Curio Cabinet / Daily Curio
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FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #2138Free1 CQ
One-fifth of all cranberries grown in North America this year will be consumed on Thanksgiving. Whether made into juice and served with vodka, a sauce topping turkey, or a tasty, the superfood has disease-fighting antioxidants like Vitamin C. Over one billion pounds of the fruit are consumed each year. In Wisconsin, the top cranberry producer in the United States, the tart fruit grows in sand and peat (turf) marshes. A type of wetland, peatland include bogs, which only receive water from atmospheric sources like rain. When planted, cranberries take 16 months to grow, but their vines will last decades. Cranberry farmers manage two seasons of fruit at once. They flood the bogs twice a year. In December, the water insulates the plants from frost. The bogs are then drained, leaving cranberry vines to bloom and be pollinated by bees. By mid-June, the berries begin to grow. Those receiving adequate sunshine turn a deep red. The bogs are then flooded for October harvest. The water allows farmers to knock berries off vines with machinery, and then corral them into trucks. You've likely seen Ocean Spray farmers thigh-deep in waders demonstrating this process.
The name cranberry comes from the German, kraanbere, meaning crane berry, although it is unknown if that reflects the similarity between sandhill crane birds beaks and the plants' stamens. The Algonquin tribe (located in modern-day Wisconsin) called cranberries, atoqua, and used them for their antimicrobial properties to clean arrow wounds. Today, over 270 farms in Wisconsin grow the tart berry. And thanks to a viral TikTok video of a man drinking Ocean Spray while listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," the fruit has reached new levels of popularity. How berry cool.
Image credit & copyright: Cranberries in the shape of the state of Wisconsin Wisconsin CranberriesOne-fifth of all cranberries grown in North America this year will be consumed on Thanksgiving. Whether made into juice and served with vodka, a sauce topping turkey, or a tasty, the superfood has disease-fighting antioxidants like Vitamin C. Over one billion pounds of the fruit are consumed each year. In Wisconsin, the top cranberry producer in the United States, the tart fruit grows in sand and peat (turf) marshes. A type of wetland, peatland include bogs, which only receive water from atmospheric sources like rain. When planted, cranberries take 16 months to grow, but their vines will last decades. Cranberry farmers manage two seasons of fruit at once. They flood the bogs twice a year. In December, the water insulates the plants from frost. The bogs are then drained, leaving cranberry vines to bloom and be pollinated by bees. By mid-June, the berries begin to grow. Those receiving adequate sunshine turn a deep red. The bogs are then flooded for October harvest. The water allows farmers to knock berries off vines with machinery, and then corral them into trucks. You've likely seen Ocean Spray farmers thigh-deep in waders demonstrating this process.
The name cranberry comes from the German, kraanbere, meaning crane berry, although it is unknown if that reflects the similarity between sandhill crane birds beaks and the plants' stamens. The Algonquin tribe (located in modern-day Wisconsin) called cranberries, atoqua, and used them for their antimicrobial properties to clean arrow wounds. Today, over 270 farms in Wisconsin grow the tart berry. And thanks to a viral TikTok video of a man drinking Ocean Spray while listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," the fruit has reached new levels of popularity. How berry cool.
Image credit & copyright: Cranberries in the shape of the state of Wisconsin Wisconsin Cranberries -
FREEDaily Curio #2137Free1 CQ
Imagine overthrowing an entire government without any bloodshed. That's exactly what Russian empress Elizabeth I did on this day in 1741. The coup d'état was so simple, it was like taking candy from a baby. In this case, the overthrown leader was an actual baby, Tsar Ivan VI. Elizabeth Petrovna (1709-1762) was the daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife, Catherine I. According to her mother's will, Elizabeth I should have been declared empress upon her father's death in 1730. Elizabeth refused her claim, in part because she was attached to her lover at the time. Her cousin, Anna Ivanova, became ruler instead, and designated Ivan VI as her successor. When Anna Ivanova died, Ivan VI became King, although the actual ruling was done by a regent, Anna Leopoldovna. Disappointed with Leopoldovna's decision-making, and the influence of Prussia on the Russian throne, Elizabeth decided to lay claim to the monarchy. With the assistance of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, elite imperial troops, Elizabeth marched into the royal palace and had the King and Regent arrested. "Time to get up, sister," she reportedly told Leopoldovna. (Elizabeth had ingratiated herself to the troops by visiting with them and hosting events in their honor—not to mention serving as godmother to some of their children).
During her reign, the Empress surprised many with her benevolence. She banned capital punishment and expanded free education to everyone except serfs, both unprecedent policies. She also modernized Russian roads, supported the foundation of the Imperial Academy of Arts, and even financed projects like additions to the Winter Palace. Highly regarded, Elizabeth was quite the bonne vivante. A Russian aristocrat described her as “laid-back, cheerful and Russian to the core, [she] embodied the gingerbread splendor of the luxurious mid-eighteenth century.” After her death at 52 (likely from a stroke), Peter III discovered 15,000 dresses in her summer wardrobe alone!
Image credit & copyright: Portrait of Elizabeth painted by Vigilius Eriksen in 1757.Imagine overthrowing an entire government without any bloodshed. That's exactly what Russian empress Elizabeth I did on this day in 1741. The coup d'état was so simple, it was like taking candy from a baby. In this case, the overthrown leader was an actual baby, Tsar Ivan VI. Elizabeth Petrovna (1709-1762) was the daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife, Catherine I. According to her mother's will, Elizabeth I should have been declared empress upon her father's death in 1730. Elizabeth refused her claim, in part because she was attached to her lover at the time. Her cousin, Anna Ivanova, became ruler instead, and designated Ivan VI as her successor. When Anna Ivanova died, Ivan VI became King, although the actual ruling was done by a regent, Anna Leopoldovna. Disappointed with Leopoldovna's decision-making, and the influence of Prussia on the Russian throne, Elizabeth decided to lay claim to the monarchy. With the assistance of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, elite imperial troops, Elizabeth marched into the royal palace and had the King and Regent arrested. "Time to get up, sister," she reportedly told Leopoldovna. (Elizabeth had ingratiated herself to the troops by visiting with them and hosting events in their honor—not to mention serving as godmother to some of their children).
During her reign, the Empress surprised many with her benevolence. She banned capital punishment and expanded free education to everyone except serfs, both unprecedent policies. She also modernized Russian roads, supported the foundation of the Imperial Academy of Arts, and even financed projects like additions to the Winter Palace. Highly regarded, Elizabeth was quite the bonne vivante. A Russian aristocrat described her as “laid-back, cheerful and Russian to the core, [she] embodied the gingerbread splendor of the luxurious mid-eighteenth century.” After her death at 52 (likely from a stroke), Peter III discovered 15,000 dresses in her summer wardrobe alone!
Image credit & copyright: Portrait of Elizabeth painted by Vigilius Eriksen in 1757. -
FREEPolitical Science Daily Curio #2136Free1 CQ
To err is human, to lose a presidential race with dignity and grace is a 100-year-old tradition. While nothing in the Constitution requires a concession speech, the gesture is often treated as a showing of good sportsmanship in the presidential race, and as an effort to bring the nation together after divisive political battles. Did you know, the first concession speech wasn't actually a speech? During the 1896 election, Democrat William Jennings Bryan received word of his loss and swiftly sent a telegram congratulating Republican William McKinley on his win. He telegraphed, "we have submitted the issue to the American people and their will is law." The tradition followed the times and technology. Al Smith conceded in a radio address and threw his support behind Herbert Hoover in 1928. In 1940, Wendell Willkie conceded to Franklin Roosevelt via newsreels. And in 1952, Adlai Stevenson gave his concession speech to Dwight Eisenhower on live television.
Even though concession speeches often draw on similar themes like unity and democracy, not all speeches are created equal. In 1916, Charles Evan Hughes' concession to Woodrow Wilson was nothing less than sore losing: "In the absence of proof of fraud no such cry should be raised to becloud the title of the next President of the United States." Barry Goldwater offered this scathing joke in his 1964 concession speech "I will devote—being unemployed as of Jan. 3 or thereabouts—I'll have a lot of time to devote to this party." In 1980, before the polls even closed in California, Jimmy Carter was on TV conceding his loss to Ronald Reagan. Famously in 2000, Al Gore called to congratulate George W. Bush, though he retracted his statement when Florida became "too close to call." After protracted legal battles and a Supreme Court decision to end the Florida recount in Bush v. Gore, Al Gore conceded the election on December 13, 2000, just days before the Electoral College would cast their decisive votes for George W. Bush. Even though this 2020 election cycle was remarkable in a lot of ways—incredibly high voter turnouts, thousands of mail-in-ballots due to covid, and an unprecedented number of (unfounded) legal challenges to counting the votes—it's likely that the 2024 elections and future ones will see presidential candidates offering concession speeches once again. It's a tradition that signals the end of the race and the return to democratic governance, regardless of whether or not candidates find Election Day results to be inconvenient truths.
