Cesar Millan: A Dog’s Best Friend

Dog Whisperer is a National Geographic Channel reality TV series in which Cesar Millan, a self-proclaimed dog behaviorist, rehabilitates unruly dogs and teaches their owners proper canine training techniques. Though he has no formal certification, Millan believes his early observations of his family’s farm dogs give him unique insight into pack mentality. In 2006, Millan published Cesar’s Way, a guide to dog psychology. What are the three principles of Millan’s training philosophy? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

apologist

Definition: (noun) A person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution.
Synonyms: vindicator, justifier.
Usage: English youth have been so educated time out of mind, and we have hundreds of thousands of apologists and admirers of injustice, misery, and brutality, as perpetrated among children.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Charles I of Austria Relinquishes His Throne (1918)

Also king of Hungary from 1916 to 1918 as Charles IV, Charles I was the last emperor of Austria. He became heir presumptive to the Hapsburg throne upon the assassination of his uncle, Franz Ferdinand. After succeeding Francis Joseph in 1916, he made several abortive attempts to take Austria-Hungary out of WWI. He renounced participation in affairs of state in 1918 and was deposed in 1919. After two failed attempts to regain his Hungarian throne in 1921, he was exiled. Why was Charles beatified? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Concordia Day

A public holiday on the island of St. Martin in the West Indies, Concordia Day commemorates the 1648 agreement to divide the island between the Dutch and the French. To this day, St. Martin is the smallest territory shared by two sovereign states, with only a stone monument marking the boundary. Concordia Day celebrates the long-standing peaceful coexistence of the two countries by holding parades and a joint ceremony with French and Dutch officials at the border monument. November 11 is also the anniversary of the island’s discovery in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

George S. Patton, Jr. (1885)

Patton, nicknamed “Old Blood-and-Guts,” was probably the most admired and most controversial American World War II general. Though he had a brilliant war record—he led successful military operations in Morocco and Sicily and spearheaded the spectacular sweep of US forces across northern France into Germany—he was a rigid disciplinarian and nearly lost his career for slapping a hospitalized soldier he suspected of feigning illness. In what event of the 1912 Olympics did Patton place fifth? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mayumba National Park

In 2002, Gabon’s president established a national park system that protects about 11% of the country’s land and waters. Included is Mayumba National Park, located on the Atlantic coast of central Africa and dedicated to the protection of marine life. The park shelters a 60 km (37 mi.) strip of beach and coastal vegetation and extends another 15 km (9 mi.) out to sea. Dolphins and whales can often be found in the waters off the coast. What reptile uses the park’s beach as its breeding ground? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Henry Wirz Executed for War Crimes in American Civil War (1865)

In 1864, Wirz, a Confederate officer, became superintendent of Georgia’s Andersonville prison, officially known as Camp Sumter. Providing only makeshift shelters, the prison confined tens of thousands of Union soldiers and became notorious for conditions so appalling that 13,000 of them died. Wirz was later convicted of conspiring to murder prisoners and hanged, becoming the only person executed for war crimes committed in the American Civil War. What was Wirz’s occupation before the war? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Martinsfest

Martin’s Festival in Germany honors both St. Martin of Tours and Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation. In Düsseldorf, a man dressed as St. Martin rides through the streets followed by hundreds of children. Many carry lanterns made from hollowed-out pumpkins. In Erfurt, where Martin Luther attended the university, there is a procession of children carrying lanterns. With their lanterns, the children form the “Luther rose,” or the escutcheon of Martin Luther. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

William Hogarth (1697)

Hogarth was a British painter and engraver who began his career as an apprentice to a silversmith at the age of 15. At 22, he opened his own engraving and printing shop. His first successes were satirical engravings that attacked contemporary taste and questioned the art establishment. His efforts to protect artists against art piracy were instrumental in the passage of Britain’s first copyright act in 1735. What 20th century composer wrote an opera inspired by Hogarth’s Rake’s Progress? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary