Massacre

Boston is chock full of history! One of the nice things about visiting the city is that they have a path called the Freedom Trail, where tourists can follow a red path to all of the historical sites in Boston and Cambridge. The one that interested me the most was the story of the Boston Massacre - mainly because it sounds like a good story and it costs about $17 to hear it! So, I took the frugal option and decided to look it up here. Today's question is: what was the Boston Massacre and how many people died?

A: The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770 during a clash between the British and American colonists. In the late 1760's tensions were beginning to arise around the growing British presence and the enforcement of the Townshend Acts - a law created to increase revenue by increasing duties on common imports instead of taxing income. The Townshend Acts were extremely unpopular amongst colonialists and gave way to a number of protests. On the evening of March 5, a boisterous gang began to form outside of the Custom House and British troops fired into the crowd, killing three civilians and wounding 11 others. A total of five men died from the incident. The British captain, Thomas Preston, and his men were tried for murder; Preston and six of his men were acquitted, while two others were found guilty of manslaughter, punished, and discharged from the army.

Sources:

Boston Massacre Historical Society

Wikipedia: Boston Massacre

Smoot

364.4 smoots +/- 1 ear

~ The Harvard Bridge

While crossing the Harvard bridge from Cambridge to Boston, my companion and I came across a little plaque informing us that the bridge was 364.4 smoots +/- 1 ear in length. As the story goes, in October 1958, Oliver Reed Smoot and his fraternity brothers from MIT used Ollie's body to measure the length of the Harvard bridge. This left me in awe - as well as wondering the answer to today's question: how long is a smoot?

A: According to Google's calculator, 1 smoot is the equivalent of 1.7018 meters (approximately 5 feet 7 inches) which was Oliver's height at the time of measurement.

Source:

Google Calculator: 1 smoot in meters

Beantown

Me on the Harvard Bridge

I survived the long drive to Massachusetts! Boston is absolutely beautiful this time of year; there is a warm breeze that drifts across the Charles River Basin and the trees have begun to bloom with gorgeous little blossoms. My mate and I walked along The Freedom Trail, where we learned a bit about American history and wandered freely just seeing the sites. One of the things that really stood out for me, was that everywhere I turned, things were considered to be "the best in Beantown". What a curious name... Today's question is: why is Boston called Beantown?

A:

I suppose the answer should have been obvious; Boston is known as Beantown because of its baked beans. Boston was a part of the triangular trade, where sugar cane was shipped from the Caribbean to Boston to be made into rum, which was then exported to Western Africa in return for slaves who were sent to the West Indies to grow more sugar cane. As molasses - being a by product of refining sugar cane - was in such abundance, Bostonians produced baked beans that were slowly cooked in molasses. Apparently, Boston baked beans are somewhat of a rarity now; there are no companies in the city that produce them and very few restaurants serve them.

Source:

Boston Online

Foolish Games

I am two fools, I know,/For loving, and for saying so/

- The Tripple Fool

by John Donne

I have expressed this sentiment many times in the last 24 hours: I feel like a fool.

I feel foolish for misreading the signs and mistaking lust for love. I feel foolish that I did not immediately recognise that I was hanging my hopes on a pipe dream. I feel foolish for putting myself in this position. I feel that I should be put in the corner and made to wear the dunce cap - I have obviously not learned anything about relationships, romantic or otherwise, in the last couple of years.

Enough with the self-loathing. Today's question is: what is the origin of the word fool?



A: The word is Old French, originating in the 13th century meaning "madman" or "insane person" or in Vulgar Latin used with a sense of "windbag, empty-headed person". In the 14th century it was used to descibe a court jester, whether that be a professional entertainer or an amusing lunatic that was put on the payroll.

Ah, these foolish games...

Sources:
Dictionary.com - Fool
Online Etymology Dictionary

One a penny, two a penny...

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns! One a' penny, two a' penny, hot cross buns! If you have no daughters, give them to your sons. One a' penny, two a' penny, hot cross buns!

