Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus
Hydnellum of the Bankeraceae family. It is a hydnoid species, producing
spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that
hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North
America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea
(2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually
beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on
the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies
typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the
shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a
bright red juice that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant
properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young
fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names,
including the bleeding tooth fungus and Devil's tooth. Although the
fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and
nondescript when they age.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1620:
William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims landed on what is now known
as Plymouth Rock in modern-day Massachusetts, US, establishing the
Plymouth Colony.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony>
1872:
HMS Challenger, commanded by Captain George Nares, sailed from
Portsmouth, England, on a scientific expedition that eventually made
many discoveries that laid the foundation of oceanography.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_expedition>
1883:
The Royal Canadian Regiment and The Royal Canadian Dragoons, the oldest
regular regiments of the Canadian Army, were both formed.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Canadian_Regiment>
1970:
United States President Richard Nixon met singer Elvis Presley in the
White House, wherein Presley expressed his patriotism and his contempt
for the hippie drug culture.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon>
1988:
A total of 270 people were killed when a bomb on board Pan Am Flight
103 exploded while the plane was in flight over Lockerbie, Scotland,
launching an eventual three-year joint investigation by Britain's
Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and the United States' Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investigation_into_the_bombing_of_Pan_Am_Fligh…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
frowst (v):
To enjoy a warm, stuffy room
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/frowst>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
All of us encounter, at least once in our life, some individual who
utters words that make us think forever. There are men whose phrases
are oracles; who condense in one sentence the secrets of life; who
blurt out an aphorism that forms a character or illustrates an
existence.
--Benjamin Disraeli
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Disraeli>
Silent Alarm is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Bloc
Party (pictured). Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with
producer Paul Epworth, it was first released on 2 February 2005 in
Japan, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. The record peaked
at number three on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. In the United
States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 and the Billboard
Top Independent Albums at number seven. The double A-side "So Here We
Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet", and "Pioneers" were released as
singles. Silent Alarm went on to achieve worldwide sales of over one
million copies. Bloc Party aimed to create an album that appealed to
followers of different musical genres. Building on the arrangements in
their demo songs recorded in 2004, the band members moulded tracks
largely through live takes during the Silent Alarm studio sessions. The
compositional focus was on rhythm and the drum and bass parts, while
lyricist Kele Okereke's writing examined the feelings and hopes of
young adults, including views on global politics. Following the album's
completion, Bloc Party embarked on promotional tours before its
release. Silent Alarm garnered widespread critical acclaim and has
received accolades throughout the music industry since its release.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Alarm>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1912:
The Piltdown Man: At a meeting of the Geological Society of London,
amateur British archaeologist Charles Dawson claimed that he had been
given a fragment of a skull that was discovered at a gravel pit near
Uckfield, East Sussex, England, which later turned out to be a forgery.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piltdown_Man>
1916:
The French defeated German forces around the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse
in northeast France, ending the longest battle and one of the bloodiest
in World War I.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun>
1958:
The United States launched Project SCORE, the world's first
communications satellite.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_SCORE>
1966:
Epimetheus, one of the moons of Saturn, was discovered, but was
mistaken as Janus. It took 12 years to determine that they are two
distinct objects sharing the same orbit.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimetheus_%28moon%29>
2009:
The Copenhagen Summit on climate change ended with the drafting of the
non-binding Copenhagen Accord.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_Accord>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
poltroon (n):
An ignoble or arrant coward; a dastard; a mean-spirited wretch
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poltroon>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.
--Paul Klee
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_Klee>
The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the
animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation
3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The
game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts
(headquarters pictured); it was released in North America in October
2007 and worldwide in November 2007. In the self-referential plot, the
family discovers that they are forced to participate in another The
Simpsons video game. Similarly to the show, the game pokes fun at
popular culture, other video games, and Electronic Arts, its publisher.
The game follows the five Simpson family members—Homer, Marge (with
Maggie), Bart, and Lisa—who learn they are part of a video game and are
given superpowers to resolve several situations. Eventually, they must
save their 8-bit predecessors from Will Wright, the game's antagonist,
and the creator of their video game character selves, Matt Groening.
