Tag Archives: war

Four Calling Birds – Twelve Facts of Christmas

By Ryan | Published: December 28, 2010

On the fourth day, we get “calling” birds. Turns out, much like the pear tree, this is another misunderstood lyric. The original is talking about colly birds (or collie) which means black. It originates from coal mines so to say something is “coaly” is to say “black“. Now, there are 31 different species of blackbirds, [...]

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Leather belt fashion over function

By Ryan | Published: August 30, 2010

After losing a little belly this summer, I’ve become more aware of my belt. It’s about an inch and a half wide, made with fairly thick “genuine” leather, and a heavy steel buckle. I would estimate it to hold over 200 pounds without any trouble. The phrase “swatting flies with a sledgehammer” comes to mind. [...]

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David vs. Goliath: David’s not such a nice guy after all

By Ryan | Published: August 23, 2010

The story of “David vs. Goliath” has become a popular parable anytime the “little guy” faces off against a giant. The people do love a good David vs. Goliath triumph. However, you may not be so enthusiastic if you get to know the rest of the story. Let’s start with the famous incident. It’s about [...]

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FACT: both Napoleon and Nixon enjoyed playing with a yo-yo

By Ryan | Published: November 5, 2009

The yo-yo toy, a simple string tied to a weighted disc, has been flung about by kids and adults for over 2500 years. While the true origin is not known for certain, the earliest record goes back to ancient Greece, in 500 BC, where a boy and his yo-yo are pictured on vase. What I [...]

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FACT: sticking a feather in your cap is hardly macaroni

By Ryan | Published: October 26, 2009

Yankee Doodle is probably the most famous song from American history. Sing along with me now… let me hear you in the back! Yankee Doodle went to town Riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap And called it macaroni. Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy, Mind the music and the [...]

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FACT: the necktie was inspired by 17th century Croatian soldiers

By Ryan | Published: October 14, 2009

If you thought camouflage cargo shorts were the only cool fashion trend to come out of the military, whoo boy are you ever wrong! That more or less useless little bit of cloth that men (and sometimes women) tie around their necks every morning first entered the fashion world by force nearly 400 years ago. [...]

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FACT: the second world war was won with inflatable tanks

By Ryan | Published: October 5, 2009

Welcome to the first ever “theme week” on the LSNED blog. All week I’ll be posting exciting, thrilling, educational facts on the topic of… deception! Yup, deceptions big and small of all sorts. Stay tuned for a tricky week. The big turning point in World War II was the Normandy invasion, where allied troops managed [...]

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