In The Western Canon, Harold Bloom suggests that some of Shakespeare's characters were inspired by some of Chaucer's Canturbury Tales characters. Would Chaucer's works have been easily available (for purchase?) in Shakespeare's day?

Ive always wondered. Did they grow tobocco in germany? (My family used to grow tobocco in the South so tobocco was a big part of my family. Ive been to the old tobocco farm.)

I would like to be made aware of how North America was populated. The theory of the land bridge or any other theories, following prey, etc- how did so many people end up forming the different tribes if they just came from a single group? Was there a particular path taken? Are there any decent books or writeups on the topic?

I am developing a story about this 'arrival of man' and would like to know more about the climate, flora and fauna of the setting. Thank you for your time.

In the times prior to the creation of the national borders, how were people viewed as they moved from one region to another. Did people have to have established documents, or were most people living without documentation?

The full quote:

Anti-Semitism is dangerous for the toilers, for it is a false track which diverts them from the proper road and leads them into the jungle. Hence, Communists, as consistent internationalists, cannot but be irreconcilable and bitter enemies of anti-Semitism. In the U.S.S.R., anti-Semitism is strictly prosecuted as a phenomenon hostile to the Soviet system. According to the laws of the U.S.S.R. active anti-Semites are punished with death.

Can anyone explain his reasoning?

I have found a picture of an 82nd Airborne trooper in North Africa armed with a 1903A4, binoculars, and rigger's made pouches. I am looking for information on the man's regiment or use in combat.

Today was my first day in Venice, and it really struck me how a huge chunk of the city's charm is related (for me at least) to the fact that there are essentially no cars there whatsoever. I mean, you can drive up to the Piazzale Roma, but that's pretty much it. There aren't roads for cars, only walking spaces (and boat spaces, obviously).

This seems like a pretty uniquely Venetian thing. I can't think of another intensely "touristy" locale that is essentially car-free (excepting, of course, nature-based tourism like hiking trails and whatnot).

So I'm wondering if there's an interesting history here. Was there ever a debate about making Venice car-friendly? How did that debate go? What were the forces that allowed the "purity" of non-motorized transit to prevail in this instance when so many other historical cities even in Italy (ie, Rome, Naples) have become extremely car-friendly? I know Venice's peculiar geography has to be a big part of it. But I'm interested in any specific debates that may have arose concerning this issue.

Smokey and the Bandit, Every Which Way But Loose, C.W. McCalls hit song Convoy (and the rest of his career), the CB radio boom - why were we suddenly and fleetingly passionate for all things over the road trucker in the 70s?

Why did he write it and how isn't it destroyed, and can we get anything useful out of it?

So I was watching tv with my girlfriends Dad a few days ago and something racist came on tv and it was something about black people in the 1940’s (I honestly forget what it was) and I was sitting there and the following conversation went something like this

Me “wow that’s pretty racist”

GF’s Dad “well now it’s racist, but back then it wasn’t”

Me “oh”

This hasn’t left my mind in days and the more I think about it, it bugs me. Is this just an excuse for people who grew up in my girlfriends fathers generation, the 60’s, or did the concept of things being racist not occur to people until later? I hope this makes sense