Curio Cabinet
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December 6, 2023
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
HUD is expected to release its annual Point-In-Time homelessness count later this month. High housing costs, an influx of asylum seekers and an end to COVID ...
HUD is expected to release its annual Point-In-Time homelessness count later this month. High housing costs, an influx of asylum seekers and an end to COVID ...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: December 6, 2023\PER-mee-uh-bul\ adjective
What It Means
Permeable is a synonym of penetrable that is used especially to de...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: December 6, 2023\PER-mee-uh-bul\ adjective
What It Means
Permeable is a synonym of penetrable that is used especially to de...
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FREETeaching Skills Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
If you’re a teacher, don’t throw out that old lesson plan—it could be worth something! Teachers and others with educational experience have found a new way to make extra cash online: selling their lesson plans to fellow educators. Creating lesson plans is a notoriously time-consuming part of teaching, so it makes sense that there would be a market for good quality, pre-made ones. Online platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers and even Pinterest are allowing more and more teachers to share what they know, and some are turning it into a lucrative side-hustle. CNBC recently highlighted the work of Becky Powell, a 41-year-old kindergarten teacher who made around $125,500 in 2022 by selling digital worksheets to other educators online. Her storefront on Teachers Pay Teachers, a digital platform that allows teachers to sell educational materials to one another, boasts over 400 listings, including single worksheets, booklets, and bundled sets. For other so-called “teacherprenuers”, Pinterest has become an important, if unlikely, driver for sales. Though most people use the platform as a visual inspiration board, teachers hoping to sell lesson plans often post previews on Pinterest that include purchase-links on other sites, like Teachers Pay Teachers. In 2019, a 37-year-old former teacher named Jen Regan spoke to USA Today about using Pinterest to help other teachers find the educational materials she sells online. After a few years of selling classroom resources, Regan made enough money to leave her full-time job and spend more time with family. Even for educators just looking to bring in a little extra income, there’s no doubt that lesson plans can be lucrative.
[Image description: A stack of books with a red apple on top.] Credit & copyright: jarmoluk, PixabayIf you’re a teacher, don’t throw out that old lesson plan—it could be worth something! Teachers and others with educational experience have found a new way to make extra cash online: selling their lesson plans to fellow educators. Creating lesson plans is a notoriously time-consuming part of teaching, so it makes sense that there would be a market for good quality, pre-made ones. Online platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers and even Pinterest are allowing more and more teachers to share what they know, and some are turning it into a lucrative side-hustle. CNBC recently highlighted the work of Becky Powell, a 41-year-old kindergarten teacher who made around $125,500 in 2022 by selling digital worksheets to other educators online. Her storefront on Teachers Pay Teachers, a digital platform that allows teachers to sell educational materials to one another, boasts over 400 listings, including single worksheets, booklets, and bundled sets. For other so-called “teacherprenuers”, Pinterest has become an important, if unlikely, driver for sales. Though most people use the platform as a visual inspiration board, teachers hoping to sell lesson plans often post previews on Pinterest that include purchase-links on other sites, like Teachers Pay Teachers. In 2019, a 37-year-old former teacher named Jen Regan spoke to USA Today about using Pinterest to help other teachers find the educational materials she sells online. After a few years of selling classroom resources, Regan made enough money to leave her full-time job and spend more time with family. Even for educators just looking to bring in a little extra income, there’s no doubt that lesson plans can be lucrative.
[Image description: A stack of books with a red apple on top.] Credit & copyright: jarmoluk, Pixabay -
FREEFirst Aid Daily Curio #2771Free1 CQ
There was light at the end of this tunnel—they just had to dig at it. After being trapped for 17 days, 41 workers buried in a tunnel were freed in India at the end of November. But there was a lot more to their rescue than just moving some dirt around. Like many underground rescues, this ordeal was one in which every second counted. Back on November 12, construction workers were digging through a Himalayan mountain in the state of Uttarakhand when they were caught in a tunnel collapse. Rescuers immediately began trying to extract the buried workers, but they had to hurry. Even though none of the workers had been seriously injured or killed, they were already being poisoned by their own breath. Being buried under rubble meant that the men weren’t getting fresh air, and carbon dioxide from their exhaled breath was building up. Rescuers managed to reach them with a literal life line to pipe in fresh air, food and water, but the men were still growing sicker by the day.
The symptoms of carbon dioxide poisoning are very similar to those of carbon monoxide poisoning. They include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and confusion that get progressively worse. At very low concentrations (10,000 ppm, or one percent of the atmosphere), carbon dioxide can cause drowsiness. But even at mildly higher concentrations (30,000 ppm, or three percent), it can lead to elevated heart rates and arrhythmia. Even with oxygen present, excess carbon dioxide can still cause these symptoms, and as the concentration gets higher (around 80,000 ppm or eight percent), it can lead to suffocation. Thankfully, the workers were trapped in a fairly large section of the tunnel with enough room to walk around. To help keep the CO2 levels low, they were advised not to perform any physically strenuous activity. At the same time, they were advised to do yoga and other light exercises to help keep them calm, which probably kept CO2 levels lower by reducing their heart rates. Eventually, the workers were pulled to safety through a tunnel that rescuers made from welded pipes. Seeing sunlight after 17 days was probably a lot more calming than underground yoga!
[Image description: A digital illustration depicting a pickaxe and three stones.] Credit & copyright: Clker-Free-Vector-Images, PixabayThere was light at the end of this tunnel—they just had to dig at it. After being trapped for 17 days, 41 workers buried in a tunnel were freed in India at the end of November. But there was a lot more to their rescue than just moving some dirt around. Like many underground rescues, this ordeal was one in which every second counted. Back on November 12, construction workers were digging through a Himalayan mountain in the state of Uttarakhand when they were caught in a tunnel collapse. Rescuers immediately began trying to extract the buried workers, but they had to hurry. Even though none of the workers had been seriously injured or killed, they were already being poisoned by their own breath. Being buried under rubble meant that the men weren’t getting fresh air, and carbon dioxide from their exhaled breath was building up. Rescuers managed to reach them with a literal life line to pipe in fresh air, food and water, but the men were still growing sicker by the day.
The symptoms of carbon dioxide poisoning are very similar to those of carbon monoxide poisoning. They include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and confusion that get progressively worse. At very low concentrations (10,000 ppm, or one percent of the atmosphere), carbon dioxide can cause drowsiness. But even at mildly higher concentrations (30,000 ppm, or three percent), it can lead to elevated heart rates and arrhythmia. Even with oxygen present, excess carbon dioxide can still cause these symptoms, and as the concentration gets higher (around 80,000 ppm or eight percent), it can lead to suffocation. Thankfully, the workers were trapped in a fairly large section of the tunnel with enough room to walk around. To help keep the CO2 levels low, they were advised not to perform any physically strenuous activity. At the same time, they were advised to do yoga and other light exercises to help keep them calm, which probably kept CO2 levels lower by reducing their heart rates. Eventually, the workers were pulled to safety through a tunnel that rescuers made from welded pipes. Seeing sunlight after 17 days was probably a lot more calming than underground yoga!
[Image description: A digital illustration depicting a pickaxe and three stones.] Credit & copyright: Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Pixabay
December 5, 2023
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Moody’s, the rating agency, has changed China’s government credit outlook from stable to negative due to debt fears and lower gro...
From the BBC World Service: Moody’s, the rating agency, has changed China’s government credit outlook from stable to negative due to debt fears and lower gro...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: December 5, 2023\SMYTE\ verb
What It Means
Smite means “to hit someone or something very hard.” Other uses of the word incl...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: December 5, 2023\SMYTE\ verb
What It Means
Smite means “to hit someone or something very hard.” Other uses of the word incl...
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FREESong CurioFree2 CQ
It may not sound like a sci-fi song, but Belinda Carlisles’ pop hit Heaven is a Place on Earth, which topped the Billboard charts on this day in 1987, ended up becoming the soundtrack to one of the most beloved science fiction moments of the mid-2000s. The song was written specifically for Carlisle after her vocal group, the Go-Go’s, broke up. There was a lot of figurative and literal power behind the hit—it was written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, both of whom had worked with some of the era’s biggest stars. The song’s famous, swelling, choral-style vocals were performed by none other than Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, among others. Carlisle’s velvety voice helped propel the song to number one, and it, in turn, helped make her a household name. But among younger listeners, it’s famous for a different reason. In 2016, the hit Netflix series Black Mirror included an episode about a digital afterlife with Heaven is a Place on Earth as its unofficial theme song. The episode won two Emmy awards and caused a surge of interest in the song. Who said sci-fi couldn’t be poppy?
It may not sound like a sci-fi song, but Belinda Carlisles’ pop hit Heaven is a Place on Earth, which topped the Billboard charts on this day in 1987, ended up becoming the soundtrack to one of the most beloved science fiction moments of the mid-2000s. The song was written specifically for Carlisle after her vocal group, the Go-Go’s, broke up. There was a lot of figurative and literal power behind the hit—it was written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, both of whom had worked with some of the era’s biggest stars. The song’s famous, swelling, choral-style vocals were performed by none other than Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, among others. Carlisle’s velvety voice helped propel the song to number one, and it, in turn, helped make her a household name. But among younger listeners, it’s famous for a different reason. In 2016, the hit Netflix series Black Mirror included an episode about a digital afterlife with Heaven is a Place on Earth as its unofficial theme song. The episode won two Emmy awards and caused a surge of interest in the song. Who said sci-fi couldn’t be poppy?
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FREEPolitical Science Daily Curio #2770Free1 CQ
There are a lot of tough calls to be made on the highest court in the land, but she made them without breaking a sweat. Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, passed away recently. After her historic appointment, she became a household name, and she is remembered for being the perennial tiebreaker on a divided court. Born in 1930 in El Paso, Texas, O’Connor was raised on a ranch in Arizona where she was no stranger to getting her hands dirty. From a young age, she hunted jackrabbits and coyotes on the ranch while she kept her grades up at school. She enrolled at Stanford University at the age of 16, and married John Jay O'Connor III soon after graduation. Returning to Arizona, O’Connor made a name for herself in the political arena, eventually becoming the majority leader of the state senate. After serving as a state trial judge and a state appellate court judge for a time, she was appointed by President Reagan to fill the vacancy left in the Supreme Court by Justice Potter Stewart, who retired in 1981.
Having a woman seated on the nation’s highest court opened up greater opportunities for female legislators and judges. O'Connor’s appointment kicked off a wave of state-level appointments for women in judicial and political positions. O’Connor herself often cast the deciding vote on key issues before the court. She repeatedly supported the expansion of abortion rights while limiting the rights of states to restrict it. She also voted against affirmative action when considering government contractors, but voted in favor of it when it came to college admissions. Throughout her tenure, she encouraged her colleagues to tackle one issue at a time, rather than using broad language that could be applied to rulings far in the future. In an interview with Harvard Business Review, she once said, “...I thought we ought to avoid sweeping rulings that would affect things we just didn’t know about, things that hadn’t been described. Otherwise, you might be taking giant steps you’ll live to regret. You can’t anticipate everything.” If only all government officials approached big decisions with such caution.
[Image description: Sandra Day O'Connor wearing a blue dress and gold necklace in front of a wooden wall.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.There are a lot of tough calls to be made on the highest court in the land, but she made them without breaking a sweat. Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, passed away recently. After her historic appointment, she became a household name, and she is remembered for being the perennial tiebreaker on a divided court. Born in 1930 in El Paso, Texas, O’Connor was raised on a ranch in Arizona where she was no stranger to getting her hands dirty. From a young age, she hunted jackrabbits and coyotes on the ranch while she kept her grades up at school. She enrolled at Stanford University at the age of 16, and married John Jay O'Connor III soon after graduation. Returning to Arizona, O’Connor made a name for herself in the political arena, eventually becoming the majority leader of the state senate. After serving as a state trial judge and a state appellate court judge for a time, she was appointed by President Reagan to fill the vacancy left in the Supreme Court by Justice Potter Stewart, who retired in 1981.
Having a woman seated on the nation’s highest court opened up greater opportunities for female legislators and judges. O'Connor’s appointment kicked off a wave of state-level appointments for women in judicial and political positions. O’Connor herself often cast the deciding vote on key issues before the court. She repeatedly supported the expansion of abortion rights while limiting the rights of states to restrict it. She also voted against affirmative action when considering government contractors, but voted in favor of it when it came to college admissions. Throughout her tenure, she encouraged her colleagues to tackle one issue at a time, rather than using broad language that could be applied to rulings far in the future. In an interview with Harvard Business Review, she once said, “...I thought we ought to avoid sweeping rulings that would affect things we just didn’t know about, things that hadn’t been described. Otherwise, you might be taking giant steps you’ll live to regret. You can’t anticipate everything.” If only all government officials approached big decisions with such caution.
[Image description: Sandra Day O'Connor wearing a blue dress and gold necklace in front of a wooden wall.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.
December 4, 2023
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3 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: December 4, 2023\av-er-duh-POYZ\ noun
What It Means
Avoirdupois is synonymous with weight and heaviness, especially as rela...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: December 4, 2023\av-er-duh-POYZ\ noun
What It Means
Avoirdupois is synonymous with weight and heaviness, especially as rela...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Coffee, anyone? Italian designer Carlo Bugatti created this lavish tea and coffee service set sometime in the early 1900s. It consists of four vessels set on a salver, or formal tray. Each piece is made of gilt silver and features the likeness of an animal, embellished with ivory horns. The salver also features two curved pieces of ivory at either end. Like many of Bugatti’s works, this set combines organic and exotic aesthetics to create something that feels familiar and alien at the same time. Regardless of its beauty, a set like this couldn’t be made today because of the international ban on ivory trade. The ban grants exceptions for antiques and existing ivory stockpiles, but there are few legal avenues to obtain the material, which is sourced from elephant tusks. By the way, if the artist’s name sounds familiar, that’s because Carlo Bugatti was the father of Ettore Bugatti, founder of Automobiles E. Bugatti, known for their luxury sports cars. Seems like sleek designs run in the family.
Tea and Coffee Service, Carlo Bugatti (1856–1940), 1907, Gilt silver and ivory, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Carlo Bugatti, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Thomas L. Fawick Memorial Collection, CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain]Coffee, anyone? Italian designer Carlo Bugatti created this lavish tea and coffee service set sometime in the early 1900s. It consists of four vessels set on a salver, or formal tray. Each piece is made of gilt silver and features the likeness of an animal, embellished with ivory horns. The salver also features two curved pieces of ivory at either end. Like many of Bugatti’s works, this set combines organic and exotic aesthetics to create something that feels familiar and alien at the same time. Regardless of its beauty, a set like this couldn’t be made today because of the international ban on ivory trade. The ban grants exceptions for antiques and existing ivory stockpiles, but there are few legal avenues to obtain the material, which is sourced from elephant tusks. By the way, if the artist’s name sounds familiar, that’s because Carlo Bugatti was the father of Ettore Bugatti, founder of Automobiles E. Bugatti, known for their luxury sports cars. Seems like sleek designs run in the family.
