Real Things That Actually Exist

Good morning. Here are some real things that actually exist. I find it difficult to express myself clearly, so let’s get straight to the point.

The Beatles and Bubble Gum Standard Edition by Mark Swearingen. That’s one way to dig into the Beatles. This book is a reference book, which is dedicated entirely to the Beatles’ extensive collection (2,300!) of bubblegum cards. For those who aren’t familiar, think of it as baseball cards but designed for a younger audience. Apparently, this book is a massive archive of memorabilia that looks like this:

Courtesy of Tracks Ltd

Yep. These cards were just too much. (Paul looks sleazy, though)

Basingstoke and Deane Independents is a local political party entirely based in the district of Basingstoke and Deane in Hampshire, UK. They are part of the Basingsotke and Deane Independent Forum, which also comprises independents, Greens, and.. All In? That’s a real party, what the fu-

 It was founded in 2019 by two existing independent councillors, as well as nine sitting Labour ones. It had a focus on the protection of vulnerable groups, tackling climate change, and advancing social equality. It is led by Councillor Christopher Tomblin.

Cynocephaly, deriving from the Latin roots cyno-, meaning dog, and the French-Latin -cephaly, meaning head, is the state of a human having the head of a dog. It literally means “dog-headedness”. Cynocephalics were known in many parts of the world, including ancient Egypt. Libya, Greece, India, and China. But what is most interesting is the adoption by the Christians. 

Many saints were depicted with dog-heads, especially in the Orthodox rites. There were two Coptic saints, Ahrakas and Oghani, who were part of the legend of Saint Mercurius.

Saints Ahrakas and Oghani, 18th Century Coptic Icon. (They look more like hogs.)

According to the legend, of Coptic origin, the two “cynophali devoured the grandfather of St. Mercurius, and were preparing to eat his father when an angel appeared and surrounded them with a ring of fire. They repented and became companions of the father, and later accompanied Mercurius into battle.” 

However, the most cynocephali of all is Saint Christopher, at least in the Eastern Orthodox rite.

There is a contested reason why St. Christopher had a dog’s head. It may be just a matter of linguistic confusion. This theory says that the Latin term for Canaanite, Cananeus, was misread as caninus, meaning canine, meaning that the proofreaders back then weren’t good at coordination.

There are many other theories I cannot include in this article, since I promised myself it would be as compact as possible.

List of accolades received by Whiplash. Not quite my article. That creepy ass face of J.K Simmons will haunt me for the rest of my life. Anyway, the article lists all the accolades received by the 2014 film Whiplash. For such a good film like this, it’s bound to be glazed by both critics and big industry awards. And glazed it was. Nomination by the Academy for Best Picture, AFI Top Ten Movies of 2014, BAFTA win for Best Supporting Actor, Academy too. Multiple nominations for both the film and Damien Chazelle. That’s pretty deserved.

Hope you’ve learned something new, even if it was rushed.