history – Page 2 of 3 – Rasmenian Detritus

Storming the Beaches

March 19, 2010November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

It seems that most people, when planning a trip to France automatically plan a trip to Paris. I suppose that's because if you're going to come to France, you just HAVE to see the Eiffel Tower.Yawn.For many people, Paris IS France - there is nothing at all worth seeing that exists outside of Paris, so they spend their vacation strolling on the Champs Élysées & gawking at the Arc de Triomphe.Snore.Of course, standing around in museums, staring at a painting of a bowl of fruit is a really good time. Shopping for over-priced clothes is a real kick in the ass, too. Right?Ugh. Whatever.There are some other people who comprehend the fact that there is a France outside of Paris. Maybe those people are taking bicycle tours through Provence, are sunning themselves on the Mediterranean coast, or are taking wine tours through Burgundy. Good for them.Maybe they're history nerds on the beaches of Normandy.Olivier & I have been to Normandy...

Sachsenhausen

September 3, 2009December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

"First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me." -Martin Niemöller * * * This is the blog post that I almost didn't write. I debated long and hard about it, knowing that I could never do justice to the topic, that I wasn't worthy and I would have to abandon the mockery, snark and sarcasm in order to discuss it. Let's face it - as much as I hate it, some shit just isn't funny. In the end, I decided to sober up and write it, knowing that I still can do no justice to the topic, but the fact that it is such...

13 Women of World War II

June 18, 2009December 3, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

1. Astrid Løken - Norway - April 14, 1911 - January 19, 2008 Astrid looks like my friend's grandma and was a student at the University of Oslo back in the day, where she studied bumblebees. So what does that have to do with the war? Well, Astrid was also a spy for the Norwegian resistance and worked under the code name "Eva." Appearing as an ordinary student riding around on her little bicycle taking photographs, Astrid wasn't much of a concern to the Germans during their 2-month occupation of Norway. How were they to know that she was actually snapping shots of their installments, or that she had incendiary bombs, grenades and slept with a cyanide capsule under her pillow?2. Corrie ten Boom - Netherlands - April 15, 1892 - April 15, 1983 In addition to looking like someone who likely bakes delicious cookies, Corrie and her family harbored several refugees during the Holocaust. Eventually, she and her family were arrested...

The Cats, Cannonballs & Demon Babies of Lille

June 17, 2009December 18, 2018 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

Wow. How long has it been since I've written something on this damn site?Eh... who cares.Here's the thing: since I've spent the past month on vacation, all of my writing - until today - has been done with paper and pen. Sometimes in rented rooms, in a tent, or in a moving car through varying degrees of inebriation, exhaustion or sickness.It's been a long, strange and tiring trip. It's also been a very cool trip. Olivier and I are still living in a bit of disarray what with all of the packing and unpacking and the bit of neglect that our house has endured while we were off running amok.We're exercising again every day, which we didn't do for a month. No, instead, we were eating everything that we normally wouldn't, on top of everything that we normally would. We're now fattened up and greasy. Exercise has once again become painful.The suffering is worth it.Like any journey, ours started at...

13 French Badasses

April 23, 2009November 29, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

No, that's not some sort of oxymoron. If there's anything that I've heard too many times since I've started living in France, it's people (particularly other Americans) talking trash about cowardly French. I'm calling bullshit on this whole "cheese-eating surrender monkey" theory. 1. Brennus - 4th Century BCE Brennus was chieftain of one of the Gallic tribes back in the day. In 387 BCE, Brennus led his army in an attack on Rome and entered the city in what is known as the Battle of Allia. After the Romans had received a rather embarrassing beating, they offered 1,000 pounds of gold to Brennus if he would just stop beating the shit out of them. Brennus accepted, but called bullshit on the Roman scale that was being used to weigh out his bribery payment. He whacked the scale with his sword and said, "vae victus!", or "Woe to the conquered!" Maybe he was just being difficult, but that's neither here nor there,...

13 Mothers of Invention

April 2, 2009November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

1. Sybilla Masters - d.1720 Sybilla was an American colonist back in the day. Now and then, the native population would give the colonists the gift of corn - you know, as opposed to baking them pies. Sybilla invented a mill that would clean and grind the corn, which allowed the colonists to use it for various food and clothing products. Sybilla's husband Thomas was granted a patent for the mill in 1715 by the British courts. Thomas Masters actually held two patents on behalf of his wife, since women and minorities had no right to own a patent, because who in the fuck did they think they were, anyway? Sybilla was the first American woman inventor in documented history, but it's a pretty safe bet that women have been inventing and getting shafted on the credit since the beginning of time. 2. Mary Dixon Kies - 19th CenturyIn 1809, Mary was issued a patent for inventing a process for weaving straw...