make a list of 43 things i know very little about, and then learn at least 3 things about each of them

• Often does not contain eggs.

• Typically has less than 55% air, making it seem denser than some ice creams.

• First created in the 16th century by Bernardo Buontalenti.

• Introduced to the rest of Europe in the 1600’s by Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli.

• Gelato made with water instead of dairy is called Sorbetto a.k.a. Sorbet.

• Tends to melt faster than ice cream, and is stickier than ice cream once it melts due to the use of ingredients that are non homogenized.

• Does not contain gelatin.

Source: Wikipedia (try as I might, I could not find a single Gelato source here in my gigantic library!)

In honor of National Poetry month, I thought I’d learn a little more about one of my favorite poets.

• Full name: Edward Estlin Cummings
• Born October 14th, 1894 in Cambridge, Mass., died September 3rd, 1962
• Also a painter
• Didn’t object to people writing his name in lowercase, but he himself capitalized his name in his signature and books
• BA and MA from Harvard
• Served in WWI

Source: Encylopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 2007

Ever since reading What is the What I’ve been meaning to do a little research on Sudan for this goal. Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Capital: Khartoum
• 70% of the country is Muslim, 25% indigenous beliefs, 5% Christian
• It’s the largest nation of Africa and covers almost one million square miles.
• Gained independence January 1st, 1956
• In 1983, the leader of the country, Nimeri, began incorporating Islamic punishments in the penal code. This was the beginning of the civil war that led to the Lost Boys. General Omar Hassan al-Bashir overthrew the government in 1989 and instituted even stricter Islamic laws.
• Osama Bin Laden lived in Sudan from 1991 until 1996.
• The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in January 2005 ending 20 years of civil war between the north and south. At least 1.5 million people were killed during those 20 years.
• Trouble broke out in Darfur in 2003. The government armed Arab militias to target any civilian populations suspected of supporting rebellion. Called the Janjaweed, they attacked and burned villages looting and raping as they went. The UN now considers Darfur the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis.
• China is a big supporter of the Sudanese government because of their oil interests in the country. Many people are currently protesting China’s hosting of the 2008 Olympics because of their questionable role in Sudan.

Source: The World Today Series: Africa, 2007

I’ve never had the slightest clue how and why the date for Easter varies so widely. Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Easter generally falls on the Sunday following the first full moon of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

2. Easter can fall as early as March 22nd. No one living today has or will witness this since it last occurred in 1818 and won’t happen again until 2285.

3. This year’s Easter is the earliest we’ll see, and is also quite rare. It last occurred in 1913 and won’t happen again until 2160.

4. The latest Easter can fall is April 25th.

1. Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with 12.7 million people.

2. Was devastated in 1976 by an earthquake that killed 24,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless.

3. Was once ruled by General Rios Montt, a man known for brutality. A few years ago, his daughter, a Guatemalan congresswoman, married a U.S. representative from my hometown, Jerry Weller!

Source: Latin America by Robert T. Buckman

1. Worships one god called Ahura Mazda.

2. Was once the dominant religion of much of Iran but is now practiced by fewer than 200,000 people worldwide.

3. The sacred texts of Zoroastrianism are called the Avesta.

Source: Wikipedia. Since I work in a library, in the future, I’ll try to stay away from the internet as my source.