Origin of the Species - Peeps

Back in the days when I ate sugar, I always preferred Cadbury Creme Eggs to Peeps as my Easter indulgence. But those little yellow chicks have meanwhile taken over the world. I always wondered where they got started.

Tunisia had a revolution! Did you notice?

"Revolution" is a big word for Americans. Our own nation was founded by a Revolution where our founding fathers wrested control from a monarchy to found a Republic. So, whenever another country cries "Revolution", we are usually quick to sit up and take notice. But not so much with Tunisia, the north-easternmost country in Africa and a neighbor to Libya.

On December 17, a 26 year old Tunisian man named Mohamed Bouazizi reached the end of his rope. An unemployed university graduate, Bouazizi had become a seller of fruits and vegetables in the southern Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid. When authorities confiscated his wares to punish him for selling without a license, Bouazizi set himself on fire...Bouazizi’s suicide struck a chord with other frustrated Tunisians. Thousands took to the streets in Sidi Bouzid to protest widespread unemployment, government corruption and lack of opportunity. Another frustrated youth in Sidi Bouzid, Lahseen Naji, killed himself by climbing an electricity pylon while crying out “No for misery, no for unemployment!” before grasping the high voltage line. The Tunisian government responded by sending baton and teargas-wielding reinforcements to the city and by promising future economic development projects...The director of Mr. Ben Ali's presidential security force was arrested in the afternoon, and after nightfall army special forces battled armed units loyal to the former president that had holed themselves up in the presidential palace on the outskirts of Tunisia...Tunisia's caretaker prime minister said a new coalition government would be announced Monday that includes members of the country's opposition and some leaders, like himself, from the previous regime—a move that could fill the country's power vacuum and help stabilize the tense North African country.

But America has barely been paying attention, distracted by the shooting in Tucson and the NFL playoffs. Now is the time to catch up with your knowledge of Tunisia as this revolution is expected to have international repercussions, and may trigger other revolutions across Africa.

What's this "deal with the devil" that Pat Robertson was talking about?

I am no fan of Pat Robertson these days. While I respect his work to support and encourage Christians worldwide, his recent shows seem to do a lot to alienate non-Christians needlessly. One of the most egregious examples of late was his quote about Haiti after the earthquake.

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," he said. "They were under the heel of the French ... and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.'

"True story. And the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal,'" Robertson said. "Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after another."

Why do I dignify this statement - at best, kicking a nation while it is down - with a Mod-Blog story? Because Mr. Robertson represents a lot of people, and he is referring to something that Haitians consider history. The Straight Dope took up the historical research, which points to both the points Mr. Robertson was reaching for and the facts he got clearly wrong.

The story goes that a houngan (voodoo priest) named Dutty Boukman held a meeting of black slaves and runaways at Bois Caïman in the mountains of the north to prepare to rise up against their oppressors. With the aid of an African-born priestess, they conducted a religious ceremony in which the group swore on the blood of a sacrificial pig, invoking the spirits of the forest and their ancestors, that they would live free or die. According to tradition, this was the catalyst for the Haitian revolution. Though Boukman was captured and beheaded, the revolt continued, and after much strife Haiti became an independent republic in 1804...Legend has it that Boukman offered a prayer at Bois Caïman in which he drew a distinction between the wicked god of the whites and the benevolent god of the blacks. Whether the prayer was actually uttered is debatable; nonetheless, it can be taken as a fair indication of the rebels' sentiments, namely, that they were aligning themselves with the forces of good. Clearly the idea they were bargaining with Satan was an interpretation by Christians, who figured our god is righteous, everybody else's god is evil.

It is foolish to take Mr. Robertson too seriously. He is a broadcaster and (arguably) a theologian. Not a historian. But when everyone is mocking someone, it is a good idea to see where he might be coming from.

Hamas recognizes Israel's Right to Exist

There are some sentences I never thought I'd read outside of Science Fiction. This is one of them.

Hamas has accepted Israel's right to exist and would be prepared to nullify its charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, Aziz Dwaik, Hamas's most senior representative in the West Bank, said on Wednesday.

