Mount Carmel

Mt. Carmel is a mountain ridge in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Long an object of veneration, it was associated in biblical times with the lives of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. From the mountainside vineyards comes the renowned Mt. Carmel wine, and at the foot of Mt. Carmel is the port of Haifa. On its slopes are a Baha’ist garden shrine, with the tombs of Bab-ed-din and of Abdul Baha, and a 19th-century Carmelite monastery. What strategic role did Mt. Carmel play during WWI? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Everglades

This marshy, low-lying subtropical savanna area in S. Florida extends from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Characterized by water, sawgrass, palms, pine, and mangrove forests, the Everglades receives an annual average rainfall of more than 60 in. (152 cm), mainly in the summer. The wildlife-rich area is home to endangered species like the Florida panther, American crocodile, and manatee. In the late 1830s the Everglades was the scene of military operations against what Native American people? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pantone Inc.

Pantone, Inc. is a multi-billion dollar corporation that publishes the Pantone Guides, which are used by graphic designers and others to ‘color match’ specific colors when a design enters production stage. The Pantone Color Matching System works within the existing color systems, such as the CMYK system, but it has not yet been linked with screen-based colors. In recent years, the parliament of what country debated a petition to define the blue in its flag as “Pantone 300?” Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. is a jewelry and silverware company. It was founded in New York City in 1837 and, today, has stores in major cities all over the world. The corporation has an agreement with the Tahera Diamond Corporation to buy or market the entire production of Canada’s Jericho Diamond Mine. The Tiffany flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue at 57th Street is a popular tourist attraction, largely as a result of what 1961 movie? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The History of the Sewing Machine

The sewing machine is a device that stitches cloth and other materials. An attempt at mechanical sewing was made in England in 1790 with a machine having a forked, automatic needle that made a single-thread chain, but it was American inventor Elias Howe who made the first successful machine in 1846, using an eye-pointed needle and an intermittent feed. Isaac M. Singer, who is often credited with inventing the machine, patented what improvements to the device? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Michelin Guide

The Michelin Guide (Le Guide Michelin) is a series of guide books to over a dozen countries published annually by the Michelin company. André Michelin published the first edition of the guide in 1900 to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging, and eat well while touring France. Today, the Michelin Red Guide is the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide. International food critics have accused the guide of what type of bias? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Order of Skull and Bones

The Order of Skull and Bones is a secret society based at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1832 by Phi Beta Kappa pledges William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft. Membership has included US Presidents such as George W. Bush, Supreme Court Justices, business leaders, and US Senators such as John Kerry. What fictional Simpsons character is a member? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jacaranda

The Jacaranda is a tropical American tree or shrub that has pinnately compound, opposite leaves and panicles of pale purple flowers with funnel-shaped corollas. Several species are widely grown as ornamental plants throughout the subtropical regions of the world and are valued for their intense flower displays. What city in South Africa is popularly known as the Jacaranda City? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Caviar

Caviar is the roe, or eggs, of various species of sturgeon processed as a piquant table delicacy. Due to its high price, it is synonymous in Western culture with luxury and wealth. The best-known caviar comes from the countries on the Black and Caspian seas and the rivers that flow into them. In 2006, however, declines in sturgeon species led to a suspension of the international trade in nearly all caviar from wild Caspian sturgeon. Caviar should be served with utensils made from what material? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pizza

Pizza is a baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow breadlike crust covered with toppings such as seasoned tomato sauce and cheese, and often peppers, sausage, and mushrooms. Popular throughout the world, pizza is now a symbol of cultural variation. In Brazil, pizzas may be topped with chocolate; in South Korea, sweet potato puree is popular; in Scotland, the “pizza supper” consists of French fries and a deep-fried frozen pizza. What toppings are popular in Sweden? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary