November is a psychological thriller film first screened at film
festivals in 2004. It stars Courteney Cox as Sophie, a photographer
whose life begins to unravel following a traumatic incident on
November 7 that involved her boyfriend, played by James LeGros. In the
words of Cox, her character "goes through three phases. First there's
denial. Then she feels guilty and sad about the situation. Then she
has to learn to accept it." The film co-stars Michael Ealy as a
co-worker of Sophie's, Nora Dunn as her psychiatrist, and Anne Archer
as her mother. Nick Offerman plays a police officer investigating the
incident, while Matthew Carey has a role as a robber of a convenience
store. Directed by Greg Harrison, it was released to theatres in the
United States by Sony Pictures Classics on July 22, 2005, and while
its award-winning digital video photography was praised, many reviews
criticised the film's story for being too ambiguous and derivative of
other pictures. Critics have compared it to the work of film-makers
such as David Lynch and M. Night Shyamalan.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_%28film%29
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
284:
Diocletian became Roman Emperor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletian)
1700:
Great Northern War: Forces led by King Charles XII of Sweden defeated
the Russian army of Tsar Peter the Great in the Battle of Narva.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Narva)
1910:
Mexican Revolution: Francisco I. Madero promulgated the San Luis
Plan, starting a revolt against President Porfirio Díaz.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_I._Madero)
1945:
The Nuremberg Trials against 24 leading Nazi war criminals involved in
World War II and the Holocaust began in Nuremberg, Germany.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials)
1998:
Zarya, the first module of the International Space Station, was
launched on a Proton rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarya)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is." -- Nadine
Gordimer
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nadine_Gordimer)
Federalist No. 10 is an essay by James Madison and the tenth of the
Federalist Papers, a series arguing for the ratification of the United
States Constitution. It was published on November 22, 1787, under the
pseudonym Publius, the name under which all the Federalist Papers were
published. The essay is the most famous of the Federalist Papers and
among the most highly regarded of all American political writings. No.
10 addresses the question of how to guard against "factions," groups
of citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or the
interests of the whole community. In today's discourse the term
special interest often carries the same connotation. Madison argued
that a strong, large republic would be a better guard against those
dangers than smaller republics—for instance, the individual states.
Opponents of the Constitution offered counterarguments to his
position, which were substantially derived from the commentary of
Montesquieu on this subject. The whole series is cited by scholars and
jurists as an authoritative interpretation and explication of the
meaning of the Constitution. Jurists have frequently read No. 10 to
mean that the Founding Fathers did not intend the United States
government to be partisan.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_No._10
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1493:
Christopher Columbus became the first European to land on Puerto Rico,
an island he named San Juan Bautista.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico)
1794:
The United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain concluded the Jay
Treaty.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Treaty)
1863:
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address)
1942:
Soviet forces under General Georgy Zhukov launched the Operation
Uranus envelopment at the Battle of Stalingrad, turning the tide of
the battle in the Soviet Union's favor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Uranus)
1977:
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to
officially visit Israel; he met with Prime Minister Menachem Begin and
spoke before the Knesset.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_Sadat)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"In a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate -
we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who
struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add
or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say
here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the
living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they
who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." -- Abraham Lincoln
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln)
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the brain and
spinal cord. MS can cause a variety of symptoms, including changes in
sensation, visual problems, weakness, depression, and difficulties
with coordination and speech. Although many patients lead full and
rewarding lives, MS can cause impaired mobility and disability in the
more severe cases. MS affects neurons, the cells of the brain and
spinal cord that carry information, create thought and perception, and
allow the brain to control the body. Surrounding and protecting these
neurons is a layer of fat, called myelin, which helps neurons carry
electrical signals. MS causes gradual destruction of myelin
(demyelination) in patches throughout the brain and/or spinal cord,
causing various symptoms depending upon which signals are interrupted.
