A Brief History On April 22, 2019, Clevelanders and people in American cities of Polish or Slavic heritage across the country celebrate the Slavic Holiday called Dyngus Day, a relatively new holiday to Cleveland only initiated 9 years ago, its European roots go back to the 15th Century. Falling on the day after Easter each year, it is an early Spring traditional day to keep the Easter holiday season going for one more day, a day marked by Polka Music and dancing, and even more so by eating wonderful Slavic foods. Digging Deeper Celebrated by Slavic people as “Wet Monday,”…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Daniel Zar is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.
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A Brief History 2019 marks the 70th year of the Formula One World Championship and it is promising to be the most exciting year yet. Young guns like Max Verstappen are making a claim for glory while Lewis Hamilton eyes up a sixth championship, pushing him ever closer to Michael Schumacher’s incredible seven total championships. Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing has called time on Renault engines and made the switch to Honda, while Sauber Force India have renamed as Alfa Romeo racing, indicating a fresh start for the constructor. They will be buoyed by the return of Kimi Räikkönen, who rejoins…
A Brief History On April 20, 1828, French explorer René Caillié became the first European to return alive from a visit to the ancient African city of Timbuktu. Yes, this ancient city located in Mali is indeed a real place, a mysterious and fabled city of almost mythological proportions to 19th Century Europeans, enough so that the Société de Géographie in Paris offered a 10,000 Franc award to any European that could travel to Timbuktu and return alive with an account of the mystery city. Digging Deeper Africa was still “The Dark Continent” to Europe in 1828, largely unexplored and…
A Brief History On April 19, 2019, horror movie fans get another installment in the Annabelle/Conjuring movie universe, this time called The Curse of La Llorona. The premise of the film revolves around a Mexican folk tale of a long passed beautiful mother that murders (drowns) her children, and haunts living mothers and their children today, seeking to steal the children for herself. Set in the United States of 1973, an American widow and her children are faced with the horror of La Llorona (“The Weeping Woman”) and her murderous intent. Who can save them from La Llorona? Can they…
A Brief History On April 17, 2019, the nation celebrates National Cheese Ball Day, or at least we should. Cheese Balls are a mainstay of wine tasting parties and are a favored Hors d’oeuvre at seasonal get togethers and office parties, but apparently the delicious dairy treat needs its own day anyway. We happen to love Cheese Balls, and this gastronomical love affair causes us to wonder, “Why do people refer to something that is cheap, tawdry, or otherwise crumby as ‘Cheese Ball’?” (Note: There is another kind of “Cheese Ball,” the salty snack type that is akin to cheese…