Month: September 2020

Cure Salée

The Tuareg, a largely nomadic ethnic group found primarily in Algeria, Niger, Mali, and Libya, converge with their camels and cattle on a place known as Ingal just after the first rains of the season arrive. The Salt Festival takes its name from the salt contained in the new grass, which is essential to the animals’ diet. Each Tuareg group participating in the Cure Salée follows a very specific transhumance or seasonal migration route, some traveling hundreds of miles. The return of the rains is also celebrated with dancing, singing, and camel races. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Battle of Valmy

The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of military conflicts that took place both during and after the French Revolution. They began as an effort to defend the Revolution from outsiders but became wars of conquest. The first important engagement of these wars was the Battle of Valmy, a Franco-Prussian artillery skirmish fought in 1792. Though inconclusive, it revealed the superiority of French artillery. What battle cry, taken up by the French, may have weakened the Prussian troops’ morale? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

James Dean Festival

James Dean (1931–1955), the legendary film actor and star of Rebel Without a Cause, remains the subject of adulation even decades after his early death. The star’s hometown of Fairmount, Indiana, contributes to the ongoing tribute by dedicating an annual four-day festival to the icon. Thousands of fans survey Dean memorabilia and his personal items. Additional events include free showings of the star’s most celebrated films, a James Dean look-alike contest, fashion shows, and a trivia contest. Another tradition, the James Dean Car Show, has existed since 1980. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Glory

A glory is an optical phenomenon that appears as a halo of colored rings around the observer’s shadow when it falls on a cloud or fog bank. It is only visible when the observer is between the Sun and the cloud and is caused by water droplets backscattering light. A glory can be seen by air travelers when their plane’s shadow falls on clouds below or by hikers as their shadow falls on fog farther down a mountain. Glories are occasionally observed in combination with what other phenomenon? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Festa de la Mercè

Nearly 400 events celebrate the patron saint of Barcelona, La Madonna de la Mercè, each year for a few days including September 24. In years past, the Madonna’s feast was observed with religious processions, but these days the processions are augmented by the city’s liveliest party of the year with fireworks, street art, live music and dancing, acrobats forming human towers, and sporting events. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Pacinian Corpuscle

Pacinian corpuscles are mechanoreceptors found in the skin of the fingers and other parts of the body. About .04 inches (1 mm) long and formed of concentric layers of connective tissue, the small oval bodies are responsible for sensitivity to pressure. In the center of each is a single nerve ending. These corpuscles are especially sensitive to vibrations, which they can sense even from short distances. What helpful mechanism keeps us from constantly sensing the pressure exerted by our clothing? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Erau Festival

This Indonesian festival takes place in Tenggarong, in the province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Today the Erau Festival is celebrated for as long as a week around September 24, the anniversary of the city’s founding, though many of the ceremonies performed during the festival go back much further. The festival opens with special blessing and purification ceremonies, followed by musical and dance performances, art exhibits, and more traditional Dayak ceremonies. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary