Curio Cabinet
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June 28, 2024
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a security pact with the European Union during a visit to Brussels. We’ll delv...
From the BBC World Service: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a security pact with the European Union during a visit to Brussels. We’ll delv...
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FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree1 CQ
There’s no violence in this war, just tasty rice! The Jollof Wars, in fact, are more of an ongoing rivalry between several West African countries unofficially competing to serve the best version of jollof rice. This dish, sometimes simply called jollof, is a rice-based meal with historical roots in Senegal, though it’s also the national dish of Nigeria and is just as beloved in Ghana and other nations, from Liberia to Cameroon.
Jollof rice is a one-pot dish with a base of long-grain rice. The rice is cooked in a tomato-based sauce along with spices like bay leaves, garlic powder and bay leaves, and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and chilies. The result is a tangy, spicy, savory dish that’s often served alongside plantains and various meats.
Jollof rice dates back to the 14th century and the days of the Jolof Empire, in which rice was a staple food. While the original dish was made with vegetables, fish, and shellfish native to West Africa, today’s version heavily features tomatoes and onions, neither of which is native to Africa (though both are cultivated there today.) Tomatoes originally came from South America, while onions are believed to have originated in Asia. Both vegetables came to Africa through a mix of intercontinental trade and European colonization. No one knows for sure how modern jollof rice came to include these new ingredients, but one story credits it to a 19th-century cook named Penda Mbaye who worked at a colonial estate in Senegal. Supposedly, she was charged with making a dish that included tomatoes, onions, spices, and barley…but she ran out of barley, which was imported and therefore difficult to replace quickly. Instead, she substituted long-grain rice, and the rest is history. Whether or not Mbaye was the dish’s actual inventor, she was undoubtedly one of the first people to create a written record of modern jollof rice.
Today, jollof rice is enjoyed across West Africa, and national variations have led to a culinary rivalry that some have dubbed the Jollof Wars. Ghana and Nigeria are the main players, as the nations both take great pride in their variations of jollof. The versions are actually quite similar, with spices and different varieties of rice accounting for most of the differences. Nevertheless, Ghanans and Nigerians never seem to miss an opportunity to poke fun at each other in relation to jollof. Personally, we find it all equally delicious.
[Image description: A white plate of jollof rice, shrimp suya, and plantains on a red table.] Credit & copyright: WhisperToMe, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.There’s no violence in this war, just tasty rice! The Jollof Wars, in fact, are more of an ongoing rivalry between several West African countries unofficially competing to serve the best version of jollof rice. This dish, sometimes simply called jollof, is a rice-based meal with historical roots in Senegal, though it’s also the national dish of Nigeria and is just as beloved in Ghana and other nations, from Liberia to Cameroon.
Jollof rice is a one-pot dish with a base of long-grain rice. The rice is cooked in a tomato-based sauce along with spices like bay leaves, garlic powder and bay leaves, and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and chilies. The result is a tangy, spicy, savory dish that’s often served alongside plantains and various meats.
Jollof rice dates back to the 14th century and the days of the Jolof Empire, in which rice was a staple food. While the original dish was made with vegetables, fish, and shellfish native to West Africa, today’s version heavily features tomatoes and onions, neither of which is native to Africa (though both are cultivated there today.) Tomatoes originally came from South America, while onions are believed to have originated in Asia. Both vegetables came to Africa through a mix of intercontinental trade and European colonization. No one knows for sure how modern jollof rice came to include these new ingredients, but one story credits it to a 19th-century cook named Penda Mbaye who worked at a colonial estate in Senegal. Supposedly, she was charged with making a dish that included tomatoes, onions, spices, and barley…but she ran out of barley, which was imported and therefore difficult to replace quickly. Instead, she substituted long-grain rice, and the rest is history. Whether or not Mbaye was the dish’s actual inventor, she was undoubtedly one of the first people to create a written record of modern jollof rice.
Today, jollof rice is enjoyed across West Africa, and national variations have led to a culinary rivalry that some have dubbed the Jollof Wars. Ghana and Nigeria are the main players, as the nations both take great pride in their variations of jollof. The versions are actually quite similar, with spices and different varieties of rice accounting for most of the differences. Nevertheless, Ghanans and Nigerians never seem to miss an opportunity to poke fun at each other in relation to jollof. Personally, we find it all equally delicious.
[Image description: A white plate of jollof rice, shrimp suya, and plantains on a red table.] Credit & copyright: WhisperToMe, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
June 27, 2024
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The Japanese Yen has fallen to its weakest level against the U.S. dollar for nearly 40 years. It’s causing jitters in the markets...
From the BBC World Service: The Japanese Yen has fallen to its weakest level against the U.S. dollar for nearly 40 years. It’s causing jitters in the markets...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: June 27, 2024\KAHRD-nul\ adjective
What It Means
Cardinal is an adjective used to describe things—usually abstract things s...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: June 27, 2024\KAHRD-nul\ adjective
What It Means
Cardinal is an adjective used to describe things—usually abstract things s...
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Won’t someone think of the animals? While most people have been understandably concerned with SARS-CoV-2’s effects on human populations, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa and other institutions are studying the virus’s effects on animals and its ability to spread between species. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is zoonotic, meaning that it originated in a non-human species. The general consensus is that it probably came from bats due to its genetic resemblance to a bat-borne virus, but regardless of its origin, the virus is known to be transmissible to many different species. Currently, not much is understood about how the virus spreads in non-human species because it affects each species differently. While some hardly show any symptoms of an infection, others, like minks and big cats, can get just as sick as humans when infected with the virus. Due to the risk the virus poses to wildlife and livestock, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been funding research into the matter, including USF researchers who are studying the virus in the wild. Among the vulnerable wildlife populations are the white-tailed deer, which are known to be particularly susceptible to infection from the virus. However, there are at least 50 mammal species in total that are known to be vulnerable, and there may be more. Over the next five years, USF will be monitoring how the virus spreads between species and which species are particularly vulnerable. Data from this study might help manage the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other zoonotic viruses in the future. If only you could teach deer to cover their sneezes.
[Image description: Three female white-tailed deer in a field.] Credit & copyright: MONGO, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, I, MONGO. This applies worldwide.
Won’t someone think of the animals? While most people have been understandably concerned with SARS-CoV-2’s effects on human populations, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa and other institutions are studying the virus’s effects on animals and its ability to spread between species. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is zoonotic, meaning that it originated in a non-human species. The general consensus is that it probably came from bats due to its genetic resemblance to a bat-borne virus, but regardless of its origin, the virus is known to be transmissible to many different species. Currently, not much is understood about how the virus spreads in non-human species because it affects each species differently. While some hardly show any symptoms of an infection, others, like minks and big cats, can get just as sick as humans when infected with the virus. Due to the risk the virus poses to wildlife and livestock, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been funding research into the matter, including USF researchers who are studying the virus in the wild. Among the vulnerable wildlife populations are the white-tailed deer, which are known to be particularly susceptible to infection from the virus. However, there are at least 50 mammal species in total that are known to be vulnerable, and there may be more. Over the next five years, USF will be monitoring how the virus spreads between species and which species are particularly vulnerable. Data from this study might help manage the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other zoonotic viruses in the future. If only you could teach deer to cover their sneezes.
[Image description: Three female white-tailed deer in a field.] Credit & copyright: MONGO, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, I, MONGO. This applies worldwide.
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FREEGolf Daily Curio #2898Free1 CQ
We may have missed her birthday by a day, but it’s never too late to celebrate a legend! On June 26, 1911, Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, one of the greatest athletes in American history, was born. Didrikson was naturally drawn to and excelled at sports from a young age. As a child, she was given the nickname “Babe,” after Babe Ruth, for her ability to hit home runs in neighborhood baseball games with other children. In high school, she participated in a variety of sports, but dropped out to play basketball in a company team for an insurance firm in Dallas. In 1932, she competed in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, winning gold in the javelin throw, setting a world record in the 80-meter hurdles and a silver in the high jump. The next year, Didrikson began her career in golf, but was unable to compete with other women after being denied amateur status for receiving endorsements in the past. As there was no professional league for women, she competed against men with limited success until her amateur status was reinstated in 1943.
In the following years, she came to dominate the sport, winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament in 1946 and 17 championships in 1947. She also went on to win the U.S. Women’s Open in 1948 and 1950, and her dominance made headlines, bringing attention to women’s participation in sports. Building on her success and growing interest in women’s sports, Didrikson co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950 with her friend Patty Berg and several others. For years, she remained the LPGA’s star athlete, but her career and life were cut short due to cancer. After being diagnosed with colon cancer in 1953, she underwent surgery and competed the next year with a colostomy bag, winning the U.S. Open once more. The next year, she passed away at the age of 45. By the end of her illustrious career, she had also participated in boxing, tennis, swimming, cycling, and many other sports. We’re not the only ones to be late in honoring this 20th century sports star—it wasn’t until 2021 that she was posthumously awarded a much-deserved Presidential Medal of Freedom.
[Image description: A close-up photo of a golf club hovering over a golf ball on a white tee.] Credit & copyright: Mikhail Nilov, pexelsWe may have missed her birthday by a day, but it’s never too late to celebrate a legend! On June 26, 1911, Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, one of the greatest athletes in American history, was born. Didrikson was naturally drawn to and excelled at sports from a young age. As a child, she was given the nickname “Babe,” after Babe Ruth, for her ability to hit home runs in neighborhood baseball games with other children. In high school, she participated in a variety of sports, but dropped out to play basketball in a company team for an insurance firm in Dallas. In 1932, she competed in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, winning gold in the javelin throw, setting a world record in the 80-meter hurdles and a silver in the high jump. The next year, Didrikson began her career in golf, but was unable to compete with other women after being denied amateur status for receiving endorsements in the past. As there was no professional league for women, she competed against men with limited success until her amateur status was reinstated in 1943.
In the following years, she came to dominate the sport, winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament in 1946 and 17 championships in 1947. She also went on to win the U.S. Women’s Open in 1948 and 1950, and her dominance made headlines, bringing attention to women’s participation in sports. Building on her success and growing interest in women’s sports, Didrikson co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950 with her friend Patty Berg and several others. For years, she remained the LPGA’s star athlete, but her career and life were cut short due to cancer. After being diagnosed with colon cancer in 1953, she underwent surgery and competed the next year with a colostomy bag, winning the U.S. Open once more. The next year, she passed away at the age of 45. By the end of her illustrious career, she had also participated in boxing, tennis, swimming, cycling, and many other sports. We’re not the only ones to be late in honoring this 20th century sports star—it wasn’t until 2021 that she was posthumously awarded a much-deserved Presidential Medal of Freedom.
[Image description: A close-up photo of a golf club hovering over a golf ball on a white tee.] Credit & copyright: Mikhail Nilov, pexels
June 26, 2024
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: At least 13 people have been killed and many more injured after police fired into crowds protesting Kenya’s controversial finance...
From the BBC World Service: At least 13 people have been killed and many more injured after police fired into crowds protesting Kenya’s controversial finance...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: June 26, 2024\ZEER-oh-SUM\ adjective
What It Means
Zero-sum describes something, such as a game, mentality, or situation, i...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: June 26, 2024\ZEER-oh-SUM\ adjective
What It Means
Zero-sum describes something, such as a game, mentality, or situation, i...
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FREEUS History Daily Curio #2897Free1 CQ
You’ve heard the tale of George Washington and the cherry tree, but fact is sometimes stranger than fiction! Archeologists recently unearthed dozens of bottles of cherries (and other fruits) from George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon, uncovering a real-life link between cherries and the nation’s first President for the very first time. The unprecedented find was discovered not during an archeological dig, but by accident during renovations to the estate’s cellar. Mount Vernon President & CEO Doug Bradburn called the discovery, “…an unprecedented find and nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America.”
As for what the cherries were doing in the cellar, along with the currents, gooseberries, and other fruit pulp found there, they were likely intended to be made into “cherry bounce”, a brandy-based drink made with aged cherry juice and spices. Some of them might have also been drying out to make “morelly cherries”, a type of dried cherry eaten as a candy-like treat at Mount Vernon. The bottles were almost certainly put in the cellar by one of the many enslaved people working at Mount Vernon, one of whom, named Doll, was known for making morelly cherries. Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon’s principal archeologist, said that the find was a “…testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table.”
Of course, these particular fruits never made it to Washington’s table. Although analysis of the find is ongoing, Mount Vernon historians believe it’s likely that the bottles were laid down just before the American Revolution and then promptly forgotten about in 1755, when Washington left his home to take command of the Continental Army. Now, researchers are working to see whether some of the cherry pits and other seeds might be in good enough condition to germinate, though that likely won’t be known for another six months to a year. For now, these bonafide Washington cherries are a pretty sweet gift for America’s upcoming 250th anniversary!
[Image description: A painting depicting the tale of George Washington and the cherry tree. A young Washington points to an axe in his hand as his father questions him about a cherry tree. Another man parts a red curtain to show the scene.] Credit & copyright: Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Parson Weems' Fable, Grant Wood (1891-1942), Public Domain.You’ve heard the tale of George Washington and the cherry tree, but fact is sometimes stranger than fiction! Archeologists recently unearthed dozens of bottles of cherries (and other fruits) from George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon, uncovering a real-life link between cherries and the nation’s first President for the very first time. The unprecedented find was discovered not during an archeological dig, but by accident during renovations to the estate’s cellar. Mount Vernon President & CEO Doug Bradburn called the discovery, “…an unprecedented find and nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America.”
As for what the cherries were doing in the cellar, along with the currents, gooseberries, and other fruit pulp found there, they were likely intended to be made into “cherry bounce”, a brandy-based drink made with aged cherry juice and spices. Some of them might have also been drying out to make “morelly cherries”, a type of dried cherry eaten as a candy-like treat at Mount Vernon. The bottles were almost certainly put in the cellar by one of the many enslaved people working at Mount Vernon, one of whom, named Doll, was known for making morelly cherries. Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon’s principal archeologist, said that the find was a “…testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table.”
Of course, these particular fruits never made it to Washington’s table. Although analysis of the find is ongoing, Mount Vernon historians believe it’s likely that the bottles were laid down just before the American Revolution and then promptly forgotten about in 1755, when Washington left his home to take command of the Continental Army. Now, researchers are working to see whether some of the cherry pits and other seeds might be in good enough condition to germinate, though that likely won’t be known for another six months to a year. For now, these bonafide Washington cherries are a pretty sweet gift for America’s upcoming 250th anniversary!
[Image description: A painting depicting the tale of George Washington and the cherry tree. A young Washington points to an axe in his hand as his father questions him about a cherry tree. Another man parts a red curtain to show the scene.] Credit & copyright: Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Parson Weems' Fable, Grant Wood (1891-1942), Public Domain.
June 25, 2024
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: After 14 months of a civil war, a severe humanitarian and economic crisis is unfolding in Sudan. Grain shipments from Ukraine hav...
From the BBC World Service: After 14 months of a civil war, a severe humanitarian and economic crisis is unfolding in Sudan. Grain shipments from Ukraine hav...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: June 25, 2024\rih-myoo-nuh-RAY-shun\ noun
What It Means
Remuneration is a formal word that refers to an amount of money pai...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: June 25, 2024\rih-myoo-nuh-RAY-shun\ noun
What It Means
Remuneration is a formal word that refers to an amount of money pai...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It’s not every day that a song wins a Grammy and an Oscar! Legendary American singer and songwriter Carly Simon, born on this day in 1945, achieved the rare feat in 1989, after her song Let the River Run from the movie Working Girl became a smash hit. The song has an unusual sound, especially for a soundtrack tune from a fairly lighthearted movie. After a slow, orchestral intro, the pop track swells to a slowish-but-steady beat with a backup chorus throughout. The choral elements are obviously gospel-inspired, yet the song was written specifically for the movie, which is about young, female office workers trying to get ahead despite a sexist office culture. Simon went on to describe the song as “a hymn to New York”, and its meaning obviously struck a chord with many people, since it not only took home an Oscar and Grammy but also tied with Phil Collins' Two Hearts at the Golden Globes for Best Original Song. At the time, Simon was the first artist in history to win these three awards for a song entirely created and performed by one artist. You could say she was a working girl!
It’s not every day that a song wins a Grammy and an Oscar! Legendary American singer and songwriter Carly Simon, born on this day in 1945, achieved the rare feat in 1989, after her song Let the River Run from the movie Working Girl became a smash hit. The song has an unusual sound, especially for a soundtrack tune from a fairly lighthearted movie. After a slow, orchestral intro, the pop track swells to a slowish-but-steady beat with a backup chorus throughout. The choral elements are obviously gospel-inspired, yet the song was written specifically for the movie, which is about young, female office workers trying to get ahead despite a sexist office culture. Simon went on to describe the song as “a hymn to New York”, and its meaning obviously struck a chord with many people, since it not only took home an Oscar and Grammy but also tied with Phil Collins' Two Hearts at the Golden Globes for Best Original Song. At the time, Simon was the first artist in history to win these three awards for a song entirely created and performed by one artist. You could say she was a working girl!
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FREEFitness Daily Curio #2896Free1 CQ
Back pain? Just walk it off before it happens. Lower back pain is a common ailment that can seriously impact a person's quality of life. Fortunately, researchers have found an easy way to stave it off: simply go for a walk a few times a week. Lower back pain affects around 800 million people around the world every year. Worse still, the issue can be recurring, and 7 out of 10 people who've dealt with back injuries have flare-ups within a year. These figures come from Macquarie University’s Spinal Pain Research Group in Australia, which has been looking for ways to prevent and manage back pain. Previously, the most common recommendation for back pain sufferers was bed rest—take it easy and allow the back’s supporting muscles to reset. This recommendation was meant to be followed up by light exercises meant to rehabilitate the patient's back, but researchers found that some of these exercises could be too difficult to perform. Some of them even required specialized equipment or had to be performed with the help of a physiotherapist, so many people didn’t have the means to do them in the first place. To develop an easier, simpler form of therapy, the researchers conducted a trial involving 701 adults who had recently suffered a back injury and recovered. Half of them weren't given any type of instructions as a control group, while the other half were placed in an individualized walking program under a physiotherapist's supervision. All they had to do was walk a few times a week, and the results were surprisingly positive. The researchers found that the group with a walking program went for longer periods without flare-ups compared to the control group, with a median figure of 208 days before recurrence of back pain compared to 112 days. The walking group were also less likely to require medical care compared to the control group, and they experienced less pain on a regular basis. The road to recovery doesn't have to be long and difficult—just take it one step at a time.
[Image description: An elevated walking path through a forest.] Credit & copyright: Markus Spiske, pexelsBack pain? Just walk it off before it happens. Lower back pain is a common ailment that can seriously impact a person's quality of life. Fortunately, researchers have found an easy way to stave it off: simply go for a walk a few times a week. Lower back pain affects around 800 million people around the world every year. Worse still, the issue can be recurring, and 7 out of 10 people who've dealt with back injuries have flare-ups within a year. These figures come from Macquarie University’s Spinal Pain Research Group in Australia, which has been looking for ways to prevent and manage back pain. Previously, the most common recommendation for back pain sufferers was bed rest—take it easy and allow the back’s supporting muscles to reset. This recommendation was meant to be followed up by light exercises meant to rehabilitate the patient's back, but researchers found that some of these exercises could be too difficult to perform. Some of them even required specialized equipment or had to be performed with the help of a physiotherapist, so many people didn’t have the means to do them in the first place. To develop an easier, simpler form of therapy, the researchers conducted a trial involving 701 adults who had recently suffered a back injury and recovered. Half of them weren't given any type of instructions as a control group, while the other half were placed in an individualized walking program under a physiotherapist's supervision. All they had to do was walk a few times a week, and the results were surprisingly positive. The researchers found that the group with a walking program went for longer periods without flare-ups compared to the control group, with a median figure of 208 days before recurrence of back pain compared to 112 days. The walking group were also less likely to require medical care compared to the control group, and they experienced less pain on a regular basis. The road to recovery doesn't have to be long and difficult—just take it one step at a time.
[Image description: An elevated walking path through a forest.] Credit & copyright: Markus Spiske, pexels
June 24, 2024
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: June 24, 2024\klan-DESS-tun\ adjective
What It Means
Clandestine describes something done secretly, or in a private place o...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: June 24, 2024\klan-DESS-tun\ adjective
What It Means
Clandestine describes something done secretly, or in a private place o...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Is this pottery too kitschy, or is that just a matter of taste? Tin-glazed earthenware has been around for millennia, and allowed for colorful creations like this charming ceramic serving dish. Its lid is shaped and painted to look like a bundle of asparagus. One side of the piece is a yellowish off-white color that gradually turns into a dark green at the “head” of the asparagus. Elaborate pieces like this serving dish were produced at a factory in Sceaux, France, outside of Paris. The factory mainly produced a type of tin-glazed earthenware called faience, which uses tin oxide to create a white glaze, and porcelain starting in the mid-1700s up to the early 1800s. While most faience were more conventionally shaped with elaborate designs painted on, the factory also produced whimsical designs like this one, often used when entertaining guests. As for what might have been served in this particular piece of earthenware…why not some veggies?
Box in the Form of Asparagus, probably Sceaux Factory (active 1748–66), c. 1765, Tin-glazed earthenware (faience) with enamel decoration, 2.5 x 7 x 3.25 in. (6.4 x 17.8 x 8.3 cm.), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Sceaux Factory (active 1748–66), the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Norweb Collection 1966.229, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public domain.]Is this pottery too kitschy, or is that just a matter of taste? Tin-glazed earthenware has been around for millennia, and allowed for colorful creations like this charming ceramic serving dish. Its lid is shaped and painted to look like a bundle of asparagus. One side of the piece is a yellowish off-white color that gradually turns into a dark green at the “head” of the asparagus. Elaborate pieces like this serving dish were produced at a factory in Sceaux, France, outside of Paris. The factory mainly produced a type of tin-glazed earthenware called faience, which uses tin oxide to create a white glaze, and porcelain starting in the mid-1700s up to the early 1800s. While most faience were more conventionally shaped with elaborate designs painted on, the factory also produced whimsical designs like this one, often used when entertaining guests. As for what might have been served in this particular piece of earthenware…why not some veggies?
