Interesting tool

Image cropped for size from the original, posted in the antiques subreddit.  I'll place the answer "below the fold" so you can ponder the item for a while before peeking... 

Why some colonial Americans were born in "1722/3"

A letter to the editor in the August 2025 issue of American Philatelist magazine commented on a previous article about how the changeover from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar can result in some confusion for researchers, then offered this (to me) surprising observation:

"There is one other important difference that was not mentioned.  During colonial times in America, New Year's Day was legally celebrated on March 25, not January 1, though many celebrated in January.  This was also true in Great Britain and the rest of the British Empire.  This was an additional change in 1752, not noted in the article, when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar.

For those who research cemeteries for genealogy, you'll often see a date engraved on a grave marker such as 1722/3, reflecting this, for a date between January 1 and March 25."

I found additional information here: 

"Since ancient times, England had used the “Julian calendar”, instituted by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE.  The Julian calendar followed a solar year of 365 days, but had a somewhat inaccurate method of calculating leap years, which over the centuries led to the addition of too many extra days.  Originally, January 1 was the date of the new year in the Julian calendar, but after the fall of the Roman Empire, the date gradually changed in various parts of Europe to March 25, to conform with Christian festival of the Annunciation.  England adopted March 25th as New Year’s day in the twelfth century.

"Between 1582 and 1752, not only were there two calendars in use in Europe, but there were even two different starts of the year in England.  The official start of the year was March 25, but many people celebrated January 1 as the “New Year’s Day”, following the continental example, and January 1 was often cited as such in almanacs. Therefore, a system of “double dating” was often used in English and colonial records.  For dates falling between the new “New Year” (January 1) and the old “New Year” (March 25), the year could be denoted as two years separated by a slash.  For example, “March 18, 1642/43”.   In the absence of double dating or other evidence, one may not know to which year a document is referring, according to modern reckoning."

I have not located any photos of American colonial gravestones displaying the split date; if anyone knows of such, please leave a comment. 

Terms used by gen Z to discuss romance and relationships

Herewith, selections from a "comprehensive guide to the terms gen Z is using to talk about romance, sex and the pursuit of both."  These are the ones I found most interesting:

Bird theory – A TikTok trend loosely based on a test developed by couples researchers Julie and John Gottman, in which you point out something trivial – for example, “I saw a bird today” – and note whether your partner’s response is inquisitive or dismissive. If they do not want to hear more about the bird, you two are doomed.

Choremance – A date where two people bond while running errands, such as walking the dog or grocery shopping. In other words, how broke twentysomethings do affordable dating in a post-“$5 beer and shot combo” world.

Freak matching – When you find someone who’s just as obsessive about documentaries about the second world war or DVD collecting or collaging or whatever it may be, as you. Or, conversely, finding someone who hates the same things or people that you do (nothing builds intimacy faster than sharing a nemesis).

Kittenfishing – Catfishing-lite. Or, not exactly lying about who you are, but maybe using older (better) photos of yourself on a dating app profile, or making your job sound more important than it is. Also known as putting your best foot forward.

Monkey branching – A subgenre of microcheating, this means having someone ready in the wings to swing on over to, making a breakup easier. A rebound you tee up before things are officially over.

Orbiting – When a partner ceases communication, à la ghosting, but stays around like a phantom by keeping tabs on your digital footprint. As in, they’ll suddenly like an Instagram post after years of no contact, retraumatizing you all over again.

There are several dozen more offerings in a column at The Guardian.

An interesting chart re Venezuela's oil

I'll defer any personal commentary.  The source article at The Guardian makes note of China's expected public response to Trump's move and offers some speculation re future developments.

But I will add this.  The United Nations passed their General Assembly Resolution 1803 (XVII) way back in 1962 on the subject of "Permanent sovereignty over natural resources".

1. The right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources must be exercised in the interest of their national development and of the well-being of the people of the State concerned...

8. Foreign investment agreements freely entered into by or between sovereign States shall be observed in good faith; States and international organizations shall strictly and conscientiously respect the sovereignty of peoples and nations over their natural wealth and resources in accordance with the Charter and the principles set forth in the present resolution.