The Treehouse of Horror are a series of episodes in the animated series The
Simpsons. They are Halloween specials, each consisting of three separate,
self-contained segments. These segments usually involve the Simpson family
in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting. Considered
non-canon, they always take place outside the normal continuity of the show
and completely abandon any pretense of being realistic. The first Treehouse
of Horror episode aired on October 25, 1990 as part of the second season and
was inspired by EC Comics horror tales. The episodes are known for being far
more violent and much darker than an average Simpsons episode. As of 2008,
there are 18 Treehouse of Horror episodes, with one airing every year, and
the newest episode, "Treehouse of Horror XIX", is scheduled to air on
November 2. Episodes contain several trademarks, including the alien
characters Kang and Kodos, "scary names" in the credits, a special version
of the opening sequence, and parodies of horror and science fiction films.
The show's staff regard the Treehouse of Horror as being particularly
difficult to produce as the scripts often go through many rewrites, and the
animators typically have to design new characters and backgrounds.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_(series)
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1517:
According to traditional accounts, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five
Theses onto the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, marking the
beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther)
1587:
Leiden University Library in Leiden in the Netherlands, one of the cultural
centres that gave direction to the development and spread of knowledge
during the Age of Enlightenment, opened its doors after its founding in
1575.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden_University_Library)
1941:
The 60-foot (18 m) colossal busts of U.S. Presidents George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore,
created by artist and sculptor Gutzon Borglum, were completed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rushmore)
1984:
Indira Gandhi, India's first and to date only female prime minister, was
assassinated by two of her own bodyguards, sparking riots in New Delhi and
several other cities throughout the country.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi)
2000:
Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collided with construction equipment while
attempting to take off from Taiwan's Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport
during heavy rain, killing 79 passengers and 4 crew members.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Airlines_Flight_006)
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Ragnarok: (n) (Norse mythology) The final battle between gods and giants,
involving all creation which denotes the end of the world as it is known and
almost all life.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ragnarok)
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it.
--James Boswell
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Boswell)
Mary Shelley (1797–1851) was a British novelist, short story writer,
dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her
Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. She also edited and
promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy
Bysshe Shelley. Her father was the political philosopher William Godwin, and
her mother was the philosopher and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. In 1814,
Mary Godwin fell in love with one of her father's political followers, the
married Percy Bysshe Shelley. Together with Mary's stepsister, Claire
Clairmont, they left for France and travelled through Europe; upon their
return to England, Mary was pregnant. Over the next two years, she and Percy
faced ostracism, constant debt, and the death of their prematurely born
daughter. In 1822, her husband drowned when his sailing boat sank during a
storm in the Bay of La Spezia. A year later, Mary Shelley returned to
England and from then on devoted herself to the upbringing of her son and a
career as a professional author. The last decade of her life was dogged by
illness, probably caused by the brain tumour that was to kill her at the age
of 53.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Shelley
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1470:
Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, restored Henry VI as the King of
England during the Wars of the Roses.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Neville,_16th_Earl_of_Warwick)
1938:
The radio drama The War of the Worlds, based on the science fiction novella
by English writer H. G. Wells, frightened many listeners in the United
States into believing that an actual Martian invasion was in progress.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio%29>
)
1960:
Surgeon and scientist Michael Woodruff performed the first successful kidney
transplant in the United Kingdom at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Woodruff)
1961:
The Soviet hydrogen bomb Tsar Bomba was detonated over Novaya Zemlya Island
in the Arctic Sea as a test. With a yield of around 50 megatons, it was the
largest nuclear weapon ever detonated to date.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba)
1975:
Prince Juan Carlos became Spain's acting head of state, taking over for the
country's ailing dictator General Francisco Franco.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Franco)
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
saucy: (adj) 1. Impertinent or disrespectful, often in a way that is
regarded as entertaining or amusing; smart.
2. Impudently bold; pert; piquant.
3. Mildly erotic.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/saucy)
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations,
or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and
evidence.
--John Adams
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Adams)
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 618 to
907. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline
and collapse of the Sui Empire. The Tang Dynasty, with its capital at
Chang'an, the most populous city in the world at the time, is regarded by
historians as a high point in Chinese civilization—equal to or surpassing
that of the earlier Han Dynasty—as well as a golden age of cosmopolitan
culture. In Chinese history, the Tang Dynasty was largely a period of
progress and stability, except during the An Shi Rebellion and the decline
of central authority in the latter half of the dynasty. Like the previous
Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty maintained a civil service system by drafting
officials through standardized examinations and recommendations to office.
Two of China's most famous historical poets, Du Fu and Li Bai, belonged to
this age, as well as the poets Meng Haoran, Du Mu, and Bai Juyi. Many famous
visual artists lived during this era, such as the renowned painters Han Gan,
Zhang Xuan, and Zhou Fang. There was a rich variety of historical literature
compiled by scholars, as well as encyclopedias and books on geography. There
were many notable innovations during the dynasty, including the development
of woodblock printing, the escapement mechanism in horology, the government
compilations of materia medicas, and improvements in cartography.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1268:
Conradin, the last Duke of Swabia, was beheaded in Naples after failing to
reclaim Sicily for the House of Hohenstaufen from Charles of Anjou.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conradin)
1787:
The opera Don Giovanni, based on the legendary fictional libertine Don Juan
and composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, premiered in the Estates Theatre in
Prague.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Giovanni)
1923:
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the first President of the Republic of Turkey,
a new nation founded from remnants of the Ottoman Empire.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%C3%BCrk)
1929:
A catastrophic downturn in the New York Stock Exchange on "Black Tuesday"
set off the Great Depression, triggering a chain of bankruptcies and a
worldwide economic depression.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929)
1998:
After more than three decades, 77-year old John Glenn returned to space
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-95, to study the effects of space
flight on the elderly.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn)
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
withhold: (v) 1. To keep (a physical object that one has obtained) to
oneself rather than giving back to its owner.
2. To keep (information, etc.) to oneself rather than revealing.
3. To retain or keep back; not to grant.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/withhold)
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the
long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The
only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. The source of better
ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education.
--Alfred Whitney Griswold
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_Whitney_Griswold)
NeXT was an American computer company headquartered in Redwood City,
California that developed and manufactured a series of computer workstations
intended for the higher education and business markets. NeXT was founded in
1985 by Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs after his forced resignation
from Apple. NeXT introduced the first NeXT Computer in 1988, and the smaller
NeXTStation in 1990. Sales of the NeXT computers were relatively limited,
with estimates of about 50,000 units shipped in total. Nevertheless its
innovative object-oriented NeXTSTEP operating system and development
environment were highly influential. NeXT later released much of the
NeXTSTEP system as a programming environment standard called OpenStep. NeXT
withdrew from the hardware business in 1993 to concentrate on marketing
OPENSTEP for several OEMs. NeXT also developed WebObjects, one of the first
Enterprise web application frameworks. WebObjects never became very popular
because of its initial high price of $50,000 but remains a prominent early
example of a web server based on dynamic page generation rather than static
content. Apple purchased NeXT on December 20, 1996 for $429 million, and
much of the current Mac OS X system is built on the OPENSTEP foundation.
WebObjects is now bundled with Mac OS X Server and Xcode.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
312:
Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
in Rome, leading him to end the Tetrarchy and become the only ruler of the
Roman Empire.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Milvian_Bridge)
1886:
In New York Harbor, U.S. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of
Liberty, a gift from France, to commemorate the centennial of the United
States Declaration of Independence.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty)
1940:
The Balkans Campaign in World War II: Italy invaded Greece after Greek prime
minister Ioannis Metaxas rejected Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's
ultimatum demanding the occupation of Greek territory.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Italian_War)
1954:
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was re-founded as a federacy with the
proclamation of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Netherlands)
1965:
Nostra Aetate, the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church with
Non-Christian Religions" of the Second Vatican Council, was promulgated by
Pope Paul VI, absolving the Jews of the killing of Jesus, and calling for
increased relations with all non-Christian religions.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostra_Aetate)
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gregarious: (adj) 1. Describing one who enjoys being in crowds and
socializing.
2. (zoology) Of animals that travel in herds or packs.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gregarious)
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
After bread, education is the first need of the people.
--Georges Danton
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georges_Danton)
The National emblem of Belarus which replaced the historic Pahonia arms in a
1995 referendum, features a ribbon in the colors of the national flag, a map
of Belarus, wheat ears and a red star. It is sometimes referred to as the
coat of arms of Belarus, although this is incorrect due to the lack of
several heraldic elements. The emblem is an allusion to the one used by the
Byelorussian SSR, designed by I.I. Dubasov in 1950. Emblems reminiscent of
the times of the Soviet Union are also used by the nations of Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan and the region of Transnistria.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_emblem_of_Belarus
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1553:
Condemned as a heretic for preaching nontrinitarianism and anti-infant
baptism, Michael Servetus was burned at the stake outside Geneva.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Servetus)
1904:
The New York City Subway, one of the most extensive public transportation
systems in the world, opened its first underground segment, connecting New
York City Hall with Harlem.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway)
1958:
General Ayub Khan deposed Iskander Mirza in a bloodless coup d'état to
become the second President of Pakistan, less than three weeks after Mirza
had appointed him the enforcer of martial law.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayub_Khan)
1961:
NASA launched the first Saturn I rocket, the United States' first dedicated
spacecraft designed specifically to launch loads into Earth orbit.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_I)
1971:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaire after a Portuguese
mispronunciation of the Kikongo word nzere or nzadi, which translates to
"the river that swallows all rivers.".
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaire)
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
double entendre: (n) A phrase that has two meanings, one innocent and
literal, the other risque or bawdy; an innuendo.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/double_entendre)
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
--Theodore Roosevelt
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt)
The meteorological history of Hurricane Wilma, the most intense known
tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere, began in the second week of
October 2005. A large area of disturbed weather developed across much of the
Caribbean Sea and gradually organized to the southeast of Jamaica. By late
on October 15, the system was sufficiently organized for the National
Hurricane Center to designate it as Tropical Depression Twenty-Four. The
depression drifted southwestward, and under favorable conditions, it
strengthened into Tropical Storm Wilma on October 17. From October 18, and
through the following day, Wilma underwent explosive deepening over the open
waters of the Caribbean; in a 30-hour period, the system's central
atmospheric pressure dropped to the record-low value of 882 mbar (26.05
inHg), while the winds increased to 185 mph (295 km/h). After the inner eye
dissipated due to an eyewall replacement cycle, Wilma weakened to Category 4
status, and on October 21, it made landfall on Cozumel and on the Mexican
mainland with winds of about 150 mph (240 km/h).
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorological_history_of_Hurricane_Wilma
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1597:
Imjin War: About twelve Korean ships commanded by Admiral Yi Sun-sin
defeated a large Japanese invasion fleet of at least 300 at the Battle of
Myeongnyang in the Myeongnyang Strait.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Myeongnyang)
1881:
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place in Tombstone, Arizona, USA
between the Wyatt Earp faction and Ike Clanton's gang.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfight_at_the_O.K._Corral)
1937:
Second Sino-Japanese War: Xie Jinyuan and his 'Lone Battalion' of Chinese
soldiers began the Defense of Sihang Warehouse against waves of Japanese
attackers during the Battle of Shanghai.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Sihang_Warehouse)
1944:
World War II: In one of the largest naval battles in modern history, Allied
forces defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in
the seas surrounding the Philippine island of Leyte.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf)
2001:
U.S. President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act into law,
significantly expanding the authority of U.S. law enforcement agencies in
fighting terrorism in the United States and abroad.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act)
________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
delude: (v) To deceive someone into believing something which is false.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/delude)
_________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul,
the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.
--Napoleon Hill
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Napoleon_Hill)
Creatures of Impulse is a short story by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert,
which he later adapted for the stage with music by composer-conductor
Alberto Randegger. Both the short story and the play concern an unwanted and
ill-tempered old fairy who enchants people to behave in a manner opposite
their natures, with farcical results. The short story was written for The
Graphic's Christmas number of 1870, and the play was first produced at the
Court Theatre on 2 April 1871. It originally included six songs, but three
were eventually cut, and some productions dispensed with the music entirely.
While the lyrics survive, the music was never published and is lost. Reviews
of the play were mostly positive, though it was criticised for the lack of a
significant plot or superstructure to support its comic premise.
Nonetheless, reviewers found it enjoyable, and it was a modest success,
running for 91 performances and enjoying revivals into the early part of the
20th century. Gilbert had already written a considerable body of stories,
plays, poems, criticism and other works before writing Creatures of Impulse
and would go on to write the libretti to the famous Savoy operas (composed
by Arthur Sullivan) between 1871 and 1896.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatures_of_Impulse
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1147:
Reconquista: Forces under King Afonso I of Portugal captured Lisbon from the
Moors after a four-month siege in what would be one of their only successes
during the Second Crusade.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Lisbon)
1616:
The Dutch sailing ship Eendracht reached Shark Bay on the western coastline
of Australia, as documented on the Hartog Plate etched by explorer Dirk
Hartog.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eendracht_(1615_ship)<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eendracht_%281615_ship%29>
)
1854:
Charge of the Light Brigade: Lord Cardigan led his cavalry to disaster in
the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_of_the_Light_Brigade)
1922:
The Third Dáil adopted the Constitution of the Irish Free State, based on
the requirements of the Anglo-Irish Treaty establishing the first
independent Irish state to be recognised by the British.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Irish_Free_State)
1971:
The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, replacing the Republic of
China with the People's Republic of China as China's representative at the
United Nations.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_and_the_United_Nations)
________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
zoinks: (interj) Expressing surprise, fear, etc.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zoinks)
_________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We ought to hate very rarely, as it is too fatiguing; remain indifferent to
a great deal, forgive often and never forget.
--Sarah Bernhardt
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sarah_Bernhardt)
The Giant Otter is an amphibious, mammalian carnivore native to South
America. About the length of an adult human being, it is the longest member
of the mustelidae, or weasel family, a globally successful group of
predators. Unusually for a mustelid, the Giant Otter is a social species,
with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. The groups
are centred around a dominant breeding pair and are extremely cohesive and
cooperative. Although generally peaceful, the species is territorial and
aggression has been observed between groups. The Giant Otter is exclusively
active during daylight hours. It is the noisiest otter species and distinct
vocalizations have been documented that indicate alarm, aggressiveness, and
reassurance. The Giant Otter ranges across north-central South America,
although its distribution has been greatly reduced and is now discontinuous.
The species was listed as endangered in 1999 and population estimates are
typically below 5,000 in the wild. The Guianas are the last real stronghold
for the species. Decades of poaching for its velvety pelt, peaking in the
1950s and 1960s, decimated population numbers. Habitat degradation and loss
is the greatest current threat. The Giant Otter is also rare in captivity:
as of 2003, only 60 animals were held. The Giant Otter largely subsists on a
diet of fish, particularly characins and catfish, and may also take crabs.
It has no serious natural predators, although it must compete with other
species, including the Neotropical Otter and caiman species, for food
resources.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Otter
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1260:
The Cathedral of Chartres in Chartres, France was dedicated in the presence
of King Louis IX.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Chartres)
1648:
The second treaty of the Peace of Westphalia, the Treaty of Münster, was
signed, ending both the Thirty Years' War and the Dutch Revolt, and
officially recognizing the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and
Swiss Confederation as independent states.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Westphalia)
1857:
Sheffield F.C., one of the world's oldest documented non-university football
clubs, was founded.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_F.C.)
1912:
First Balkan War: Serbian forces defeated the Ottoman army at the Battle of
Kumanovo in Vardar Macedonia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kumanovo)
1945:
The UN Charter, the constitution of the United Nations, entered into force
after being ratified by the Republic of China, France, the Soviet Union, the
United Kingdom, the United States, and a majority of the other signatories.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Charter)
________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
imperious: (adj) 1. Domineering, arrogant, or overbearing.
2. (obsolete) Imperial or regal.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/imperious)
_________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it
is black.
