Author: Ms. R.

Constructed on land granted to John Boelson (or Jan Boelsen in some documents) in 1677 by the colonial Swedish authorities, the cottage is one of the oldest surviving residences and buildings in Philadelphia. It’s believed to have been constructed between 1678-1684 Composed of wood and fieldstone in Dutch and Swedish-style, the house has changed ownership and its name many times over its existence. A few of those names include Aunt Cornelia’s, Pig’s Eye, Belmont Cottage, and most prominently during the 19th-century, Tom……

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When Captain Alexander Ovchinnikov took over command of the ship Gobustan in Istanbul, the term “COVID-19” hadn’t been coined yet, “quarantine” was the stuff of apocalyptic science fiction, and few people outside of China knew where Wuhan was. It was December 25, 2019. Ovchinnikov, 39, was still on that ship through the summer, along with 11 other crew members: The second engineer was Russian too, the cook was Ukranian, and the rest were from Azerbaijan. At least one had……

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Commissioned as part of the 2016 Edinburgh Art Festival, “A Drama in Time” is a set of five neon artworks by Scottish artist Graham Fagen. They depict two seascapes, two sailboats, and a skeleton in the middle. Its title comes from a quote by Patrick Geddes, a city planner noted for his improvements to the living conditions of Edinburgh’s then-infamously crowded and unsanitary Old Town. According to Geddes: “A city is more than a place in space, it is……

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Exiting Marrakesh (Marrakech), the view seems to empty out like sand in an hourglass and becomes all sky. The highway to the south runs along a line of futuristic-looking lights and eventually arrives at the Jarjeer Mule And Donkey Refuge. Terracotta cubist buildings mirror the minimalist logo of Jarjeer. The refuge is comprised of a home, stables, and corrals, as well as courtyards and fountains set in landscaping crisscrossed by footpaths, bees, and butterflies. The refuge is the creation……

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A little over 3,000 years ago, a roughly 40-year-old man was laid to rest in a cemetery in what is now the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in Northwest China. He was wearing fancy pants. Possibly the oldest trousers in the world, they had an enlarged crotch area, indicating he spent a lot of time on horseback. A pair of red leather boots completed the ancient ensemble. But perhaps the most curious component of the grave was a leather ball,……

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Records show that this area was originally inhabited around 1793, but Badbea is most famous for the remains of the clearance village. Here lie the ruins of former homes perched on the steep slopes above the cliff tops of Berriedale.  Badbea village was settled during the 18th and 19th-centuries by families evicted from their homes when Langwell, Ousdale, and Berriedale were cleared for sheep farming. When the families arrived at Badbea, they were given small plots of land but were……

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Morgan Crisp listened in horror as members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians lambasted her newly launched craft beer brand, 7 Clans. Around 650 out of 14,000 active members had petitioned the tribal council to force the company to change its name and that of its flagship brew, MotherTown Blonde Ale. Both allude to origin tales about the birthplace of the Cherokee people, Kituwah, and their division into matriarchal lineages. Critics accused Crisp of dishonoring tribal ancestors by……

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