In 1998, the United States signed The Copyright Term Extension Act into law, thereby extending the copyright terms set forth in the international Berne Convention of 1886. The act increased America’s term of protection for copyrighted works by 20 years. Sonny Bono, a songwriter, filmmaker, and congressman, was a major proponent of copyright extension, and the act, passed nine months after his death, was named in his honor. Why is the act pejoratively known as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act? Discuss
Month: February 2024
homebody
Definition: (noun) One whose interests center on the home.
Synonyms: stay-at-home.
Usage: He was not merely a homebody, but a true agoraphobic who lived in fear of the outside world.
Discuss
Battle of Iwo Jima Begins (1945)
The island of Iwo Jima is only 8 sq mi (21 sq km) in area, but when US forces attacked the Japanese air base there during WWII, it became the site of one of the most severe campaigns of the war. More than 21,000 Japanese troops and nearly 7,000 Americans died in the clashes. A photograph of US marines raising the American flag over Iwo Jima’s Mt. Suribachi has since become one of the most famous images of the war. What was the US operation in Iwo Jima called? Discuss
André Breton (1896)
Breton was a French writer, critic, and editor. In 1919, he helped found the Dadaist review Littérature. Influenced by psychiatry and the Symbolist movement, he wrote poetry using the automatic-writing technique. In 1924, his Manifeste du surréalisme—Surrealist Manifesto—provided a definition of Surrealism as “pure psychic automatism.” In 1938, he penned the manifesto Pour un art révolutionnaire indépendant with what one-time commander of the Red Army? Discuss
be (someone's) huckleberry
dated To be well or perfectly suited to someone’s job, need, or purpose. Primarily heard in US. Watch the video
journeyman
Republic of The Gambia Gains Independence from the UK (1965)
Entirely surrounded by Senegal except for an outlet to the Atlantic, the Republic of The Gambia is a West African nation that consists of a relatively narrow strip of land that spans both banks of the Gambia River and follows the river’s path inland for about 300 mi (480 km). In 1588, the territory was sold to English merchants by the Portuguese. In 1843, it became a British colony. In 1965, it gained independence, and in 1982, it joined with Senegal to form a confederation by what name? Discuss
Hans Asperger (1906)
Asperger was an Austrian psychiatrist who, in 1944, published the first definition of what is now known as Asperger syndrome. Calling it “autistic psychopathy,” he described a disorder characterized by severe impairment of social skills and restricted interests and behaviors, features that he himself appears to have exhibited as a child. Despite his patients’ handicaps, Asperger believed that they would someday make valuable contributions to society. Which of his patients won a Nobel Prize? Discuss
housewarming (party)
A party thrown to celebrate when someone moves into a new apartment, flat, or house. Watch the video
Groupthink
In order to minimize conflict and avoid embarrassment, group members often refrain from promoting viewpoints that deviate from the apparent group consensus. This mode of thinking is known as “groupthink” and is characterized by extensive self-censorship among group members who unquestioningly believe in the morality of the group. Striving for unanimity without appraising alternative courses of action can often have dire consequences. What fiasco inspired the study of the concept of “groupthink”? Discuss