Air Inter Flight 148’s trip from Lyon to Strasbourg, France, on January 20, 1992, was relatively uneventful until it came time to land. It was then that things went horribly wrong. The autopilot was mistakenly left in the wrong mode, accelerating the descent. The crew was unaware of the approaching danger because the plane was not equipped with ground proximity warning systems. All but nine of the 96 people on board were killed in the resultant crash. What else may have contributed to the crash? Discuss
Month: January 2022
Joy Adamson (1910)
Adamson was a Czech-born British naturalist. After moving to Kenya in 1939, she gained global fame for her books Born Free, Living Free, and Forever Free, about her experiences raising a lion cub with her husband and returning it to its natural habitat. Adamson had similar rehabilitative success with cheetah and leopard cubs, but in 1980 her body was found in Kenya’s Shaba National Reserve. Her death was initially attributed to a lion attack, but she was actually killed how? Discuss
one after another
Consecutively and in quick succession, with one person or thing rapidly following another in order (and usually indicating a large amount altogether). (Often formulated as “one (noun) after another.”) Watch the video
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar—popularly known as “El Cid”—was an 11th-century Castilian military leader and national hero. His unauthorized raid on the kingdom of Toledo in 1081 prompted his exile by Spanish king Alfonso VI. El Cid then entered the service of the Muslim rulers of Zaragoza, becoming known as a general who was never defeated in battle. Revered as a hero, his exploits were celebrated in a 12th-century epic poem. According to legend, what did El Cid’s wife do with his dead body? Discuss
wizened
heap
mogul – A small mound of snow on a ski course, from Old Norse mugl, “little heap.” More…
congeries – A Latin word meaning “heap or pile of disparate items” or “disorderly collection.” More…
midden – Traces back to Scandinavian forms mog, “muck,” and dynge, “heap,” and first meant “dunghill” before it denoted a prehistoric or historic refuse heap. More…
accumulate – One of its Latin elements is cumulus, “a heap.” More…
The Silvertown Explosion (1917)
During World War I, a chemical factory in the highly populated area of Silvertown, England, was used to purify TNT in order to meet the urgent demand for explosive shells. Although a newer, safer plant was built elsewhere, production continued at the factory until a fire ignited 50 tons of TNT in 1917. The explosion killed 73 people, injured hundreds more, and destroyed the plant, many nearby buildings, and a gasholder—sparking an enormous fireball. To what is the low death toll attributed? Discuss
Epiphany (Russia)
On January 19th, members of the Russian Orthodox Church ritually bathe in a river or lake. The day marks the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan, an event called the Epiphany, and Orthodox Catholics believe that bathing outside on that day washes away sin. As believers cut holes in the ice with chainsaws and plunge into the frigid water, priests chant prayers to bless the water. Altars and crosses made of ice and snow are sometimes constructed near the bathing site. Authorities advise against the practice, especially in the freezing temperatures of a Russian winter. Discuss
Patricia Highsmith (1921)
Highsmith started out as a comic book artist before becoming known for her chilling tales of crime and cruelty. Alfred Hitchcock propelled her career by adapting her first novel Strangers on a Train, and Highsmith gained further attention as a master of psychological menace with her books about handsome and “talented” psychopath Tom Ripley. Like many of her characters, though, Highsmith was prone to self-destructive and bizarre behavior, including keeping about 300 of what in her garden? Discuss
on (someone's) wrong side
Displeasing to someone; provoking someone’s anger, contempt, or dismissal. Watch the video