Just saw a production of MacBeth. It was very well-done, but stirred up something that has always irked me about the play. Of all the classic tragic heroes, MacBeth is the only one for whom I have no sympathy. All the other protagonists in tragedies I can recall make poor decisions that ultimately bring about …
Author Archives: adamrinsky
Yawn Talk
A yawn is not so much an expression of tiredness as it is a stretch. If you want to stop yawning, don’t hide your yawns; lean into them and do a hardcore yawn. This is best accomplished by opening your mouth widely and sticking your tongue out. Yawns are contagious because they’re an instinctual reaction …
Basic Theme Songs
I evaluate all music based on how well it would underscore my daily life, mixing everything into playlists corresponding to situations I may encounter. Here are some of my favorites. Waking up Traveling at night (peaceful) Traveling at night (creepy) Traveling on a highway Sitting in traffic Walking during the day Walking in winter (pleasant) …
England’s Unluckiest Queen
If you speak of Lady Jane Grey anywhere in London, people will sigh and say “Poor Lady Jane.” When King Edward VI, 15-year-old son of Henry VIII, was on his deathbed, he named Lady Jane as his successor instead of his sisters, because she was Protestant and his siblings were both Catholic. Jane accepted reluctantly. …
Obsolete Science
Phrenology was a science that portioned off different parts of the brain and associated each with a personality trait. By observing the shape of your head, practitioners believed themselves able to determine your personality based on which areas of your brain were bigger. Physiognomy, on the other hand, was the study of assessing someone’s …
Weirdest Ninja Assassination Ever
From Stephen Turnbull’s History of the Ninja: “Circa 1570: Several popular works mention an attempt by Hajikano Jube’e to kill the famous ninja Momochi Sandayu using a bagful of hungry weasels, though I have not been able to trace the original source. Sandayu apparently thwarted the assassination by the unlikely act of throwing a bag …
Origin of the Gin and Tonic
The gin and tonic was invented in the 1700s by British forces stationed in India. They used tonic water to treat malaria, but it tasted so bitter that they had to mix it with gin and lime to make it drinkable. Note that the tonic water we drink for “refreshment” today has a medically insignificant …
Favorite Real Mobster Names
Benny Mangano aka “Benny Eggs” – named because his mother owned an egg farm. Mickey Callahan aka “Cheesebox” Ciro Terranova aka “The Artichoke King” – named after his early years of intimidating vegetable merchants into overpaying for his artichokes. Louis Attansio aka “Louie Ha Ha” – named after his habit of laughing when he heard …
The Molasses Gang
I left one gang out of yesterday’s post because it deserved more than an entry on a list. Active from 1871 to 1877, The Molasses Gang got its name for a rather peculiar string of robberies. They would walk into a shop and ask the owner to help settle a wager they had made about …
Favorite Names of Old Gangs
Chicago, 1950-1990 Thorndale Jagoffs Almighty Gaylords Rice Boys Cortlandt Stacys Lazy Gents Unicorns Midget Popes Ma Beefy Boys Junior Sinners Mad Lads Stimulators Lead Pipe Gang Lady Gents Wood Street Walkers (named because they didn’t have driver’s licenses) Cherry Busters Happy Gentlemen New York, 1970s Jolly Stompers Black Stabbers Black Attacks Trouble Bros Latin Secret …
Adam Rinsky 