Box in the Form of Asparagus, probably Sceaux Factory (active 1748–66), c. 1765, Tin-glazed earthenware (faience) with enamel decoration, 2.5 x 7 x 3.25 in. (6.4 x 17.8 x 8.3 cm.), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Sceaux Factory (active 1748–66), the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Norweb Collection 1966.229, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public domain.] -
FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2895Free1 CQ
What do the Smurfs, the French Revolution, and the Paris Olympics have in common? The Phrygian cap features heavily in all three! The mascot for this year’s Summer Olympics is an anthropomorphized red hat called a phygres—and this headwear has some surprising history behind it. The Phrygian cap originated in Phrygia, an ancient kingdom that was located in modern-day Turkey. A conical hat with its tip curled forward, it became associated with freedom and liberty due to stories of freed Roman slaves wearing similar hats to signal their independence. It was first widely worn in France in 1675, when the people of Brittany wore red versions during their protest against Louis XIV and his controversial taxes. Though the protest was unsuccessful, the red Phrygian cap became associated with civil disobedience. The hat’s symbolism made its way to Britain, then to the American colonies, where it was commonly featured in revolutionary artwork. Despite being prominently associated with the American Revolution, the hats were actually seldom worn in America. But when the French Revolution rolled around not long after, the hat made a triumphant comeback. A red Phrygian cap became everyday fashion for anyone who wished to show their support for the Revolution, from guillotine operators to aristocrats trying to avoid them. Some accounts from the time claim that some women knitted the hats out of wool during breaks between executions. In modern France, the caps remain a prominent national symbol. For the Olympics, Phryges will serve as ambassadors, not executioners. There are actually two: one for the Paris Olympics and one with a prosthetic leg for the Paris Paralympics. Before this year, though, modern Americans would have likely associated the hats with the Smurfs franchise. The eponymous characters wore white versions (except for Papa Smurf, who wore a red one). It seems those little blue creatures might have been planning something revolutionary.
[Image description: A painting of three French revolutionaries wearing red phrygian caps or “liberty caps.”] Credit & copyright:
Léopold Massard (1812–1889), Musée Carnavalet, Augustin Challamel and Wilhelm Ténint, The French under the Revolution, Paris, Challamel publisher, 1843. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.What do the Smurfs, the French Revolution, and the Paris Olympics have in common? The Phrygian cap features heavily in all three! The mascot for this year’s Summer Olympics is an anthropomorphized red hat called a phygres—and this headwear has some surprising history behind it. The Phrygian cap originated in Phrygia, an ancient kingdom that was located in modern-day Turkey. A conical hat with its tip curled forward, it became associated with freedom and liberty due to stories of freed Roman slaves wearing similar hats to signal their independence. It was first widely worn in France in 1675, when the people of Brittany wore red versions during their protest against Louis XIV and his controversial taxes. Though the protest was unsuccessful, the red Phrygian cap became associated with civil disobedience. The hat’s symbolism made its way to Britain, then to the American colonies, where it was commonly featured in revolutionary artwork. Despite being prominently associated with the American Revolution, the hats were actually seldom worn in America. But when the French Revolution rolled around not long after, the hat made a triumphant comeback. A red Phrygian cap became everyday fashion for anyone who wished to show their support for the Revolution, from guillotine operators to aristocrats trying to avoid them. Some accounts from the time claim that some women knitted the hats out of wool during breaks between executions. In modern France, the caps remain a prominent national symbol. For the Olympics, Phryges will serve as ambassadors, not executioners. There are actually two: one for the Paris Olympics and one with a prosthetic leg for the Paris Paralympics. Before this year, though, modern Americans would have likely associated the hats with the Smurfs franchise. The eponymous characters wore white versions (except for Papa Smurf, who wore a red one). It seems those little blue creatures might have been planning something revolutionary.
[Image description: A painting of three French revolutionaries wearing red phrygian caps or “liberty caps.”] Credit & copyright:
Léopold Massard (1812–1889), Musée Carnavalet, Augustin Challamel and Wilhelm Ténint, The French under the Revolution, Paris, Challamel publisher, 1843. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
In the U.S., the Federal Reserve has decided to keep rates elevated for a year now. The Fed’s goal is to hit a 2% inflation target, but that last mile has be...
In the U.S., the Federal Reserve has decided to keep rates elevated for a year now. The Fed’s goal is to hit a 2% inflation target, but that last mile has be...
June 23, 2024
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: June 23, 2024\puh-LEM-ik\ noun
What It Means
A polemic is a strong written or spoken attack against someone else’s opinions...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: June 23, 2024\puh-LEM-ik\ noun
What It Means
A polemic is a strong written or spoken attack against someone else’s opinions...
