![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Clove Furnace in Arden, New York
May. 22nd, 2025 10:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
atlas_obscura_places_feed
One of many blast furnaces in this iron-ore-rich region, Clove Furnace opened in 1854, producing some 5,000 tons of iron by the following year—and 101,000 tons in the decade between 1871 and 1881. Iron produced here was used for the manufacture of stoves and other hardware.
The furnace was shut down in 1885 and now serves as headquarters of the Orange County Historical Society. The restored stack, spillway, and other buildings provide a rare glimpse into an important 19th-century industry in the Hudson River Valley, while the adjacent museum explains the iron-making process and offers displays about other aspects of Orange County history.
Hiking trails in Harriman State Park pass many of the mines that supplied this and other furnaces.
Inglis Bridge in Aldershot, England
May. 22nd, 2025 10:00 amatlas_obscura_places_feed
Stretched across the Basingstoke Canal, near Aldershot, England, is a remarkable relic of World War I engineering: the world's only surviving Inglis Portable Military Bridge. This sole survivor of Sir Charles Inglis’ revolutionary design is a testament to ingenuity in the face of wartime necessity.
The Inglis Bridge was designed for rapid deployment, enabling troops to cross obstacles with unprecedented, and often crucial, speed. Its modular, lightweight design allowed for easy transport and assembly, a vital advantage in the chaos of the Great War.
Of the many Inglis bridges that were deployed, most were dismantled or destroyed soon after use, leaving this example as the only one that remains. Its location in Aldershot, the "Home of the British Army," is no accident, and is likely the reason for its survival. The bridge was erected here in 1915, during World War I, likely for training or testing purposes.
Recently granted Grade II listed status, the bridge's historical significance has been formally recognized. While the historic bridge now simply carries a sewer pipe across the Basingstoke Canal, this unassuming, unceremonious, role belies the historic value it holds and the engineering prowess it represents.
First My Mother Died. Then My Home Got Hit by a Tornado.
May. 22nd, 2025 10:38 amtheatlantic_science_feedThe wind was whipping up, but I ignored it. I was at my house in St. Louis, on the phone with the rabbi who would officiate my mother’s funeral, a thousand miles away. We spoke about her life, her family, the service, and other matters both material and spiritual. Mom had been sick for well over a year, but she started declining rapidly in December. Late last month, she was admitted to hospice. Along with her nurses and aides, I helped tend to her frail form as she slowly ceased to be able to eat, to speak, to breathe. Finally relieved of pain, she allowed comfort to overtake her.
When the emergency alert blared on my smartphone, I told the rabbi that we should probably finish talking later. My wife had just raced down the stairs to the basement, calling for me to follow. I did, but also I lingered: The sky was so dark. I had never seen a storm like this before. Later I’d realize that’s because I had never been inside an EF-3 category tornado with 150-plus mph winds, like the one that tore across metro St. Louis on Friday. But on my way to the basement, I didn’t know that. I took in the surreal, terrifying sight of a full-grown shingle oak scraping the ground. The storm seemed gentle to me in that moment, as it laid the tree to rest inside my yard. I saw it cradling the oak to its now-certain end, as I had done for my mother the week before.
My feeling of repose was gone by the time I reached the basement and heard windows shattering. Glass is a human invention, and its breakage is inevitably associated with human violence or a human accident: a burglar’s incursion, a child’s wayward baseball, a pogrom. I knew in my head that nature, too, can impose itself on the built environment, but still I was unprepared for the sensation of its happening.
As a midwesterner in the age of anthropogenic climate change, I have spent many hours in the basement waiting out tornado warnings. Normally, it’s boring to be down there in storm isolation, even though we all bring phones and tablets, and the power usually stays on. We might express frustration at the fact that official warnings rarely come to much. The tornadoes never pass through here, we say. They always move west of the city. As of Friday morning, I understood that tornadoes were unlikely; baseball-size hail was the greater concern. But when a tornado has begun to whirl around your home, a sense of smallness overtakes you. Who are you to think you know how any of this works?
[Read: The hybrid system that spots tornadoes]
In the basement, my wife held my daughter tightly, begging me to stop wandering toward the walls and windows. I didn’t do so out of bravado or even apprehension. I was enrapt. To watch the storm was to be a party to a power much greater than myself. As one gets older and more experienced, novel encounters become more precious. This one, embossed by the force of the powerful mph winds, was new to me. The philosopher Immanuel Kant thought that appreciating the sublime requires the safety of distance. Now I wondered whether he was wrong. Perhaps the sublime has to be confronted viscerally to be made complete, just like one cannot truly appreciate vertigo by watching roller coasters from the ground.
People lament and worry about the loss of human life. “I’m sorry for your loss,” they say when I tell them my mother died. “Is everyone okay?” they ask after the storm passes. At least five people were killed and dozens injured in St. Louis on Friday. But when we emerged from our homes to assess the outcome—which included a splay of tar roofing, air-conditioning condensers, and insulation hurled from neighboring buildings—it still didn’t feel right to relay the news that no one on our street had been hurt.
That’s because of the trees. The tornado appears to have begun in Clayton, a well-to-do municipality just west of St. Louis. It crossed the edge of Forest Park, site of the 1904 World’s Fair, and tore through residential neighborhoods as it moved northeast. Within them are residential streets planned in the late 19th century and built up in part by industrialists of the Gilded Age and progressive era. At the park and in the neighborhoods, the tree canopy has grown since then to some 80 feet in height. After a long and dreary winter, the pin oaks on my block, planted in tidy rows, had finally leafed out a few weeks earlier, casting an arch of shade over the whole street.
Almost all of them are gone now, felled whole or disfigured into shrapnel. To say they can’t be replaced isn’t quite right; it just takes decades to grow new ones. And yet, even this arboreal tragedy felt sublime, in its way: more than a century of slow progress wiped out in seconds. I will never see those trees again, not like that—but then again, neither would the people who first planted them in the early 1900s, when the saplings were too young to offer shade.
Trees are no less mortal than human beings. The pin oaks, by any measure, had already exceeded their typical lifespan of 100 to 120 years, and many had already suffered the ills of poorly drained soil and compaction. They’d been dying by the pair every year, but enough remained to give me and my neighbors the false impression that their shade was eternal, that we were owed it, that it was ours. The tornado ended that delusion.
At 75, my mother was young to die, by contemporary standards, but ancient by historical ones. Friends and family keep asking “What did she have?,” hoping for a simple answer. But what she had was something more amorphous, a set of interconnected but distinct ailments that, when blended together and seasoned by accident, led to a slow decline and then a quick one. To yearn for a tidy word—cancer, stroke—to name misfortune is to make a category error, like trying to lasso the ocean. It betrays the mystery of life and death, fortune and accident. It is no more or less unfair that this fate would befall her than that a tornado would careen across my fancy street. If such things happen to someone, why not us?
