by B.L. Unkel | Dec 4, 2021 | History
At approximately 8:45, on the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Canadian harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The collision wasn’t bad, nothing more than a minor fender bender. But some of the barrels of highly flammable fuel, stored on the deck of the...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 20, 2021 | Writing
Almost every type of genre (mystery, romance, horror, etc.) has words or phrases that are particular to that specific genre. Authors of police procedurals use police jargon. Science Fiction novels are often set in a world created in the author’s imagination with...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 6, 2021 | Travel
Several years ago, a couple of friends and I visited the Biltmore Mansion in Ashville, N.C. It was mid-November, and we’d gone specifically to see Biltmore decorated for Christmas. (If you haven’t done that, I highly recommend it.) We toured the main house twice,...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 31, 2021 | Holidays
Are you superstitious? At least 25% of Americans are. They avoid black cats, breaking mirrors, and walking under ladders. Even if you’re not superstitious, you do things that originated from superstitions. For example, today we consider it polite to say “bless you”...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 30, 2021 | History
Throughout history, one mineral has been prized above all others. Salt. Animals and people alike want it. Today we think of it as a seasoning, but in the past, it was much more. Many societies bartered with it, using it like money. The salary paid to a Roman soldier...
