Roz's Random Ramblings

Why is Korean food so spicy?

This episode looks at the history of gochu, a distinctly Korean spice, including theories about where it came from and why Koreans love it so much. My usual humorous approach to the topic, including several humorous anecdotes from my own personal experiences with Koreans and spicy food.

Where do cookies come from?

A wild and crazy ride through the history of cookies, discussing where they come from and how they got their name.

Who are my ancestors? Randy's ancestors, round 1

This episode changes things up a bit - got to be random! - by looking at a couple of generations from my brother-in-law's family tree. Specifically, his 14th and 15th great grandparents, who hung out in the court of the notorious Henry VIII. Think Henry's life and romances were crazy? Well, they were, but the Staffords, Nevilles, and Howards did their best to keep up with him. Take a closer look at the lives of a few nobles in the court of King Henry VIII, who also happen to be my brother-in-law Randy's ancestors.

How can green simultaneously refer to something good and bad?

Have you ever noticed that green often represents both good things and bad? Green likely makes you think of foliage and new growth, but it is also the color used to represent poisons and witches' brews. How did that happen? This episode looks at the history of the word green, focusing on how and why it has developed these dual meanings.

Why does everyone have lawns?

In this episode, I try to answer the question: Why does everyone have lawns? Which isn't true - some people don't - but there are certainly a lot of them. This episode looks at the etymology and history of lawns from a somewhat humorous angle to explore the popularity of lawns, both yesterday and today.