Friday links

January 17 is Ben Franklin's birthday - bio, quotes, videos, his 200 synonyms for drunk, the bodies found in his basement, and more.

1932: U.S. Army Kicks U.S. Veterans Out of Washington.

A brief  history of shaving.

Prohibition in the United States began on January 16, 1920.

The Delicate Art of Breeding Cheetahs.

Dinosaurs performed dances to woo mates, according to new evidence.

ICYMI, Thursday's links are here, and include the Feast of the Ass, an infographic on the most powerful weapon in sci-fi history, a map of power outages caused by squirrels (with bonus squirrel-related links), and that time President George H. W. Bush escaped cannibals.

Thursday links

Happy Feast of the Ass!

That time President George H. W. Bush Escaped Cannibals.

Infographic: What's the Most Powerful Weapon in Sci-Fi History?
Map of power outages caused by squirrels, with bonus squirrel-related links.

Stalin's Diminutive Size.

Venison Jello, Mystery Ingredients, and Other Triumphs of Soviet Cuisine.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include Antarctica ownership conflicts, 100 manly skills,  the mysterious dancing epidemic of 1518, and the French power plant that runs on cheese.

Advice from c. 1200: How to Survive the Winter

So, are the old ways always the best? I tend to think so, being a grandma.

Via Ask The Past (blog):

"Winter is damp and cold: we should turn to food. Nourishment should be delicious in the winter. Neither purging nor bloodletting is helpful then, and encounters in bed with your lady friend should be moderate."

~ Daniel of Beccles, Urbanus magnus

Related:

How to Keep Your Hands Warm, advice from 1579:

"Whosoever annoynts his feete or hands, with the grease of a Woolfe: he shall not be hurt with any colde of his handes, or feete so annointed."

~ Thomas Lupton, A Thousand Notable Things (1579)

Previous posts:

How to Prevent Pregnancy, c. 1260 (the weasel/scorpion method), plus other dubious medical advice.

Advice from 1380: How to Tell if Someone Is or Is Not Dead, with bonus Monty Python.