Jury duty today and I didn’t have time to do a Today In History so here is a good rundown on the history of Jury duty.

Here are a couple of interesting history links: If you are a World War One history buff you know the story of Alvin York capturing a ton of German soldiers almost single handed. A classic American war story with a reluctant hero. Now the History Network has posted up an article on the same encounter [...]

August 29th: Today in 1966 the Beatles played their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Fransico, California. Following this the Beatles became a studio band and did more experimental work. They broke up three years later.

Raiders have seized the video tapes from the BBC’s new Robin Hood television show and are holding it hostage until King Richard is restored as the rightful king of England. or at least until they are paid a wad of cash.

August 28th: Today in 1955 a young man named Emmett Till who was visiting relatives in Mississippi was brutally murdered for daring to flirt with a white girl. In an attempt to hide the brutality of his killing his coffin was nailed shut but his mother removed the nails and insisted on an open coffin [...]

August 27th: Today in 1776 the British and American Rebels fought one of the largest battles of the American Revolution at the Battle of Long Island. As usual the battle went poorly for the Americans, led by George Washington, who established his sterling record of forgetting the importance of Flanks at this battle. George was [...]

At the Clout Originally uploaded by Tancread. Two of the jousters at the Maryland Renassaince Festival battle it out with clouts on the opening day of the fair. It was a good time with the fair being improved from the last time I was there. I was impressed with the food prices, which were pretty [...]

August 26th: Today in 1334 the longbow showed its power at the Battle of Crécy. Much less famous than the Battle of Agincourt, thanks mostly to Shakespeare I suspect, the Battle of Crécy was a huge blow to the nobility of France who were cut down in droves by the English and Welsh archers. Although [...]

Sadly insensible religion isn’t really hard to find. Edit: Of course this really isn’t the in the scale that religions used to work in. via Delenda Est Carthago

The backlash over the Pluto banning has begun. I am going to look for some of those ‘Honk If Pluto Is Still A Planet‘ bumperstickers. Today we conquer Pluto, tomorrow we take back the Brontosaurus, then we bring back Spontaneous Generation! Swans from mud! Swans from mud! Hmmmm. Maybe that is one step to far…..