Author Archives: Michael Carver

Peace or War? What ARE we talking about?

Almost all of the Abrahamic religions have a huge focus on the idea of peace.  In fact, common greetings in Hebrew (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎ — shalom aleichem) and in Arabic (ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ‎ — as-salamu alaykum) quite literally mean “peace be upon you.”  In the Anglican Church ceremony celebrating the French Alliance yesterday they opened their proceedings with …

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Manhattan bought for 60 Guilder then given up for some spices

In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that would one day bear his name. The Englishman was an emissary of the Dutch and had been dispatched to chart a new passage to Asia, where the Dutch West India Company wanted to expand its trade. Hudson ultimately failed at that task, but his journey laid …

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Beer Recipe: French Alliance “Myrtile” Lambic

“Myrtille” is French for Blueberry. It is popular in some so-called patriotic circles to make snarky comments about France and the French, We call them “Frogs” and complain about rescuing them from their foreign exploits like Vietnam when they hold us to high moral standards on our adventures. The fact, however, is that the United …

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Historical Tidbits — Rhode Island declares independence

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. May 4, 1776                        Rhode Island declares independence. Rhode Island, the colony founded by the most radical religious dissenters from the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony, becomes the first North …

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Freedom of Religion is Really There to Protect Religious Practice from Government Abuse

There is a growing movement in the fascist wing of the Republican Party to infuse more Protestant Christianity in to all government decisions.  We see this in current anti-abortion and anti-LBGTQ laws as well as the political speech of certain candidates who wish to garner support from ultra-religious factions.  These politicians believe (or at least …

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There was no SPCA in the 18th Century – Fox Tossing

Der Vollkommene Deutsche Jäger (The perfect German hunter) describes a game called Fuchsprellen or “fox tossing.” Fox Tossing was a competitive sport mostly practiced by members of the upper classes. The sport was held on a closed patch of land where people threw live foxes and other animals up high using slings, with a person …

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Historical Tidbits — Battle of Crooked Billet

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. May 1, 1778                        Battle of Crooked Billet The Battle of Crooked Billet was fought near the Crooked Billet Tavern (present-day Hatboro, Pennsylvania). In the skirmish action, British forces under …

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