FYI February 20-21, 2025

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George’s (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated.[1]
The Battle of Parabiago was fought in February 1339 near Parabiago, in Lombardy, northern Italy, between the Milanese army and the St. George’s (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti. A renowned condottiero, the latter was an exiled member of the Visconti family then in power in Milan with a kind of triumvirate formed by Azzone and his uncles, Luchino and Archbishop Giovanni Visconti. Aiming to return victoriously to his city, he hired some 2,500 knights, mainly from Germany, and 1,000 Swiss infantry which had fought in the recent unsuccessful war of Mastino II della Scala for the hegemony in northern Italy. These units were led by Werner von Urslingen and Konrad von Landau.

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1440 – The Prussian Confederation is formed.
The Prussian Confederation (German: Preußischer Bund, Polish: Związek Pruski) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Marienwerder (present-day Kwidzyn) by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia, to oppose the arbitrariness of the Teutonic Knights. It was based on an earlier similar organization, the Lizard Union established in 1397 by the nobles of Chełmno Land.

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Born On This Day

1523 – Jan Blahoslav, Czech writer (d. 1571)
Jan Blahoslav (20 February 1523 – 24 November 1571) was a Czech humanistic writer, poet, translator, etymologist, hymnographer, grammarian, music theorist and composer. He was a Unity of the Brethren bishop, and translated the New Testament into Czech in 1564. This was incorporated into the Bible of Kralice.

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1484 – Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1535)
Joachim I Nestor (21 February 1484 – 11 July 1535) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1499–1535), the fifth member of the House of Hohenzollern. His nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology.

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FYI

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

EarthSky News

This Day in Tech History

This Day In History

Interesting Facts

Word Genius: Word of the Day

Wise Trivia

James Clear: 3-2-1: Four questions for life, how to learn like a child, and seeing things in a generous way

Mental Floss: 20 Chucklesome Slang Terms From the 1910s

By Jonny Thomson, BigThink: Why you must be logical and scientific to be a good person The more you know, the better you can act.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony: Seven Florida deputies suspended for ‘piss-poor performance’ during triple murder case

Shawn Ryan Show: Joshua Mast – U.S. Marine’s Message to President Donald Trump | SRS #174

Cleared Hot Podcast: Full Auto Friday – 21 Feb 2025

Recipes

By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Cantina Chicken Tacos

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

Introducing Jaffle! June 10, 2026
Meet Jaffle! Future Chief Taste Tester. Son of a Dozer friend. A little bundle of golden, fluffy joy! 48 hours of instant happiness I didn’t expect to get a new puppy so soon after saying goodbye to Dozer. To be honest, I wasn’t sure when I’d be ready. And I had it in my head... […]
Nagi
Vegetable Tian June 5, 2026
Meet Vegetable Tian – a colourful Provençal vegetable bake that I absolutely love! It’s full of beautiful colours, Mediterranean vibes, and looks as good as it tastes. Serve it as a side dish or enjoy it as a vegetarian main. Let’s go! Vegetable Tian I’ve been a ratatouille guy for as long as I can... […]
Chef JB (RecipeTin)

E-book Deals:

BookGorilla

The Book Blogger List

BookBub

The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!

Love Swept & The Smitten Word

Mystery & Thriller Most Wanted

Pixel of Ink

The Rock Stars of Romance

Book Blogs & Websites:

Alaskan Book Cafe

Alternative-Read.com

Stacy, Carol RT Book Reviews

Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!

Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.

Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?

bill clinton and healthcare -- 6/8/2026 June 8, 2026
Today's selection -- from American Contradiction by Paul Starr. Though the country seemed primed for true healthcare reform as Bill Clinton took office, it suffered an ‘unqualified political defeat.’ “The early 1990s were one of those rare historical moments when the world seemed to be moving in a great rush toward democracy, peace, and economic […]
wes moore’s parents --6/5/2026 June 5, 2026
Today's selection-- from The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. Turmoil in the early life of Maryland Governor Wes Moore: “My mother came to the United States at the age of three. She was born in Lowe River in the tiny parish of Trelawny, Jamaica, hours away from the tourist traps that line the coast. […]

Recent Research Spreadsheets
Our students have compiled research in three topic areas. Below are the links to their research tables that can be downloaded for searching and viewing. For a state-by-state review of Mandatory Reporter laws, click here. For a state-by-state review of Background Check laws, click...
feigleycommunications
Legislative Drafting Students
Our students spend the summer working on the research project of the LDICP. Through their extensive research, massive databases of information on state statutes regarding the abuse of children have been created and will be posted here as their work is finalized. Here are...
feigleycommunications

