Category: History
Arcul de Triumf Bucharest
In response to this post, fellow blogger wheels sent me the photo above with this caption:
Reminds me of what I saw on a trip to eastern Europe (Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria). When they put up scaffolding around a monument or building for repair work, they put up screening fabric printed with an image of what it looks like.
That’s the Arcul de Triumf, a monument dedicated to the veterans of Romania’s War of Independence against the oppression of the Ottoman Empire (and later for Romania’s role in WWI). This is its 3rd incarnation: the 1st was wooden, erected in 1878. It was replaced with another in 1922, then that one was demolished and rebuilt in 1936. So what’s behind the curtain? This:
Apparently, that poor guy in the red car has been trapped in the roundabout since December 2015.
Here’s what it’s supposed to look like:
1907 Berlin Street Sweeper
Just spreading it around. [Found here.]
1930 College Yearbook Stereotypes
1930s college majors: MRS, Meteorology, English Literature, Chemistry, Law & Architecture. Draw your own conclusions.
[Found here.]
Happy New Year, Peeps!
This year is going to be an awesome year because I said so.
1116111 = day/month/year hour : minute : second
2016 = 11111100000 in binary. So there you go.
The How & Why Wonder Book of Hot Links
Levitating Superconductor on a Möbius strip [via].
Oikophobia and Xenophilia are related.
Chocolate or vanilla? The debate began around 1520 when Cortés y los Conquistadores brought both to Europe.
Irreverent satire/snark posted in 2004 comes true.
Repost: The Entire Bible in 30 minutes or less.
The Cliff’s Notes’ version of The New Testament takes more than 30 minutes, but the intro is interesting.
Top image from The How And Why Wonder Book of Atomic Energy. This illustrated series was awesome.
The Weasel Goes Pop
That’s a 19th Century Jack-In-The-Box, and it creeps me right out.
What’s the “weasel” and why does it go “Pop?” Hard to say, but it likely has to do with weaving yarn. When it became associated with the toy is a mystery, and why the toy became associated with fast food stumps me as well.
[Found here.]
Wire Frame WIN
An outline overlay reconstructs the damaged Heidentor, a 4th century AD Roman victory monument in Austria.
[Image & caption with link found here.]
7 December 1941 – Remember Always
Annotated Draft of “Day of Infamy” Speech: Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan by Franklin D. Roosevelt, December 8, 1941.
Hot Links in F# Major
Books In Chains: Combating Book Theft in Medieval Times.
Fred Willard on Letterman 1987.
Zappa, Beefheart & Pink Floyd 1969 [via].
From the Unusual Sentences Department:
“Twenty minutes in, he stops, lifts his tail, and produces one phenomenally long and sonically impressive Super Fart.”
The Clark Brothers ca. 1948. Too slow? Jump to 02:40.
Charlie Ryan & The Timberline Riders – The B-Side of Hot Rod Lincoln: Hot Rod Hades.
This is kinda cool. It’s a Unicorn Head Squirrel Feeder, and I like the soundtrack.
How to make a cigar box diddley bow.
The Superbone begat the Firebird. Pretty ingenious in that it allows a B♭ trumpet player to play difficult keys (like F♯ major) with a slide adjustment.
[Top image: Maynard Ferguson playing a Firebird left-handed.]
Tacky Raccoons 