Bill Petro, technology sales enablement executive:
writes on History, Popular Culture, Tech Trends, and Travel

History of Ben Franklin

January 17, 2020

HISTORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN We know this polymath as a writer, publisher, printer, merchant, scientist, moral philosopher, international diplomat, and inventor. Musically he invented the glass harmonica, but he also invented the Franklin stove and started the first lending library and fire brigade in Philadelphia. He did experiments in electricity and developed the lightning rod.…

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History of Martin Luther King Jr.

January 16, 2020

HISTORY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Born on January 15, 1929, we celebrate a holiday in honor of a man who was not a president, nor an explorer, nor a saint; rather he was a Baptist minister and an American leader of the 1960s civil rights movement who was named for the Protestant Reformer Martin…

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History of Epiphany: Ends the 12 Days of Christmas?

January 5, 2020

HISTORY OF EPIPHANY Epiphany occurs in the Christian calendar on January 6. It signifies the event of the Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus, and is known in some Latin cultures as Three Kings Day. In the Eastern (Orthodox and Oriental) churches, it is known as the Feast of Theophany (God Manifest), commemorating Jesus’ baptism with…

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History of New Year’s Resolutions: Where Did They Begin?

January 1, 2020

HISTORY OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS As I mentioned earlier, New Year’s Day celebrations began in pre-Christian times, beginning with the Babylonians in March but later changed to January by the Romans. Where did we get the idea of New Year’s Resolutions and why at the beginning of the year? Roman The month of January gets…

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History of New Year’s Day: Why on January 1?

December 31, 2019

History of New Year’s Day: Why on January 1? It wasn’t always on this date. This article discusses its history.

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History of the Holidays

What is the history behind the holidays we celebrate, both sacred and secular? Many of the sacred holidays in our American “Judeo-Christian” heritage have secular associations, while many of the seemingly secular holidays actually have religious roots. This covers all major U.S. holidays, and some international ones.

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Popular Culture

Featuring reviews of movies, concerts, and theatre. I write movie reviews as soon as I see them, which is usually the day they come out (or before). Reviews of Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, and Harry Potter films; rock and jazz concerts; London and Broadway theatre reviews.

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Tech Trends

Articles about current and future technologies and their possible implications. Topics include Apple iPhone, Apple Watch and some innovative technologies from other companies: internet, social media, email, virtualization, cloud, payment systems, personal data backup, geek holidays, nerd stuff, etc.

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Travel

After traveling 2 million miles to 46 countries, I've written some articles on the US, Peru, Ireland, France, Italy... wherein I share my adventures in cultural ignorance and education the hard way. You’ll find some differences that are fascinating and intriguing, humorous, or irritating — the last two need not be mutually exclusive.

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