Smorgasbord Health Column – Alternative Healing Therapies – The Alexander Technique – Part Two – #Posture, #Backpain #Ergonomics by Sally Cronin June 10, 2026
Last week I began this series on posture, flexibility and improving back, neck pain and headaches with a background to the Alexander Technique and a link for you to check on your body’s age in relation to Flexibility The Alexander Technique. … Continue reading →
Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Sunny Ann Starling, July 2, 1943 - January 6, 2023 January 10, 2023
All-American patriot, artist, designer, entrepreneur, flower arranger, chef, and joyful servant, Sunny Lou Starling, was carried on the wings of angels to the arms of her savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, January 6, 2023. She once said her mission was to “Gather and feed all you can, as often as you can, because you never know if […]
Unknown
WASP Final Flight February 28, 2022
WASP Deanie Bishop Parrish, 44-W-4"Failure isn't failure unless you let it be. It's simply a change in direction. Just count your many blessings move on. With God's help, anything is possible!"Deanie Bishop Parrish passed away peacefully in her home in Waco, Texas, on February 24, 2022, just one day shy of her 100th birthday. She met every challenge […]
Unknown

Four Fun Kodachrome Car Image Series No. 519 October 30, 2024
Editors Note: After posting over five thousand features and twenty five thousand images over the last thirteen years, the time has come to end posting weekly features here on The Old Motor. At this point, the site’s future hasn’t been decided, although it will remain online for the foreseeable future. There may be future updates...
David Greenlees
Four Fun Kodachrome Car Image Series No. 518 October 23, 2024
In this weekly series, we ask our readers to tell us the year, make, and model of all of these vehicles along with the location where the image was taken and anything else you find of interest in the photos. You can look back on all the earlier parts of this series here. The photos are via Americar....
David Greenlees

Shellubrication: 1950s June 28, 2025
From a discarded negative collection that belonged to a San Diego area barber. 120 format. View full size.
Cazzorla
Mill Town Aughts May 22, 2025
My great-grandfather was a Textile League ball player in the little mill village of Tucapau, South Carolina, in probably the late aughts. He didn't care what the mill job was as long as he could play on their team. The story in the family is that one of his upcountry cousins was also a Textile […]
hj808

Hungarian Wax Peppers October 18, 2024
Here’s an old Italian recipe for canning peppers, one of my husband’s favorites. Searching the internet, you’ll come across many variations — all probably good — but here’s a basic recipe to start you on your course. The kids and I canned these using the boiling method, though pressure canners might make the process easier. Not sure how, […]
gardenfrisk
Easy Microgreens June 13, 2023
Microgreens seem to be all the rage these days and for good reason: they are packed with nutrients and easy to grow! The USDA and University of Maryland found that leaves from microgreens had more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plants. And great flavor. Plus, you don’t need a lot of space […]
gardenfrisk

Lemon Butter Fish May 29, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. Tender, juicy, flaky fish with a lemon-garlic sauce that will knock your socks off. A 20 minute dinner recipe – so fast, so easy, so good! Why you’ll love this lemon butter fish recipe key ingredients in lemon butter fish Butter Use […]
Chungah
30+ Easy Memorial Day Recipes to Feed Any Crowd May 18, 2026
We rounded up appetizers, sides, mains, desserts and cocktails. All of the crowd favorite recipes you need for your next cookout or barbecue! Summer, we’ve missed you! It’s finally that time of year where we dust off the grill for all the backyard get togethers, family cookouts and barbecues. We have sides, mains, salads, drinks, […]
Chungah

Army recruiter stole identities of recruits to apply for loans, credit cards June 10, 2026
None of the recruits were aware of the identity theft, and only one went on to join the Army. The post Army recruiter stole identities of recruits to apply for loans, credit cards appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Matt White
Event honoring servicewomen canceled after most branches decline to attend June 10, 2026
The annual event put on by members of Congress honors women who served by laying wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. The post Event honoring servicewomen canceled after most branches decline to attend appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Patty Nieberg

Spring Fling 2026: Days 41 - 42 Visiting Friends in New Hampshire June 10, 2026
Monday, Jun 8We got to the small town of Jaffrey, NH shortly after noon after Martha perused the contents of the Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, MA. (I didn't go in, electing instead to repair a broken wire in the tow lights).I've known Otto B. since the summer of 1981 while we were both […]
redlegsrides
Spring Fling 2026 - Day 40: Norman Rockwell Museum June 7, 2026
The plan was to drive to Stockbridge, MA and tour the Norman Rockwell Museum.No issues driving along the NY Thruway and then onto the Mass Pike.We got to the NRM, Norman Rockwell Museum, shortly after opened at 10:00 a.m. after disconnecting The CRV so I could back the motorhome into a bus spot, we went […]
redlegsrides

Come Find Me At Substack! June 25, 2025
Hi all, I should have posted this a while ago—I’m now on Substack. I love the platform and respect and appreciate the company’s adherence to principles of free speech.You can find The Heart of the Matter—my ruminations on politics, geopolitics, and media, plus the odd book and movie review—here. My author newsletter—only about my new book […]
Barry Eisler
American Exception March 7, 2025
Wow.As Blade said in the eponymous movie, “The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping. There is another world beneath it—the real world.”American Exception is about the real world.It is deeply researched, coherently presented, cogently argued. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll wonder how you ever could have believed that things are […]
Barry Eisler

