Posts

A Young Person's Introduction to Life in Georgian Britain

     This was originally intended to be the first in its series... until I discovered that there was a lot more material on the Regency and Victorian eras than on the 18th century :/  It's still rather scanty on artistic and religious movements, so if anyone knows of a good art history site, please let me know! General information     Draper, Jenny. " Answering White People's Questions About Slavery: The London History Show ." YouTube . March 3, 2021.     Johnson, James. " There Were No Slaves in Britain? " YouTube . June 28, 2020.     Thane, Anna M. " Travelling in the 18th century? Don’t forget your passport! " Regency Explorer . March 1, 2022.     Townsend, Jon. " Do You Know the Difference? Shilling, Sixpence, Halfpenny? " YouTube . July 27, 2021. Arts and architecture      Thane, Anna M. " Shades of Blue: Discovering new colours in the 18th Century ." Regency Explorer . April 10, 2022. ...

An Introduction to Conservation (India Edition)

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We  can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information     Down To Earth. " Urban Menace: Dogs, Monkeys and Pigeons in Indian Cities ." YouTube . July 8, 2023.      Sansad TV. " Law of the Land - Wildlife Protection in India ." YouTube . August 31, 2012.      TEDx Talks. " The Survival Revolution: Rewilding the Indian Subcontinent | Bittu Sahgal | TEDxGateway ." YouTube . January 6, 2021.      UN Environment Programme. ...

An Introduction to Conservation (US Edition)

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information      CBS Sunday Morning. " The Endangered Species Act at 50 ." YouTube . December 31, 2023.     CrashCourse. " Conservation and Restoration Ecology: Crash Course Ecology #12 ." YouTube . January 21, 2013.      Friends of the Los Angeles River. " Notes from the Field - Understanding Indicator Species ." YouTube . July 13, 2020.      National Geographic. " Invasive Species 1...

D&D Thinkpiece: Holy Symbols

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    I've been pondering the nature of holy symbols in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy tabletop RPGs.  They're instantly recognizable, with strong lines and bright colors, and can be hugely fun to sprinkle throughout a dungeon as clues or emblazon on a character's shield to show their allegiance.  Yet, there seems to be a distinct lack of real-world analogs for D&D-style holy symbols.  How did that happen?      Although D&D was created by a deeply Christian man, E. Gary Gygax seems to have neglected the real-world use of holy symbols in his own religion, much less outside of Christianity.  Let's look at how the cross is used as a Christian symbol.     The cross or crucifix is, essentially, the ancient Roman equivalent of the gallows.  As the instrument of Jesus' suffering* and death*, it is the quintessential Christian symbol.  It can appear with or without Jesus (or other hanged martyrs), and w...

An Introduction to Conservation (UK Edition)

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We  can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information      BBC Newsround. " Is Light Pollution Getting Worse? 🌃 | Newsround ." YouTube . March 6, 2023.      DwrCymruWelshWater. " Top 10 water saving tips ." YouTube . June 28, 2018.      Eco Sapien. " What is Citizen Science? " YouTube . March 30, 2015.     Natural Resources Wales / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru . " What are invasive non-native species? " YouTube . July 26, 2023. ...

An Overview of Life in Victorian Britain and Ireland

    The Victorian era in Britain and Ireland covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.  During that time, fashions changed dramatically as Britain became a global empire, with control of Egypt, India, Canada, Hong Kong, and parts of the Caribbean.  As immigration soared and London became the largest city in the world, anxiety about non-English "colonials" polluting English culture or bloodlines was at an all-time high.  Industry moved from small family businesses run out of the home to mass manufacturing in urban factories.  Handcrafts waned during the middle of Victoria's reign, only to return in romanticized "vintage" or "authentic" forms at the end of the century. General information      BBC Archive. " 1970: VICTORIAN TEENAGERS reminisce | Yesterday's Witness | Voice of the People | BBC Archive ." YouTube . Posted April 30, 2022.     HistoryExtra. " Child labour and BREADWINNERS | Ruth Goodman on family lif...

An Overview of Life in 18th-Century North America

     I would like credit for limiting myself to *only* six cooking videos by Townsends.  It was very difficult and I deserve a sticker.  Also, for some reason the virtual tour of the Irish farm needs to be watched at 1.25x normal speed; all the others seem fine. General information     Fairfax Network - Fairfax County Public Schools. " Life of a Colonial Slave ." YouTube . Posted September 19, 2014.      Smarthistory. " The making of an American myth: Benjamin West, Penn's Treaty with the Indians ." YouTube . Posted February 9, 2020.     Townsend, Jon. " Lighting Then VS Now: Fire Before Electricity ." YouTube . Posted January 14, 2024.      Townsend, Jon. " Winters in Colonial America ." YouTube . Posted December 7, 2017. Architecture and engineering      Colonial Williamsburg. " 18th-Century Brickmaking ." YouTube . Posted January 28, 2026.     Colonial Williamsburg. " ...