Born Netty Reiling, Seghers was a German novelist. She won fame with her first novel of social protest, The Revolt of the Fishermen, but in 1933 she was forced to leave Germany. In Mexico, she wrote The Seventh Cross, a poignant story of escape from a concentration camp. Other works include Transit and a study of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. After World War II she settled in East Berlin. Who starred in the film version of The Seventh Cross in 1944? Discuss
Author: Ian
The Garrote
Macabre enough to earn an appearance in two James Bond films, the garrote, a weapon used for strangulation, was used in Rome as early as the first century. The device takes many forms and can be made from a variety of materials, including chain, rope, fabric, wire, or fishing line. Used throughout history and as recently as 1974 in Spain, garrotes were also developed as execution devices. What nation became the last country in the world to abolish the death penalty by garroting in 1990? Discuss
William Tell Shoots an Apple Off His Son's Head (1307)
Tell is a famous Swiss folk hero who is remembered in a 15th-century chronicle as an expert marksman who assassinated a tyrannical Austrian governor. According to the legend, the governor of Tell’s Swiss canton hung his hat on a stake and ordered all the townsfolk to bow to it whenever they passed. When Tell refused, he was ordered to shoot an apple off his son’s head with a crossbow as punishment. He succeeded and later escaped imprisonment to kill the governor—an event that led to what? Discuss
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832)
Nordenskiöld was a Finnish-born Swedish geologist, mineralogist, geographer, and explorer who wrote several valuable books on geography, cartography, and travel. In 1858, he settled in Stockholm and became professor and curator of mineralogy at the Swedish State Museum. He led several expeditions to the Arctic island of Spitsbergen between 1864 and 1873 and later became the first to sail from Norway to Alaska through the Northeast Passage. He was also the first to break through what ice barrier? Discuss
Click Fraud
Click fraud is a type of Internet crime that occurs when a person or computer program imitates a legitimate user clicking on a pay-per-click online advertisement. It is done to generate a per-click charge without having an interested consumer view the ad’s link. In 2004, authorities in California made what was believed to be the first click fraud arrest, detaining a man who had attempted to blackmail Google with a click fraud program he created. Why were the charges dropped without explanation? Discuss
meanly
Barbecue
The word barbecue can refer to many things: a specific cooking method, cooking apparatus, type of food, or party that includes such food. For many, the word brings to mind smoky meats flavored with a variety of sauces, rubs, and seasonings. However, the origins of both the word and activity are somewhat obscure. Most etymologists believe it was derived from the term “barbacoa,” which means “sacred fire pit” in the language of the Taíno people of the Caribbean. What are some other explanations? Discuss
Rock Hudson (1925)
Hudson was an American actor who worked at odd jobs before making his film debut in 1948. His wholesome good looks made him a popular star in Douglas Sirk melodramas, and his comedic talents were displayed in a series of romantic comedies costarring Doris Day. He appeared in over 70 films and TV shows during the course of his career. His death from AIDS in 1985 greatly increased awareness of the disease. What notable film roles did Hudson reportedly turn down to film A Farewell to Arms? Discuss
chunky
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (42 BCE)
Tiberius was the second Roman emperor. The stepson of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, he undertook his first military command at age 22 and earned great acclaim. Forced to give up his beloved wife to marry Augustus’s daughter, he went into a self-imposed exile until he was recalled by Augustus and named his heir. As emperor, he initially ran the state efficiently and instituted reforms, but he became increasingly brutal. Who smothered Tiberius while he was recovering from an illness in 37 CE? Discuss