Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman is Mary Wollstonecraft's unfinished
novelistic sequel to her revolutionary political treatise A Vindication
of the Rights of Woman. The Wrongs of Woman was published posthumously
in 1798 by her husband, William Godwin, and is often considered her
most radical feminist work. Wollstonecraft's philosophical and gothic
novel revolves around the story of a woman imprisoned in an insane
asylum by her husband. It focuses on the societal rather than the
individual "wrongs of woman" and criticizes what Wollstonecraft viewed
as the patriarchal institution of marriage in eighteenth-century
Britain and the legal system that protected it. The novel pioneered the
celebration of female sexuality and cross-class identification between
women. Such themes, coupled with the publication of Godwin's scandalous
Memoirs of Wollstonecraft's life, made the novel unpopular at the time
it was published. Twentieth-century feminist critics embraced the work,
integrating it into the history of the novel and feminist discourse.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria%3A_or%2C_The_Wrongs_of_Woman>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1010:
Persian poet Ferdowsi completed his masterpiece, the Shahnameh, the
national epic of Iran and related societies.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdowsi>
1618:
German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler discovered the
third law of planetary motion.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler>
1655:
The court of Northampton County, Colony of Virginia, made John Casor
the first legally recognized slave in Britain's North American
colonies.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Casor>
1910:
French aviatrix Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman to receive
a pilot's license.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymonde_de_Laroche>
1916:
World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempted to relieve the
Ottoman siege of Kut (in present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dujaila>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
superadd (v):
To add on top of a previous addition
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/superadd>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I think it not improbable that man, like the grub that prepares a
chamber for the winged thing it never has seen but is to be — that man
may have cosmic destinies that he does not understand.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Oliver_Wendell_Holmes%2C_Jr.>
The 2008 World Science Festival was a science festival held in New York
City. The festival (May 28 – June 1, 2008) consisted mainly of panel
discussions and on-stage conversations, accompanied by multimedia
presentations. A youth and family program presented topics such as
sports from a scientific perspective and included an extensive street
fair. A cultural program led by actor and writer Alan Alda focused on
art inspired by science. The festival also included a World Science
Summit, a meeting of high-level participants from the worlds of
science, politics, administration, and business. The festival was the
brainchild of Columbia University physicist Brian Greene and his wife,
Emmy Award-winning television journalist Tracy Day. It was held in
partnership with major New York City cultural and academic institutions
such as Columbia University, New York University and the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Science_Festival%2C_2008>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
161:
Following the death of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
and Lucius Verus agreed to become co-Emperors in an unprecedented
arrangement in the Roman Empire.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius>
1850:
In support of the Compromise of 1850, United States Senator Daniel
Webster gave his "Seventh of March" speech, which was so unpopular
among his constituency he was forced to resign.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Webster>
1871:
José Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco, became Prime Minister of the
Empire of Brazil, starting a four-year rule, the longest in the state's
history.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Paranhos%2C_Viscount_of_Rio_Branco>
1914:
Prussian William of Wied began his short reign as sovereign prince of
the newly independent state of Albania.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William%2C_Prince_of_Albania>
2009:
The Kepler space observatory, designed to discover Earth-like planets
orbiting other stars, was launched.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_%28spacecraft%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
putative (adj):
Commonly believed or deemed to be the case; accepted by supposition
rather than as a result of proof
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/putative>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to
defend himself with his limbs but not of being unable to defend himself
with speech and reason, when the use of reason is more distinctive of a
human being than the use of his limbs.
--Aristotle
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aristotle>
Guy Bradley (1870–1905) was an American game warden and deputy sheriff
for Monroe County, Florida. Born in Chicago, his family relocated to
Florida when he was young. As a boy, he often served as guide to
visiting fishermen and plume hunters, although he later denounced
poaching after legislation was passed to protect the dwindling number
of birds. In 1902, Bradley was hired by the American Ornithologists'
Union, at the request of the Florida Audubon Society, to become one of
the country's first game wardens. Tasked with protecting the area's
wading birds from hunters, he single-handedly patrolled the area
stretching from Florida's west coast, through the Everglades, to Key
West, enforcing the ban on bird hunting. Bradley was shot and killed in
the line of duty, after confronting a man and his two sons who were
hunting egrets in the Everglades. His much-publicized death at the age
of 35 galvanized conservationists, and served as inspiration for future
legislation to protect Florida's bird populations. Several national
awards and places have been named in his honor.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Bradley>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1836:
Texas Revolution: Mexican forces captured the Alamo in San Antonio from
the Texans after a 13-day siege.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo>
1899:
The German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer registered Aspirin
as a trademark.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin>
1913:
First Balkan War: The Greek army captured Bizani Fortress near Ioannina
from the Turks.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bizani>
1987:
In the worst maritime disaster involving a British registered ship in
peacetime since 1919, the ferry M/S Herald of Free Enterprise capsized
while leaving the harbour of Zeebrugge, Belgium, killing 193 on board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Herald_of_Free_Enterprise>
2008:
A Palestinian gunman shot and killed 8 students and critically injured
11 in the library of the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, in Jerusalem, Israel.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercaz_HaRav_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
contentious (adj):
1. Marked by heated arguments or controversy.
2. Given to struggling with others out of jealousy or discord
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/contentious>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A man contains all that is needed to make up a tree; likewise, a tree
contains all that is needed to make up a man. Thus, finally, all things
meet in all things, but we need a Prometheus to distill it.
