Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 10, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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insipid
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| Article of the Day | |
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 SaloSalo is often cited in European humor as a stereotypical staple of Ukrainian cuisine, analogous to the association of cheeseburgers with the US and bratwurst with Germany. The beloved traditional dish consists of smoked or salt-cured slabs of pork fatback, often flavored with paprika or garlic. It contains little to no meat and is usually consumed raw. It can also be rendered for use in cooking or chopped up for use as a condiment. What salo-based dish was invented as a joke? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense (1776)Paine was an Anglo-American political theorist and pamphleteer. He anticipated and helped foment the American Revolution through his powerful writings, most notably the enormously successful pamphlet Common Sense, in which he argued that the colonies had outgrown any need for English domination and should be granted independence. Paine's influence was also strongly felt during the French Revolution, and, despite the fact that he did not speak French, he was elected to what governing body? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Stephen Ambrose (1936)American historian and prolific author Stephen Ambrose gained fame for his biographies of US presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon as well as for his bestselling books about World War II, including Citizen Soldiers and D-Day. His works—especially the book Band of Brothers, which served as the basis for a television miniseries of the same name—inspired a renewed interest in the sacrifices of American soldiers. Why have some of his works been criticized? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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riffraff— Undesirable, disreputable, or vulgar people, often used in a condescending manner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Benin National Vodoun Day (2023)Vodoun is an ancient, African, pantheistic religion. When it was brought to the Americas by African slaves, it was blended with elements of Christianity into what is known as "Voodoo." The present African country of Benin, situated on the former kingdom of Dahomey, is known as a center of Vodoun culture. The day is celebrated throughout Benin with processions, Vodoun rituals, dances, and even an international film festival. The celebration's central activity, however, is the re-enactment of the journey from the slave auction block in the center of town to the ships in the harbor. More... | |