Kashevaroff Mountain April 6, 2019
Long before we were a sailing family, Alisa and I were a young couple in love with adventuring in Alaska. The opportunity to introduce Eric and Elias to the delights of outdoor living in the Great Land was one of the big bright sides of our return to Alaska. Earlier this winter, the boys and […]
Letting go March 20, 2019
So...this beautiful island is our home. See the barky? The boys just had their spring break. A week off from school and nothing to keep us from buggering off in Galactic. The weather was generally poor - nothing like the pics above for the most part - so we just snuck off to the west […]

Back From the Dead, Off& On Wins a place on FeedSpot list of 60 best Parkinson’s Blogs March 29, 2026
If only life were normally this undemanding. I didn’t post anything in 2025, and here I find this blog at #30 on a List of the 60 top Parkinson’s blogs Web-wide, compiled by aggregator FeedSpot. This recognition of my awesome blogging skills suggests that the less I publish, the better my blog will be. So I probably […]
Peter Dunlap-Shohl
PDS on PBS II Cross post from "Frozen Grin" April 5, 2024
Here is a link to a story about my struggle to draw with Parkinson's Disease. the story is from "The Daily Cartoonist" a Web journal concerning the world of professional cartooning. It was occasioned by the release of the documentary "Matters of Mind, My Parkinson's" which follows three families and their efforts to cope […]
Peter Dunlap-Shohl

Identifying Devil’s Club Plant August 10, 2023
Devil’s Club is a common wild plant in Alaska that’s large & covered in hidden sharp thorns, growing everywhere from remote forests to even well-groomed Anchorage city trails. Just because you’re “in town” doesn’t mean you won’t run into devil’s club. It’s smart to stay on the trails, particularly if you’re not confident spotting it. […]
Ashley
Pumpkin BOO-berry Muffins (Fun Halloween Toddler Snacktivity!) October 21, 2022
Here’s a delicious fall-time spin on classic blueberry muffins. If you’re a solo adult who likes good food, this recipe is for you. Or if you’ve got extra kitchen “helpers” around (read: kids who need entertainment), turn baking these Halloween muffins into a fun toddler snacktivity. Pumpkin BOO-berry Muffin Recipe Ingredients: 2 boxes Jiffy brand […]
Ashley

"Home" vs. "Away" May 20, 2022
I’m home now. I’m looking at the flea market couch I brought up from California; I had cushions made three times over the years till I got it just right. Now it’s just right. It’s been in my life 42 years. Tim has been in my life 34 years, but he had to be out of […]
CloudyinAK
Goodbye, Toronto May 10, 2022
I’m saying my goodbyes to Toronto. I’ve seen my last Hot Docs Festival film, and I’m just back from my last author program. I’ve probably had my last roti, checked out my last book at my local branch library, gone to my last art workshop. Horror of horrors, I’ve even watched my last play. The thing […]
CloudyinAK

Malnourished launches today January 21, 2020
It’s here. The big day. My memoir, the one I spent 15 years struggling over, launches today from Raised Voice Press. I’m feeling very exposed, very vulnerable. This is not at all similar to when Dolls Behaving Badly launched from Hachette Book Group. That was a novel, and while some of it was based on… […]
cinthiaritchie
Book review: Secondhand Summer by Dan Walker December 1, 2019
I had had Alaska writer Dan Walker’s YA novel SECONDHAND SUMMER on my list for a long time, and two weeks ago finally had the chance to dive in. I wasn’t disappointed. Walker’s book, geared for middle school readers (but still immensely enjoyable for adults), follows 14-year-old Sam’s move to Anchorage from the small fishing… […]
cinthiaritchie

Sitka Nature Show #361 – Starling Birch (encore) February 23, 2026
Download Radio Show The February 22nd show featured a conversation with Starling Birch, videographer and mountain adventurer. Originally recorded and aired in August 2023, we talked about the pleasure and pain of adventuring into the mountains. We also considered the motivations that drive us to put ourselves in often unpleasant and potentially regretful circumstances when […]
matt goff
Sitka Nature Show #360 – State of the Sound February 9, 2026
Download Radio Show The February 8th show featured a conversation with Lauren /Bell, Lauren Wild, and Ellen Chenoweth, organizers of the first (annual?) State of the Sound community event scheduled for later this month. We talked about the intentions for the event, what is planned, and how folks can participate. If you have questions or […]
matt goff

Sandra’s Overnight Artisan 10" Cast Iron Soft Bread-No Knead March 2, 2024
INGREDIENTS3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon active yeast (not rapid or instant)1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt1-1/2 cups slightly warm water (tepid)--2 teaspoons canola oil (For top and bottom of dough ball so it doesn't stick or form crust while rising)-2 TB butter melted in ramekin, with brush (set aside)--10” Seasoned Cast Iron SkilletMETHODAdd flour to bowl. Add yeast […]
sandra
Sandra's Fresh Apple Pecan Cake (9x13") September 18, 2023
My husband loves this cakeso much he had two pieces 'after' eating lunch...Ingredients2 Eggs1 ½ cup Canola Oil2 cups Granulated Sugar3 cups A-P Flour2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg½ teaspoon Kosher Salt1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda4 cups Chopped Apples (peeled and cored): measure after chopping1 cup chopped Pecans: measure after chopping1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract⅔ […]
sandra