The name multiple sclerosis refers to the multiple scars (or
scleroses) on the myelin sheaths. MS results from attacks by an
individual's immune system on his or her own nervous system, and it is
therefore categorized as an autoimmune disease.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1307:
William Tell, a legendary marksman in Switzerland, is said to have
successfully shot an apple on the head of his son with a single bolt
from his crossbow.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tell)
1626:
St. Peter's Basilica was consecrated
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica)
1905:
Prince Carl of Denmark became Haakon VII, the first King of Norway
after the personal union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haakon_VII_of_Norway)
1959:
Ben-Hur, a film based on a bestselling historical novel by Lew
Wallace, premiered in New York City. It went on to win an
unprecedented eleven Academy Awards.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben-Hur_%281959_film%29)
1978:
Jim Jones led more than 900 members of the People's Temple to a mass
murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"We’re all puppets, Laurie. I’m just a puppet who can see the
strings." -- Alan Moore in Watchmen
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Moore)
Felice Beato was a British and Italian photographer. He was one of the
first photographers to take pictures in East Asia and one of the first
war photographers. He is also noted for his genre works, portraits,
and views and panoramas of the architecture and landscapes of Asia and
the Mediterranean region. Beato's travels to many lands gave him the
opportunity to create powerful and lasting images of countries, people
and events that were unfamiliar and remote to most people in Europe
and North America. To this day his work provides the key images of
such events as the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Second Opium War
and his photographs represent the first substantial oeuvre of what
came to be called photojournalism. He had a significant impact on
other photographers, and Beato's influence in Japan, where he worked
with and taught numerous other photographers and artists, was
particularly deep and lasting.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felice_Beato
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1384:
Jadwiga was crowned "King of Poland", although she was a woman.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadwiga_of_Poland)
1532:
Sapa Inca Atahualpa was captured by Francisco Pizarro in
the Battle of Cajamarca.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atahualpa)
1885:
Louis Riel, Canadian rebel leader of the Métis and "Father of
Manitoba", was executed for high treason.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel)
1979:
The first line of the Bucharest Metro was opened in Bucharest,
Romania.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucharest_Metro)
2002:
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was first recorded in
Guangdong, China.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_Acute_Respiratory_Syndrome)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"From each as they choose, to each as they are chosen." -- Robert
Nozick
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Nozick)
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered in a photograph taken on the
night of March 24, 1993 with the Schmidt telescope at the Mount
Palomar Observatory in California, and was the ninth comet discovered
by astronomers Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker and David Levy. It
turned out to be the first comet observed orbiting a planet (Jupiter,
in this case) and not the Sun. The comet was also unusual because it
was in fragments, due to a close encounter with Jupiter in July 1992
when it approached closer to the planet than its Roche limit and was
pulled apart by tidal forces. Between July 16 and July 22 1994, the
fragments of the comet collided with Jupiter's southern hemisphere at
60 kilometres per second (37 miles per second), providing the first
direct observation of the collision of two solar system objects. The
collision resulted in disruptions in Jupiter's atmosphere, such as
plumes and bubbles of gas, and dark spots in the atmosphere which
remained visible for several months. The event was closely observed
and recorded by astronomers worldwide as a result of its tremendous
scientific importance, and also generated a large amount of coverage
in the popular media.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Shoemaker-Levy_9
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
655:
Penda of Mercia was defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria at the Battle of
Winwaed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penda_of_Mercia)
1864:
William Tecumseh Sherman (pictured) began his "March to the Sea".
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman%27s_March_to_the_Sea)
1920:
The first general assembly of the League of Nations was held in
Geneva, Switzerland.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations)
1971:
Intel released the 4004, the world's first single-chip microprocessor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_4004)
1988:
The Soviet Buran shuttle was launched on her first and only space
flight.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle_Buran)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour. --
William Cowper --
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Cowper)
Pan American World Airways was the principal international airline of
the United States from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991.
Originally founded as a seaplane service out of Key West, Florida, the
airline became a major company; it was credited with many innovations
that shaped the international airline industry, including the
widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized
reservation systems. Identified by its blue globe logo and the use of
"Clipper" in aircraft names and call signs, the airline was a cultural
icon of the 20th century, and the unofficial flag carrier of the
United States. Pan Am went through two incarnations after 1991. The
second Pan Am operated from 1996 to 1998 with a focus on low-cost,
long-distance flights between the U.S. and the Caribbean. The current
incarnation, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and known as the Pan
Am "Clipper Connection," is operated by Boston-Maine Airways. The
airline currently flies to destinations in the northeastern United
States, Florida, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_American_World_Airways
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1228:
Frederick of Isenberg was executed for the murder of his cousin
Engelbert of Berg, the Archbishop of Cologne.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_of_Isenberg)
1889:
Nellie Bly, reporter for the New York World, departed on
her successful attempt to travel Around the World in Eighty Days.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly)
1940:
Coventry Cathedral and much of the city centre was destroyed in heavy
Luftwaffe bombing.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Cathedral)
1971:
Mariner 9 reached Mars, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another
planet.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_9)
1990:
The Federal Republic of Germany amended its constitution to confirm
the Polish border at the Oder-Neisse line.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oder-Neisse_line)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"The ambition of the greatest men of our generation has been to wipe
every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but so long as there
are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over." --
Jawaharlal Nehru
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jawaharlal_Nehru)
The German S-mine (Schrapnellmine) is the most well-known version of a
class of mines known as bounding mines, which launch into the air
about waist height to then explode, propelling shrapnel horizontally
at lethal speeds. The S-mine was an antipersonnel landmine developed
by Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used extensively by German forces
during World War II. It was designed to be used in open areas and to
attack unshielded infantry. Two versions were produced, designated by
the year of their first production: the SMi-35 and SMi-44. There are
only minor differences between the two models (TM-E 30-451, 1945). The
S-mine entered production in 1935 and served as a key part of the
defensive strategy of the Third Reich. Until production ceased with
the defeat of Germany in 1945, Germany produced over 1.93 million
S-mines. These mines were responsible for inflicting heavy casualties
and slowing, or even repelling, drives into German-held territory
throughout the war. The design was lethal, successful and much
imitated, and remains one of the definitive weapons of World War II.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-mine
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1887:
Bloody Sunday clashes in Trafalgar Square
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281887%29)
1970:
Bhola cyclone: A 100-mph tropical cyclone hit the densely populated
Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), killing an
estimated 500,000 people (this is regarded as the 20th century's worst
cyclone disaster).
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Bhola_cyclone)
1982:
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington D.C. after a
march to its site by thousands of Vietnam War veterans.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial)
1985:
The volcano Nevado del Ruiz erupted, causing a lahar (volcanic
mudslide) that buried Armero, Colombia, killing approximately 23,000
people.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevado_del_Ruiz)
1990:
The first known web page was written. (see:
http://www.w3.org/History/19921103-hypertext/hypertext/WWW/Link.html)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what
thou wilt: whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace;
whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct,
through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare:
let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but
what is good." -- Augustine of Hippo
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo)
The Peterborough Chronicle is one of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles that
contains unique information about the history of England after the
Norman Conquest. According to philologist J.A.W. Bennett, it is the
only prose history in English between the Conquest and the later 14th
century. When William the Conqueror took England and Anglo-Norman
became the official language, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles generally
ceased. The monks of Peterborough Abbey, however, continued to compile
events in theirs. While the Peterborough Chronicle is not professional
history, it is one of the few first-hand accounts of the period 1070
to 1154 in England written in English and from a non-courtly point of
view. It is also a valuable source of information about the early
Middle English language itself. The linguistic innovations recorded in
its second continuation are plentiful, and at least one innovation,
the feminine pronoun "she", is first recorded in the Peterborough
Chronicle.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough_Chronicle
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1675:
Gottfried Leibniz demonstrated integral calculus for the first time to
find the area under the graph of a function y = f(x) by using
antiderivatives.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz)
1930:
A patent was awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd for their
invention, the Einstein refrigerator.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator)
1965:
Ian Smith, Premier of the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia,
issued the Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Smith)
1975:
The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 came to a head as Prime
Minister Gough Whitlam was dismissed from office by Governor-General
Sir John Kerr.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_constitutional_crisis_of_1975)
1978:
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his first term as President of the
Maldives.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maumoon_Abdul_Gayoom)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the
spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains that
victory." -- George S. Patton
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_S._Patton)
Witold Lutosławski was one of the major European composers of the
20th century, and possibly the most significant Polish composer since
Chopin. Lutosławski studied piano and composition in Warsaw, and
during World War II he made a living in that city by playing the piano
in bars. In the late 1940s and early 1950s his music was banned as
formalist by the Stalinist authorities. In the last three decades of
the century he became the pre-eminent musician of his country, and was
presented with a large number of international honours, awards and
prizes. Lutosławski's early compositions were overtly influenced by
Polish folk music; from the late 1950s onwards he developed his own
characteristically dense harmonies and innovative aleatory techniques.
His works include four symphonies and a Concerto for Orchestra; he
also composed concertos and song cycles for renowned musicians
including Mstislav Rostropovich, Peter Pears, and Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau. He was also a notable conductor of his own music.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Lutos%C5%3Fawski
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
John Carroll, S.J., was appointed Bishop of Baltimore, the first
Roman Catholic bishop in the United States.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carroll)
1860:
Abraham Lincoln became the first
Republican candidate to win the U.S. presidential election.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election%2C_1860)
1962:
The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 1761,
condemning South Africa's apartheid policies.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Africa_in_the_apartheid_era)
1963:
Duong Van Minh officially took over the government of South Vietnam
a few days after the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duong_Van_Minh)
1999:
Although opinion polls had clearly suggested that the majority of
the electorate favoured republicanism, the Australian republic
referendum was defeated.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Australian_republic_referendum)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." -- Mohandas
Gandhi
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mohandas_Gandhi)
Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of cows, goats,
sheep, or other mammals. The milk is curdled using some combination of
rennet and acidification. Bacteria acidify the milk and play a role in
defining the texture and flavor of most cheeses. Some cheeses also
feature molds, either on the outer rind or throughout. There are
hundreds of types of cheese. Different styles and flavors of cheese
are the results of using different species of bacteria and molds,
different levels of milk fat, variations in length of aging, and
differing processing treatments. Cheeses are eaten raw or cooked,
alone or with other ingredients. As they are heated, most cheeses melt
and brown. Some cheeses melt smoothly, especially in the presence of
acids or starch. Cheese fondue, with wine providing the acidity, is a
good example of a smoothly-melted cheese dish. Other cheeses turn
elastic and stringy when they melt, a quality that can be enjoyed in
dishes like pizza. Some cheeses melt unevenly, their fats separating
as they heat, while a few acid-curdled cheeses, including paneer and
ricotta, do not melt at all and can become firmer when cooked.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1852:
Count Cavour became the prime minister of Piedmont-Sardinia, which
soon expanded to become the Kingdom of Italy.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Camillo_Benso_di_Cavour)
1869:
Nature, one of the oldest and most reputable general purpose
scientific journals, was first published.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_%28journal%29)
1918:
The German Revolution began when forty-thousand sailors took over the
port in Kiel.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Revolution)
1956:
Soviet troops invaded Hungary to crush the Hungarian Uprising, killing
thousands. Nearly a quarter million fled the country as refugees.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Hungarian_Revolution)
1979:
Iranian radicals seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held the
occupants hostage for 444 days.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"After looking at mothers-in-law and seeing sons-in-law — I always
felt that the jokes were on the wrong ones. No sir, you can look
through everything I ever did write or say, and you never did hear me
tell a joke about any mother-in-law — or any creed, color or
religion, either." -- Will Rogers
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Will_Rogers)