Q.
Each Easter, my family celebrates with a traditional Guatemalan Easter feast. It consists of fried salt fish, rice and delicious salad of pickled beetroot, cauliflower and fresh peas; it's a simple meal, but I look forward to it every year. Each year, my family looks to me to bake dessert, so this past Easter, I decided to attempt the traditional hot cross buns. As my home filled with the sweet, yeasty fragrance of the bread rising, I began thinking, why are these little buns seen mainly around Easter? So, today's question is: What is the symbolism of hot cross buns?

Yep. I made these!

A.

Of course the Christians took this one over! According to the Church of England, the hot cross bun has a number of meanings that are tied to Easter, which include the bread symbolizing the communion host, the spices are meant to mirror the spices that Jesus was wrapped in when laid in the tomb, and the cross to show the crucifixion... but how do they explain the fruit?

Upon further exploration, crossed buns can be traced back to pagan times, where the spring festival commemorating the goddess Eostre, included ceremonial cakes marked with a cross. The Egyptians also offered small round cakes marked with a representation of a pair of ox horns to their moon goddess. Additionally, the ancient Greeks produced little buns called "boun"offered to the gods, where the cross is speculated to represent the four quarters of the moon.

Hot cross buns as an Easter tradition began in Elizabethan times. At that time, hot cross buns were made from same dough as communion wafers, the Protestant monarchs viewed this as a Catholic hold on Britons and enforced a law that limited the sale and consumption of them to Christmas, Easter and funerals. In the time of James I, this law seemed nearly impossible to enforce and bakers were allowed to produce spiced bread throughout the year.

In modern times, hot cross buns come in all varieties such as apple and cinnamon, orange and cranberry, and toffee... but give me the traditional ones any day!

Sources:

BBC News - How did hot cross buns become two a penny, April 1, 2010

Food Timeline - Easter foods history & symbolism

The New York Times - Who were the first to cry "hot cross buns?" March 31, 1912

Wikipedia - Hot cross bun

CMW

March 13, 2010

My sincerist apologies to my regular readers, I have fallen far behind on my regular blogging, but I can assure you that I will be picking it up again! Thankfully, I have kept track of most of my past exploits and can still ask a relevant question to the events of the day!

Back in March, a couple of friends of mine were participating in Canadian Music Week. Both Andrea Ramolo and Diana Catherine and the Thrusty Tweeters played on consecutive nights to eager audiences. I have attended some CMW in previous years and enjoy hearing local talent. So, today’s question is: when did Canadian Music Week Begin?

A:
Canadian Music Week is not just a showcase of Canadian music, it also is a conference for musicians and musical professionals held in various venues throughout Toronto.

Canadian Music Week began in 1981, and has grown to become one of Canada’s largest and most influential media and music conferences. It draws top industry professionals to participate in a four-day program of activities. Designed to stimulate the exchange of market intelligence, increase dialogue and provide networking opportunities, Canadian Music Week continues to present the ideal platform for more than 2,000 national and international delegates.

Source:
Canadian Music Week

Wood Street

March 8, 2010

What a beautiful sunny day! This is most definitely an unofficial start to spring, the temperature is hovering around 11 degrees, the birds are chirping and smell of melting snow and mud is in the air! It was so wonderful that the girls from work and I decided that we would take a lunch time walk. We walked down Church Street, the main road running through Toronto’s gay village, and turned around at Carlton. On a number of occasions, I have walked this route and always notice a statue, which seems to be randomly placed, at the corner of Church and Alexander. Upon closer inspection, a plaque is posted underneath that states it is a statue of Alexander Wood – which would explain Alexander Street and Wood Street – which I thought was just an urban planner’s awful sense of humour. Today’s question is: who was Alexander Wood?

A:
Alexander Wood was a Scottish merchant who came to Upper Canada in 1793 settling in York (now Toronto) and opening an import/export business. Alexander quickly established himself as one of the city's leading merchants, was chosen as lieutenant in the York militia in 1798, and was appointed a city magistrate in 1800.

