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Category Archives: History
Bully! It’s Lego President Teddy Roosevelt!
Sunday was our first visit to the Lego Store in weeks; had to get the Women of NASA set! In many ways I missed going, especially when it comes their kiosk for building minifigs! I can’t remember what Somara was … Continue reading
Posted in History, Legos, Toys
Tagged American Presidents, Minifigs, Progressive Era, Twentieth Century
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Italian #50: Vince Lombardi
Since the Packers had the weekend off, it gave me some time to highlight their most famous coach and the winner of the first two Super Bowls. However, I want to bring up what he changed about the NFL off … Continue reading
Italians #48 & #49: Joseph Valachi & Henry Hill
When it comes to Italian heritage, alongside some Jewish, there is an elephant in the room and that’s the Mafia, aka The Outfit, La Cosa Nostra, The Mob, The Black Hand. Although organized crime isn’t something Italians, namely Sicilians, invented. … Continue reading
RIP Hugh Hefner
Almost caught up on the obituaries, hopefully the famous people who had an impact on my life would stay alive for a few weeks to keep the morbidity down. As for ‘Hef,’ lets face it, he affected many males from … Continue reading
Italian #47: Christopher Columbus
On this day 525 years ago, Christopher Columbus and his three vessels full of Spaniards landed in the West Indies. Although he wasn’t the first to “discover” the Americas, he is rightfully the last. For after Columbus, the world would … Continue reading
Italian #46: Marchesa Luisa Casati
Luisa Casati is another Italian figure who is best remembered ambivalently. Her primary claim to fame is being a pre-cursor to today’s Fame Hags: Madonna, Paris Hilton, Lady Gaga and the nouveau-riche trash Kardashians. However, she was quite the a celebrity … Continue reading
Italian #45: Giovanni Domenico Cassini
I will readily admit my annual celebration for Italian Heritage is off to a slow start. I blame too many things but in the end it’s my own fault. This year I did get some help from a real Italian … Continue reading
Posted in Astronomy, History, Italians, Math, Science & Technology
Tagged Renaissance
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RIP Stanislav Petrov
According to newspaper reports, Petrov may have passed away this May since real news out of Russia is difficult to get. You probably never heard of him until the reports of his death. I had heard of him indirectly over … Continue reading
UT takes down offensive statues
The above bit from The Daily Show back in May sums up my position about these Confederate statues. They’re monuments to traitors who fought against America. Davis and Lee are nowhere on the same scale as Jefferson, Washington or Roosevelt … Continue reading
RIP Dick Gregory
Dick Gregory was the first Black comedian to gain wide acceptance with White America. Through him, the way was paved for Bill Cosby and to some extent, Richard Pryor and Flip Wilson. The Black label was rather narrow-minded too. To … Continue reading
An actual Computer Space game at PHoF!
This really cool, future-retro looking contraption was the first arcade-based video game ever made/released circa 1971. Created by Syzygy Engineering, Computer Space was Atari’s initial entry (before they were called Atari) via Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. I read out this … Continue reading
Eighteen years with Apple
Still the last person from the 4/12/99 hiring class of seven people. I hope Scott is having a good life in Brazil, Joanna down in Houston and I once ran into Darren with little daughter at Rogues Gallery. The last … Continue reading
1917: US enters WWI
On this day, America threw its metaphorical hat into the worst conflict in human history at the time. The excuses vary: The Zimmerman Note – The UK “conveniently” intercepted a German diplomatic plan to get Mexico to join Germany and … Continue reading
1917: Jeannette Rankin elected
Mrs. Rankin was the first woman elected to the US Congress via the House. Pretty amazing in a couple ways. Firstly, women didn’t get to vote in the majority of the States until the 19th Amendment (thank you School House Rock). Secondly, … Continue reading
The Founder: Must See
The Founder is primarily about Ray Kroc, the man behind what McDonald’s became until his death. It also entails the two brothers (Mac and Dick) who created the original restaurant Kroc hijacked and transformed into an empire that still feeds … Continue reading