I am obsessed with Hamilton. Two of the things I love most are history and music with intelligent lyrics, so Hamilton has blown into my life and given me the best of both worlds. Here’s a fantastic documentary by PBS that covers both the historical Hamilton and Lin Manuel Miranda’s process of transferring the history […]
Tag Archives: history
Artisan Politics
Love this little feature from the WaPo on Presidential doodles. Who knew such artists were wasted in the Oval Office? Artisan Politics – Washington Post.
The Croppy Acre
I walked past this stark memorial when I visited the Collins Barracks museum in Dublin. No signs or notes explained what it was. I’m glad to have seen it, and find out after the fact, but it’s a surprising oversight given how plaqued-up the rest of Dublin is. Ireland is a country that knows and […]
Whipping boy
Fascinating. I’d heard the term but didn’t realise its significance. A whipping boy was a young boy who was assigned to a young prince and was punished when the prince misbehaved or fell behind in his schooling. Whipping boys were established in the English court during the monarchies of the 15th century and 16th centuries. […]
Guinness Trivia
I’m in Dublin, and the Angelus has just rung. Reminds me of this story that a friend related upon hearing the bells: Most people think that 1759 printed on glasses is the year that Guinness was founded, but according to legend it’s actually the time that Arthur Guinness poured his first pint. Being a religious man, at […]
Modernizing Monuments
Love how this Soviet monument in Bulgaria is updated for every protest. BBC News – Bulgaria Soviet monument in Sofia gets Ukraine twist.
Timeline of Nuclear Tests
This video is nothing but computer noises and dots on a screen, but it’s gripping: A timeline and map of all nuclear detonations since 1945. ▶ nuclear testing.wmv – YouTube.
Bodies drawn on Normandy beach
This art tribute to International Peace Day is fantastic. A visual commemoration of the destruction of war, on a Beach that symbolizes that awful reality. Bodies drawn on Normandy beach to commemorate D-Day deaths on International Peace Day.
The Hubble Ultra Deep Field
This video makes the case for the Ultra Deep Field photograph, taken by the Hubble Telescope, as the most important image ever taken. After watching it, I concur. This is well worth 4 minutes of your time. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D – YouTube.
The Dreaded Lubyanka
I’d only heard of this notorious building because of Archer‘s jokes, but it turns out the Russians have jokes about it, too: Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the structure was seized by the government for the headquarters of the secret police, then called the Cheka. In Soviet Russian jokes, it was referred to as the tallest […]