Curio Cabinet
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May 15, 2022
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 15, 2022
hark back \HAHRK-BAK\ verb
What It Means
Hark back means "to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance" or "to go back ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 15, 2022
hark back \HAHRK-BAK\ verb
What It Means
Hark back means "to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance" or "to go back ...
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FREERunning PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
Sports weren’t always “anyone’s game”, but this innovation was equalizing! As warm weather ushers in the return of fun outdoor activities like jogging, it’s hard to believe that, not so long ago, women were discouraged from participating in them. Before 1970’s Title IX, which banned sex-based discrimination in sports, the prevailing attitude in the U.S. was that sports were unladylike or even dangerous for girls and women. After Title IX’s passage, sports-minded women found that there wasn’t much on offer when it came to athletic gear that fit their needs. Enter Lisa Lindahl, Polly Palmer Smith, and Hinda Miller, inventors of a modern athletic staple: the sports bra.
By the late 1970s, Title IX and other breakthroughs had made womens’ sports suddenly popular. Jogging was particularly in vogue, likely due to the influence of figures like Kathrine Switzer, who had run in the 1967 Boston Marathon even though women were banned. In 1977, 28-year-old University of Vermont graduate student Lisa Lindahl was jogging around 30 miles per week. There was just one problem: jogging was extremely uncomfortable for her chest due to a lack of proper support. Lindahl tried wearing different bras while jogging, even going so far as to wear one a size too small, but nothing seemed to work. Her sister, who often jogged with her, also complained of chest and back pain from jogging, and joked that there should be a jockstrap for women. Realizing that many women were likely suffering from the same problem, Lindahl turned to her costume-designer friend, Polly Palmer Smith. Smith brought fellow costume designer Hinda Miller in on the project as well. Together, the three women began working on garments that might solve their jogging support problem. After many failed attempts, it was Lindahl’s inside joke with her sister that offered a solution. Having heard the joke about a jockstrap for women, Lindahl’s husband strolled into her shared workshop wearing two jockstraps on his chest. The three women immediately saw design potential in the way that the straps crossed across his back, and they began sewing jockstraps together in different configurations. Their prototype was appropriately dubbed the “JockBra”, which they eventually changed to the more appealing “JogBra.” Designed to provide chest, shoulder, and back support, the Jogbra featured crisscrossing straps and seams on the outside, to minimize chafing and blistering. Unlike normal bras, Jogbras came in three standard sizes: small, medium, and large.
Yet the male-dominated athletic industry took some time to warm up to the innovation. After Smith left the operation to pursue other design work, Lindahl and Miller took on the task of explaining to male store owners that the JogBra wasn’t underwear or lingerie. “Almost every time they'd say ‘we don't sell bras in our store,’” Lindahl told the BBC. The inventors got around the problem by giving free JogBra samples to female assistant managers. That’s when the JogBra really got moving. By 1978, JobBras were selling like hotcakes at $16 each, and in 1979 their design was officially patented. After making around $500,000 in its first year, Jogbra Inc. grew around 25 percent per year until the late 1980s. In 1990, Lindahl and Miller decided to sell their company to Playtex. By then, larger companies like Reebok were making their own versions of the sports bra, eating into JogBra Inc.’s profits.
Today, the sports bra is considered one of the most important inventions in sports history. In fact, in 2018, Runner’s World magazine called it “The Greatest Invention in Running—EVER.” This year, Lindahl, Miller, and Smith were inducted into the The National Inventors Hall of Fame, which is part of the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. A JogBra prototype can be found in the archives of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The stores that refused to carry sports bras must be feeling a little sheepish, these days.
[Image description: Colorful sports bras hang in a store.] Credit & copyright: Rusty Clark, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.Sports weren’t always “anyone’s game”, but this innovation was equalizing! As warm weather ushers in the return of fun outdoor activities like jogging, it’s hard to believe that, not so long ago, women were discouraged from participating in them. Before 1970’s Title IX, which banned sex-based discrimination in sports, the prevailing attitude in the U.S. was that sports were unladylike or even dangerous for girls and women. After Title IX’s passage, sports-minded women found that there wasn’t much on offer when it came to athletic gear that fit their needs. Enter Lisa Lindahl, Polly Palmer Smith, and Hinda Miller, inventors of a modern athletic staple: the sports bra.
By the late 1970s, Title IX and other breakthroughs had made womens’ sports suddenly popular. Jogging was particularly in vogue, likely due to the influence of figures like Kathrine Switzer, who had run in the 1967 Boston Marathon even though women were banned. In 1977, 28-year-old University of Vermont graduate student Lisa Lindahl was jogging around 30 miles per week. There was just one problem: jogging was extremely uncomfortable for her chest due to a lack of proper support. Lindahl tried wearing different bras while jogging, even going so far as to wear one a size too small, but nothing seemed to work. Her sister, who often jogged with her, also complained of chest and back pain from jogging, and joked that there should be a jockstrap for women. Realizing that many women were likely suffering from the same problem, Lindahl turned to her costume-designer friend, Polly Palmer Smith. Smith brought fellow costume designer Hinda Miller in on the project as well. Together, the three women began working on garments that might solve their jogging support problem. After many failed attempts, it was Lindahl’s inside joke with her sister that offered a solution. Having heard the joke about a jockstrap for women, Lindahl’s husband strolled into her shared workshop wearing two jockstraps on his chest. The three women immediately saw design potential in the way that the straps crossed across his back, and they began sewing jockstraps together in different configurations. Their prototype was appropriately dubbed the “JockBra”, which they eventually changed to the more appealing “JogBra.” Designed to provide chest, shoulder, and back support, the Jogbra featured crisscrossing straps and seams on the outside, to minimize chafing and blistering. Unlike normal bras, Jogbras came in three standard sizes: small, medium, and large.
Yet the male-dominated athletic industry took some time to warm up to the innovation. After Smith left the operation to pursue other design work, Lindahl and Miller took on the task of explaining to male store owners that the JogBra wasn’t underwear or lingerie. “Almost every time they'd say ‘we don't sell bras in our store,’” Lindahl told the BBC. The inventors got around the problem by giving free JogBra samples to female assistant managers. That’s when the JogBra really got moving. By 1978, JobBras were selling like hotcakes at $16 each, and in 1979 their design was officially patented. After making around $500,000 in its first year, Jogbra Inc. grew around 25 percent per year until the late 1980s. In 1990, Lindahl and Miller decided to sell their company to Playtex. By then, larger companies like Reebok were making their own versions of the sports bra, eating into JogBra Inc.’s profits.
Today, the sports bra is considered one of the most important inventions in sports history. In fact, in 2018, Runner’s World magazine called it “The Greatest Invention in Running—EVER.” This year, Lindahl, Miller, and Smith were inducted into the The National Inventors Hall of Fame, which is part of the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. A JogBra prototype can be found in the archives of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The stores that refused to carry sports bras must be feeling a little sheepish, these days.
[Image description: Colorful sports bras hang in a store.] Credit & copyright: Rusty Clark, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here. -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
A bank run. Panic selling. These are some of the not-so-enviable descriptions of what’s going on right now in cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin looks set for a recor...
A bank run. Panic selling. These are some of the not-so-enviable descriptions of what’s going on right now in cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin looks set for a recor...
May 14, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 14, 2022
verdant \VER-dunt\ adjective
What It Means
Verdant means "green in tint or color," "green with growing plants," or "unripe ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 14, 2022
verdant \VER-dunt\ adjective
What It Means
Verdant means "green in tint or color," "green with growing plants," or "unripe ...
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that his purchase of Twitter is “temporarily on hold” as he works to acquire more information on spam and fake accounts on the pl...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that his purchase of Twitter is “temporarily on hold” as he works to acquire more information on spam and fake accounts on the pl...
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FREESports Daily CurioFree1 CQ
Did you strike it rich during the Kentucky Derby? Last-minute entrant Rich Strike won the 2022 Kentucky Derby against 80-1 odds, making it the second greatest upset in the race’s 148-year history. The series of events leading up to the stunning win was just as improbable, with the horse being added to the field literally 30 seconds before the deadline. That entry also would not have been possible without another horse—Ethereal Road—being scratched from the race by his trainer. On the day of the race, Rich Strike started at post position no. 20, on the far outside of the track and was lagging behind until the final stretch, when he overtook the lead. Rich Strike finished the race with a time of 2:02.61, winning $1,860,000 of the $3 million purse. 10 percent of the money will go to the jockey and trainer, Sonny Leon and Eric Reed, respectively. Before winning the 2022 Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike’s earnings totaled at just $111,289. Even the horse’s owner, Rick Dawson, was in disbelief after the race, telling the press, "What planet is this? I feel like I have been propelled somewhere. I'm not sure. This is unbelievable. I asked my trainer up on the stage, I said, 'Are you sure this is not a dream? Because it can't be true.' He assured me this is real. I said OK." Seems like he’ll be riding high for a while!
[Image description: Racers compete in the 2017 Kentucky Derby] Credit & copyright: Velo Steve, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
Did you strike it rich during the Kentucky Derby? Last-minute entrant Rich Strike won the 2022 Kentucky Derby against 80-1 odds, making it the second greatest upset in the race’s 148-year history. The series of events leading up to the stunning win was just as improbable, with the horse being added to the field literally 30 seconds before the deadline. That entry also would not have been possible without another horse—Ethereal Road—being scratched from the race by his trainer. On the day of the race, Rich Strike started at post position no. 20, on the far outside of the track and was lagging behind until the final stretch, when he overtook the lead. Rich Strike finished the race with a time of 2:02.61, winning $1,860,000 of the $3 million purse. 10 percent of the money will go to the jockey and trainer, Sonny Leon and Eric Reed, respectively. Before winning the 2022 Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike’s earnings totaled at just $111,289. Even the horse’s owner, Rick Dawson, was in disbelief after the race, telling the press, "What planet is this? I feel like I have been propelled somewhere. I'm not sure. This is unbelievable. I asked my trainer up on the stage, I said, 'Are you sure this is not a dream? Because it can't be true.' He assured me this is real. I said OK." Seems like he’ll be riding high for a while!
[Image description: Racers compete in the 2017 Kentucky Derby] Credit & copyright: Velo Steve, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
May 13, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Ukraine’s former economy minister gives us a sense of the job losses the war has caused, and on the rebuilding plans already in p...
From the BBC World Service: Ukraine’s former economy minister gives us a sense of the job losses the war has caused, and on the rebuilding plans already in p...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 13, 2022
turpitude \TER-puh-tood\ noun
What It Means
Turpitude refers to inherent lack of integrity or morality, or to an evil or im...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 13, 2022
turpitude \TER-puh-tood\ noun
What It Means
Turpitude refers to inherent lack of integrity or morality, or to an evil or im...
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FREEPhoto Editing Photo CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Veteran photographer Jerry Uelsmann certainly knows how to experiment with tradition! Born on this day in 1934, Uelsmann adds eerie elements to his black-and-white images by tweaking photo developing techniques. To develop a photo in a darkroom, photographers must master a humdrum technical step called burning and dodging. This entails exposing a sheet of blank photo paper to light in gradual increments by covering parts of the paper with one's hands for a few seconds at a time, rather than blasting the entire thing at once. But for Uelsmann, burning and dodging became more than that; he uses the technique to add shapes and figures that weren't in the original negative. For the above picture of a Central Park bridge, Uelsmann overexposed part of the image to create a shape that looks like dark water flowing under the bridge. A closer look also reveals a human figure rising out of the stream. The end result is a spooky photo containing both real and fictional elements. Uelsmann's unlikely images, which often draw upon nature, have sparked interest outside the art world; in the 1970s, Uelsmann's work even graced a Stephen King novel. Sounds like a match made in (spine-tingling) heaven!
Below: an Uelsmann image that appeared on the cover of a Bon Jovi album; more of Uelsmann's images.
Image credit & copyright: Jerry Uelsmann
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Veteran photographer Jerry Uelsmann certainly knows how to experiment with tradition! Born on this day in 1934, Uelsmann adds eerie elements to his black-and-white images by tweaking photo developing techniques. To develop a photo in a darkroom, photographers must master a humdrum technical step called burning and dodging. This entails exposing a sheet of blank photo paper to light in gradual increments by covering parts of the paper with one's hands for a few seconds at a time, rather than blasting the entire thing at once. But for Uelsmann, burning and dodging became more than that; he uses the technique to add shapes and figures that weren't in the original negative. For the above picture of a Central Park bridge, Uelsmann overexposed part of the image to create a shape that looks like dark water flowing under the bridge. A closer look also reveals a human figure rising out of the stream. The end result is a spooky photo containing both real and fictional elements. Uelsmann's unlikely images, which often draw upon nature, have sparked interest outside the art world; in the 1970s, Uelsmann's work even graced a Stephen King novel. Sounds like a match made in (spine-tingling) heaven!
