Posts Labeled with ‘history’
Walking down the street today, I heard the ice cream truck driving around my very white, very suburban, California neighborhood. The song that the little ice cream truck was playing was Dixie. The Southern anthem. Bizarre… really, really bizarre.
Many people are mildly aware of one version of the song which goes: “I wish I was in the land of cotton. Old times there are not forgotten. Look away, look away, look away, Dixieland.” But historians (which is my training) and radical Southerners (not me) are also aware of the Southern secessionist anthem version: Dixie To Arms! I found a version on YouTube, in case you’ve never heard it. Here’s the link:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPhq6StlV94]
So I have lots of questions. Can ice cream truck drivers put together their own playlists? Is the ice cream truck driver a radical Southerner? Does the ice cream truck driver even recognize the song? How does this song go over in the south? Is this really a good song for selling ice cream in San Diego? Just wondering.
Today, I went to the ancient ruins of the city of Ephesus outside of Kudasi, Turkey. This is the city that is mentioned in the Bible… you know, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. The Temple of Artemis was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. But now the Temple artifacts are actually housed in London, and are not in display at the original location outside of the Ephesus archeological site in Turkey; the site of the ancient Temple of Artemis is actually a farm.
Link to the Full Ephesus Gallery on Smugmug
About 30% of the ancient city has been excavated, and some of it has been reconstructed. It is a lovely archeological site… especially the library, which is marvelous.
Here’s a photo of the library at Ephesus.
It’s already Feb 3 and I forgot to post a link to my INeedCoffee article of the month. Well, let’s remedy that. This article is about coffee, religion, and history.
Why Mormons Don’t Drink Coffee or Tea
Have you noticed that most followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) commonly called Mormons, don’t drink coffee or tea? You’ll see them enjoying herbal tinctures, hot cider, and many true believers even drink caffeinated soda. The casual observer may jump to the conclusion that this is 1) a law, 2) must have something to do with caffeine. Neither is accurate. This article goes into detail to explain the historical significance, context, and modern interpretation of the prohibition/exhortation against coffee and tea for Mormons. Read More >>