100px|Urine from a person with rhabdomyolysis showing the
characteristic brown discoloration as a result of myoglobinuria
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle tissue
breaks down rapidly. Breakdown products of damaged muscle cells are
released into the bloodstream; some of these, such as the protein
myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure.
The severity of the symptoms, which may include muscle pains, vomiting
and confusion, depends on the extent of muscle damage and whether
kidney failure develops. The muscle damage may be caused by physical
factors (e.g. crush injury, strenuous exercise), medications, drug
abuse, and infections. Some people have a hereditary muscle condition
that increases the risk of rhabdomyolysis. The diagnosis is usually
made with blood tests and urinalysis. The mainstay of treatment is
generous intravenous fluids, but may include dialysis or hemofiltration
in more severe cases. Rhabdomyolysis and its complications are
significant problems for those injured in disasters such as earthquakes
and bombings. Relief efforts in areas struck by earthquakes often
include medical teams with the skills and equipment to treat survivors
with rhabdomyolysis. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1498:
A tsunami caused by the Meiō Nankaidō earthquake washed away the
building housing the statue of the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in in
Kamakura, Japan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dtoku-in>
1848:
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of
the journal Science, was founded.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Sc…>
1946:
World War II: Australian troops defeated Imperial Japanese forces at
the Battle of Kaiapit in New Guinea.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kaiapit>
1967:
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard publicly announced the story of Xenu
in a taped lecture sent to all Scientologists.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu>
1971:
Hurricane Irene departed Nicaragua to become the first known tropical
cyclone to successfully cross from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irene>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
anthelmintic (adj & n):
A drug for the treatment of intestinal worm infestation
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anthelmintic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The silence of a wise man is always meaningful.
--Leo Strauss
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leo_Strauss>
The Second Ostend Raid was the latter of two failed attempts by the
Royal Navy to block the channels accessing the Belgian port of Ostend
in 1918. The strategic advantages conferred by the Belgian ports in the
conflict were very important; a successful blockade of these bases
would have forced German submarines to operate out of more distant
ports, such as Wilhelmshaven, on the German coast. The ports of Ostend
and Zeebrugge provided sea access via canals for the major inland port
of Bruges, which was used as a base for small warships and submarines.
The Ostend Raid was largely a failure as a result of heavy German
resistance and British navigational difficulties in poor weather. In
anticipation of a raid, the Germans had removed the navigation buoys
and without them the British had difficulty finding the narrow channel
into the harbour in poor weather. When they did discover the entrance,
German resistance proved too strong for the operation to be completed
as originally planned. British casualties in the raid were heavy,
compared to minimal German losses. Despite its failure, the raid was
presented in Britain as a courageous and daring gamble which came very
close to success. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
324:
Constantine the Great decisively defeated Licinius in the Battle of
Chrysopolis, establishing Constantine's sole control over the Roman
Empire, and ultimately leading to the conversion of the whole empire to
Christianity.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chrysopolis>
1879:
The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool,
billed as "the greatest free light show on earth", were switched on for
the first time.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackpool_Illuminations>
1939:
The Nazi propaganda radio programme Germany Calling began broadcasting
to audiences in England and the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Haw-Haw>
1971:
Hurricane Fifi struck Honduras, destroying 182 towns and villages in
the first 24 hours, and ultimately causing over 8,000 deaths.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Fifi>
2001:
Five letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to various media
outlets in the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_anthrax_attacks>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
piebald (adj):
Spotted or blotched, especially in black and white
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/piebald>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To contribute usefully to the advance of science, one must sometimes
not disdain from undertaking simple verifications.
--Léon Foucault
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Foucault>
120px|Gumbo
Gumbo is a stew or soup that originated in southern Louisiana during
the 18th century. It consists primarily of a strongly flavored stock,
meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable holy trinity of
celery, bell peppers, and onions. Several different varieties exist.
Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish, tomatoes, and a thickener.
Cajun gumbo is generally based on a dark roux and is spicier, with
either shellfish or fowl. Sausage or ham are often added to gumbos of
either variety. After the base is prepared, vegetables are cooked down,
and then meat is added. The dish simmers for a minimum of three hours,
with shellfish and some spices added near the end. Gumbo is
traditionally served over rice. The dish combines ingredients and
culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish,
German, West African, and Choctaw. It was first described in 1802, and
was listed in various cookbooks in the latter half of the 19th century.
The dish gained more widespread popularity in the 1970s, after the
United States Senate cafeteria added it to the menu in honor of Senator
Allen Ellender. Chef Paul Prudhomme's popularity in the 1980s spurred
further interest in gumbo. The dish is the official cuisine of the
state of Louisiana. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1176:
Byzantine–Seljuk wars: The Seljuk Turks prevented the Byzantines from
taking the interior of Anatolia at the Battle of Myriokephalon in
Phrygia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Myriokephalon>
1630:
Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony founded the city of Boston.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston>
1944:
World War II: The Allies began Operation Market Garden , the largest
airborne operation up to that time.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden>
1948:
Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte was assassinated by the militant
Zionist group Lehi.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folke_Bernadotte>
1978:
President of Egypt Anwar Al Sadat and Prime Minister of Israel Menachem
Begin signed the Camp David Accords after twelve days of secret
negotiations at Camp David.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_David_Accords>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
disillusionment (n):
Disappointment from discovering that something is not what one had
anticipated
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disillusionment>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What we hoped was that we could stop the coming end of the world.
--Ken Kesey
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Kesey>
80px|Sherman Minton
Sherman Minton (1890–1965) was a Democratic United States Senator
from Indiana and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States. He served as a captain in World War I, then launched a
legal and political career. In 1934, Minton won election to the United
States Senate. As part of the New Deal Coalition, he championed
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's unsuccessful court packing plans in
the Senate and became one of his top Senate allies. After Minton failed
in his 1940 Senate re-election bid, Roosevelt appointed him as a judge
to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. After
Roosevelt's death, President Harry Truman, who had developed a close
friendship with Minton during their time together in the Senate,
nominated him to the Supreme Court, where he served for seven years. An
advocate of judicial restraint, Minton was a regular supporter of the
majority opinions during his early years on the Court; he became a
regular dissenter after President Dwight Eisenhower's appointees
altered the Bench's composition. In 1956, poor health forced Minton's
retirement, after which he traveled and lectured until his death in
1965. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1810:
Miguel Hidalgo, the parish priest in Dolores, Guanajuato, delivered the
Grito de Dolores to his congregation, instigating the Mexican War of
Independence against Spain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores>
1920:
A bomb in a horse wagon exploded in front of the J. P. Morgan building
in New York City, killing 38 people and injuring 400 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_bombing>
1943:
World War II: Heinrich von Vietinghoff, commander of the German 10th
Army, decided to withdraw his troops from Salerno, concluding the
Allied invasion of Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_invasion_of_Italy>
1990:
Construction of the Northern Xinjiang Railway was completed between
Ürümqi and Alashankou, linking the railway lines of China and
Kazakhstan, and adding a sizable portion to the Eurasian Land Bridge.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Land_Bridge>
1992:
The British pound was forced out of the European Exchange Rate
Mechanism on Black Wednesday, and suffered a major devaluation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Wednesday>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
festoon (v):
To hang ornaments, such as garlands or chains, which hang loosely from
two tacked spots
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/festoon>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Thou whose deep ways are in the sea,
Whose footsteps are not known,
To-night a world that turned from
Thee
Is waiting — at Thy Throne.
The towering Babels that we raised
Where scoffing sophists brawl,
The little Antichrists we praised —
The night is on them all.
--Alfred Noyes
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_Noyes>
120px|Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle is a moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex,
England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, ostensibly to
defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War.
Of quadrangular plan, Bodiam Castle has no keep, having its various
chambers built around the outer defensive walls and inner courts. Its
corners and entrance are marked by towers, and topped by crenellations.
It was the home of the Dalyngrigge family and the centre of the manor
of Bodiam. Possession of Bodiam Castle passed through several
generations of Dalyngrigges, until their line became extinct, when the
castle passed by marriage to the Lewknor family. Descendants of the
Lewknors owned the castle until at least the 16th century. By the start
of the English Civil War in 1641, Bodiam Castle was owned by John
Tufton. He sold the castle to help pay fines levied against him by
Parliament. The castle was subsequently dismantled, and was left as a
picturesque ruin until its purchase by John Fuller in 1829. Under his
auspices, the castle was partially restored before being sold to George
Cubitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe, and later to Lord Curzon, both of whom
undertook restoration projects at Bodiam. The castle is protected as a
Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument, and is open to the
public. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
668:
Constans II, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, was assassinated in his
bath.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans_II>
1440:
French knight Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers,
was taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by the
Bishop of Nantes.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_Rais>
1644:
Giovanni Battista Pamphili was elected Pope Innocent X .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_X>
1816:
The HMS Whiting became wrecked on a shoal off the coast of Cornwall,
England, that is so treacherous it is known as the Doom Bar.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_Bar>
1944:
World War II: American and Australian forces landed on the
Japanese-occupied island of Morotai, starting the Battle of Morotai.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Morotai>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
eclectic (adj):
1. Selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines,
methods, or styles.
2. Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eclectic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The impossible cannot have happened, therefore the impossible must be
possible in spite of appearances.
--Agatha Christie
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie>
MissingNo. is a Pokémon species found in the video games Pokémon Red
and Blue. Standing for "Missing Number", MissingNo. Pokémon are used as
error handlers by game developer Game Freak; they appear when the game
attempts to access data for a nonexistent Pokémon species. Due to the
programming of three in-game events, players can encounter MissingNo.
via a glitch. The species was first documented by Nintendo in the May
1999 issue of Nintendo Power. Encountering MissingNo. causes graphical
errors and the mass replication of the sixth item in the player's item
menu; the latter effect resulted in the glitch's coverage by strategy
guides and game magazines. IGN has noted MissingNo.'s appearance in
Pokémon Red and Blue as one of the most famous video game glitches.
Fans of the series have attempted to rationalize MissingNo. as canon,
which has sparked discussion in sociological studies about the impact
of video games upon society. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1946:
Residents of the Faroe Islands narrowly approved a referendum on
independence from Denmark.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faroe_Islands>
1954:
In a top secret nuclear test, a Soviet Tu-4 bomber dropped a 40-kiloton
atomic weapon just north of Totskoye village, exposing some 45,000
soldiers and 10,000 civilians to nuclear fallout.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totskoye_range_nuclear_tests>
1979:
Afghan President Nur Muhammad Taraki was assassinated upon the order
of Hafizullah Amin, who became the new president.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nur_Muhammad_Taraki>
1992:
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the
breakaway Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia to be illegal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_Republic_of_Herzeg-Bosnia>
2007:
Late-2000s financial crisis: The Northern Rock bank received a
liquidity support facility from the Bank of England, sparking a bank
run—the United Kingdom's first in 150 years.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Rock>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
comeuppance (n):
A negative outcome which is justly deserved
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/comeuppance>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the
long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left
undone in the short run determines the long run.
