Serious question: How much would you pay for this dish full of mold? I mean, pay to own it, not to get it out of your field of vision. How about $14,600? That’s how much an anonymous buyer in London shelled out at an auction for this miserable patch of fuzz, according … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Though he spent most of his career in the US, British-born silent-film legend Charlie Chaplin never applied for citizenship. The US took advantage of this fact in 1952, while Chaplin was overseas, revoking his re-entry permit over his alleged Communist ties. His political leanings, as well as his many affairs with young women, nearly cost him a knighthood, but after decades of debate, he was finally knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. What was stolen from Chaplin’s grave shortly after his death? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Nicknamed “Mama Africa,” Makeba was a Grammy Award-winning singer and activist. In 1963, after she testified against apartheid before the UN, South Africa revoked her citizenship and right to return to the country. She settled in the US, where her musical career flourished, then moved to Guinea after being criticized for marrying a Black Panther. She remained in exile for 30 years, finally returning to her homeland in 1990 at the end of apartheid. Why did she spend six months in jail as a baby? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Oleander is an evergreen shrub that grows well in warm subtropical regions and is native to a broad area that extends from Morocco to China. Its fragrant flowers grow in a variety of colors, and it is widely used as an ornamental plant in landscapes and parks. It is also one of the most poisonous known plants and contains several toxic, sometimes deadly, compounds. Even its bark contains rosagenin, which is known for its strychnine-like effects. Why is oleander the official flower of Hiroshima? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Wild African elephants sleep for the shortest time of any mammal, according to a study. Scientists tracked two elephants in Botswana to find out more about the animals’ natural sleep patterns. Elephants in zoos sleep for four to six hours a day, but in … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Though it is today one of the most popular operas ever written, Carmen was initially met with such scathing reviews that the opera house had to give away tickets to get people to see it. Shortly after its disastrous premiere, its author, Bizet, died of a heart attack and the director of the struggling opera house resigned. Later that year, however, Carmen opened in Vienna to wide acclaim. Why did critics initially hate Bizet’s story of a soldier’s doomed love for a wild Gypsy girl? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This event was created in 1999 by the Cambodian government as a way to promote the country’s arts and culture. The yearly event is composed of displays, exhibits, live theatrical performances, and conferences held throughout the country. The festival honors the living elder masters in different artistic and cultural fields. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts coordinates many of the events and uses the occasion to take stock of Cambodia‘s cultural infrastructure, including its historic temples, pagodas, and other landmarks important to the country’s heritage and tourism. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Pullman was a successful American industrialist and the inventor of the railroad sleeping car. In 1893, he built a company town for his workers in Illinois, and it was showcased in the World’s Fair as a grand social experiment. The next year, the town of Pullman was the scene of a violent workers’ strike that nearly halted US rail traffic. When Pullman died in 1897, he had to be buried in a massive steel-and-concrete vault to keep activists from disinterring his body. What happened to his town? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Kalahari Desert is an arid to semi-arid desert area that extends over 362,500 sq mi (900,000 sq km), forming most of Botswana and extending into Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Although its name is likely derived from words meaning “great thirst” or “a waterless place,” the Kalahari is not a true desert. In fact, some areas receive erratic rainfall and are well vegetated, and the region is home to a number of animals. What is sand mining, and how does it impact the Kalahari’s wildlife? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary