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chitoryu12 posted:We also went a long time with barter being the main method of economy in rural areas. One of the reasons for the Whiskey Rebellion is the farmer distillers literally couldn’t pay. People would just trade labor or inherently valuable commodities like grain or whiskey for other goods or labor. They sustained their living with little or no exchange of cash and simply living the same subsistence and community-oriented way of life that existed among peasants for centuries, which meant they had no sales to pay a tax. It also works well when the economy is either lovely or the currency is poo poo. During the crisis of the third century Diocletian brought the empire back towards bartering to make taxes easier and more useful. If you produce boots you where taxed in boots. Then instead of paying the soldiers they just gave them the boots they would have bought. Sadly it didn’t work for building buildings so they stopped it once things stabilized somewhat
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Aug 11, 2019 23:22
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Grand Prize Winner posted:You're probably a good person to ask then: why did the ancient Greeks drink wine out of bowls? This seems like a bad idea for any liquid but an even worse one for alcohol. So a lot of kylikes seem unusually large because they’re in photographs. While huge bowls holding up to 2 liters existed, the typical kylix was a few inches across and held about 7 oz. of liquid. Some University of Pennsylvania students recreated the lees-flinging game of kottabos with them.  They also had drinking cups that looked like vases in pictures but were only 3 or 4 inches tall, like the skyphos.  The handles were used to hang cups up for storage. The Greeks and Romans also considered unmixed wine barbaric. They would drink 1:1 or 3:1 water to wine ratios, with more water being added if you intended serious discussion. A pint of 3:1 mixture looks like wine but just tastes like water with a winey aftertaste and has as much alcohol as a single modern glass of wine. I’ve actually adopted cheap red wine watered down as a drink for historical drinking writing.
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Aug 11, 2019 23:33
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Herodotus posted:If an important decision is to be made, they [the Persians] discuss the question when they are drunk, and the following day the master of the house where the discussion was held submits their decision for reconsideration when they are sober. If they still approve it, it is adopted; if not, it is abandoned. Conversely, any decision they make when they are sober, is reconsidered afterwards when they are drunk.
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Aug 11, 2019 23:39
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Honestly sounds like the perfect way to do things.
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Aug 12, 2019 12:29
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That’s basically how I do all my creative work.
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Aug 12, 2019 13:35
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Same, but I skip the sober part.
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Aug 12, 2019 13:44
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Fun fact: Modern Canadian Politics operate the same way
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Aug 12, 2019 14:04
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ToxicSlurpee posted:One of my favorite little pottery facts was that the ancient Egyptians actually had pottery that could cool water down even in the middle of the summer in the harshest summer sun. Normally you don't want your pottery to be porous so you glaze it and fire it as hot as you can. In Egypt they had deliberately underfired pots that weren't glazed. They'd fill them with water but leave them out in the sun as the pots would then sweat. The water would evaporate slowly and take heat with it which let them have cooler water than what you got out of most water available sources.
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Aug 12, 2019 22:07
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The Zambian Judo Team participating at the 1980 Moscow Olympics was coached by Jude McKenna, a former Northern Irish middle weight boxer who had become a Catholic monk and learned Judo while serving as a missionary in Japan. Talk about a global village  
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Aug 20, 2019 16:59
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chitoryu12 posted:So a lot of kylikes seem unusually large because they’re in photographs. While huge bowls holding up to 2 liters existed, the typical kylix was a few inches across and held about 7 oz. of liquid. Some University of Pennsylvania students recreated the lees-flinging game of kottabos with them. Also, if I had to guess, the whole game of kottabos kinda implies an answer as well: all the wine they consumed was unfined/unfiltered, so, since they did not have transparent glass, a shallow bowl makes it easier to see and avoid all the schmutz lurking down towards the bottom of your kylix.
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Aug 21, 2019 08:25
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quote:I am seriously informed by a Spanish gentleman who resided for many years in Mexico and was an officer in Maximilian's army, that while the wolves would feed upon the dead bodies of the French that lay all night upon the battlefield, they never touched the bodies of the Mexicans, because the flesh was completely impregnated with chile. Which, if true, may be thought to show that wolves do not object to a diet seasoned with garlic. https://books.google.com/books?id=WwwTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175#v=onepage&q&f=false
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Aug 21, 2019 08:47
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  Anti urination devices dating to the late 19th century in Norwich. The idea was to deflect streams from pissers to make them do their business elsewhere. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti_urination_devices_in_Norwich What’s also interesting is how history repeats itself:  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-35120259
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Aug 21, 2019 09:52
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Step back and turn left or right. 
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Aug 21, 2019 10:23
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Just pee in the middle of the street.
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Aug 21, 2019 12:29
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Just pee in your neighbor's kylix when he's not looking.
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Aug 21, 2019 12:50
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Kevin DuBrow posted:
we need these, but for people who post on the somethingawfuldotcom forums
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Aug 21, 2019 13:55
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Kevin DuBrow posted:
Looking at the differential weathering on that brick one it looks like people still pissed against it. Related historical story: Not long after the nuclear reprocessing plant at Windscale (now Sellafield) started operation it was noticed that one of the concrete troughs for moving radioactive slurry around was degrading noticeably faster than others, it was eventually discovered that during construction the workers had been using it as an ad hoc urinal, rather than walk all the way to the provided toilets, and had effectively added a bunch of extra chemical weathering.
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Aug 23, 2019 15:33
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In the 17th century urine was actually really valuable. Urine contains saltpetre which was used to to make gunpowder. The english king hired men to dig after urine and gave them right to dig anywhere except in private homes. It was said that the soil in churches was especially rich with urine. King James 1. even made it illegal to cover the floor in outhouses to make it easier to dig for urine. In 1646 Benjamin Worsley suggested that England should round up the poor and collect their urine and feces, he estimated that this would produce ten tons of saltpetre each year. Thomas Russell launched an idea that the poor should collect people's urine and then let the urine mature in saltpetre farms, he even got a royal decree that said that opposition to this would be seen as a rebellion against the crown. There was a time where pissing in the streets was an act of patriotism. Alhazred has a new favorite as of 16:16 on Aug 23, 2019 |
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Aug 23, 2019 16:08
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Alhazred posted:In 1646 Benjamin Worsley suggested that England should round up the poor and collect their urine and feces iirc some manufacturers of lead white (the paint pigment) preferred the use of human feces as the fermenting substance in the ancient recipe of 1. lead carved into strips + 2. vinegar (or urine) diluted in water + 3. a thing that ferments (either a manure, grapeskins or tanned bark) mixed in a wooden chest (reusable) or a pot (you have to break it) and ideally buried completely in dung, all left to fester for a week or 2 so you can scrape/grind off the wet pigment later green copper pigments similarly potentially used manure as well, at least in eraclius/theophilus' recipes for them incidentally the lead white in venetian ceruse, a skin whitener that was a major staple of 16th century cosmetics, was sometimes made in this way - unfortunately venetian ceruse caused, along with the expected lead poisoning, significant skin damage which led to an awful cycle of make up to conceal imperfections ---> more imperfections ----> heavier make up
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Aug 23, 2019 17:38
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Alhazred posted:In the 17th century urine was actually really valuable. Urine contains saltpetre which was used to to make gunpowder. The english king hired men to dig after urine and gave them right to dig anywhere except in private homes. It was said that the soil in churches was especially rich with urine. King James 1. even made it illegal to cover the floor in outhouses to make it easier to dig for urine. In 1646 Benjamin Worsley suggested that England should round up the poor and collect their urine and feces, he estimated that this would produce ten tons of saltpetre each year. Thomas Russell launched an idea that the poor should collect people's urine and then let the urine mature in saltpetre farms, he even got a royal decree that said that opposition to this would be seen as a rebellion against the crown. “Saltpetremen” were understandably a cause for resentment among the populace. These men were empowered by the crown to enter private property and disturb such depositories as fields, henhouses, sheds, stables, pigeon lofts, and outhouses, setting up their operations without any recompense to the owners of the land. One man of the cloth had this to say under the rule of Charles I: ""in all places without distinction, as in parlours, bed-chambers, threshing floors, malting houses and shops; yeah, God’s own house they have not forborne, but have digged in churches, hallowed chapels and churchyards, tearing men’s bones and ashes out of their graves to make gunpowder of." The saltpetermen defended their actions, rightly pointing out that all this was in service of the crown. Of their digging under churches, one man said, "The ladies pisse in their seats, which causes excellent gunpowder". Saltpeter was used for gunpowder until almost the end of the 19th century. During the American Civil War, the southern chemist John Haralson found a way to extract saltpeter directly from urine, which was significant given that the Union outclassed them when it came to chemical manufacturing. The following advertisement was ran in the Alabama Sentinel of Selma, Alabama: "The ladies of Selma are respectfully requested to preserve all their chamber lye collected about their premises for the purpose of making Nitre. Wagons with barrels will be sent around to gather up the lotion. Signed, Jonathan Haralson, Agent Nitre and Mining Bureau. Confederate States Army" There was an amusing Confederate ditty about this new development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUG2U5AYVpk
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Aug 23, 2019 21:59
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People used to just piss where they sat in church?
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Aug 23, 2019 23:03
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I came across a guy in a Danish cadastre from around 1600 and he's named like "John Salpetre-acid" Probably he made gunpowder or something, but I like to think he was just a real sour type of guy that nobody liked.
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Aug 23, 2019 23:07
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hard counter posted:an awful cycle of make up to conceal imperfections ---> more imperfections ----> heavier make up Buddy you say awful, I say profitable 
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Aug 23, 2019 23:09
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I read a study that current plastic surgery is also self-reinforcing and even addictive, which kinda makes sense cause it's all stopgaps. Everybody's gonna look like poo poo at some point, but some of the things you do to postpone it are short term gains for some heavy long term losses. Note simon & garfunkel's ears in central park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JUbFj0BIc4 That's early facelift tech right there. Just pull your whole face back by the ears, but the ear canals still need to be connected so the ears get stuck in really weird positions. The first time it gets done probably isn't noticeable unless they know what to look for or know you as a person, but you're still gonna get wrinkly. There's a bunch of celebs who were kinda old in the 1980s who now have super weird low turned ears now (unless they had corrective surgery afterwards lol), probably because some had it done multiple times and their ears are now sitting down behind the jaw, its hosed up. Carthag Tuek has a new favorite as of 23:34 on Aug 23, 2019 |
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Aug 23, 2019 23:30
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Bertrand Hustle posted:People used to just piss where they sat in church? That line baffled me as well. I think it’s a humorous remark as I can’t imagine that such behavior would be acceptable, but I’m no historian.
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Aug 23, 2019 23:45
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Krankenstyle posted:I read a study that current plastic surgery is also self-reinforcing and even addictive, which kinda makes sense cause it's all stopgaps. Everybody's gonna look like poo poo at some point, but some of the things you do to postpone it are short term gains for some heavy long term losses. There's a famous picture of Trump Sr where you can see this that I don't have on hand unfortunately
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Aug 23, 2019 23:48
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Scaramouche posted:There's a famous picture of Trump Sr where you can see this that I don't have on hand unfortunately Quality username/post combo. 
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Aug 23, 2019 23:51
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He was always ugly, but I bet he looked at least passably human before the surgery.
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Aug 24, 2019 00:05
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Yeah that's a perfect example 
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Aug 24, 2019 00:39
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Platystemon posted:Quality username/post combo. HOW DO YOU DO FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS WANT TO HANG OUT AT THE GIANT ANT NEST OUTSIDE OF TOWN? COME ON IT'LL BE FUN DON'T BRING ANY GUNS
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Aug 24, 2019 00:42
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I see that you have flesh. I like flesh.
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Aug 24, 2019 01:00
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he takes off his hairpiece and rubs his bald jaw/temple/ear area on your face until you succumb with fear
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Aug 24, 2019 01:38
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Wasn't Fred Trump's weird ear/jaw thing due to some kind of cancer surgery? I'd much rather prefer to believe it was vanity, but I'd heard otherwise. [edit] This Metro article has a different angle that seems to show a chunk of the guy's skull or jaw is gone. https://metro.co.uk/2018/12/26/doctor-helped-donald-trump-avoid-vietnam-war-as-favor-to-his-dad-8284951/ But I didn't see anything about cancer in a cursory scan of his wikipedia article and google isn't giving me anything for 'Fred Trump weird-rear end ear and jaw' Duodecimal has a new favorite as of 02:09 on Aug 24, 2019 |
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Aug 24, 2019 02:01
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Bertrand Hustle posted:People used to just piss where they sat in church? well, they are called pews
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Aug 24, 2019 03:49
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Bertrand Hustle posted:People used to just piss where they sat in church? Really long sermons.
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Aug 24, 2019 09:16
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Bertrand Hustle posted:People used to just piss where they sat in church? For the most part people just pissed wherever they were. This is one reason theaters handed out fruits or vegetables with a rind to theatergoers; it soaked up all the piss when they just threw the rind on the ground. Piss was also used in leather tanning. This is why the phrase "piss poor" exists. You could sell you piss to the tannery for a pittance. Most people wouldn't bother as it probably wasn't worth the walk and who the hell wants to deliberately save their piss? This is also why "can't even afford a pot to piss in" is a thing; it meant that you were so poor you'd normally sell your piss but you couldn't even afford the tools to do that.
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Aug 24, 2019 11:58
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Christ, people are* disgusting. They hadn't quite hit on the concept of not wallowing in their own filth yet, huh? * present tense because as the internet has shown us, people are still loving nasty.
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Aug 24, 2019 12:03
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Any recommended reading on the history of piss? pisstory 
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Aug 24, 2019 12:04
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Bertrand Hustle posted:Christ, people are* disgusting. They hadn't quite hit on the concept of not wallowing in their own filth yet, huh? It was only really an issue in the cities. Compost toilets and outhouses have existed forever and even just making GBS threads on the ground in the same place all the time is good enough if you aren't crowded. Nature breaks that stuff down pretty readily and mostly well enough that you don't get sick by just being near it. Do remember though that running water and plumbing goes back to ancient Rome. Hygiene isn't really a new invention. At the time people also did like bath houses and what have you. Various forces did want to remove a lot of Roman influences after the empire fell but, well, people like laying around in hot water so it wasn't like you were going to stop it entirely. Even so we do have immune systems so a certain level of filth around just doesn't accomplish anything. Things were only really an issue in cities where people were packed in pretty tightly and mostly shat in buckets they dumped out of the window. That is where things got horrid. But yes, people are gross. Biology is gross. We're a bunch of gross, weird apes.
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Aug 24, 2019 12:10
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Traditional women‘s clothing in Bavaria doesn’t really lend itself well to quickly doing your business. I was told that until like the 60s and 70s you could sometimes see old ladies in my hometown who still wore that getup as their everyday attire just stopping whatever they were doing, standing still for a while and then going on, leaving a pee puddle behind Women in my Bavarian hometown, sometime during the 1950s or 60s
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Aug 24, 2019 13:19
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