Polymath (n): A person who has extensive knowledge in many different areas
On the morning of July 16, 1945, the world changed in many ways. The detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb at the Trinity Test Site in New Mexico represented the beginning of a new era in global politics. The start of the Atomic Age also heralded the beginning of the Cold War, and the Read More …
One of the great things about living up in the Pacific Northwest is that we have lots of good Asian food. This week I went to a couple of really great places while visiting with some friends. However, things are a little bit different once you start getting east of the Cascades. In particular, where Read More …
Anybody who has studied some etymology can tell you that there are lots of words and phrases out there with somewhat counterintuitive origins. There are many words we take for granted which did not exist in our language at some point. In some cases, these words are the result of other words taking on new Read More …
As a kid, I grew up watching the Food Network. Through it, chefs like Alton Brown, Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Mario Batali, and others inspired a lifelong love of cooking in me. Unfortunately, as with many channels, the educational content in it has taken a nosedive in favor of competition shows. Nowadays it seems like Read More …
Three years ago, on April 15, 2019, the great cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris burned down. The construction of this incredible piece of architecture began all the way back in the year 1163. That’s fully 613 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. At the time of the fire, I remember people Read More …
Well, here we are – it’s finally summer. Or, at least, it will be in five days. And yet, for some reason it doesn’t really feel like summer to me. Maybe that’s just because the temperature this weekend was IN THE FORTIES. IN JUNE. WHAT THE HECK. Seriously, though, it’s been bizarrely cold and rainy Read More …
Hey there folks. This week’s trivia is a little short, but I have padded it out by including three small bits of trivia, all related to each other. This week, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her platinum jubilee as crown head of England. This year marks her 70th anniversary since taking the crown. As a result, Read More …
Although they are not as commonly used today, most of my readers are probably familiar with using bank checks. While it is rare to use them for payments at the grocery store, perhaps you have used them before for big purchases, like paying rent. They are also useful when you need to set up direct Read More …
This week’s trivia is something that I have been waiting on ever since I started this newsletter. It’s one of my favorite pieces of trivia, but I had to save it for 19 whole posts. This past week marked the 107th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. The Lusitania was a British cruiser Read More …
There was an interesting story in the news last week. A group of thieves stole an entire bridge in India. The bridge in question was abandoned and in disrepair, so the thieves pretended to be government officials dismantling it. They then carted off all the scrap metal, presumably to sell. Unfortunately for them, they were Read More …
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