The statement “An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present” has value in many situations, but is not a universal truth. The two primary underlying assumptions of this statement are that the past is an accurate informer of current circumstances, and that our interpretation of past events is correct. […]

A short documentary on the ubiquitously sampled “Amen break” –  sonic pillar of hip-hop, jungle, and drum ‘n bass music to name just a few. Originally a 1969 B-side.  Interesting stuff. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac[/youtube]

Historian photographer Patrick Elie finished a project where he took old photos from war-torn Normandy in 1944 and matched them with a current photo that he took of the same spot.  Since much of Normandy was re-created during the rebuilding process, there are some neat before-after shots here. Shocking Photos of Normandy from D-Day and […]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95O5P4DTOEE[/youtube] This one’s a warning from Charles Putnam to Brother Greg and goes all the way back to 1965. Perversion for Profit is a so-called “moral hygiene” film on the subversion of American youth through sex, pornography, and of course the godless march of communism. Classic narrative. Very funny. Second most popular download from the famous Prelinger […]

Neatorama posted an Origin of Booze that provides a quick summary so that you can get your facts straight when called upon to deliver a history lesson at the bar. This is reprinted from a box – check out the link for details. And look for the Nazi paperclip warriors. Neatorama: The Origin of Booze

I was somewhat shocked when I read about a recent poll conducted in by UKTV Gold Television that showed 23% of Briton’s surveyed thought that Winston Churchill was a myth. The sample size was only 3000, but its still unexpected. 58% believed that Sherlock Holmes was real. What are these people learning in school? Or […]

“The complaints change – a hundred years ago our Victorian ancestors accused the Islamic world of being sensuous and decadent, with an overdeveloped penchant for sodomy; now Martin Amis attacks it for what he believes is its mass sexual frustration and homophobia.” Thank God for the prime meridian, otherwise we wouldn’t know where to locate […]