Ashley was a British fashion designer and manufacturer. After serving in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during World War II, she founded a company with her husband to produce silkscreened placemats, scarves, and tea towels. Her romantic and old-fashioned look carried over into women’s clothing, home furnishings, children’s wear, fabrics, wall coverings, and decorative accessories. What inspired Ashley to start printing Victorian-style fabric in 1953? Discuss
Month: September 2024
Etiquette in the Middle East
Travelers who fail to familiarize themselves with a region’s customs before visiting that area risk inadvertently offending or insulting their hosts. For example, in Iraq and Iran, the “thumbs up” gesture—a Western expression of approval—is considered an offensive insult. In the Middle East, where Islam is the predominant religion, modesty and hospitality are strongly valued traits, but their practice varies across ethnic groups. How do Middle Easterners show their respect for the elderly? Discuss
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Leningrad's Name Reverts to Saint Petersburg (1991)
Russia’s second largest city, Saint Petersburg is a major seaport, rail junction, and industrial, cultural, and scientific center. The city was built in 1703 by Peter the Great, who sought an outlet to the sea and a port for trade through the Baltic. It was the capital of the Russian Empire from 1712 to 1917. Named “Leningrad” in 1924, the city reverted to its original name, Saint Petersburg, in 1991. What had the city been called between 1914 and 1924? Discuss
Jane Addams (1860)
In 1889, with Ellen Gates Starr, Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, one of the first social settlements in the US. Based on the settlements begun in England by Samuel Barnett, Hull House served as a community center for the poor and as a center for social reform, and influenced the settlement movement throughout the country. A joint recipient of the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize, Addams was a leader in the women’s suffrage and pacifist movements and a lecturer and writer. What are some of her books? Discuss
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is an umbrella term for the various legal entitlements associated with certain names, literary works, recorded media, and inventions. The holders of such entitlements may exercise various exclusive rights in relation to the use of their intellectual property. The concept is controversial because it implies that intellectual works—so-called products of the mind—are analogous to physical property. What is the difference between a copyright, a trademark, and a patent? Discuss
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John Cage (1912)
Cage was an American avant-garde composer and writer. In the 1930s, he began writing all-percussion pieces and proclaimed the use of noise as the next musical horizon. In 1938, he introduced the “prepared piano,” an instrument whose sound is radically modified by various objects placed on the strings. He developed the idea of indeterminacy, music that is not strictly controlled. The notorious 4’33”, probably his most famous piece, consists of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of what? Discuss
Perfect Numbers
In mathematics, a perfect number is an integer that is the sum of all of its proper, positive divisors not including the number itself. The first perfect number is 6, because 1, 2, and 3 are its proper, positive divisors and 1+2+3=6. Euclid, a Hellenistic mathematician living in the third century BCE, discovered a formula that identifies the first four perfect numbers. What is the second number in this set? Discuss