I think this is a great cartoon. Jenna asked what is the untitled card, I said, “The other thing”. I wrote up a full reply complete with additional cartoon at http://www.jeffreyrules.blogspot.com please link on over and check it out.

I think this is a great cartoon. Jenna asked what is the untitled card, I said, “The other thing”. I wrote up a full reply complete with additional cartoon at http://www.jeffreyrules.blogspot.com please link on over and check it out.

Thanks! I’m really enjoying all of the speculation about what the other card says. And, since inquiring minds want to know, why 1113?

The story behind that is that I was talking to Kalani who has her history quals today. She was, understandably, nervous. So I said “Hey, I know you are going to ace them and can prove it!”*

Kalani: “Oh yeah, how?”
Joshua: “I’ll ask you one question, and if you get it right, I guarantee you are ready”
Kalani: “Er, ok”
Joshua: “Which came first, 1066 or 1113?” **
Kalani: “Wait, what happened in 1113?!?!?” ***

* This is a wee bit of a paraphrase

** 1066 has obvious import and was stuck in my head from 8th grade. 1113 was completely pulled out of thin air.

*** This was not only hysterical (to me) but may actually confirm that Kalani is truly a historian. Not only that, it makes this cartoon doubly ironic in my mind.

Thanks! I’m really enjoying all of the speculation about what the other card says. And, since inquiring minds want to know, why 1113?

The story behind that is that I was talking to Kalani who has her history quals today. She was, understandably, nervous. So I said “Hey, I know you are going to ace them and can prove it!”*

Kalani: “Oh yeah, how?”
Joshua: “I’ll ask you one question, and if you get it right, I guarantee you are ready”
Kalani: “Er, ok”
Joshua: “Which came first, 1066 or 1113?” **
Kalani: “Wait, what happened in 1113?!?!?” ***

* This is a wee bit of a paraphrase

** 1066 has obvious import and was stuck in my head from 8th grade. 1113 was completely pulled out of thin air.

*** This was not only hysterical (to me) but may actually confirm that Kalani is truly a historian. Not only that, it makes this cartoon doubly ironic in my mind.

Of course, this cartoon points out one of the contradictions of the modern historical profession: dates aren’t the most important thing, but we still have to remember them in order to provide context for two related events. Imagine how we’d see things differently if the Normans had invaded England and quadrupled their land base in 966–or if we didn’t remember the 1066 date properly–before Hugh Capet became the French king, instead of well after Hugh’s 987 coronation?

That said, I still haven’t figured out what event of real import happened in 1113, and it’s driving me batty. There isn’t a real page-turner Crusade event, and I’m not sure Geoffrey Plantaganet’s birth is enough to count (even though he did found the next English dynasty after William the Conqueror)….

Of course, this cartoon points out one of the contradictions of the modern historical profession: dates aren’t the most important thing, but we still have to remember them in order to provide context for two related events. Imagine how we’d see things differently if the Normans had invaded England and quadrupled their land base in 966–or if we didn’t remember the 1066 date properly–before Hugh Capet became the French king, instead of well after Hugh’s 987 coronation?

That said, I still haven’t figured out what event of real import happened in 1113, and it’s driving me batty. There isn’t a real page-turner Crusade event, and I’m not sure Geoffrey Plantaganet’s birth is enough to count (even though he did found the next English dynasty after William the Conqueror)….