I found this video on the subject of 'villain knights': Spanish peasants who were elevated to a lower knighthood during the Reconquista, essentially functioning as light cavalry on the frontier during the long reconquest of Spain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue7cqIOW48Q I recommend watching the video, but the short version is that while the Spanish conquered new territories from … Continue reading Villain Knights and Going Medieval
History
Harpo Storms ‘You Bet Your Life’
On May 1st, 1961, Harpo Marx made an unexpected appearance on "You Bet Your Life" to promote his autobiography Harpo Speaks. Unexpected, that is, even to his brother Groucho, prompting a low-key moment of sincere joy from the acerbic comic, who clearly doesn't mind being upstaged by the one man capable of such a feat. … Continue reading Harpo Storms ‘You Bet Your Life’
The Unkillable Soldier
"He was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; was blinded in his left eye; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and tore off his own fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly I had … Continue reading The Unkillable Soldier
Happy Columbus Day
Reposting the good Admiral's response to his critics:
Proclamation of the Assumption
Found this on another site today: a window onto another world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJcSyaRU0kc
The Last Battle
5th of May, 1945, saw one of the last (and strangest) battle of the Second World War in Europe, where American troops, Wehrmacht soldiers, a defecting SS officer, and one tank named 'Jenny' defended a Medieval Austrian castle full of French political prisoners against an assault by SS troops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwfJsKfCnaM This video provides a fascinating … Continue reading The Last Battle
Polybius
I like video game history, I like urban legends, and I really like seeing people put a tremendous amount of research and effort into their videos. With that, I present you Retro Ahoy's documentary on Polybius, one of the most prominent myths of the video game world. First a summary: according to the story, Polybius … Continue reading Polybius
Miracle of the Vistula
In August 1920, newly independent Poland stood all-but alone against the newly risen monster of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were looking to eliminate the old bastion of the Church from their borders, as well as give themselves a route to foment and take advantage of the chaos in Germany, hoping to spark a Communist … Continue reading Miracle of the Vistula
Columbus Responds to His Critics
History and Compromise at ‘The Everyman’
My latest post at The Everyman is up, comparing our present world to Austria in the 1930s. It's depressingly apt. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A virulent ideological movement is spreading through a nation’s institutions. It presents itself as the wave of the future, elevating those who have been beaten down, and … Continue reading History and Compromise at ‘The Everyman’
Serpent's Den 