This should have been a “Today in History” post, but I am a day late. On December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The resolution passed unanimously in the Senate, but a single representative refused to approve it. Rep.Continue Reading
Apparently the reason us redheads aren’t known as orangeheads is because the word orange as a color hadn’t yet been invented. I found this factoid out here: Why Do We Call People With Orange Hair Redheads? | Geekosystem, and the Online Etymology Dictionary backs it up. Either term, however, isContinue Reading
Egyptian history is divided into three main periods, the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Everyone knows about the Old Kingdom. That’s the time of the Great Sphinx and the pyramids, with the most known pyramids being some of the earliest. If you’ve heard of specific pharaohs (famous for something otherContinue Reading
To each his own, but I really appreciate people who value humorous and creative approaches to their religion. Clearly these monks took a vow of silence. How else are they supposed to also provide the choir? What a Choir of Silent Monks Does Will Make You Laugh Merry Christmas.
The Chinese government holds such a tight control on the Internet that foreign travelers speak of being trapped behind the Great Firewall of China. There are countless reasons why a website or even a search term might be banned, such as it supporting something considered immoral like pornography. Many, however,Continue Reading
There are two major types of historical art I like The really good stuff, about which I am really picky, and The really awful stuff. It gets bonus points if it is medieval, and it usually is. Hence, Vampire Monkey Christ. I giggle every time I look at it. CanContinue Reading
While I disagree with some of the specifics,What Steven Moffat Doesn’t Understand About Grief, And Why It’s Killing Doctor Who illustrates the power of death in fiction and, arguably, why Doctor Who needs more of it. When the new series started, the Doctor had been forced to kill two warring racesContinue Reading
As I’m cleaning up stuff from my time at About.com, I stumbled across this gem of a public comment on the Facebook group dedicated to my Alternative Religion about.com site, and I just had to save it for posterity. Forget the fact that this writer is clearly what I shallContinue Reading
Studying history comes with both bad and good. It’s important we remember both, both as something to celebrate and something we try not to repeat. Modern history is not my thing, but of that era, the Holocaust is one of my interests, although it’s so awful I sometimes literally haveContinue Reading
First of all, for all of my concerns, the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who was amazing. I was left more than satisfied. Indeed, the only major complaint I have with it is its treatment of Queen Elizabeth I. The Marriage Proposal In 1562, the Doctor is suspecting that shape-changingContinue Reading