Month: June 2019

Jacob’s Ladder

In the Book of Genesis, Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the younger twin brother of Esau, convinces Esau to trade him his birthright for a bowl of soup. With his mother’s help, Jacob then receives the blessing that the dying Isaac had intended for his older son. Esau becomes so enraged that Jacob flees to his uncle. On his way, Jacob has a vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven. In what ways have philosophers and theologians interpreted the meaning of the ladder? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Great American Brass Band Festival

This weekend re-creation of the golden age of brass bands in America is held at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. About a dozen bands from throughout the U.S. and Canada play Sousa march music, ragtime, and jazz in the New Orleans funeral-march style. A highlight is a band playing over-the-shoulder instruments of the Civil War period; the music blew to the rear of the band so it could be heard by the troops marching behind. The festival begins with a hot-air balloon race, and music then continues through the weekend. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Minaret

Most mosques have one or more towers, called minarets, from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer. The earliest building to bear structures specifically built as minarets was Egypt’s Mosque of Amr. Built in 643 CE, it possessed four square towers at its corners. Not all minarets are square, however; there are also octagonal, cylindrical, and conical minarets. Styles vary regionally and by period. How many times does the muezzin issue the call to prayer each day? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

pestle

Definition: (noun) A heavy tool of stone or iron (usually with a flat base and a handle) that is used to grind and mix material (as grain or drugs or pigments) against a slab of stone.

Synonyms: pounder, muller.

Usage: Sometimes she might have been seen … kneading poee-poee with terrific vehemence, dashing the stone pestle about as if she would shiver the vessel into fragments.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lanimer Day Festival

The people of Lanark, Scotland, dedicate an entire week to inspecting and celebrating the boundary stones that enclose the territory gifted to them by King David I of Scotland in the 12th century. This event, known as the Lanimers, features public decorations, a parade of civic officials, marching bands, and a series of tableaux. The procession passes by each of the boundary stones—the days’ activities close with the town clerk’s pronouncement that the boundaries remain in good condition, and a 900-year-old bell rings in celebration. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Color Wheel

A color wheel is an arrangement of hues around the circumference of a circle in the order in which they appear in the electromagnetic spectrum, with complementary colors placed opposite one another. A typical artists’ color wheel includes the primary colors blue, red, and yellow; secondary colors—green, orange, and violet—created by combining two primary colors; and tertiary colors, which combine the primary colors with adjacent secondary colors. What practical uses do color wheels have? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Eid al-Fitr

Also known as the Feast of Fast-Breaking, or the Lesser Feast, Id al-Fitr marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan and the beginning of a three-day feast. It is the second most important Islamic holiday after Id al-Adha. The Id prayer is performed by the whole community at an outdoor prayer ground (musalla) or mosque. Then people put on new clothes, children are given presents, and everyone visits relatives and friends. It is the time when everyone asks pardon for all the wrongs of the past year. Village squares have carnival rides, puppet shows, and candy vendors. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lahars

A lahar is a destructive mudflow that travels down the slopes of a volcano when water, often from a heavy rainfall, lake breakout, or water body or glacier displaced or melted by an eruption, mixes with rocky debris and volcanic ash. Lahars can travel up to 60 mph (100 km/h) and are similar to concrete in consistency. In 1985, lahars created by the eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz buried 22,000 people in 26 ft (8 m) of mud. What places are considered to be particularly at risk for lahars? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary