What is onanism?

Search: onanism

Why: In this story "Man Accused of Masturbating on Flight Faces $5,000 Flight, 90 Days in Jail" on Gothamist (which I went to because Brian's post on The Gate):

Airborne onanism is costly these days! Alleged wanker Kyle Pearce, a 25-year-old Floridian (Go Gators!), was arrested on May 19th after witnesses saw him remove his penis and masturbate "to the point of ejaculation" during a United Airlines flight to Denver. An 18-year-old woman sitting across the aisle from Pearce told police, "I heard a noise and looked over and saw his penis. He was wearing jeans tucked into cowboy boots... He told me his name was Kyle. He ejaculated & got some on the seat." Wow, that Kyle sure knows how to break the ice!

Answer: It's masturbating! Jerking off! J-ing O! And it's Biblical!

• after Onan, son of Judah (Gen. 38:9)
  

But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.

Yuck!

Here's the rest, y'all. It's one of the passages lunatics quote when talking about the Lord's distaste for contraception. Onan's brother was dead, ftr, and Onan only wanted to bang his widow Tamar, not raise her kids:

8 Then Judah said to Onan, 'Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her; raise up offspring for your brother.' 9 But since Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, he spilled his semen on the ground whenever he went in to see his brother's wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. 10 What he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also.

Apparently, the thing that made God mad was that Onan was doing something fun without any consequences. Unacceptable!

Source: Dictionary.com, Matt1618

The More You Know:

What city is mostly blue?

Search: blue city; the fall

Why: Have you guys seen the giant Scientology center down the street from my apartment? It's real blue.

According to Hailey, some city that may or may not be in Europe and that is also in the movie The Fall is "like, half blue." WHAT!

Answer: Jodhpur, India! From Roger Ebert's interview with director Tarsem Singh (I think):

"Jodhpur, the blue city, is a Brahmin city where you’re only supposed to paint your house blue. I made a contract with the city; we would give them free paint. We knew legally they could only choose blue. So they painted their houses blue and it looked more vibrant than it ever had before."

Why are the houses painted blue? Nobody's sure, but theories include:

• Religious reasons
• To keep mosquitoes away
• Because the color blue absorbs very little of the sun’s heat, which keeps the houses cool

Source: RogerEbert.com, Aliaterra, this guy's travel blog

The More You Know: Sorry I've been slacking with posts, friends and strangers, dudes and ladies. I started a new job 2 Fridays ago, and I haven't yet quite figured out how to fit excessive Googling into my days while still appearing to be productive. I hope to find that balance rill soon.

What are the main panels on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

Search: sistine chapel

Why: I'm looking at this cool virtual tour interactive thing on the Vatican website that lets you swing around the whole room and zoom in and et cetera. I went there in 2001, but I'll be honest with you: I don't remember every little goddamn detail.

Answer: There are 9 "central stories" from Genesis / Bereshit (since it's Passover):

1. Separation of Light from Darkness (La Separazione della luce dalle tenebre)

2. The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth (Creazione degli astri e delle piante)

3. Separation of Land from Sea (La Separazione della terra dalle acque)

4. Creation of Adam (Creazione di Adamo)

5. Creation of Eve (Creazione di Eva)

6. Original Sin and Banishment from the Garden of Eden (Peccato originale e cacciata dal Paradiso terrestre)

7. Sacrifice of Noah (Sacrificio di Noè)

8. The Great Flood (Diluvio Universale)

9. The Drunkenness of Noah (Ebbrezza di Noè)

Source: Vatican.va

The More You Know: How did He separated Light from Darkness before He created the Sun? That is for him to know and you to find out.

What are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Search: four horsemen

Why: In "5 Love Lessons from The Office's Michael Scott" on YourTango:

Except that Jan never seemed entirely convinced and, despite his being there for her during some especially rough times, continuously treated him with contempt. Is it any surprise that things eventually blew up? Jon Gottman, a well-known marriage expert, is known for blaming the breakups of most marriages on what he calls the "four horsemen of the apocalypse": criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.

I never made it to the end of the Bible.

Answer: They are colorful beasts that ride on horses!

