Curio Cabinet
- By Date
- By Type
August 23, 2024
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The visit comes not long after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which didn’t go o...
From the BBC World Service: The visit comes not long after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which didn’t go o...
-
FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree1 CQ
This is one succulent sandwich. In fact, the Vietnamese bánh mì is positively loaded with savory meat and crunchy veggies, all on a thick-yet-crispy baguette. Eating a bánh mì is practically a prerequisite for anyone visiting Vietnam, and the country takes great pride in all the sandwich’s regional variations. Yet, the bánh mì has a surprisingly tragic and violent history.
A bánh mì is a fusion of Vietnamese and French cuisine. The baguette is distinctly French, as are some commonly-used condiments, like pâté. Yet, the star ingredients are Vietnamese meats, such as xíu mại, a type of minced pork, chả lụa, a kind of sausage. Pork belly is also popular, as is a combination of all three. A good bánh mì practically overflows with veggies, which can include pickled daikon, pickled carrots, and grilled onions, along with herbs like cilantro.
The story of the bánh mì is, unfortunately, a story of war and conquest. The Cochinchina Campaign, also known as the French Invasion of Vietnam, took place between 1858 and 1862. France was eager to spread Catholicism via missionaries, expand their empire in order to seize control of Vietnamese resources, and create secure trade routes to China. Stating that Vietnamese emperor Gia Long should submit to French rule since France had provided him with military aid years prior, the French invaded Vietnam 1858 and eventually seized control of the country. Until 1954, Vietnam remained under French rule as part of a colony called French Indochina. In this system, the people of Vietnam and their resources were exploited and poverty was widespread. After a costly war against Vietnamese revolutionaries, which ended in a four-month siege of a French garrison in the northwestern city of Điện Biên Phủ, the French finally withdrew from the country.
What does this have to do with bánh mì? Well, when the French abandoned Vietnam, they left their culinary footprint behind. Bread had never been a large part of Vietnamese cuisine before French occupation, while during the occupation it was only considered acceptable for Vietnamese people to eat bread (when they could afford the expensive wheat to make it) in French ways, mainly with butter or cold cuts. But when the French left, it was suddenly safe to combine baguettes with all sorts of Vietnamese ingredients. In Saigon, as migrants fled south during the 1954 Partition of Vietnam, people began selling street food and opening restaurants. While bánh mì can be found all over the world today, the first place to sell it was a small bakery in Saigon called Hòa Mã, run by migrants Lê Minh Ngọc and Nguyễn Thị Tịnh. The rest is cross-cultural culinary history.
[Image description: A close-up photo of a Bánh mì sandwich with meat and cooked onions.] Credit & copyright: Phương Huy, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.This is one succulent sandwich. In fact, the Vietnamese bánh mì is positively loaded with savory meat and crunchy veggies, all on a thick-yet-crispy baguette. Eating a bánh mì is practically a prerequisite for anyone visiting Vietnam, and the country takes great pride in all the sandwich’s regional variations. Yet, the bánh mì has a surprisingly tragic and violent history.
A bánh mì is a fusion of Vietnamese and French cuisine. The baguette is distinctly French, as are some commonly-used condiments, like pâté. Yet, the star ingredients are Vietnamese meats, such as xíu mại, a type of minced pork, chả lụa, a kind of sausage. Pork belly is also popular, as is a combination of all three. A good bánh mì practically overflows with veggies, which can include pickled daikon, pickled carrots, and grilled onions, along with herbs like cilantro.
The story of the bánh mì is, unfortunately, a story of war and conquest. The Cochinchina Campaign, also known as the French Invasion of Vietnam, took place between 1858 and 1862. France was eager to spread Catholicism via missionaries, expand their empire in order to seize control of Vietnamese resources, and create secure trade routes to China. Stating that Vietnamese emperor Gia Long should submit to French rule since France had provided him with military aid years prior, the French invaded Vietnam 1858 and eventually seized control of the country. Until 1954, Vietnam remained under French rule as part of a colony called French Indochina. In this system, the people of Vietnam and their resources were exploited and poverty was widespread. After a costly war against Vietnamese revolutionaries, which ended in a four-month siege of a French garrison in the northwestern city of Điện Biên Phủ, the French finally withdrew from the country.
What does this have to do with bánh mì? Well, when the French abandoned Vietnam, they left their culinary footprint behind. Bread had never been a large part of Vietnamese cuisine before French occupation, while during the occupation it was only considered acceptable for Vietnamese people to eat bread (when they could afford the expensive wheat to make it) in French ways, mainly with butter or cold cuts. But when the French left, it was suddenly safe to combine baguettes with all sorts of Vietnamese ingredients. In Saigon, as migrants fled south during the 1954 Partition of Vietnam, people began selling street food and opening restaurants. While bánh mì can be found all over the world today, the first place to sell it was a small bakery in Saigon called Hòa Mã, run by migrants Lê Minh Ngọc and Nguyễn Thị Tịnh. The rest is cross-cultural culinary history.
[Image description: A close-up photo of a Bánh mì sandwich with meat and cooked onions.] Credit & copyright: Phương Huy, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
August 22, 2024
-
7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s body has been recovered after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday mornin...
From the BBC World Service: British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s body has been recovered after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday mornin...
-
1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: August 22, 2024\DERTH\ noun
What It Means
Dearth refers to a lack or inadequate supply. It is usually followed by of.
// T...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: August 22, 2024\DERTH\ noun
What It Means
Dearth refers to a lack or inadequate supply. It is usually followed by of.
// T...
-
FREEScience Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Is it too good to be true or could it be a viral success? Researchers at Northeastern University claim that they’ve discovered an antibody that could potentially provide protection against SARS-CoV-2…and all its variants. That sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it may be possible. The CDC has announced that the virus is now endemic, meaning it’s here to stay. Part of what makes SARS-CoV-2 so hard to contain is its penchant for mutating rapidly, developing resistances to vaccines and coming back in waves. However, researchers have now found an antibody called CV3-25, which naturally occurs in some people, that might shut down the virus no matter how many times it mutates. Coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 get their name for the spike proteins on the outside, which resemble a crown, or corona. These spike proteins are responsible for allowing the virus to bind to human cells. The most important part of the spike protein (and the part that keeps changing) is called the receptor binding domain (RBD). CV3-25, though, doesn’t care what the RBD looks like—as long as there’s a spike protein for it to disable, it will. Researchers say that instead of developing new vaccines for every new viral strain, it may be possible to create a single vaccine based on this antibody to provide lasting protection. That’s extra good news for anyone who hates needles.
[Image description: Three medical needles against a yellow background.] Credit & copyright: Karolina Kaboompics, Pexels
Is it too good to be true or could it be a viral success? Researchers at Northeastern University claim that they’ve discovered an antibody that could potentially provide protection against SARS-CoV-2…and all its variants. That sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it may be possible. The CDC has announced that the virus is now endemic, meaning it’s here to stay. Part of what makes SARS-CoV-2 so hard to contain is its penchant for mutating rapidly, developing resistances to vaccines and coming back in waves. However, researchers have now found an antibody called CV3-25, which naturally occurs in some people, that might shut down the virus no matter how many times it mutates. Coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 get their name for the spike proteins on the outside, which resemble a crown, or corona. These spike proteins are responsible for allowing the virus to bind to human cells. The most important part of the spike protein (and the part that keeps changing) is called the receptor binding domain (RBD). CV3-25, though, doesn’t care what the RBD looks like—as long as there’s a spike protein for it to disable, it will. Researchers say that instead of developing new vaccines for every new viral strain, it may be possible to create a single vaccine based on this antibody to provide lasting protection. That’s extra good news for anyone who hates needles.
[Image description: Three medical needles against a yellow background.] Credit & copyright: Karolina Kaboompics, Pexels
-
FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2930Free1 CQ
5,000 years old and still full of surprises. Stonehenge, the famous, ancient British monument, was long thought to have been built of stones sourced from modern-day Wales. However, researchers have now found that the monument’s 6-ton centerpiece might have come from much farther away. With only stone age tools at hand, no one would have blamed Stonehenge’s ancient builders for sourcing their stones nearby. And for the most part, that’s just what they did with the iconic structure and many other stone circles that dot the British Isles. There wasn’t any reason to suspect that the massive altar stone, which lies at the center of Stonehenge, was from somewhere else. At least, not until researchers discovered last year that the stone wasn’t exactly local. More specifically, it wasn’t the right kind of sandstone to have come from Wales. Sandstone has a unique composition depending on the region and conditions under which it formed. Once the discrepancy was discovered, archaeologists from the University of Exeter set out to solve this mystery, and while they couldn’t take a sample from the altar stone directly, they looked at previous excavated pieces of the slab, and found that they didn’t match up with the rest of the stone used to build the site. Instead, the altar stone seems to have come from the Orcadian Basin, an area that covers the northeastern tip of Scotland and extends out into the North Sea. That means that the 16-foot slab was carried around 460 miles from its location of origin to where it stands today—almost the entire length of the island. Interestingly, the Orcadian Basin contains the Orkney Islands, an archipelago that extends out from the north coast of Scotland. In past digs, archaeologists found remnants of pottery from that region, showing that people brought more than just sandstone down with them. Researchers say that the presence of the altar stone shows that some ancient European cultures were more developed and culturally connected than previously thought. After all, 460 miles isn’t exactly a stone’s throw away.