In 1810, Alexander found himself in the middle of a scandal, while investigating a rape case. The victim was “Miss Bailey” who had claimed that she did not see the face of her attacker, but had scratched his genitals during the assault. Wood called in a series of men to inform them of the rape claim and in order to identify the assailant, Wood would conduct a personal inspection of each of the suspects for injury. Rumours began to surface that the alleged rape was fabricated so that Wood as an opportunity to fondle and seduce young men. Wood became the subject of ridicule and was tagged with the nickname "Molly Wood", "Molly" then being a derisive slang expression for a homosexual man. Wood’s close friend, Judge William Dummer Powell, confronted him with the accusations, and Wood confessed: “I have laid myself open to ridicule and malevolence, which I know not how to meet; that the thing will be made the subject of mirth and a handle to my enemies for a sneer I have every reason to expect.” In order to avoid a public scandal, Judge Powell had the evidence buried, on the promise that Wood leave Upper Canada. So, in October 1810, Wood set sail back to Scotland.

Wood returned to York in 1812, resuming his prior appointment as a magistrate. He fought in the War of 1812 and was on the boards of several organizations. His life in York continued without incident until 1823, when Rev. John Strachan, a long-time friend of Wood's, recommended him for a position on the 1812 War Claims Commission. Judge Powell was the appointing authority and refused Wood on moral grounds due to the 1810 scandal. Wood sued Powell for defamation and won, but Powell refused to pay and subsequently published a pamphlet attacking Wood even further.

Wood remained in York, continuing his service in civic duties for the next seventeen years. In 1827 he purchased 50 acres of land at Yonge and Carlton Streets, which was referred to as "Molly Wood's Bush”.

Alexander Wood finally returned to Scotland in 1842 and he died there two years later at the age of 72. The British Colonist paid tribute to Wood as one of Toronto's most distinguished founding citizens.

Wood’s legacy lives on, as “Molly Wood’s Bush” went undeveloped until the 1850s. Its association with homosexuality had never gone away. It is unclear whether Wood’s reputation had drawn homosexuals to the area, or the homosexuals already there caused the reputation, no one will know for sure. But a gay neighbourhood gradually sprang up around Wood’s old property. Today it has become the Church and Wellesley area, Canada’s largest and oldest gay village.

Sources:
The Drummer’s Revenge: Alexander Wood
Toronto’s Historical Plaques
Wikipedia: Alexander Wood (merchant)

These Shoes are Made for Money

March 5, 2010

Today is budget day. A 5-year budget plan has been tabled that plans to bring the federal deficit down from $53.8-billion to $1.8-billion by 2015 through targeting cuts in the public service, freezing foreign aid, limiting growth in military spending and instituting higher Employment Insurance premiums.
I find the budget extremely interesting, however today’s question is is only loosely based on the budget. You see, a few days ago, Jim Flaherty, The Finance Minister, bought himself a new pair of shoes. Now, you may say to yourself “yeah, so what?” but apparently this is a tradition – Finance Ministers buy themselves new shoes to deliver the budget. So, today’s question is: where and when did the tradition of new budget day shoes start?



A: There is a common misconception that this tradition was started in the British parliament, however Westminster tradition allows the Chancellor of the Exchequer to carry into the House a despatch box (or Red Box) and to take any liquid refreshment of his own choosing while delivering his budget speech.

The new budget shoes is strictly a Canadian tradition, which likely began as a prank played on Mitchell Sharp, the Liberal Finance Minister of 1966. In 1991, Sharp explained to the Toronto Star that someone told him that Finance Ministers traditionally wear new shoes when presenting the budget. So he accepted the statement and bought a good pair of shoes that he wore on budget day in 1966 and donned another new pair in 1967. "Later, I learned there was no tradition behind it at all," he said.

The practice was not continued again until 1978 when Jean Chrétien wore new shoes to deliver the new budget. John Crosbie, the Conservative Finance Minister, pulled on a pair of mukluks in 1979. Marc Lalonde continued the tradition for two years, beginning in 1982 and Conservative Michael Wilson followed, opting for a new pair for four of the six budgets he brought down.
In 1994, Paul Martin's inaugural year as Finance Minister, he wore a pair of work boots, a gift from Mr. Chrétien, however to show frugality Mr. Martin did not buy new shoes for the following six budgets that he tabled as Finance Minister. Ralph Goodale laced up two pairs of new shoes and in subsequent years Mr. Flaherty has been inconsistent with the tradition. Yet in 2007, he bought his son skates as a variation on the theme. Perhaps that reflects the notion that minority governments are always skating on thin ice when they bring down a budget.

More on the the 2010 Budget: CBC News - Money - Federal budget 2010

Sources:
The Minister of Finance’s New Shoes
The National Post. Budget 2010: A Second Year of Stimulus Spending. Paul Vieira. March 4, 2010
The Ottawa Citizen. Why do finance ministers wear new shoes to deliver a budget? March 25, 2007.

Micro-soft

March 4, 2010

Today is the end of my work week. Well, not technically, but I’m on an offsite training course for advanced Microsoft PowerPoint, which makes it feel like I’m not actually working. The course is quite interesting and I’m learning about all kinds of features that I never knew that existed – did you know that you can recolour clip art? I didn’t! Today’s question is: what year was Microsoft started?

A: Microsoft began in 1975, when it was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

In January 1975 The MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) Altair 8800 microcomputer appeared on the cover of Popular Electronics. The article inspired Paul Allen and Bill Gates to develop a BASIC language for the Altair. By February, the two completed Altair BASIC and sold it to MITS, making it the first computer language program for a personal computer.

The name Microsoft (a portmanteau word of microcomputer and software), hyphenated in its early incarnations, was first used in a letter from Gates to Allen on November 29, 1975, and the company was registered on November 26, 1976.

Sources:
The History of Microsoft
Wikipedia: History of Microsoft

Striking Gold

February 28, 2010

Today was the last day of the Olympics and the Men’s Gold Medal Ice Hockey Game. Our Canadian boys did us proud and beat the US 3 to 2. The game took a disappointing turn with only 24 seconds left on the clock, when the United States scored their second goal, tying the game. But the Canadian fans were not disenchanted, as our young phenom, Sidney Crosby, won the game for us in overtime. What proceeded was pure magic; Canadians everywhere rejoiced in the streets and in pubs, singing and dancing and hugging their neighbours. Evidently, I got very carried away with the celebrations and ended up meeting up with someone that I haven’t seen in a long time, only to later regret my actions – no, it wasn’t my ex, but for inquiring minds, his name rhymes with today's question. But enough about that; back to the brilliant hockey game, although Crosby did not score all three goals, I started to wonder about the game terminology. So, today’s question is: where does the term ‘hat trick’ come from?

A:
The first use of this phrase was in cricket for the feat of a bowler who took three wickets with three successive balls, for which he would be presented with a new hat by the cricket club. Hat trick later came to be used for threefold feat in other sports such as horse racing, soccer, baseball, and hockey.

Sources:
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/
http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/sayingsh.htm
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2539

Vay-cay

February 24, 2010

For more than 10 years, I have been talking about visiting Belize. I initially wanted to go there on my honeymoon, but with my husband being from another country and not all of his family able to attend the wedding, things didn’t really work out and our honeymoon was spent visiting with those that couldn’t make it to see our nuptials. Then, I wanted to go for my fifth anniversary, but things didn’t really work out in general. So, in the midst of a divorce, I figure I’m going to go on vacation to Belize. Being part Guatemalan, my matriarchal family never lets me forget that Belize used to be a part of Guatemala. My former husband maintained that Belize was a British colony. Now, much like me, Belize is an independent nation. Today’s question is: when did Belize achieve independence?

A:
Belize was initially inhabited by the Mayans between 200 A.D. and 1000 A.D. The culture slowly declined throughout Central and South America with the conquering attempts of the Spanish and British. In preparation for colonization, The British-Guatemala Treaty over Belize was established in 1859 to settle the boundaries of the countries. In 1862 Belize became a colony of British Honduras, making Belize the last British colony on the American mainland.

1933 Guatemala reasserted its claim to Belize stating that the treaty of 1859 was an agreement of cession through which Guatemala would give up its territorial claims. The Guatemalan Governor General, Jorge Ubico, disputed the validity of the treaty under the grounds that Britain did not fulfill the terms and commitments of the document. Britain maintained that Guatemala had never exercised any authority over the area or protested British presence until the 19th century. A series of political negotiations began and continued well into the 1970s, yet the dispute was never resolved. In 1975 Britain allowed the colonial government to internationalize its case for independence, so Belizeans participated in international diplomacy even before the area became a sovereign nation. The stalemate in the protracted negotiations between Britain and Guatemala over the future status of Belize led Belizeans to seek the international community's assistance in resolving issues associated with independence.

In 1981 Belize became an independent nation, through the support of Central American and Caribbean countries who campaigned on Belize’s behalf.

Sources:
BBC News – Belize Country Profile
Belize – Decolonization and the Border Dispute with Guatemala
History of Belize – Chronological Table

Bit o' Bread

February 18, 2010

Today, I got to put my procurement skills to use. I'm helping to plan a bunch of focus groups and I need to order the all important food. And since I order food, indirectly, with tax payer dollars, it is important for me to schlep around getting quotes on how much food will cost. After nearly a week of calling around, visiting lunch spots and researching online, I went with the Croissant Tree. Mmmmm... croissants.

I like to think of myself as an intermediate level cook, however the only croissants I have ever attempted were these:

I know that it takes a long time and lots of patience to make croissants from scratch - and to be honest, I would rather just buy them from the store. Today's question is: what is the origin of the croissant?

A: The answer for this one fascinated me. Apparently, there is a long standing myth about where the croissant came from. In the 1938 book, Larousse Gastronomique by Alfred Gottschalk, it was detailed that the croissant was created in 1686 in Budapest, Hungary by a courageous and watchful baker, at a time when the city was being attacked by the Turks. Working late one night, he heard odd rumbling noises and alerted the city's military leaders. They found that the Turks were trying to get into the city by tunnelling under the city's walls. The tunnel was destroyed and the baker became a hero. However, the baker asked no reward other than the exclusive right to bake crescent-shaped pastries commemorating the incident, the crescent being the symbol of Islam.

This story has been reproduced and become the accepted history of this delicious, flaky and buttery bread. Unfortunately, it just a myth that has been accepted as truth. The real history of the croissant is less dramatic. The croissant originated in France in the 1830s. It was an adaptation by the Austrian baker, August Zang, of the Austrian bread called the kipfel. The first croissant recipe was published in 1891, but it wasn't the same kind of croissant we are familiar with today, the flakier version was subsequently published in 1905 in France.

Sources:

Food Time

O-Chef

Mom, Pop, Suzy and Little Johnny

February 16, 2010


Today's post is a continuation of yesterday. I had quite an eventful day today - I went to see Editors in concert - but I was left questioning the "made up holiday" of the third Monday of February. In 2008, Dalton McGuinty, the Premier of Ontario, decided that Ontario would observe this as a statutory holiday just as the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan do. Today's question is: when did Alberta begin observing Family Day?

A: Family day was first observed in 1990 in Alberta, it was created to recognize the pioneers who first settled there and to emphasize the importance of the modern day family. Saskatchewan followed suit in 2007, and as mentioned above, Ontario began observing in 2008.

In researching, I came across this line from TimeandDate.com:

On Family Day, many people plan and take part in activities aimed at the whole family. These include visiting art exhibitions, watching movies, skating on outdoor ice rinks, playing board games and taking part in craft activities... As the weather is usually very cold in February, hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies are popular snacks.

Where these people think we live? A Hallmark snow globe?! Admittedly, I went skating with my brother, but had he not suggested it, I would have stayed in bed and been the miserable, antisocial, biotch that I normally am! ;)

Source:
Calendar: Family Day

Oh Canada

February 15, 2010


Today is an important day for Canadians - no, it's not that made up "Family Day" holiday - today is flag day. I only know this because of a newspaper article that my roommate pointed out to me. So, an opportunity to research. Today's question is: when was the Canadian flag incepted?

A: Red and white were designated as Canada's official colours in 1921 by His Majesty King George V.

Dr. George Stanley designed the current flag, which is inspired by the Royal Military College of Canada’s flag, and chose to use the single maple leaf because it could clearly be seen from a distance. The multi-party parliamentary committee formed to select a new flag unanimously chose the design on October 29, 1964. The House of Commons passed the design on December 15, 1964. Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the new flag on January 28, 1965, and it was inaugurated on February 15 in the same year.

In 1996, Februrary 15th officially proclaimed National Flag of Canada Day.

