Sunday: So That’s Why…: Have you ever wondered why we call South America “Latin America”? There’s really nothing “Latin” about it! The story is that in the 1850s South America was seriously defaulting on massive foreign loans, and so Spain, England, and France invaded to make sure they got paid. For several decades France had been interested in increasing its power in South America, and it saw this as an excellent opportunity to take control of some territory. South Americas spoke mainly Spanish and Portuguese, which are both languages that come from Latin. French also comes from Latin, and because France wanted to make its presence in South America seem natural (hoping that someday the continent would speak Spanish, Portuguese, and French, the three most powerful Latin languages at this time), they declared that the continent would now be known as “Latin America.” The French influence didn’t last long, but somehow the name stuck, and we still use it today.
Monday: In Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, is the oldest “apartment complex” in the western hemisphere. Called Pueblo Bonito (beautiful house), the building is about 1,000 years old, has more than 600 rooms and is 4 stories high in places.
Tuesday: Amazing Person Review: Homer Lea (of oriental decent, sorry, can’t figure out exactly where) was born in America in 1876. He had health problems as a child which turned him into a hunchback weighing less than 100 pounds (45 kilos). Still, he dreamed of becoming a great soldier. He attended West Point and Stanford. When he was 23 years old he traveled to China to join the forces against the Boxer Rebellion, and was made a Lieutenant General. After several serious defeats, he fled to Japan and met Sun Yat-sen (a very important figure in Chinese history), who sent Lea to America as a representative of China’s growing Republicanism. At 27 years old Lea returned to China as the head of Second Army Division, but soon had to return to America for Health reason.
After these experiences, Lea wrote several books in which he predicted Japan’s attack on US-held Philippines, Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, German’s rise of power based on ethnic purity, and Russia’s attempt to take control of Europe, all decades before it happened.
Lea died at the age of 35. His books are still relatively unknown in the western world.
Wednesday: Say What? Marijuana is America’s largest cash crop. The government hasn’t exactly confirmed this (surprise!), but numerous studies confirm it. I was a little skeptical at first, but just type in “American Cash Crop” in Google and you’ll see what I mean. The US produces around $35 billion annually, more than corn and wheat combined. California alone produces $13.8 billion annually. (Thanks Elizabeth Quivey for the info!)
Thursday: Actually…: We usually have a picture of Tibetan people as peaceful, calm, and benevolent. But it’s hard to say where this image comes from. In the beginning of the 20th century England and Russia were competing for influence in China and India (called “The Great Game“), and in the middle was Tibet. But the Tibetans were so suspicious of outsiders, that they would kill any non-Tibetan found in their boarders. Trespassers were skinned alive, or drowned, or put on a saddle filled with nails and ridden until dead of blood-loss, or some other terrible form of torture. In history Tibetans have been hostile to outsiders, which isn’t surprising considering their experience with China and other countries, but that’s another story…
Friday: Impossible? It seems like some things would be impossible for a human being, right? For example, running across the Sahara desert? No one could do that! Well, until now. Some of you probably saw this story a few weeks ago. On February 19th, three runners (from Canada, Taiwan, and USA), finished their 111 day run across the Sahara desert. Their trip covered 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) and six different countries. To finish they ran the distance of 2 marathons every day (44-50 miles daily) across terrain that gets over 100° F (38° C) by day and under freezing at night. They ran to increase awareness of the organization H2O, an organization trying to provide clean water for Africa. Check out this great link: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/runningthesahara/
Saturday: The US spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined: 466 billion in 2005. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/spending.htm
Corrections: This is the first of many future corrections on my information. Last week I said that Tibetan Monks are not required to be celibate. Actually it depends on the group. Some groups of monks do require it, others not. Also, “Dali Lama” is actually spelled “Dalai Lama.” And I should have thanked Megumi Shimamoto for the information about Swaziland. Thanks Megumi!
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