--Cyrano de Bergerac
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cyrano_de_Bergerac>
Lat is a Malaysian cartoonist whose work earned him the honorific title
of datuk. He was born on 5 March 1951 in a village in Perak, Malaysia,
and started supplementing his family's income at the age of nine by
submitting his comics to magazines and newspapers. Four years later, he
published his first comic book. In 1970, Lat left school and became a
crime reporter while continuing his cartooning sideline. His comic
about the Bersunat—a circumcision ceremony all Malaysian boys of the
Islamic faith have to undergo—made a great impression on his
newspaper's editor-in-chief. As a result, Lat became an editorial
cartoonist. As he gained popularity through his cartoons in Malaysia,
he published his autobiography in the form of two graphic novels—The
Kampung Boy and Town Boy. The Kampung Boy was a huge success and gained
him international renown. It is published in various countries around
the world in several languages. Lat's cartoons provide an unbiased and
humorous insight on the lives and culture of Malaysians, who consider
him one of their most trustworthy citizens. His admirers include
American cartoonists, Sergio Aragonés and Matt Groening.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lat>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1496:
King Henry VII of England issued letters patent to John Cabot and his
sons, authorising them to explore unknown lands.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cabot>
1940:
World War II: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and the Politburo signed an
order for the execution of about 22,000 Polish military officers,
policemen, intellectuals and civilian prisoners of war that were
captured during the Soviet invasion of Poland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre>
1960:
Cuban photographer Alberto Korda took his iconic photograph of Marxist
revolutionary Che Guevara .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrillero_Heroico>
1981:
The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair
Research and went on to sell over 1.5 million units around the world.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81>
1999:
Paul Okalik was elected as the first Premier of the Canadian territory
of Nunavut.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Okalik>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
moonraker (n):
(nautical) A small, light sail located high on a mast and used for
speed
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moonraker>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.
--Grace Hopper
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper>
Tau Ceti is a star in the constellation Cetus that is similar to the
Sun in mass and spectral type. At a distance of just under 12 light
years from the Solar System, it is a relatively close star. Tau Ceti is
metal-deficient and so is thought to be less likely to host rocky
planets. Observations have detected more than 10 times as much dust
surrounding Tau Ceti as is present in the Solar System. The star
appears stable, with little stellar variation. Astrometric or radial
velocity measurements have not yet detected companions around Tau Ceti,
but given current search refinement, this only excludes substellar
companions such as large brown dwarfs. Because of its debris disk, any
planet orbiting Tau Ceti would face far more impact events than the
Earth. Despite this hurdle to habitability, its solar analog
characteristics have led to widespread interest in the star. Given its
stability and similarity to the Sun, Tau Ceti is consistently listed as
a target for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, and it
appears in some science fiction literature. Unlike other prominent
stars, Tau Ceti does not have a widely recognized traditional name. It
can be seen with the unaided eye as a faint third-magnitude star.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tau_Ceti>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
306:
Roman Herculian guard Adrian of Nicomedia, who had converted to
Christianity after being impressed with the faith of Christians that he
had been torturing, was martyred.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_and_Natalia_of_Nicomedia>
1386:
Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila was crowned Władysław II Jagiełło ,
King of Poland, beginning the Jagiellon dynasty.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jogaila>
1899:
Cyclone Mahina struck Bathurst Bay, Queensland, killing over 400
people, the deadliest natural disaster in Australian history.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahina_Cyclone_of_1899>
1918:
The first known case of the so-called Spanish flu was first observed at
Fort Riley, Kansas, US.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic>
1980:
Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union was elected to
head the first government in Zimbabwe.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
obliquity (n):
The quality of being oblique in direction, deviating from the
horizontal or vertical; {{n-g
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obliquity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I honor my importance and the importance of others. None of us is
dispensable, none of us is replacable. In the chorus of life each of us
brings a True Note, a perfect pitch that adds to the harmony of the
whole. I act creatively and consciously to actively endorse and
encourage the expansion of those whose lives I touch. Believing in the
goodness of each, I add to the goodness of all. We bless each other
even in passing.
--Julia Cameron
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julia_Cameron>
The Round Church is a large partially preserved early medieval Eastern
Orthodox church in Preslav, the former capital of the First Bulgarian
Empire, today a town in northeastern Bulgaria. Unearthed and first
examined in 1927–28, the church dates to the early 10th century, the
time of Tsar Simeon I's rule. Considered to be one of the most
impressive examples of medieval Bulgarian architecture, the church
takes its name from the distinctive shape of one of its three sections,
the cella (naos), which is a rotunda that serves as a place of liturgy.
The church's design also includes a wide atrium and a rectangular
entrance area, or narthex, marked by two circular turrets. The church
has been likened to examples of religious architecture from the late
Roman Empire, the Caucasus, and even the Carolingian Pre-Romanesque of
Charlemagne because of its characteristic plan, which is significantly
different from contemporaneous Bulgarian or Byzantine buildings. The
church's alternative name, the Golden Church, stems from its possible
and popular identification with a "new golden church" in Preslav. The
Round Church's rich interior decoration, which makes ample use of
mosaics, ceramics and marble details, distinguishes it from other
churches in Preslav.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Church%2C_Preslav>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1284:
The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into
England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_Rhuddlan>
1875:
The first indoor game of ice hockey game was played at the Victoria
Skating Rink in Montreal, Canada, by James Creighton and McGill
University students.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_indoor_ice_hockey_game>
1924:
The Free State of Fiume , a short-lived independent free state located
in the modern city of Rijeka, Croatia, was annexed by the Kingdom of
Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_of_Fiume>
1943:
World War II: During a German aerial attack on London, England, 173
people were killed in a stampede while trying to enter Bethnal Green
tube station, which was being used as an air raid shelter.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethnal_Green_tube_station>
1951:
Jackie Brenston, with Ike Turner and his band, recorded "Rocket 88",
often cited as "the first rock and roll record", at Sam Phillips'
recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee, US.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_88>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
insurgent (adj):
[[rebellious
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/insurgent>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The proper method for hastening the decay of error, is not, by brute
force, or by regulation which is one of the classes of force, to
endeavour to reduce men to intellectual uniformity; but on the contrary
by teaching every man to think for himself.
--William Godwin
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Godwin>
The Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) is a species of woody shrub, of
the genus Banksia in the Proteaceae family, native to eastern
Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an understorey plant in
open dry forest or heathland from Victoria to north Queensland,
generally on sandstone though sometimes also clay soils. It generally
grows as a small shrub to 2 metres (7 ft) in height, though can be a
straggly tree to 6 metres (20 ft). Its inflorescences (flower spikes)
are gold or less commonly yellowish, with emergent styles that may be a
wide range of colours – from black, purple, red, orange or yellow. The
Hairpin Banksia is pollinated by and provides food for a wide array of
vertebrate and invertebrate animals in the autumn and winter months.
Its floral display and fine foliage have made it a popular garden plant
with many horticultural selections available. Given recent trends
toward smaller gardens, compact dwarf forms of Banksia spinulosa have
become popular; the first available, Banksia 'Birthday Candles', has
achieved a great deal of commercial success and wide recognition, and
has been followed by several others.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_spinulosa>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1836:
Texas Revolution: At a convention of delegates in
Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Mexican state of Texas adopted a
declaration of independence, establishing the Republic of Texas.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_of_1836>
1939:
Italian Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected as Pope and took the name
Pius XII .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_XII>
1943:
World War II: Australian and American air forces attacked and destroyed
a large convoy of the Japanese Navy in the Bismarck Sea north of Papua
New Guinea.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bismarck_Sea>
1949:
The B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II landed in Fort Worth, Texas, US,
after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flight in
94 hours and one minute.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Lady_II>
1992:
By virtue of gaining membership to the United Nations, Moldova gained
international recognition as an independent nation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_of_Moldova>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
panegyrically (adv):
In a very eloquent and eulogistic manner. With lavish praise. In a very
complimentary way
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/panegyrically>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your
hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose
them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.
--Carl Schurz
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Schurz>
The posting system is a baseball player transfer system which operates
between Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the United
States' Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite the drafting of the United
States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement in 1967 designed to
regulate NPB players moving to MLB, problems arose in the late 1990s.
Some NPB teams lost star players without compensation, an issue
highlighted when NPB stars Hideo Nomo and Alfonso Soriano left to play
in MLB after using loopholes to void their existing contracts. A
further problem was that NPB players had very little negotiating power
if their teams decided to deal them to MLB. In 1998, the Agreement was
rewritten to address both problems and was dubbed the "posting system".
Under this system, when an NPB player is "posted", MLB holds a
four-day-long silent auction during which MLB teams can submit sealed
bids in an attempt to win the exclusive rights to negotiate with the
player. If the MLB team with the winning bid and the NPB player agree
on contract terms before the 30-day period has expired, the NPB team
receives the bid amount as a transfer fee, and the player is free to
play in MLB.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_system>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1565:
The Portuguese founded Rio de Janeiro.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro>
1700:
Sweden introduced its own Swedish calendar in an attempt to reform into
the Gregorian calendar.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_calendar>
1872:
Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in the U.S. state of
Wyoming, one of the first national parks in the world, was established.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park>
1944:
American and Australian troops won the Battle of Sio in New Guinea,
killing more than 2,000 Japanese troops.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sio>
1956:
The NATO phonetic alphabet, today the most widely used spelling
alphabet, was first implemented by the International Civil Aviation
Organization.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICAO_spelling_alphabet>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
demesne (n):
A lord’s chief manor place, with that part of the lands belonging
thereto which has not been granted out in tenancy; a house, and the
land adjoining, kept for the proprietor’s own use
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demesne>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast
quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the
crowning reward of art.
--Frédéric Chopin
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin>