• The Old Norse noun “viking” meant an overseas expedition, and a “vikingr” was a sailor who went on one of these expeditions. Today many English words can be traced to Norse roots.• The word “berserk” comes from the Old Norse word meaning “bear skin.” How did bear skin come into our language meaning “frenetically […]
Believe It Or Not There are more than 30 Believe It Or Not “Odditoriums” around the world, displaying artifacts, photos, and stories collected by Robert Ripley as he traveled the world seeking out the unusual. Here are some of the articles displayed at the various Ripley museums: A ¾ scale model of a 1907 Silver […]
When European explorers informed the native Dene Indians of the Northwest Territories that explorer Alexander Mackenzie had “found” the river that now bears his name, the Indians replied that they didn’t know the river had ever been lost. SHIP OF FOOLS Martin Frobisher sailed from England past Greenland in the year 1576 in search of […]
In the early days of the 1800s, trade was just beginning to open up between Japan and America. Most American trade ships docked in the port of Yokohama. The city had one main street that was well-policed at night, and it was called Honcho-dori Street. It was the only safe thoroughfare in town; sailors caught […]
DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF AS THE RESULTS WOULD NORMALLY BE TRAGIC. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A young mentally ill man egged into a suicide attempt by his mother apparently cured his phobia of germs and obsession for handwashing by shooting himself in the head, doctors said. The .22-caliber slug destroyed the section of the […]
• Levi Strauss found it difficult to make a living as a peddler in Kentucky. So in 1849 with the news of the California Gold Rush, he packed up his merchandise and headed for San Francisco. It was a long journey by boat around Cape Horn. By the time he reached California, Levi had sold […]
Last week I wrote about the must have gift should be purchased locally to help out our small business owners in our area. It would be great that you consider this all year as they are willing to serve you all year.I mentioned that the must have should not be your must have but that […]
Are you still shopping for someone special that needs that must have gift? How about considering what a must have gift is. Instead of some material item that has been manufactured overseas and whose labor force is underpaid, help out our local economy by shopping here in Eastern Iowa. I know we are in a […]
Because October is Contact Lens Safety Month, Tidbits is offering up facts and history on these little visual aids. Along with an early concept of a helicopter, water-powered mills, and his extensive study of anatomy, Leonardo da Vinci is also credited with the initial concept of contact lenses. In 1508, da Vinci conceived the idea […]
MOVIE FAVORITES:BEN-HURThe story of Ben-Hur has been a popular one since the 19th century. “Ben-Hur” was first published in the United States in 1880 by Lew Wallace, a Civil War Union General and Governor of the New Mexico Territory, and became the number one best-selling work of fiction of that century. The first movie adaptation […]
