Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in FYI.
Elegabalus, Emperor of Rome
One would hardly expect many Roman emperors to make an appearance in a comic opera, but anyone who has seen “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan might have been puzzled by the claim of Major-General Stanley that he can “quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus”. Even though the name is more usually given as Elagabalus, not many opera-goers will know to whom he is referring, or what crimes he might have committed.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
Frank and Jesse James were once Robin Hood in the midst of their crime sprees
There are many legends and myths within the truth regarding the infamous outlaws who were the James brothers Frank and Jesse. They were the sons of a preacher who turned to a life of crime. Jesse was shot down at the age of 34 but Frank, after serving a stint in prison moved in with his mother and lived to be 72 years old. The siblings were part of the James/Younger gang which had fluctuating membership over the years but at one point consisted of Jesse and Frank, along with the Younger brothers Cole, John, Bob, and Jim.
By Cheryl E Preston5 years ago in FYI
Edward the Black Prince
Edward the Black Prince should have become King of England but died before his father (King Edward III), so the throne passed to his less worthy son, who reigned as King Richard II. Edward represents many people’s idea of a knight from the period when chivalry was at its height. Indeed, Chaucer’s “perfect gentle knight”, from the Canterbury Tales, written not long after Edward’s death, could have been a nostalgic (and doubtless sanitised) portrait of the Black Prince.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
The Depressing Idea of Hanlon's Razor
Philosophy is a fun topic. Within philosophical discourse, there's a tool known as a "razor." In particular, Hanlon's Razor states that one should never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. It is one of many "razors" that exist in philosophical discussion, the most well known of which is probably Occam's razor, though there are many others.
By Daniel Goldman5 years ago in FYI
‘The Wreck of the Titan’ foretold the sinking of the Titanic
The RMS Titanic was a luxury steamship, that sank in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. This tragedy took place during the ship's maiden voyage in the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland. The Titanic ran into an iceberg with 2,240 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people lost their lives in the disaster and countless articles, movies, and books, have been produced and written on the subject. There is one publication however that was penned 14 years prior to the Titanic sinking. Some believe this was a premonition of future events but the author has another explanation.
By Cheryl E Preston5 years ago in FYI
17 interesting facts about Leonardo da Vinci that might Surprise You.
Leonardo da Vinci (14th April 1452–2nd May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the Renaissance period and is considered to be one of the most diverse and talented individuals to have ever lived. His initial fame was due to his paintings but later he became famous for his notebooks in which he had made drawings and notes on science and invention involving many subjects like astronomy, anatomy, botany, cartography, painting, and paleontology.
By DEEPAK SETHI5 years ago in FYI
Cremated ashes and how to transfer them to an urn
ouAt 11:30 last night, a family friend called me and asked an interesting question. I had told him that my sister in law had ordered an urn for my husband's cremated remains so he wanted to know how I would get the ashes from the box that now holds them into the urn. I had not really thought about it but I told him I supposed I would simply pour them in. His next question was if I were supposed to contact the funeral home to take care of this and I said I had assumed my business with them was concluded once they presented the box of ashes to me.
By Cheryl E Preston5 years ago in FYI
All The Answers We're Searching For Are Underneath Our Feet
It seems as though when we’re looking so hard for something it tends to always be hidden in plain sight. That ketchup bottle that you can’t seem to find in the fridge is actually literally right in front of your face. We think we’ve lost our cell phone when we’re still talking to someone on it. And the sunglasses we’ve been searching all over the house for for the past 15 minutes are on top of our head.
By Laurel Boyd5 years ago in FYI