Video game critics gave the game a mixed reaction. They praised its
visuals and writing, which included many parodies of other video games,
while they criticized its short length and poor camera system, which
did not always function properly. The Simpsons Game received the Best
Game Based on a Movie or TV Show award at the 2007 Spike Video Game
Awards and was nominated for Best Video Game Writing at the 2007
Writers Guild of America Awards.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simpsons_Game>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
920:
Romanos I became co-Byzantine Emperor with the underage
Constantine VII.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanos_I_Lekapenos>
1583:
Cologne War: Forces under Ernest of Bavaria defeated the troops under
Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg at the Siege of Godesberg.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Godesberg>
1819:
The Republic of Gran Colombia in South America was established, with
Simón Bolívar as its first president.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Colombia>
1926:
A coup d'état by the Lithuanian military replaced the democratically
elected President Kazys Grinius with Antanas Smetona .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926_Lithuanian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
1935:
The Douglas DC-3, one of the most significant transport aircraft ever
built, made its maiden voyage.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3>
1983:
The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a car bomb just outside
Harrods Department Store in London, UK, killing six people and injuring
about 90 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrods_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
don't look a gift horse in the mouth (proverb):
Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_look_a_gift_horse_in_the_mouth>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
All he desired in life was that — that he could pick himself together
again and go on with his daily occupations if — the girl, being five
thousand miles away, would continue to love him. He wanted nothing
more, He prayed his God for nothing more.
--Ford Madox Ford
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ford_Madox_Ford>
A dwarf planet is a celestial body orbiting the Sun that is massive
enough to be spherical as a result of its own gravity but has not
cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals and is not a
satellite. They are smaller than planets, but more massive than small
solar system bodies. The term was adopted in 2006 by the International
Astronomical Union (IAU) as a result in the increase in discoveries of
trans-Neptunian objects that rivaled Pluto in size, and finally
precipitated by the discovery of an even more massive object, Eris. The
IAU currently recognizes five dwarf planets—Ceres (pictured), Pluto,
Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. It is suspected that at least another 40
known objects in the Solar System are dwarf planets, but the number
might be as high as 2,000. The 2006 definition has been both praised
and criticized, and has been disputed by some scientists.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
755:
In Tang Dynasty China, An Lushan revolted against Chancellor Yang
Guozhong, initiating the An Shi Rebellion, which lasted eight years
before it was put down.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Shi_Rebellion>
1497:
On his way to India, Vasco da Gama and his crew passed the Great Fish
River on the Cape of Good Hope, becoming the first Europeans to sail
into the Indian Ocean.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_da_Gama>
1689:
The Parliament of England adopted the Bill of Rights, declaring that
Englishmen possessed certain positive civil and political rights.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_Rights_1689>
1960:
United Airlines Flight 826 and Trans World Airlines Flight 266 collided
in mid-air in heavy clouds over Staten Island, New York City, killing
134 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_New_York_air_disaster>
1997:
"Dennō Senshi Porygon", an episode of the Japanese television series
Pokémon, induced epileptic seizures in 685 children.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denn%C5%8D_Senshi_Porygon>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bookish (adj):
1. Given to reading; fond of study; better acquainted with books than
with people; learned from books.
2. Characterized by a method of expression generally found in books
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bookish>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a
little way past them into the impossible.