--Henry Ford
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Ford)
The Panic of 1907 was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States
when its stock market fell close to 50 percent from its peak the previous
year. Primary causes of the run included a retraction of market liquidity by
a number of New York City banks, a loss of confidence among depositors, and
the absence of a statutory lender of last resort. The crisis occurred after
the failure of an attempt in October 1907 to corner the market on stock of
the United Copper Company. When this bid failed, banks that had lent money
to the cornering scheme suffered runs which later spread to affiliated banks
and trusts, leading a week later to the downfall of the Knickerbocker Trust
Company—New York City's third-largest trust. The collapse of the
Knickerbocker spread fear throughout the city's trusts as regional banks
withdrew reserves from New York City banks. The panic would have deepened if
not for the intervention of financier J.P. Morgan, who pledged large sums of
his own money, and convinced other New York bankers to do the same, to shore
up the banking system. By November the contagion had largely ended. The
following year, Senator Nelson W. Aldrich established and chaired a
commission to investigate the crisis and propose future solutions, leading
to the creation of the Federal Reserve System.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1907
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
425:
Valentinian III became Emperor of the Western Roman Empire at the age of
six.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentinian_III)
1642:
The Battle of Edgehill, the first pitched battle of the First English Civil
War between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, was fought to an
inconclusive result near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Edgehill)
1955:
Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem defeated Emperor Bao Dai in a fraudulent
referendum supervised by his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu on the future of the
monarchy in South Vietnam.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_State_of_Vietnam_referendum)
1958:
In his comic series Johan and Peewit in the weekly magazine Spirou, Belgian
cartoonist Peyo introduced a new set of small sky blue characters known as
The Smurfs.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyo)
1983:
Lebanese Civil War: Suicide bombers destroyed two barracks in Beirut,
Lebanon, killing 241 U.S. Marines and 58 French paratroopers of the
international peacekeeping force.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing)
________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kwassa kwassa: (n) A dance rhythm from the Congo (DRC), where the hips move
back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kwassa_kwassa)
_________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I often observed to my brother, You see now how little nature requires to be
satisfied. Felicity, the companion of content, is rather found in our own
breasts than in the enjoyment of external things; And I firmly believe it
requires but a little philosophy to make a man happy in whatsoever state he
is. This consists in a full resignation to the will of Providence; and a
resigned soul finds pleasure in a path strewed with briars and thorns.
--Daniel Boone
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Daniel_Boone)
The 1995 Pacific Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 22,
1995 at the TI Circuit, Aida, Japan. It was the 15th race of the 1995
Formula One season. The race, contested over 83 laps, was won by Michael
Schumacher for the Benetton team after starting from third position. David
Coulthard, who started the Grand Prix from pole position, finished second in
a Williams car, with Damon Hill third in the other Williams. Schumacher's
win confirmed him as 1995 Drivers' Champion as Hill could not pass
Schumacher's points total with only two races remaining. Hill started the
race alongside Coulthard on the front row, amidst pressure from the British
media for not being "forceful" enough in battles. Schumacher attempted to
drive around the outside of Hill at the first corner, but Hill held
Schumacher off as Jean Alesi, driving for Ferrari got past both on the
inside line to take second position. As a result, Hill dropped down to third
and Schumacher dropped down to fifth behind Gerhard Berger. Schumacher
managed to get past Alesi and Hill during the first of three pit stops. This
allowed him, on a new set of slick tyres, to close on Coulthard who was on a
two-stop strategy. Schumacher opened up a gap of 21 seconds by lapping two
seconds faster per lap than Coulthard, so that when his third stop came, he
still led the race.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Pacific_Grand_Prix
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1383:
King Ferdinand I of Portugal died without a male heir to the Portuguese
throne, resulting in a period of civil war and anarchy.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_Portugal)
1844:
Millerites, including future members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,
were greatly disappointed that Jesus did not return as predicted by American
preacher William Miller.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Disappointment)
1934:
Pretty Boy Floyd, an American bank robber and alleged killer who was later
romanticized by the media, was gunned down by Federal Bureau of
Investigation agents near East Liverpool, Ohio.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Boy_Floyd)
1962:
Cuban Missile Crisis: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced on television
that Soviet nuclear weapons had been discovered in Cuba and that he had
ordered a naval "quarantine" of the island nation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis)
2006:
An expansion project to double the Panama Canal's capacity was approved by
Panamanian voters in a national referendum by a wide margin.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project)
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Wiktionary's Word of the day:
extrapolate: (v) 1. To infer by extending known information.
2. (mathematics) To estimate a value outside a known range by using values
within that range.
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/extrapolate)
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Wikiquote of the day:
If you want to change the way people respond to you, change the way you
respond to people.
--Timothy Leary
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Timothy_Leary)