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FREESports PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
Some people think he was a great baseball player. Everyone else knows he was the greatest. Willie Mays passed away on June 18 at the age of 93, and even though he had been retired for decades, no one else in the league ever managed to best his numbers. At bat or in center field, there still isn’t anyone quite like the “Say Hey Kid.”
Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, to Annie Satterwhite and Willie Mays Sr., a semi-professional baseball player. Though he was raised by relatives after his parents separated, Mays seemed to follow in his father’s footsteps, showing an interest in baseball from an early age. As a teenager, he moved to Fairfield, where he played sporadically for the Fairfield stars in the Birmingham Industrial League. In 1948, Mays was just 16 years old and still attending high school when he signed with the Birmingham Black Barons in what was then known as the Negro League. Mays played for the Black Barons until he graduated high school, after which he signed with the Giants, then based in New York.
The baseball wunderkind proved in his rookie season in 1951 that his early success wasn’t just a fluke. Moreover, he showed that he was an exceptional all-around player. Though the Giants lost the World Series to the New York Yankees that year, Mays was named the National League Rookie of the Year for his superb defensive performance. Just a few years later, the Giants would have a historic season when they went on to win the 1954 World Series. It was in Game 1 against the Cleveland Indians when Mays pulled off “The Catch,” an over-the-shoulder catch from behind that seemed like a magic trick at the time. “The Catch” happened after Vic Wertz hit a fly ball deep into center field, and Mays took off after it with his back to the plate at a dead sprint. Catching the ball meant he kept the players on bases from scoring, and all but secured a Giants win for the series opener—all with undeniable flair. Mays followed the Giants when the team moved to San Francisco, where he played until he was traded to the New York Mets in 1972. Throughout his career, Mays played in 24 All-Star games, was awarded the Gold Glove 12 times, and hit 660 home runs, all while stealing bases left and right and keeping center field a precarious place for a hitter’s aim. But it wasn’t just his presence on the field that gained him a following. He was a beloved personality off the field. He was given the nickname “Say Hey Kid,” and while accounts on its origins vary, Mays himself said at one point that it was due to his habit of addressing people with “Say hey” when he couldn’t remember someone’s name during his rookie year.
Even after retiring in 1973, Mays remained an inspiration to many Black Americans. After Jackie Robinson broke down racial barriers in 1947, Mays further pushed against the racist barriers that Black athletes faced. He was a player who could not be ignored, whose dramatic plays and charisma won games as well as hearts. For many in his time, Mays was the face of baseball, a superstar of a sport that had only recently—and begrudgingly—integrated. When he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, President Obama said of him, “It's because of Giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president.” To this day, Mays is cited as an inspiration by Black baseball players, who continue to be underrepresented in the sport. It seems that this legendary giant had plenty of room on his shoulders.
[Image description: A red baseball glove, a baseball bat, and four baseballs on a wooden bench.] Credit & copyright: Tima Miroshnichenko, PexelsSome people think he was a great baseball player. Everyone else knows he was the greatest. Willie Mays passed away on June 18 at the age of 93, and even though he had been retired for decades, no one else in the league ever managed to best his numbers. At bat or in center field, there still isn’t anyone quite like the “Say Hey Kid.”
Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, to Annie Satterwhite and Willie Mays Sr., a semi-professional baseball player. Though he was raised by relatives after his parents separated, Mays seemed to follow in his father’s footsteps, showing an interest in baseball from an early age. As a teenager, he moved to Fairfield, where he played sporadically for the Fairfield stars in the Birmingham Industrial League. In 1948, Mays was just 16 years old and still attending high school when he signed with the Birmingham Black Barons in what was then known as the Negro League. Mays played for the Black Barons until he graduated high school, after which he signed with the Giants, then based in New York.
The baseball wunderkind proved in his rookie season in 1951 that his early success wasn’t just a fluke. Moreover, he showed that he was an exceptional all-around player. Though the Giants lost the World Series to the New York Yankees that year, Mays was named the National League Rookie of the Year for his superb defensive performance. Just a few years later, the Giants would have a historic season when they went on to win the 1954 World Series. It was in Game 1 against the Cleveland Indians when Mays pulled off “The Catch,” an over-the-shoulder catch from behind that seemed like a magic trick at the time. “The Catch” happened after Vic Wertz hit a fly ball deep into center field, and Mays took off after it with his back to the plate at a dead sprint. Catching the ball meant he kept the players on bases from scoring, and all but secured a Giants win for the series opener—all with undeniable flair. Mays followed the Giants when the team moved to San Francisco, where he played until he was traded to the New York Mets in 1972. Throughout his career, Mays played in 24 All-Star games, was awarded the Gold Glove 12 times, and hit 660 home runs, all while stealing bases left and right and keeping center field a precarious place for a hitter’s aim. But it wasn’t just his presence on the field that gained him a following. He was a beloved personality off the field. He was given the nickname “Say Hey Kid,” and while accounts on its origins vary, Mays himself said at one point that it was due to his habit of addressing people with “Say hey” when he couldn’t remember someone’s name during his rookie year.