[Read: What the tornadoes in Nashville revealed]
Mom and Dad were married for 52 years before he died two years ago. They worked together and did everything else together, too, a feat that would make me crazy but that my mother embraced. My father had a disability—I wrote about it for The Atlantic—stemming from a terrible auto accident in his teens, which he always tried to mask. Sometimes, especially late in his life, my mother would say that she remained so attached to him in order to take care of him, which is true. But she also maintained that close connection by choice. Seeing her confined to the same hospital bed that he had used, in the same room, taking the same narcotics prescriptions, felt somehow apt. This, too, they would do together, if slightly apart.
Mom kept close tabs on the weather wherever I lived, which was always too far away, by her judgment. She would text or call when she saw storms in the forecast. Are you okay? she might ask. And I would play the role of churlish son, answering We’re fine mom, don’t worry, or The tornadoes always pass to the west, as if I had a say in the matter. But the one time she was finally right to be concerned, she couldn’t express the worry anymore. I am tempted to call this irony, but it is better named indifference.
What a shame that indifference is seen only in a negative light. The storm’s disregard was terrifying and awesome. I felt it in the basement as the gale whipped around my house, and then in the street, amid the fallen oaks and the hurtled air-conditioning condensers. And I’d felt the same sense of the sublime at Mom’s bedside earlier that week as her fever became terminal. Neither Mom nor I were targeted for calamity, but it found us nevertheless. The universe is indifferent, and that is terrifying, and that is beautiful.
Did humans evolve to prefer religion? Research shows many atheists intuitively favor faith
May. 22nd, 2025 09:58 amphys_social_feedMany atheists consider themselves to be highly rational people who rate evidence and analytical thinking above religion, superstition and intuition. They might even argue that atheism is the most rational worldview.
Tomato time [gardening]
May. 22nd, 2025 10:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterSomehow or another it's almost the end of May, and I only just got most of the tomato plants in the ground yesterday!
The varieties that I transplanted into the wine barrel a week? Two weeks? ago are looking pretty happy.
I planted six different varieties in the main garden bed. There is basically a row in between the mint and strawberry plants where I could fit them in.
I still haven't decided on homes for the last 2 varieties.
Meanwhile, there are little strawberries on many of the strawberry plants.
And flower buds on the raspberry canes.
I probably won't manage to get the soaker hose and timer set up before leaving to bike tour, but the tomato plants will all fare far better in the ground instead of in pots, while I'm away. They had reached the point where I had to water them on the daily, and now they will have access to a ton more nutrients, too.
It will be interesting to see how all these different varieties fare. All of these plants are planted too densely for optimal tomato production, but for whatever reason I just can't bring myself to thin them out too much.
The varieties that I transplanted into the wine barrel a week? Two weeks? ago are looking pretty happy.
I planted six different varieties in the main garden bed. There is basically a row in between the mint and strawberry plants where I could fit them in.
I still haven't decided on homes for the last 2 varieties.
Meanwhile, there are little strawberries on many of the strawberry plants.
And flower buds on the raspberry canes.
I probably won't manage to get the soaker hose and timer set up before leaving to bike tour, but the tomato plants will all fare far better in the ground instead of in pots, while I'm away. They had reached the point where I had to water them on the daily, and now they will have access to a ton more nutrients, too.
It will be interesting to see how all these different varieties fare. All of these plants are planted too densely for optimal tomato production, but for whatever reason I just can't bring myself to thin them out too much.
ALMA measures evolution of monster barred spiral galaxy
May. 22nd, 2025 10:40 amphys_breaking_feedA research team led by Shuo Huang (NAOJ and Nagoya University) has observed a massive and extremely active barred spiral galaxy in the early universe with ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope. They found that compared to modern galaxies, this monster galaxy has important similarities in shape and differences in the gas motion.
An extreme cousin for Pluto? Possible dwarf planet discovered at solar system's edge
May. 22nd, 2025 10:37 amphys_breaking_feedA small team led by Sihao Cheng, Martin A. and Helen Chooljian Member in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Natural Sciences, has discovered an extraordinary trans-Neptunian object (TNO), named 2017 OF201, at the edge of our solar system.
How modern dog ownership has redefined family and parenting
May. 22nd, 2025 10:37 amphys_breaking_feedBirth rates are declining worldwide, while dog parenting practices are gaining popularity. What does this growing "furry children" trend reveal about our societies?
Expanded viral immunity in cholera bacteria linked to large-scale outbreaks in Latin America
May. 22nd, 2025 10:17 amphys_breaking_feedCholera bacteria aren't just battling antibiotics and public health measures—they are also constantly under attack from bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect and kill bacteria. These viruses don't just influence individual infections; they can make or break entire epidemics. In fact, certain bacteriophages are thought to limit the size and duration of cholera outbreaks by killing off Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium behind the disease.
Titan's mysterious wobbling atmosphere is like a gyroscope, new research suggests
May. 22nd, 2025 10:12 amphys_breaking_feedThe puzzling behavior of Titan's atmosphere has been revealed by researchers at the University of Bristol for the first time. By analyzing data from the Cassini-Huygens mission, a joint venture between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency, the team have shown that the thick, hazy atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon doesn't spin in line with its surface, but instead wobbles like a gyroscope, shifting with the seasons.
Dwarf galaxy clustering challenges standard cold dark matter paradigms
May. 22nd, 2025 10:08 amphys_breaking_feedA research team led by Prof. Wang Huiyuan from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has made a groundbreaking discovery, identifying for the first time an exceptionally strong clustering pattern in diffuse dwarf galaxies. Their study, published in Nature, poses new challenges to the prevailing galaxy formation models within the Λ-Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) framework.
Pneumatic soft robot mimics self rotating action of fruit fly larvae
May. 22nd, 2025 09:51 amphys_breaking_feedSoft-bodied robots are unlocking a new era of adaptive machines that can safely interact with the human body, squeeze through tight spaces, and propel themselves autonomously.
Using a fermionic neural network to find the ground state of fractional quantum Hall liquids
May. 22nd, 2025 09:50 amphys_breaking_feedWhen two-dimensional electron systems are subjected to magnetic fields at low temperatures, they can exhibit interesting states of matter, such as fractional quantum Hall liquids. These are exotic states of matter characterized by fractionalized excitations and the emergence of interesting topological phenomena.
(no subject)
May. 22nd, 2025 01:31 pmfarsidecomics_feed“It’s Henderson again, sir. … He always faints at the sight of yolk.”
(no subject)
May. 22nd, 2025 01:31 pmfarsidecomics_feed“All right. Run along and play ... and stay away from those tar pits!”
