Largely self-taught, Handy was American songwriter and band leader who began his career as a cornet player in a minstrel show in 1896. He later organized various small bands and was among the first to publish blues sheet music, rising to prominence with his Memphis Blues. In 1918, he moved from Memphis to New York City and remained active as a writer and publisher of music, in spite of growing blindness, until shortly before his death. What are some of Handy’s most famous songs? Discuss
Month: November 2023
have (one's) head read
To have one’s logic or sanity examined or reevaluated, usually regarding some ridiculous decision, plan, or idea. A reference to a psychiatric evaluation, the phrase is usually used prescriptively. Watch the video
Satellite Radio
A satellite radio is a digital radio that receives signals broadcast by communications satellites. Since satellite radio operates wherever there is line of sight between the antenna and satellite, the signal spans a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio. Satellite radio service is subscription-based and can only be accessed through specialized receivers. How many satellites are generally needed to provide service to an entire continent? Discuss
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Clutter Family Murdered (1959)
In 1959, parolees Richard Hickock and Perry Smith murdered Herbert and Bonnie Clutter and their two children while attempting to rob their Kansas farmhouse. Writer Truman Capote spent the next five years researching the crime and interviewing those involved, including Hickock and Smith, who were hanged for the murders in 1965. Capote’s In Cold Blood was published shortly thereafter and launched the nonfiction novel genre. What famous author traveled to Kansas with Capote? Discuss
Erwin Rommel (1891)
After nearly three decades in the German army, Rommel, who would become a famous WWII field marshal, was promoted by Hitler to the rank of general in 1939. The next year, he brilliantly commanded a panzer division in the attack on France. He then led the Afrika Korps against the Allies in N Africa, where he became known as the “Desert Fox” for his audacious surprise attacks. Allied success led Rommel to lose respect for Hitler and join a plot to remove the führer from office. How did Rommel die? Discuss
have no time for (someone or something)
To have no respect for, interest in, or approval of someone or something and thus have no desire to be involved with him, her, or it. Watch the video
The Magyars
The Magyars, a nomadic people, migrated from the Urals to the Northern Caucasus region around 460 CE. They remained there for roughly 400 years, until the advance of the Pechenegs forced them west into what is now Romania. They arrived in Hungary towards the end of the 9th century, displacing the resident Huns and Slavs. The Magyars currently comprise 92% of the Hungarian population; consequently, the words Magyar and Hungarian are used interchangeably. What is the origin of the latter term? Discuss
cellblock
First Shipboard Aircraft Takeoff (1910)
A year after learning to fly, aviator Eugene Ely performed an experiment for the US Navy: he took off from a temporary platform built over the bow of the USS Birmingham, anchored off Virginia’s coast, and became the first person to take off from a ship in a fixed-wing aircraft. Two months later, he performed the first shipboard landing, using the first tailhook system to land on the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay, California. He died less than a year later while doing what? Discuss