Historical
IL COLOSSEO DI ROMA
A white giant looms in the Roman sun. One look and you know this structure was meant to evoke awe and wonder, and house a cacophony of noise and screams. It is a monument of, and a testament to, the genius of the Ancient Romans, a colossus of Roman engineering. The Colosseum is two-thousand years old, has four levels, 80 entrances, can hold up to 80,000 people, and measures in at 160 feet tall, 617 feet long and 517 feet wide; it was also equipped with elevators and trapdoors. Construction began on Rome’s Colosseum in 72AD, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, when the Holy Roman Empire was at its peak. Made out of limestone, marble, concrete and tufa, 200 ox carts per day would carry stone along the ancient Appian Way to Rome for its construction, totaling 240,000 cart trips in all. The Colosseum was a gift to the people of Rome, one of many from the spoils of the Empire, whose reign stretched from as far as Britain in the West to Syria in the East. It not only signified Rome’s domination of the world, but this building could have been considered the epicenter of the world as well, for many centuries. The largest amphitheater ever built in the classical world, an arena of blood and sand, a place where gladiators would fight to the death, providing the amazed public with never before seen entertainment; a true festival of revelry and gore. Today, the Colosseum stands quiet, filled not with gladiators, but with tourists, yet we can still hear the long evaporated roars of its crowds echo in the annals of history. Heralded as one of the wonders of the world, here is everything you need to know about Rome’s Colosseum.
By Joe Palumbo5 years ago in FYI
Exorcism Of Mother Theresa?
What is an exorcism? Exorcism defined is an adjuration addressed to evil spirits forcing them to abandon an object, place or person. Technically, a ceremony used in both Jewish and Christian Traditions to expel demons from people that have come under the power of the demon. The rites and rituals of preliterate people to ward off or to expel evil spirits are also a form of exorcism, though they are sometimes considered witchcraft.
By The Man Behind The Mask5 years ago in FYI
FYI: Separating facts from myths associated with Saint Patrick's Day
March 17 is Saint Patrick's Day and considered a great day for the Irish. In America this occasion is big business with stores filled with hats, party favors, candy, napkins, plates, large shamrocks. beads and other items all in green. There are a lot of myths and folklore mixed in with the truths that are associated with the man for whom this date is observed. Lets take look at a few of them. He was born Maewyn Succat but changed his name to Patricius or Patrick which means father figure when he became a priest. He is known as the patron saint of Ireland but was actually born in Britain while it was under Roman rule. He was sent to Ireland as a missionary in later years and that is how the stories began.
By Cheryl E Preston5 years ago in FYI
The dealio with the lingo
Last night, I decided to butter him up before giving the shoulder. But on my way there, it was raining cats and dogs. When I walked out the door, my sister said to break a leg! Now what the hell did all of that just mean? Well, mostly nonsense. Because this didn't actually happen. But I'm guessing one of those common phrases just rang a bell in your head. I got curious about the origin of these myself. Let's look at 10 of them and see where they're from.
By Grace Linn5 years ago in FYI
The 1932 Saratoga Gold Rush
December 5th, 1959 Tom asked me to write up my memories of the gold rush in Saratoga back in ‘32. If you’re old enough, perhaps you remember reading some stories about it in your local paper in July or early August of 1932. As is frequently the case, the newspapers didn’t get the full scoop. I’ve flipped through a few of the little black books which I'd used as journals to refresh my memory of decades past. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you about 1932 in a minute here without troubling you too much with detours into the years before 1932.
By Tom Cooley5 years ago in FYI
Footsteps on Your Grave
I found myself down a bit of a research rabbit-hole recently—as often happens—when a friend questioned the logic of the phrase ‘someone must have walked over your grave’. We ended up in a lengthy discussion about the hypothetical workings of parallel timelines, past lives and the like in our attempts to postulate the meaning of the expression. A few days later I found myself still curious about the origins of the phrase and its intended meaning. I found the answers quite fascinating, and it seems fitting to share them here.
By Karleah Olson5 years ago in FYI
Nix v. Hedden
The tomato, is it a fruit or is it a vegetable? Those of us that are logically minded would say fruit because by definition fruits are the products that bloom from a plant. Whereas vegetables are the other parts of the plant; root, stem, leaf, etc. Those of us that are practically minded would say vegetable because culinarily speaking tomatoes have more of a savory taste and are used most commonly in a side dish or main course. The truth of the matter is that both parties are correct.
By Emma Barfield5 years ago in FYI
Been There, Done That
When 2020 rolled around, I realized that I was living in my ninth decade. Born in the 40s, I was one of the early baby boomers, part of the legion of post-war newborns. I don’t remember much of the 40s, because I was too young, but I remember clearly the succeeding decades. Let me take you on a trip down memory lane and share some history as I remember it.
By Ken Fendley5 years ago in FYI