• Conquest (white with a bow)
  
• War (red with a sword)
  
• Famine (black with a set of scales)
  
• Death ("pale")
  

They are described in chapter 6:1-8 of the Book of Revelation. Jesus (the "Lamb") takes the scroll of judgment from God because he the only person worthy of opening it and revealing the future course of history to his peeps. As he breaks the first 4 of the 7 seals, horses appear! Here is what the text says:

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!"
I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"
Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

And then this is what happens when he opens the last 3 seals:

• 5th Seal: The souls of the martyrs "under the altar" cry out for vengeance. (6:9-11)
• 6th Seal: There are earthquakes and natural disasters. (6:12-17)
  1. 144,000 of "all the tribes of Israel" are "sealed." (7:1-8)
  2. A vast multitude worship God after coming out of the Great Tribulation. (7:9-17)
• 7th Seal: The breaking of the 7th seal begins another series: the 7 trumpets

The whole thing is a bunch of 4s and 7s. I don't know.

Anyway, I kind of want to read on and find out how the world will end, but it's really long. It looks like there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth, though, so that's exciting! When does this start? October?

Source: Apocalipsis

The More You Know: Do you remember Johnny Ringo being all creepy about Revelations in my favorite movie Tombstone?

"Behold the pale horse. The man who sat on him was Death... and Hell followed with him."

Hell's coming with meeeeeee!!!!

What does Mark 11:12-14 say?

Search: mark 11:12

Why: On The 55 Funniest Signs from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear:

Answer: Lol:

¹²And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

¹³And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

¹⁴And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Read an unreasonably enraged commentary about this episode here.

Source: Bible Gateway, atheism.about.com

The More You Know: I love the pizza at Figs in Boston. Try it! Or roast some figs with honey:

I want to see the Celtic tree calendar

Search: celt tree calendar

Why: On "10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Harry Potter" on Mental_Floss:

7. Harry, Ron and Hermione all have wand cores based on their birthdays: the Celt assigned trees to people based on that kind of like we assign gemstones today. She had already assigned Harry’s holly-based wand when she discovered the Celt tree calendar and found that she had accidentally assigned him the “right” type of wood.

The what!

Answer: Well here's one, but it doesn't help much because I don't know where my birthday fell on the lunar calendar...

so now I've also Googled "when was i born lunar," and here's a handy finder. It says:

Which I guess is closest to this one:

THE BALSAMIC MOON or WANING CRESCENT MOON (316d-359d) represents the end of the karmic round. The mature plant is ready to let its seeds blow in the winds until they find a spot where they can grow on their own. In an existence marked by this phase, the individual is concerned with wrapping up old projects and loose ends. A powerful desire to rectify the misdeeds of the past can lead to preoccupation with memories of bygone days. Such reminisces may be an unhealthy obsession, or they may enrich the soul with the essence of garnered experience. At the same time, one may look wistfully toward the future in anticipation of a new karmic cycle and a new purpose to be undertaken under the coming new Moon.

I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but it does say this at the top:

See if your intuition and the way you view your life and self matches!

OK, sure, yeah, I guess I remember a lot of things.

And now back to the trees.

...Oh - this is embarrassing - I just realized that if I scrolled down a little further on the Tree page, I would have just found this.

Saille - Willow

Month: February
Color: listed only as bright
Class: Peasant
Letter: S
Meaning: Gaining balance in your life

Peasant! It also says:

Nicknames: The Witches' Moon; Moon of Balance
Magickal Properties: Romantic Love; Healing; Protection; Fertility; Magick for Women

How nice.

Although this other site says I'm a Rowan tree, so who knows:

Rowan - The Thinker
January 21-February 17

Celtic tree astrology recognizes Rowan signs as the philosophical minds within the zodiac. If you were born under the Rowan energy, you are likely a keen-minded visionary, with high ideals. Your thoughts are original and creative, so much so, that other’s often misunderstand from where you are coming. This sometimes makes you aloof when interacting with others as you feel they wouldn’t understand where you are coming from anyway. Nevertheless, although you may appear to have a cool exterior, you are burning within from your passionate ideals. This inner passion provides inner motivation for you as you make your way through life. You have a natural ability to transform situations and people around you by your mere presence. You are highly influential in a quiet way and others look to you for your unique perspectives. Rowan pairs well with Ivy and Hawthorn signs.

So I don't know what to think.

Source: Joelle's Sacred Grove, Astro Dream Advisor, the Navy?, Druidry.org, Celtic Tree Astrology

The More You Know: Wait, "balsamic moon"? That's just what it's called. Balsam is an "aromatic resin used for healing wounds and soothing pains." The Waning Gibbous Moon is also called "Disseminating."

Is Drake really Jewish?

Search: drake

Why: Joel from 2Pz posted this thing from NYMag:

Drake Is a Really Awesome Jew, Says Drake

TMZ has a video up in which Drake gamely banters with one of their cameramen, who asks, "Who do you think's a better Jew, you or Harvey Levin?" Drake's response: "I don't know. I'm one of the best Jews ever to do it." Any protests there, 3,000 years of beautiful tradition?

I have no idea who this person is, but he looks like this:

which doesn't really mean anything, but his answer kind of sounds like, well, what the hell is he talking about.

Answer: Yes! And from Memphis, kind of!

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario. He is the son of Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sandi Graham, an educator. Graham's father is an African American from Memphis, Tennessee, and Graham's mother is a white Jewish Canadian. He attended a Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah. His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in Toronto's wealthy Forest Hill neighbourhood. He spent most summers with his father in Memphis. Graham stated that his parents' divorce greatly affected him as a person, saying, “I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother.

How about it! Also, read about Jerry Lee Lewis's 6 crazy marriages when you get a chance.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: In case you don't know who this half-Jewish half-Memphian is either, here is his song "Best I Ever Had," which got to #2 on the regular US charts in 2009 and was nominated for 2 Grammys. I'm not familiar:

I want to see some koans

Search: koan

Why: As I'm watching "The West Wing," I keep wondering: Is it possible for Moira Kelly to be more unappealing than she is on this show?

It's unknowable, but does it count as a koan? The only one I remember (or have ever been taught, probably) is, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"

Answer: First, a definition: "a problem or riddle that admits no logical solution"; "a nonsensical or paradoxical question to a student for which an answer is demanded, the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating."

The word literally means "public document."

It refers to a statement made by a Master to a student of Zen or a discussion or dialogue between Master and student. The purpose of a Koan is to open the mind and perception to the truth. Koans are questions or riddles designed as instruments by the Zen Master to aid the student in finding the truth behind the everyday images of reality.

Some are short and some are long, some questions and some stories. Some examples:

• The Monk Mayo asked this question of the Sixth patriarch: "What is Zen?" The Patriarch replied, "When your mind is not dwelling on the dualism of good and evil, what is your original face before you were born?"

• Ummon asked: "The world is such a wide world, why do you answer a bell and don ceremonial robes?"

• Unmon said: "I do not ask you about fifteen days ago. But what about fifteen days hence? Come, say a word about this!" Since none of the monks answered, he answered for them: "Every day is a good day."

• A monk asked Fuketsu: "Without speaking, without silence, how can you express the truth?" Fuketsu observed: "I always remember spring-time in southern China. The birds sing among innumerable kinds of fragrant flowers."

• Twenty monks and one nun, who was named Eshun, were practicing meditation with a Zen master. Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain. Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love letter, insisting upon a private meeting. Eshun did not reply. The following day, the master gave a lecture to the group. When it was over, Eshun arose, addressing the one who had written to her. She said, "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."
  

• A monk saw a turtle in the garden of Daizui's monastery and asked the teacher, "All beings cover their bones with flesh and skin. Why does this being cover its flesh and skin with bones?" Master Daizui took off one of his sandals and covered the turtle with it.

• A monk asked Ummon: "What is Buddha?" Ummon answered him: "Dried dung."

Just go to sleep.

Source: China Page, The Gateless Gate, Ashida Kim

The More You Know: Toooooepiiiiiick

Who was St. Valentine?

Search: saint valentine

Why: It's coming. Pressure pressure pressure! (aka pizza, cuddling, and a "Veronica Mars" marathon)

Answer: Nobody even knows! How about that. There were a bunch of people named Valentine, but nobody knows what they did or why they were even made saints:

The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed: archaeologists unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius, marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

According to The Nuremburg Chronicles (1493) - an illustrated Biblical and world history book - one Roman priest named Valentinus was caught marrying Christian couples who were being persecuted by Emperor Claudius.

He was arrested and imprisoned; while in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine." Though Claudius took a liking to him, Valentinus then tried to convert the emperor, who subsequently sentenced him to death. He was beaten and stoned, and then beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate around 269 AD.

Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. I love bees.

Source: Catholic.org

The More You Know: Fun facts about V-Day:

• In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
• It may have been invented in an attempt to supersede the pastoral pagan holiday of Lupercalia, observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. The feast honored Juno, the queen of Roman gods and goddesses, and the goddess of women and marriage.
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
• Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within the three-day Valentine's Day time period.
• Approximately 1 billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year, according to the U.S. Greeting Card Association. That's second only to Christmas.
• In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.
• Every Valentine's Day, the Italian city of Verona - where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived - receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.
• In the US, 64% of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.

What's the deal with Mormon underwear?

Search: mormon underwear

Why: On PostSecret:

-----Email-----

I am sure you know that we Mormons consider our symbolic underclothing to be sacred and not for public view. Would you choose to publish photos of Muslims in their underclothing? Or Orthodox Jews?

-----Email-----

EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED that you would violate that sacred belief. You don't have to agree, but you should RESPECT it.

-----Email-----

Our undergarments are sacred, yes, but if I can get the images in the first page of search results on Google Images, they are in no way 'secret'. Besides, just because they are visible to non-members doesn't make them any less sacred to us, and in my opinion, only increases the sanctity of being worthy to wear them.

-----Email----

Would you post pictures of atheists in their underwear?

I've never even heard of this!

Answer: They're called "temple garments." In short:

What is the big deal about Mormon underwear?

Many people are particularly interested in why Mormons wear these sacred undergarments. It’s interesting to note that religious clothing is a fairly regular occurrence in many world religions. It is often worn by those who are participating in certain religious ceremonies or who hold a specific position in the faith (e.g., priest, pastor, etc.). While in other faiths it is common to wear this religious clothing in plain view, Mormons wear the garments underneath their normal street clothes.

Perhaps the best description of Mormon underwear is that they are an outward express of an inward commitment. When Mormons go to the temple for the first time (typically around the age of 20), they participate in a sacred ceremony known as the endowment. The endowment consists of making covenants with God to obey the commandments He has given us. Mormons start wearing the garments during this first visit to the temple and will continue wearing it throughout their lives.

The temple is a beautiful and peaceful place where Mormon members can come to worship God and leave behind the worries and fast-paced lifestyle of the world. When going back into the world to resume studies, work, and personal lives, it’s not always easy to manage priorities. The garments serve as a constant reminder about the promises we have made to God to remember Him and keep His commandments.

So it's kind of like a yarmulke or a priest collar, except on the inside.

There is also a historical precedent for wearing religious clothing. In fact, Adam and Eve wore clothing that was made for them by God before they left the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:21 states that “unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Mormons believe that such clothing was provided as part of the religious instruction provided to Adam and Eve by God. This is the same context in which Mormons receive the garment—as part of the religious instruction contained within the temple endowment.

Source: TheMormonUnderwear.com, Mormon-Underwear.com

The More You Know: There's only one photograph of it on the Internets, but here is a drawing:

I want to look at the label for that weird castile soap

Search: shampoo dr. castille; dr. bronners

Why: This crazy website is reminding me of it. I think they are written by the same lunatic. One of my roommates in New York had that peppermint shampoo and the bottle gave me cheadache.

Answer: If you've never tried to read this mumbo jumbo, just click to enlarge. Just do it.

Apparently Dr. Bronner was Jewish, but there's sure a lot of stuff about Jesus on there. Shrugz.

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: And you know who I'm pretty sure it is? This little man from Cat's Cradle:

Its operator was a small and ancient Negro named Lyman Enders Knowles. Lyman was insane, I'm almost sure - offensively so, in that he grabbed his own behind and cried, "Yes, yes!" whenever he felt that he'd made a point.

"Hello, fellow anthropoids and lily pads and paddlewheels," he said to Miss Faust and me. "Yes, yes!"

"First floor, please," said Miss Faust coldly.

All Knowles had to do to close the door and get us to the first floor was to press a button, but he wasn't going to do that yet. He wasn't going to do it, maybe, for years.

"Man told me," He said, "that these here elevators was Mayan architecture. I never knew that till today. And I says to him, 'What's that make me - mayonnaise?' Yes, yes!"

Babies full of rabies.

What even are patron saints?