(no subject)
May. 22nd, 2025 01:31 pmfarsidecomics_feedTHE MONGOOSE CAME AT MIDNIGHT / TH CAM / ADMISSION
Slippery slides for bum-breathing turtles an Australian first
May. 22nd, 2025 02:21 pmmetafilter_feedSlippery slides for bum-breathing turtles an Australian first. Rookwood Weir's turtle bypass, or ladder, for endangered Fitzroy River and white-throated snapping turtles has had its first known participants.
Canadian small presses #17
May. 22nd, 2025 02:19 pmmetafilter_feedUnder the fold, Canadian university presses UBC Press, McGill-Queen's, and University of Toronto Press.
Here's the next in a series of Canadian small press roundups. As the most educated country in the world, Canada has a lot of university presses, which are adjacent to small press in their purpose and which I've traditionally included in these round-ups. They include (but are certainly not limited to!): McGill-Queen's University Press
Where to Buy: Directly from the publisher typically supports small presses the most, and then there's All Lit Up, managed by The Literary Press Group, a non-profit association of Canadian literary publishers. Bookshop gives Metafilter a small (but real) commission as an affiliate, so if you're in the States, start there. Local independent bookstores can be found at Bookmanager (Canada and USA), Indie Commerce (USA), or Red de Librerías Independientes de México/Network of Independent Bookstores in Mexico (obvs Mexico). And around the world.
Here's the next in a series of Canadian small press roundups. As the most educated country in the world, Canada has a lot of university presses, which are adjacent to small press in their purpose and which I've traditionally included in these round-ups. They include (but are certainly not limited to!): McGill-Queen's University Press
- Whiny Baby by poet Julie Paul
- More Richly in Earth: A Poet's Search for Mary MacLeod by Marilyn Bowering, a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize
- From Griffin to Axolotl: Reimagining the Bestiary in Contemporary Hispanic Literature by Ailen Cruz, from their McGill-Queen's Iberian and Latin American Cultures Series
- Liberalism in Time: A History by David Williams, from the McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas Series
- The Higgs Years: Leading and Dividing New Brunswick edited by Gabriel Arsenault
- Seized by Uncertainty: The Markets, Media, and Special Interests That Shaped Canada's Response to COVID-19 by Kevin Quigley, Kaitlynne Lowe, Sarah Moore and Brianna Wolfe, shortlisted for the 2024 Donner
- Artificial Democracy: The Impact of Big Data on Politics, Policy, and Polity edited by Cecilia Biancalana and Eric Montigny
- A Cold Colonialism: Modern Exploration and the Canadian North by Tina Adcock
- Constraining the Court: Judicial Power and Policy Implementation in the Charter Era by James B. Kelly, also shortlisted for the 2024 Donner Prize for best public policy book
- The Turning Point Elections series, including Ballots and Brawls: The 1867 Canadian General Election by Patrice Dutil, Times of Transformation: The 1921 Canadian General Election by Barbara J. Messamore, King and Chaos: The 1935 Canadian General Election by David MacKenzie, Revival and Change: The 1957 and 1958 Diefenbaker Elections by John C. Courtney, and Pivot or Pirouette?: The 1993 Canadian General Election by Tom Flanagan.
- Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism by Christopher Cheung, a finalist for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing That Provokes
- Atomic Collective: Radioactive Life in Kazakhstan by Magdalena E. Stawkowski
- Berlin's Third Sex by Magnus Hirschfeld and translated by James J. Conway
- Fiscal Choices: Canada after the Pandemic by Michael M. Atkinson and Haizhen Mou, also shortlisted for the 2024 Donner
- The Little Book of Trolls by Carolyn Larrington
- Remapping an Ableist World: Disability and Oppression under Capitalism by Vera Chouinard
- Unthinkable Laughter: (Re)Imagining Anti-Racist Education by Laura Mae Lindo
Math and the Museum
May. 22nd, 2025 01:37 pmmetafilter_feedCanals and Crystals? Rotating Railcars and Roving Rodents? The mathematics, engineering, and life of a Museum of Math exhibit.
How outdoor sports can support youth as they navigate climate change
May. 22nd, 2025 10:31 amphys_environment_feedAs climate change continues to impact the way we interact with our planet, it's critical to consider ways we can encourage youth to participate in climate action initiatives.
Massive floods strand over 50,000 in eastern Australia
May. 22nd, 2025 09:48 amphys_environment_feedRecord floods stranded more than 50,000 people in eastern Australia on Thursday, killing three as a muddy tide swept through towns and swollen rivers cut off roads.
Why Do Grocery Stores Cover Potatoes at Night?
May. 22nd, 2025 01:57 pmmentalfloss_feedCovering the potatoes can help prevent a potentially dangerous toxin from forming.
Billions of Synchronous Fireflies Put on Incredible Light Show
May. 22nd, 2025 08:12 amOddments
May. 22nd, 2025 02:59 pmoursinI initially saw this because somebody on Facebook posted the video: Boyfriend proposed during the marathon she trained 6 months for, and in the list of Inappropriate Times and Places to Propose, while she is actually running a marathon is very near the top, right? it's bad enough for bloke to be waiting with ring and maybe flowers at the finish line (for many observers, marathon proposals are about men stealing the spotlight).
Run, girl, run.
***
To revert to that discussion about The Right Sort of Jawline and Breathing Properly the other day, TIL that mouth taping is (still) A Thing, and Canadian researchers say there’s no evidence that mouth taping has any health benefits and warn that it could actually be harmful for people with sleep apnea.
***
Since I see this is dated 2020, I may have posted it before: but hey, let's hear it for C18th women scholars of Anglo-Saxon Elizabeth Elstob, Old English scholar, and the Harleian Library. I think I want to know more about her years in the household of Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (1715–1785), duchess of Portland, who I know better through her connection with Mrs Delany of the botanically accurate embroidery and collages of flowers.
***
I like this report on the 'Discovery of Original Magna Carta' because it's actually attentive to the amount of actual work that goes into 'discovering', from the first, 'aha! that looks like it might be' to the final confirmation.
Tags:
Fact-checking Trump's Oval Office confrontation with Ramaphosa
May. 22nd, 2025 01:53 pmbbcnewsworld_feedPresident Trump made a series of claims about the killing of white farmers in South Africa, some of which are demonstrably false.
White crosses shown by Trump not graves, says man who erected them
May. 22nd, 2025 12:53 pmbbcnewsworld_feedThe US president had said the crosses were evidence of attacks on white farmers in South Africa.
Crab Cakes
May. 22nd, 2025 01:30 pmbudget_bytes_rss_feedI grew up in the South, and Crab Cakes are a staple. They can, however, be a little pricey, so they were a real treat when my family made them. To keep that tradition alive without spending a fortune, I use canned crab (it gives the flavor I’m looking for without the hefty price tag!) This shelf-stable ingredient is a game changer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts making a regular appearance on your grocery list after trying this recipe. With a few more simple ingredients you probably already have, you can start making crab cakes a weekly indulgence rather than just an occasional treat.
Easy Recipe for Crab Cakes
These golden crab cakes taste just like the ones I remember from my childhood and couldn’t be easier to make. I mix canned crab with sweet yellow onion, crisp celery, and a bit of garlic for depth. Then it all gets folded together with creamy mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and a good hit of Old Bay seasoning (because it’s not a crab cake without it, in my opinion!) A little breadcrumb binds it all together, and a quick pan-fry creates a perfect golden crust. They come together fast, taste like a splurge, and honestly? I could eat the whole batch myself. 😉
Budget Saving Tips
- I opted to skip the egg you often see in crab cake recipes to keep the costs down. The mayo does the job just fine on it’s own, so the egg isn’t needed in this easy recipe!
- I also tested this recipe with imitation crab. It did work, but the canned crab had a more authentic flavor. So, if you only have imitation crab on hand, go for it and save yourself a trip to the store. But if you’re looking for the best taste without breaking the bank, canned crab is the way to go.
Crab Cakes Recipe
These easy Crab Cakes are made with canned crab, mayo, breadcrumbs, Dijon, and Old Bay for a budget-friendly take on a classic favorite.Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Servings 4 crab cakes
Calories 292kcal
Equipment
- Medium Sauté Pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz. canned crab, drained* $5.88
- ¼ cup yellow onion, small dice (43g) $0.25
- ¼ cup celery, small dice (43g) $0.19
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp) $0.12
- ¼ cup mayonnaise $0.23
- 2 tsp lemon juice $0.04
- 2 tsp soy sauce $0.04
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard $0.04
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning** $0.22
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs $0.33
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.08
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the drained crab, diced onion, diced celery, minced garlic, mayonnaise, lemon juice, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and Old Bay seasoning. Fold to combine well.
- Add the breadcrumbs and gently fold to combine.
- Place 1/4 of the mixture into your hands to form a ball. Then gently flatten it into a patty shape, pressing firmly so it holds together. Place them aside and continue until you form 4 patties.***
- Heat a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Once the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan one at a time.**** Fry them undisturbed for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
*I used the cheapest canned crab, and the flavor was amazing. If you want a more authentic crab texture and don’t mind spending a few extra bucks, you can purchase the next expensive cans up. You’ll still be saving money versus the refrigerator stuff, and this is shelf-stable!
**I added Old Bay Seasoning, but if you want additional flavor, feel free to add some! If you like spicy, add some cayenne or red pepper flakes! You can also use a different seasoning blend altogether if you like.
***Be sure to really pack the crab cakes together. If they’re falling apart in your hands, they’ll fall apart in the pan. Add more breadcrumbs if needed.
****Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the patties, or they’ll end up sticking badly. Also, don’t disturb them or flip them for about 4 minutes; it might cause them to fall apart. Be patient!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 867mg | Fiber: 1g
how to make Crab Cakes step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Mix the ingredients: Add two 6 oz. cans of drained crab, ¼ cup diced yellow onion, ¼ cup diced celery, 2 cloves minced garlic, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Fold the ingredients together until well combined.
Now, add in ½ cup plain breadcrumbs and fold again to combine.
Form the crab patties: Use your hands to form 1/4 of the mixture into a ball. Now, flatten it into a patty shape while pressing firmly to ensure it holds together. It’s important that the cakes stay together and don’t fall apart while forming them (otherwise, they’ll fall apart in the pan). You can add more breadcrumbs to help with this if needed. Repeat with the remaining mixture until you have made 4 patties.
Cook: Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to a medium-sized sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, add your crab cakes. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Then, flip them over and let them cook for a further 4-5 minutes (or until golden) on the other side.
Rest and serve: Once cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Variations!
- I added celery and onions for crunch and flavor. Be sure to dice them small to avoid the cakes falling apart during cooking. If you have any additional veggies you love, you can add them as well. I think diced bell pepper would be chef’s kiss.
- When you’re forming your homemade crab cakes, make sure they’re all an even thickness to help them cook through at the same rate.
- If your mixture is crumbling as you’re forming the patties, that means they’ll crumble during cooking. I recommend packing them down firmly with your hands, and if needed, add more breadcrumbs to bind the mixture together.
- To avoid sticking, make sure the oil is HOT before adding your crab patties to the skillet. I also don’t touch them for the first 4 minutes of cooking (no nudging, no peeking!) so they can form a golden crust without falling apart.
- Want to use a different seafood? Try our recipes for salmon patties or tuna patties instead!
Serving Suggestions
You’ll get 4 generous crab cakes from this recipe. They’re great as an appetizer, but I also think they’re delicious added to a sandwich for something more filling. Want to serve them as an entrée? Just double the recipe. I love mine with a dollop of tartar sauce and lemon wedges, but the zesty remoulade from our shrimp po’ boys recipe is a fun dipping sauce, too.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover crab cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place them in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the oven at 350°F until heated through. To freeze, let them cool completely, then layer them between pieces of parchment paper and place in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before reheating for the best results.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
The post Crab Cakes appeared first on Budget Bytes.
auberge
May. 22nd, 2025 06:37 amprettygoodwordauberge (oh-BAIRZH; French oh-BERZH) - n., an inn or hostel.
Or sometimes a restaurant, because some inns also serve food, but more strictly it's a place to sleep for the night. Dictionaries wildly disagree on when this was taken on from French, ranging from the 15th to 18th centuries, which highlights that dictionary compilers have very different databases. The French word is taken from Provençal, with alberga/alberja attested from the eleventh century, which okay would technically be in Old Provençal, at which point it also meant an encampment/hut as well as inn, from a Germanic root (compare Old Saxon heriberga, army shelter, and Old High German heriberga, army headquarters) that also gave us harbor.
---L.
Or sometimes a restaurant, because some inns also serve food, but more strictly it's a place to sleep for the night. Dictionaries wildly disagree on when this was taken on from French, ranging from the 15th to 18th centuries, which highlights that dictionary compilers have very different databases. The French word is taken from Provençal, with alberga/alberja attested from the eleventh century, which okay would technically be in Old Provençal, at which point it also meant an encampment/hut as well as inn, from a Germanic root (compare Old Saxon heriberga, army shelter, and Old High German heriberga, army headquarters) that also gave us harbor.
---L.
Nike to raise US prices as firms face tariffs uncertainty
May. 22nd, 2025 02:05 pmbbcnewsworld_feedThe US sportswear giant says its price increases are part of "seasonal planning".
Top Maoist leader killed as India cracks down on rebels
May. 22nd, 2025 12:13 pmbbcnewsworld_feedTwenty-seven rebels are reported to have been killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
Don’t wait until menopause to strengthen your bones
May. 22nd, 2025 01:00 pmsciencenews_feedScreening for osteoporosis is recommended at age 65, but experts say women should be proactive about bone health long before that.
Did “Big Oil” Sell Us on a Recycling Scam?
May. 22nd, 2025 01:00 pmjstordaily_feed“Reduce, reuse, recycle”: these three words have become as ubiquitous as the plastic waste they attempt to combat. Once seen as a simple roadmap toward sustainability, this mantra now conceals a far more complex and troubling reality. While these principles serve as a starting point for environmental action, they also have a deceptive history rooted in the petrochemical industry’s effort to avoid accountability. The truth is, no matter how diligently we sort our waste products, individual actions alone cannot solve the growing crisis of plastic pollution.
The ubiquity of plastic in modern life makes recycling seem like a moral imperative. From straws and bags to take-out containers, single-use plastics crowd landfills and clog waterways. And the crisis is accelerating. Legal scholar Roberta Mann warns that by 2050, plastic in the ocean could outweigh fish. The United States led the world in plastic waste in 2016, Mann writes, generating over 42 million metric tons. The COVID-19 pandemic further fueled plastics consumption, with a spike in single-use personal protective equipment and packaging from online shopping.
But here’s the catch: research suggests that our dependence on recycling as a solution isn’t only ineffective—it’s based on a carefully crafted illusion. The narrative that recycling can meaningfully counteract the plastic crisis was constructed by the oil and gas industry to maintain public demand for plastic and delay regulation of its production.
As an investigation conducted by NPR and PBS Frontline unearthed in 2020 and reported in a Frontline episode called “Plastic Wars,” oil companies have known for decades about the inability to recycle plastics throughout the US. Tracing the history of the issue, the Center for International Law outlines how in the 1950s and ’60s the fossil fuel, petrochemical, and packaging industries began convening on the issue of plastic pollution as reports emerged of the plastics’ inability to decompose in the natural environment. In 1973, a National Academy of Sciences workshop reported that polystyrene spherules and poly-chlorinated biphenyls were being found in abundance in marine environments. The concept of decomposability was soon weaponized as one of plastic’s biggest strengths: plastic began to be marketed as the only material perfect for landfill linings and pollution containment.
More to Explore
You’ll Never Believe Who Invented Curbside Recycling
August 6, 2021
Far from ushering in a zero-waste world, the switch from returnables to recycling provided cover for the creation of ever more packaging trash.
By also marketing plastic as recyclable, the entangled industries shifted the burden of responsibility onto individual consumers. A Time magazine advertisement from 1989 demonstrates how the Society of Plastic Industry (comprising fossil fuel companies Exxon, Mobil, Dow, DuPont, Chevron, and Phillips 66) emphasized recycling as a moral duty, all while knowing that the existing recycling infrastructure was inadequate and unprofitable.
Not much has changed in the last thirty-plus years. As Dave Dennison muses, recycling only occurs under conditions where it’s ”cheaper for waste-hauling companies to [do it than to] send baled waste to landfills.” As a representative from Keurig admitted in “Plastic Wars,” there’s currently no way of effectively recycling K-Cups, even though approximately eleven billion K-cups are produced per year. In fact, the creation of the recycling symbol on plastic products, utilizing the 1–7 polymer grade scale, was a push from industry as a bargaining chip to stop state governments from instituting plastic bans and creating mandatory recycling standards. As long as customers believe plastics producers are doing their part—and keep consuming plastic—the producer need not be concerned that their waste products aren’t recycled, Dennison suggests.
Weekly Newsletter
[contact-form-7]That doesn’t mean recycling should be abandoned altogether. With so much plastic already in our ecosystems, recycling and remediation remain critical. Certain uses of plastic, such as medical supplies or assistive tools for disabled individuals, are currently irreplaceable. But we should also think about a fourth “R”: replace, as in: replace petroleum-based products with sustainable alternatives whenever possible. Plastics are known to cause endocrine disruption in living organisms, with links to cancers and other illnesses, writes Mann. Recycling, while important, can be understood as a harm-reduction tool—not a final solution. The search is on for additional approaches that will offer a deep mitigation of plastic without positioning the oil and gas industry at the heart of the solution. Real progress likely depends on systemic change: bold regulations to limit plastic production, major investments in alternative materials, and the will to challenge an industry that has polluted our planet for decades.
Support JSTOR Daily! Join our membership program on Patreon today.
The post Did “Big Oil” Sell Us on a Recycling Scam? appeared first on JSTOR Daily.
Dranesville Tavern in Herndon, Virginia
May. 22nd, 2025 09:00 amatlas_obscura_places_feed
Dranesville Tavern, a popular wagon stand for teamsters and travelers traversing the Leesburg Turnpike in Virginia, dates back to 1823. Businessman Washington Drane (for whom Dranesville is named), opened this hostelry in a location roughly at the midpoint between Georgetown and Leesburg.
The log building, which is flanked by distinctive Seneca sandstone chimneys, survived the Civil War's Battle of Dranesville in 1862.
Just over 100 years later, the tavern faced a different kind of threat when planning began to widen the Leesburg Turnpike. In 1968, the Fairfax County Park Authority acquired the tavern. To preserve the building it was moved it about 100 feet from it's original location onto land located in Herndon.
Mapped: Life Expectancy by Country in 2025
May. 22nd, 2025 12:12 pmvisualcapitalist_rss_feed
Mapped: Life Expectancy by Country in 2025
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Western European countries have an 80+ life expectancy at birth, the highest regionally.
- However, several African countries have a below-60 life expectancy, a projected lifespan that is a full 20 years shorter.
How long you live depends a lot on where you’re born.
We illustrate this phenomenon in the above map, which uses 2025 life expectancy at birth projections from the UN World Population Prospects published last year.
Life expectancy at birth measures the average number of years that a newborn could expect to live, if they were subject to the age-specific mortality rates of a given period.
This number visualized is an average between men and women. For extra context, women have higher life expectancies than men in nearly every country in the world.Ranked: Countries Where People Live the Longest
The micronation of Monaco has the highest average life expectancy in the world. A baby born in the country in 2025 can expect to live to 87 years old.
| Rank | Country | ISO Code | Average life expectancy at birth, 2025 (in years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Monaco | MCO | 87 |
| 2 |  San Marino | SMR | 86 |
| 3 |  Hong Kong | HKG | 86 |
| 4 |  Japan | JPN | 85 |
| 5 |  South Korea | KOR | 85 |
| 6 |  Saint Barthélemy | BLM | 85 |
| 7 |  Andorra | AND | 84 |
| 8 |  French Polynesia | PYF | 84 |
| 9 |  Switzerland | CHE | 84 |
| 10 |  Australia | AUS | 84 |
| 11 |  Italy | ITA | 84 |
| 12 |  Singapore | SGP | 84 |
| 13 |  Spain | ESP | 84 |
| 14 |  Liechtenstein | LIE | 84 |
| 15 |  Réunion | REU | 84 |
| 16 |  Gibraltar | GIB | 84 |
| 17 |  Malta | MLT | 84 |
| 18 |  Norway | NOR | 84 |
| 19 |  France | FRA | 84 |
| 20 |  Sweden | SWE | 84 |
| 21 |  Guernsey | GGY | 84 |
| 22 |  Macao | MAC | 83 |
| 23 |  Holy See | VAT | 83 |
| 24 |  UAE | ARE | 83 |
| 25 |  Iceland | ISL | 83 |
| 26 |  Martinique | MTQ | 83 |
| 27 |  Canada | CAN | 83 |
| 28 |  Israel | ISR | 83 |
| 29 |  Ireland | IRL | 83 |
| 30 |  Portugal | PRT | 83 |
| 31 |  Qatar | QAT | 83 |
| 32 |  Bermuda | BMU | 83 |
| 33 |  Luxembourg | LUX | 82 |
| 34 |  Netherlands | NLD | 82 |
| 35 |  Belgium | BEL | 82 |
| 36 |  Guadeloupe | GLP | 82 |
| 37 |  New Zealand | NZL | 82 |
| 38 |  Austria | AUT | 82 |
| 39 |  Denmark | DNK | 82 |
| 40 |  Finland | FIN | 82 |
| 41 |  Greece | GRC | 82 |
| 42 |  Puerto Rico | PRI | 82 |
| 43 |  Cyprus | CYP | 82 |
| 44 |  Slovenia | SVN | 82 |
| 45 |  Germany | DEU | 82 |
| 46 |  UK | GBR | 82 |
| 47 |  Bahrain | BHR | 82 |
| 48 |  Chile | CHL | 82 |
| 49 |  Maldives | MDV | 82 |
| 50 |  Isle of Man | IMN | 81 |
| 51 |  Costa Rica | CRI | 81 |
| 52 |  Taiwan | TWN | 81 |
| 53 |  Kuwait | KWT | 81 |
| 54 |  Cayman Islands | CYM | 81 |
| 55 |  Saint Martin | MAF | 81 |
| 56 |  Faroe Islands | FRO | 81 |
| 57 |  Oman | OMN | 80 |
| 58 |  Czechia | CZE | 80 |
| 59 |  Jersey | JEY | 80 |
| 60 |  Panama | PAN | 80 |
| 61 |  Albania | ALB | 80 |
| 62 |  Anguilla | AIA | 80 |
| 63 |  U.S. | USA | 80 |
| 64 |  Falkland Islands | FLK | 80 |
| 65 |  Estonia | EST | 79 |
| 66 |  Saudi Arabia | SAU | 79 |
| 67 |  Northern Mariana Islands | MNP | 79 |
| 68 |  New Caledonia | NCL | 79 |
| 69 |  Poland | POL | 79 |
| 70 |  Croatia | HRV | 79 |
| 71 |  Wallis & Futuna Islands | WLF | 79 |
| 72 |  Slovakia | SVK | 79 |
| 73 |  Uruguay | URY | 78 |
| 74 |  Cuba | CUB | 78 |
| 75 |  Kosovo | XKX | 78 |
| 76 |  China | CHN | 78 |
| 77 |  Turks & Caicos Islands | TCA | 78 |
| 78 |  Bosnia & Herzegovina | BIH | 78 |
| 79 |  Jordan | JOR | 78 |
| 80 |  Peru | PER | 78 |
| 81 |  Colombia | COL | 78 |
| 82 |  Lebanon | LBN | 78 |
| 83 |  Iran | IRN | 78 |
| 84 |  Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | 78 |
| 85 |  Sri Lanka | LKA | 78 |
| 86 |  Türkiye | TUR | 78 |
| 87 |  Bonaire | BES | 78 |
| 88 |  Ecuador | ECU | 78 |
| 89 |  Argentina | ARG | 78 |
| 90 |  North Macedonia | MKD | 78 |
| 91 |  Guam | GUM | 78 |
| 92 |  British Virgin Islands | VGB | 78 |
| 93 |  Polynesia (no emoji available) | POL | 78 |
| 94 |  Montenegro | MNE | 77 |
| 95 |  French Guiana | GUF | 77 |
| 96 |  Hungary | HUN | 77 |
| 97 |  Tokelau | TKL | 77 |
| 98 |  Curaçao | CUW | 77 |
| 99 |  Serbia | SRB | 77 |
| 100 |  Saint Helena | SHN | 77 |
| 101 |  Saint Pierre & Miquelon | SPM | 77 |
| 102 |  Malaysia | MYS | 77 |
| 103 |  Tunisia | TUN | 77 |
| 104 |  Thailand | THA | 77 |
| 105 |  Sint Maarten | SXM | 77 |
| 106 |  Algeria | DZA | 77 |
| 107 |  Aruba | ABW | 77 |
| 108 |  Barbados | BRB | 76 |
| 109 |  Montserrat | MSR | 76 |
| 110 |  Latvia | LVA | 76 |
| 111 |  Mayotte | MYT | 76 |
| 112 |  Cabo Verde | CPV | 76 |
| 113 |  Lithuania | LTU | 76 |
| 114 |  Romania | ROU | 76 |
| 115 |  Brazil | BRA | 76 |
| 116 |  Armenia | ARM | 76 |
| 117 |  Bulgaria | BGR | 76 |
| 118 |  U.S. Virgin Islands | VIR | 76 |
| 119 |  Morocco | MAR | 76 |
| 120 |  Brunei Darussalam | BRN | 76 |
| 121 |  Cook Islands | COK | 76 |
| 122 |  Grenada | GRD | 76 |
| 123 |  Mexico | MEX | 75 |
| 124 |  Mauritius | MUS | 75 |
| 125 |  Nicaragua | NIC | 75 |
| 126 |  Bangladesh | BGD | 75 |
| 127 |  Viet Nam | VNM | 75 |
| 128 |  Ukraine | UKR | 75 |
| 129 |  Bahamas | BHS | 75 |
| 130 |  Georgia | GEO | 75 |
| 131 |  Belarus | BLR | 75 |
| 132 |  Azerbaijan | AZE | 75 |
| 133 |  Kazakhstan | KAZ | 75 |
| 134 |  Paraguay | PRY | 74 |
| 135 |  Dominican Republic | DOM | 74 |
| 136 |  Belize | BLZ | 74 |
| 137 |  Suriname | SUR | 74 |
| 138 |  North Korea | PRK | 74 |
| 139 |  Trinidad & Tobago | TTO | 74 |
| 140 |  Bhutan | BTN | 74 |
| 141 |  Russia | RUS | 74 |
| 142 |  Tonga | TON | 73 |
| 143 |  Honduras | HND | 73 |
| 144 |  Libya | LBY | 73 |
| 145 |  Seychelles | SYC | 73 |
| 146 | American Samoa | ASM | 73 |
| 147 |  Palestine | PSE | 73 |
| 148 |  Saint Lucia | LCA | 73 |
| 149 |  Syria | SYR | 73 |
| 150 |  Guatemala | GTM | 73 |
| 151 |  Venezuela | VEN | 73 |
| 152 |  Uzbekistan | UZB | 73 |
| 153 |  Iraq | IRQ | 73 |
| 154 |  El Salvador | SLV | 73 |
| 155 |  India | IND | 72 |
| 156 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | KNA | 72 |
| 157 |  Mongolia | MNG | 72 |
| 158 |  Tajikistan | TJK | 72 |
| 159 |  Egypt | EGY | 72 |
| 160 |  Kyrgyzstan | KGZ | 72 |
| 161 |  Samoa | WSM | 72 |
| 162 |  Vanuatu | VUT | 72 |
| 163 |  Western Sahara | ESH | 72 |
| 164 |  Jamaica | JAM | 72 |
| 165 |  Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | VCT | 72 |
| 166 |  Moldova | MDA | 71 |
| 167 |  Dominica | DMA | 71 |
| 168 |  Indonesia | IDN | 71 |
| 169 |  Cambodia | KHM | 71 |
| 170 |  Nepal | NPL | 71 |
| 171 |  Solomon Islands | SLB | 71 |
| 172 |  Guyana | GUY | 70 |
| 173 |  Turkmenistan | TKM | 70 |
| 174 |  Greenland | GRL | 70 |
| 175 |  Niue | NIU | 70 |
| 176 |  Sao Tome and Principe | STP | 70 |
| 177 |  Philippines | PHL | 70 |
| 178 |  Yemen | YEM | 70 |
| 179 |  Palau | PLW | 69 |
| 180 |  Laos | LAO | 69 |
| 181 |  Botswana | BWA | 69 |
| 182 |  Senegal | SEN | 69 |
| 183 |  Eritrea | ERI | 69 |
| 184 |  Mauritania | MRT | 69 |
| 185 |  Bolivia | BOL | 69 |
| 186 |  Uganda | UGA | 69 |
| 187 |  Gabon | GAB | 69 |
| 188 |  Rwanda | RWA | 68 |
| 189 |  Timor-Leste | TLS | 68 |
| 190 |  Pakistan | PAK | 68 |
| 191 |  Ethiopia | ETH | 68 |
| 192 |  Malawi | MWI | 68 |
| 193 |  Namibia | NAM | 68 |
| 194 |  Fiji | FJI | 68 |
| 195 |  Micronesia | FSM | 68 |
| 196 |  Tanzania | TZA | 67 |
| 197 |  Tuvalu | TUV | 67 |
| 198 |  Myanmar | MMR | 67 |
| 199 |  Comoros | COM | 67 |
| 200 |  Marshall Islands | MHL | 67 |
| 201 |  Kiribati | KIR | 67 |
| 202 |  Sudan | SDN | 67 |
| 203 |  Zambia | ZMB | 67 |
| 204 |  Afghanistan | AFG | 67 |
| 205 |  South Africa | ZAF | 66 |
| 206 |  Djibouti | DJI | 66 |
| 207 |  Papua New Guinea | PNG | 66 |
| 208 |  Gambia | GMB | 66 |
| 209 |  Congo | COG | 66 |
| 210 |  Ghana | GHA | 66 |
| 211 |  Haiti | HTI | 65 |
| 212 |  Angola | AGO | 65 |
| 213 |  Guinea-Bissau | GNB | 64 |
| 214 |  Eswatini | SWZ | 64 |
| 215 |  Cameroon | CMR | 64 |
| 216 |  Equatorial Guinea | GNQ | 64 |
| 217 |  Madagascar | MDG | 64 |
| 218 |  Kenya | KEN | 64 |
| 219 |  Burundi | BDI | 64 |
| 220 |  Mozambique | MOZ | 64 |
| 221 |  Zimbabwe | ZWE | 63 |
| 222 |  Togo | TGO | 63 |
| 223 |  Liberia | LBR | 62 |
| 224 |  Nauru | NRU | 62 |
| 225 |  Côte d'Ivoire | CIV | 62 |
| 226 |  DRC | COD | 62 |
| 227 |  Sierra Leone | SLE | 62 |
| 228 |  Niger | NER | 62 |
| 229 |  Burkina Faso | BFA | 61 |
| 230 |  Benin | BEN | 61 |
| 231 |  Guinea | GIN | 61 |
| 232 |  Mali | MLI | 61 |
| 233 |  Somalia | SOM | 59 |
| 234 |  Lesotho | LSO | 58 |
| 235 |  Central African Republic | CAF | 58 |
| 236 |  South Sudan | SSD | 58 |
| 237 |  Chad | TCD | 55 |
| 238 |  Nigeria | NGA | 55 |
Note: Figures rounded.
Most of the top 10 countries are similarly small-sized territories or countries.
However, Japan (#4), South Korea (#5), and Australia (#10) are the three top-10 countries with the highest life expectancies (84+) when accounting for a population of more than 20 million people.
Regionally, Western European countries have the highest life expectancies at birth. Their counterparts in Eastern Europe are a shade lower.
And despite Japan and South Korea’s performance, most Asians have life expectancies between 70–80 years. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Papua New Guinea are below the 70-year threshold.
However, several African countries have a below-60 life expectancy, a projected lifespan that is a full 20 years shorter than Western European residents.
Nigeria has the lowest average life expectancy at birth, at 55 years.
What Life Expectancy Numbers Mean for Individuals
Life expectancies are tricky things to fully comprehend: in that they change throughout a person’s lifespan and are measured for entire cohorts born in a year.
For example, in countries with lower projected expectancies, it doesn’t necessarily mean adults don’t live as long.
A high infant mortality rate for a particular cohort of babies born in a year could reduce the projected lifespan of the entire cohort. However once a baby from that year survives to adulthood, they may very well reach their 70s.
In fact, data shows that the biggest difference between life expectancies of Africa and high-income regions are for those before the age of 5 and after 60.
This is because both babies and older adults have a need for specific medical infrastructure which many Africans don’t have access to.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
There is a strong correlation between wealth and longer lifespans. Check out Countries with the Highest GDP per Capita in 2024 to see similarities.
Why we trust people who grew up with less
May. 22nd, 2025 09:00 amphys_social_feedWhen deciding whom to trust, people are more likely to choose individuals who grew up with less money over those who went to private schools or vacationed in Europe, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Why we trust people who grew up with less
May. 22nd, 2025 09:00 amphys_breaking_feedWhen deciding whom to trust, people are more likely to choose individuals who grew up with less money over those who went to private schools or vacationed in Europe, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The Judas Contract by Marv Wolfman & George Pérez
May. 22nd, 2025 08:56 amjames_davis_nicoll
Who is the secret traitor? The former boy wonder, the wonder girl, the alien princess, the cyborg, the shape-shifter, the spooky witch, the speedster, or the geokinetic who frequently brags about being evil and betraying the team?
The Judas Contract by Marv Wolfman & George Pérez
What Veterans’ Poems Can Teach Us About Healing on Memorial Day
May. 22nd, 2025 12:00 pmjstordaily_feedMemorial Day, a national holiday to honor the 1.17 million men and women who have died to create and maintain the freedoms outlined in our Constitution, is not the only Memorial Day.
The holiday emerged from the Civil War as a celebration almost exclusively for veterans of the Union Army to remember those who had died. Veterans and their families from Confederate states held their own celebrations. Thus, it remains fraught with conflict and ambiguity.
In 2017, seven states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia—chose to also celebrate some form of Confederate Memorial Day. It’s usually celebrated on April 26—the day associated with the surrender of General Joe Johnston, nine days after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox at the end of the Civil War.
How can we overcome these deep divides?
Having served twenty-eight years in the US Army and as a teacher and researcher who studies the roles veterans and their family play in society, I believe poems written by veterans that focus on honoring those who have died may give us a clue.
Bridging Divisions
Tension between North and South remains. We see it not only on days dedicated to remembrance. It surfaces daily as communities such as New Orleans wrestle with whether or not to keep memorial statues honoring Confederate leaders like Robert E. Lee.
One poet who does not ignore these divides is Yusef Komunyakaa, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 and earned a Bronze Star. He is now a professor at New York University.
In “Facing It,” a poem about visiting the Vietnam War Memorial, Komunyakaa, an African-American, confronts the wall and issues linked to war and race. He writes:
“My black face fades / hiding inside the black granite.”
But he is also a veteran honoring those who died; he is balancing the pain of loss with the guilt of not being a name on the wall:
“I go down the 58,022 names, / half-expecting to find / my own in letters like smoke. / I touch the name Andrew Johnson; / I see the booby trap’s white flash.”
The poem ends with two powerful images that offer a glimmer of hope:
“A white vet’s image floats / closer to me, then his pale eyes / look through mine. I’m a window. / He’s lost his right arm / inside the stone. In the black mirror / a woman’s trying to erase names: / No, she’s brushing a boy’s hair.”
The image of the speaker becoming a “window” addresses how two vets, one white and one black, bridge the racial divide and become linked through shared acts of sacrifice and remembrance. Yet even with such a positive affirming metaphor, the speaker’s mind and heart are not fully at ease.
The next image creates dissonance and worry: Will the names be erased? The concluding line relieves that worry—the names are not being erased. More importantly, the final image of a simple act of caring calls to mind the sacrifices made to protect women and children by those whose names are on the wall. As a result, their image in the stone becomes a living memorial.
Memory and Reflection
We can also learn from Brock Jones, an Army veteran who served three tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He named his award-winning book Cenotaph, the name for a tomb to honor those whose graves lie elsewhere. By using the name of a monument for those not present, a monument with historical ties to ancient Greece and Egypt as well as our own culture, Brock highlights how honoring the dead goes beyond culture and country.
More to Explore
The Evolution of Memorial Day
May 22, 2019
What started as a solemn commemoration of dead Civil War soldiers has become a celebration of summer. Here's why that makes total sense.
Jones’s poems do not focus outward toward social strife, but inward. They address language’s inability to capture or express loss linked to memories of war. They also point to how those remaining alive, particularly those who have not served, might come to understand the depth of the sacrifice expressed by memorials and, by extension, Memorial Day.
In “Arkansas,” a poem that takes place at the Arkansas pillar, one of fifty-six pillars at the National WWII Memorial in Washington, DC, the speaker remembers a journey with his grandfather:
“dead eight years ago this summer / to the Atlantic pavilion engraved / with foreign names he never forgot. / Bastogne. / Yeah, we was there. / St. Marie Eglise. / We was near there.”
The poem ends with the grandfather described as “a hunched figure, in front of ARKANSAS. Still, in front of ARKANSAS.” The grandfather is burdened by memories he carries, memories that render him “still” (motionless), memories that will remain with him “still.”
“Memorial from a Park Bench” offers a broader perspective, one that any visitor sitting on a bench in front of a memorial might experience. For the visitor, the memorial becomes “an opened book,” a place where “A word loses its ability to conjure / trapped inside a black mirror.”
The words are “names,” which “could be lines / of poems or a grocery list. / They could be just lines.” But they are not “just lines.”
At poem’s end, when all is contemplated, “Here are names and black stone / and your only reflection.”
Jones shifts the emotional and intellectual burden from the person on the bench to the poem’s readers, and thus to broader society. These words cannot be just lines or lists; they become, by being memorialized in a black stone, a “mirror,” the reader’s and thus society’s “reflection.” All on the bench are implicated; the names died for us, and, as a result, are us.
Memorial Day and Mindfulness
Memorial Day may have “official” roots honoring Union dead, but veteran poets of recent wars serving the United States have found ways to honor all those who have died in battle.
Our country may be divided, but by taking a moment to pause and reflect on names etched on monument walls or gravestones, everyone on benches may see their own reflections, and in so doing further the task President Abraham Lincoln outlined in his 1865 Second Inaugural Address “to bind up the nation’s wounds…to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
Weekly Newsletter
[contact-form-7]By being mindful, we might understand what Robert Dana, a WWII vet wrote in “At the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC”: that “These lives once theirs / are now ours.”
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Support JSTOR Daily! Join our membership program on Patreon today.
The post What Veterans’ Poems Can Teach Us About Healing on Memorial Day appeared first on JSTOR Daily.
GEMS out of this world: Astronomers find a new Saturn-like exoplanet around an M-dwarf star
May. 22nd, 2025 08:10 amphys_breaking_feedAn international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new giant exoplanet around an M-dwarf star (GEMS). The newfound GEMS, designated TOI-5573 b, is comparable in size to Saturn and its mass is estimated to be 0.35 Jupiter masses. The findings were detailed in a research paper published May 13 on the arXiv preprint server.