Saturday, May 3, 2008

 

Spotlight: "This instrument surrounds hate and forces it to surrender," reads the inscription on Pete Seeger's banjo. Seeger, who turns 89 today, has been using his music to bring equality, reason and peace to the world for some 70 years. An ardent environmentalist and political activist, he has received awards over the past dozen years for some of the same things that got him blacklisted in the '50s. He lives with his wife in a house they built many years ago, in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. Concerned about the growing pollution of the Hudson River, he formed Hudson River Sloop Clearwater in 1966; the sloop Clearwater regularly sails down the Hudson, as it hosts education programs about water pollution and teaches ways to clean the river.

Quote: "The difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't." — Pete Seeger

Question of the Day: What is a blacklist?

A blacklist is a list of people, companies or organizations that are boycotted or considered undesirable for reasons that may be political, social or economic. A prime example of blacklisting occurred in the United States in the 1950s, when people were blacklisted for associating with the Communist Party, or with Communist Party members.

Senator Joseph McCarthy headed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was formed to investigate the activities of Communist, fascist, or other supposedly subversive and "un-American" political groups. More

Word of the day: lavash
[LAH-vohsh] A round, thin, crisp bread that's also known as Armenian cracker bread. It comes in a soft version, as well as in various sizes, ranging from about 6 to 14 inches in diameter. Lahvash is available in Middle Eastern markets and most supermarkets. It's the bread used to make the popular aram sandwich. (© Barron's Educational Series, Inc.)

Today's History:

Margaret Thatcher

• Jamaica: Christopher Columbus sighted the island while seeking China (1494)
• Nellie Tayloe Ross: the nation's 1st female governor was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt as director of the US Mint — another first for women (1933)
• Margaret Thatcher: Conservative Party leader became Britain's first female prime minister (1979)
• UN Commission on Human Rights: the US lost its seat for the first time in more than 50 years (2001)

Today's Birthdays:

Golda Meir

• Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527): political philosopher, The Prince
• Richard D'Oyly Carte (1844-1901): impresario who founded the Savoy Theatre
• Golda Meir (1898-1978): fourth prime minister of Israel
• Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989): world champion boxer
• Ann B. Davis (82): Alice on The Brady Bunch; actors Bobby Cannavale (38) and Dulé Hill (34) were also born on this date
• Frankie Valli (74): lead singer of The Four Seasons; other singers born on this date include Bing Crosby (1903-1977), James Brown (1933-2006), Christopher Cross (57) and Brad Martin (35)