A republic is a form of government where the country is treated as a “public matter” rather than the possession of a single ruler. The people hold ultimate power but typically don’t govern directly, instead electing representatives to make laws and run the government on their behalf. Its most essential feature is that the head…
Things I Like: Marc St. James (Ugly Betty)
Marc St. James is one of the strongest presences in the main cast of Ugly Betty, particularly impressive given how little his in-story paycheck presumably reflected that contribution. For most of the series, Marc served as the personal assistant to Wilhelmina Slater, the formidable figure at Mode who, by all reasonable expectations, should have become…
Fun Facts and Trivia About Embassies/Ambassadors
The word “embassy” traces back to a Celtic word, ambactus, meaning a servant or messenger sent to carry out a task. It passed into Medieval Latin as ambactia, meaning a mission or service, then into Old French as ambassade, before English adopted it in the mid-1500s. At first “embassy” meant the diplomatic mission itself, and…
Things I Like: Grumpy Kong (Donkey Kong Bananza)
Grumpy Kong is one of the main antagonists in Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2. Of the core antagonist trio, he was probably my least favorite, though he’s still a notable character worth discussing. Despite the name, he’s apparently not related to Donkey Kong at all, as far as I’m aware. He works…
Fun Facts and Trivia About The Roman Emperor Caligula
Emperor Caligula’s father was Germanicus, a well-loved and respected Roman general. His mother was Agrippina the Elder, a granddaughter of Augustus, the first emperor. He was born Gaius Julius Caesar. As a kid, he spent much of his time with his father’s armies out in the provinces. The soldiers gave him the nickname “Caligula,” which…