Below: an Uelsmann image that appeared on the cover of a Bon Jovi album; more of Uelsmann's images.
Image credit & copyright: Jerry Uelsmann
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FREELiterature PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Reader beware—you're in for a scare!
Read if you dare…. Before Harry Potter dominated young adult fiction, a much darker series held America's young bookworms within its death grip: Goosebumps. Written by quirky author R.L. Stine, Goosebumps brought evil cuckoo clocks, try-on werewolf skin, and phantom dogs to the young masses—and they loved it.
But at first, Stine was opposed to writing horror for children. He worried it would ruin sales for his teenage-geared Fear Street series. Regardless, co-owner of Parachute Press, Joan Waricha, felt the children's horror genre had unactualized promise and convinced Stine to give it a chance in July 1992.
Stine came up with the name, wrote the first six Goosebumps novels—and waited. The books sat on the shelves for roughly three or four months, and sales were stagnant. Stine feared that the first book in the series, Welcome to Dead House, was too scary for children. "I didn't have the formula then, to combine funny and scary," said Stine, who admits he would soften the book if given a chance to rewrite it.
Then, out of nowhere, Goosebumps was a household name. Books started flying off the shelves, and soon Stine was given a deal to write a book a month. To keep pace, he devised a routine: first, he chose the title and built the plot around it. For example, Stine thought up Say Cheese and Die and knew it had to be about a sinister camera of some sort. Once Stine conceived the basics of a plot, he sent a short summary to illustrator Tim Jacobus, so Jacobus could paint the covers as he wrote. Typically, it took Stine anywhere from six days to three-and-a-half weeks to finish a Goosebumps novella. Between the years of 1992 and 1997, he pumped out 62 books!
Today, 350 million Goosebumps have sold worldwide in 32 languages. Following Harry Potter, Goosebumps brags the highest ever sales for a children's book series, spawning a television show, six other book series, and a movie in 2015. Recently, Goosebumps has experienced a bit of a renaissance. Nevertheless, Stine's son Matt has never read a single of the books. "He does it just to make me crazy," says Stine. We'd be interested to see how Goosebumps written by a nowadays "crazy" Stine would turn out!
Image credit & copyright: William Tung, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Reader beware—you're in for a scare!
Read if you dare…. Before Harry Potter dominated young adult fiction, a much darker series held America's young bookworms within its death grip: Goosebumps. Written by quirky author R.L. Stine, Goosebumps brought evil cuckoo clocks, try-on werewolf skin, and phantom dogs to the young masses—and they loved it.
But at first, Stine was opposed to writing horror for children. He worried it would ruin sales for his teenage-geared Fear Street series. Regardless, co-owner of Parachute Press, Joan Waricha, felt the children's horror genre had unactualized promise and convinced Stine to give it a chance in July 1992.
Stine came up with the name, wrote the first six Goosebumps novels—and waited. The books sat on the shelves for roughly three or four months, and sales were stagnant. Stine feared that the first book in the series, Welcome to Dead House, was too scary for children. "I didn't have the formula then, to combine funny and scary," said Stine, who admits he would soften the book if given a chance to rewrite it.
Then, out of nowhere, Goosebumps was a household name. Books started flying off the shelves, and soon Stine was given a deal to write a book a month. To keep pace, he devised a routine: first, he chose the title and built the plot around it. For example, Stine thought up Say Cheese and Die and knew it had to be about a sinister camera of some sort. Once Stine conceived the basics of a plot, he sent a short summary to illustrator Tim Jacobus, so Jacobus could paint the covers as he wrote. Typically, it took Stine anywhere from six days to three-and-a-half weeks to finish a Goosebumps novella. Between the years of 1992 and 1997, he pumped out 62 books!
Today, 350 million Goosebumps have sold worldwide in 32 languages. Following Harry Potter, Goosebumps brags the highest ever sales for a children's book series, spawning a television show, six other book series, and a movie in 2015. Recently, Goosebumps has experienced a bit of a renaissance. Nevertheless, Stine's son Matt has never read a single of the books. "He does it just to make me crazy," says Stine. We'd be interested to see how Goosebumps written by a nowadays "crazy" Stine would turn out!
Image credit & copyright: William Tung, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Title: Le Kraken
Artist: APACH
Created: 2016
Medium: wood, 3D sculpture
Current location: Val d'Escreins, Vars, France
And we thought house spiders were scary! In southeastern France, artist APACH's Le Kraken resides in village ruins at Val d'Escrein. The region is known for the myths associated with various parts of the landscape; the Kraken sits along "The Faun Route" with other large art installations that give the area an otherworldly feel. For APACH's giant sea creature, he designed a mockup with 3D modeling software before sawing, jointing, and combining the wood appendages, which were then placed into the ruins of the Val d'Escreins building. To add a bit of extra menace, Le Kraken lights up red at night, a nod to the mysterious fire which burned down the village in 1916. APACH's cephalapod may or may not have razed the town, but one thing is for sure: this is one creature you don't want to mess with.
Below: Le Kraken lit up at night.
Image credit & copyright: APACH, Vars
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Title: Le Kraken
Artist: APACH
Created: 2016
Medium: wood, 3D sculpture
Current location: Val d'Escreins, Vars, France
And we thought house spiders were scary! In southeastern France, artist APACH's Le Kraken resides in village ruins at Val d'Escrein. The region is known for the myths associated with various parts of the landscape; the Kraken sits along "The Faun Route" with other large art installations that give the area an otherworldly feel. For APACH's giant sea creature, he designed a mockup with 3D modeling software before sawing, jointing, and combining the wood appendages, which were then placed into the ruins of the Val d'Escreins building. To add a bit of extra menace, Le Kraken lights up red at night, a nod to the mysterious fire which burned down the village in 1916. APACH's cephalapod may or may not have razed the town, but one thing is for sure: this is one creature you don't want to mess with.
Below: Le Kraken lit up at night.
Image credit & copyright: APACH, Vars
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FREERelationships Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Beware of floppy shoes. Today's scary curio is about the terrifying subject of: clowns. The fear of clowns, or coulrophobia, has probably been around as long as clowns have. While the word "clown" was likely invented by Shakespeare, "rustic fools" or jesters have existed in the public consciousness since classical Greek and Roman times. And according to Harvard psychologist Steven Schlozman, our brains are wired to fear exaggerated human features like swollen noses, big feet, and discolored faces. This is because our ancestors' reptilian brains learned that corpses, which looked similar but different to living acquaintances, should be avoided. This phenomenon is known today as the uncanny valley effect, where humanoid objects—which appear almost but not exactly like real humans—can elicit feelings of eeriness and revulsion.
But it's not just the fault of evolution. Popular culture has done plenty to make us afraid of clowns. In the late 1970s, the press had a field day with the gruesome details of Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, forever linking clowns to terror. Gacy was known locally as a child entertainer called Pogo the Clown. He was convicted in 1980 of luring and asphyxiating 33 young men and hiding their bodies in the crawl space under his house. Which probably inspired the scary clown doll under the bed in Poltergeist two years later. Then, in 1986, Stephen King wrote It, a horror novel about Pennywise the Dancing Clown who preys on seven young children. It was made into a miniseries in 1990, and last month Hollywood released a feature-length version with scary good box office results. Part II is already planned for next year. Basically, people just love to fear clowns.It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
Beware of floppy shoes. Today's scary curio is about the terrifying subject of: clowns. The fear of clowns, or coulrophobia, has probably been around as long as clowns have. While the word "clown" was likely invented by Shakespeare, "rustic fools" or jesters have existed in the public consciousness since classical Greek and Roman times. And according to Harvard psychologist Steven Schlozman, our brains are wired to fear exaggerated human features like swollen noses, big feet, and discolored faces. This is because our ancestors' reptilian brains learned that corpses, which looked similar but different to living acquaintances, should be avoided. This phenomenon is known today as the uncanny valley effect, where humanoid objects—which appear almost but not exactly like real humans—can elicit feelings of eeriness and revulsion.
But it's not just the fault of evolution. Popular culture has done plenty to make us afraid of clowns. In the late 1970s, the press had a field day with the gruesome details of Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, forever linking clowns to terror. Gacy was known locally as a child entertainer called Pogo the Clown. He was convicted in 1980 of luring and asphyxiating 33 young men and hiding their bodies in the crawl space under his house. Which probably inspired the scary clown doll under the bed in Poltergeist two years later. Then, in 1986, Stephen King wrote It, a horror novel about Pennywise the Dancing Clown who preys on seven young children. It was made into a miniseries in 1990, and last month Hollywood released a feature-length version with scary good box office results. Part II is already planned for next year. Basically, people just love to fear clowns. -
FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
On this spooky day, we're focusing our Daily Curio on the world's scariest (or, at least, deadliest) feline, the black-footed cat. Yes, I'm talking about the bundle of fur shown above. Don't be fooled by his nocturnal doe eyes—he's a relentless killing machine. Taxonomically known as Felis nigripes, this little guy comes from South Africa and weighs just 2.4 to 4.2 pounds. That's 200 times smaller than a lion. But don't let the black-footed cat's size fool you. The hunting success rate for lions hovers around 20 percent. The black-footed cat, meanwhile, succeeds in nabbing its prey at an incredible rate of 60 percent. That's a hard-earned stat, too. In fact, the black-footed cat has an accelerated metabolism. Which means the furball is always hungry—and always hunting. On average, it kills 10-14 rodents and birds nightly. Pound for pound, that means the black-footed cat snags more prey in one night that a leopard does in six months. Leopards, with slower metabolisms, generally hunt for 8-10 days then pick at their prey over the course of 3-4 days. Black-footed cats catch their food much faster using a myriad of techniques, including bounding through grass, staking out holes, flanking. So, if there's a takeaway from this Curio, it's to avoid hand-feeding South Africa's "cute stray kittens"!
Image credit & copyright: Zbyszko, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy these creepy curios in honor of Friday the 13th!
On this spooky day, we're focusing our Daily Curio on the world's scariest (or, at least, deadliest) feline, the black-footed cat. Yes, I'm talking about the bundle of fur shown above. Don't be fooled by his nocturnal doe eyes—he's a relentless killing machine. Taxonomically known as Felis nigripes, this little guy comes from South Africa and weighs just 2.4 to 4.2 pounds. That's 200 times smaller than a lion. But don't let the black-footed cat's size fool you. The hunting success rate for lions hovers around 20 percent. The black-footed cat, meanwhile, succeeds in nabbing its prey at an incredible rate of 60 percent. That's a hard-earned stat, too. In fact, the black-footed cat has an accelerated metabolism. Which means the furball is always hungry—and always hunting. On average, it kills 10-14 rodents and birds nightly. Pound for pound, that means the black-footed cat snags more prey in one night that a leopard does in six months. Leopards, with slower metabolisms, generally hunt for 8-10 days then pick at their prey over the course of 3-4 days. Black-footed cats catch their food much faster using a myriad of techniques, including bounding through grass, staking out holes, flanking. So, if there's a takeaway from this Curio, it's to avoid hand-feeding South Africa's "cute stray kittens"!
Image credit & copyright: Zbyszko, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
May 12, 2022
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: A bout of volatility in crypto assets has sparked renewed conversations about whether and how better regulations can be written f...
From the BBC World Service: A bout of volatility in crypto assets has sparked renewed conversations about whether and how better regulations can be written f...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 12, 2022
bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\ verb
What It Means
Bloviate means "to speak or write verbosely and windily."
// The columnist tend...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 12, 2022
bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\ verb
What It Means
Bloviate means "to speak or write verbosely and windily."
// The columnist tend...
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FREEEngineering Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Water, water, everywhere…and plenty to drink. Engineers at MIT have just developed a portable device that can desalinate saltwater, or turn it into freshwater, without the use of filters. Desalination is usually an energy intensive process because it requires a high-pressure pump to move water through a filter. However, MIT’s new, filterless device can render water safe to drink by using nothing more than a $50 solar panel to power it. It works by using a technique called ion concentration polarization (ICP), which applies an electrical field to membranes that surround the water. The membranes then repel charged particles like salt and pathogens, sending them into a separate stream of water to dispose of them. While ICP can remove both dissolved and suspended solids, a single pass isn’t enough to get rid of all the contaminants. To overcome this, the suitcase-sized desalination plant uses a two-stage process: water is passed through six ICP modules, then again through three more. Even after all that, the water that comes out can still contain unacceptable levels of salt, so the device passes the water through an electrodialysis module to get rid of the salt ions that are still present. In all, using only 20 watt-hours per liter of water, the device can produce 0.3 liters per hour of water that more than meets World Health Organization quality standards. The creators of the device envision it being used by everyone from small island communities to soldiers on long-term missions with access to seawater. And the next step? Building it bigger. One of the creators, Junghyo Yoon, stated in a press release by MIT, “Right now, we are pushing our research to scale up that production rate.” Now there’s a refreshing idea.
[Image description: A man pours bottled water into his mouth on the beach.] Credit & copyright: Olichel, Pixabay
Water, water, everywhere…and plenty to drink. Engineers at MIT have just developed a portable device that can desalinate saltwater, or turn it into freshwater, without the use of filters. Desalination is usually an energy intensive process because it requires a high-pressure pump to move water through a filter. However, MIT’s new, filterless device can render water safe to drink by using nothing more than a $50 solar panel to power it. It works by using a technique called ion concentration polarization (ICP), which applies an electrical field to membranes that surround the water. The membranes then repel charged particles like salt and pathogens, sending them into a separate stream of water to dispose of them. While ICP can remove both dissolved and suspended solids, a single pass isn’t enough to get rid of all the contaminants. To overcome this, the suitcase-sized desalination plant uses a two-stage process: water is passed through six ICP modules, then again through three more. Even after all that, the water that comes out can still contain unacceptable levels of salt, so the device passes the water through an electrodialysis module to get rid of the salt ions that are still present. In all, using only 20 watt-hours per liter of water, the device can produce 0.3 liters per hour of water that more than meets World Health Organization quality standards. The creators of the device envision it being used by everyone from small island communities to soldiers on long-term missions with access to seawater. And the next step? Building it bigger. One of the creators, Junghyo Yoon, stated in a press release by MIT, “Right now, we are pushing our research to scale up that production rate.” Now there’s a refreshing idea.
[Image description: A man pours bottled water into his mouth on the beach.] Credit & copyright: Olichel, Pixabay
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FREESocial Media Daily Curio #2441Free1 CQ
Follow the clues, find the treasure. In Miramichi, a small city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, a mysterious mastermind is hiding cash and leaving clues on how to find it. Operating under the pseudonym Roman Dungarvon, he runs a Facebook group called the Miramichi Mystery Machine and has been using the page to post clues since May 2. The very first clue was simply a picture of a plastic treasure chest accompanied by a text that read, “$100 bill at Ritchie Wharf is in the small treasure chest.” Within hours, residents from all over the small city flocked to the area,and one lucky person did find the money, proving that the treasure chest was real. Dungarvon claims in the “About” section of the page that he is the descendant of the original Dungarvon Whooper, and that he is doing this to make amends for his ancestor.
According to local legends from the 19th century, the Dungarvon Whooper was the ghost of a young cook who was murdered at a lumber camp for his money. After his death, he would make whooping sounds that scared off the workers in the camp, including his murderer. Whatever the case may be, the residents of Miramichi have fully embraced treasure hunting, finding $50 to $100 in cash hidden around town. To track down the treasure, however, involves decoding the clues provided by Dungarvon on his page. Some of the clues are text over generic images, but others are posters of or stills from old horror movies like Prom Night. Aside from leaving clues, Dungarvon has been very active in engaging with his followers and would-be treasure hunters. He often comments on the media coverage surrounding the finds and congratulates the people who have found the treasure. In fact, he seems to be keeping a close eye on those who are out seeking his hidden caches, identifying them by the clothes they’re wearing and announcing when someone is close to finding the money. With no signs of stopping, the Miramichi Mystery Machine page currently has over 4,000 followers, and new clues seem to be dropping every day. Maybe this is a mystery best left unsolved!
[Image description: An open treasure chest shines golden light into an empty, dark space.] Credit & copyright: 6689062, PixabayFollow the clues, find the treasure. In Miramichi, a small city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, a mysterious mastermind is hiding cash and leaving clues on how to find it. Operating under the pseudonym Roman Dungarvon, he runs a Facebook group called the Miramichi Mystery Machine and has been using the page to post clues since May 2. The very first clue was simply a picture of a plastic treasure chest accompanied by a text that read, “$100 bill at Ritchie Wharf is in the small treasure chest.” Within hours, residents from all over the small city flocked to the area,and one lucky person did find the money, proving that the treasure chest was real. Dungarvon claims in the “About” section of the page that he is the descendant of the original Dungarvon Whooper, and that he is doing this to make amends for his ancestor.
According to local legends from the 19th century, the Dungarvon Whooper was the ghost of a young cook who was murdered at a lumber camp for his money. After his death, he would make whooping sounds that scared off the workers in the camp, including his murderer. Whatever the case may be, the residents of Miramichi have fully embraced treasure hunting, finding $50 to $100 in cash hidden around town. To track down the treasure, however, involves decoding the clues provided by Dungarvon on his page. Some of the clues are text over generic images, but others are posters of or stills from old horror movies like Prom Night. Aside from leaving clues, Dungarvon has been very active in engaging with his followers and would-be treasure hunters. He often comments on the media coverage surrounding the finds and congratulates the people who have found the treasure. In fact, he seems to be keeping a close eye on those who are out seeking his hidden caches, identifying them by the clothes they’re wearing and announcing when someone is close to finding the money. With no signs of stopping, the Miramichi Mystery Machine page currently has over 4,000 followers, and new clues seem to be dropping every day. Maybe this is a mystery best left unsolved!
[Image description: An open treasure chest shines golden light into an empty, dark space.] Credit & copyright: 6689062, Pixabay
May 11, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
The latest Consumer Price Index shows that prices rose 8.3% between April of this year and last year. While that’s high, it’s not has high as we’ve seen … so...
The latest Consumer Price Index shows that prices rose 8.3% between April of this year and last year. While that’s high, it’s not has high as we’ve seen … so...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 11, 2022
ramshackle \RAM-shak-ul\ adjective
What It Means
Ramshackle means "in a very bad condition and needing to be repaired" or "...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 11, 2022
ramshackle \RAM-shak-ul\ adjective
What It Means
Ramshackle means "in a very bad condition and needing to be repaired" or "...
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FREEEntrepreneurship Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Some entrepreneurs refuse to let anything get in their way. When Korean-American foodie Junghun Song and his friend Dok Kwon decided to start their own food truck, called Cupbop, back in 2013, they faced plenty of challenges. For one thing, the duo was based in Utah, where a lot of the populace wasn’t familiar with the type of Korean food they planned to make. For another, they faced a language barrier when trying to communicate with many of their customers—a particularly difficult problem since those customers weren’t familiar with their product! Yet Song and Kwon weren’t discouraged. The friends used their quirky sense of humor to their advantage and began singing, dancing, and creating unusual slogans to attract business. According to the Cupbop website, “In those early days of Cupbop, our founders had a hard time explaining the menu because they didn't speak much English. Instead they would say SHHH…JUST EAT!' and our very first slogan was born.” The business, which serves cups of steamed rice (or bop, in Korean) with various toppings and spice levels, now has multiple food trucks, a storefront and concession stands across six states and Indonesia.
Recently, Song and Kwon made an appearance on the business reality show Shark Tank, in which entrepreneurs try to convince a panel of business titans (a.k.a. “sharks) to invest in their ideas. After using their trademark humor to explain their company and sharing some of their food with the sharks, Song and Kwon received several offers. Ultimately, they accepted a deal from Mark Cuban, selling five percent of Cupbop to him for $1 million. Their hope is to use the money to expand Cupbop further by franchising the brand. Clearly, no barrier is too great for savvy entrepreneurs to hurdle.
[Image description: A Korean dish of kimchi fried rice with an egg on top.] Credit & copyright: sharonang, PixabaySome entrepreneurs refuse to let anything get in their way. When Korean-American foodie Junghun Song and his friend Dok Kwon decided to start their own food truck, called Cupbop, back in 2013, they faced plenty of challenges. For one thing, the duo was based in Utah, where a lot of the populace wasn’t familiar with the type of Korean food they planned to make. For another, they faced a language barrier when trying to communicate with many of their customers—a particularly difficult problem since those customers weren’t familiar with their product! Yet Song and Kwon weren’t discouraged. The friends used their quirky sense of humor to their advantage and began singing, dancing, and creating unusual slogans to attract business. According to the Cupbop website, “In those early days of Cupbop, our founders had a hard time explaining the menu because they didn't speak much English. Instead they would say SHHH…JUST EAT!' and our very first slogan was born.” The business, which serves cups of steamed rice (or bop, in Korean) with various toppings and spice levels, now has multiple food trucks, a storefront and concession stands across six states and Indonesia.
Recently, Song and Kwon made an appearance on the business reality show Shark Tank, in which entrepreneurs try to convince a panel of business titans (a.k.a. “sharks) to invest in their ideas. After using their trademark humor to explain their company and sharing some of their food with the sharks, Song and Kwon received several offers. Ultimately, they accepted a deal from Mark Cuban, selling five percent of Cupbop to him for $1 million. Their hope is to use the money to expand Cupbop further by franchising the brand. Clearly, no barrier is too great for savvy entrepreneurs to hurdle.
[Image description: A Korean dish of kimchi fried rice with an egg on top.] Credit & copyright: sharonang, Pixabay -
FREEArt Appreciation Daily Curio #2440Free1 CQ
Talk about a thrifty relic. An antiques dealer recently made the mother of all Goodwill finds after discovering a lost Roman bust at a Goodwill for $34.99. The ancient artwork will be heading to Germany after being displayed at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). Laura Young found the bust back in 2018, and looking to flip her find, she started digging into its history. She asked around at various auction houses, and was told by Sotheby’s that the 52 pound marble bust was an authentic Roman piece dating back around 2,000 years. But that’s not the end of the bust’s story. As it turns out, the piece has actually been missing since World War II, and was last photographed in the 1930s. Before its disappearance, it was placed in storage during the war for safekeeping, but was likely stolen by an American soldier. Before the war, it had been displayed in the Pompejanum, a replica of a Roman villa located in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany. The structure was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and now displays Roman artwork to the public.
Although the bust will be displayed at SAMA until May 2023, it will be returned to the Pompejanum afterward. As to the identity of the man portrayed by the bust, it’s likely Sextus Pompey, according to Lynley McAlpine, a postdoctoral curatorial fellow at SAMA. Sextus was the son of Pompey the Great, renowned Roman general and a key figure in Caesar's civil war. While Pompey the Great was assassinated during the war, Sextus survived to see the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Turning to piracy, Sextus was a thorn in the side of the newly-formed empire until he was eventually captured and executed in 35 BCE. So, how did the bust of a Roman pirate end up at a Goodwill in Texas over two millennia after the subject’s death? For now, that’s anyone’s guess. Young says she tried to find out who donated the bust, but came up empty-handed. She told CNN, "I would really love it if whoever donated it came forward. It's most likely not the original person who took him, but would still like to know the story." For now, at least, Sextus can rest his weary head.
[Image description: A white, marble bust of a man’s head and neck, titled Portrait of a man on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art.] Credit & copyright: San Antonio Museum of ArtTalk about a thrifty relic. An antiques dealer recently made the mother of all Goodwill finds after discovering a lost Roman bust at a Goodwill for $34.99. The ancient artwork will be heading to Germany after being displayed at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). Laura Young found the bust back in 2018, and looking to flip her find, she started digging into its history. She asked around at various auction houses, and was told by Sotheby’s that the 52 pound marble bust was an authentic Roman piece dating back around 2,000 years. But that’s not the end of the bust’s story. As it turns out, the piece has actually been missing since World War II, and was last photographed in the 1930s. Before its disappearance, it was placed in storage during the war for safekeeping, but was likely stolen by an American soldier. Before the war, it had been displayed in the Pompejanum, a replica of a Roman villa located in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany. The structure was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and now displays Roman artwork to the public.
Although the bust will be displayed at SAMA until May 2023, it will be returned to the Pompejanum afterward. As to the identity of the man portrayed by the bust, it’s likely Sextus Pompey, according to Lynley McAlpine, a postdoctoral curatorial fellow at SAMA. Sextus was the son of Pompey the Great, renowned Roman general and a key figure in Caesar's civil war. While Pompey the Great was assassinated during the war, Sextus survived to see the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Turning to piracy, Sextus was a thorn in the side of the newly-formed empire until he was eventually captured and executed in 35 BCE. So, how did the bust of a Roman pirate end up at a Goodwill in Texas over two millennia after the subject’s death? For now, that’s anyone’s guess. Young says she tried to find out who donated the bust, but came up empty-handed. She told CNN, "I would really love it if whoever donated it came forward. It's most likely not the original person who took him, but would still like to know the story." For now, at least, Sextus can rest his weary head.
[Image description: A white, marble bust of a man’s head and neck, titled Portrait of a man on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art.] Credit & copyright: San Antonio Museum of Art
May 10, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
California is entering its third year of drought, and that has farmers in the state’s Central Valley concerned about an already burdened food system. The Cen...
