The Old Homestead

I don’t know much about this photograph, but I do love it. ajh

‘How Scandinavian is Scotland?’

In the latest BBC News Magazine one writer takes a look at the Scandinavianness of Scotland. Surprisingly there is no discussion of human genetics, which shows clear links between Scotland and Scandinavia. While there is some politics involved — which I find fascinating — I try to stay above the fray on the question of whether or not Scotland should break [...]

Medieval England

I love maps. The proper word for it is cartophile, although I don’t really care for it. Mapini is somewhat better. Guess I’ll have to come up with something on my own. (If you have any ingenious proposals, let me know.) The National Geographic Society has been producing maps, often beautiful and graphically-oriented, ever since [...]

Molecular Genealogy

One of my newer hobbies is learning about human genetics. I’ve been interested ever since hearing about the Molecular Genealogy project at BYU while I was attending the National Genealogical Society’s conference in 2001. It was in Portland, not too far away from my abode at the time. The only reasons I didn’t give a [...]

1,000 Years of Solitude: A Viking Leader’s Burial Ship

After laying undisturbed for more than a millennium, the burial site of an important Viking, possibly a chieftain, has been excavated in Scotland. It is the first intact Viking ship burial found on the British mainland. He may have been a chieftain, a famous navigator, or renowned for his wisdom, but this man was clearly special to [...]

Ice Cream and the KKK

Some folks in Ocala, Florida have been confusing the mascot for a local ice cream shop as something else entirely — a KKK nut. Once and for all, people, it’s an ice cream cone. Perhaps a poorly designed and executed one, but still a make-believe, larger-than-life waffle cone with some soft-serve ice cream and artificially-colored candy sprinkles. ajh

Boalsburg

Another blog I just found thanks to one of my Google Alerts (searching for the keyword Boalsburg) is written by a doctor from Philadelphia. He’s written a series of posts on central Pennsylvania, including one devoted solely to Boalsburg, a town named for the Boal family from Northern Ireland, of which I am a descendant. They were [...]

Eight Years of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ UK

I just read about the latest season of Who Do You Think You Are?, the UK series, and ever since getting hooked on the American version‘s second season, shown on NBC, I am keen to watch, though I don’t recognize any of the so-called celebrities. I’ll be checking YouTube for episodes, which begin airing on [...]

Cheese, Butter, Chocolate Milk — I Love It All

I can’t help it. It’s in my genes! Scottish researchers have discovered that Europeans may be genetically programmed to consume fatty foods and alcohol with a greater appetite . . . Scientists at Aberdeen University have uncovered a genetic ‘switch’ which they believe makes Europeans far more likely to indulge in the calorie-heavy items. The [...]

Wednesday

Since today is Wednesday, I thought I’d write a bit about the origins of the word. It’s odd that Christianity has dominated Western culture for so long, but the days of the week remain, holdovers from the time of paganism. I have a feeling quite a few of my ancestors spoke a variety of Germanic tongues, [...]