Tea and Coffee Service, Carlo Bugatti (1856–1940), 1907, Gilt silver and ivory, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Carlo Bugatti, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Thomas L. Fawick Memorial Collection, CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain] -
FREEBiology Daily Curio #2769Free1 CQ
You know Dasher and Dancer…but what about Svalbard? Svalbard reindeer are the world’s smallest subspecies, with males reaching a diminutive length of around 5.2 feet. The deer live in the Svalbard archipelago, where they’ve managed to survive and thrive despite stacked odds. Now, scientists at the University Center in Svalbard are studying them to see if they stand a chance of surviving their greatest challenge yet: climate change.
Despite their home’s frigid temperatures and seemingly scarce vegetation, Svalbard reindeer have managed to survive by being very picky eaters. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it actually works well for the deer. According to researchers who have been tracking their movements across the islands and observing their behavior, Svalbard reindeer eat only the choicest parts of the plants in their environment. For instance, they will only eat the heads of buttercup flowers that grow in the area, since that’s the most nutrient-dense part of the plant. This means that, instead of wasting precious energy digesting stems and other plant matter with little nutritional value, the deer can fill their stomachs with high-value foods that are easier to digest. Svalbard reindeer have also developed the ability to digest mosses, which serves them well during the harsh winter months. Of course, being so small also means that they can afford to eat less than their larger reindeer cousins.
However, the deer might be in trouble in the coming decades. Their population has always been isolated, which has led to around 7,000 years of inbreeding. This means that they have a very limited gene pool, which makes it more difficult to pass on favorable genetic adaptations. If the climate gets warmer and changes their environment too quickly, the deer may not be able to adapt in time. Worse still, Svalbard is experiencing the effects of climate change faster than most places in the world. Warmer temperatures may lead to rain-on-snow events, which freeze the deer’s food sources, rendering them inaccessible. Thawing permafrost and warmer soil could also lead to more parasites. At this evolutionary bottleneck, the reindeer might simply get stuck and go extinct, or they might surprise everyone and adapt despite their limited genetic diversity, as they have done for so many years. Hopefully, they’ll figure something out before there’s nothing left of the North Pole.
[Image description: A Svalbard reindeer eating grass.] Credit & copyright: Decokon, PixabayYou know Dasher and Dancer…but what about Svalbard? Svalbard reindeer are the world’s smallest subspecies, with males reaching a diminutive length of around 5.2 feet. The deer live in the Svalbard archipelago, where they’ve managed to survive and thrive despite stacked odds. Now, scientists at the University Center in Svalbard are studying them to see if they stand a chance of surviving their greatest challenge yet: climate change.
Despite their home’s frigid temperatures and seemingly scarce vegetation, Svalbard reindeer have managed to survive by being very picky eaters. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it actually works well for the deer. According to researchers who have been tracking their movements across the islands and observing their behavior, Svalbard reindeer eat only the choicest parts of the plants in their environment. For instance, they will only eat the heads of buttercup flowers that grow in the area, since that’s the most nutrient-dense part of the plant. This means that, instead of wasting precious energy digesting stems and other plant matter with little nutritional value, the deer can fill their stomachs with high-value foods that are easier to digest. Svalbard reindeer have also developed the ability to digest mosses, which serves them well during the harsh winter months. Of course, being so small also means that they can afford to eat less than their larger reindeer cousins.
However, the deer might be in trouble in the coming decades. Their population has always been isolated, which has led to around 7,000 years of inbreeding. This means that they have a very limited gene pool, which makes it more difficult to pass on favorable genetic adaptations. If the climate gets warmer and changes their environment too quickly, the deer may not be able to adapt in time. Worse still, Svalbard is experiencing the effects of climate change faster than most places in the world. Warmer temperatures may lead to rain-on-snow events, which freeze the deer’s food sources, rendering them inaccessible. Thawing permafrost and warmer soil could also lead to more parasites. At this evolutionary bottleneck, the reindeer might simply get stuck and go extinct, or they might surprise everyone and adapt despite their limited genetic diversity, as they have done for so many years. Hopefully, they’ll figure something out before there’s nothing left of the North Pole.
[Image description: A Svalbard reindeer eating grass.] Credit & copyright: Decokon, Pixabay -
7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
We’re in the thick of holiday shopping season. But as companies compete for consumer dollars and distinguish themselves through advertising, they’re taking i...
We’re in the thick of holiday shopping season. But as companies compete for consumer dollars and distinguish themselves through advertising, they’re taking i...
December 3, 2023
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: December 3, 2023\DEK-strus\ adjective
What It Means
Dexterous is a formal adjective used to describe someone or something t...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: December 3, 2023\DEK-strus\ adjective
What It Means
Dexterous is a formal adjective used to describe someone or something t...
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FREEWorld History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
They’re glitzy, they’re glittery, and for a long time they were serious fire hazards. Christmas trees are, by far, the holiday’s most famous decorations, to the point that much of Christmas day literally takes place around them. Yet, for centuries, Christmas was celebrated without this celebratory staple.
Although Christmas is now the most widely-observed Christian holiday, Christians didn’t always celebrate it. Until the 4th century C.E., they were actually averse to celebrating the birthdays of saints or martyrs, and that extended to Jesus Christ himself. Such celebrations were considered too similar to pagan traditions, as were flashy decorations. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Germans embraced the pagan tradition of bringing evergreen boughs and whole trees into their homes during winter. Over time, they naturally began to spruce them up with homemade decorations. Martin Luther, a central figure of the Protestant Revolution, is widely acknowledged as the first person to have placed candles on a Christmas tree, in honor of the starry winter sky. Luther also helped make the trees a Christmas (rather than simply a winter) tradition.
In the following years, the practice of decorating trees for Christmas spread across Europe, making its way to the American colonies in the 18th century. Most early Christmas tree decorations were made from things that were easy to find around the house or in nature. These included strings of popcorn, bright pieces of fabric, red pepper swags, and moss. As much as the trees were a source of joy, however, they could also lead to disaster. Since they were lit with actual, flaming candles, they were serious fire hazards. Pine trees aren’t exactly known for being fireproof, and a single, errant flame could burn down not just a tree, but the entire house surrounding it. Still, by the 19th century, Christmas trees became a must-have item for every household after Queen Victoria (whose mother was German) put one up and placed her children's presents under it.
These days, electric lights have replaced candles, and many people prefer artificial trees that can be used year after year (and are far less flammable.) The first artificial Christmas trees were created due to pine tree shortages in Europe following World War I. These were made from dyed feathers and were fairly delicate. During World War II, the first mass-produced artificial trees were created by British company Addis Housewares, made from repurposed toilet-brush-making machinery. Sculpted, aluminum trees lit with internal color-wheels became popular soon after, but their appeal suffered greatly after the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, which portrayed them as symbols of crass commercialism.
The artificial tree found redemption in the hands of Si Spiegel, a Jewish WWII veteran who, after being denied pilot jobs due to antisemitism, took a job as a factory worker at American Brush Machinery in the 1950s. Some of the machines that Spiegel worked on were being sold to companies that used them to make artificial trees. Spiegel encouraged American Brush Machinery to make artificial trees themselves, but the process didn't go smoothly, at first. The trees weren’t realistic enough. So, Spiegel studied real trees and tweaked the machine designs in order to make plastic trees with bendable branches that looked as close to the real thing as possible. With his guidance, American Brush Machinery became the world’s biggest supplier of artificial Christmas trees by the mid-1970s. Spiegel even started his own company, American Tree and Wreath, which produced around 800,000 trees per year, at the height of its popularity. Today, Christmas trees are a must-have item for anyone who celebrates the holiday. Real or fake, just leave the candles off of them.
[Image description: The top of a decorated Christmas Tree surrounded by golden string lights.] Credit & copyright: Elina Fairytale, PexelsThey’re glitzy, they’re glittery, and for a long time they were serious fire hazards. Christmas trees are, by far, the holiday’s most famous decorations, to the point that much of Christmas day literally takes place around them. Yet, for centuries, Christmas was celebrated without this celebratory staple.
Although Christmas is now the most widely-observed Christian holiday, Christians didn’t always celebrate it. Until the 4th century C.E., they were actually averse to celebrating the birthdays of saints or martyrs, and that extended to Jesus Christ himself. Such celebrations were considered too similar to pagan traditions, as were flashy decorations. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Germans embraced the pagan tradition of bringing evergreen boughs and whole trees into their homes during winter. Over time, they naturally began to spruce them up with homemade decorations. Martin Luther, a central figure of the Protestant Revolution, is widely acknowledged as the first person to have placed candles on a Christmas tree, in honor of the starry winter sky. Luther also helped make the trees a Christmas (rather than simply a winter) tradition.
In the following years, the practice of decorating trees for Christmas spread across Europe, making its way to the American colonies in the 18th century. Most early Christmas tree decorations were made from things that were easy to find around the house or in nature. These included strings of popcorn, bright pieces of fabric, red pepper swags, and moss. As much as the trees were a source of joy, however, they could also lead to disaster. Since they were lit with actual, flaming candles, they were serious fire hazards. Pine trees aren’t exactly known for being fireproof, and a single, errant flame could burn down not just a tree, but the entire house surrounding it. Still, by the 19th century, Christmas trees became a must-have item for every household after Queen Victoria (whose mother was German) put one up and placed her children's presents under it.
These days, electric lights have replaced candles, and many people prefer artificial trees that can be used year after year (and are far less flammable.) The first artificial Christmas trees were created due to pine tree shortages in Europe following World War I. These were made from dyed feathers and were fairly delicate. During World War II, the first mass-produced artificial trees were created by British company Addis Housewares, made from repurposed toilet-brush-making machinery. Sculpted, aluminum trees lit with internal color-wheels became popular soon after, but their appeal suffered greatly after the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, which portrayed them as symbols of crass commercialism.