Image credit & copyright: Senator John McCain speaks to the crowd during his election night rally in Phoenix November 4, 2008. Joining McCain is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Written by: Esther P.To err is human, to lose a presidential race with dignity and grace is a 100-year-old tradition. While nothing in the Constitution requires a concession speech, the gesture is often treated as a showing of good sportsmanship in the presidential race, and as an effort to bring the nation together after divisive political battles. Did you know, the first concession speech wasn't actually a speech? During the 1896 election, Democrat William Jennings Bryan received word of his loss and swiftly sent a telegram congratulating Republican William McKinley on his win. He telegraphed, "we have submitted the issue to the American people and their will is law." The tradition followed the times and technology. Al Smith conceded in a radio address and threw his support behind Herbert Hoover in 1928. In 1940, Wendell Willkie conceded to Franklin Roosevelt via newsreels. And in 1952, Adlai Stevenson gave his concession speech to Dwight Eisenhower on live television.
Even though concession speeches often draw on similar themes like unity and democracy, not all speeches are created equal. In 1916, Charles Evan Hughes' concession to Woodrow Wilson was nothing less than sore losing: "In the absence of proof of fraud no such cry should be raised to becloud the title of the next President of the United States." Barry Goldwater offered this scathing joke in his 1964 concession speech "I will devote—being unemployed as of Jan. 3 or thereabouts—I'll have a lot of time to devote to this party." In 1980, before the polls even closed in California, Jimmy Carter was on TV conceding his loss to Ronald Reagan. Famously in 2000, Al Gore called to congratulate George W. Bush, though he retracted his statement when Florida became "too close to call." After protracted legal battles and a Supreme Court decision to end the Florida recount in Bush v. Gore, Al Gore conceded the election on December 13, 2000, just days before the Electoral College would cast their decisive votes for George W. Bush. Even though this 2020 election cycle was remarkable in a lot of ways—incredibly high voter turnouts, thousands of mail-in-ballots due to covid, and an unprecedented number of (unfounded) legal challenges to counting the votes—it's likely that the 2024 elections and future ones will see presidential candidates offering concession speeches once again. It's a tradition that signals the end of the race and the return to democratic governance, regardless of whether or not candidates find Election Day results to be inconvenient truths.
Image credit & copyright: Senator John McCain speaks to the crowd during his election night rally in Phoenix November 4, 2008. Joining McCain is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Written by: Esther P. -
FREEHumanities Daily Curio #2135Free1 CQ
Talk about a lasting legacy! T.V. personalities are known to come and go, passing in and out of popular culture along with changing trends. Not so with legendary Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who hosted the popular trivia game show for over 35 years. Trebek's friendly yet dignified demeanor and passion for knowledge endeared him to millions of viewers and made him a true television icon. As Mansee Khurana of The Atlantic wrote, Trebek made Jeopardy special. Despite the show's simple format, he expertly made "trivia nerds look cool".
The public's love for Trebek was made all the more apparent when he announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019. Shortly after the announcement, Trebek and his wife received so many well wishes that Trebek had to publicly (albeit very politely) ask for fans to stop sending him mail. Because Trebek continued working until October 29, 2020, Jeopardy contestants had ample opportunity to express how much Trebek meant to them. During the sixth day of the 2019 Jeopardy Tournament of Champions, rather than writing down a response during Final Jeopardy, contestant Dhruv Gaur wrote "We love you Alex!" Trebek became visibly emotional, as he read the response. In an episode which aired on November 5, 2020, contestant Burt Thakur, tearfully told Trebek that Jeopardy had helped him learn English, as a child. "I learned English because of you. My grandfather, who raised me... I used to sit on his lap and watch you every day," Thakur said. After Trebek's death on November 8, Thakur said, in an interview, "Alex Trebek is a significant reason why I am the way I am." Trebek's final episode of Jeopardy will air on Christmas, this year. No doubt I'll be watching and answering what questions I can through bittersweet holiday tears.
Image credit & copyright: Jeopardy, Twitter
Written by: Maria C.Talk about a lasting legacy! T.V. personalities are known to come and go, passing in and out of popular culture along with changing trends. Not so with legendary Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who hosted the popular trivia game show for over 35 years. Trebek's friendly yet dignified demeanor and passion for knowledge endeared him to millions of viewers and made him a true television icon. As Mansee Khurana of The Atlantic wrote, Trebek made Jeopardy special. Despite the show's simple format, he expertly made "trivia nerds look cool".
The public's love for Trebek was made all the more apparent when he announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019. Shortly after the announcement, Trebek and his wife received so many well wishes that Trebek had to publicly (albeit very politely) ask for fans to stop sending him mail. Because Trebek continued working until October 29, 2020, Jeopardy contestants had ample opportunity to express how much Trebek meant to them. During the sixth day of the 2019 Jeopardy Tournament of Champions, rather than writing down a response during Final Jeopardy, contestant Dhruv Gaur wrote "We love you Alex!" Trebek became visibly emotional, as he read the response. In an episode which aired on November 5, 2020, contestant Burt Thakur, tearfully told Trebek that Jeopardy had helped him learn English, as a child. "I learned English because of you. My grandfather, who raised me... I used to sit on his lap and watch you every day," Thakur said. After Trebek's death on November 8, Thakur said, in an interview, "Alex Trebek is a significant reason why I am the way I am." Trebek's final episode of Jeopardy will air on Christmas, this year. No doubt I'll be watching and answering what questions I can through bittersweet holiday tears.
Image credit & copyright: Jeopardy, Twitter
Written by: Maria C. -
FREEPolitical Science Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Ever wonder why Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November? For today's Thanksgiving Themed Thursday, we're investigating how the retail industry influenced the holiday as we know it. President George Washington declared the national day of Thanksgiving in 1789, but it didn't become an annual celebration until President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863. Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November "a day of thanksgiving and praise." This system worked fine, until 1939. That year, November had five Thursdays, meaning Thanksgiving would fall on the 30th. It was more problematic than you might think. Retail stores, reeling from the Great Depression, worried an abbreviated holiday shopping season would further hurt their already declining sales. So the Retail Dry Goods Association lobbied President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who agreed to reschedule 1939's Thanksgiving for the 23rd of November. Then came the backlash. FDR's date change upset college football programs, local event planners, and calendar makers alike. Coaches protested by voting Republican. The city of Plymouth, site of the first Thanksgiving, released a scornful statement. Some of FDR's rivals compared him to Germany's new leader, Adolf Hitler. Gallup polls showed 59 percent of Americans disapproved of the change. In the end, only 22 states went along with FDR's initiative—what Atlantic City Mayor Thomas Taggart dubbed "Franksgiving"—while 23 refused. The three remaining states chose to celebrate Thanksgiving on both dates, risking their waistlines to appease everybody. In 1941, Congress passed a law mandating that Thanksgiving henceforth occur on the fourth Thursday of November—ensuring such a pointless fiasco never happened again. The retail industry has been riding the gravy train ever since. Speaking of gravy, Happy Thanksgiving!
Image credit & copyright: Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Ever wonder why Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November? For today's Thanksgiving Themed Thursday, we're investigating how the retail industry influenced the holiday as we know it. President George Washington declared the national day of Thanksgiving in 1789, but it didn't become an annual celebration until President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863. Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November "a day of thanksgiving and praise." This system worked fine, until 1939. That year, November had five Thursdays, meaning Thanksgiving would fall on the 30th. It was more problematic than you might think. Retail stores, reeling from the Great Depression, worried an abbreviated holiday shopping season would further hurt their already declining sales. So the Retail Dry Goods Association lobbied President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who agreed to reschedule 1939's Thanksgiving for the 23rd of November. Then came the backlash. FDR's date change upset college football programs, local event planners, and calendar makers alike. Coaches protested by voting Republican. The city of Plymouth, site of the first Thanksgiving, released a scornful statement. Some of FDR's rivals compared him to Germany's new leader, Adolf Hitler. Gallup polls showed 59 percent of Americans disapproved of the change. In the end, only 22 states went along with FDR's initiative—what Atlantic City Mayor Thomas Taggart dubbed "Franksgiving"—while 23 refused. The three remaining states chose to celebrate Thanksgiving on both dates, risking their waistlines to appease everybody. In 1941, Congress passed a law mandating that Thanksgiving henceforth occur on the fourth Thursday of November—ensuring such a pointless fiasco never happened again. The retail industry has been riding the gravy train ever since. Speaking of gravy, Happy Thanksgiving!
Image credit & copyright: Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
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FREEDance Daily Curio #2134Free1 CQ
November is National Family Caregivers Month.
Perhaps you've seen this viral video of Marta C. González, a prima ballerina in the New York Ballet in the 1960s, circulating on social media. Despite her deteriorating memory due to Alzheimer's, upon hearing the music for Swan Lake, González's was able to reenact the choreography for the ballet. Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia, is a progressive brain disorder where people lose their cognitive functioning and daily behavioral abilities. Every 70 seconds someone is diagnosed with the disease in the United Stations—an estimated 5.5 million Americans, mostly over the age of 65 currently suffer from it. While researchers are still learning about the disease, it seems to impact the brain a decade before memory symptoms appear. Areas of the brain affected are the hippocampus, responsible for learning and memory, and the entorhinal cortex, the interface between the hippocampus and the neocortex. Damage to the latter can result in memory, time perception, and sensory loss. In the past two decades, researchers have discovered a unique link between music and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Music activates regions in the brain unaffected beta-amyloid (plaque) and tau (tangles), two proteins responsible for disrupting healthy brain function in Alzheimer's patients. Not only can patients recall music, but it can trigger muscle memory for musicians, dancers, and more. Clinical music therapy also has emotional and behavioral benefits, helping reduce sleep disruptions and boost patients' moods. Clinical music therapy is one of many interventions used to help patients, and caregivers, facing the daily challenges of memory loss, like Gonzéz (who passed away in 2019). The Alzheimer's Association has even collaborated with musicians like Anthony Hamilton, Sting, Lee Ann Womack, Joan Jett, and Nile Rodgers to create an album, "Music Moments" recognizing the importance of music. Listen below!
Alzheimer's Association · Music Moments
Image credit & copyright: Marta C. González in 2019, and in a New York Ballet production of Swan Lake.November is National Family Caregivers Month.
Perhaps you've seen this viral video of Marta C. González, a prima ballerina in the New York Ballet in the 1960s, circulating on social media. Despite her deteriorating memory due to Alzheimer's, upon hearing the music for Swan Lake, González's was able to reenact the choreography for the ballet. Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia, is a progressive brain disorder where people lose their cognitive functioning and daily behavioral abilities. Every 70 seconds someone is diagnosed with the disease in the United Stations—an estimated 5.5 million Americans, mostly over the age of 65 currently suffer from it. While researchers are still learning about the disease, it seems to impact the brain a decade before memory symptoms appear. Areas of the brain affected are the hippocampus, responsible for learning and memory, and the entorhinal cortex, the interface between the hippocampus and the neocortex. Damage to the latter can result in memory, time perception, and sensory loss. In the past two decades, researchers have discovered a unique link between music and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Music activates regions in the brain unaffected beta-amyloid (plaque) and tau (tangles), two proteins responsible for disrupting healthy brain function in Alzheimer's patients. Not only can patients recall music, but it can trigger muscle memory for musicians, dancers, and more. Clinical music therapy also has emotional and behavioral benefits, helping reduce sleep disruptions and boost patients' moods. Clinical music therapy is one of many interventions used to help patients, and caregivers, facing the daily challenges of memory loss, like Gonzéz (who passed away in 2019). The Alzheimer's Association has even collaborated with musicians like Anthony Hamilton, Sting, Lee Ann Womack, Joan Jett, and Nile Rodgers to create an album, "Music Moments" recognizing the importance of music. Listen below!
Alzheimer's Association · Music Moments
Image credit & copyright: Marta C. González in 2019, and in a New York Ballet production of Swan Lake. -
FREEArt Appreciation Daily Curio #2133Free1 CQ
Yet another controversial statue has been erected in New York. The seven-foot tall cast bronze statue depicts a nude Medusa holding the severed head of Perseus, a reversal of the Greek myth. Towering over the Collect Pond Park, it faces the New York County Criminal Court, the site of recent high profile trials, like Harvey Weinstein's indictment for sexual assault and harassment. Commissioned by the New York City Parks’ Art in the Parks program, the statue will remain in the park until April 2021, which for some critics is far too long. Medusa with the Head of Perseus was sculpted by Argentine-Italian artist, Luciano Garbati back in 2008. He calls it a direct response to Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1545-1554), a statue gracing the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.
If you're rusty on Greek mythology, here's a quick recap. King Polydectes held a banquet and demanded each guest bring a gift. He asked Perseus to bring the head of Medusa, a Gorgon. With the assistance of Athena and Poseidon, Perseus found Medusa sleeping in her cave and beheaded her. He was careful not to look directly into her eyes—they turned men to stone—and instead used the reflection in his shield to carry out the execution. This narrative leaves out crucial details. In Ovid's Metamorphoses Medusa is described as, "once most beautiful, and the jealous aspiration of many suitors." The author continues to explain that Poseidon, "lord of the seas, violated her in the temple of Minerva." Athena witnesses this rape, and punishes Medusa by changing her hair into snakes.
Medusa's decapitated head and hair are often referred to as the "gorgoneion" by art historians, and frequently appear in the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. Because traditional representations depict Perseus as the hero, Garbati's inversion poses the question "How can triumph be possible if you are defeating a victim?" Nonetheless, critics have attacked the statue's idealized version of beauty—slim and hairless—as well as the creator. Some wonder if a male artist should be the voice of male violence against women. One things for sure, public art will always inspire hiss-y fits.
Learn more about Cellini's Perseus sculpture.
Image credit & copyright: Medusa with the Head of PerseusYet another controversial statue has been erected in New York. The seven-foot tall cast bronze statue depicts a nude Medusa holding the severed head of Perseus, a reversal of the Greek myth. Towering over the Collect Pond Park, it faces the New York County Criminal Court, the site of recent high profile trials, like Harvey Weinstein's indictment for sexual assault and harassment. Commissioned by the New York City Parks’ Art in the Parks program, the statue will remain in the park until April 2021, which for some critics is far too long. Medusa with the Head of Perseus was sculpted by Argentine-Italian artist, Luciano Garbati back in 2008. He calls it a direct response to Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1545-1554), a statue gracing the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.
If you're rusty on Greek mythology, here's a quick recap. King Polydectes held a banquet and demanded each guest bring a gift. He asked Perseus to bring the head of Medusa, a Gorgon. With the assistance of Athena and Poseidon, Perseus found Medusa sleeping in her cave and beheaded her. He was careful not to look directly into her eyes—they turned men to stone—and instead used the reflection in his shield to carry out the execution. This narrative leaves out crucial details. In Ovid's Metamorphoses Medusa is described as, "once most beautiful, and the jealous aspiration of many suitors." The author continues to explain that Poseidon, "lord of the seas, violated her in the temple of Minerva." Athena witnesses this rape, and punishes Medusa by changing her hair into snakes.
Medusa's decapitated head and hair are often referred to as the "gorgoneion" by art historians, and frequently appear in the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. Because traditional representations depict Perseus as the hero, Garbati's inversion poses the question "How can triumph be possible if you are defeating a victim?" Nonetheless, critics have attacked the statue's idealized version of beauty—slim and hairless—as well as the creator. Some wonder if a male artist should be the voice of male violence against women. One things for sure, public art will always inspire hiss-y fits.
Learn more about Cellini's Perseus sculpture.
Image credit & copyright: Medusa with the Head of Perseus -
FREESTEM Daily Curio #2132Free1 CQ
An estimated 5,000 harpy eagles live in the Amazon forest. Although the species is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of deforestation practices. To protect the fluffy species, conservationists have teamed up with Brazilian nut collectors to trace their nests. The harpy is named after the mythological creature, harpyia, a half-human and half-bird wind spirit. Virgil describes harpies as, "Bird-bodied, girl-faced things they are; abominable their droppings, their hands are talons, their faces haggard with hunger insatiable." The name is quite apt—harpies are the largest raptor in the Amazon. With a wingspan up to 6 feet, the deadly birds weigh up to 22 pounds. Their talons are the size of grizzly bears, allowing them to deftly capture prey such as monkeys, sloths, and even deer. In the main fork of the tallest trees in the Amazon they build nests that are up to 8 feet wide. Happy harpies use a single nest for years. They mate for life (averaging between 25 and 35 years) and produce a chick every 2 to 4 years. An estimated 5,000 harpies live in the Amazon, but their habitat is endangered. The rainforest is being destroyed by cattle ranching and commercial logging ventures, over 95% of which are technically illegal. The Brazilian government has a complicated relationship to the Amazon in its borders. In 1966, they launched a major colonization project, granting land for commercial use and to the impoverished for farming. Under the current leadership of President Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Amazon has skyrocketed. Last year alone, the square footage of deforestation increased 29.5%. This year, an 82% increase in wildfires continued to devastate the region. Conservationists, like Everton Miranda, a Professor at Mato Grosso State University, are trying to protect the local habitat for harpies. Aided by Brazilian nut collectors, Miranda has identified over 30 nests. The team communicates using WhatsApp, marking the coordinates of the harpy homes. Their mission has also prompted a new wave of ecotourism, bringing much needed financial resources to their conservation efforts. Miranda believes that showing locals the value of protecting harpies (and their habitats), will protect them. If the forests are harpy, the whole ecosystem is happy.
Learn more about deforestation in the Amazon, and efforts to curb it:
Image credit & copyright: Conservationists at the Tambopata Research Center noticed the nest of a harpy eagle high in an ironwood tree. Copyright, Jeff Cremer photography 2015.An estimated 5,000 harpy eagles live in the Amazon forest. Although the species is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of deforestation practices. To protect the fluffy species, conservationists have teamed up with Brazilian nut collectors to trace their nests. The harpy is named after the mythological creature, harpyia, a half-human and half-bird wind spirit. Virgil describes harpies as, "Bird-bodied, girl-faced things they are; abominable their droppings, their hands are talons, their faces haggard with hunger insatiable." The name is quite apt—harpies are the largest raptor in the Amazon. With a wingspan up to 6 feet, the deadly birds weigh up to 22 pounds. Their talons are the size of grizzly bears, allowing them to deftly capture prey such as monkeys, sloths, and even deer. In the main fork of the tallest trees in the Amazon they build nests that are up to 8 feet wide. Happy harpies use a single nest for years. They mate for life (averaging between 25 and 35 years) and produce a chick every 2 to 4 years. An estimated 5,000 harpies live in the Amazon, but their habitat is endangered. The rainforest is being destroyed by cattle ranching and commercial logging ventures, over 95% of which are technically illegal. The Brazilian government has a complicated relationship to the Amazon in its borders. In 1966, they launched a major colonization project, granting land for commercial use and to the impoverished for farming. Under the current leadership of President Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Amazon has skyrocketed. Last year alone, the square footage of deforestation increased 29.5%. This year, an 82% increase in wildfires continued to devastate the region. Conservationists, like Everton Miranda, a Professor at Mato Grosso State University, are trying to protect the local habitat for harpies. Aided by Brazilian nut collectors, Miranda has identified over 30 nests. The team communicates using WhatsApp, marking the coordinates of the harpy homes. Their mission has also prompted a new wave of ecotourism, bringing much needed financial resources to their conservation efforts. Miranda believes that showing locals the value of protecting harpies (and their habitats), will protect them. If the forests are harpy, the whole ecosystem is happy.
Learn more about deforestation in the Amazon, and efforts to curb it:
Image credit & copyright: Conservationists at the Tambopata Research Center noticed the nest of a harpy eagle high in an ironwood tree. Copyright, Jeff Cremer photography 2015. -
FREEWork Daily Curio #2131Free1 CQ
865,000 women over the age of 20 left the U.S. workforce this September. Nearly 40% were Latina women, while less than 10% were Black women. For comparison, only 216,000 men left the workforce. What caused this female recession, and why does it matter? According to the National Women's Law Center, there are roughly 24 million employees in the 40 lowest-paying jobs (e.g. education, retail, childcare, and hospitality). Two-thirds of those employees are women. primarily women of color. Due to the pandemic, most of these employees suffered wage loss, furloughs, or even termination. This demographic will be the slowest to financially recover. Before covid-19,
the average working woman made 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. That means she would have had to work 72 days into the following year to make the same amount as a man does in one year. The difference amounts to over $400,000 in lost wages over the course of a 40-year career. For women of color, that gap widened. Black women earned 62 cents, Native American women earned 57 cents, and Latina women earned 54 cents for every dollar a man earns. The recession is set to widen this gender wage gap by 5 percentage points. Without an intervention, it would take Latinas until 2220—yes, 200 years—to reach pay equality. Of course the pandemic isn't just affecting women in low-paying industries. Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In foundation found 1 in 4 women in corporate America was contemplating "resigning or downshifting her career—perhaps going part time, leaving for a less demanding job or finding a job with better work-life balance" because of the pandemic. For women in dual-income households with male partners, they are still statistically more likely to be the lower wage earner. Because women took on the brunt of new caregiving responsibilities prompted by remote learning, care facilities in crisis, and a dearth of specialized aides for those with chronic illness or disabilities, they were also more likely to have to change or leave their jobs. This loss of women in corporate America could have devastating consequences, setting back gender parity a half-century.
Image credit & copyright: Source: IWPR analysis of data from P-38 Historical Income Tables from U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements as of September 15, 2020.865,000 women over the age of 20 left the U.S. workforce this September. Nearly 40% were Latina women, while less than 10% were Black women. For comparison, only 216,000 men left the workforce. What caused this female recession, and why does it matter? According to the National Women's Law Center, there are roughly 24 million employees in the 40 lowest-paying jobs (e.g. education, retail, childcare, and hospitality). Two-thirds of those employees are women. primarily women of color. Due to the pandemic, most of these employees suffered wage loss, furloughs, or even termination. This demographic will be the slowest to financially recover. Before covid-19,
the average working woman made 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. That means she would have had to work 72 days into the following year to make the same amount as a man does in one year. The difference amounts to over $400,000 in lost wages over the course of a 40-year career. For women of color, that gap widened. Black women earned 62 cents, Native American women earned 57 cents, and Latina women earned 54 cents for every dollar a man earns. The recession is set to widen this gender wage gap by 5 percentage points. Without an intervention, it would take Latinas until 2220—yes, 200 years—to reach pay equality. Of course the pandemic isn't just affecting women in low-paying industries. Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In foundation found 1 in 4 women in corporate America was contemplating "resigning or downshifting her career—perhaps going part time, leaving for a less demanding job or finding a job with better work-life balance" because of the pandemic. For women in dual-income households with male partners, they are still statistically more likely to be the lower wage earner. Because women took on the brunt of new caregiving responsibilities prompted by remote learning, care facilities in crisis, and a dearth of specialized aides for those with chronic illness or disabilities, they were also more likely to have to change or leave their jobs. This loss of women in corporate America could have devastating consequences, setting back gender parity a half-century.
Image credit & copyright: Source: IWPR analysis of data from P-38 Historical Income Tables from U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements as of September 15, 2020. -
FREEUS History Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Civil War General Ambrose Burnside isn't remembered for his acumen on the battlefield, or even for his public service as a Rhode Island governor and U.S. Senator. Apparently, Burnside held his own abilities in relatively low esteem, twice refusing to accept command of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War because he felt he wasn't worthy of the post. He accepted the third time when he learned that President Lincoln was going to give it instead to a man he greatly distrusted. His service as the first President of the National Rifle Association was not especially noteworthy either. General Burnsides is remembered instead for his spectacular facial hair. His busy sideburns erupted on both sides of his face and then connected with his mustache in two broad wing-shapes of beard. But both the area under his mouth and his full chin were always clean-shaven. Despite being an uninspiring tactician, Burnside was immensely liked by his soldiers, peers, and constituents; and they took to copying his unique facial hairstyle. So much so that they began calling his mutton-chop plus mustache arrangement "burnsides." It wasn't too long before people began reversing the syllables—and losing the mustache. "Sideburns" were named. Hipsters, can I get an amen?
