I have heard men talk of the blessings of freedom, … but I wish any wise man would teach me what use to make of it now that I have it. Discuss
Month: April 2021
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Bataan Day
This is a national legal holiday in the Philippines, in commemoration of the disastrous World War II Battle of Bataan in 1942, in which the Philippines fell to the Japanese. It is also known as Araw ng Kagitingan, or Heroes Day. Also remembered on this date are the 37,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers who were captured, and the thousands who died during the infamous 70-mile “death march” from Mariveles to a Japanese concentration camp inland at San Fernando. Ceremonies are held at Mt. Samat Shrine, the site of side-by-side fighting by Filipino and American troops. Discuss
likely story
An exclamation of distrust or disbelief in someone’s explanation or story. Watch the video
The Leatherman
For more than 30 years in the mid- and late 1800s, a figure known as the Leatherman regularly walked a 365-mile route through Connecticut and New York. He was famous for his handmade suit made entirely of leather, and townspeople would save food for him in anticipation of his arrival every 34 days. He lived in caves, which he heated by building fires. Very little is known about his background. Though he was said to speak French, he communicated mostly by gestures. What name graces his headstone? Discuss
inductee
snort
Hana Matsuri
Hana Matsuri is a celebration of the Buddha‘s birthday, observed in Buddhist temples throughout Japan, where it is known as Kambutsue. The highlight of the celebration is a ritual known as kambutsue (“ceremony of ‘baptizing’ the Buddha”), in which a tiny bronze statue of the Buddha, standing in an open lotus flower, is anointed with sweet tea. People use a small bamboo ladle to pour the tea, made of hydrangea leaves, over the head of the statue. The custom is supposed to date from the seventh century, when perfume was used, as well as tea. Discuss
be (as) easy as one-two-three
To be extremely easy, simple, or intuitive; to require very little skill or effort. (Sometimes used with the numbers spelled out (“one-two-three”) or written numerically (“123” or “1-2-3”).) Watch the video
Petrified Lightning
When lightning strikes the ground, the intense heat of the current can melt dry sand and create glass. Sometimes, this happens along the path of the lightning itself, leaving a hollow, branching tube of rough, sand-caked glass where the lightning traveled. The interior of the tube is usually very smooth. Such fragments of petrified lightning are known as fulgurites. They can form deep below the surface that was struck or, more rarely, above it. How long is the longest fulgurite ever found? Discuss