The artificial tree found redemption in the hands of Si Spiegel, a Jewish WWII veteran who, after being denied pilot jobs due to antisemitism, took a job as a factory worker at American Brush Machinery in the 1950s. Some of the machines that Spiegel worked on were being sold to companies that used them to make artificial trees. Spiegel encouraged American Brush Machinery to make artificial trees themselves, but the process didn't go smoothly, at first. The trees weren’t realistic enough. So, Spiegel studied real trees and tweaked the machine designs in order to make plastic trees with bendable branches that looked as close to the real thing as possible. With his guidance, American Brush Machinery became the world’s biggest supplier of artificial Christmas trees by the mid-1970s. Spiegel even started his own company, American Tree and Wreath, which produced around 800,000 trees per year, at the height of its popularity. Today, Christmas trees are a must-have item for anyone who celebrates the holiday. Real or fake, just leave the candles off of them.
[Image description: The top of a decorated Christmas Tree surrounded by golden string lights.] Credit & copyright: Elina Fairytale, Pexels -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Consumer Reports is out with a survey finding that EV owners had roughly 80% more problems than owners of conventional vehicles. Key problems included issues...
Consumer Reports is out with a survey finding that EV owners had roughly 80% more problems than owners of conventional vehicles. Key problems included issues...
December 2, 2023
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: December 2, 2023\HYVE-mynde\ noun
What It Means
Hive mind refers to the collective thoughts, ideas, and opinions of a group...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: December 2, 2023\HYVE-mynde\ noun
What It Means
Hive mind refers to the collective thoughts, ideas, and opinions of a group...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks later today, after other Fed officials have been particularly chatty. This is before a quiet period that precedes ...
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks later today, after other Fed officials have been particularly chatty. This is before a quiet period that precedes ...
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FREEFootball Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
This is one way to tackle the gender barrier. American football has always been male-dominated, but more and more women are playing the sport and its derivative, flag football. Usually, women who join all-male football teams play as kickers, a position that doesn’t throw them into the fray in the gridiron with their male counterparts. However, Haley Van Voorhis made history in September at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, when she joined her teammates as a safety. Women’s flag football is also rising in popularity. In flag football, instead of trying to tackle a ball carrier to end a down, the defensive team removes a flag from the carrier’s body. Currently, there are 15 colleges in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that offer women’s flag football, though the sport is yet to be recognized by the NCAA. Still, these schools have robust intramural programs and even require students to attend try-outs. Meanwhile, there are 180 high school varsity flag football teams competing in New York, with funding from the state’s own NFL teams: the Bills, Jets, and Giants. Things are looking up on the international level as well. The IOC just announced that flag football will be added as a new event in the 2028 Olympics with men’s and women’s teams, giving the sport a huge boost in visibility and something for many of the young competitors to aspire to in the absence of a professional league. Looks like the gridiron could get a bit more crowded soon.
[Image description: A brown football in a grassy field.] Credit & copyright: filterssofly, Pixabay
This is one way to tackle the gender barrier. American football has always been male-dominated, but more and more women are playing the sport and its derivative, flag football. Usually, women who join all-male football teams play as kickers, a position that doesn’t throw them into the fray in the gridiron with their male counterparts. However, Haley Van Voorhis made history in September at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, when she joined her teammates as a safety. Women’s flag football is also rising in popularity. In flag football, instead of trying to tackle a ball carrier to end a down, the defensive team removes a flag from the carrier’s body. Currently, there are 15 colleges in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that offer women’s flag football, though the sport is yet to be recognized by the NCAA. Still, these schools have robust intramural programs and even require students to attend try-outs. Meanwhile, there are 180 high school varsity flag football teams competing in New York, with funding from the state’s own NFL teams: the Bills, Jets, and Giants. Things are looking up on the international level as well. The IOC just announced that flag football will be added as a new event in the 2028 Olympics with men’s and women’s teams, giving the sport a huge boost in visibility and something for many of the young competitors to aspire to in the absence of a professional league. Looks like the gridiron could get a bit more crowded soon.
[Image description: A brown football in a grassy field.] Credit & copyright: filterssofly, Pixabay
December 1, 2023
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Germany is looking at an $18 billion gap in next year’s budget because of a court decision last week on a German fiscal rule know...
From the BBC World Service: Germany is looking at an $18 billion gap in next year’s budget because of a court decision last week on a German fiscal rule know...
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FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree1 CQ
Food just tastes better when it’s part of a celebration. Latkes, a type of potato pancake, are a staple of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. They’ve been enjoyed during this annual wintertime celebration, which will be observed from December 7th to December 15th this year, for centuries. However, before the 19th century, latkes looked quite different than they do today. In fact, they weren’t even made with potatoes.
Modern latkes (Yiddish for “pancakes”) are made with shredded potatoes, eggs, and flour. Diced onions are often added for flavor, too. The small, round fritters are then fried in oil. Frying latkes is a crucially important step not just for cooking, but because of its significance to Hanukkah. The holiday celebrates the retaking of The Temple of Jerusalem from the Greeks in the 2nd century B.C.E. According to the story, after the temple was retaken, sacred candles were lit to rededicate it. Even though there was only enough oil for the candles to burn for one day, they miraculously burned for eight days. Oil-fried latkes serve to remind celebrants of this story.
Surprisingly, though, latkes weren’t always made with potatoes or oil, and they were once more closely associated with a different Jewish story: The story of Judith. In this tale, a widow named Judith saved her town of Bethulia, which was being held under siege by Holofernes, a general in the Assyrian army. Judith charmed Holofernes and fed him latkes made from cheese and fried in schmaltz, or chicken fat. The latkes were so salty that Holofernes grew thirsty and drank too much wine. He passed out and Judith killed him in his sleep, thus saving her town. The latkes in this story are pretty representative of what latkes were like throughout most of their history. After all, potatoes weren’t brought to Europe until the 16th Century, and cooking oils weren’t widely available during latkes’ early days, either. So, instead of potatoes fried in oil, latkes were made with ricotta cheese in places like Italy, and with buckwheat flour in regions in and around Russia. Both kinds were popularly served at Jewish celebrations, including Hanukkah.
Once potatoes did make their way to Europe in the middle ages, they were planted en masse due to their hardiness. They soon became a cheap source of sustenance for commoners. Jewish people began making latkes from shredded potatoes, though it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that cooking oils became widely available too. Since cheese latkes were already a common Jewish celebration food, potato latkes quickly began popping up during the same holidays, and their connection to oil gave them additional significance during Hanukkah. Today, latkes remain a delicious, simple, yet storied food.
[Image description: Two latkes on a plate, with white sauce on the side.] Credit & copyright: Taken, PixabayFood just tastes better when it’s part of a celebration. Latkes, a type of potato pancake, are a staple of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. They’ve been enjoyed during this annual wintertime celebration, which will be observed from December 7th to December 15th this year, for centuries. However, before the 19th century, latkes looked quite different than they do today. In fact, they weren’t even made with potatoes.
Modern latkes (Yiddish for “pancakes”) are made with shredded potatoes, eggs, and flour. Diced onions are often added for flavor, too. The small, round fritters are then fried in oil. Frying latkes is a crucially important step not just for cooking, but because of its significance to Hanukkah. The holiday celebrates the retaking of The Temple of Jerusalem from the Greeks in the 2nd century B.C.E. According to the story, after the temple was retaken, sacred candles were lit to rededicate it. Even though there was only enough oil for the candles to burn for one day, they miraculously burned for eight days. Oil-fried latkes serve to remind celebrants of this story.
Surprisingly, though, latkes weren’t always made with potatoes or oil, and they were once more closely associated with a different Jewish story: The story of Judith. In this tale, a widow named Judith saved her town of Bethulia, which was being held under siege by Holofernes, a general in the Assyrian army. Judith charmed Holofernes and fed him latkes made from cheese and fried in schmaltz, or chicken fat. The latkes were so salty that Holofernes grew thirsty and drank too much wine. He passed out and Judith killed him in his sleep, thus saving her town. The latkes in this story are pretty representative of what latkes were like throughout most of their history. After all, potatoes weren’t brought to Europe until the 16th Century, and cooking oils weren’t widely available during latkes’ early days, either. So, instead of potatoes fried in oil, latkes were made with ricotta cheese in places like Italy, and with buckwheat flour in regions in and around Russia. Both kinds were popularly served at Jewish celebrations, including Hanukkah.
Once potatoes did make their way to Europe in the middle ages, they were planted en masse due to their hardiness. They soon became a cheap source of sustenance for commoners. Jewish people began making latkes from shredded potatoes, though it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that cooking oils became widely available too. Since cheese latkes were already a common Jewish celebration food, potato latkes quickly began popping up during the same holidays, and their connection to oil gave them additional significance during Hanukkah. Today, latkes remain a delicious, simple, yet storied food.
[Image description: Two latkes on a plate, with white sauce on the side.] Credit & copyright: Taken, Pixabay
November 30, 2023
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The appointment of the COP28 summit’s president, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, has been controversial, as he’s also the CEO of Abu Dhabi...
From the BBC World Service: The appointment of the COP28 summit’s president, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, has been controversial, as he’s also the CEO of Abu Dhabi...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: November 30, 2023\fih-LISS-uh-tus\ adjective
What It Means
Felicitous is an adjective most often used in formal speech and ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: November 30, 2023\fih-LISS-uh-tus\ adjective
What It Means
Felicitous is an adjective most often used in formal speech and ...
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FREEEngineering Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
She’ll be soaring but she won’t be roaring. Designed by NASA and built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the X-59 is almost ready to fly at supersonic speeds but without the sonic boom. Supersonic travel has been possible for a long time, but it comes at a cost. Anytime an aircraft flies, it creates sound with its engines and by the air rushing over its surface. Sound is just a pressure wave moving through the air, but when an aircraft goes faster than the speed of sound, the pressure waves “pile up” in front of the aircraft. That, in turn, forms shockwaves, which cause sonic booms, the deafening sound that can be heard from the ground even if the aircraft is high above. When the first supersonic passenger planes, called Concordes, were still around, airports received constant complaints about the noise they produced. Enter the X-59. Unlike other supersonic aircraft, it’s designed to go beyond the sound barrier without making a peep (at least, not much of one). Engineers accomplished this by streamlining the shape of the plane, so much so that it doesn’t even have a windshield at the front. Instead, the pilot sees through NASA’s eXternal Vision System (XVS), although the windscreen still allows them to look to the sides and above. This extreme profile means that pressure waves don’t have a chance to build up in front, allowing the X-59 to stay around 75 PldB. Instead of a sonic boom, NASA calls it a “sonic thump.” Next year, NASA plans to fly X-59 over the U.S. to collect data on how various communities perceive the sound. Flyover states have never been more interesting.
[Image description: Vapor trails from airplanes in a sky at sunset.] Credit & copyright: Mike_Shuttleworth, Pixabay
She’ll be soaring but she won’t be roaring. Designed by NASA and built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the X-59 is almost ready to fly at supersonic speeds but without the sonic boom. Supersonic travel has been possible for a long time, but it comes at a cost. Anytime an aircraft flies, it creates sound with its engines and by the air rushing over its surface. Sound is just a pressure wave moving through the air, but when an aircraft goes faster than the speed of sound, the pressure waves “pile up” in front of the aircraft. That, in turn, forms shockwaves, which cause sonic booms, the deafening sound that can be heard from the ground even if the aircraft is high above. When the first supersonic passenger planes, called Concordes, were still around, airports received constant complaints about the noise they produced. Enter the X-59. Unlike other supersonic aircraft, it’s designed to go beyond the sound barrier without making a peep (at least, not much of one). Engineers accomplished this by streamlining the shape of the plane, so much so that it doesn’t even have a windshield at the front. Instead, the pilot sees through NASA’s eXternal Vision System (XVS), although the windscreen still allows them to look to the sides and above. This extreme profile means that pressure waves don’t have a chance to build up in front, allowing the X-59 to stay around 75 PldB. Instead of a sonic boom, NASA calls it a “sonic thump.” Next year, NASA plans to fly X-59 over the U.S. to collect data on how various communities perceive the sound. Flyover states have never been more interesting.
[Image description: Vapor trails from airplanes in a sky at sunset.] Credit & copyright: Mike_Shuttleworth, Pixabay
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FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #2768Free1 CQ
This whisky’s old enough to retire! A distillery in Scotland has set a new record as one of their 60-year-old bottles of whiskey recently sold for $2.7 million at auction. Located in Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland, Macallan is no stranger to rarefied spirits. The distillery has been producing whisky for nearly two centuries, but this latest sale is unlike any before. Back in 1926, the distiller began aging a batch of whisky in sherry casks, where it stayed for 60 years. When whisky is first distilled, it comes out as a clear spirit with little flavor. To give it its characteristic woody taste, the spirit is placed in oak barrels (in this case, ones that previously aged sherry for an even more complex flavor profile). Most spirits aged this way are only barreled for a few years at most, but to be considered Scotch whisky, it must be aged for at least three years and have an alcohol content of 40 percent ABV. Over the years, the whiskey takes on a darker color from the wood and absorbs tannins and flavor compounds. Once the whisky is bottled, it’s no longer aging, so no matter how long a 20-year-old whisky sits on a shelf, it will always be considered 20-years-old.
Some whisky is lost to evaporation while it ages in barrels, but the longer it ages, the more it’s typically worth. When the Macallan Adami 1926 was bottled in 1986, each of the 40 bottles produced already commanded a premium, but the price only went up over the years. One sold back in 2019 for $1.9 million at auction, and this latest bottle was given a pre-auction estimate of $1.5 million. As for what the record-breaking liquor tastes like? Macallan’s master whisky maker, Kirsteen Campbell, told the Associated Press that it tastes of, “rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak.” Old, bold, and plenty pricey.
[Image description: A glass of scotch against a dark background.] Credit & copyright: PublicDomainPictures, PixabayThis whisky’s old enough to retire! A distillery in Scotland has set a new record as one of their 60-year-old bottles of whiskey recently sold for $2.7 million at auction. Located in Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland, Macallan is no stranger to rarefied spirits. The distillery has been producing whisky for nearly two centuries, but this latest sale is unlike any before. Back in 1926, the distiller began aging a batch of whisky in sherry casks, where it stayed for 60 years. When whisky is first distilled, it comes out as a clear spirit with little flavor. To give it its characteristic woody taste, the spirit is placed in oak barrels (in this case, ones that previously aged sherry for an even more complex flavor profile). Most spirits aged this way are only barreled for a few years at most, but to be considered Scotch whisky, it must be aged for at least three years and have an alcohol content of 40 percent ABV. Over the years, the whiskey takes on a darker color from the wood and absorbs tannins and flavor compounds. Once the whisky is bottled, it’s no longer aging, so no matter how long a 20-year-old whisky sits on a shelf, it will always be considered 20-years-old.
Some whisky is lost to evaporation while it ages in barrels, but the longer it ages, the more it’s typically worth. When the Macallan Adami 1926 was bottled in 1986, each of the 40 bottles produced already commanded a premium, but the price only went up over the years. One sold back in 2019 for $1.9 million at auction, and this latest bottle was given a pre-auction estimate of $1.5 million. As for what the record-breaking liquor tastes like? Macallan’s master whisky maker, Kirsteen Campbell, told the Associated Press that it tastes of, “rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak.” Old, bold, and plenty pricey.
[Image description: A glass of scotch against a dark background.] Credit & copyright: PublicDomainPictures, Pixabay