Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 44
March 28, 2020
Another Very Special Today I Learned …
And now for another special edition of Today I Learned … St. Corona is the patron saint of epidemics. She was martyred as a teenager by the Romans, probably in Syria. The Aachen Cathedral in Germany has some of her relics in an ornate gold and ivory shrine. The artistic and religious treasure was scheduled to go on display this summer, but restorers are working on getting it ready to view a little earlier than that. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-saint/german-cathedral-dusts-off-relics-of-st-corona-patron-of-epidemics-idUSKBN21C2PM
March 27, 2020
Lights Out: The Patee House
It’s time for another episode of Lights Out! If you’re stuck at home, why not enjoy a tour of this haunted museum in St. Joseph, Missouri? St. Joseph is known for two things: the beginning of the Pony Express, and the end of Jesse James. And the Patee House has connections to both of these historical events. Come explore this unique museum, and meet its resident ghost, Henry Corbett. https://youtu.be/-KPW8QBUoWc
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March 25, 2020
A Very Special Today I Learned …
The word “quarantine” comes from the Italian “quaranti giorni”, meaning “forty days”. Centuries ago, people coming to Italy by ship had to spend forty days on board in the harbor to make sure they didn’t bring in any plague.
March 23, 2020
Today I Learned …
The duration of a yellow light at an intersection is based on the speed limit for that intersection plus .5 seconds. For example: if the speed limit is 35 mph, the yellow light lasts 4.0 seconds. If it’s 50 mph, the light lasts 5.5 seconds.
March 19, 2020
March 16, 2020
Today I Learned …
Kid McCoy was a boxer, the welterweight champion of 1896. Early in his career, he showed a desire to win that was pretty ruthless, even for a boxer. Here’s one of his dick moves: he was fighting a guy who was completely deaf. By the third round, McCoy had figured out that his opponent couldn’t hear the bell. Halfway through the round, McCoy stepped back, acting as though the bell had rung. (It hadn’t.) When the other boxer dropped his fists and turned to go to his corner, McCoy knocked him out.
March 11, 2020
Antique Store Finds
I love poking around antique stores. There are so many stories there, just waiting to be rediscovered.
And sometimes, you find delightful bits of random weirdness, like this:
The grammar in that second picture is just … painful. But hey, it gets the idea across! Sort of.
March 9, 2020
Today I Learned …
There are more libraries in America than there are McDonald’s. And as of 2019, there are more libraries in America than Starbucks. (From Writer’s Digest, September 2019.)
March 5, 2020
March 2, 2020
Today I Learned …
In medieval times, people walked differently. Instead of striking with the heel first, they put the ball of their foot down first to check for debris that would be painful to step on, then brought the heel down. Shoe soles weren’t the sturdiest back then, so they stepped more carefully than we do today.
