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19

Oct

Aha Moment Maker: The Real McCoy

by Your friends at OIC on October 19, 2013

Man toasting a Prohibition wagon, symbolizing the aha moment of bootlegger William McCoy

JACKSONVILLE, 1920—Boatyard owner William Frederick McCoy had already made a name for himself designing and building luxury boats for the rich and famous before the advent of Prohibition.

Even though he didn’t drink, McCoy saw an opportunity and began using his own boat to transport cases of liquor from the Bahamas to the U.S. Soon enough, McCoy had put together a network of boats and was in undisputed control of Atlantic Ocean rum-running between the Bahamas and Canada.

In fact, McCoy became well-known for providing genuine liquor—not  watered-down or otherwise touched. To distinguish his product from competitors’ booze, he termed it “the real McCoy.”  Though competitors with only homemade liquors also used the phrase “the real McCoy” to fool their customers, McCoy’s reputation for quality caused him to prevail.

From his bootlegging, McCoy earned  several hundred thousand dollars which he enjoyed after serving nine months in a New Jersey jail and then retiring to Florida.

What’s the aha moment you see?

 

 Image © Comstock
 

Your Own Aha Moments

12

Oct

Aha Moment Maker: A Best Friend’s Bond

by Your friends at OIC on October 12, 2013

Smiling dog representing the bond between man and dog

CÓRDOBA, 2006—It is no secret that dogs are intensely loyal, though they can still manage to surprise us with the degree of their devotion. Not long after his death, the family of Manuel Guzmán of Córdoba, Argentina, noticed that his faithful canine companion, Capitán, had run away. A week later, they found him lying next to Guzmán’s gravesite, where he continues to spend every night and most days.

 

Your Own Aha Moments

05

Oct

Aha Moment Maker: Colors To Go, Please

by Your friends at OIC on October 5, 2013

Painter in front of paint tubes

LONDON, 1841—Frustrated by the inability to keep his oil paints from drying out, American portrait artist John Goff Rand created the paint tube. Made from tin with a resealable screw cap, Rand’s paint storage solution preserved the paints and prevented leakage.

It would also dramatically alter the direction of art:

 

Your Own Aha Moments

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