On this day in history: In 410, the Visigoths overran Rome. This event symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. An even more important event occurred in 1869: a patent for the waffle iron was received by Cornelius Swarthout. And, in 1995, Microsoft’s “Windows 95” went on sale, going on to change the PC world forever.

Three Ways Coffee Boosts Creativity And Makes You A Better Writer – Long title. Short article. But very interesting. I need to get some more coffee before I finish this post…

The Fender Stratocaster – My first electric guitar was a Fender Strat. I sold it soon after because I like the Telecaster much better. But it will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are a few facts about the Stratocaster you may not have known.

What Tears Look Like Under A Microscope – The human body is truly unique, even down tot he smallest of details, such as a close up view of human tears. This images are simply beautiful.

The World’s Deadliest Animals – Recent news seems to have contained several new shark attacks over the past couple of months. But are sharks the deadliest animals? Or is there something worse?

Today is a significant day in history: In 1790, the capital city of the U.S. moved to Philadelphia from New York City. In 1859, A hot air balloon was used to carry mail for the first time. John Wise left Lafayette, IN, for New York City with 100 letters. He had to land after only 27 miles. In 1896, the Klondike gold rush was set off by George Carmack discovering gold on Rabbit Creek in Alaska.

15 Famous Coffee Fiends – It appears as if coffee lovers are in good company…

The Internet Doesn’t Exist – This article is a couple of months old, but the point made is interesting. “What we call the Internet—and what web writers so lazily draw on for their work—is less a hive mind or a throng or a gathering place and more a personalized set of online maneuvers guided by algorithmic recommendations.”

Dealing With Afternoon Sleepiness – The afternoon slump. It is something we all deal with from time to time, especially after a big lunch. But what can we do about it? Learn to work with it.

The Atlantic Slave Trade In Two Minutes – When we think of the slave trade of the last few centuries, we generally think of slaves brought to the shores of the United States and North America. But this two minute animation shows a bigger picture, and it is disturbing. To make matters even more interesting, each black circle is clickable, giving stats for the slave ship it represents.

Today is a pretty interesting day for me personally, since I am from Missouri: In 1821, my state became the 24th state to join the Union. In 1869, the motion picture projector was patented by O.B. Brown. And in 1927, Mount Rushmore was formally dedicated. The individual faces of the presidents were dedicated later.

Coffee Ice Cream – August is hot. And so is coffee. Unless you make some coffee ice cream. This sounds like a great recipe to try.

LEGO Super Star Destroyer – I love Star Wars. And if I were into LEGOS as much as my kids are, I would buy up all the Star Wars sets I could find. But I’m not sure I could do this to them.

12 Things You Might Not Know About The Screwtape Letters – As a huge C. S. Lewis fan, this caught my eye. I have read most of these before, and some of them were included in the recent biography of C. S. Lewis that I read a few months ago. But this list is interesting nonetheless.

How Batteries Work – At first glance, I imagined this was about the simple batteries, such as Duracell or Energizer. But this video goes beyond that to cell phone and laptop batteries as well. Very interesting.

August 3 is a day with a lot of history: In 1492, Christopher Columbus left Palos, Spain with three ships. The voyage led him to what is now known as the Americas. He reached the Bahamas on October 12. In 1880, the American Canoe Association was formed at Lake George, NY, and in 1900, Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. was founded. Finally, in 1933, the Mickey Mouse Watch was introduced for the price of $2.75.

The History Of Instant Coffee – There is one thing that is the bane of all serious coffee enthusiasts: instant coffee. Even typing it makes me shudder, and sip some of my Jamaican Blue Mountain brewed in my Chemex in protest. But in case you want to know, this is its history.

Jewish Pirates Who Ruled The Caribbean – I have to admit, that is a title I never imagined I would type. But this article is very interesting, and sheds light on a bit of oceanic history that few even know of.

The American Civil War: Then And Now – As a history buff, I find this fascinating. Many of these are places I would love to visit, but haven’t been able to for one reason or another. Until then, this glimpse into the past and present gives a great perspective.

Risen! – Billed as a follow up to The Passion of the Christ, this movie looks pretty interesting. Hopefully, it stays true to the biblical accounts as much as possible.

Here are some interesting historical tidbits for you to remember today: In 1866, Cyrus Field successfully completed the Atlantic Cable. It was an underwater telegraph from North America to Europe. In 1909, Orville Wright set a record for the longest airplane flight. He was testing the first Army airplane and kept it in the air for 1 hour 12 minutes and 40 seconds. In 1940, Bugs Bunny made his official debut in the Warner Bros. animated cartoon “A Wild Hare.” And in 2003, it was reported by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) that there was no monster in Loch Ness. The investigation used 600 separate sonar beams and satellite navigation technology to trawl the loch. Reports of sightings of the “Loch Ness Monster” began in the 6th century.

5 Great Coffee Blogs – If you love coffee, and love reading about coffee, here are some of the top blogs out there.

Why You Aren’t A Morning Person – Some people are great in the morning. Others hate the morning. Here is an interesting article answering some of the questions about why there is a difference.

Note Taking By Hand Vs. Laptop – This is more of the same issue: analog or screen? Digital or paper? The research discussed here is pretty compelling though.

Boba Fett Kite Surfing – Just because…

Some significant things happened on this day throughout history. Here are a few of the more interesting: In 1801, A 1,235 pound cheese ball was pressed at the farm of Elisha Brown, Jr. The ball of cheese was later loaded on a horse-driven wagon and presented to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson at the White House. In 1985, treasure hunters began raising $400 million in coins and silver from the Spanish galleon “Nuestra Senora de Atocha.” The ship sank in 1622 40 miles of the coast of Key West, FL. And in 2003, in India, elephants used for commercial work began wearing reflectors to avoid being hit by cars during night work.

Art Using Spilled Food – While not all of these images use coffee as a medium, the art is still pretty fascinating. And the artist is incredibly talented.

1944 Paris Merged With Today – Blending the past with the present is a very interesting photography technique. These images of Paris at her liberation in 1944 have been merged with the same locations today. The results are very interesting.

5 Breakthroughs That Changed Everything – I hope I don’t need to explain that these are tongue in cheek… Blatantly so.

A Bee’s Life – We have a lot of flowers around the front of our house. As a result, we also have a lot of bees. This video of the first 21 days of a bee’s life is pretty cool to watch. It’s a glimpse into the hive, and into one of the biggest health threats that bees face.

History is fun. Especially the history you don’t always learn about in school. Like these: In 1585, a group of 108 English colonists, led by Sir Richard Grenville, reached Roanoke Island, NC. In 1812, the first pawnbroking ordinance was passed in New York City. And in 1832, Henry Schoolcraft discovered the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.

How To Brew Coffee Without A Coffee Maker – I enjoy experimenting with different ways to make my morning coffee. I have several different methods that I use frequently, from pourovers to a Chemex to a Keurig. But this article from the Art Of Manliness shows how to do it with next to nothing. This will be great for when I’m traveling.

LEGO Minifigs In Amusing Situations – My kids have tons of LEGOs. And they have tons of LEGO minifigs. This photographer has created some incredible creative shots with minifigs in amusing scenarios. I have a couple of Star Wars minifigs. I wonder what I can come up with…

Field Notes At Everest – I love Field Notes brand notebooks. They are functional, and visually appealing. And they are created in limited runs, making them something that not everyone has, which I love. One journalist took his Field Notes to Mount Everest.

Don’t Kill That Quote – Sometimes, when I post a quote here or on Facebook, someone will come back and explain why that quote is wrong. It’s almost predictable. Tim Challies takes a look at this phenomenon and his conclusions are right on point.