Lèse-majesté
Following the September 11 attacks, holding rational, fact-based discussions with regards to cause and effect, religious freedoms (or lack thereof), national security, what would constitute an appropriate response, or any…
Immaculate Inning and Spies
Sunday, Miami Marlin's pitcher Cal Quantrill pitched an immaculate inning, striking out three batters on nine pitches. Though exceeding rare at one time - none between 1928 and 1953 -…
Random Learnings #53
The Italian city of Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia) was the center of a controversy between Italy and the nascent state of Yugoslavia about its post-World War I control, called the…
Lofeten Krigsminne Museum
Unlike other late-night ports Hurtigruten's northbound Coastal Express visits, the stop at Lofoten, Norway is lengthy enough to allow passengers to disembark and explore the city. Though the city is…
Random Learning #52
The Defence of the Realm Act was enacted by the United Kingdom parliament days after World War I started and granted the government extraordinary wartime emergency powers. Expanded throughout the…
Friedliche Revolution
Friedliche Revolution, known as Peaceful Revolution in English, were the 1989 non-violent protests against the East German communist government which led to its demise. The protests' origins were the Monday's…
Monument to the Battle of the Nations
Also known in German as Völkerschlachtdenkmal, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations commemorates the 1813 epic battle where Napolean was defeated by the combined armies of Russia, Prussia,…
Random Learnings #51
Though evidence is inconclusive and reasoning disputed, Khrushchev may have proposed that the Kaliningrad enclave become part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Lithuanian leader Sniečkus declined because over…
Random Learnings #50
Sovetsk, Russia is part of the Kalingrad enclave, physically separated from mainland Russia. It's even further separated from mainland Russia as planes can no longer fly over the Baltics but…
From Here I Can See Russia!
Sarah Palin is often misquoted as saying I can see Russia from my house! - thank you, Tina Fey - but I can say I saw Russia from my rental…