How China got its name.
China, the world's oldest surviving civilisation, acquired its name in
the 3rd century BC. In 221, Cheng, ruler of the small state of Ch'in,
from which the country's modern name comes, annexed the last of six rival
kingdoms and took the title of Ch'in Shih Huang Ti, meaning "First
Emperor of Ch'in".
The anglicised form of Chinese names has changed since the introduction
in 1957 on Pinyin, a new system for transliterating Chinese characters
into Roman letters. In Pinyin Cheng became Zheng, Ch'in became Qin and
his title became Qin Shi Huangdi. China itself in Pinyin is Zhong Guo.
And you thought education was dead LOL.
Old Beer.
Beer may well have been the most popular drink in Mesopotamia. It was
being made from malted barley before 6000BC and the Sumerians even had a
goddess of intoxicating drink called Ninkasi. Clay tablets found in
Babylonia record words of a drinking song. They also make clear that the
Mesopotamians enjoyed variety in their drinking. The tablet lists 19
different brew.
It gets even better!!!!
Atishoo.
Paper tissues have been used by the Japanese for more than 300 years. An
English traveller (who else LOL) in 1637 wrote:- The Japanese blow their
noses with a certain soft and tough kind of paper which they carry about
them in small pieces, which, having used, they fling away as a filthy
thing.
Ah so (or tishoo depending on your mood)
Death Row Delight.
A particularly handsome prisoner was chosen each year by the Aztecs as a
sacrifice to their chief God, Tezcatlipoca. Tezcatlipoca was the God of
Matter, and arch rival of the Aztec's God of wind and spirit
Quetzalcoatl.
For 12 months the prisoner was allowed every luxury. He was taught to
play the flute, feasted like a King and paid homage. He spent his last
month with four lovely girls. Then he led a great procession to the
temple of Tezcatlipoca. Five men held him down over the sacrifical altar
and a prist, using a knife of obsidian, a glass-like volcanic stone, cut
open his chest and tore out his heart.
Sure is one drastic cure for indigestion dont you think????
Mecury.
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