Friday Snippets and Soundbites

If today’s post doesn’t provide enough randomicity for you, check out Snippets and Soundbites on page 38 of the March issue of ec. We’ve always got more news of the weird to share with you!

• A picture paints a thousand words, right? Well, in the case of a Missouri man, a picture could speak seven very interesting words: Lincoln in front of the White House. News broke this week that Ulysses S. Grant VI (yes, that U.S. Grant’s great-great-grandson) believes he has a picture of President Lincoln standing in front of the White House. That’s news because if it is Lincoln in the photo, it would be the only known photo of the 16th president in front of the executive mansion. In the picture, a tall figure thought to be Lincoln is standing in front of the building, along with five others. The photo bears an inscription identifying Lincoln, is dated 1865, and is marked with the seal of Henry F. Warren who did travel to Washington to photograph the president after his second inauguration in March 1865. Lincoln was assassinated in April, so if he is in the picture, it could be the last one taken of him. See the picture and learn more here. To learn more about the White House (with and without Lincoln), go here.

• In the world of NCAA basketball, the season draws to an end this week. On Sunday, the 64 teams participating in the NCAA tournament (aka March Madness) will be announced. Thirty teams have automatic bids to the tournament after winning their tournament. The remaining teams (34 teams) are picked to play by a selection committee made up of athletic directors and Division I commissioners. The tournament kicks off nearly ‘round the clock basketball coverage. And we’re no different: join the fun by entering ec’s Bracket Challenge. The password is godpluslife. Learn all about Selection Sunday here.

• In a strange turn of events—to us at least—the newsboys announced this week that Michael Tait would be their new lead singer. Tait is well-known as a member of supergroup dcTalk and his own band, Tait. Peter Furler will no longer be fronting the group, but plans to continue working with the band through songwriting and production. Furler said, “newsboys to me has always been a mission, and I entrust Mike, Jeff, Jody and Duncan to continue all that is in store for us as a band. I’m looking forward to focusing on the band’s studio career and spending time in my own bed after many years in a tour bus and hundreds of thousands of miles on the road.” Read all about it here.

• Welcome to day 7 of the Iditarod, the annual dog sled race native to Alaska. This year, mushers are following the southern route, urging their teams of dogs from Anchorage to Nome. (The route changes depending on if it is an even or odd numbered year.) For all the info you can handle, plus some videos, go here.