Search: patron saints history

Why: According to this Bacon Bits fact sheet Chandler sent:

Saint Anthony the Abbot (aka Saint Anthony the Great) is the patron saint of pigs, swine herders, and butchers. As such, he has been dubbed "The Patron Saint of Bacon." He is also the patron saint of epilepsy, amputees, shingles, gravediggers, hermits, lost items, and Canas, Brazil.

Answer: They are intercessors! According to Catholics:

Seeking the intercession of a patron saint does not mean that one cannot approach God directly in prayer; rather, it's like asking a friend to pray for you to God, while you also pray—except, in this case, the friend is already in Heaven.

I don't really want to summarize all this stuff, so here is how it all started:

• The practice of adopting patron saints goes back to the building of the first public churches in the Roman Empire, most of which were built over the graves of martyrs. The churches were then given the name of the martyr, and the martyr was expected to act as an intercessor for those who worshiped there. They soon began to dedicate churches to other holy men and women—saints—who were not martyrs. Today, they still place some relic of a saint inside the altar of each church and then dedicate that church to a patron. That's why a church is St. Mary's or St. Peter's or St. Paul's.
• Patron saints of churches (or regions or countries) were generally chosen because of some connection of that saint to that place—he had preached there, died there, or something. As Christianity spread to areas with few martyrs or canonized saints, it became common to dedicate a church to a saint who was especially venerated by the founders of the church. Thus, US immigrants chose for their churches the saints who had been venerated in their native lands.
• By the Middle Ages, the practice of adopting patron saints had spread beyond churches to "the ordinary interests of life, his health, and family, trade, maladies, and perils, his death, his city and country." Thus, St. Joseph became the patron saint of carpenters, St. Cecilia of musicians, etc. Saints were usually chosen as patrons of occupations that they had actually held or that they had patronized during their lives.
• Patron saints for diseases often suffered from the malady assigned to them or cared for those who did. Sometimes, though, martyrs were chosen as the patron saints of diseases which were reminiscent of their martyrdom. For example, St. Agatha was chosen as the patron of those with diseases of the breast, since her breasts were cut off when she refused marriage to a non-Christian.

Re: St. Anthony's relationship to pigs:

Skin diseases were sometimes treated with applications of pork fat, which reduced inflammation and itching. As Anthony’s intervention aided in the same conditions, he was shown in art accompanied by a pig.



People who saw the art work, but did not have it explained, thought there was a direct connection between Anthony and pigs - and people who worked with swine took him as their patron.

Other fun patron saints:

• Accountants - St. Matthew
• Actors - St. Genesius
• Comedians - St. Vitus
• Compulsive Gambling - St. Bernardine of Siena
  
• Earaches - St. Polycarp
  
• Editors - St. John Bosco
• Florists - St. Dorothy
• Hairdressers - St. Martin de Porres
  
• Housewives - St. Martha
• Internet - St. Isidore of Seville
• Pawnbrokers - St. Nicholas
• Taxi Drivers - St. Fiacre
• Venereal Disease - St. Fiacre

Source: About.com: Catholocism, Saints.SQPN.com, American Catholic

The More You Know: Are you still thinking about bacon? Me too. There is a good reason why wet chewy Canadian bacon is rill different from delicious crunchy USA bacon:

Who was the first Devil's advocate?

Search: devil's advocate origin

Why: Eric argued that there are multiple internets, not just one (The Internet). I think he just wanted to argue.

Answer: A Roman church official! He was appointed to argue the case against a proposed candidate for sainthood. In Latin, he is called the Advocatus Diaboli, though his official title is Promoter of Faith (Promotor Fidei), which is kind of lame.

The supporter of the candidate was called Advocatus Dei - "God's Advocate."

Source: The Answer Bank

The More You Know: I saw this little gem in the theater. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

What is myrrh?

Search: myrrh

Why: On "Permission Slip" on 27bslash6:

I was actually in a Bible based play once and played the role of 'Annoyed about having to do this.' My scene involved offering a potplant, as nobody knew what Myrrh was, to a plastic baby Jesus then standing between 'I forgot my costume so am wearing the teachers poncho' and 'I don't feel very well'.

Answer: Dried tree sap! The most common sources are species of Balsamodendron and Commiphora trees, particularly the Commiphora myrrha, doy, which is native to Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. Mashed up, it is a reddy-brown resin. It has historically been used in perfumes and salves and as an additive to wine.

