Historical
Lapis Lazuli: The Power Stone in Heaven and Earth
Lapis Lazuli leads to controversy Lapis Lazuli is considered a powerful healing stone and is listed in the Bible with other gemstones. Some theorize based on the Book of Enoch that fallen angels gave man forbidden knowledge, but I don't know if the use of gemstones is included.
By Cheryl E Preston2 months ago in FYI
Why Paul Haggis News Is Lighting Up RIFF 2025 in the Most Surprising Way
When the latest Paul Haggis News broke confirming that the Academy Award–winning filmmaker will guide the artistic direction of the RIFF Awards 2025, the announcement didn’t feel like another festival update - it felt like a creative awakening.
By Paul Haggis News2 months ago in FYI
Ba'athism Once Dominated the Middle East... Now It's Gone
On December 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus for Russia as rebel forces closed in on the Syrian capital. With that flight, a 54-year dynasty collapsed—and with it, the last Ba’athist government on Earth. When ideologies die, they usually leave echoes behind: nostalgia, apologists, half-remembered myths. Soviet communism still has its devotees. Fascism, nearly a century after its defeat, continues to find admirers in parts of the West. Ba’athism, by contrast, leaves almost nothing behind at all. Today, it holds exactly one elected seat anywhere in the world—a single representative in Lebanon’s parliament, who may well be the last Ba’athist ever chosen by voters.
By Lawrence Lease2 months ago in FYI
Art That Whispers: The Hidden Messages Lurking Inside Famous Masterpieces
More Than Just Pretty Pictures Celebrated artworks are so much more than beautiful things to look at. Many legendary painters, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Van Eyck, and Picasso, were not just artists. They were masters of symbolism, puzzle-makers who embedded clues, codes, and even hidden images inside their canvases.
By Areeba Umair2 months ago in FYI
I Learned Who I Really Am After Saying ‘No’ for 30 Days
M Mehran FYI: I used to be a “yes” person. Not because I liked helping everyone, but because I was terrified of disappointing people—or worse, being alone. Every invitation, every favor, every last-minute plan—I said yes. Always yes.
By Muhammad Mehran2 months ago in FYI
The Thailand-Cambodia Conflict is Growing
Today, Southeast Asia is standing on a knife’s edge. Thailand and Cambodia—neighbors with a long, tangled past—are once again trading heavy fire across their disputed border. It’s the second time this year the two have gone at each other’s throats, and the fragile ceasefire brokered with help from Washington has all but collapsed. Civilians are fleeing by the hundreds of thousands, the rhetoric is getting uglier, and neither government seems willing to step back from the edge.
By Lawrence Lease2 months ago in FYI
5 Underwater Mysteries That Still Have Scientists Scratching Their Heads
If we’re being honest, space gets all the hype. NASA sends a probe past Pluto and the world goes wild, and yeah, that’s seriously cool. But the truth is, Earth still has its own unexplored “final frontier.” More than 95% of our oceans, rivers, and lakes remain untouched, unmapped, and largely misunderstood.
By Areeba Umair2 months ago in FYI
The Hidden Woman Beneath the Mona Lisa: Is the World’s Most Famous Smile Actually Someone Else’s?
For more than 500 years, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has mesmerized the world with that strangely calm, almost teasing smile. It’s the painting that launched a million selfies the moment smartphones got front-facing cameras. But what if that iconic smile, and the woman behind it, aren’t who we think they are?
By Areeba Umair2 months ago in FYI
The Most Mind-Bending Historical Discoveries Ever Found (And Why They Still Baffle Us)
When archaeologists head out to dig, they’re usually expecting broken pottery, bones, or maybe an old coin if they’re lucky. But every now and then, they stumble across something so strange it feels like it jumped straight out of a sci-fi movie.
By Areeba Umair2 months ago in FYI
Beneath the Surface: The Most Jaw-Dropping Underwater Discoveries We Learned About This Year
If there’s one part of our planet that refuses to stop surprising us, it’s the ocean. Sure, we know it covers more than 70% of Earth, but what gets me every time is that we’ve explored only a tiny fraction of it. The rest? Still hiding secrets, civilizations, creatures, and probably the occasional lost sock.
By Areeba Umair2 months ago in FYI
