Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in FYI.
"Let Me Apologize In Advance"
We’ve been telling stories for millennia. The first stories were told 40,000 years ago via primitive art--cave paintings akin to murals, which depicted short, ritualistic events, usually the hunt. Exciting stuff, no doubt, but what was its purpose? Was it meant solely to increase the heart rate of the intended viewing audience? Was it to bookmark our ancestors’ existence in a specific moment in time? Or was it to woo that cute Neanderthal girl you’ve had your one good eye on? At its core, storytelling is meant to entertain and educate, preserve tradition, history, and culture, all while instilling moral values and a sense of community.
By Joe Palumbo5 years ago in FYI
Exorcism Of Mother Theresa?
What is an exorcism? Exorcism defined is an adjuration addressed to evil spirits forcing them to abandon an object, place or person. Technically, a ceremony used in both Jewish and Christian Traditions to expel demons from people that have come under the power of the demon. The rites and rituals of preliterate people to ward off or to expel evil spirits are also a form of exorcism, though they are sometimes considered witchcraft.
By Jason Morton5 years ago in FYI
FYI: Separating facts from myths associated with Saint Patrick's Day
March 17 is Saint Patrick's Day and considered a great day for the Irish. In America this occasion is big business with stores filled with hats, party favors, candy, napkins, plates, large shamrocks. beads and other items all in green. There are a lot of myths and folklore mixed in with the truths that are associated with the man for whom this date is observed. Lets take look at a few of them. He was born Maewyn Succat but changed his name to Patricius or Patrick which means father figure when he became a priest. He is known as the patron saint of Ireland but was actually born in Britain while it was under Roman rule. He was sent to Ireland as a missionary in later years and that is how the stories began.
By Cheryl E Preston5 years ago in FYI
The dealio with the lingo
Last night, I decided to butter him up before giving the shoulder. But on my way there, it was raining cats and dogs. When I walked out the door, my sister said to break a leg! Now what the hell did all of that just mean? Well, mostly nonsense. Because this didn't actually happen. But I'm guessing one of those common phrases just rang a bell in your head. I got curious about the origin of these myself. Let's look at 10 of them and see where they're from.
By Grace Linn5 years ago in FYI
The 1932 Saratoga Gold Rush
December 5th, 1959 Tom asked me to write up my memories of the gold rush in Saratoga back in ‘32. If you’re old enough, perhaps you remember reading some stories about it in your local paper in July or early August of 1932. As is frequently the case, the newspapers didn’t get the full scoop. I’ve flipped through a few of the little black books which I'd used as journals to refresh my memory of decades past. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you about 1932 in a minute here without troubling you too much with detours into the years before 1932.
By Tom Cooley5 years ago in FYI
Where Does Vanilla Come From?. Top Story - March 2021.
Poor dull Vanilla gets an awful rap. Its name has been railroaded into meaning boring or conventional or unexciting. Think vanilla. Think blah. Think bland. Think basic. That provenance was derived from a perverse misstep of vanilla ice-cream being labelled as plain ice-cream. But plain means popular — for a third of us — vanilla is our favourite ice-cream flavour with sexy, cool, hot-shot chocolate languishing a distant second.
By Will Russell5 years ago in FYI
The World's Tiniest Bird Can Hover (and other strange facts)
In the summer, hummingbirds may be all around, but until you put up a feeder, you're not likely to spot one. They fly as fast as 30MPH, and even 45 MPH. They make a humming sound, hence the name, and can be as small as a bee. Typically, these birds are about 2 to 4 inches long. At first, you may think this fast-flying bird is a beetle, bee or some other insect. Once your eyes are trained, and you put out a feeder (or plant flowers that have the nectar they like), you may see these playful birds start to visit more often.
By Christine Annette5 years ago in FYI
Chasing Ducks
Salmon P. Chase stared back at me. Smug. Chase was President Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury. He was responsible for issuing the first federal paper currency, which helped the Union maintain its financial status during the Civil War. To boost his own presidential ambitions, he made sure it was his face on several denominations of bills, including the $1. Chase Bank takes its name from him, and his face was printed on the 1918 issuance of the $10,000 bill.
By Anton Crane5 years ago in FYI