--Sydney J. Harris
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sydney_J._Harris>
100x100px|Joe Namath
The history of the New York Jets American football team began in 1959
with the founding of the Titans of New York, of the American Football
League (AFL). The team had little success in its early years. In
January 1965, New York signed University of Alabama quarterback Joe
Namath (pictured), and showed gradual improvement in the late 1960s,
posting its first winning record in 1967 and winning its only American
Football League championship in 1968. By winning the title, the team
earned the right to play in Super Bowl III against the champions of the
National Football League, the Baltimore Colts. The Jets defeated the
Colts in the game, establishing the AFL as a worthy partner as the two
leagues merged. In the following years, New York had limited success,
enduring a string of disastrous seasons. In 1997, the Jets hired
two-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells. The new coach guided
the team to its most successful season since the merger: in 1998, the
Jets finished 12–4 and reached the AFC Championship Game. The team made
five playoff appearances in the 2000s, their most of any decade. In
2009 and 2010, under coach Rex Ryan, the Jets achieved back-to-back
appearances in the AFC Championship Game, losing to the Indianapolis
Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
490 BC:
Greco-Persian Wars: Athenians and their Plataean allies turned back the
first Persian invasion of Greece in the Battle of Marathon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marathon>
1609:
While sailing aboard the Halve Maen, English explorer Henry Hudson
began his exploration of the Hudson River, laying the foundation for
Dutch colonization of present-day New York.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hudson>
1980:
The Turkish Armed Forces ousted Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel and
would rule the country for three years before democracy was restored.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Turkish_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
1992:
Abimael Guzmán, leader of the Peruvian Maoist guerrilla organization
Shining Path, was captured in Lima.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abimael_Guzm%C3%A1n>
2007:
Former Philippine president Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder and
sentenced to reclusión perpetua.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Estrada>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
adjudicate (v):
1. To settle a legal case or other dispute.
2. To act as a judge
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adjudicate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is fortunate that each generation does not comprehend its own
ignorance. We are thus enabled to call our ancestors barbarous.
--Charles Dudley Warner
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Dudley_Warner>
American Airlines Flight 11 was American Airlines' morning, daily
scheduled transcontinental flight, from Boston, Massachusetts to Los
Angeles, California. On September 11, 2001, the aircraft flying this
route was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists, and deliberately
crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York
City, as part of the September 11 attacks. Fifteen minutes into the
flight, the hijackers forcibly breached the cockpit, and overpowered
the pilot and first officer. Mohamed Atta, an al-Qaeda member and
trained pilot, took over the controls. Air traffic controllers noticed
the flight was in distress when the crew stopped responding to them.
They realized the flight had been hijacked when Atta mistakenly
transmitted announcements for passengers to air traffic control. On
board, Amy Sweeney and Betty Ong contacted American Airlines, and
provided information about the hijackers and injuries to passengers and
crew. The aircraft crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade
Center at 08:46 local time; the impact killed all 92 people aboard. The
impact and subsequent fire caused the North Tower to collapse, which
resulted in thousands of additional casualties. During the recovery
effort at the World Trade Center site, workers recovered and identified
dozens of remains from Flight 11 victims, but many other body fragments
could not be identified. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_11>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1709:
An allied British-Dutch-Austrian force defeated the French at the
Battle of Malplaquet, one of the bloodiest battles of the War of the
Spanish Succession.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Malplaquet>
1914:
During World War I, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary
Force invaded German New Guinea, winning the Battle of Bita Paka.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bita_Paka>
1945:
The Japanese-run camp at Batu Lintang, Sarawak, in Borneo was liberated
by the Australian 9th Division, averting the planned massacre of its
2,000-plus Allied POWs and civilian internees by four days.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Lintang_camp>
1992:
The eye of Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful hurricane to strike the
state of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Islands in recorded history, passed
directly over the island of Kauai, killing six people and causing
around USD$1.8 billion dollars in damage.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Iniki>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
in memoriam (adv):
In memory (of); as a memorial
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_memoriam>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We have entered the third millennium through a gate of fire. If today,
after the horror of 11 September, we see better, and we see further —
we will realize that humanity is indivisible. New threats make no
distinction between races, nations or regions. A new insecurity has
entered every mind, regardless of wealth or status. A deeper awareness
of the bonds that bind us all — in pain as in prosperity — has gripped
young and old.
--Kofi Annan
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kofi_Annan>
120px|Silverchair
Silverchair are an Australian alternative rock band. The band formed
as Innocent Criminals in 1992, with their current lineup of vocalist
and guitarist Daniel Johns, bass guitarist Chris Joannou, and drummer
Ben Gillies. Silverchair has been highly successful in the Australian
recording industry, receiving the industry's flagship awards, the ARIA
Awards, a record 21 times. The band has also received six APRA Awards.