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Civil War General Ambrose Burnside isn't remembered for his acumen on the battlefield, or even for his public service as a Rhode Island governor and U.S. Senator. Apparently, Burnside held his own abilities in relatively low esteem, twice refusing to accept command of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War because he felt he wasn't worthy of the post. He accepted the third time when he learned that President Lincoln was going to give it instead to a man he greatly distrusted. His service as the first President of the National Rifle Association was not especially noteworthy either. General Burnsides is remembered instead for his spectacular facial hair. His busy sideburns erupted on both sides of his face and then connected with his mustache in two broad wing-shapes of beard. But both the area under his mouth and his full chin were always clean-shaven. Despite being an uninspiring tactician, Burnside was immensely liked by his soldiers, peers, and constituents; and they took to copying his unique facial hairstyle. So much so that they began calling his mutton-chop plus mustache arrangement "burnsides." It wasn't too long before people began reversing the syllables—and losing the mustache. "Sideburns" were named. Hipsters, can I get an amen?
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FREEUS History Daily Curio #2130Free1 CQ
The Gullah Geechee people have a lot to be thankful for this month. An episode of Padma Lakshimi's Taste the Nation highlighted their food and culture on Hulu. Also, the recently-launched online fundraiser for the Land Legacy Fund is bringing attention to their heritage and culture . The Gullah Geechee people live on the southern islands off the coast of South Carolina. Their roots in North America date back to the slave trade. Forcibly removed from their homes in West Africa, known as the "Rice Coast" to slave traders who valued their rice farming skills, the Gullah Geechee people were bought to cultivate the crop in America. The slave trade also transported malaria and yellow fever from Africa, illnesses to which some of the enslaved farmers were immune. While the diseases ravaged white European populations, the African farmers were left relatively unharmed. Isolated from the colonizers, they created a creole culture. Their language incorporates elements of English and African languages. They produce fiber arts with African designs, and have unique food traditions with dishes similar to jollof rice and gumbo.
When the Civil War broke out, the Gullah Geechee joined Union troops. After the War, Plantation owners abandoned the land. The Gullah Geechee people then bought communal lands. Gullah Geechee etymology may stem from several sources like the Dyula African tribe or the Ogeechee River in Georgia. In 2006, Congress passed the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Act, which allocated $10 million over 10 years to the preservation of lowcountry islands' culture, overseen by the U.S. National Park Service. With the death of family elders, encroaching "plantation" named resort communities, and global warming rising sea levels threatening their homelands, the Gullah Geechee are taking action against the loss of their history and heritage. The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition is working internationally to maintain land rights and gain recognition as a nation independent from the U.S. with rich ties to West African traditions. Social media is also providing ways for Geechee descendants to combat the shame associated with a Black rural culture's "broken English" by sharing Instagram shots of red rice food porn, visual history lessons, and "flam" memes about unreliable things in life. If current trends are any indicator, the Gullah Geechee are going to build their futures on a deep reverence for the traditions and coalitions their ancestors made over 150 years ago.
Image credit & copyright: Members of the Gullah/Geechee Nation.
Written by: Esther P.The Gullah Geechee people have a lot to be thankful for this month. An episode of Padma Lakshimi's Taste the Nation highlighted their food and culture on Hulu. Also, the recently-launched online fundraiser for the Land Legacy Fund is bringing attention to their heritage and culture . The Gullah Geechee people live on the southern islands off the coast of South Carolina. Their roots in North America date back to the slave trade. Forcibly removed from their homes in West Africa, known as the "Rice Coast" to slave traders who valued their rice farming skills, the Gullah Geechee people were bought to cultivate the crop in America. The slave trade also transported malaria and yellow fever from Africa, illnesses to which some of the enslaved farmers were immune. While the diseases ravaged white European populations, the African farmers were left relatively unharmed. Isolated from the colonizers, they created a creole culture. Their language incorporates elements of English and African languages. They produce fiber arts with African designs, and have unique food traditions with dishes similar to jollof rice and gumbo.
When the Civil War broke out, the Gullah Geechee joined Union troops. After the War, Plantation owners abandoned the land. The Gullah Geechee people then bought communal lands. Gullah Geechee etymology may stem from several sources like the Dyula African tribe or the Ogeechee River in Georgia. In 2006, Congress passed the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Act, which allocated $10 million over 10 years to the preservation of lowcountry islands' culture, overseen by the U.S. National Park Service. With the death of family elders, encroaching "plantation" named resort communities, and global warming rising sea levels threatening their homelands, the Gullah Geechee are taking action against the loss of their history and heritage. The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition is working internationally to maintain land rights and gain recognition as a nation independent from the U.S. with rich ties to West African traditions. Social media is also providing ways for Geechee descendants to combat the shame associated with a Black rural culture's "broken English" by sharing Instagram shots of red rice food porn, visual history lessons, and "flam" memes about unreliable things in life. If current trends are any indicator, the Gullah Geechee are going to build their futures on a deep reverence for the traditions and coalitions their ancestors made over 150 years ago.
Image credit & copyright: Members of the Gullah/Geechee Nation.
Written by: Esther P. -
FREEBiology Daily Curio #2129Free1 CQ
As if this critter wasn't strange enough already! Famed for its odd looks and its venom, the platypus has just revealed a new hidden trait. Scientists at Northland College in Wisconsin recently discovered platypus fur glows blueish-green under ultraviolet light. This makes the platypus one of only a handful of mammals to exhibit biofluorescence, a trait usually reserved for birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles. Not to be confused with bioluminescence, in which organisms produce their own glowing light, bio fluorescence has to do with how an animal's fur or feathers, or exoskeleton absorbs light. Biofluorescent animals absorb short wavelengths of light and re-emit longer wavelengths under certain conditions. Although platypuses have dark brown fur in normal light, their coloring changes dramatically in ultraviolet light. The scientists who discovered this were trying to see "how deep in the mammalian tree the trait of biofluorescent fur went." Although they also admitted to being motivated by a "mix of serendipity and curiosity". Platypuses are one of the oldest orders of mammals in the world so their characteristics reveal important information about mammalian ancestry. The platypus is one of only two monotremes—egg-laying mammals—in the world. The other is the spiny anteater, or Echidna, which is found in Australia and New Guinea. Like the platypus, the echidna also lays eggs. It isn't yet known if the echidna will also be checked for biofluorescence, but with opossums and flying squirrels also exhibiting the trait, it's hard to know which mammals might be next. Personally, I'm hoping for a rave-ready tiger.
Image credit & copyright: Mammalia 2020
Written by: Maria C.As if this critter wasn't strange enough already! Famed for its odd looks and its venom, the platypus has just revealed a new hidden trait. Scientists at Northland College in Wisconsin recently discovered platypus fur glows blueish-green under ultraviolet light. This makes the platypus one of only a handful of mammals to exhibit biofluorescence, a trait usually reserved for birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles. Not to be confused with bioluminescence, in which organisms produce their own glowing light, bio fluorescence has to do with how an animal's fur or feathers, or exoskeleton absorbs light. Biofluorescent animals absorb short wavelengths of light and re-emit longer wavelengths under certain conditions. Although platypuses have dark brown fur in normal light, their coloring changes dramatically in ultraviolet light. The scientists who discovered this were trying to see "how deep in the mammalian tree the trait of biofluorescent fur went." Although they also admitted to being motivated by a "mix of serendipity and curiosity". Platypuses are one of the oldest orders of mammals in the world so their characteristics reveal important information about mammalian ancestry. The platypus is one of only two monotremes—egg-laying mammals—in the world. The other is the spiny anteater, or Echidna, which is found in Australia and New Guinea. Like the platypus, the echidna also lays eggs. It isn't yet known if the echidna will also be checked for biofluorescence, but with opossums and flying squirrels also exhibiting the trait, it's hard to know which mammals might be next. Personally, I'm hoping for a rave-ready tiger.
