History – Page 12 – Tacky Raccoons

Doktorskaya kolbasa

Russian Докторская колбаса (Doctor’s sausage) had it’s origins in the United States.

The Bolsheviks mismanaged food production resulting in a widespread famine, so in 1936 Josef Stalin sent his food industry administrator to find out what the Americans were doing. Anastas Mikoyan found a lot of bologna.

Here is the exact recipe of Doktorskaya kolbasa that was used as industry standard from 1936 till 1974:

Quantities of ingredients to produce 100 kg of Doktorskaya kolbasa:

- 25 kg of beef meat
- 70 kg of semi-lean pork meat
- 3 liters of milk
- 2 liters of eggs
- 2 kg of salt and 200 gr of sugar
- 30 gr of cardamom
- 50 gr of ascorbic acid (color stabilizer)

Manufacturing technology included dicing and mixing all ingredients in a homogenous paste, filling the tubes and later drying and boiling the sausage. Final product was incredibly tasty and quite healthy.

At least it was tasty and healthy enough for those who hadn’t starved to death during the famine, or slaughtered during Большой террор.

[Image found in here, story here.]

Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Eyck

The Syndics – Rembrandt

The Milkmaid – Vermeer

The Arnolfini Portrait – Van Eyck

“In early 2004 I was invited to create a new work for an exhibition at an art foundation in Holland. The subject of the exhibition was humor. I decided to depart from the field of new-media experiments, while remaining in the ‘digital’ realm, by having some fun with the great Dutch Masters — Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Eyck. My partner Andrea made all of the costumes and spent a long time crouched underneath a cardboard box while I carefully positioned and photographed her fingers. It was a new experience for me when the show’s curator refused to exhibit the work he had commissioned, even though it was already listed in the catalogue. The explanation he provided was that the photos “weren’t funny”. About a week later I received an even more puzzling request to exhibit the project in a Taiwanese digital art festival.” -Golan Levin

[Images & caption found here. Finger Spies available here.]

Rum Runners 1920s

In October 1919, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act, overriding a veto by President Woodrow Wilson. And so began the so-called noble experiment of Prohibition.

[Found here.]

On Impeachment: Mark Levin Makes His Points

Mark Levin, constitutional lawyer and radio host, presents his own concise argument against impeachment. It’s not just an attack on Donald Trump. It’s an attack on the Constitution of the United States of America.

Even if you don’t like our President and/or can’t tolerate Levin’s delivery, please listen to his words.

Head (bread, kneaded)

[From Hans Prinzhorn’s Artistry of the Mentally Ill (1922).]

The Dorque of WTF

Arthur William Patrick Albert, aka Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, circa 1874.
That photo wasn’t good enough for him, so he upped the ante.

Yeah. That rocks. Much better.

[Found here.]

Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself Hot Links

The Ass of the Sphinx.

Archie McFee’s Rubber Chicken Choir. Related link here.

We Build The Wall is under attack by faux environmentalists.
[UPDATE: Commenter Stan noticed that the site’s link doesn’t link properly to the story. Here it is.]

Titania McGrath: One of the best satirical accounts that hasn’t been permanently banned from Twitter: “Heterosexuality was invented by patriarchs as a means to justify their subjugation of women.” 😀

From The Gabba Gabba Hey Dept:

End Of The Century official trailer.

The Curse of The Ramones. Mikal Gilmore lifted most of his material from the 2003 documentary for his 2016 article published in Rolling Stone.

Justice for Damone Ramone.

Read Article I Section 2 Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

If you’re 18 or older, now is a good time to re-read The Bill Of Rights.

No time for that? Constitutional lawyer Mark Levin breaks it down in only 6 minutes.

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.

[Top image: That’s one person’s approximation of the visual effect of a “visual migraine.” They are generally infrequent, usually benign, and last 20-30 minutes. Mine are similar, but look like a thin flashing jagged semicircle of neon white and sky blue shiny tinsel that starts small and gradually expands. No headaches, just temporary visual perception oddness.]

7 December 1941 – Pearl Harbor

Always Remember: The declaration of war was issued AFTER the attack.

This film is interesting.

That’s my late dad’s stamp that he put on most correspondence.

Klaus-Günter Jacobi’s Contribution To The World

If socialism is such a great economic system, why have so many people died trying to escape it?

Risking imprisonment, torture and death, Klaus-Günter Jacobi modified a BMW Isetta to help his friend escape the oppression of East Germany in 1963. Nine others were able to escape using the same method.

[Escaping East Berlin in a 1961 BMW Isetta [via]. Short vid here.]