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nicolvalentin

The Island Whose History Was Changed By A Nose

Ahh, the nose, the center of olfactory pleasure and pain. Raise it in defiance or wrinkle it in disgust. There’s the Roman nose and the hawk nose; the Nubian nose and the snub nose. Only once, however, did a…

The crazy connection between Spam and . . . Hobbits?

Surprise! SPAM is celebrating its birthday today! On May 11th, 1937, Hormel officially registered the trademark. And Guess what, JRR Tolkien published the Hobbit in September of that same year.  That means both are celebrating their 80th birthday! If…

Suleyman The Magnificent’s Underwear

Sometimes, the things that shape history come in small packages. Take the tulip for example. The Dutch went crazy over them causing a  tulip mania in the 1600s. People bought and sold bulbs at prices beyond all reason. It…

Washing Gold Mountain

Imagine a mountain made of gold: Would you go there despite having to leave your country, your wife, your children? Would you be willing to undertake the trials and hardships that you knew awaited you? If you said yes, you…

We’ve got a Tolkien Kind of Love

I’ve been married for 22 years and I love my husband more than ever. He’s stayed with me through all life’s difficulties, and even during the lowest moments, he’s been patient, loving…