Johannes Kepler was a German Lutheran mathematician, astronomer and
astrologer, and a key figure in the 17th century astronomical
revolution. He is best known for his eponymous laws of planetary
motion, codified by later astronomers based on his works Astronomia
nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy. Before
Kepler, planets' paths were computed by combinations of the circular
motions of the celestial orbs. After Kepler, astronomers shifted their
attention from orbs to orbits—paths that could be represented
mathematically as an ellipse. Kepler's laws also provided one of the
foundations for Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation. During
his career Kepler was a mathematics teacher at a Graz seminary school,
an assistant to Tycho Brahe, the court mathematician to Emperor Rudolf
II, a mathematics teacher in Linz, Austria, and an adviser to General
Wallenstein. He also did fundamental work in the field of optics and
helped to legitimize the telescopic discoveries of his contemporary
Galileo Galilei.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1410:
The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated the
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Grunwald, the
decisive engagement of the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grunwald)
1685:
James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, was executed for his role in the
Monmouth Rebellion, an attempt to overthrow the King James II of
England.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Scott%2C_1st_Duke_of_Monmouth)
1799:
French soldiers uncovered the Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian port
city of Rashid.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone)
1823:
A fire destroyed the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the
Walls in Rome. The church would later be restored by 1840.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Saint_Paul_Outside_the_Walls)
1974:
Greek-sponsored nationalists overthrew Archbishop Makarios,
President of Cyprus, in a coup d'état and replaced him with Nikos
Sampson.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarios_III)
_____________________
Wiktionary's Word of the day:
coy: Pretending shyness or modesty.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coy)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Love is the extremely difficult realisation that something other than
oneself is real. Love, and so art and morals, is the discovery of
reality. -- Iris Murdoch
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Iris_Murdoch)
The climate of India comprises a wide range of weather conditions
across a vast geographic scale and varied topography, making
generalisations difficult. Based on the Köppen system, India hosts six
major climatic subtypes, ranging from arid desert in the west, alpine
tundra and glaciers in the north, and humid tropical regions
supporting rainforests in the southwest and the island territories.
Many regions have starkly different microclimates. The nation has four
seasons: winter (January and February), summer (March to May), a
monsoon (rainy) season (June–September), and a post-monsoon period
(October–December). India's unique geography and geology strongly
influence its climate; this is particularly true of the Himalayas in
the north and the Thar Desert in the northwest. The Himalayas act as a
barrier to the frigid katabatic winds flowing down from Central Asia.
Thus, North India is kept warm or only mildly cooled during winter; in
summer, the same phenomenon makes India relatively hot. Although the
Tropic of Cancer—the boundary between the tropics and
subtropics—passes through the middle of India, the whole country is
considered to be tropical. As in much of the tropics, monsoonal and
other weather conditions in India are unstable: major droughts,
floods, cyclones and other natural disasters are sporadic, but have
killed or displaced millions.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_India
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: Parisians stormed the Bastille, freeing its
inmates and taking the prison's large quantities of arms and
ammunition.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/storming_of_the_Bastille)
1798:
The Sedition Act became United States law, making it a federal crime
to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about the
U.S. government.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts)
1933:
Gleichschaltung: All political parties in Germany were outlawed,
except the National Socialist German Workers Party.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleichschaltung)
1958:
King Faisal II, the last king of Iraq, was overthrown by a military
coup d'état led by Abd al-Karim Qasim.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_II_of_Iraq)
1965:
The NASA spacecraft Mariner 4 flew past Mars, collecting the first
close-up pictures of another planet.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_4)
_____________________
Wiktionary's Word of the day:
ratify: To give formal consent to; make officially valid.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ratify)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Nobody living can ever stop meAs I go walking my freedom highwayNobody
living can make me turn backThis land is made for you and me.
-- Woody Guthrie
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Woody_Guthrie)
The Wire is an American television drama set and produced in
Baltimore, Maryland. Created by writer/producer and former police
reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the
premium cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on
June 2, 2002, with 50 episodes airing over the course of its first
four seasons. HBO has ordered a fifth season, which Simon has said
will be the show's last. The plot of the first season centers on the
ongoing struggles between police units and drug-dealing gangs on the
west side of the city, and is told from both points of view.
Subsequent seasons have focused on other facets of the city. The large
cast consists mainly of character actors who are little known for
their other roles. The Wire has received critical acclaim for its
realistic portrayal of urban life and uncommonly deep exploration of
sociological themes, and has been called the best show on television
by TIME, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, the Chicago Tribune, the
San Francisco Chronicle, and the Philadelphia Daily News. Despite the
positive reviews, the show has failed to draw a large audience.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wire_%28TV_series%29
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1772:
HMS Resolution set sail from Plymouth, England, under the command of
Captain James Cook.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Resolution_%28Cook%29)
1793:
Jean-Paul Marat, a leader in the French Revolution, was murdered in
his bathtub by Charlotte Corday.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Marat)
1863:
Three days of rioting began in New York City by opponents of new
laws passed by the United States Congress to draft men to fight in the
ongoing American Civil War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Draft_Riots)
1878:
The major powers in Europe redrew the map of the Balkans in the
Treaty of Berlin.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Berlin_%281878%29)
1985:
Live Aid benefit concerts, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to
raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia, were held at Wembley
Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid)
_____________________
Wiktionary's Word of the day:
umbrage: A feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something
offensive.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/umbrage)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Changes in the structure of society are not brought about solely by
massive engines of doctrine. The first flash of insight which
persuades human beings to change their basic assumptions is usually
contained in a few phrases. -- Kenneth Clark
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kenneth_Clark)
The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. It
ranges from Central America to southern Canada, including offshore
islands. Many individuals in northern areas migrate south to winter
within the breeding range where January temperatures are greater than
minus 12 Celsius (10 F). Habitats include various open and semi-open
environments, including agricultural and urban areas. The species has
adapted well to areas altered by humans. The bird is abundant, with an
estimated population of 130 million birds. In many areas, the Mourning
Dove is hunted as a game bird for both sport and its flesh. Its
plaintive woo-oo-oo-oo call is common throughout its range, as is the
whistling of its wings as it takes flight. The species is a strong
flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mi/h). Mourning Doves are
light gray and brownish and generally muted in color. Males and
females are similar in appearance. The species is generally
monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for
the young for a time. Mourning Doves eat mainly seeds, including those
of both native and introduced plants.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_Dove
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1543:
King Henry VIII of England married Catherine Parr, his sixth and
last wife, at Hampton Court Palace.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Parr)
1580:
Ostrog Bible, the first Bible in Old Church Slavonic, was printed in
Ostroh, Ukraine by Ivan Fyodorov.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrog_Bible)
1806:
Sixteen German imperial states left the Holy Roman Empire and formed
the Confederation of the Rhine.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation_of_the_Rhine)
1862:
The U.S. Army Medal of Honor was first authorized by the U.S.
Congress.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor)
1975:
São Tomé and Príncipe declared independence from Portugal.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe)
1979:
The Gilbert Islands gained independence and became known as
Kiribati.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the
State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent
power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and
treats him accordingly. -- Henry David Thoreau
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau)
Daylight saving time is the convention of advancing clocks so that
afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks
are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are
adjusted backward in autumn; the ancients lengthened summer hours
instead. Presaged by a 1784 satire, modern DST was first proposed in
1907 by William Willett, and 1916 saw its first widespread use as a
wartime measure aimed at conserving coal. Despite controversy, many
countries have used it since then; details vary by location and change
occasionally. Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing,
sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working
hours, but causes problems for farmers and other workers whose hours
depend on the sun. Extra afternoon daylight cuts traffic fatalities;
its effect on health and crime is less clear. DST is said to save
electricity by reducing the need for artificial evening lighting, but
the evidence for this is weak and DST can boomerang by boosting peak
demand, increasing overall electricity costs. DST's clock shifts
complicate timekeeping and can disrupt meetings, travel, billing,
medical devices, and heavy equipment.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1302:
Flemish infantry successfully halted a French invasion near Kortrijk
in the Battle of the Golden Spurs.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Golden_Spurs)
1789:
French Revolution: Jacques Necker was dismissed as Director-General of
Finances and ordered to leave France at once.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Necker)
1804:
U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former U.S. Treasury
Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burr-Hamilton_duel)
1957:
Prince Karīm al-Hussaynī succeeded Sultan Mahommed Shah as the Aga
Khan, becoming the 49th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aga_Khan_IV)
1995:
Bosnian Genocide: Bosnian Serb forces under Ratko Mladić began the
Srebrenica massacre in Potočari, Srebrenica, eventually killing an
estimated total of 8,000 Bosniaks.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srebrenica_massacre)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent
less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her
sweetness and respecting her seniority. -- E. B. White
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/E._B._White)
Ion Heliade Rădulescu was a Wallachian-born Romanian academic,
Romantic and Classicist poet, essayist, memoirist, short story writer,
newspaper editor and politician, as well as prolific translator of
foreign literature into Romanian and the author of books on
linguistics and history. For much of his life, he was a teacher at the
Saint Sava College in Bucharest, which he helped reopen. He was a
founding member of the Romanian Academy, and the first President
thereof. Heliade Rădulescu is considered one of the foremost
representatives of Romanian culture from the first half of the 19th
century, having first become noted for his association with Gheorghe
Lazăr and the latter's support for discontinuing education in Greek.
Over the following decades, he had a major contribution in shaping the
modern Romanian language, but raised controversy when he came to
advocate the massive introduction of Italian neologisms to the
Romanian lexis. A Romantic nationalist landowner siding with moderate
liberals, he was among the leaders of the 1848 Wallachian revolution,
after which he was forced to spend several years in exile. Adopting an
original form of conservatism, which emphasized the role of boyars in
Romanian history, Heliade Rădulescu was rewarded for supporting the
Ottoman Empire, and came to clash with the radical wing of the 1848
generation.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Heliade_R%C4%83dulescu
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1357:
The foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague was laid by Holy
Roman Emperor Charles IV.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridge)
1816:
The Congress of Tucumán declared the independence of Argentina, then
known as the United Provinces of the River Plate, from Spain.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_Tucumán)
1922:
Johnny Weissmuller swam the 100-meter freestyle in 58.6 seconds,
breaking a world swimming record and the "minute barrier."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Weissmuller)
1955:
The Russell-Einstein Manifesto was issued in the midst of the Cold
War, calling for a conference where scientists would "appraise the
perils that have arisen as a result of the development of weapons of
mass destruction."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell-Einstein_Manifesto)
2002:
The African Union was launched in Durban, South Africa, with President
of South Africa Thabo Mbeki as its first chairman.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Union)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Our destiny is frequently met in the very paths we take to avoid it.
-- Jean de La Fontaine
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean_de_La_Fontaine)
The 2012 Summer Olympics bids comprised bids by nine cities to host
the 2012 Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee
shortlisted five of them — London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, and
Paris — and London eventually prevailed, becoming the first city to
host the Olympic Games three times. The bidding process for the 2012
Olympics was considered one of the most hotly contested in the history
of the IOC. Paris was seen as the front-runner for most of the
campaign, but last-minute lobbying by London's supporters was one
factor that led to the success of its bid. Madrid was regarded as one
of the favourites, but the city did not receive enough votes to
surpass Paris and London. After a technical evaluation of the nine
original bids, the top five were shortlisted on May 18, 2004, becoming
official candidates. The remaining applicant cities — Havana,
Istanbul, Leipzig and Rio de Janeiro — were eliminated. On July 6,
2005, in a four-round voting of the IOC (gathered at the 117th IOC
Session in Singapore), Moscow, New York City, and Madrid were
eliminated in the first three rounds. By a margin of four votes over
Paris, London won the final round and secured the right to host the
2012 Olympics.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics_bids
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1415:
Jan Hus, founder of the Christian Hussite reform movement, was burned
at the stake for committing heresy.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hus)
1885:
French chemist Louis Pasteur successfully tested his vaccine against
rabies on nine-year-old Joseph Meister after he was bitten by an
infected dog.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies)
1887:
King Kalākaua of Hawai'i was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution,
stripping the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority as well as
disfranchising all Asians, most native Hawaiians, and the poor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1887_Constitution_of_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii)
1942:
Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in the "Secret Annexe"
above her father's office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank)
1966:
Hastings Banda became the first president of Malawi, exactly two years
after the country was granted independence from the United Kingdom.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings_Banda)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them
humanity cannot survive. -- Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tenzin_Gyatso%2C_14th_Dalai_Lama)
The Battle of Savo Island took place August 8–August 9, 1942, and was
a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the
Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces. The battle was the
first of five major naval engagements of the Guadalcanal campaign. In
the battle, a Japanese warship task force surprised and routed the
Allied naval force, sinking one Australian and three American
cruisers, while taking only moderate damage in return. The Japanese
force consisted of seven cruisers and one destroyer, commanded by Vice
Admiral Gunichi Mikawa. In response to Allied amphibious landings in
the eastern Solomon Islands, Mikawa brought his task force down "the
Slot" to attack the Allied amphibious fleet and its screening force.
The screening force consisted of eight cruisers and fifteen
destroyers, commanded by British Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley, but
only five cruisers and seven destroyers were actually involved in the
battle. As a result of the defeat, the remaining Allied warships and
the amphibious force withdrew from the Solomon Islands. This
temporarily conceded control of the seas around Guadalcanal to the
Japanese. Allied ground forces had landed on Guadalcanal and nearby
islands only the day before. The withdrawal of the fleet left them in
a precarious situation, with barely enough supplies, equipment, and
food to hold their beachhead.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Savo_Island
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1687:
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton
was first published, describing his laws of motion and his law of
universal gravitation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophiae_Naturalis_Principia_Mathematica)
1937:
The Hormel Foods Corporation introduced Spam, the canned precooked
meat product that would eventually enter into pop culture, folklore,
and urban legend.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_%28food%29)
1954:
Elvis Presley began making his first commercial recordings at Sun
Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley%27s_Sun_recordings)
1977:
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq overthrew Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto of Pakistan in a military coup d'état.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulfikar_Ali_Bhutto)
2004:
Indonesia held its first direct presidential elections in its history;
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would later be elected president during the
second round of the elections on September 20.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_presidential_election%2C_2004)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
There are truths which one can only say after having won the right to
say them. -- Jean Cocteau
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean_Cocteau)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the
volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via
"natural" search results. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in
the search results, or the higher it "ranks," the more searchers will
visit that site. SEO can also target different kinds of search,
including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical
search engines. As a marketing strategy for increasing a site's
relevancy, SEO considers how search algorithms work and what people
search for. SEO efforts may involve a site's coding, presentation, and
structure, as well as fixing problems that could prevent search engine
indexing programs from fully spidering a site. Other, more noticeable
efforts may include adding unique content to a site, and making sure
that the content is easily indexed by search engines and also appeals
to human visitors. The acronym "SEO" can also refer to "search engine
optimizers," a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry
out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who
perform SEO services in-house.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1644:
The Battle of Marston Moor, one of the decisive encounters of the
English Civil War, was fought near York.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marston_Moor)
1839:
53 African slaves mutinied on the slave ship La Amistad off the coast
of Cuba.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Amistad)
1900:
First Zeppelin flight occurred over Lake Constance near
Friedrichshafen, Germany.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin)
1937:
Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific
Ocean during an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart)
1976:
North and South Vietnam united under communist rule to form the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamc)
1997:
The Thai baht rapidly lost half of its value, marking the beginning of
the 1997 East Asian financial crisis.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_East_Asian_financial_crisis)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
There's no lifethat couldn't be immortalif only for a
moment.Deathalways arrives by that very moment too late.In vain it
tugs at the knobof the invisible door.As far as you've come can't be
undone.~ Wisława Szymborska
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wis%C5%82awa_Szymborska)
Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of
Muhammad, a 7th-century Arab religious and political figure. The word
Islam means "submission," or the total surrender of one's self to God.
Islam's adherents are known as Muslims, meaning "one who submits (to
God)". There are between 0.9 and 1.3 billion Muslims, making Islam the
second-largest religion in the world, after Christianity. Muslims
believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet,
and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the words and deeds of Muhammad)
as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as
the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original
monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.
Islamic tradition holds that Judaism and Christianity distorted the
messages of these prophets over time either in interpretation, in
text, or both. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five
Pillars of Islam, five duties that unite Muslims into a community. In
addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (Sharia) has developed a
tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and
society. Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations,
the Sunni and Shi'a. The schism developed in the late 7th century
following disagreements over the religious and political leadership of
the Muslim community. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15
percent are Shi'a.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1520:
La Noche Triste: Spanish Conquistadors under Hernán Cortés barely
succeeded in escaping from the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Noche_Triste)
1569:
The Union of Lublin was signed, merging the Kingdom of Poland and the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a single state, the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_Lublin)
1867:
The British North America Act came into effect, uniting the Province
of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the Canadian
Confederation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Confederation)
1916:
World War I: The first day of the Battle of the Somme became the
bloodiest day in the history of the British Army, with 57,470
casualties of which 19,240 were killed or died of wounds.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_day_on_the_Somme)
1991:
The Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved at a meeting in Prague.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
It is almost impossible to bear the torch of truth through a crowd
without singeing somebody’s beard. -- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georg_Christoph_Lichtenberg)