Tag: Historical Facts

What Of Democracy?

These days with an election looming and all the talk about whether or not our democracy is at stake I thought I would take a look at the ‘cradle of democracy’….Greece.

Since it is a Sunday and a good day for me to drop some history and even maybe someone will learn something…..

Remember Socrates?

You know the philosopher that taught Aristotle but what did he think of the idea of ‘democracy’?

Democracy is a form of government in which power is placed in the hands of the people. This can take two main shapes: direct democracy (citizens make decisions themselves) or representative democracy (elected officials make decisions on behalf of the citizens). Most modern democracies operate with some form of representative democracy — such as the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Ancient Greece, however, had a direct democracy; citizens had a direct and active role in the government, but this was easier back then than today because Greek city-states made the population smaller, and the definition of ‘citizen’ was more exclusive.

Socrates was a philosopher from Athens in the fifth century BCE, and he has gone on to be one of the most well-known thinkers of his time. Although he didn’t leave behind any written works of his own, his students kept his legacy alive, and his influence reverberates today. He’s most known for his teaching style — known today as the Socratic Method — wherein a question-and-answer discussion setting is cultivated to stimulate critical thinking. Socrates believed one should be skeptical of everything, and he practiced what he preached regarding democracy. Socrates was an outspoken critic of the Athenian government. Two of his biggest criticisms of democracy concerned the majority rule’s lack of knowledge and the potential for a demagogue. 

(would you like to know more?)

https://www.thecollector.com/how-did-socrates-view-democracy/

Looks like one of Socrates criticisms came true and may come true again….A demagogue is a type of political leader who relies on prejudices, false promises, and charisma to manipulate voters into choosing them. 

Sound familiar?

Was Socrates correct in his criticism?

I think he was pretty spot on and sharp even back then.

Keep Socrates in mind while you search your soul for a vote in November.

Have a good day and hopefully enjoy the rest of your weekend….as always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–29Jan24

This will mean very little in this world of war monger midgets…..but it meant something to me and that is all I need….

Ever heard of the War Resisters League?

Silly question….of course you have not.

Why would you….you are too busy sucking down the propaganda and crap that the media and the War Department feeds you.

The War Resisters League has been opposing war for 100 years.

In her diary on October 19, 1923, the 48-year-old New York City educator Jessie Wallace Hughan (1875-1955) wrote, “Tracy [Mygatt] to dinner—had hair done—organized real War Resisters League …”
Hughan was describing the formal founding of WRL as the successor organization to the Anti-Enlistment League, which had opposed armed forces enlistment during World War I. Conscientious objectors (COs) had faced many trials during the war, especially those whose opposition to war was secular, not religious, but the war’s end did not bring about an end to their difficulties. All of the major national peace groups of the era had expressed strong political sentiment since 1898 against U.S. imperialist incursions, along with burgeoning interest about the new communist experiments in Russian and Eastern European “soviets” (which were established in 1923). Despite their politics, all these peace groups were religiously based. Hughan and her comrades realized the great need for a secular antiwar organization that would support those objectors whose main principle against fighting did not merely derive from a theological standpoint. The new “league” became a section of War Resisters’ International, a then-new European-based secular pacifist group. Hughan served as the organization’s chief funder and director, also serving for decades on the organization’s executive committee; during much of this time, the organization’s sole paid staffer was its Executive Secretary, the redoubtable Abe Kaufman.

https://www.warresisters.org/wrl-history

I got to know these people in the 1970s when I was active in the antiwar movement….not a more dedicated bunch on the planet.

If you feel that you have had enough of endless wars and the endless waste of taxpayer money and would like to try and get involved in the movement then these people are the place to start.

https://www.warresisters.org/

I have never regretted my association with the WRL….and you will not as well.

They are needed more than ever these days.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

2024–Shed Some Pounds!

At the beginning of the year did you go into the social thing of making a ‘New Year’s Resolution’?

Mine was to resolve to stop making resolutions that I never follow through with at any age.

