 1978. He worked across the River Thames at the BBC and routinely parked … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged Castor, Castor Bean, Castor Oil, Communism, Georgi Ivanov Markov, KGB, Ricin, Ricinus communis, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura | 4 Comments

Eating Poison Oak

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Jack Elliott

The Blistery Beginning I remember sitting in seventh grade math class at La Colina Jr. High one afternoon and itching the hell out of some poison oak on my upper thigh. I managed to scratch it into a puffy, red … Continue reading →