NB! · Monarchies · Observations · Humour
Section
· 2821 stories
Humour
NB! · Aristocracy · Observations · Humour
My thoughts when yet another barely acquainted person begins to tell me about his "noble roots"
Faith · Art · Museums · Heritage · Humour
Yorkshire Museum buys 13th-century Limoges crucifix from St Mary's Abbey at auction
When You've Already Been Crucified, but Your Supervisor Still Asks About Your VAK Publications. Some good news: a remarkable medieval crucifix of copper alloy, the work of Limoges craftsmen, has returned to York, where it was long kept at St Mary's Abbey, now no more. The
Archaeology · Museums · Observations · Humour
Bronze finial of a Roman standard with an eagle in the Zagreb Archaeological Museum
Things like this take me back to the days of Asterix and Obelix, that is, to when they were shown on Saturdays at 9 a.m. Part of a Roman standard: a bronze finial in the form of an eagle resembling a plump goose, perched astride a baton, with a
NB! · Observations · Nature · Humour
My cat demands attention and a pouch of food at 7 a.m.
Observations · Science · Education · Humour
A wave to all my lecturers at the Higher School who made us cram Excel
A wave to all my lecturers at the Higher School who made us cram Excel. Some 20% of the genetic studies published in leading scientific journals contain errors caused by the autoformatting settings in Microsoft Excel. You have surely run into it yourselves, when the programme swaps the data you
Books · Humour
...“I think I understand him,” said Gargantua. “It puts me in mind of the answer of an ancient philosopher who was asked whether he had possessed a certain woman of whom people were speaking: ‘I have her, yes,’ replied the philosopher, ‘but she has never
...“I think I understand him,” said Gargantua. “It puts me in mind of the answer of an ancient philosopher who was asked whether he had possessed a certain woman of whom people were speaking: ‘I have her, yes,’ replied the philosopher, ‘but she has never had me; I possessed her
NB! · Art · Observations · Humour
There Are Only Two Kinds of Captive
There are only two kinds of captive. The prisoner taken in battle (suffering in some cave) and the bound captive with bleeding wounds (relieving himself without the aid of his hands, gazing proudly). Which of the two is our favourite, I think, needs no explaining
NB! · Art · Observations · Humour
Centaur with antlers pierced by an arrow and the motif of the killing of a sacred stag
Just look at this centaur! Isn't it the very image of the slaying of the sacred stag? Though here the deed is done by another mythical creature
Monarchies · Mores · People · Humour
The 1876 diagnosis of Alexander II and his affair with Ekaterina Dolgorukaya
In 1876, Alexander II was diagnosed with "exhaustion caused by excesses in sexual relations". And of course, what was meant was his relationship with his mistress Ekaterina Dolgorukaya: the passionate affair lasted 14 years, and it was provoked by the fact that, after the birth of eight children,
Archaeology · The East · Observations · Humour
Terracotta figurines with lyres from Priene, possibly depicting Baubo
Remember the episode of Family Guy in which Peter Griffin recalled his grandfather's sister, whose legs went all the way up to her ears? I have recently found the archaeological prototype of this character. At first glance, these terracotta statuettes look like figures of Apollo: the lyre of
NB! · Art · Observations · Humour
Spotted a table by a Dutch master, rather like something from Tutankhamun's storeroom
Spotted a table by a Dutch master, rather like something from Tutankhamun's storeroom. But it also costs 30 thousand euros 😭