When it came to the Battle of Hastings (1066), 3% said that it was won by Robin Hood ... and 2% said it was won by Napoleon.
Oh, good heavens. Even in America we know Hercule Poirot won every battle ever fought with Hastings.
Today I learned...
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Oh, good heavens. Even in America we know Hercule Poirot won every battle ever fought with Hastings.
Damn, guess people are the same no matter the era. Apparently, a bunch of people got drunk on the White Ship, hoisted the main sail when still in the harbor and sends the ship speeding straight into a bunch of rocks, killing the heir to the English throne and dozens of nobles.
Louanne Learning
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While I knew that the year 1066 was significant to the Norman Conquest of Britain, I did not know the name of the battle.
The survey seems to be British-centric, and I wonder how well the British would do on a survey about Canadian history.
In any case, a side-effect of the North American political situation is an increase in the attachment to the British monarchy on the part of Canadians. According to Ipsos polling, when asked whether they agree with this statement – “Canada’s relationship with the monarchy is useful because it helps to keep us different from the United States” – in 2023, 54% agreed. In 2025, that number had increased to 66% agreeing.
Goodness, and here I thought eating poutine and saying "eh?" instead of "huh?" was enough to distinguish Candadians from the rowdies next door.
I'd do far better on an English history survey than one on Canadian history, but only if the quiz limits itself to the period before the Georges arrived. I could never care about the Georges.
I'd do far better on an English history survey than one on Canadian history, but only if the quiz limits itself to the period before the Georges arrived. I could never care about the Georges.
See, this is what comes of poor teaching. Much better would be the technique of "filking" songs like this:Today I learned that, at least according to the Daily Mail (link here if anyone's interested), a survey of 1,000 English people was held to ask them relatively simple questions about history.
When it came to the Battle of Hastings (1066), 3% said that it was won by Robin Hood ... and 2% said it was won by Napoleon.
"Yesterday
All the Normans seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Suddenly
Williams armies are surrounding me
Nobody told me they had cavalry
Oh, yesterday came suddenly."
There is, of course, a third explanation: they're just pulling the surveyor's leg. (Who knows why).
Always a danger, particularly when the surveyor is interviewing knowledgeable people. In the same vein, Penn Jillette (the famous magician) took a survey about how many people were acquainted with the dangers of a chemical called "di-hydrogen monoxide" which caused millions of deaths every year and were a huge component of a jet's contrails. Most people were aghast at learning about such a threat to their well-being, but college students with a background in chemistry got the joke. "Di-hydrogen monoxide" is, of course, water.
A most useful unit of measure I've found is the "Milli-Helen"... the amount of beauty required to launch one ship.
Today I learned I could write a program in Python that would trace three lines under each sentence in your novel where the red line would give you a spike for tension or events. The blue line would give a negative spike for word filler and boring stuff. The yellow line would give a negative square bump for grammar and syntax errors. The bump would continue the length of the error.
It's formally called the Battle of Hastings, because it was near the town of Hastings in Sussex. But another name for it is "the Battle of Battle", because it was also near the town of Battle, East Sussex. (After it was over, William the Conqueror built an abbey on top of a nearby hill and called it "Battle Abbey").
But I guess everyone thought that calling it "Battle of Battle" would sound silly.
I've read English history for decades, but I'm afraid I wouldn't do so well with Canadian history. I've read Pierre Breton's books about the War of 1812 and the Trans-Continental Railway, and I know about the Battle on the Plains of Abraham (that led to the British conquering Quebec). But that's it, sorry. *blush*
This is a very good summary of the White Ship disaster. I've also heard that when King Henry I heard about what happened, he broke down in tears ... which doesn't surprise me, really. Not only did he dearly love his boy and the rest of his half-children, but William Atheling (or Adelin) was the heir to the throne. Henry could see that without an heir, there would obviously be tremendous trouble.
Kevin glosses over the subsequent anarchy (which has gone down in history as The Anarchy, in capitals), but it should really be called the First English Civil War. It went on for nearly 20 years, and caused widespread breakdown in law and order. It was utterly disastrous for both England and Normandy.
Stephen, Matilda and their supporters feature in Ellis Peters' historical detective series about Brother Cadfael. More recently, Ken Follett's historical novel "The Pillars of the Earth" (and the TV mini-series based on it) are also set in England during The Anarchy. They're both very well-known and highly recommended. (A few years ago, "The Pillars of the Earth" was even converted into a video game).
Some friends were devoted SCA people. One year, they went to England to attend a reenactment of Hastings. Requirements for costume, etc. were stringent. George couldn't wear his glasses and didn't have contacts, so his view of things was a tad fuzzy. No modern synthetic fabrics, no make up, no modern hair styles, long list of other specifics. They had a wonderful time.
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Today I learned that, according to statistics, Highway 401 in Toronto is the busiest highway in the world.
here's a short video of it this past week:
here's a short video of it this past week:
Do Not Drive Through Toronto on Highway 401 has been added to my list of lifetime goals.
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When we go to visit my sister in Toronto, luckily we do not have to go on the 401. If you choose your time right, you can get to Toronto in about an hour, but there have been times when the trip can take over two hours if you hit traffic.
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Today I learned that Ontario is investing $2.2 million to support the launch of The Corleck, a new Irish-Canadian arts venue on Toronto’s downtown waterfront. The space will celebrate the contributions of Ontario’s large and longstanding Irish community while creating a new cultural hub for residents and visitors.
Some friends of mine went, too. Henrik of Havn (I don't know his modern name offhand) was one of those participants. When his costume was submitted for vetting, one of the judges said, "I'm sorry, but we can't allow that tunic. Machine trim, you see."
Henrik replied, "My wife wove that trim."
And the judge said, "Um, well, can you document the pattern?"
But Henrik made it through and was able to join the re-enactment, using is horsemanship skills. The horse they gave him was the one that Mel Gibson rode in Braveheart.
Alas, I could never get into SCA. I can't sew or weave to save my life. 
All I can do is write some good (I hope!) stories and speeches.
Example: at one time, the theme was Joan of Arc. So I wrote a silly comedy monologue for a French merchant who met her while trying to import coffee to France. (Yes, slightly anachronistic). So while Joan got all high-and-mighty - 'ow dare yew make ze profit off ze back of your ze suffering peasants! - the coffee merchant just shrugged it off. Go ahead and save le bon France, I'm not stopping you. Send me a postcard when you do, non?
Like I said, it was never meant to be 100% accurate. More Horrible Histories than anything else.
All I can do is write some good (I hope!) stories and speeches.Example: at one time, the theme was Joan of Arc. So I wrote a silly comedy monologue for a French merchant who met her while trying to import coffee to France. (Yes, slightly anachronistic). So while Joan got all high-and-mighty - 'ow dare yew make ze profit off ze back of your ze suffering peasants! - the coffee merchant just shrugged it off. Go ahead and save le bon France, I'm not stopping you. Send me a postcard when you do, non?
Like I said, it was never meant to be 100% accurate. More Horrible Histories than anything else.
Was use of the Silver Ribbon of St Tenacious allowed? Holy relic and all, what what.
Apparently there are recent findings in Oregon that suggests humans had arrived in North America 18,000 years ago, not 13,000 years ago like many think.
Alas, I'm missing the joke.