Image credit & copyright: Mammalia 2020
Written by: Maria C. -
FREESTEM Daily Curio #2128Free1 CQ
Halloween and Election Day weren't the only scary days in the San Francisco Bay Area this year. On September 8th, many residents woke up to a sunless orange sky that seemed so unreal it was compared to scenes from the post-apocalyptic film Blade Runner 2049. But what actually caused the ominous cityscape? It had to do with wildfire season in California, the specific climate of the Bay Area, and sunlight. Unlike the northeast U.S. where Fall brings cool, crisp weather, California's Septembers often come with record-breaking heat and winds—the perfect catalysts for forest fires. With nearly 100 fires raging in the western U.S. at the time, California's skies were covered in hydrocarbons, compounds of hydrogen and carbon found in natural gas and petroleum. The smoke plumes reached over 50,000 feet into the atmosphere.
Cooler morning temperatures in the Bay Area also brought about a low marine layer of fog. Playfully nicknamed "Karl the Fog", it stagnated beneath the smoke. While Karl the Fog's water vapor particles usually absorb red-orange light waves from the sunlight, the smaller and more reactive hydrocarbon smoke particles both absorb and refract red wavelengths of light. All these elements—the high smoke clouds obscuring the sky, the dense marine fog keeping the smoke in place, and the sunlight interacting with the smoke—resulted in the dark orange colors seen in the daylight hours of September 8th in the Bay. Well… actually… those and the numerous electrical fire hazards and increasingly dangerous weather conditions brought about by global warming. While we're sure many San Francisco residents would love to cosplay a Philip K. Dick-inspired sci-fi story, this was definitely not the way to go about it.
Image credit & copyright: John Edelson / Getty Images
Written by: Esther P.Halloween and Election Day weren't the only scary days in the San Francisco Bay Area this year. On September 8th, many residents woke up to a sunless orange sky that seemed so unreal it was compared to scenes from the post-apocalyptic film Blade Runner 2049. But what actually caused the ominous cityscape? It had to do with wildfire season in California, the specific climate of the Bay Area, and sunlight. Unlike the northeast U.S. where Fall brings cool, crisp weather, California's Septembers often come with record-breaking heat and winds—the perfect catalysts for forest fires. With nearly 100 fires raging in the western U.S. at the time, California's skies were covered in hydrocarbons, compounds of hydrogen and carbon found in natural gas and petroleum. The smoke plumes reached over 50,000 feet into the atmosphere.
Cooler morning temperatures in the Bay Area also brought about a low marine layer of fog. Playfully nicknamed "Karl the Fog", it stagnated beneath the smoke. While Karl the Fog's water vapor particles usually absorb red-orange light waves from the sunlight, the smaller and more reactive hydrocarbon smoke particles both absorb and refract red wavelengths of light. All these elements—the high smoke clouds obscuring the sky, the dense marine fog keeping the smoke in place, and the sunlight interacting with the smoke—resulted in the dark orange colors seen in the daylight hours of September 8th in the Bay. Well… actually… those and the numerous electrical fire hazards and increasingly dangerous weather conditions brought about by global warming. While we're sure many San Francisco residents would love to cosplay a Philip K. Dick-inspired sci-fi story, this was definitely not the way to go about it.
Image credit & copyright: John Edelson / Getty Images
Written by: Esther P. -
FREEUS History Daily Curio #2127Free1 CQ
Millennials have been censured for a lot of things—spending all their money on avocado toast, killing the diamond, napkin, and bar soaps industries, and driving up the cost of rent in major cities. Well, at least the latter is true. As of 2010, 50% of all Americans lived in cities. Millennials comprised a majority of city-dwellers, choosing to live closer to their work and enjoy the perks of city life. With covid-19, that trend is changing. There's been a 27% increase in temporary (less than 6 months) moves, as identified by the Post Office's "Change in Address" data. Rents in major cities are tumbling, but the suburban housing market is booming. Earlier this year, an estimated 110,000 thousand people left Manhattan and 43,000 left Brooklyn. Meanwhile around 30,000 people left Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Whether they went to second homes or somewhere else to wait out the pandemic is unknown. But one thing is certain, many are heading to Texas with three Texan suburbs landing as top destinations: Katy, a suburb of Houston, Frisco, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, and Georgetown and Leander, suburbs of Austin. With the opportunity to work remotely, millennials are seeking more affordable housing options within close proximity to metro metropolitan areas. No more is a long commute a barrier to suburban lifestyle. Of course, this ebb and flow of city and suburban populations is not new. Before World War II only 13% of Americans lived in suburbs. After 1945, the GI bill encouraged (white) Americans to move to suburbia as their benefits included guaranteed home loans. The invention of track housing created mass produced communities, ensuring an abundance of supply. Meanwhile growing industries, like home appliances, glamorized homeownership. From the 1960s to the Great Recession, suburbs continued to grow. In the past decade, that trend reversed, until now. Of course, Millennials moving to suburbs to raise their families are not looked upon favorably by everyone. Today, American suburbs are more diverse, educated, and politically-divided than ever. Looks like there's something else Millennials can be blamed for!
Image credit & copyright: General Electric advertisement of a US soldier and his wife dreaming of a home. Courtesy of State Museum of Pennsylvania.Millennials have been censured for a lot of things—spending all their money on avocado toast, killing the diamond, napkin, and bar soaps industries, and driving up the cost of rent in major cities. Well, at least the latter is true. As of 2010, 50% of all Americans lived in cities. Millennials comprised a majority of city-dwellers, choosing to live closer to their work and enjoy the perks of city life. With covid-19, that trend is changing. There's been a 27% increase in temporary (less than 6 months) moves, as identified by the Post Office's "Change in Address" data. Rents in major cities are tumbling, but the suburban housing market is booming. Earlier this year, an estimated 110,000 thousand people left Manhattan and 43,000 left Brooklyn. Meanwhile around 30,000 people left Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Whether they went to second homes or somewhere else to wait out the pandemic is unknown. But one thing is certain, many are heading to Texas with three Texan suburbs landing as top destinations: Katy, a suburb of Houston, Frisco, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, and Georgetown and Leander, suburbs of Austin. With the opportunity to work remotely, millennials are seeking more affordable housing options within close proximity to metro metropolitan areas. No more is a long commute a barrier to suburban lifestyle. Of course, this ebb and flow of city and suburban populations is not new. Before World War II only 13% of Americans lived in suburbs. After 1945, the GI bill encouraged (white) Americans to move to suburbia as their benefits included guaranteed home loans. The invention of track housing created mass produced communities, ensuring an abundance of supply. Meanwhile growing industries, like home appliances, glamorized homeownership. From the 1960s to the Great Recession, suburbs continued to grow. In the past decade, that trend reversed, until now. Of course, Millennials moving to suburbs to raise their families are not looked upon favorably by everyone. Today, American suburbs are more diverse, educated, and politically-divided than ever. Looks like there's something else Millennials can be blamed for!
Image credit & copyright: General Electric advertisement of a US soldier and his wife dreaming of a home. Courtesy of State Museum of Pennsylvania. -
FREEPolitical Science Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Thank god: the 2020 US Presidential Election has finally ended. Have you ever wondered why America votes on Tuesday? Specifically the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November? Thank the farmers. In the 19th century, US farmers were a powerful constituency. And they had quite a few needs. First, they often required a full day to travel to and from their polling place. Polls were located only in big cities, and travel via horse-and-buggy was often grueling. Second, they couldn’t miss two days of work or their crops would die—so Election Day had to occur after harvest (October) and before spring planting (March/April). That left early November as the best chance for mild weather. Then there was the day of the week. Since most voters were Christian, Sunday was out. That meant Monday had to be a travel day. Tuesday had appeal because many people already traveled into town that day to get ready for the traditional Wednesday market—where rural citizens would convene to buy and sell goods. (In the UK, Election Day falls on Thursdays for this same reason.) Finally, there had to be some way to ensure that Election Day would never fall on the All Saints' Day holiday of November 1st. So, in 1845, the US Congress designated the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November as Election Day. Needless to say, times have changed. For many, voting on Tuesdays is very inconvenient. Possibly related, the US has among the lowest voter turnout percentage of all developed nations. Many politicians have advocated for Saturday voting, although college football fans might have something to say about that. Bernie Sanders has called for Election Day to be a national holiday. As for the farmers, today they make up just 2% of the entire population. And they have cars, and mail-in ballots. But even if we vote on Tuesdays for anachronistic reasons, we hope you are making it a top priority today!
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Thank god: the 2020 US Presidential Election has finally ended. Have you ever wondered why America votes on Tuesday? Specifically the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November? Thank the farmers. In the 19th century, US farmers were a powerful constituency. And they had quite a few needs. First, they often required a full day to travel to and from their polling place. Polls were located only in big cities, and travel via horse-and-buggy was often grueling. Second, they couldn’t miss two days of work or their crops would die—so Election Day had to occur after harvest (October) and before spring planting (March/April). That left early November as the best chance for mild weather. Then there was the day of the week. Since most voters were Christian, Sunday was out. That meant Monday had to be a travel day. Tuesday had appeal because many people already traveled into town that day to get ready for the traditional Wednesday market—where rural citizens would convene to buy and sell goods. (In the UK, Election Day falls on Thursdays for this same reason.) Finally, there had to be some way to ensure that Election Day would never fall on the All Saints' Day holiday of November 1st. So, in 1845, the US Congress designated the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November as Election Day. Needless to say, times have changed. For many, voting on Tuesdays is very inconvenient. Possibly related, the US has among the lowest voter turnout percentage of all developed nations. Many politicians have advocated for Saturday voting, although college football fans might have something to say about that. Bernie Sanders has called for Election Day to be a national holiday. As for the farmers, today they make up just 2% of the entire population. And they have cars, and mail-in ballots. But even if we vote on Tuesdays for anachronistic reasons, we hope you are making it a top priority today!
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FREESTEM Daily Curio #2126Free1 CQ
In 2012, Hostess announced it was going out of business leading frenzied fans to stock up on their favorite snacks. After all, rumor has it that Twinkies will survive the apocalypse (alongside Oreos). Plus, Twinkies are an American icon. They've featured in movies like Ghostbusters (1984), Die Hard (1988), and WALL-E (2008), been submitted as evidence in a criminal court (the "Twinkie defense"), and even considered bribery during a local city council election ("Twinkiegate"). So how did those stockpiled Hostess snacks fare? Colin Purrington found out when he opened his stash of 8-year-old Twinkies and found them in various states of "freshness": one looked like a shriveled up mushroom, another like it had been bruised. Purrington shared his tasty findings on Twitter, catching the attention of Brian Lovett and Matt Kasson, scientists at West Virginia University who study fungi. Twinkies are an ideal subject for such research. Officially, Twinkies' shelf life is 45 days. Although the original recipe (1930) included recognizable ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter, the modern version has 39 ingredients, 8 of which are derived from corn. From mono- and diglycerides to polysorbate 60 and hydrogenated shortening the list of chemically-derived ingredients goes on. Technically only one of its ingredients is a preservative—sorbic acid—intended to prevent mold. Lovett and Kasson studied the mummified Twinkies, discovering the mold, a species of Cladosporium, had left "cream" filling intact. How appetizing.
See a Twinkie at George Stevens Academy that is 44 years old.
Image credit & copyright: 8-year-old Twinkies from Colin Purrington's basement, NPR, 2020.In 2012, Hostess announced it was going out of business leading frenzied fans to stock up on their favorite snacks. After all, rumor has it that Twinkies will survive the apocalypse (alongside Oreos). Plus, Twinkies are an American icon. They've featured in movies like Ghostbusters (1984), Die Hard (1988), and WALL-E (2008), been submitted as evidence in a criminal court (the "Twinkie defense"), and even considered bribery during a local city council election ("Twinkiegate"). So how did those stockpiled Hostess snacks fare? Colin Purrington found out when he opened his stash of 8-year-old Twinkies and found them in various states of "freshness": one looked like a shriveled up mushroom, another like it had been bruised. Purrington shared his tasty findings on Twitter, catching the attention of Brian Lovett and Matt Kasson, scientists at West Virginia University who study fungi. Twinkies are an ideal subject for such research. Officially, Twinkies' shelf life is 45 days. Although the original recipe (1930) included recognizable ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter, the modern version has 39 ingredients, 8 of which are derived from corn. From mono- and diglycerides to polysorbate 60 and hydrogenated shortening the list of chemically-derived ingredients goes on. Technically only one of its ingredients is a preservative—sorbic acid—intended to prevent mold. Lovett and Kasson studied the mummified Twinkies, discovering the mold, a species of Cladosporium, had left "cream" filling intact. How appetizing.
See a Twinkie at George Stevens Academy that is 44 years old.
Image credit & copyright: 8-year-old Twinkies from Colin Purrington's basement, NPR, 2020. -
FREESTEM Daily Curio #2125Free1 CQ
Well it looks like Twinkies and cockroaches won't be the only things surviving the apocalypse. Thanks to a Norweigan bunker, we can now add Oreos to the list. On October 3, Oreo-lover Olivia Gordon tweeted, "so apparently there's an asteroid coming close to earth soon... I wonder who will save the oreos?" Oreo's marketing today lept into action, recognizing the prime marketing opportunity. Their vault claims to be a preventative measure for Asteroid 2018VP1, which was scheduled to come close to Earth yesterday. While there was a 0.41% case the asteroid collides with Earth, NASA assured the asteroid would have disintegrated when entering the atmosphere because of its small size (6.5 feet). It certainly wouldn't have triggered the apocalypse. Oreo wasn't taking any chances, and build a vault in Svalbard, Norway at 78° 08’ 58.1” N, 16° 01’ 59.7” E (in case you needed to know). Just down the way is the Global Seed Vault, which contains over a million seed samples. Inspired by the seed vault, Oreo packed its signature cookie in mylar capable of withstanding temperatures between -80 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The cookies will remain at a stable temperature "for all humankind" to enjoy. The vault also includes the secret cookie recipe and ingredients, so we can whip up a "fresh" batch after the apocalypse.
First created by the National Biscuit Company (abbreviated as Nabisco) in 1912, the traditional Oreo cookie has a "crème" filling sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. Oreos are available in over 100 countries. Recipe variations have included the Double Stuf, Uh-Oh Oreo, and The Most Stuf. Each year, there are also limited flavors. 2020 includes caramel coconut, chocolate marshmallow, tiramisu, and gingerbread. Unfortunately none of those flavors will be featured in the vault—although beloved treats like Moon Pies were invited to join. The publicity stunt sure got people talking about Oreos, but also had a few casualties, like poor oatmeal raisin cookies.
Image credit & copyright: Oreo, 2020.Well it looks like Twinkies and cockroaches won't be the only things surviving the apocalypse. Thanks to a Norweigan bunker, we can now add Oreos to the list. On October 3, Oreo-lover Olivia Gordon tweeted, "so apparently there's an asteroid coming close to earth soon... I wonder who will save the oreos?" Oreo's marketing today lept into action, recognizing the prime marketing opportunity. Their vault claims to be a preventative measure for Asteroid 2018VP1, which was scheduled to come close to Earth yesterday. While there was a 0.41% case the asteroid collides with Earth, NASA assured the asteroid would have disintegrated when entering the atmosphere because of its small size (6.5 feet). It certainly wouldn't have triggered the apocalypse. Oreo wasn't taking any chances, and build a vault in Svalbard, Norway at 78° 08’ 58.1” N, 16° 01’ 59.7” E (in case you needed to know). Just down the way is the Global Seed Vault, which contains over a million seed samples. Inspired by the seed vault, Oreo packed its signature cookie in mylar capable of withstanding temperatures between -80 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The cookies will remain at a stable temperature "for all humankind" to enjoy. The vault also includes the secret cookie recipe and ingredients, so we can whip up a "fresh" batch after the apocalypse.
First created by the National Biscuit Company (abbreviated as Nabisco) in 1912, the traditional Oreo cookie has a "crème" filling sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. Oreos are available in over 100 countries. Recipe variations have included the Double Stuf, Uh-Oh Oreo, and The Most Stuf. Each year, there are also limited flavors. 2020 includes caramel coconut, chocolate marshmallow, tiramisu, and gingerbread. Unfortunately none of those flavors will be featured in the vault—although beloved treats like Moon Pies were invited to join. The publicity stunt sure got people talking about Oreos, but also had a few casualties, like poor oatmeal raisin cookies.
Image credit & copyright: Oreo, 2020. -
FREEPolitical Science Daily Curio #2124Free1 CQ
It's Election Day. Find your polling station and get out the vote!
100 years ago, Republican Senator Warren G. Harding faced off against Democratic Governor James M. Cox for the 34th presidential election. Both representatives from Ohio, the candidates battled for the votes of constituents who were still reeling from the effects of the flu pandemic and the Great War. For the first time, this also included (mostly white) women voters. Although then-President Woodrow Wilson privately hoped to run for a third term, the Republicans settled on Harding, a dark-horse candidate. Wilson had suffered a severe stroke the year before, which left him paralyzed on his left side and with partial vision. He was bedridden for weeks, but the severity of his condition was not made public until February 1920. (It is speculated the First Lady, Edith Wilson, had much influence on the leadership of the U.S. during this period.) His successor, Harding, ran a "Front Porch Campaign"—he rarely travelled and instead spoke with constituents on his front lawn in Marion, Ohio. He espoused the values of America, and the importance of bringing "normalcy" back into American life. Harding won 37 of the 48 states, and more than 16 million votes, double his competitor. In his inaugural speech, Harding proclaimed, "Our supreme task is the resumption of our onward, normal way. Reconstruction, readjustment, restoration all these must follow." Of course, Harding's presidency was far from normal. Gang violence and organized crime grew during Prohibition. Oil men bribed his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, for federal land drilling rights—a series of events known as the Teapot Dome Scandal. Harding died 3 years into his presidency, and was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge. After his death, knowledge of his extramarital affair became public. Sound familiar?
Image credit & copyright: A 1921 cartoon by John Tinney about Harding's plan for "normalcy", Courtesy of the Newberry LibraryIt's Election Day. Find your polling station and get out the vote!
100 years ago, Republican Senator Warren G. Harding faced off against Democratic Governor James M. Cox for the 34th presidential election. Both representatives from Ohio, the candidates battled for the votes of constituents who were still reeling from the effects of the flu pandemic and the Great War. For the first time, this also included (mostly white) women voters. Although then-President Woodrow Wilson privately hoped to run for a third term, the Republicans settled on Harding, a dark-horse candidate. Wilson had suffered a severe stroke the year before, which left him paralyzed on his left side and with partial vision. He was bedridden for weeks, but the severity of his condition was not made public until February 1920. (It is speculated the First Lady, Edith Wilson, had much influence on the leadership of the U.S. during this period.) His successor, Harding, ran a "Front Porch Campaign"—he rarely travelled and instead spoke with constituents on his front lawn in Marion, Ohio. He espoused the values of America, and the importance of bringing "normalcy" back into American life. Harding won 37 of the 48 states, and more than 16 million votes, double his competitor. In his inaugural speech, Harding proclaimed, "Our supreme task is the resumption of our onward, normal way. Reconstruction, readjustment, restoration all these must follow." Of course, Harding's presidency was far from normal. Gang violence and organized crime grew during Prohibition. Oil men bribed his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, for federal land drilling rights—a series of events known as the Teapot Dome Scandal. Harding died 3 years into his presidency, and was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge. After his death, knowledge of his extramarital affair became public. Sound familiar?
Image credit & copyright: A 1921 cartoon by John Tinney about Harding's plan for "normalcy", Courtesy of the Newberry Library -
FREEHumanities Daily Curio #2123Free1 CQ
Tomorrow is Election Day. Find your polling station and get out the vote!
With U.S. elections just a day away, many have been pondering the status of the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill. Since President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for Covid-19 on October 2, more than two dozen coronavirus cases have been linked to the White House . Among those infected were the Trumps' youngest son, Barron, four deputies in the White House Press Office, four White House residence staff members and at least three journalists who covered White House events. After a September 26 event at the White House Rose Garden—later referred to as a "super spreader event" by infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci—Judiciary Committee members Thom Tillis and Mike Lee tested positive for Covid-19, as did Senator Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin. Contact-tracing, the process of tracking down and interviewing people infected or exposed in a certain place and advising them to quarantine or get tested, was not employed after the event. This has left experts to wonder how far the coronavirus has spread due to exposure at the White House. Some government officials have also been noticeably reticent about their own Covid-19 status, making it all the more difficult to track the outbreak. During confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, several Republican Senators made headlines when they refused to be tested for Covid-19, possibly fearing that they would be barred from participating, should they test positive. Among those who refused testing were Senator Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, and Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to be tested or to disclose the date of his last negative test, saying "I'm not gonna answer questions about when. We are following the guidelines that we were given by the CDC." So far, no deaths have been directly linked to the White House outbreak. Nonetheless, Covid-19 could still affect the election.
Image credit & copyright: President Trump announcing his nomination of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney in the White House Rose Garden. September 26, 2020. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Written by: Maria C.Tomorrow is Election Day. Find your polling station and get out the vote!
With U.S. elections just a day away, many have been pondering the status of the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill. Since President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for Covid-19 on October 2, more than two dozen coronavirus cases have been linked to the White House . Among those infected were the Trumps' youngest son, Barron, four deputies in the White House Press Office, four White House residence staff members and at least three journalists who covered White House events. After a September 26 event at the White House Rose Garden—later referred to as a "super spreader event" by infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci—Judiciary Committee members Thom Tillis and Mike Lee tested positive for Covid-19, as did Senator Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin. Contact-tracing, the process of tracking down and interviewing people infected or exposed in a certain place and advising them to quarantine or get tested, was not employed after the event. This has left experts to wonder how far the coronavirus has spread due to exposure at the White House. Some government officials have also been noticeably reticent about their own Covid-19 status, making it all the more difficult to track the outbreak. During confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, several Republican Senators made headlines when they refused to be tested for Covid-19, possibly fearing that they would be barred from participating, should they test positive. Among those who refused testing were Senator Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, and Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to be tested or to disclose the date of his last negative test, saying "I'm not gonna answer questions about when. We are following the guidelines that we were given by the CDC." So far, no deaths have been directly linked to the White House outbreak. Nonetheless, Covid-19 could still affect the election.
Image credit & copyright: President Trump announcing his nomination of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney in the White House Rose Garden. September 26, 2020. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Written by: Maria C. -
FREEWorld History Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Boo! Halloween isn't the only death-related holiday being celebrated this weekend. There is also Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebrated throughout Latin America on November 1st and 2nd. A mashup of Catholic and Aztec traditions, the holiday is not scary—it's a day of celebration for those who have passed. People celebrate graveside and also by creating altars in their homes, decorated with photos, favorite foods, and special possessions of their departed loved ones. It is a fun holiday, often depicted via a grinning calavera, or skull, dancing in an ornate hat. Intricate calaveras can be made from sugar using a technique brought by 17th-century Italian missionaries, then lavishly decorated with colored icing, beads, and feathers. Skulls are also made out of a sweet bread called pan de muerto, or bread of the dead. But the most interesting calavera might be the more figurative literary calavera. It's a short, satirical poem written like a sarcastic epitaph about somebody who is recently passed or still living. It became popular thanks to the Mexican illustrator and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada (1851-1913). Posada's engravings of satirical calaveras—including the aforementioned one with the fancy hat—were often accompanied by poems making fun of somebody still alive. Posada said his literary calaveras were intended to remind people of their own mortality, and that we all end up as skulls in the end. His favorite saying was "death is democratic." The tradition Posada started is alive and well today, with caustic rhyming poems about a victim's shortcomings broadcast on radio, TV, and in print around each Day of the Dead. Sort of like a ghost roast.
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Boo! Halloween isn't the only death-related holiday being celebrated this weekend. There is also Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebrated throughout Latin America on November 1st and 2nd. A mashup of Catholic and Aztec traditions, the holiday is not scary—it's a day of celebration for those who have passed. People celebrate graveside and also by creating altars in their homes, decorated with photos, favorite foods, and special possessions of their departed loved ones. It is a fun holiday, often depicted via a grinning calavera, or skull, dancing in an ornate hat. Intricate calaveras can be made from sugar using a technique brought by 17th-century Italian missionaries, then lavishly decorated with colored icing, beads, and feathers. Skulls are also made out of a sweet bread called pan de muerto, or bread of the dead. But the most interesting calavera might be the more figurative literary calavera. It's a short, satirical poem written like a sarcastic epitaph about somebody who is recently passed or still living. It became popular thanks to the Mexican illustrator and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada (1851-1913). Posada's engravings of satirical calaveras—including the aforementioned one with the fancy hat—were often accompanied by poems making fun of somebody still alive. Posada said his literary calaveras were intended to remind people of their own mortality, and that we all end up as skulls in the end. His favorite saying was "death is democratic." The tradition Posada started is alive and well today, with caustic rhyming poems about a victim's shortcomings broadcast on radio, TV, and in print around each Day of the Dead. Sort of like a ghost roast.