The name myrrh comes from murr or מר or mar or maror, which my fellow Chosen People will recognize as the Hebrew word for "bitter."

Source: WiseGeek

The More You Know: But why did those guys give it to the sweet baby Jesus?

Myrrh was a symbolically appropriate gift for the baby Jesus because it was used in embalming at the time. Therefore, while gold and frankincense symbolize the infant's royalty and divinity, respectively, myrrh makes reference to His future death.

Frankincense, PS, is also dried tree sap. It is collected from the Boswellia Thurifera of Somalia, Oman, and Yemen.

Who started April Fools' Day?

Search: april fools day origin

Why: It's tomorrow. Be smart; stay clean; keep the dream.

Answer: Nobody knows! It has been a part of European cultures since at least the 1500s, and it almost definitely has something to do with calendar reform. In 1708, the British magazine Apollo asked “Whence proceeds the custom of making April Fools?” Theories:

• 16th century French calendar reform - In 1564, France moved the start of the year from the end of March to January 1. Those who stubbornly clung to the old system and celebrated the New Year during the week of Mar. 25 - April 1 became the butt of jokes. Pranksters stuck paper fish to their backs, and the victims were called Poisson d’Avril, "April Fish" - which is still the French term for April Fools. Here's an April Fish postcard:

• Julian calendar reform - In 46 BC, Julius Caesar moved the New Year to Jan. 1. Efforts were made to Christianize the calendar, and some countries justified this as the date of Christ's circumcision. However, this meant the solar year was different from the calendar year, and in the 1500s, various countries started the year on different dates. France used Easter as the start of the year in accordance with the lunar cycle. In 1563, King Charles IX decreed Jan. 1 to be the first day of the year, thus aligning legal convention with what had become the popular practice, especially in Roman custom. In 1582, Pope Gregory issued a papal bull that decreed - and urged Christian nations to accept - sweeping calendar reform. It included moving the start of the year to January 1, as well as creating a leap-year system and eliminating 10 days from the month of Oct. 1582 to correct the drift of the calendar. France had already changed the start of the year in 1564... so this really has nothing to do with April Fools' Day.

• British calendar change - The British traditionally observed New Year’s Day on March 25 (the Feast of Annunciation), followed by a week of festivities culminating on April 1. In 1752, the British changed the start of the calendar year to Jan. 1. The festival held on April 1 (the “octave” of the March 25th calendar year change) may have evolved into April Fools' Day.

Source: Museum of Hoaxes

The More You Know: Whatever. Do something totally wacky.

Did Nietzsche's sister really found a white supremacist cult?

Search: nietzsche

Why: In Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (which I bought last night at Hudson News and is really great, btw):

Apparently we've used up every nurse in the Caribbean, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia, and now we're most of the way through Eastern Europe. When the white supremacist cult Nietzsche's sister founded in Paraguay reemerges from the jungle, at least its members will be able to find work.

Answer: Yes! In February 1887 - 16 years after the War against the Triple Alliance - Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche and her fanatic anti-semitic husband Bernhard Förster persuaded 14 mostly impoverished German families to move with them to the Paraguayan rainforest to start Nueva Germania, a "pure" Aryan colony. The initiative was a failure due to the harness of the wild environment, and Förster committed suicide there in 1889. Elisabeth left in 1893.

The colonials that remained soon had forgotten the original Aryan ideals of its founders and ended up completely integrating to the Paraguayan culture. Dr. Mengele spent some time in Nueva Germania while on the run after WWII.

Today, Nueva Germania is a quiet community of San Pedro dedicated to agriculture, specializing in the cultivation of yerba mate.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Don't worry - Nietzsche wasn't a Jew-hater. In fact, he:

• Broke with his editor, Ernst Schmeitzner, disgusted by his anti-Semitic opinions. Nietzsche saw his own writings as "completely buried and unexhumeable in this anti-Semitic dump" of Schmeitzner—associating the editor with a movement that should be "utterly rejected with cold contempt by every sensible mind."
• Criticized and mocked his sister and Bernhard for their plans for Nueva Germania. (He wrote to her, "I am now in a position of emergency defense against your spouse's Party. These accursed anti-Semite deformities shall not sully my ideal!!'')
• Wrote several criticisms of both anti-semitism and German nationalism, in Beyond Good and Evil, Ecce Homo, and The Gay Science.
  

Why do people say "Jesus H. Christ"?

Search: jesus h christ origin

Why:

Answer: First, it dates back to at least the late 19th century, though according to Mark Twain, it was already old in 1850. Theories:

• "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Harold be Thy name."
• The Greek name for Jesus is Ιησούς, and the first 3 letters are transliterated as IHS, IHC, JHS or JHC.
• IHS gave rise to the backronym Iesus Hominum Salvator (Latin for "Jesus, savior of men"), so it is plausible that JHC similarly led to Jesus Harold Christ.
• Before an important battle in 312, Emperor Constantine saw vision of the cross in the sky and heard a voice saying that he would conquer "in this sign," in Latin in hoc signo, i.e. IHS.
  

And this:

The earliest writer to speculate on the initials of Jesus is the author of the 2nd century "Epistle of Barnabas" (9:6-7). ..."Learn therefore, children of love, concerning all things abundantly, that Abraham, who first appointed circumcision, looked forward in the spirit unto Jesus, when he circumcised having received the ordinances of three letters. For the scripture saith; And Abraham circumcised of his household eighteen males and three hundred. What then was the knowledge given unto him? Understand ye that He saith the eighteen first, and then after an interval three hundred. In the eighteen 'I' stands for ten, 'H' for eight. Here thou hast JESUS (IHSOYS). And because the cross in the 'T' was to have grace, He saith also three hundred. So He revealeth Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one the cross."

Source: ChristianOrigins.com, Wikipedia

The More You Know:

Who are the Gideons?

Search: who are the gideons

Why: The waiting room at my dentist's office had a hotel-style Bible "placed by the Gideons."

Answer: Members of the Gideon Society, a worldwide Protestant evangelical organization! They have been around since 1899. They are named for Gideon, who served God even when his orders seemed contradictory or strange.

Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character. This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads.

Similarly, they take every opportunity to bear witness as Christians, whether sneaking Bibles into your dentist's office or cornering you on an airplane.

Source: WiseGeek

The More You Know: Songs that mention the Gideon Bible:

• The Beatles – "Rocky Raccoon"
• Beulah – "Maroon Bible"
• Clutch – "Profits of Doom"
• Fall Out Boy – "XO"
• Frank Zappa – "Room Service"
• George Strait - "Maria"
• Jay Brannan - "Home" ("Why don't the Gideons leave condoms in the drawer? Bibles don't save many people anymore.")
• Jethro Tull – "Locomotive Breath"
• Jimmy Buffett – "This Hotel Room"
• John Cale – "Gideon's Bible"
• My Morning Jacket – "Gideon"
• Pedro The Lion – "Rapture"
• State Radio – "Rash of Robberies"
• Steve Goodman - This Hotel Room

What is Acts 4:12?

Search: acts 4:12

Why: This morning, I saw a bumper sticker that said:

...FOUND!
Acts 4:12

It was something I would not be surprised to see in Tennessee, but here it caught my eyeball.

Answer:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Source: Bible Gateway

The More You Know: The author of Acts (aka Acts of the Apostles) is Luke. Luke.

What's the origin of the word halcyon?

Search: halcyon

Why: On the Babble list of "Facebook's Five Most Annoying Parents":

The Cool Parent

Oh, the good old halcyon days of all-night clubbing and indie rock concerts. Those were good times. The problem is they're over and have been replaced with broken sleep cycles and Laurie Berkner concerts...

Answer: From the Greek myth of Alcyone:

Alcyone married Ceyx, son of Eosphorus, the Morning Star. They were very happy together and often sacrilegiously called each other "Zeus" and "Hera." This angered Zeus, so while Ceyx was at sea, the god threw a thunderbolt at his ship. Ceyx appeared to Alcyone as an apparition to tell her of his fate, and she threw herself into the sea in her grief. Out of compassion, the gods changed them both into halcyon (kingfisher) birds, named after her.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: The term halcyon days refers to a period of 7 days in winter when storms don't occur. These were originally the 7 days each year (either side of the winter solstice) during which Alcyone (as a bird) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach. Her father Aeolus, god of the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. The phrase has since become a term used to describe a peaceful or "golden" time.