California is entering its third year of drought, and that has farmers in the state’s Central Valley concerned about an already burdened food system. The Cen...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 10, 2022
conclave \KAHN-klayv\ noun
What It Means
A conclave can be a private meeting, a secret assembly, or a general gathering.
/...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 10, 2022
conclave \KAHN-klayv\ noun
What It Means
A conclave can be a private meeting, a secret assembly, or a general gathering.
/...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Wunderbar! On this day back in 1986, Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus was sitting solidly at number one on the UK singles chart. Not only was Falco the first German-speaking artist to hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, he was also the first Austrian to ever score both a UK and U.S. number one hit. There’s no denying, Rock Me Amadeus is a special song. The German-language anthem proudly describes Austrian composter Wolfgang Amadeus Motzart as the first true rockstar, calling him a “punk” who wooed the ladies of Vienna. It even mentions Mozart's rockstar-esque drinking habits and money troubles. To write the song, Falco teamed up with famed Dutch music producers Rob and Ferdi Bolland, who shared his love of Motzart. Falco’s vocal performance, in which he speaks rather than sings the song’s verses, gives Rock Me Amadeus a casual, playful feel and helps the soaring chorus hit even harder. The song’s music video features Falco wearing both a modern tuxedo and a period costume complete with a colorful wig. Hey, if you’re going to portray the world’s most famous Austrian, you’d better do it with style.
[Image description: A statue of Falco in Gars am Kamp, Austria.] Credit & copyright: Priwo, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, Public Domain
Wunderbar! On this day back in 1986, Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus was sitting solidly at number one on the UK singles chart. Not only was Falco the first German-speaking artist to hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, he was also the first Austrian to ever score both a UK and U.S. number one hit. There’s no denying, Rock Me Amadeus is a special song. The German-language anthem proudly describes Austrian composter Wolfgang Amadeus Motzart as the first true rockstar, calling him a “punk” who wooed the ladies of Vienna. It even mentions Mozart's rockstar-esque drinking habits and money troubles. To write the song, Falco teamed up with famed Dutch music producers Rob and Ferdi Bolland, who shared his love of Motzart. Falco’s vocal performance, in which he speaks rather than sings the song’s verses, gives Rock Me Amadeus a casual, playful feel and helps the soaring chorus hit even harder. The song’s music video features Falco wearing both a modern tuxedo and a period costume complete with a colorful wig. Hey, if you’re going to portray the world’s most famous Austrian, you’d better do it with style.
[Image description: A statue of Falco in Gars am Kamp, Austria.] Credit & copyright: Priwo, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, Public Domain
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FREEVideo Games Daily Curio #2439Free1 CQ
Truly, legends never die. The World Video Game Hall of Fame has just inducted 4 classic gaming titles for 2022, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Run by the Strong National Museum of Play, the Hall of Fame is located in Rochester, New York. Also inducted this year were Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution and Sid Meier’s Civilization. So what are these games and why are they so important? Ocarina was originally released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64, selling 7.6 million copies during its run. It was the first in the action-adventure RPG franchise to be made with 3D graphics, cementing its place in gaming history as one of the most innovative and immersive titles of its time.
Ms. Pac-Man will be joining her longtime beau Pac-Man, who was part of the inaugural class in 2015, along with Tetris, Super Mario Bros., DOOM, Pong and World of Warcraft. She was, of course, the star of her namesake game, one of the biggest-grossing arcade titles all time. In the first 5 years after its release, Ms. Pac-Man made $1.2 billion across 125,000 cabinets around the world, one quarter at a time. The title of the game, which features the “Ms.” prefix, was considered a bold statement at the time, as it was a proposed neutral term to be the equivalent of “Mr.,” as opposed to “Mrs.” or “Miss” which define a woman by her marital status. When the game was released, “Ms.” was only just gaining in popularity as an honorific due to feminists like Gloria Steinam, and was meant to convey that Ms. Pac-Man was the protagonist of her own adventure. Another arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution, dominated the gaming scene in its time after its release in 1998. Although the techno-fueled rhythm game isn’t quite the cultural juggernaut it once was, its publisher Konami has released over 100 titles in the franchise. Finally, Sid Meier’s Civilization is a nation building, turn-based strategy game originally released for the PC in 1991. The franchise is currently on its 6th iteration, but has spawned a number of spin-offs during its run and remains the premier title of its genre. There’s just nothing like the classics.
[Image description: A row of arcade machines, including Ms. Pac-Man] Credit & copyright: ilovemypit, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.Truly, legends never die. The World Video Game Hall of Fame has just inducted 4 classic gaming titles for 2022, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Run by the Strong National Museum of Play, the Hall of Fame is located in Rochester, New York. Also inducted this year were Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution and Sid Meier’s Civilization. So what are these games and why are they so important? Ocarina was originally released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64, selling 7.6 million copies during its run. It was the first in the action-adventure RPG franchise to be made with 3D graphics, cementing its place in gaming history as one of the most innovative and immersive titles of its time.
Ms. Pac-Man will be joining her longtime beau Pac-Man, who was part of the inaugural class in 2015, along with Tetris, Super Mario Bros., DOOM, Pong and World of Warcraft. She was, of course, the star of her namesake game, one of the biggest-grossing arcade titles all time. In the first 5 years after its release, Ms. Pac-Man made $1.2 billion across 125,000 cabinets around the world, one quarter at a time. The title of the game, which features the “Ms.” prefix, was considered a bold statement at the time, as it was a proposed neutral term to be the equivalent of “Mr.,” as opposed to “Mrs.” or “Miss” which define a woman by her marital status. When the game was released, “Ms.” was only just gaining in popularity as an honorific due to feminists like Gloria Steinam, and was meant to convey that Ms. Pac-Man was the protagonist of her own adventure. Another arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution, dominated the gaming scene in its time after its release in 1998. Although the techno-fueled rhythm game isn’t quite the cultural juggernaut it once was, its publisher Konami has released over 100 titles in the franchise. Finally, Sid Meier’s Civilization is a nation building, turn-based strategy game originally released for the PC in 1991. The franchise is currently on its 6th iteration, but has spawned a number of spin-offs during its run and remains the premier title of its genre. There’s just nothing like the classics.
[Image description: A row of arcade machines, including Ms. Pac-Man] Credit & copyright: ilovemypit, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
May 9, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 9, 2022
orientate \OR-ee-un-tayt\ verb
What It Means
Orientate means "to set in a definite position," "to acquaint with an existing ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 9, 2022
orientate \OR-ee-un-tayt\ verb
What It Means
Orientate means "to set in a definite position," "to acquaint with an existing ...
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
The company behind Turbo-Tax has agreed to pay restitution to millions of customers who used its tax preparation software. This is to settle allegations that...
The company behind Turbo-Tax has agreed to pay restitution to millions of customers who used its tax preparation software. This is to settle allegations that...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Here’s a new spin on an American staple. Puerto Rican artist Gregorio Marzán, known for his out-of-the-box sculptures, was born on this day in 1906. The piece above, Statue of Liberty, is a recreation of the eponymous statue with found objects, including a wig, glue caps and cloth. This rendition of Lady Liberty features a life-like interpretation of her face and a light bulb in her torch. Marzán moved to New York with his family after World War II during “The Great Migration,” like many other Puerto Ricans at that time who were looking for work. He was first employed as a sewer worker, but went on to work at a toy factory in the city until 1971. It was during his retirement that Marzán found his artistic calling, making sculptures out of whatever he could find with the skills he learned making dolls and other toys. Many of Marzán’s pieces were different versions of the Statue of Liberty, which he considered a symbol of freedom and opportunity for immigrants like himself. His method of recreating the statue mirrors Latin American traditions in which shrines are sometimes made from improvised materials. So much for leaving art to the whippersnappers.
Statue of Liberty, Gregorio Marzán (1906-1997), 1989, Fabric, plaster, mixed media, 64.5 x 30 x 7 in. (163.8 x 76.2 x 17.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
Below: Another of Marzán’s sculptures, Centaur.
Here’s a new spin on an American staple. Puerto Rican artist Gregorio Marzán, known for his out-of-the-box sculptures, was born on this day in 1906. The piece above, Statue of Liberty, is a recreation of the eponymous statue with found objects, including a wig, glue caps and cloth. This rendition of Lady Liberty features a life-like interpretation of her face and a light bulb in her torch. Marzán moved to New York with his family after World War II during “The Great Migration,” like many other Puerto Ricans at that time who were looking for work. He was first employed as a sewer worker, but went on to work at a toy factory in the city until 1971. It was during his retirement that Marzán found his artistic calling, making sculptures out of whatever he could find with the skills he learned making dolls and other toys. Many of Marzán’s pieces were different versions of the Statue of Liberty, which he considered a symbol of freedom and opportunity for immigrants like himself. His method of recreating the statue mirrors Latin American traditions in which shrines are sometimes made from improvised materials. So much for leaving art to the whippersnappers.
Statue of Liberty, Gregorio Marzán (1906-1997), 1989, Fabric, plaster, mixed media, 64.5 x 30 x 7 in. (163.8 x 76.2 x 17.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
Below: Another of Marzán’s sculptures, Centaur.
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FREETravel Daily Curio #2438Free1 CQ
Pay up or stay out. Venice, famous for its beautiful waterways and intricate architecture, will soon begin charging for admission into the city. The idea has been around for years now, but serious efforts at implementing it were delayed by the pandemic. City leaders are considering a fee of three to eleven dollars for the privilege of entering its borders, with the fluctuations in price dictated by seasonal demand. The fee will also only be for day visitors, while those staying overnight will have the fee paid for through the tourist tax that already exists. The fee’s purpose would be to offset the cost of living and the increasing maintenance costs of Venice’s unique infrastructure.
Before the pandemic, the city saw around 80,000 visitors a day, and that number shot up to 150,000 on the Easter after travel restrictions were lifted. The weight of the tourists alone is contributing to the slow sinking of the city, according to officials, and it does nothing to help the congestion of its narrow walkways which were designed for much less than that. In fact, the permanent population of Venice is dwarfed by the crowds of tourists to the city. Only around 50,000 people live there full time, and that number has been shrinking every year due to the rising cost of living. 15,000 residents have left the city in the past five years, and it’s no wonder why: not only do residents have to compete for space and resources with the tourists who drive up the cost of basic goods, real estate is at a premium due to housing being used for vacation rentals. Furthermore, the pandemic left the city in economic distress, and 10,000 residents lost their jobs. With the proposed plan to charge a fee, city leaders are hoping to limit the number of visitors while generating some revenue. They also plan to have visitors use a reservation system so that daily visitor counts can be more controlled. While some consider the plan to be a cash grab, city leaders believe they’re on the right path. In an interview with AFAR, Venice city council member Simone Venturini stated, “Venice is paving the way on a global level for the development of an unprecedented system for offsetting the negative consequences of overtourism.” Whatever floats your boat!
[Image description: The Canale Grande in Venice, Italy, photographed from above.] Credit & copyright: blende12, PixabayPay up or stay out. Venice, famous for its beautiful waterways and intricate architecture, will soon begin charging for admission into the city. The idea has been around for years now, but serious efforts at implementing it were delayed by the pandemic. City leaders are considering a fee of three to eleven dollars for the privilege of entering its borders, with the fluctuations in price dictated by seasonal demand. The fee will also only be for day visitors, while those staying overnight will have the fee paid for through the tourist tax that already exists. The fee’s purpose would be to offset the cost of living and the increasing maintenance costs of Venice’s unique infrastructure.
Before the pandemic, the city saw around 80,000 visitors a day, and that number shot up to 150,000 on the Easter after travel restrictions were lifted. The weight of the tourists alone is contributing to the slow sinking of the city, according to officials, and it does nothing to help the congestion of its narrow walkways which were designed for much less than that. In fact, the permanent population of Venice is dwarfed by the crowds of tourists to the city. Only around 50,000 people live there full time, and that number has been shrinking every year due to the rising cost of living. 15,000 residents have left the city in the past five years, and it’s no wonder why: not only do residents have to compete for space and resources with the tourists who drive up the cost of basic goods, real estate is at a premium due to housing being used for vacation rentals. Furthermore, the pandemic left the city in economic distress, and 10,000 residents lost their jobs. With the proposed plan to charge a fee, city leaders are hoping to limit the number of visitors while generating some revenue. They also plan to have visitors use a reservation system so that daily visitor counts can be more controlled. While some consider the plan to be a cash grab, city leaders believe they’re on the right path. In an interview with AFAR, Venice city council member Simone Venturini stated, “Venice is paving the way on a global level for the development of an unprecedented system for offsetting the negative consequences of overtourism.” Whatever floats your boat!
[Image description: The Canale Grande in Venice, Italy, photographed from above.] Credit & copyright: blende12, Pixabay