Lim Festival

The Lim Festival is an alternating-song contest, held in the commune of Lung Giang, about 18 miles from Hanoi, in the Bac Ninh Province of Vietnam. This is a courtship event, in which girls and boys of different villages carry on a singing courtship dialogue. The singers take part in what is a vocal contest with set rules; one melody, for example, can only be used for two verses of the song. The storylines of the songs tell of daily events. Other Lim Festivals takes place in other villages in the province with processions and games such as human chess and wrestling. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Texting

Text messages are brief written messages exchanged between mobile phones or other mobile communications devices. Texting originated in the 1990s with the Short Message Service (SMS), a system that supports messages of up to 160 characters, and has since become a global phenomenon. With billions of texters around the world, texting has created new forms of interaction and has had a wide social impact that extends to language, crime, and politics. What was the first text message ever sent? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hala Festival

The Hala Festival has been held in Kuwait every year since 1999 to celebrate the coming of spring and to promote Arab culture and the local economy. The festival begins with an opening carnival and parade, culminating in a lavish fireworks display. Over the course of the subsequent weeks, visitors are able to enjoy such features as performances of music from around the Middle East, exhibitions of calligraphy and cars, sporting events, and religious events. Shopping is a focal point of the festival, with more than 100 local merchants taking part in prize drawings and special offers. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Genetic Fingerprinting

Genetic fingerprinting is a forensic identification technique that enables nearly unmistakable discrimination between individuals and is often used in criminal and paternity cases. The process involves isolating DNA from skin, hair, blood, or semen cells and comparing genetic information at key positions on the chromosomes. Theoretically, the risk of a false match is minute, but laboratory errors can skew results. What other factors should be considered when evaluating DNA evidence? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Liberia Armed Forces Day

On this day, Liberians honor the soldiers of the country’s armed forces. Festivities often include regiment parades and a public address from the Liberian president or the commander-in-chief. The holiday has evoked mixed memories for Liberians, as the army has been linked with the chaos that plagued the country at the end of the 20th century. In 2007, however, the defense ministry introduced a newly restructured contingent, which paraded through the main streets of the capital city, Monrovia, before hundreds of attendees. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Joggling

Juggling and jogging are the two activities that, when performed simultaneously, make up the competitive sport known as joggling. Any set of three or more objects can be juggled in this sport, but most jogglers elect to use juggling balls or clubs and employ a three-ball cascade pattern, which they claim feels natural combined with the action and pace of jogging. The annual Joggling World Championships, hosted by the International Jugglers’ Association, were held for the first time in what year? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary