Month: April 2022

Stalin Appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party (1922)

After the October Revolution of 1917, Stalin began to emerge as a leader within the new Russian regime. He became one of Lenin’s top aides and was appointed general secretary of the Communist Party in 1922. Although Lenin expressed misgivings about Stalin’s use of power and recommended his removal, Stalin maintained his position and went on to take control of the USSR following Lenin’s death. Born Joseph Dzhugashvili, he adopted the surname Stalin in 1913. What does the name mean? Discuss

Helmut Kohl (1930)

Kohl was chancellor of West Germany from 1982 until 1990, when he became the first chancellor of a reunified Germany, serving in that capacity until 1998. The conservative chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led his party to two convincing victories in West Germany in the 1980s. During his administration, West Germany prospered and became increasingly influential in world affairs. Kohl’s reputation was severely tarnished by what financial scandal that came to light in 1999? Discuss

Starbucks

The first Starbucks was opened in Seattle in 1971 by two teachers and a writer who wanted to sell high-quality coffee beans and machines. Today, there are about 8,569 locations worldwide. Starbucks’ immense popularity has sparked controversy, with some criticizing its fair-trade policies, labor relations, and environmental impact, and holding it as a paragon of what they see as US cultural and economic imperialism. What are the origins of the Starbucks name and logo?
Discuss

trained

dolphinarium – An aquarium in which dolphins are kept and trained for public entertainment. More…

Navy SEAL – A member of the special forces unit for the US Navy who is trained for unconventional warfare on sea, air, and land. More…

pergola – Can be described as an arbor formed of growing plants trained over a trellis. More…

brain drain – The emigration of highly trained or intelligent people from a country or other place. More…

"Teflon Don" Hit with Charges that Finally Stick (1992)

For years, John “the Teflon Don” Gotti, the dapper NYC boss of the Gambino crime family, got away with murder—literally. Criminal charges slid off him time after time thanks to his long reach, which extended to witnesses and jurors alike. But Gotti’s “luck” ran out in 1992. After a nearly two-month trial, he was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The FBI had finally gotten its man. How had prosecutors managed to get the charges to stick? Discuss

Max Ernst (1891)

Having served in World War I, German-born French painter and sculptor Max Ernst at first gravitated toward the Dada movement, but the former student of psychology and philosophy eventually became one of the founders of surrealism. Apart from the medium of collage, for which he is well known, Ernst developed other devices to express his fantastic vision, like frottage, in which a drawing tool is rubbed over paper laid on a textured surface, and grattage, a technique consisting of what? Discuss