Even after retiring in 1973, Mays remained an inspiration to many Black Americans. After Jackie Robinson broke down racial barriers in 1947, Mays further pushed against the racist barriers that Black athletes faced. He was a player who could not be ignored, whose dramatic plays and charisma won games as well as hearts. For many in his time, Mays was the face of baseball, a superstar of a sport that had only recently—and begrudgingly—integrated. When he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, President Obama said of him, “It's because of Giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president.” To this day, Mays is cited as an inspiration by Black baseball players, who continue to be underrepresented in the sport. It seems that this legendary giant had plenty of room on his shoulders.
[Image description: A red baseball glove, a baseball bat, and four baseballs on a wooden bench.] Credit & copyright: Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels -
7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has six months to divest or the U.S. plans to ban the app for national security reasons. But in a new court filin...
TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has six months to divest or the U.S. plans to ban the app for national security reasons. But in a new court filin...
June 22, 2024
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: June 22, 2024\soo-per-SEED\ verb
What It Means
Supersede is a verb meaning "to take the place of (someone or something that...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: June 22, 2024\soo-per-SEED\ verb
What It Means
Supersede is a verb meaning "to take the place of (someone or something that...
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
In a flurry of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Justices’ lack of action on one case is a major victory for the tribal gaming industry. The court lef...
In a flurry of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Justices’ lack of action on one case is a major victory for the tribal gaming industry. The court lef...
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FREERunning Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
You really have to hoof it to win this race. It’s summer in the Rockies, and that means it’s time for Colorado's official summer heritage sport: pack burro racing. It’s an unusual competition that combines the stubbornness of donkeys with the stubbornness of human athletes. According to state lore, pack burro racing came about when two prospectors in the 1800s raced back to town from a gold deposit to be the first to stake a claim. Each had donkeys laden with tools and supplies, so the men raced with their pack animals galloping alongside them on leads. It wasn’t until 1949 that the first official race was held, with competitors similarly running beside—not riding on—their donkeys. The sport became popular enough and so ingrained in the state’s history that in 2012, the state passed House Joint Resolution 12-1021 to declare it their official summer heritage sport. Since its humble, inaugural race with just 21 participants (and only eight finishers), the event has grown to host around 100 racers every year. This year is the 75th anniversary of the event, a three-day affair called Burro Days that takes place in the town of Fairplay. Athletes have to think about more than just the high elevation and the rugged terrain when racing with their donkeys. For example, competitors aren’t supposed to tie themselves to their animals because, if a donkey hears their person fall, they’ll just run faster, dragging their human companion behind them. It seems these burros are a little confused about just who’s the leader of the pack.
[Image description: A donkey eating grass in a field.] Credit & copyright: Adrian Pingstone, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Arpingstone at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.
You really have to hoof it to win this race. It’s summer in the Rockies, and that means it’s time for Colorado's official summer heritage sport: pack burro racing. It’s an unusual competition that combines the stubbornness of donkeys with the stubbornness of human athletes. According to state lore, pack burro racing came about when two prospectors in the 1800s raced back to town from a gold deposit to be the first to stake a claim. Each had donkeys laden with tools and supplies, so the men raced with their pack animals galloping alongside them on leads. It wasn’t until 1949 that the first official race was held, with competitors similarly running beside—not riding on—their donkeys. The sport became popular enough and so ingrained in the state’s history that in 2012, the state passed House Joint Resolution 12-1021 to declare it their official summer heritage sport. Since its humble, inaugural race with just 21 participants (and only eight finishers), the event has grown to host around 100 racers every year. This year is the 75th anniversary of the event, a three-day affair called Burro Days that takes place in the town of Fairplay. Athletes have to think about more than just the high elevation and the rugged terrain when racing with their donkeys. For example, competitors aren’t supposed to tie themselves to their animals because, if a donkey hears their person fall, they’ll just run faster, dragging their human companion behind them. It seems these burros are a little confused about just who’s the leader of the pack.
[Image description: A donkey eating grass in a field.] Credit & copyright: Adrian Pingstone, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Arpingstone at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.