Coming across little nuggets of knowledge or trivia help set the scene and the mood-draw me into time and place.
Infoplease is a great site for picking up some quick facts on year-by-year events.
The Newseum site is a great place to comb the newspapers of the world for daily news and regional specific data.
Thanks to the internet research is only a Google search away. You already knew that didn't you. I can't think of anything new that I've learned today... can you tell me something I didn't know? Trivia? How to remove multiple sale stickers from price tags so I don't look cheap when I gift a clearance item. Perhaps the date of the next scheduled space dump? The cost of a litre of milk in Singapore. Anything will do.
I love unusual facts as well. The Schott's Miscellany books are great for this as well. I had to laugh at some of your questions which sound an awful lot like some of the stranger reference questions received in my library days.
ReplyDeleteFort Riley, in Kansas, was home to the US Cavalry School and to the 9th and 10th all-black regiments, also known as the "buffalo soldiers."
ReplyDeleteI just learned this today while doing some research for my WIP. As much as I hate the internet, I love it so good...
PS -- looks good :p
Cool sites Deb. Thanks for your efforts.
ReplyDelete........dhole
Oooh neat sites. I'll check out those links.
ReplyDeleteAlissa- Thanks for the tip, I'll have to check the library for those. I bet you had a lot of weird and wonderful requests at your library desk - sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteBane- Thanks, cool info, now I'm extra curious about your new WiP!
P.S. Phew!
Donna- No problem :)
Katie- Hope you find some useful info!
I know how to remove those sales stickers. You need to soak a qtip into one of those goof be gone type of solutions and gently roll it on top of the sticker until it comes off. Another method is to run a warm iron over the ticket. Just make sure you place a thin cotton sheet between the iron and the paper.
ReplyDeleteMara is a demon in Buddhism and he tempted Buddha while he was sitting for enlightment in a similar way that the devil tempted Jesus. I don't know if this is new to you, but I just learned about it yesterday and it seemed interesting. I always liked the name Mara (for a girl). Well, not anymore, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe word mirror is actually a derivative of the ancient Egyptian word mah-rer. It translated literally as see-face.
ReplyDeleteOf course, most ancient Egyptian mirrors were burnished copper, the better to not see those fine lines and wrinkles. :)
That muntins are the little slats of wood that hold the edges of window panes within a sash, and Eggemoggin Reach is a place in Maine, in the vicinity of Penobscot Bay...Oh, wait--you already know that! :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, thanks for the links, Deb! Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteHmm, something new and trivial? Calcium can't be well-absorbed by the body unless it's taken with vitamin D. Very important for women to know! (You probably already new, but it's the first thing that came to mind. :)
Angie- Thanks! I don't have any goofy goo on hand, so I'll give the iron a shot :)
ReplyDeleteLori- That is interesting. We have relatives who live in a place called Mara. Last time we passed through there was a biker funeral at the cemetary. This puts a whole new spin on that scene in my memory :D
Stephanie- Those ancient Eygptians were smart cookies. Now I wonder, where can I get one of those magic mah-rers? :)
Bridget- I LOVE those place names and I have you to thank for my muntin enlightenment :)
Janna- That's one of those things that I've heard and forgotten. Thanks for the reminder. Why is it that I only remember the utterly useless bits of knowledge?
We'e gotten so use to instant knowledge, it is hard to remember a time when we just didn't know or waited until we could get the information.
ReplyDeletemuch love
Thanks for these links, Deb! Any help with research is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteomg laughing at the sales sticker thing - I think the same thing when I get something on sale -clearance especially -- esp if they use some kind of dayglo color - just announcing CHEAP CHEAP SHE GOT IT CHEAP *laugh*
ReplyDeleteStacey- I shudder to think of the work involved in gathering info pre-search engine. I still keep and acquire new reference books for my book shelves. You never know...
ReplyDeleteElspeth- You're welcome, never know when or where we'll run across a good bit we can use!
Kat- LOL! I know and I'm convinced that they fasten some of those sticky suckers down with a sonic welder!
Love new stuff! I'm always looking for a link that will teach me something I didn't know yesterday. Awesome.
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