[Image description: A photo of Stonehenge, an ancient monument of large, ovular, gray stones.] Credit & copyright: Perituss, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.5,000 years old and still full of surprises. Stonehenge, the famous, ancient British monument, was long thought to have been built of stones sourced from modern-day Wales. However, researchers have now found that the monument’s 6-ton centerpiece might have come from much farther away. With only stone age tools at hand, no one would have blamed Stonehenge’s ancient builders for sourcing their stones nearby. And for the most part, that’s just what they did with the iconic structure and many other stone circles that dot the British Isles. There wasn’t any reason to suspect that the massive altar stone, which lies at the center of Stonehenge, was from somewhere else. At least, not until researchers discovered last year that the stone wasn’t exactly local. More specifically, it wasn’t the right kind of sandstone to have come from Wales. Sandstone has a unique composition depending on the region and conditions under which it formed. Once the discrepancy was discovered, archaeologists from the University of Exeter set out to solve this mystery, and while they couldn’t take a sample from the altar stone directly, they looked at previous excavated pieces of the slab, and found that they didn’t match up with the rest of the stone used to build the site. Instead, the altar stone seems to have come from the Orcadian Basin, an area that covers the northeastern tip of Scotland and extends out into the North Sea. That means that the 16-foot slab was carried around 460 miles from its location of origin to where it stands today—almost the entire length of the island. Interestingly, the Orcadian Basin contains the Orkney Islands, an archipelago that extends out from the north coast of Scotland. In past digs, archaeologists found remnants of pottery from that region, showing that people brought more than just sandstone down with them. Researchers say that the presence of the altar stone shows that some ancient European cultures were more developed and culturally connected than previously thought. After all, 460 miles isn’t exactly a stone’s throw away.
[Image description: A photo of Stonehenge, an ancient monument of large, ovular, gray stones.] Credit & copyright: Perituss, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
August 21, 2024
-
6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Noncompete agreements, where your employer has you sign a contract promising you won’t work for a competitor in the future, were originally used to protect i...
Noncompete agreements, where your employer has you sign a contract promising you won’t work for a competitor in the future, were originally used to protect i...
-
FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Keep your distance, this beetle’s packing heat! There are over 500 species of bombardier beetle, but they’ve all got one thing in common: an incredible chemical weapon. When these beetles are threatened, they shoot a mix of scalding, toxic chemicals from their abdomens, heated up to a blistering 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The beetle’s defense is so awe-inspiring that some have even insisted it could not have evolved naturally. In reality, bombardier beetles pull off their amazing feat using chemicals already present in their—and many other insects’—bodies.
Bombardier beetles’ noxious spray is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is common in many insects, as the compound makes their exoskeletons harder. Bombardier beetles aren’t the only insects to harness this chemical for defense, either. Millipedes, spiders, and many other species of beetles secret hydroquinone from their exoskeletons when under threat, as the chemical’s foul taste and smell deters predators. Hydrogen peroxide is produced by many living things, not just insects, as a simple byproduct of cellular respiration. Instead of secreting a bit of hydroquinone and using enzymes to break down excess hydrogen peroxide, as most other insects do, bombardier beetles evolved an elaborate “firing” system. The chemicals are stored in separate sacs inside the beetle’s body, then mixed in a chamber near the back of the abdomen before being let loose in a volley of “shots.” The mixed chemicals cause an exothermic reaction—in other words, energy from the reaction is transferred to the beetle’s surroundings in the form of intense heat. Yet, the beetle never hurts itself with its own chemicals—since the chemicals are released in pulses, the chamber has time to cool down in between “shots”, saving the beetle’s insides. Praying mantises and other insects are almost always driven away by bombardier beetle attacks. Toads are a bigger problem for the beetles, since they’re big enough to swallow them before the bombardier can fire a shot. Of course, they usually vomit the beetles right back up when the chemical explosion happens in their throats or stomachs. When you’re the size of an insect, it pays to be armed.
[Image description: An orange beetle with a dark green body against a white background.] Credit & copyright: Francisco Welter-Schultes, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Keep your distance, this beetle’s packing heat! There are over 500 species of bombardier beetle, but they’ve all got one thing in common: an incredible chemical weapon. When these beetles are threatened, they shoot a mix of scalding, toxic chemicals from their abdomens, heated up to a blistering 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The beetle’s defense is so awe-inspiring that some have even insisted it could not have evolved naturally. In reality, bombardier beetles pull off their amazing feat using chemicals already present in their—and many other insects’—bodies.
Bombardier beetles’ noxious spray is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is common in many insects, as the compound makes their exoskeletons harder. Bombardier beetles aren’t the only insects to harness this chemical for defense, either. Millipedes, spiders, and many other species of beetles secret hydroquinone from their exoskeletons when under threat, as the chemical’s foul taste and smell deters predators. Hydrogen peroxide is produced by many living things, not just insects, as a simple byproduct of cellular respiration. Instead of secreting a bit of hydroquinone and using enzymes to break down excess hydrogen peroxide, as most other insects do, bombardier beetles evolved an elaborate “firing” system. The chemicals are stored in separate sacs inside the beetle’s body, then mixed in a chamber near the back of the abdomen before being let loose in a volley of “shots.” The mixed chemicals cause an exothermic reaction—in other words, energy from the reaction is transferred to the beetle’s surroundings in the form of intense heat. Yet, the beetle never hurts itself with its own chemicals—since the chemicals are released in pulses, the chamber has time to cool down in between “shots”, saving the beetle’s insides. Praying mantises and other insects are almost always driven away by bombardier beetle attacks. Toads are a bigger problem for the beetles, since they’re big enough to swallow them before the bombardier can fire a shot. Of course, they usually vomit the beetles right back up when the chemical explosion happens in their throats or stomachs. When you’re the size of an insect, it pays to be armed.
[Image description: An orange beetle with a dark green body against a white background.] Credit & copyright: Francisco Welter-Schultes, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. -
FREENutrition Daily Curio #2929Free1 CQ
This is some sweet health news. It sounds almost too good to be true, but researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have found that adding a tablespoon of honey to yogurt actually makes it healthier. That’s because the probiotics in the yogurt survive better when honey is present, which means they can do their jobs better once they reach the intestines. It’s long been known that the probiotics in yogurt have health benefits. Some probiotics are necessary for the production of yogurt itself, but others, like Bifidobacterium animalis are added just simply because they aid in digestion. But probiotics have a harrowing journey ahead of them once they’re consumed. Between the mouth, the stomach, and intestines, probiotics have to survive a veritable gauntlet of enzymes, acids, and other digestive bombardments before they can settle down where it’s safe for them to get to work. Many don’t survive long enough to reach the intestines. That’s why researchers were looking at ways to increase the viability of probiotics in yogurt, and the answer, it turns out, has been there all along. The combination of honey and yogurt—common in the Mediterranean diet—delivers a much more potent probiotic punch than yogurt alone. For their experiment, researchers took a commonly available brand of yogurt and had one group add a little honey to it while telling the control group not to. After a few weeks, the groups switched their diets to see what their gut microbiome would look like, and they found that honey really did help. In particular, the researchers found that B. animalis was much more viable with honey than without. And it has to be honey too, not just sugar—when they repeated the same experiment with plain sugar, it didn’t have the same benefits as honey. You could say this golden sweet treat is the gold standard when it comes to gut health.
[Image description: Yogurt with honey and nuts in a black bowl.] Credit & copyright: Amnah Mohammad, PexelsThis is some sweet health news. It sounds almost too good to be true, but researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have found that adding a tablespoon of honey to yogurt actually makes it healthier. That’s because the probiotics in the yogurt survive better when honey is present, which means they can do their jobs better once they reach the intestines. It’s long been known that the probiotics in yogurt have health benefits. Some probiotics are necessary for the production of yogurt itself, but others, like Bifidobacterium animalis are added just simply because they aid in digestion. But probiotics have a harrowing journey ahead of them once they’re consumed. Between the mouth, the stomach, and intestines, probiotics have to survive a veritable gauntlet of enzymes, acids, and other digestive bombardments before they can settle down where it’s safe for them to get to work. Many don’t survive long enough to reach the intestines. That’s why researchers were looking at ways to increase the viability of probiotics in yogurt, and the answer, it turns out, has been there all along. The combination of honey and yogurt—common in the Mediterranean diet—delivers a much more potent probiotic punch than yogurt alone. For their experiment, researchers took a commonly available brand of yogurt and had one group add a little honey to it while telling the control group not to. After a few weeks, the groups switched their diets to see what their gut microbiome would look like, and they found that honey really did help. In particular, the researchers found that B. animalis was much more viable with honey than without. And it has to be honey too, not just sugar—when they repeated the same experiment with plain sugar, it didn’t have the same benefits as honey. You could say this golden sweet treat is the gold standard when it comes to gut health.
[Image description: Yogurt with honey and nuts in a black bowl.] Credit & copyright: Amnah Mohammad, Pexels
August 20, 2024
-
6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch are among the six still miss...
From the BBC World Service: Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch are among the six still miss...
-
1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: August 20, 2024\pruh-PENN-suh-tee\ noun
What It Means
A propensity is a strong natural tendency to do something.
// As a c...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: August 20, 2024\pruh-PENN-suh-tee\ noun
What It Means
A propensity is a strong natural tendency to do something.
// As a c...
-
FREEParenting Daily Curio #2928Free1 CQ
Say adieu to baby blues. The state of Oregon just rolled out a new program called Family Connects, and its purpose is simple: help parents with the specialized care that newborns often need. While everyone knows that babies are a handful at the best of times, it’s even worse with brand new babies. In the U.S., new parents have little in the way of medical support once a baby is delivered. Some experts believe that this lack of accessible care after birth has led to the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates compared to other wealthy nations. Oregon’s new, statewide program aims to address the problem. It allows parents to receive at-home visits from nurses who can help them better care for their newborns—and even themselves. For example, a visiting nurse from this program can show parents how to properly hold their infants while feeding or deal with issues like colic. Aside from practical advice, the nurses can also bring basic supplies if necessary, and even connect parents with local resources if they’re experiencing food insecurity or financial hardship in general. Finally, the nurses can check on the parents’ well-being, particularly when it comes to things like postpartum depression. This is especially important since many forms of depression can be worsened by the uncertainties and anxieties that come with parenthood. Of course, sending nurses to help out new parents at their home isn’t a new idea. Dr. Elizabeth Steiner, the State Senator who advocated for the program, actually got the idea from a similar one already helping parents in Durham, North Carolina. Unlike the one in Durham, though, Oregon’ version covers the entire state. It sounds expensive, but it’s likely to pay dividends in the future. Parents who receive these visits are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression and Child Protective Services are less likely to have to intervene due to neglect or abuse. They say it takes a village—in this case, the village is an entire state.
[Image description: A white crib decorated with an elephant-patterned blanket and a stuffed elephant.] Credit & copyright: Karolina Kaboompics, PexelsSay adieu to baby blues. The state of Oregon just rolled out a new program called Family Connects, and its purpose is simple: help parents with the specialized care that newborns often need. While everyone knows that babies are a handful at the best of times, it’s even worse with brand new babies. In the U.S., new parents have little in the way of medical support once a baby is delivered. Some experts believe that this lack of accessible care after birth has led to the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates compared to other wealthy nations. Oregon’s new, statewide program aims to address the problem. It allows parents to receive at-home visits from nurses who can help them better care for their newborns—and even themselves. For example, a visiting nurse from this program can show parents how to properly hold their infants while feeding or deal with issues like colic. Aside from practical advice, the nurses can also bring basic supplies if necessary, and even connect parents with local resources if they’re experiencing food insecurity or financial hardship in general. Finally, the nurses can check on the parents’ well-being, particularly when it comes to things like postpartum depression. This is especially important since many forms of depression can be worsened by the uncertainties and anxieties that come with parenthood. Of course, sending nurses to help out new parents at their home isn’t a new idea. Dr. Elizabeth Steiner, the State Senator who advocated for the program, actually got the idea from a similar one already helping parents in Durham, North Carolina. Unlike the one in Durham, though, Oregon’ version covers the entire state. It sounds expensive, but it’s likely to pay dividends in the future. Parents who receive these visits are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression and Child Protective Services are less likely to have to intervene due to neglect or abuse. They say it takes a village—in this case, the village is an entire state.
[Image description: A white crib decorated with an elephant-patterned blanket and a stuffed elephant.] Credit & copyright: Karolina Kaboompics, Pexels -
FREESong CurioFree2 CQ
This is how you say goodbye. On this day in 2016, Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip played their final show in Kingston, the same Ontario city where they first got their start. Their goodbye tour began after the band’s announcement that frontman Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. As a result, fans turned out in droves to show their support and listen to the band’s greatest hits, including their 1996 chart-topper, Ahead by a Century. Despite its laid-back, almost tropical-sounding instrumentation, Ahead by a Century is a bittersweet tune about nostalgia for a childhood that’s impossible to go back to and an uncertain future that requires one to have hope. That unfailing hope, long considered a quintessential part of Canadian identity, helps explain why this song, and The Tragically Hip themselves, were considered heroes in their home country. In fact, when Downie made his way onstage during the band’s farewell tour, he was greeted by an enthusiastic rendition of O Canada from the crowd. It’s hard to think of a more fitting sendoff.
This is how you say goodbye. On this day in 2016, Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip played their final show in Kingston, the same Ontario city where they first got their start. Their goodbye tour began after the band’s announcement that frontman Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. As a result, fans turned out in droves to show their support and listen to the band’s greatest hits, including their 1996 chart-topper, Ahead by a Century. Despite its laid-back, almost tropical-sounding instrumentation, Ahead by a Century is a bittersweet tune about nostalgia for a childhood that’s impossible to go back to and an uncertain future that requires one to have hope. That unfailing hope, long considered a quintessential part of Canadian identity, helps explain why this song, and The Tragically Hip themselves, were considered heroes in their home country. In fact, when Downie made his way onstage during the band’s farewell tour, he was greeted by an enthusiastic rendition of O Canada from the crowd. It’s hard to think of a more fitting sendoff.
August 19, 2024
-
1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: August 19, 2024\luh-THAHR-jik\ adjective
What It Means
Lethargic describes people who feel a lack of energy or a lack of in...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: August 19, 2024\luh-THAHR-jik\ adjective
What It Means
Lethargic describes people who feel a lack of energy or a lack of in...
-
7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Employers, recruiters and job candidates are increasingly turning to generative AI to help with the often tedious hiring process. This has led to an influx o...
Employers, recruiters and job candidates are increasingly turning to generative AI to help with the often tedious hiring process. This has led to an influx o...
-
FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
They may look fearsome, but their meaning is actually quite friendly. Guardian lions, sometimes called “Foo Dogs” in the West, still stand watch in front of Buddhist temples all over the world. The piece above is a stone sculpture of a lion sitting on a square base. Its head is looking up and to its right, and its front legs are outstretched. Although these lions are heavily associated with China, they were actually introduced during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD) by a diplomat who was returning from Central Asia. Since their introduction, they’ve become intertwined with Buddhism and the spiritual practice of feng shui. The lions are always supposed to be placed in pairs in the north, west, or northwest, with one male on the left and one female on the right. They’re believed to guard temples from evil spirits and to protect the truth. Over the centuries, they’ve been created in many different styles, ranging from more austere examples like this one to intricately-adorned versions made of gold or copper. No matter what they’re made of, these guardians always seem full of pride.
Guardian Lion, Tang dynasty (618-907), c.600, White marble, 31 in. (78.8 cm), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1965.473. Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, public domain.They may look fearsome, but their meaning is actually quite friendly. Guardian lions, sometimes called “Foo Dogs” in the West, still stand watch in front of Buddhist temples all over the world. The piece above is a stone sculpture of a lion sitting on a square base. Its head is looking up and to its right, and its front legs are outstretched. Although these lions are heavily associated with China, they were actually introduced during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD) by a diplomat who was returning from Central Asia. Since their introduction, they’ve become intertwined with Buddhism and the spiritual practice of feng shui. The lions are always supposed to be placed in pairs in the north, west, or northwest, with one male on the left and one female on the right. They’re believed to guard temples from evil spirits and to protect the truth. Over the centuries, they’ve been created in many different styles, ranging from more austere examples like this one to intricately-adorned versions made of gold or copper. No matter what they’re made of, these guardians always seem full of pride.
Guardian Lion, Tang dynasty (618-907), c.600, White marble, 31 in. (78.8 cm), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1965.473. Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, public domain. -
FREEUS History Daily Curio #2927Free1 CQ
Some people want to tame the wilderness, but others want the wilderness to tame them. This sentiment was the driving force behind the creation of the Appalachian Trail, which stretches more than 2,190 miles across fourteen states, was completed this month in 1937. The Appalachian Trail was conceived of by American forest scientist Benton MacKaye in the 1920s as an extensive footpath that would take travelers through idyllic wilderness and self-sustaining agrarian communities to support them. In 1925, he created the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) to connect existing trails and make new ones to form one, continuous trail that spanned from New England to Georgia.
Progress was slow at first, with work on the trail beginning in earnest in the 1930s. By then, MacKaye was frequently arguing with Myron Avery, a lawyer who joined the ATC with a different vision than his own. Avery imagined the Appalachian Trail as a more straightforward, scenic trail than MacKaye’s proposed rugged trail, and eventually, MacKaye distanced himself from the project. When the trail was completed in 1937, connecting Maine to Georgia, the result was in line with Avery’s conception of what the Appalachian Trail should be. Unfortunately, the trail was heavily damaged by a hurricane the following year, and the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway also forced the ATC to rework the route. Then, with the onset of WWII, work on the trail halted due to a lack of volunteers. In time, the trail was repaired and found two new champions: Earl V. Shaffer and Emma “Grandma” Gatewood. Shaffer became the first person to hike the entirety of the trail (2,050 miles at the time) in one journey in 1948, a feat known as “thru-hiking.” A veteran of WWII, Shaffer claimed in a book detailing the thru-hike that he was “walking off the army.” Later in 1955, Gatewood would become the first woman to do the same (by then the trail was 2,168 miles) at the age of 67. Today, the ATC is known as the Appalachian Trail Conference, and continues to maintain the trail. They also keep count of successful thru-hikes, and though thousands attempt the feat each year, only about 20,000 have traversed the entire length of the trail. That’s a lot of people, but you could still call it the road less traveled.
[Image description: A portion of the Appalachian Trail atop Mount Hight, in New Hampshire. The trail is rocky and surrounded by green pine trees with green mountains in the distance.] Credit & copyright: Ken Gallager at en.wikipedia. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Ken Gallager, at the English Wikipedia project. This applies worldwide.Some people want to tame the wilderness, but others want the wilderness to tame them. This sentiment was the driving force behind the creation of the Appalachian Trail, which stretches more than 2,190 miles across fourteen states, was completed this month in 1937. The Appalachian Trail was conceived of by American forest scientist Benton MacKaye in the 1920s as an extensive footpath that would take travelers through idyllic wilderness and self-sustaining agrarian communities to support them. In 1925, he created the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) to connect existing trails and make new ones to form one, continuous trail that spanned from New England to Georgia.
Progress was slow at first, with work on the trail beginning in earnest in the 1930s. By then, MacKaye was frequently arguing with Myron Avery, a lawyer who joined the ATC with a different vision than his own. Avery imagined the Appalachian Trail as a more straightforward, scenic trail than MacKaye’s proposed rugged trail, and eventually, MacKaye distanced himself from the project. When the trail was completed in 1937, connecting Maine to Georgia, the result was in line with Avery’s conception of what the Appalachian Trail should be. Unfortunately, the trail was heavily damaged by a hurricane the following year, and the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway also forced the ATC to rework the route. Then, with the onset of WWII, work on the trail halted due to a lack of volunteers. In time, the trail was repaired and found two new champions: Earl V. Shaffer and Emma “Grandma” Gatewood. Shaffer became the first person to hike the entirety of the trail (2,050 miles at the time) in one journey in 1948, a feat known as “thru-hiking.” A veteran of WWII, Shaffer claimed in a book detailing the thru-hike that he was “walking off the army.” Later in 1955, Gatewood would become the first woman to do the same (by then the trail was 2,168 miles) at the age of 67. Today, the ATC is known as the Appalachian Trail Conference, and continues to maintain the trail. They also keep count of successful thru-hikes, and though thousands attempt the feat each year, only about 20,000 have traversed the entire length of the trail. That’s a lot of people, but you could still call it the road less traveled.
[Image description: A portion of the Appalachian Trail atop Mount Hight, in New Hampshire. The trail is rocky and surrounded by green pine trees with green mountains in the distance.] Credit & copyright: Ken Gallager at en.wikipedia. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Ken Gallager, at the English Wikipedia project. This applies worldwide.
August 18, 2024
-
2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: August 18, 2024\im-PYOON\ verb
What It Means
To impugn something, such as a person's integrity, judgment, etc., is to attac...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: August 18, 2024\im-PYOON\ verb
What It Means
To impugn something, such as a person's integrity, judgment, etc., is to attac...
-
6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
This week, the Justice Department is reportedly considering asking for a break up of Google after the company was deemed an illegal monopoly. We’ll describe ...
This week, the Justice Department is reportedly considering asking for a break up of Google after the company was deemed an illegal monopoly. We’ll describe ...
-
FREEUS History Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It was about time! The women’s suffrage movement in the U.S. took the better part of a century to achieve its goal. The entire process ended up coming right down to the wire…and a note from a lawmaker’s mother. After the 19th amendment was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1919, it needed to be ratified by at least 36 states to be fully adopted. The deciding vote was cast on this day in 1920 by Harry Burn, a young representative in Tennessee who had previously opposed women’s suffrage.
The road to voting rights for American women began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in the state of New York. There, prominent women’s rights advocates gathered from around the country and adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, a document of grievances pertaining to womens’ lack of agency in marriage, business, and education. Among the listed injustices was a lack of voting rights for women, which forced them to submit to laws that they had no voice in forming. Through the document, the dignitaries of the convention argued that being unable to exercise their alienable right to the elective franchise, they were without representation…yet single women with property were still subjected to the same taxes as men. This line of reasoning and the composition style of the document were meant to echo those of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Sentiments was controversial, to say the least. Opponents of women’s rights ridiculed the convention-goers and even some advocates withdrew support in its wake, deeming the sentiments to be too extreme.
Meanwhile, proponents of suffrage proposed a constitutional amendment in Congress to grant women the right to vote (later called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment). This was formally proposed in 1866, 1868, 1878, 1887, 1914, 1918, and 1919 before the amendment finally passed during a second vote that final year. In between, suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and others continued to petition, protest, and even testify in Congress in pursuit of the right to vote.
Even with the approval of Congress, there was still vehement opposition to women’s suffrage nationwide. And there was also the daunting prospect of having at least 36 states ratify the amendment before it could be adopted. By March of 1920, 35 states had ratified the amendment, and the Tennessee General Assembly began voting on the issue in August. While the State Senate voted to ratify, the House was split 48 to 48 twice. Eventually, there was a third vote on the matter on August 18, and among the representatives was 24-year-old Harry Burns. He had voted “nay” twice already, as telegrams from his constituents and colleagues convinced him to. But, during the third vote, he was given a letter from his mother, Febb Ensminger Burn. In the letter, which arrived shortly before the vote, the representative’s mother wrote, “Hurrah and vote for Suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt. I noticed Chandlers' speech, it was very bitter. I’ve been watching to see how you stood but have not seen anything yet...Don't forget to be a good boy and help Mrs. ‘Thomas Catt’ with her "Rats." Is she the one that put rat in ratification, Ha! No more from mama this time.” Swayed by his mother, Burn voted in favor of ratification to the surprise of the chamber. Adoption of the 19th amendment was certified soon after.
Although it was a major victory for universal voting rights, the 19th amendment didn’t guarantee an equal voice to all in practice. Black Americans had been subject to voter suppression tactics and intimidation for decades, and Black women didn’t fare much better when attempting to reach the polls. It wouldn’t be until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1865 that another major step forward would take place. Even so, some Americans still struggle to cast a vote, disenfranchised by legislation that makes it difficult to register or by barriers like inaccessible polling places. If only we still had Febb Ensminger Burn to help the country along!
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of a suffrage worker poking her head through a wall of newspaper clippings about the passage of the 19th Amendment.] Credit & copyright: Suffrage worker with newspaper clippings on the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote by the United States Senate, 1919. Missouri History Museum. Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.It was about time! The women’s suffrage movement in the U.S. took the better part of a century to achieve its goal. The entire process ended up coming right down to the wire…and a note from a lawmaker’s mother. After the 19th amendment was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1919, it needed to be ratified by at least 36 states to be fully adopted. The deciding vote was cast on this day in 1920 by Harry Burn, a young representative in Tennessee who had previously opposed women’s suffrage.
The road to voting rights for American women began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in the state of New York. There, prominent women’s rights advocates gathered from around the country and adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, a document of grievances pertaining to womens’ lack of agency in marriage, business, and education. Among the listed injustices was a lack of voting rights for women, which forced them to submit to laws that they had no voice in forming. Through the document, the dignitaries of the convention argued that being unable to exercise their alienable right to the elective franchise, they were without representation…yet single women with property were still subjected to the same taxes as men. This line of reasoning and the composition style of the document were meant to echo those of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Sentiments was controversial, to say the least. Opponents of women’s rights ridiculed the convention-goers and even some advocates withdrew support in its wake, deeming the sentiments to be too extreme.
Meanwhile, proponents of suffrage proposed a constitutional amendment in Congress to grant women the right to vote (later called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment). This was formally proposed in 1866, 1868, 1878, 1887, 1914, 1918, and 1919 before the amendment finally passed during a second vote that final year. In between, suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and others continued to petition, protest, and even testify in Congress in pursuit of the right to vote.
Even with the approval of Congress, there was still vehement opposition to women’s suffrage nationwide. And there was also the daunting prospect of having at least 36 states ratify the amendment before it could be adopted. By March of 1920, 35 states had ratified the amendment, and the Tennessee General Assembly began voting on the issue in August. While the State Senate voted to ratify, the House was split 48 to 48 twice. Eventually, there was a third vote on the matter on August 18, and among the representatives was 24-year-old Harry Burns. He had voted “nay” twice already, as telegrams from his constituents and colleagues convinced him to. But, during the third vote, he was given a letter from his mother, Febb Ensminger Burn. In the letter, which arrived shortly before the vote, the representative’s mother wrote, “Hurrah and vote for Suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt. I noticed Chandlers' speech, it was very bitter. I’ve been watching to see how you stood but have not seen anything yet...Don't forget to be a good boy and help Mrs. ‘Thomas Catt’ with her "Rats." Is she the one that put rat in ratification, Ha! No more from mama this time.” Swayed by his mother, Burn voted in favor of ratification to the surprise of the chamber. Adoption of the 19th amendment was certified soon after.
Although it was a major victory for universal voting rights, the 19th amendment didn’t guarantee an equal voice to all in practice. Black Americans had been subject to voter suppression tactics and intimidation for decades, and Black women didn’t fare much better when attempting to reach the polls. It wouldn’t be until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1865 that another major step forward would take place. Even so, some Americans still struggle to cast a vote, disenfranchised by legislation that makes it difficult to register or by barriers like inaccessible polling places. If only we still had Febb Ensminger Burn to help the country along!
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of a suffrage worker poking her head through a wall of newspaper clippings about the passage of the 19th Amendment.] Credit & copyright: Suffrage worker with newspaper clippings on the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote by the United States Senate, 1919. Missouri History Museum. Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.
August 17, 2024
-
1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: August 17, 2024\KOH-pee-us\ adjective
What It Means
Copious is a synonym of abundant and plentiful. It is always used befor...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: August 17, 2024\KOH-pee-us\ adjective
What It Means
Copious is a synonym of abundant and plentiful. It is always used befor...
-
6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Some big changes to the real estate market are on the way this weekend. Under a settlement reached earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors is...
Some big changes to the real estate market are on the way this weekend. Under a settlement reached earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors is...
-
FREEDance Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
Were they flashy moves or a flash in the pan? Breaking made its Olympic debut this year in Paris, but it might not be around again in the Summer Games. That would be a shame considering how long the sport took to get to the Olympics in the first place. Breaking (also called breakdancing) is a dance form that originated on the streets of New York City, in the Bronx. Since its birth in the 1970s, breaking has evolved into a style defined by jaw-dropping, often dangerous moves performed with bravado and humor. Breaking was first introduced to the Olympics by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as part of the 2018 Youth Olympic program. It was then added to the Olympic program in 2021 and set to premiere in Paris. Despite concerns that breaking’s casual nature would make for difficult scoring, the new sport was well-received. One Australian breaker who competed under the name “Raygun” did end up going viral for her less-than-stellar performance, for which she earned zero points, but that seemed to be the only major hiccup. Still, breaking won’t be included as an event at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and a sport needs to be in the Olympics three consecutive times to be considered a part of the core program. The success of breaking might still prove to be a stepping stone for the WDSF, whose members have also been pushing for competitive dancing of other disciplines, like ballroom, to be included in the Olympics. It seems only right that athletes should be able to bust a move at the greatest sporting competition on earth.
Were they flashy moves or a flash in the pan? Breaking made its Olympic debut this year in Paris, but it might not be around again in the Summer Games. That would be a shame considering how long the sport took to get to the Olympics in the first place. Breaking (also called breakdancing) is a dance form that originated on the streets of New York City, in the Bronx. Since its birth in the 1970s, breaking has evolved into a style defined by jaw-dropping, often dangerous moves performed with bravado and humor. Breaking was first introduced to the Olympics by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as part of the 2018 Youth Olympic program. It was then added to the Olympic program in 2021 and set to premiere in Paris. Despite concerns that breaking’s casual nature would make for difficult scoring, the new sport was well-received. One Australian breaker who competed under the name “Raygun” did end up going viral for her less-than-stellar performance, for which she earned zero points, but that seemed to be the only major hiccup. Still, breaking won’t be included as an event at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and a sport needs to be in the Olympics three consecutive times to be considered a part of the core program. The success of breaking might still prove to be a stepping stone for the WDSF, whose members have also been pushing for competitive dancing of other disciplines, like ballroom, to be included in the Olympics. It seems only right that athletes should be able to bust a move at the greatest sporting competition on earth.