Category: Things You Should Already Know

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June 27, 2019

Whiskey, Whisky, Bourbon, Scotch, and Rye

First off, whiskey and whisky are the same thing with different spellings. In Scotland it’s spelled “whisky” while in Ireland it’s “whiskey” with an extra “e”. The US chose the Irish spelling, so “whiskey” also refers to American varieties. Regardless of spelling, whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash (the grain can be barley, corn, rye or wheat) and typically aged in charred white oak barrels. Mash, by the way, is the mixture of the grain, water and yeast that is fermented to produce the alcohol […]

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June 27, 2019

Holland and Netherlands

Why do we sometimes refer to the country of Holland and other times refer to the same place as the Netherlands? The correct name is Netherlands, or rather the Kingdom of the Netherlands, although it is informally known as Holland for historical reasons. Holland used to be a political region of the Holy Roman Empire called the County of Holland. Later, the province of Holland, as part of the Dutch Republic, rose to become a maritime and economic power, overshadowing the other provinces. Today, the Netherlands consists of twelve provinces, […]

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June 27, 2019

Transylvania

Quick, what’s the first thing you think of when you see the word Transylvania? Vampires of course, because that’s where they come from. The Romanians are so very happy that Bram Stoker warned the world when he published Dracula and inspired an endless stream of books and movies, because otherwise visitors might not take the proper precautions. Transylvania is actually a region of Romania with a rich culture and an important place in European history. But nowhere in its rich history has anyone documented any vampires. Why then did Bram […]

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June 27, 2019

Vulcanization

Nothing to do with Star Trek, vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber into hard rubber for use in the many rubber products you rely on today. Without it, you wouldn’t have car tires, rubber hoses, conveyor belts, saxophone mouthpieces, bowling balls or hockey pucks, to name just a few. The process was invented by Charles Goodyear as a vast improvement over the traditional rubber curing process known since prehistoric times.

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June 27, 2019

Offside in Soccer

The rule for “offside” (always without an “s”) is a simple concept yet oh so subjective and chock-full of nuance. It basically aims to prevent what Americans call “cherry picking”, or skulking near the goal waiting for a pass and an easy opportunity to score. IFAB (International Football Association Board) has codified the rules of association football (aka soccer) in its 200-page Laws of the Game. FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), as the ruling body for association football, recognizes IFAB as having the […]

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December 3, 2018

Humans on the Moon

Everyone knows (or should know!) that humans have walked on the moon. We should also probably have an idea how many humans have done so, but we probably don’t. Here’s what you should know. NASA has had several space programs but only one of them resulted in humans landing on the moon. The Apollo Program was NASA’s third human spaceflight program and ran from 1961 to 1972. While the first two programs, projects Mercury and Gemini, developed the technology for getting man into space and back safely, Apollo focused specifically […]

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October 9, 2018

The New Colossus

“Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” Chances are you recognize these famous lines from the poem everyone knows is associated with the Statue of Liberty. Here is what else you need to know. The poem is an immigrant-friendly sonnet called “The New Colossus” by the American poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887). A New-Yorker, Ms. Lazarus wrote the poem in 1883 to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. In 1903, the poem was engraved on a bronze […]

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October 9, 2018

Vulcanization

We’ve all heard of vulcanized rubber. But how many of us know what it really means? Here’s what you should already know. Having nothing to do with Star Trek, vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber into hard rubber for use in the many rubber products you rely on today. Without it, you wouldn’t have car tires, hoses, conveyor belts, saxophone mouthpieces, bowling balls or hockey pucks, to name just a few. The process, invented by none other than Charles Goodyear, was a vast improvement over the traditional […]

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October 8, 2018

Whiskey, Whisky, Bourbon, Scotch and Rye

Considering the amount of exposure we’ve had to the various products in the title of this chapter on TV, in movies and in literature, we should all be experts on the differences between them. We should… but most of us haven’t got a clue. We might pretend when ordering to impress our friends, but really, who are we kidding? Here’s what you should already know. First off, whiskey and whisky are the same thing with different spellings. “Whisky” is the British spelling (including Scotland, Canada, Australia, etc.), while “whiskey” with […]

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October 5, 2018

Halls of Montezuma

“The Marines’ Hymn” is the oldest and best known of the official US military songs. Even if you don’t know the difference between a squid and a devil dog, you’ll recognize the song’s famous first line: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli.” We know it, we can probably sing the first bars if asked, but how many of us have ever questioned what exactly those fabled halls are and why they open this important hymn? Here’s what you should know about that curious phrase. The Mexican-American […]

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