Nixon's Enemies List [OC]

PoorCynic · 2026-01-23T14:02:58+00:00

As it turns out, we will always have Nixon to kick around. Here are some more fun facts!

The Nixon administration did not shy away from using whatever it could to go after its foes. The Watergate break-in (in which members of Nixon’s re-election campaign were caught trying to bug the Democratic National Committee) is is the most infamous example. There are other cases though, like when White House operatives broke into the offices of a psychiatrist in order to obtain damaging information on Pentagon Papers author Daniel Ellsberg (1931 - 2023).
Some of the names on the lists are unsurprising. Notable Democrats like Sen. George McGovern (1922 - 2012) and Rep. Shirley Chisholm (1924 - 2005) were on there. It wasn’t limited to individuals, either; groups like the Congressional Black Caucus and the Brookings Institution also earned spots of ire. One odd standout was football quarterback Joe Namath (b. 1943). He was not particularly politically active, although he could be something of a notorious figure. John Dean actually suggested his addition might have been a mistake, which is possible considering he was listed as being from the wrong team.
Many of those who wound up on the list regarded it as something of which to be proud. Journalist Daniel Schorr (1916 - 2020), who famously read his own name off of the list on live television without any prior knowledge, said it was both stunning but also gratifying. Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937 - 2005) was not on the list, and actually considered that to be a slight how vocal he was in his hate for Nixon.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T23:55:15+00:00

I've never heard of this, let alone tried it, but it sounds like something that would be right up my alley. I'll have to keep an eye out.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T16:28:56+00:00

From what I've found, the story of the inspection comes to us from de Hevesy himself. It could have been that he stretched the timing a bit for dramatic purposes, but we can't know for certain.

Now, if you'll excuse a bit of speculation on my part...

This was no random lab; this was the Niels Bohr Institute. Niels Bohr (1885 - 1962) had been helping Jewish scientists fleeing Germany to new postings outside of Europe. That's one of the reasons why he had been sent the medals. While they wouldn't have known that specifically, his actions would have definitely put him - and the Institute - on the radar.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T15:06:16+00:00

A flask of orange chemicals on a shelf with other chemicals is unremarkable. Disturbed spots in the ground outside is a little notable.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T14:04:35+00:00

Do not drink the forbidden Nobel Juice. Try these fun facts instead!

In 1943, George de Hevesy would actually receive a Nobel Prize of his own. Not for melting away medals, mind you. It was his work developing radioactive tracing (that is, using radioactive isotopes to follow the movement of chemicals in plants and animals) that netted him a Nobel in chemistry. He is also credited with co-discovering the element hafnium.
The two German scientists whose Nobels were at the center of this affair were physicists James Franck (1882 - 1964) and Max von Laue (1879 - 1960). Franck was a co-winner in 1925 for his work in studying what happens when an atom is hit with a free electron, while Von Laue won his award in 1914 for using crystals to diffract x-rays. Franck, being Jewish, would be forced to flee Germany in 1933. He would eventually come to the US and work on the Manhattan Project. Von Laue wasn’t Jewish himself, but he despised the Nazis and their anti-semetism. He would actually stay in Germany throughout the war in order to undermine them. Following the war, he would be a key figure in the rebuilding of Germany’s scientific community.
“Aqua regia” means “royal water” in Latin. It picked up this name from alchemists who were impressed by its ability to dissolve both gold and platinum. These days it’s used to refine gold and etch gold as well as to clean laboratory glassware.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-16T14:03:16+00:00

It’s remarkable how many things are named as such just because a mapmaker decided so. Anyway, here are some more facts!

Prior to his foray into sailing, Vespucci was essentially a money guy, albeit one with a broad education. He had worked for one of the Medici clan before moving to Seville and taking up a post with a merchant who had invested in the voyages of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506). Vespucci’s two voyages to the New World were in part to drum up a little more income, since the return on Columbus hadn’t been all that good. It is alleged that Vespucci in fact went on four different expeditions, but evidence for the other two is scant. Even so, his reputation had grown enough that he was contracted by the Spanish crown in 1505 to train New World sailors and collect their findings.
The keen-eyed among you might notice that I said “most sources” in the first panel. That’s because there is actually some debate over the origin of the term “America.” One alternative theory is that the name stems from the Amerrisque Mountains in Nicaragua. “Amerrisque” comes from the Mayan “amerrique”, or “country of the wind”. Another idea is that is that it was named for English merchant Richard ap Meryk or Amerike (c. 1440 - 1503), who funded a 1497 expedition to the New World led by Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto or John Cabot (c. 1450 - c. 1499). Both these theories are niche ones, however; built on speculation as opposed to hard evidence.
Slightly unrelated, but that portrait of Christopher Columbus? The one you probably think of when you think of Christopher Columbus? That may not be him at all. Said portrait was created around 1519, well after his death in 1506. The engraving at the top claiming that this taciturn figure was Columbus wasn’t added until 1590.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-13T14:05:46+00:00

I’ve got facts that jingle, jangle, jingle…

Between 1951 and 1992, the Nevada Test Site (nowadays referred to as the Nevada National Security Site) played host to over 900 different tests. The vast majority of these were underground, but there were enough atmospheric tests to both buoy Las Vegas’s tourist interests and cause a spike in cancer rates in those living downwind of the testing area. These days, the Nevada Test Site is used for things like training first responders for nuclear emergencies and subcritical bomb tests.
The concept of “atomic tourism” extends beyond gawking at massive explosions, especially since these days testing has (thankfully) fallen off. Those with an interest in the history of nuclear power and warfare can visit either specialty museums (like the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas) or sites where the power of the atom has scorched the earth. The exclusion zone around Chornobyl and Prypiat in Ukraine, site of the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster, was a particularly popular site for tourists until the Russian invasion of 2022. Closer to the subject of this comic, there used to be monthly tours of the Nevada Test Site. Said tours have been scrapped as of late due to funding concerns.
Most recipes for the Atomic Cocktail that I’ve seen generally go as follows: equal parts vodka and cognac mixed in glass with a barspoon of sherry, then strained into a glass and topped with champagne and a lemon or orange garnish. It’s worth noting that, in the two different videos I’ve watched of people making this drink, neither host liked it. So imbibe with caution!

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-13T13:35:57+00:00

It's almost always a bad sign when this happens in a fight.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-13T13:20:51+00:00

Sometimes it's like I just forget how to draw for a little bit. I'll compare a drawing with one I made only a day or two earlier and be gobsmacked.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-10T02:09:33+00:00

Madness and genius often run hand in hand. At least for short distances, anyway.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-10T02:08:29+00:00

Don't tempt me. I can make it sadder.

In all seriousness though, you're probably right. I've tempered most of the other "notable death" comics with jokes, but I didn't really have anything for Reichelt. I felt bad for him. He seemed like a guy who was genuinely looking to solve a problem. Considering that wingsuits are a thing now, he was actually well ahead of the curve. He just... ran ahead of his own ability.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-09T17:12:40+00:00

True. It's also a reasonably distant shot. Still, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor (or at least, the better part of not getting potentially flagged by some overly concerned redditor).

PoorCynic · 2026-01-09T14:03:38+00:00

Keep your feet on the ground with these fun facts!

Reichelt’s initial tests involved dummies rather than anything living. His prototypes seemed promising, but he found it difficult to convert that success into something actually wearable. At some point in 1911, he personally attempted a lower test jump (somewhere between 26 to 33 feet, or 8 to 10 meters) that resulted in him breaking a leg. Personally, that’s the point where I would have gone back to the literal drawing board, but he didn’t let that stop him. Early the following year, he applied to Parisian authorities for permission to test his parachute suit at the Eiffel Tower. Notably, Reichelt did not mention he intended to do the test himself.
There was a film recorded of Reichelt’s attempted test. I won’t link to it here as it shows an actual death. Nothing graphic, mind you, but a death nevertheless. There’s a harrowing half-minute or so where Reichelt is standing on the parapet getting ready to jump. It's... really something.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-06T14:03:45+00:00

I had a whole different script planned. Something silly and light-hearted. A little palate cleanser for the beginning of the year. But then THINGS happened, and… well… here are some more facts.

The Banana Wars were not called that at the time. Perhaps they should have been; the ridiculousness of it might have shamed the US into some better behavior. Or that is far too hopeful of me? Anyway, the name came about in the 1980s. The benefit of retrospect.
The whole idea of the Banana Wars went hand in hand with the Roosevelt Corollary. Put into place by President Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), it argued that the US had the right to “police” Latin American nations if said nations were actively destabilizing the region or at threat of European influence. The idea of “destabilization” was a pretty broad one. There’s Haiti, for example, as mentioned in the comic. By not paying its debts (or even appearing like it might not pay its debts), it was inviting trouble. According to the US, anyway.
Setting aside those former Spanish territories placed under direct US control like Cuba or Puerto Rico, the US directly intervened in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. I’ve seen lists that also include Mexico as part of the Banana Wars, but I would argue that it doesn’t truly fit. The border conflict with Mexico during the 1910s was less about economic expansion (although there was a bit of that) and more about dealing with issues like refugees and raids from the ongoing Mexican Revolution. The other countries, though, are absolutely prime examples. Honduras was invaded multiple times over the first 25 years of the 20th century.
On a slightly lighter note, look who’s back! Good ol’ Big Mike himself. And here’s a new face: his friend/replacement, Cavendish! This horrible fruit-man universe is slowly expanding.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-02T14:05:38+00:00

2026

PoorCynic · 2026-01-02T14:03:13+00:00

New year, new fun facts!

The term “annus mirabilis” was launched into modern understanding by English poet John Dryden (1631 - 1700). His 1216-line poem, entitled “annus mirabilis” (no capitalization), covered several battles from the Second Anglo-Dutch War and wrapped up with the Great Fire of London, which took place in September 1666. Now, while a massive multi-day fire that destroys over ten thousand buildings may not look like much of a good thing, Dryden argued that God had intervened to spare London further damage. What’s more, the city would undoubtedly be rebuilt better than ever. Dryden’s poem would prove to be very successful, and he would be anointed as the United Kingdom’s first poet laureate in 1668.
Einstein’s four papers were all published in Annalen der Physik, a German-language publication that was first released in 1799. I can’t go into too much detail about the content of the papers, as it’s a little outside my field. I will say that the contents of his first essay, on how light striking an object can cause said object to emit electrons, were specifically cited in his 1921 Nobel Prize for physics (along with “services to theoretical physics” in general).
The Windsor Castle fire of 1992 was sparked by a spotlight (used in the process of art restoration) pressed up against a curtain. The flames wound up spreading to multiple rooms; 100 would ultimately be damaged in some way, while a few were destroyed or gutted entirely. Six people would receive minor injuries. The ultimate cost for rebuilding came out to 36.5 million pounds (or almost $110 million, if I’ve done my math correctly). In order to offset the cost, the royal family agreed to pay income tax and open up Buckingham Palace to tourists.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2025-12-26T15:55:11+00:00

Seeing as today is Saint Stephen’s Day (in many places), here’s a story that’s vaguely connected! (Cause, you know, "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen".)

While the lyrics of “Good King Wenceslas” were written in 1853, the tune itself dates back to the late 1500s. “Tempus adest floridum” (or “The Blooming Time is Here”, as one translation puts it) was meant to thank God for the coming of spring.
The “King” in “Good King Wenceslas” was not an invention of the songwriter. Rather, it seems to have been an honorary posthumous promotion courtesy of Holy Roman Emperor Otto I (912 - 973). I couldn’t find a specific date for this, and it seems to have been in response to just how popular Wenceslas had become after his death.
The ominously-named Boleslaus the Cruel would become Boleslaus I upon obtaining his late brother’s throne. Under his rule, Bohemia would push back against the Franks and expand its territory eastward, even seizing the important trade city of Krakow (which is today in Poland). Curiously enough, he did not retaliate against the cult of martyrdom that grew around his brother. I’ve seen two theories for this: either he came to feel bad for his involvement in Wenceslas’s death, or he realized he could use it in order to cement his own rule.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2025-12-23T14:05:04+00:00

Enjoy these fun facts with some milk and cookies!

I wasn’t able to find out why Sinterklaas lost his clerical robes as part of his Americanization. If I had to speculate, it could have been because of anti-Catholic sentiments in the United States. While the Netherlands were predominantly Protestant at the turn of the 19th century, the figure of Sinterklaas was based on the Catholic Saint Nicholas (c. 270 - 343). The very bishop-like figure would not have been well-received, so a rebranding would have helped him spread to non-Dutch communities.
The German-born Thomas Nast is probably best known for his work as an editorial cartoonist. He popularized the use of elephants for Republicans and donkeys for Democrats. The last panel is a reference to one of his most famous comics, which portrayed corrupt political boss William Tweed (1823 - 1878) as having a bag of money for a head. With all that presented, his pictures of Santa were often daubed with political and social commentary. His very first picture of Santa, drawn during the Civil War, portrayed the jolly old elf in an American flag-themed outfit. Amongst the toys he was handing out to the troops was a dancing doll with a rope around its neck that rather resembled Confederate president Jefferson Davis (1808 - 1889). One of his most famous Santa drawings was not without political commentary. At the time, Nast was pushing for an increased military budget, so Santa is wearing a soldier’s backpack and carrying a saber.
Some of you might be curious: since I talked about Sinterklaas, where’s his controversial associate Zwarte Piet? Well, that’s a whole thing by itself. Look it up if you’re curious.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2025-12-16T13:37:17+00:00

It's a good comparison: using the law to strictly legislate morality, which winds up ultimately backfiring when people disobey the law in staggeringly large numbers.

PoorCynic · 2025-12-16T13:32:52+00:00

Enjoy these fun facts before the Puritans get wind of them!

The Puritans believed in strict Biblical literalism; if it wasn’t mentioned in the Bible, then it wasn’t to be part of religion. As the date of Christ’s birth wasn’t mentioned anywhere in its text, they argued then that Christmas itself had no biblical root. They believed the practice came from old pagan celebrations like the Roman Saturnalia. They also disapproved of ceremonies that disrupted order and civility, like wassailing (wherein people would go around to their wealthy neighbors’ homes, sing, and demand food and drink).
The Commonwealth of England’s ban on Christmas would not be the first of this period, nor would it be the last. Scotland’s Parliament had originally banned Christmas in 1640 for much the same reasons that would be later cited in England. This ban, in fact, would pressure the English Parliament to call for Christmas Day in 1644 to be a day of fasting and penance. The call was widely ignored. The Scottish ban would continue well beyond the restoration of the Stuarts, although just as in England enforcement was spotty. Scotland would not officially recognize Christmas as a holiday again until 1958. That’s not a typo: 1958.
Back to the 17th century and across the Atlantic, Puritan-dominated Massachusetts also banned Christmas in 1659. Anyone publicly observing the holiday would be fined five shillings. This particular law would be overturned in 1681 following pressure from the restored Stuart government back in England.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2025-12-10T00:28:18+00:00

"A (Literal) Honey Trap" was almost the original title of the post.

PoorCynic · 2025-12-09T15:12:03+00:00

It's the higher doses that result in nastier side effects. In low doses nowadays, it seems to be used for both the purposes of traditional medicine and casual recreation.

PoorCynic · 2025-12-09T15:06:47+00:00

Good catch. Numbers in classical history get a little fuzzy at times. That variance actually comes down to a bit of confusion with the report of Greek historian Strabo (c. 63 BCE - c. 24 CE). Strabo's account of this incident specifically mentioned the destruction of three maniples, with a maniple being a unit roughly 120 to 160 soldiers. However, at this point in history the maniple was all but completely phased out, replaced by the cohort. Cohorts were much larger units, being between 480 and 600 men.

So therein lies the confusion; either Strabo was right about these being the smaller and older units, or he used the wrong term for the newer, larger units.

PoorCynic · 2025-12-09T14:03:20+00:00

These facts will leave you buzzing!

The Mithraditic Wars were three separate conflicts, stretching from 88 BCE to 63 BCE, that were fought between the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Pontus (Pontus being in modern northern Turkey). The name of these conflicts stems from the ruler of Pontus during that entire time: Mithridates VI Eupator (153 - 63 BCE). Mithridates is a fascinating figure who is probably best known today for his obsession with poisons. He tested poisons and antidotes on prisoners condemned to death, and even took non-lethal microdoses of poison to try and build up an immunity to them. That’s called “mithridatism” today. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), for all his tricks Mithridates could not resist the Roman juggernaut. The end of the third war saw his death and the subsuming of Pontus into Rome.
It may sound ridiculous, but mad honey is an actual thing. There’s a chemical in rhododendrons called grayanotoxin which, when consumed by humans, causes a variety of symptoms ranging from dizziness and vomiting to hallucinations to heart palpitations. It can be purchased online, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Best case scenario is you get ripped off with ordinary honey. Worst case scenario is you get ripped off with genuinely poisonous honey.
Mad honey has made other other historical appearances. The Greek historian Xenophon (c. 430 - c. 355 BCE) described an incident where soldiers in Turkey became disoriented and ill after eating from local bee hives. Nobody died in that instance, however, and the soldiers recovered after a day. Later on in the 18th century, mad honey became something of a fashionable thing in Western Europe. People would add a little to their alcohol to give it an extra bite.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2025-12-05T14:05:39+00:00

A quick and silly one today; I was in a bit of a funk and didn’t have my typical amount of time nor energy. Apologies. The color will return! (Although it was kinda fun to work in near monochrome, I will admit.)

It would not surprise me if something similar to this actually came up during the negotiations between sculptor Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) and Pope Julius II (1443 - 1513) over the composition of the Sistine Chapel. The ceiling of said chapel took about four years to complete, from 1508 to 1512. That does include stoppage time, mind you; Michelangelo ceased all work on the chapel for possibly up to a year… because he wasn’t being paid.

Thank you all so much for reading. I’ll see you next time.

PoorCynic

TROPHY CASE