Hamas, you may recall, has historically been dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in its place. They have fired thousands of rockets into Israel and killed many, many innocent civilians. But now, in control of the Palestinian territories, they are realizing that there may be more to gain by accepting Israel and actually considering peace.

There is no way to know how long this will last. It may simply be a PR stunt to facilitate getting foreign aid. But previously, this was unimaginable. And who knows what will happen, once you have crossed the rubicon

Happy Hanukkah!

We want to wish all of our Jewish readers a very happy Hanukkah, which begins tonight. The Jewish festival of lights has a complex history and the New York Times has up an interesting analysis of the historical context of it all.

Ancient Persian Army Found!

C.S. Lewis coined a term "chronological snobbery" to refer to moderns who laugh off most ancient historical records as "mythological" or "inventions of oral history". The fact is that more often than not ancient historians - whether Josephus, Herodatus, or Luke - tend to be remarkably accurate. We have a new example in Egypt where a Persian army who disappeared 2,500 years ago has been found.

According to Herodotus (484-425 B.C.), Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great, sent 50,000 soldiers from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa and destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun. Alexander the Great had famously sought legitimization of his rule from the oracle of Amun in 332 B.C., but according to legend, the oracle would have predicted the death of Cambyses...After walking for seven days in the desert, the army got to an "oasis," which historians believe was El-Kharga. After they left, they were never seen again.

"A wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear," wrote Herodotus.

As no trace of the hapless warriors has ever be found, scholars began to dismiss the story as a fanciful tale...Now, two top Italian archaeologists claim to have found striking evidence that the Persian army was indeed swallowed in a sandstorm. Twin brothers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni are already famous for their discovery 20 years ago of the ancient Egyptian "city of gold" Berenike Panchrysos.

Underestimate ancient historians at your own risk!

When comics save the REAL world

With the rise of comic book movies, more and more we are being reminded just how fantastic and anti-realistic comics have always been. But MentalFloss has up an interesting article that details times when comic book characters changed the real world for the better. Did you know the Superman radio drama caused the downfall of the real KKK? Did you know why Popeye eats spinach? Click on thru for the full story.

Happy Bastille Day

The Storming of the Bastille in Paris occurred on 14 July 1789. While the medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille contained only seven prisoners, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution, and it subsequently became an icon of the French Republic. In France, Le quatorze juillet (14 July) is a public holiday, formally known as the Fête de la Fédération (Federation Holiday). It is usually called Bastille Day in English.

Hillary Clinton: A Long Pattern of Deciet

Here is an interesting story that I have not heard mentioned even in the Conservative side of the media about Hillary Rodham's (before she married Bill) service during Watergate.

When the investigation was over, Zeifman fired Hillary from the committee staff and refused to give her a letter of recommendation – one of only three people who earned that dubious distinction in Zeifman’s 17-year career.

Why?

“Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in an interview last week. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”

It appears the Clintonian pattern of deceit and doing anything to win did not begin on the road to the White House or even in Arkansas. I truly hope we are not in for 4 more years of this.

If Obama is inevitable, what then?

After Obama's landslide victory in South Carolina and his endorsement by the Kennedys, I have started to wonder if history is on the side of the Senator from Illinois. While Democrats and Independents are boarding the Obama train, Republicans are trying to figure out which candidate they dislike the least. Many Conservatives are even considering voting for Obama over the "wrong" GOP candidate.

If - and yes, I know it is WAAAY to early to count out Hillary Clinton, much less John McCain, Mitt Romney, or even Rudy Guiliani - but *if* this is the case, how do Moderates and Conservatives ensure that they have a seat at the table in an Obama White House? Should Republicans look to capitalize on the bad blood with the Clintons? Should they appeal to the legacy of Lincoln? Or should they instead look for a way to inoculate the electorate against his likely policies?

What are your thoughts?

Original Hindenberg News Footage

My grandmother told me that one of my ancestors had heavily invested in the Hindenberg.