They got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo
competition conducted by SBS TV show "Nomad" and Triple J. The band was
soon signed by Murmur, and were successful on the Australian and
international rock stages. In 2003, following the release of Diorama,
the band announced a hiatus, during which time members recorded with
side projects The Dissociatives, The Mess Hall, and Tambalane.
Silverchair were reunited at the 2005 Wave Aid concerts, and went on to
release Young Modern and play the Across the Great Divide tour with
Powderfinger. Silverchair's sound has evolved throughout their career,
differing sounds on specific albums steadily growing more ambitious
over the years, from grunge on their debut to their more recent
orchestral prog-infused chamber-pop. The band has sold in excess of six
million records to date. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1547:
Anglo-Scottish Wars: English forces defeated the Scots at the Battle of
Pinkie Cleugh near Musselburgh, Lothian, Scotland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pinkie_Cleugh>
1813:
War of 1812: American forces led by Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the
British on Lake Erie near Put-in-Bay, Ohio.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Erie>
1937:
Led by the United Kingdom and France, nine nations met in the Nyon
Conference to address international piracy in the Mediterranean Sea.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyon_Conference>
1946:
While riding a train to Darjeeling, Sister Teresa Bojaxhiu heard the
call of God, directing her "to leave the convent and help the poor
while living among them"; she would become known as Mother Teresa .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa>
2008:
CERN's Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and highest-energy
particle accelerator, was first powered up beneath the Franco-Swiss
border near Geneva.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
variadic (adj):
(Computing, mathematics, linguistics) Taking a variable number of
arguments; especially, taking arbitrarily many arguments
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/variadic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The entire universe is perfused with signs, if it is not composed
exclusively of signs.
--Charles Sanders Peirce
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Sanders_Peirce>
110px|Shapinsay Graveyard
Shapinsay is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of
mainland Scotland. There is one village on the island, Balfour, from
which roll-on/roll-off car ferries sail to Kirkwall on the Orkney
Mainland. Balfour Castle, built in the Scottish Baronial style, is one
of the island's most prominent features, a reminder of the Balfour
family's domination of Shapinsay during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Balfours had transformed the island's life by introducing new
agricultural techniques. Other landmarks include a standing stone, an
Iron Age broch, a souterrain and a salt-water shower. With an area of
29.5 square kilometres (11.4 sq mi), Shapinsay is the eighth largest
island in the Orkney archipelago. It is low-lying and fertile,
consequently most of the area is given over to farming. Shapinsay has
two nature reserves and is notable for its bird life. As of the 2001
census, Shapinsay has a population of 300. The economy of the island is
primarily based on agriculture with the exception of a few small
businesses that are largely tourism-related. Plans for the construction
of a wind turbine are under consideration. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
337:
After disposing of all relatives who possibly held a claim to the
throne, Constantine II , Constantius II, and Constans jointly became
Roman Emperors.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans>
1739:
The Stono Rebellion, at the time the largest slave rebellion to date in
the Thirteen Colonies of British America, erupted near Charleston,
South Carolina.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stono_Rebellion>
1939:
World War II: About 3,000 Polish Army forces began a nearly month-long
defense of the Hel Peninsula during the German invasion of Poland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hel>
1969:
The Official Languages Act of Canada came into force, giving both
French and English equal status throughout the Canadian national
government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Languages_Act_%28Canada%29>
1990:
Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lankan Army massacred at least 184 Tamil
refugees in the Batticaloa District.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Batticaloa_massacre>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
zealous (adj):
Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zealous>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
One thing only is needful: the knowledge of the simple and clear truth
which finds place in every soul that is not stupefied by religious and
scientific superstitions — the truth that for our life one law is valid
— the law of love, which brings the highest happiness to every
individual as well as to all mankind. Free your minds from those
overgrown, mountainous imbecilities which hinder your recognition of
it, and at once the truth will emerge from amid the pseudo-religious
nonsense that has been smothering it: the indubitable, eternal truth
inherent in man, which is one and the same in all the great religions
of the world. It will in due time emerge and make its way to general
recognition, and the nonsense that has obscured it will disappear of
itself, and with it will go the evil from which humanity now suffers.
--Leo Tolstoy
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leo_Tolstoy>