History Schmistory, July 15: Roc-King Out!
Saturday, July 15, 2023
1799 – The Rosetta Stone was found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign. It unfortunately did not give them the ability learn a new language online. It did however have three different languages written on it (Greek, Demotic & Hieroglyphic!)
History Schmistory, July 4: AMERICAAA!
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
1776 American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. There’s gonna be fireworks!
History Schmistory, July 3: A News Day for Norway!
Monday, July 3, 2023
1767 – Norway’s oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, was founded and the first edition was published. They needed a way to adress-a the news-a to the peopla-a.
History Schmistory, June 29: A Midsummer Nightmare
Thursday, June 29, 2023
1613Â –Â Shakespeare’s Globe Theater burned down. That light through the yonder window breaking? It was a fire. And while all that glistens may not be gold, all that is red and hot is most likely going to burn down a building.
History Schmistory, June 24: Dance Dance Revolution!
Saturday, June 24, 2023
1374Â –Â A sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance caused people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.This phenomena, know as “Dancing Mania” spread throughout Europe over the next few decades.
And still continues to effect “victims” all over the world today…
History Schmistory, March 28: Mona Winks!
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
History Schmistory: February 21. “The new phone book’s here, the new phone book’s here!”
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
1878: The first telephone book is issued in New Haven, Connecticut. It was basically one cardboard page with a list of 50 businesses that could afford to have telephones. There was no number system yet, as every connection could be made by one operator at a switchboard. Over the next hundred years the phonebook took a giant step, partly by becoming just that; a giant step, perfect for reaching the cookie jar and other such unobtainables. Today it appears the phone book is doomed of extinction. Should we do away with phone books altogether? Who knows, maybe in another hundred years, they might be the only thing left to keep us warm. Let’s hope not.
-In the meantime here’s some other cool stuff you can do with them…
GO THERE! …or wait until it’s finished.
Monday, February 20, 2023
The Sanctuary of Truth is a temple in Pattaya, Thailand, visualized by Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphant in 1981. The sanctuary is an all-wood building filled with Visionary art carvings based on traditional Buddhist and Hindu motifs. A team of 250 carvers contribute to the project, which is technically not scheduled to be completed until 2025. But at this point we think it’s awesome enough to check out as is.
History Schmistory: February 22. “As bad as Moose Murders?”
Monday, February 20, 2023
1983: After 13 dismal previews, the notorious Broadway flop Moose Murders opens and closes on the same night at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. It is now basically the standard by which all horrible plays that find their way to the Broadway stage are compared, and it pretty much loses every time. NY critics were literally in competition to see who could write the most witheringly scornful review.
Here’s some highlights:
“…The only stage play I ever saw presented in stereo-odoriferous Smellovision.” -John Simon
“Those of us who have witnessed the play… will undoubtedly hold periodic reunions, in the noble tradition of survivors of the Titanic.” -Frank Rich
“…Would insult the intelligence of an audience consisting entirely of amoebas†-Brendan Gill
In fairness, we have never seen or read the play, but from the reviews it seems likely that Eugene O’Neill didn’t just roll in his grave, he’s been rotating on a spit ever since. Zing!
Art Stop: Trucking Around the World
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Russian artist, Andrey Gordeev takes us on a unique journey with his series, Â Around the World in Twelve Months, where we see the world from the perspective of the indispensable truck driver. Stereotypes lovingly included 🙂