--Arthur C. Clarke
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke>
The 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing in Saigon was an
aerial attack on February 27, 1962, by two dissident Vietnam Air Force
pilots, Second Lieutenant Nguyễn Văn Cử and First Lieutenant Phạm Phú
Quốc. The pilots targeted the Independence Palace, the official
residence of the President of South Vietnam, with the aim of
assassinating President Ngô Đình Diệm and his immediate family, who
acted as his political advisors. The pilots later stated that their
assassination attempt was in response to Diệm's autocratic rule, in
which he focused more on remaining in power than on confronting the
Vietcong. Cử and Quốc hoped that the airstrike would expose Diệm's
vulnerability and trigger a general uprising, but this failed to
materialise. One bomb penetrated a room in the western wing where Diệm
was reading but it failed to detonate, leading the president to claim
that he had "divine protection". With the exception of Diệm's
sister-in-law Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, who escaped with minor injuries, the
Ngo family were unscathed; however, three palace staff died and another
30 were injured. Afterwards, Cử managed to escape to Cambodia, but Quốc
was arrested and imprisoned. In the wake of the airstrike, Diệm became
hostile towards the American presence in South Vietnam. Diệm claimed
that the American media was seeking to bring him down and he introduced
new restrictions on press freedom and political association.
Domestically, the incident was reported to have increased plotting
against Diem by his officers.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_South_Vietnamese_Independence_Palace_bomb…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1256:
The Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran was captured
and destroyed by Hulagu Khan and the Mongols.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashshashin>
1791:
The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution,
collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights>
1906:
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway, a 14.17-kilometre
(8.80 mi) deep-level underground tube railway connecting Hammersmith
and Finsbury Park in London, opened.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Northern%2C_Piccadilly_and_Brompton_Rail…>
1973:
The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its
official list of mental disorders, the DSM-II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Di…>
1995:
The European Court of Justice handed down the Bosman ruling, allowing
footballers in the European Union to freely transfer from one UEFA
Federation to another at the end of their contracts.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosman_ruling>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pensive (adj):
1. Having the appearance of deep, often melancholic, thinking.
2. Looking thoughtful, especially from sadness
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pensive>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
--Walt Disney
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walt_Disney>
The elk is one of the largest species of deer in the world and one of
the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia. Elk are
almost identical to Red Deer in Europe, of which they were long
believed to be a subspecies; however, mitochondrial DNA evidence
strongly suggests they are distinct species. Elk range in forest and
forest-edge habitat, feeding on grass, leaves, and bark. Although
native to North America and eastern Asia, they have adapted well to
countries where they have been introduced, where their great
adaptability may threaten endemic species and ecosystems. Male elk have
large antlers which are shed each year. Males engage in mating
behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling
(sparring), and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations which
establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. Elk are
susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be
transmitted to livestock. Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from
elk populations, largely through vaccination, have had mixed success.
Some cultures revere the elk as a spiritual force. In parts of Asia,
antlers and their velvet are used in traditional medicines. Elk are
hunted as a game species; the meat is leaner and higher in protein than
beef or chicken.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1825:
Decembrist revolt: Imperial Russian Army officers led about 3,000
soldiers in a protest against Nicholas I's assumption of the throne
after his elder brother Constantine removed himself from the line of
succession.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt>
1911:
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the first people
to reach the South Pole.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Amundsen>
1913:
Haruna, the fourth and last ship of the Kongō-class, was launched,
eventually becoming one of the Japanese workhorses during World War I
and World War II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Haruna>
1960:
Ian Meckiff of Australia was run out by the West Indies, causing the
first Tied Test in the history of cricket.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Meckiff>
1964:
The United States Supreme Court ruled in Heart of Atlanta Motel v.
United States that Congress could use the Constitution's Commerce
Clause power to fight discrimination.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Atlanta_Motel_v._United_States>
2004:
Cuba and Venezuela founded the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivarian_Alliance_for_the_Americas>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ascribe (v):
To attribute; to impute; to refer, as to a cause
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ascribe>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous
to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the
popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true
test of moral character.
--Margaret Chase Smith
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Margaret_Chase_Smith>
The Scout Association of Hong Kong is the overall Scouting organization
in Hong Kong. After the first scouting initiatives in 1909, the Hong
Kong branch of The Boy Scout Association of the United Kingdom was
started in 1914 by registering the St. Joseph's College Scout Group,
and was formally established in July 1915. The Hong Kong branch became
an autonomous association and the 111th member of the World
Organization of the Scout Movement in 1977. In 2008, the association
had 99,591 uniformed members, with approximately 2700 scout groups in
the sections Grasshopper, Cubs, Scouts, Venture and Rover Scouts,
making it the largest uniformed youth organisation in Hong Kong. The
headquarters at the Hong Kong Scout Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
host the administration, headed by the Hong Kong Chief Commissioner.
The association runs campsites, including Gilwell Campsite, Tai Tam
Scout Centre and Tung Tsz Scout Centre, as well as hostels and Scout
Activity Centres. It annually organises the traditional Scout Rally,
providing scout competitions and activities. For specific
anniversaries, themed Scout Jamborees have been organised.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scout_Association_of_Hong_Kong>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1545:
Counter-Reformation: The Council of Trent, an ecumenical council
convoked by Pope Paul III in response to the growth of Protestantism,
opened in Trento, Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Trent>
1769:
Dartmouth College in present-day Hanover, New Hampshire, US, was
established by a Royal Charter from British King George III and became
the last university founded in the Thirteen Colonies before the
American Revolution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth_College>
1960:
With Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie out of the country, four
conspirators staged a coup d'état and installed Crown Prince Asfaw
Wossen as the new Emperor.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Ethiopian_coup>
2001:
The Parliament of India was attacked by five gunmen, resulting in 15
deaths, including that of the perpetrators.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Indian_Parliament_attack>
2006:
The Baiji , a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in
China, was announced as functionally extinct by leaders of the Yangtze
Freshwater Dolphin Expedition.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiji>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tussock (n):
A tuft or clump of green grass or similar verdure, forming a small
hillock
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tussock>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a
rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits
and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry... To apply a rule with
natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and
without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the
action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery.
--George Pólya
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_P%C3%B3lya>
The Ross Perot presidential campaign of 1992 was an effort spawned by
grassroots supporters to elect Texas industrialist Ross Perot as
President of the United States as an independent candidate. Perot
focused the campaign on the federal budget, economic nationalism, an
escalation of the war on drugs and implementation of "electronic town
halls". He largely financed his own campaign and relied on marketing
and widespread grassroots support to spread his message. In certain
polls, Perot led the three-way race with Republican nominee George H.
W. Bush, the incumbent President, and Governor Bill Clinton of
Arkansas, the Democratic nominee. He dropped out in July 1992 amid
controversy, but reentered in October, and surpassed the 15% polling
threshold to reach his goal of participating in all three presidential
debates. Despite an aggressive use of campaign infomercials on prime
time network television, his polling numbers never fully recovered from
his initial exit. On Election Day, Perot appeared on every state
ballot. He won several counties and finished in third place, receiving
close to 19 percent of the popular vote; the most won by a third-party
presidential candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Perot_presidential_campaign%2C_1992>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
627:
A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeated Emperor Khosrau II's
Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh, near the modern city of
Mosul, Iraq.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nineveh_%28627%29>
1531:
The Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe: According to traditional
Catholic accounts, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculously
appeared imprinted on the cloth of Juan Diego's tilma after his vision
of her on the Hill of Tepeyac outside of modern-day Mexico City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe>
1901:
Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic radio signal, from
Poldhu Wireless Station in Cornwall, England to Signal Hill in St.
John's, Newfoundland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi>
1956:
The Irish Republican Army began its Border Campaign, a guerrilla
campaign to overthrow British rule in Northern Ireland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Campaign_%28Irish_Republican_Army%29>
1985:
Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashed after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland
killing 256, including 248 members of the United States Army's 101st
Airborne Division.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_Air_Flight_1285>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ideogram (n):
A symbol which represents the idea of something without indicating the
sequence of sounds used to pronounce it
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ideogram>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What is beautiful is moral, that is all there is to it.
--Gustave Flaubert
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gustave_Flaubert>
A mechanical filter is a signal processing filter usually used in place
of an electronic filter at radio frequencies to allow a range of signal
frequencies to pass, but to block others. The filter acts on mechanical
vibrations. Transducers at the input and output of the filter convert
the electrical signal into, and then back from, these mechanical
vibrations. The mechanical elements obey mathematical functions which
are identical to their corresponding electrical elements. Electrical
theory has developed a large library of mathematical forms that produce
useful filter frequency responses for use in the design of mechanical
filters. Steel and nickel–iron alloys are common materials for
mechanical filter components. Resonators in the filter made from these
materials need to be machined to precisely adjust their resonance
frequency prior to final assembly. The high "quality factor", Q, that
mechanical resonators can attain, far higher than that of an
all-electrical LC circuit, made possible the construction of mechanical
filters with excellent selectivity. Good selectivity, being important
in radio receivers, made such filters highly attractive. Contemporary
researchers are working on microelectromechanical filters, the
mechanical devices corresponding to electronic integrated circuits.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_filter>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1905:
In a sign of support for the December Uprising in Moscow, the Council
of Workers' Deputies of Kiev decided to stage a mass uprising,
establishing the Shuliavka Republic in the city.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuliavka_Republic>
1946:
The United Nations General Assembly created UNICEF, originally to help
provide emergency food and health care to children in countries that
had been devastated by World War II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNICEF>
1962:
Arthur Lucas, convicted of murder, was the last person to be executed
in Canada.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Canada>
1981:
About 900 civilians in El Salvador were killed in the El Mozote
massacre.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Mozote_massacre>
2008:
American stock broker Bernard Madoff was arrested and charged with
securities fraud in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, the largest such in
history.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
undownable (adj):
1. Undeniably important; describing that which cannot be played down or
ignored.
2. Invincible; describing that which cannot be brought down or
overcome
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/undownable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil
deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us
and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the
heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of
his own heart?
--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn>
The Exelon Pavilions are four structures which generate electricity
from solar energy and provide access to underground parking in
Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County,
Illinois, US. The pavilions provide sufficient energy to power the
equivalent of 14 Energy star-rated energy-efficient houses in Chicago.
The four pavilions, which cost $7 million, were designed in January
2001; construction began in January 2004. The South Pavilions were
completed and opened in July 2004, while the North Pavilions were
completed in November 2004, with a grand opening on April 30, 2005. In
addition to producing energy, three of the four pavilions provide
access to the parking garages below the park, while the fourth serves
as the park's welcome center and office. Exelon, a company that
generates the electricity transmitted by its subsidiary Commonwealth
Edison, donated $5.5 million for the pavilions. Chicago Tribune
architecture critic Blair Kamin praised the South Pavilions as "minor
modernist jewels", but criticized the North Pavilions as "nearly all
black and impenetrable". The North Pavilions have received the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating from
the United States Green Building Council, as well as an award from the
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exelon_Pavilions>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1684:
Edmond Halley presented the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, containing
Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity,
to the Royal Society.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_motu_corporum_in_gyrum>
1898:
Forces led by Nguyen Trung Truc, an anti-colonial guerrilla leader in
southern Vietnam, sank the French lorcha L'Esperance.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Trung_Truc>
1907:
During the Brown Dog affair, about 1,000 protesters marched through
London and then clashed with 400 police officers in Trafalgar Square
over the existence of a memorial for animals which have been
vivisected.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Dog_affair>
1936:
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, out of a desire to marry American
socialite Wallis Simpson against widespread opposition, abdicated the
royal throne, the first and only British monarch to have done so since
the Anglo-Saxon period.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII_abdication_crisis>
1979:
The Kuomintang (KMT) dictatorship of Taiwan arrested a larger number of
opposition leaders who had organized pro-democracy demonstrations, an
incident credited with ending the KMT's rule in 2000.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaohsiung_Incident>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
intempestivity (n):
Unseasonability; untimeliness
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/intempestivity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We despise and abhor the bully, the brawler, the oppressor, whether in
private or public life, but we despise no less the coward and the
voluptuary. No man is worth calling a man who will not fight rather
than submit to infamy or see those that are dear to him suffer wrong.
--Theodore Roosevelt
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt>