It’s an immense beauty rooted under grass and gravel that spreads its canopy of leaves across the northeastern end of the Central Park reservoir. And this London Plane tree, mostly minding its business in this popular neck of the park, just might be the oldest tree in Central Park. That’s according to NYC Parks, which […]

 Welcome to the latest Link Dump!This week, we are honored to be visited by some genuine royalty.That time someone stole 80,000 pounds of butter.The complicated medieval legal term, "raptus."The Roman Woman of Spitalfields.How medieval Europeans ate before contact with the Americas.You never know what you'll find in medieval latrines.  Other than the obvious, of course.You never know

Whatever you believe about the guilt or innocence of Lizzie Borden, I have always believed film makers do a great injustice to the story by not beginning at the beginning- the death on March 26, 1863 of the first Mrs. Borden. In the dying moments of Sarah Morse, Emma takes on the weight of the care of her little sister, not yet three years old. Emma herself was just 12 on March 1st. Emma has seen her mother suffer for a long time, seen her pain and loss of little Alice Esther. Emma is old enough