by B.L. Unkel | Nov 2, 2024 | History
Frankincense, Myrrh, and Saffron are all good guesses. But they’re not correct. Try good old Cinnamon. It was one of the rarest spices in the ancient world. What is it? Cinnamon originated in the ancient country of Ceylon—now known as Sri Lanka—an island...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 12, 2024 | History
I love music, especially songs sung a cappella where harmonies can shine. Nothing’s better . . . unless you add an interesting historical background to the mix. Fisk University On January 9, 1866, Fisk Free Colored School opened in Nashville, TN. In only a few...
by B.L. Unkel | Sep 21, 2024 | Everything Else
Astronomy doesn’t usually interest me, but . . . Full Moons By definition, a full moon is when the side of the moon facing the earth is completely lit by the sun. It occurs about every 29.5 days. There are just over twelve complete moon cycles each year....
by B.L. Unkel | Aug 31, 2024 | Everything Else
Many things we consider staples in today’s world were discovered or invented by happy accidents. This toy is one of them. The Beginning In the early 1940s, Richard James, a naval engineer at a navy shipyard in Philadelphia, was trying to solve the problem of...
by B.L. Unkel | Aug 24, 2024 | Everything Else
I don’t know where you are, but here in Texas it’s H.O.T. Since last Thursday was Daffodil Day, I decided to cool off with the first flower of Spring. The Greek Myth The daffodil’s botanical name is narcissus and comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo....