Many people that I know made the resolution to lose a few pounds especially before bathing suit weather.

Everyone seems to be looking for that magic ‘pill’ that will miraculously strip away those unwanted pounds…..good luck that.

Most will fail….but that is not why I am here….this is a good time for me to drop some history after all it is Sunday and an FYI type of day.

With a new year comes an opportunity to start fresh and, for some Americans, that means losing weight. According to a Forbes survey on new year’s resolutions, 48% of respondents reported they wanted to improve their fitness, 34% wanted to lose weight, and 32% wanted to improve their diet. Resolutions related to appearance and health outweighed several other wellness goals, such as spending time with loved ones (25%), improving work-life balance (7%), and meditating more regularly (5%).

In 2024, these resolutions have been bolstered by the emergence of quick weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, a drug intended for adults with Type 2 diabetes that has been harnessed for its weight loss side effects. Some celebrities have spoken openly about using Ozempic to lose weight and the drug has exploded in popularity among the public. On TikTok, #Ozempic has acquired 1.3 billion views and #OzempicWeightLoss is catching up with 429.6 million views. Shortages of the drug are expected throughout 2024.

Dieting has existed for centuries, at least since Ancient Greece, where dieting emerged as a holistic approach to physical and mental health. But the conception of dieting as primarily a way to lose weight or change one’s body first appeared in the 19th century.

Historians trace the contemporary Western relationship between dieting and weight loss to 1863 when English writer William Banting authored “A Letter on Corpulence.” However, Banting didn’t have a background in health or medicine. His writing came from his own struggles with his weight. At age 64, Banting was 5’5” and weighed 202 pounds.

When he started to lose his hearing, Banting turned to surgeon William Harvey. Harvey had recently attended a lecture in Paris about the connection between the liver and diabetes, and had since been investigating how sugar, fats, and starches influenced the body. When a distressed Banting asked for solutions to weight loss, Harvey recommended that he cut out “bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer and potatoes and to live on mainly animal protein, fruit and non-starchy vegetables.” About nine months later, Banting had lost 35 pounds and his quality of life had significantly improved. He then self-published “A Letter on Corpulence” detailing his journey and gave copies away for free.

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/diet-culture-history-from-ancient-greece-to-ozempic

Here’s my ‘diet’…. eat less and exercise as much as you can.  I have not changed what I eat just eat less and a walk with the dog is my exercise and Pelaton got zero dollars from me.

That concludes my sermon for the day.

Enjoy your Sunday and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

History Of The “F” Word

It is a Sunday and what better day than that to throw some FYI in your direction and a little history all in one post.

Warning– this post uses some harsh words and may offend those readers that have sensitivities to the use of the “F” word.

If you are one of those people then please pass this post by as I would not want to offend.

I was watching the tube the other night and every channel that I turned to someone was using the “F” word….as adjective, expletive, adverb, verb and so on and that got my brain fired up to do what I like best….research.

Just where did the “F” word originate?

Who first used the F-word?

Etymologists have been debating it for years, with every new discovery inspiring a flurry of news coverage. (Note: If you read Vox articles aloud to your children, be warned — this piece has some particularly rude language.) Last year, there was a flurry of attention when we learned that the word made an early appearance in English in 1528, when a disgruntled monk wrote, “O D fuckin abbot.”

Now there’s a new contender for oldest known use: Historian Paul Booth of Keele University claims that a court case in 1310 may have featured the earliest recorded use of the word “fuck,” embedded in the astonishing name of a defendant: Roger Fuckebythenavele. (Yes, that was his name.)

But even that might not be the end of the story. Pinning down a word’s origins turns out to be surprisingly tricky — not least because it’s difficult to know if medieval people were using the word the way we use it today. I spoke to Kate Wiles, a medieval researcher and contributing editor at History Today, who expanded on the history of “fuck” and explained why finding the first instance is trickier than it seems.

