On March 1, 1953, after an all-night dinner with interior minister Lavrenty Beria and future premiers Georgi Malenkov, Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev, Josif Stalin, truly Evil Bastard, did not emerge from his room the next day, having probably suffered a stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body. Although his guards thought itContinue reading “Bizarre ironies of History –”
Tag Archives: history
Be mindful when you use the facilities
The eleventh day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally known as the day to welcome Zigu Shen (the “Purple Lady,” the “Lady of the Latrine,” or the “Third Daughter of the Latrine”). According to legend, Zigu was a concubine of a wealthy man in ancient China. Out of jealousy, the man’s wife killed herContinue reading “Be mindful when you use the facilities”
Get rid of your trash
Today is the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, and the garbage from the first five days of celebrating is piling up. The rubbish from the first to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year is considered “wealth,” but after the fifth day, that garbage becomes a sign of “poverty.” So, on theContinue reading “Get rid of your trash”
Civilized political discourse
February 19, 1807 –In the presidential election of 1800, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson drew to a tie. The House of Representatives broke the tie by throwing their weight behind Jefferson, making him president, on February 17, 1801. Burr was given the vice-presidency as either a consolation prize or a practical joke. Like many otherContinue reading “Civilized political discourse”
Congestion Advisory:
In 1626, it is said that, Dutchman Peter Minuit bought the island of Manhattan for $24. People often joke about that, but twenty-four bucks wasn’t such an unreasonable price. It was a lot of money back then, and it’s not like Mr. Minuit just turned around and built Times Square. Manhattan was a big rockContinue reading “Congestion Advisory:”
There is everything to hope for and nothing to regret
February is the shortest month, so if you’re having a miserable month, try to schedule it for February. According to the Gregorian calendar, February is the second month of the year, and also the shortest month. February has28 days until Julius Caesar gave it 29, and 30 days everyfour years. According to tradition, Augustus, theContinue reading “There is everything to hope for and nothing to regret”
The Emperor Norton I
The only “recognized” monarchy to reign in the United States died on this date. Joshua Norton was a businessman in San Francisco in the 1800s. In the 1840s, just before the Gold Rush, he attempted to corner the market on rice – and failed spectacularly. He went from being very wealthy to utterly destitute almostContinue reading “The Emperor Norton I”
Trump is a pisher compared to him
Josif Djugashvili was born in the Gori District of Tiflis Province in Georgia, Imperial Russia, on December 21, 1879 (or December 18 or the 22nd. When you’re an evil bastard dictator, you get to choose your own birthday). His father was a drunken and often unemployed cobbler, illiterate, and—like Josif’s mother, Ekaterina—had only been emancipatedContinue reading “Trump is a pisher compared to him”
The month of lights, snow, and feasts
December is the twelfth and last month of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. This is used in almost all the world today. It was the tenth month in the early Roman calendar. It became the twelfth month in a later Roman calendar. Until 46 B.C., December only had 29 days. But the RomanContinue reading “The month of lights, snow, and feasts”
There’s a sort of delightful menace in the air.
The name November comes from the Latin “novem” which is the Latin for the nine. In the early Roman calendar, it was the ninth month. According to the Gregorian calendar, November is the eleventh month of the year. Go figure. The Roman Senate elected to name the eleventh month for Tiberus Caesar and since AugustusContinue reading “There’s a sort of delightful menace in the air.”
The Haus of Dcaligari 