The Fedora Chronicles

01/16/2026

A few weeks ago Tia Carrere celebrated her birthday and this photo was all over her feed. I learned she was the star of her own show “Relic Hunter” which was a “tribute” to Lara Croft and “Tomb Raider” and Indiana Jones.

After doing a little research in reading some reviews, this TV show wasn’t really that well received, and from what I gathered the real heroes of the show were the costume designers.

The only thing missing was a hat.

01/16/2026

A few weeks ago Tia Carrere celebrated her birthday and this photo was all over her feed. I learned she was the star of her own show “Relic Hunter” which was a “tribute” to Lara Croft and “Tomb Raider” and Indiana Jones.

After doing a little research in reading some reviews, this TV show wasn’t really that well received, and from what I gathered the real heroes of the show were the costume designers.

The only thing missing is a hat.

01/15/2026

Another thousand-year-old mine city was discovered/recovered. but no secret underground, tunnels, hiding ancient golden Idols, or elaborate traps found… yet.

- Scientists Discovered a Complex Maya City Buried Deep in the Jungle -

“The jungles of the Balamakú ecological reserve on the Yucatan Peninsula recently offered up a remarkable look at an ancient Maya city, one likely to be rather regionally prominent. Though it is over 1,000 years old, this city wasn’t known to the modern age. Its re-discovery comes thanks to airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) and subsequent on-the-ground archeology.”



https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a69998594/scientists-discover-ancient-maya-city-buried-in-jungle/

01/14/2026

01/14/2026

It’s not nothing like the worthless blondes medallion my girlfriend‘s father collected.

“Two small gold objects discovered in Mycenaean tombs on the Greek island of Cephalonia are reshaping what archaeologists know about cultural connections at the end of the Bronze Age. A new study published in the European Journal of Archaeology reveals that the solar symbols decorating these ornaments originated not in the Aegean, but in Northern and Central Europe—offering striking evidence of long-distance interaction, hybrid art, and early globalization in the 12th–11th centuries BC”



https://arkeonews.net/mycenaean-gold-ornaments-reveal-surprising-northern-european-solar-symbols/

01/13/2026

Quote of the week:
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” - Arthur C. Clarke

01/11/2026

Erich von Däniken 1935 - 2026

This is not the paranormal Sunday post that I wanted to make this morning. I just read the news about the passing of Erich von Däniken, author of various books on the concept of “ancient astronauts“ or “ancient aliens.”

Early in the summer of 1986, I picked up a copy of his most famous book, “Chariots of the Gods,” at a yard sale that my neighbor had up the hill from where I lived. When I gave her a Buck-50 for it, she smiled, and she said, “I had a feeling you’d be picking this up, young Indy!”

I devoured this book in an entire week and reread it a couple of times throughout that summer. I specifically remember reading this and saying that there’s a lot of material here that would make for a really great sequel to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

This finally came true in 2008, during another resurgence of the “ancient alien” craze, fueled by the History Channel, where Erich von Däniken was a frequent guest on many of its programs.

Do I believe that beings from another world or a higher dimension came to earth and taught primitive humans how to build things using advanced technology or techniques that we have lost over the past thousand years? i’m not 100% convinced, but I do think that it is highly possible and even probable… but I 100% to believe with all of my heart, and every fiber of my being that there are giant chunks of human history that are missing, and that there are other people who are making excellent guesses and wild conjuncture, trying to fill those gaps while making good money while doing it. He was the genuine article, and I know that much of the criticism towards him was unfair; there was no air of deceit or deception on his part. He actually believed his claims and, for the most part, wished no ill will towards his detractors and critics.

From everything I know, Erich von Däniken was a kind-hearted man with a wild story to tell, a little self-deprecating humor, and a wild story to tell. He lived a full life, and he will be missed in the ancient astronaut community.

01/10/2026

- - in honor of Eddie Muller’s “Noir Alley” on TCM - Saturday is the day of the week when we all post our black-and-white photos from the week and share with the group.

Fedora by DempseyHats

01/09/2026

- one of my goals if not resolutions for 2026 is to remove certain words from our vocabulary starting with the word “can’t!”

replace that four letter word that starts with C with other words and phrases. Instead of saying “can’t“ say “I haven’t done that yet,” and “I don’t know how to do that, but I’m learning how.”

The word can’t implies that you never were and never will be able to do something. If you want to do something bad enough, you’ll figure out a way. If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to get it.

01/07/2026

01/07/2026

Photo of Marsten Bailey by Nicholas James Unsworth

01/05/2026

- I found this quote somewhere and thought it would be the perfect text for my first Monday motivation of the year. “You don’t have to be everybody’s cup of tea, be gasoline and set some stuff on fire.”

This means exactly what you think it means, or what you want it to mean for you and your purposes.

I am not everybody’s favorite person or best friend. I’m pretty sure that I rub a couple of people the wrong way. Gone are the days when I go along to get along and tell people I don’t feel comfortable doing something that goes against my values or is in my best interest. If I had to share a New Year’s resolution, it would be: this is the year I’m going to be even more uncensored.

Sometimes you need to set a situation on fire and burn the bridge behind you and move on with your life. Some people do need to get cut out of your life when they prove they’re only out to use you and abuse you and will set you a drift when you’re depleted.

If it hasn’t happened yet 2026 is the year you become the protagonist of your own story.