Source:
Canadian Heritage: National Flag of Canada Day

Nelson Mandela

February 11, 2010

Today marks the 20-year anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Mr. Mandela had been in jail for 27-years for his actions in protest of the apartheid system in South Africa.

I can remember being ten years old on the day the nation and the world rejoiced as the instrumental leader in changing the South African segregation policies was set free. I remember writing a story that outlined why Nelson Mandela was my hero; although at the time I don’t think I grasped the magnitude of what apartheid was or why his release from imprisonment was such an important event. Today’s question is: how long was the apartheid policy in place?

A: Apartheid is the Afrikaans word for ‘apartness’ and was used in the 1930’s as a political slogan of the South African National Party. The social customs of apartheid had been in practice since the colonial times of the 1650’s, however became systemized under law in 1948 when the Afrikaner Nationalists came into power. The new legislation segregated people into racial groups, the segregation extended to residential areas, medical care, education and other government services providing inferior services to non-whites.

The apartheid policies were met with much internal and international resistance. A number of black political groups opposed apartheid by using a variety of tactics, including violence, strikes, demonstrations, and sabotage strategies that were often met with severe reprisals by the government. In 1961 South Africa was forced to withdraw from the British Commonwealth and in 1985 the US and UK governments imposed selective economic sanction on South Africa due to opposition of apartheid.

In 1990, President Fredrik Willem de Klerk, under external anti-apartheid pressure, began dismantling the apartheid policies. De Klerk cultivated a National Party government dedicated to reform and saw the legalization of formerly banned black congresses and the release of imprisoned black leaders.

After the 42-years of apartheid, the policies had been abolished – although, there is debate on whether the vestiges of the system still play a role in South African politics and society.

Sources:
African Encyclopedia: Apartheid
BBC News: Nelson Mandela’s 1990 release celebrated in South Africa
Wikipedia: South Africa under apartheid

The Great Fire

January 27, 2010

In order to balance The Game’s required daily exercise and my Wednesday night writing class, I walk to George Brown College from Yonge and Bloor. This evening was considerably colder than the past few weeks and I found that I walked more quickly. The accelerated pace meant that I was early for my class and I decided that I would take the last stretch, from St. James Cathedral, at a more leisurely tempo. As I strolled, I noticed a placard on the side of a furniture shop. Upon closer inspection, it commemorated the rebuild after the Great Fire of Toronto. I am familiar of the details of the Great Fire of London, partially because of high school history class and also from living there, but I was unaware of the details of the Great Fire of Toronto. Today’s question is: what are the circumstances surrounding the Great Fire of Toronto?


A: Well, whaddya know, Toronto actually experienced two great fires in its time. The first fire was in April 1894 (which is the plaque that I read) and burned through 16 city blocks – from Front Street East to Adelaide Street and from George Street to Church Street.


View Larger Map

The cause and origin of the fire is still unknown, although the Bruce Bell society suggests that it began in a stable on King Street in the early morning hours. Ironically, the city’s Water Company burned to the ground, and citizens had to run with buckets to and from the lake to douse the flames. Amazingly, only one person died in the fire, a man named Richard Watson, while trying to save his office.

St. James Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall were reconstructed on the sits of the predecessors. The fire also lead to the introduction of new fire regulations, which are still in existence today..

The second Great Toronto Fire was in April 1904 – nearly 10 years to the day. The E. & S. Currie Building on the north side of Wellington Street, west of Bay was where the fire originated, however how it happened is still debated. Some say the source was faulty electrical wiring, others say it a stove was left on. Whatever the source, the fire quickly spread and by the end of it, one-hundred and twenty two buildings burned and 230 businesses were lost. Surprisingly, not one life was lost in the fire, but financial loss was estimated at 10-million dollars.

Interestingly, The Great Fire of 1904 was one of the first news events in Toronto to be filmed. George Scott, a local filmmaker, used his camera to film horse-drawn pumper trucks racing down Bay Street.

Sources:
Photos of the fire are courtesy The Toronto Archives (to be posted)

National Post. Back Story: Burning Questions about Toronto’s Great Fires. Barry Hertz. August 21, 2008

City of Toronto Archives: The Great Fire of 1904

The Toronto Star. The Great Fire of 1904. Adam Mayers. August 5, 2008