Month: July 2022

Veganism

Vegans abstain from the ingestion of animal products for political and religious reasons, to enjoy health benefits, or to support animal rights. Many vegans extend the vegan philosophy into other areas of their lives and avoid using all animal products, including leather, silk, honey, whey, and gelatin. Vegan diets tend to be high in dietary fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol but can sometimes lead to deficiencies in nutrients, such as vitamin B12. Who coined the term “vegan”? Discuss

Korean War Veterans Memorial Dedicated (1995)

The Korean War Memorial is located on the US National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC. Dedicated on the 42nd anniversary of the armistice ending the war, the memorial honors the American men and women who served in the conflict. The memorial is laid out in the form of a triangle intersecting a circle. Within the triangle are 19 statues of military personnel, representing a squad on patrol in the Korean landscape. A granite wall nearby bears what message? Discuss

Hilaire Belloc (1870)

Belloc was an important English author in the early 20th century. A highly versatile writer, he is best remembered for his light verse, particularly for children, and for his lucid and graceful essays. He wrote from the Roman Catholic viewpoint, and his views on Protestantism and Islam, which he called major heresies and threats to the “Church Universal,” made him a somewhat controversial figure. What was Belloc’s rather tongue-in-cheek response to the question of why he wrote so prolifically? Discuss

Obsidian

Obsidian is a very shiny volcanic glass that is sometimes used as a semiprecious stone. Though it is formed by the rapid cooling of viscous lava, obsidian is only slightly harder than window glass. It is typically jet black, but the presence of hematite produces red and brown varieties, and tiny gas bubbles may create a golden sheen. Obsidian was used by Native Americans for weapons, implements, tools, and ornaments and by the ancient Aztecs and Greeks for mirrors. What is snowflake obsidian? Discuss

Liberia Gains Independence (1847)

Situated on the west coast of Africa, Liberia was founded by the American Colonization Society (ACS), a controversial group of white Americans—including both slaveholders and abolitionists—who aimed to colonize Africa with freed slaves. ACS officials obtained Cape Mesurado in 1821, and the first African-American immigrants arrived a year later. By the 1840s, however, the ACS was facing bankruptcy, and Liberia became independent in 1847. What African country had Britain settled similarly? Discuss

Mick Jagger (1943)

As lead singer of the British rock band the Rolling Stones, Jagger became one of rock music’s biggest icons in the 1960s. He was widely regarded as a countercultural figure, fronting a band of defiant troublemakers. Borrowing from earlier American blues artists, Jagger helped redefine rock music and create some of the genre’s greatest anthems, including “Satisfaction,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” How did Jagger meet Stones guitarist Keith Richards? Discuss