Historians have found plenty of examples of the word “fuck” in old medieval manuscripts. Wiles recommends Jesse Sheidlower’s history of the word, The F Word, and she also wrote her own summary in 2014. The kestrel was probably called a “windfucker” in 1599, and before that, all the way back in 1373, we have records of a place named Fockynggroue, which probably referenced “the act.” Other place names, like Ric Wyndfuk and Ric Wyndfuck de Wodehous, date to 1287, though their meaning is uncertain.

https://www.vox.com/2015/9/15/9329813/f-word-origins

I could not go to sleep as long as I had this nagging question in my brain.

Now I know and so do you…..

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Merry Christmas–2023

It is that time again….the fat guy in the red suit to visit all the girls and boys…..to bring joy and smiles to the world.

I want to take this opportunity to wish all my loyal readers and occasional visitor a very Merry Christmas….

I hope your shopping experience was not traumatic and your hunt for those perfect gifts were successful.

Since I will not be posting any news stuff how about I give you a little history to carry the day?

Do have a tree?  Do you know the origin of using a tree?

Good thing I am here to help….

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, many ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from his illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palms and papyrus reeds, which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon, farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs.

In Northern Europe the Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The Vikings in Scandinavia honored the evergreen mistletoe for its role in the death of the Balder, a god of light.

Learn more…..

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees

And now you know.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and I am off to do some cooking for the family meal…..to include ham with my special glaze, corn pudding, my special mac and cheese (my granddaughter’s favorite) and sweet potato pie….

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and you got all the stuff you desire.

Fun, Food and family….if that is what you seek on this day then please be careful and drive with caution.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD DAY!

Tomorrow is another day and I shall return full of opinionated stuff.

Peace Out my friends.

chuq

Christmas Eve–2023

Just one day before the big day….the day when presents are opened and food is consumed and family has joy and humor around the communal table.

Speaking of this time of year and a fan favorite during the festivities….gingerbread.

As yummy as this may be what do you know of the delectable tasting yummy?

Come On!  You guys know I cannot let something go by without throwing some history in your direction….and so it is with gingerbread.

Gingerbread may be considered an indulgent treat if you’re only considering the calorie content. But it’s Christmas, and indulging in a treat or two can be a fun and healthy part of life – especially when this classic biscuit includes many nutrients that may benefit your health.

Gingerbread is believed to have originated in its earliest form in 2400BC ancient Greece. Surprisingly, this recipe didn’t contain any ginger at all – and was actually a honey cake.

But the version of gingerbread we know and love today didn’t start to take shape until the 11th century when Crusaders returned from their travels in the Middle East with ginger in hand. Ginger was first cultivated in ancient China, where it was commonly used as a medical treatment.

This led to the cooks of nobility in Europe to begin experimenting with ginger in their cooking. As ginger and other spices became more affordable to the masses in the mid-1600s, gingerbread caught on.

The original term “gingerbread” referred to preserved ginger, which was developed into a confection made with honey and spices. Later, the term was used to refer to the French confectionery pain d’epices (spice bread) and the German Lebkuchen or Pfefferkuchen (pepperbread or pepper cake).

But the gingerbread house, which is now a staple of modern Christmas traditions, is believed to have been invented in 18th-century Germany, thanks to the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm. The practice then spread to England at some point during the 19th century.

Queen Elizabeth I is credited with creating the first gingerbread men. She would delight visiting dignitaries with gingerbread figures baked into their likeness.

Despite its ancient origins, baking gingerbread during the holiday season remains a celebrated tradition in many parts of the world.

Gingerbread is a delicious yet ancient staple of the holiday season — and its spices may have some surprising health benefits

See that did not hurt much now did it?

This is it for me today….

In case you are not around for Christmas let me take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

I will see you guys when life calms down again.

“lego ergo scribo”

chuq

History For A Sunday

I like to throw some knowledge in for my regular readers and at the same time try to add a little history to keep in interesting.

But first I saw a report last week about a delivery van in Alaska for Krispy Kreme donuts and 2 bears got in the van and ate 25 cartons of donuts.

And I thought….hey, donut.

Who does not like a cup of coffee and a warm doughnut?

And that is the history lesson for this Sunday…..the doughnut.

Doughnuts, with their rich history dating back centuries, have undergone a remarkable evolution, becoming a cherished part of culinary traditions worldwide. From their humble beginnings to the innovative creations found in artisanal shops today, doughnuts continue to captivate taste buds and bring moments of joy to people around the globe.

Doughnuts are a popular and beloved pastry made from sweet, fried dough, often shaped as a ring or a filled ball, and adorned with various toppings, glazes, or fillings. The origins of doughnuts trace back through centuries and across cultures, from ancient Native American settlements to the Dutch immigrants in America, each contributing to the doughnut’s development. Learning about their history not only sheds light on the ancient traditions of different societies but also highlights the ingenuity and creativity involved in transforming a simple fried dough into an iconic and diverse pastry.

Fried dough has been a part of culinary traditions worldwide for centuries. Evidence of fried dough consumption can be traced back to ancient Native American settlements, while sweetened fried dough was enjoyed by the Romans and Greeks in antiquity. The doughnut’s historical origins are often attributed to Dutch immigrants who arrived in 17th- and 18th-century New York, then known as New Netherland.

These immigrants made fried dough balls known as “olie koeken” or “olykoeks,” which translates to “oil cakes.” The word “donut” is believed to have Dutch roots, coming from the word “oily cakes” or “dough knots” (oliekoeken or oliekoecken). Dutch settlers brought their tradition of frying balls of sweet dough to America in the 17th century. These early American donuts were often made with nuts or fruit inside.

These early treats closely resembled modern-day doughnuts but lacked the iconic ring shape. Instead, they were filled with fruits and nuts in the centre to ensure even cooking, addressing the issue of the dough in the centre cooking more slowly than the outer portions. Doughnuts, with their Dutch and European roots, were brought to America by early settlers.

It was in the United States that these fried dough treats truly found their identity. In the 19th century, Elizabeth Gregory, the mother of a New England ship captain, is believed to have created the iconic doughnut hole by removing the centre of the dough to ensure even cooking. The term “doughnut” gained popularity during this time as well.

https://www.slurrp.com/article/from-dutch-origins-to-wartime-solace-exploring-the-fascinating-history-of-doughnuts-1694092820451

Just a little something brighten your Sunday….a sweet treat and some knowledge….

Enjoy your day and as always….be well and be safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Independence Day–2023

Today is the big day….the day when the colonies broke with mother England and declared their independence.

Free 4th Of July Fireworks Clipart - EPS, Illustrator, JPG, PNG, SVG | Template.net

Since it is a holiday this will be my only post today for I will spend the day with family.

We all know of the men that would become known as the Founding Fathers….Jefferson, Adams, Franklin on and on…..

After the victory of the Colonies winning their independence…others joined in the crafting the document that would become the foundation of the new nation known as the United States….

Some of the signers of the DoI were among those that put together the document to be known as the Constitution.

The usual suspects were Jefferson, Franklin, Adams etc  but there are also some creators that have been forgotten for whatever reason…..men like Mason, Wythe, Livingstone, etc…..

So on this day when we should be learning our history I offer up those ‘Founders’ that have been mostly forgotten…..men like George Mason and others….

Mason should be remembered above some others because it was he that objected to the Constitution because the people  were not protected and were excluded….what was he that pushed for the Bill of Rights and yet he is mostly forgotten to be replaced by strutting peacock Jefferson and other wrinkled old farts.

George Mason attended the Constitutional Convention through the debates and voting, but refused to sign the document which the convention produced. He argued against ratification, his chief dissatisfaction being the lack of definition of and protection for the basic rights of citizens. To this end he wrote Objections to this Constitution of Government. Although James Madison is generally considered to be the Father of the Bill of Rights, the amendments were based for the most part on the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which had been authored by Mason in 1776. Mason alienated himself from many of the Virginia delegates through his opposition.

Mason’s Objections went beyond the absence of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. He argued in his pamphlet for an immediate end to the importation of slaves (though he was a slave owner himself). Mason was also concerned that the more numerous northern states with their larger populations would dominate the government at the expense of the southern states and thus argued for a supermajority in the case of navigation and interstate commerce acts. Mason argued that the new central government was supreme over the state governments, hence state Bills of Rights such as his own in Virginia were no security for citizens.

(read more)

10 Forgotten Founding Fathers of the United States

If you truly ‘love’ this country then learn the damn history.

What better time than on Independence Day?

Be Smart

Learn Stuff!

I hope you have a great 4th and that it is safe and joyous.

32 Independence Day Images Free to Download in 2023

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Warnings From The Past

We were warned about the rise of the Military-Industrial Complex by and outgoing president, Ike…….

Of course you do not because it was so long ago that we tend to remove such stuff from our minds…..so let me refresh your lagging brain….

Ike handed over the reins of government to JFK and he also had a warning for the country at large…..in 1961….

We have been warned decades ago by US PresidentJohn F. Kennedy who gave a speech on the dangers the globalists pose to us all before the American Newspaper Publishers Association on April 27, 1961:

It requires a change in outlook, a change in tactics, a change in missions–by the government, by the people, by every businessman or labor leader, and by every newspaper. For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence–on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific, and political operations.

Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a wartime discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match

Globalist?

“someone who believes that economic and foreign policy should be planned in an international way, rather than according to what is best for one particular country.”

We did not listen to Ike and we refused to listen to JFK.

Money flows out of the country to further some misguided bullsh*t…..

Our country needs so much work so it really does not need a military functioning in 82 countries or propping up some failing system in some dark corner of the globe.

Yes I believe the policies of this country should interact with others but we should not be bankrolling every minor conflict that arises…..shades of the old “Domino Theory” (now there is a post for another day.)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is Debt Ceiling Constitutional?

Now there is an excellent question.

For the last month we have had the back and forth with the looming governmental shutdown. Some have even asked if all this drama is truly necessary?

So to answer the question I went to Vox for their take on the whole enchilada….

The United States has a time bomb written into federal law, and no one knows whether it is constitutional or not.

As anyone who has paid attention to the last dozen years of fighting over the federal budget knows, Congress must periodically raise the nation’s debt ceiling, the amount of money that the US Treasury is allowed to borrow, because the US spends more than it takes in. If the debt ceiling is raised or repealed on schedule, nothing happens. The Treasury will continue to pay for all federal expenses Congress has ordered it to pay, and it will continue to borrow money to pay for these obligations when necessary.

…

This completely unnecessary threat to the US economy arises from the odd way Congress manages the federal budget. As a general rule, Congress enacts one set of laws that govern taxation and revenue; these laws determine how much money the United States brings in every year. It enacts another set of laws, known as appropriations, that determine how much money the United States will spend every year. If appropriations exceed revenue, then the United States will run a budget deficit and will need to borrow money to cover the gap.

But, rather than automatically authorizing the Treasury to borrow however much money is necessary to cover this deficit, Congress also enacted a third law — the debt ceiling — that prohibits Treasury from borrowing more than a set amount of funds. Once this limit is hit, the country is unable to pay its bills unless Congress raises the debt ceiling. And that will cause the United States to default on at least some of its financial obligations, triggering the same spiral of reduced creditworthiness that faces consumers who refuse to pay their credit card bills.

https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/11/23712477/supreme-court-debt-ceiling-fourteenth-amendment-unconstitutional-kevin-mccarthy-joe-biden

With all the info then you decide if it is constitutional for yourself.

My thoughts here are…..with some time the US could make this less a problem by enacting two simple things…..1–corporations should be paying their way in this society through taxation….2–rein in the military adventurism world wide.

This will not immediately fix the debt problem but it would be a good road to find that solution all seem to be looking for with all this dramatics from Congress.

Just me thinking out loud.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”