The Good Terrorist is a 1985 political novel by Doris Lessing
(pictured), a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The story
examines events in the life of Alice, a naïve and well-intentioned
squatter, who moves in with a group of radicals in London, and is drawn
into their terrorist activities. Lessing began writing The Good
Terrorist after the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed the Harrods
department store in London in 1983. She had been a member of the British
Communist Party in the early 1950s, but later grew disillusioned with
it. Some reviewers labelled The Good Terrorist as a satire; Lessing
called it humorous. Some focused on Alice's ambivalent nature, as
highlighted by the novel's oxymoronic title, describing her as neither a
good person nor a good revolutionary. Some were impressed by the book's
insight and characterization, while others complained about its style
and the characters' lack of depth. The novel was shortlisted for the
Booker Prize, and won the Mondello Prize and the WH Smith Literary
Award.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Terrorist>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1587:
Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle for
her involvement in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Elizabeth I
of England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots>
1855:
A series of mysterious hoof-like marks known as the Devil's
Footprints appeared in the snow in Devon, England, and continued
throughout the countryside for between 40 and 100 miles (64 and
161 km).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Footprints>
1910:
Newspaper and magazine publisher William D. Boyce established
the Boy Scouts of America, expanding the Scout Movement into the United
States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_D._Boyce>
1960:
The official groundbreaking for the Walk of Fame took place in
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame>
2010:
A freak storm in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan
triggered a series of at least 36 avalanches that buried over 3.5 km
(2.2 mi) of road, killed at least 172 people and trapped over 2,000
travellers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Salang_avalanches>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
butterfat:
The fatty components of milk and other dairy products.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/butterfat>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The real struggle is not between East and West, or capitalism and
communism, but between education and propaganda.
--Martin Buber
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Buber>
Johnson Creek is a 25-mile (40 km) tributary of the Willamette River in
the Portland metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the
drainage basin of the Columbia River, its watershed covers 54 square
miles (140 km2) of mostly urban land occupied by about 180,000 people.
The creek flows generally west from the foothills of the Cascade Range
through sediments deposited by glacial floods on a substrate of basalt.
Though polluted, it provides habitat for salmon and other migrating fish
along its free-flowing main stem. Prior to European settlement, the
heavily forested watershed was used by Native Americans of the Chinook
band for fishing and hunting. In the 19th century, white settlers
cleared much of the land for farming. The stream is named for William
Johnson, a settler who in 1846 built a water-powered sawmill along the
creek. By the early 20th century, a rail line parallel to the stream
encouraged further residential and commercial development. Damage from
seasonal flooding grew as urban density increased in the floodplain.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Creek_(Willamette_River)>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1497:
Supporters of the Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola
collected and publicly burned thousands of objects such as cosmetics,
art, and books in Florence, Italy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonfire_of_the_Vanities>
1813:
Napoleonic Wars: Two evenly matched frigates from the French
Navy and the British Royal Navy fought for four hours, causing
significant damage, but resulting in a stalemate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_7_February_1813>
1914:
The film Kid Auto Races at Venice, featuring the first
appearance of comedy actor Charlie Chaplin's character "The Tramp", was
released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin>
1943:
World War II: Japan successfully withdrew its troops from
Guadalcanal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ke>
1948:
Neil Harvey became the youngest Australian to score a century
in Test cricket.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Harvey>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
instigator:
A person who intentionally instigates, incites, or starts something,
especially one that creates trouble.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/instigator>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Science makes no pretension to eternal truth or absolute truth;
some of its rivals do. That science is in some respects inhuman may be
the secret of its success in alleviating human misery and mitigating
human stupidity.
--Eric Temple Bell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eric_Temple_Bell>
Cliff Clinkscales (born 1984) is an American professional basketball
player for the Halifax Hurricanes of the National Basketball League of
Canada (NBL Canada). A 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 m) point guard, he was named
an NBL Canada All-Star in 2014 and was the captain of his league
champion team in 2016. In fifth grade in Jamaica, Queens, in New York,
Clinkscales' performance at a local basketball camp led to a feature in
Slam Magazine and appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Rosie
O'Donnell Show. He received recruitment letters from the Kansas Jayhawks
and University of Southern California Trojans. He first played high
school basketball at Shores Christian Academy in Ocala, Florida. He
played with the DePaul Blue Demons at the collegiate level, and was the
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I leader in assist-to-
turnover ratio as a senior. He has been playing professionally since
2008 for the Erie BayHawks, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Panama City
Breeze, Halifax Rainmen and Halifax Hurricanes in the National
Basketball Association Development League, the American Basketball
League, and the NBL Canada.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Clinkscales>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1806:
Napoleonic Wars: When squadrons of British and French ships of
the line engaged in the Battle of San Domingo in the Caribbean Sea, the
French ships Impérial and Diomède ran aground to avoid capture, but
were caught and destroyed anyway.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Domingo>
1851:
The largest bushfire in a populous region in Australian history
swept across Victoria, resulting in approximately five million hectares
(twelve million acres) burnt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Thursday_bushfires>
1862:
Union forces earned one of their first important victories in
the American Civil War at the Battle of Fort Henry in western Tennessee.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Henry>
1952:
Elizabeth II ascended to the thrones of the United Kingdom,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and three other Commonwealth countries
upon the death of her father, George VI.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_VI>
2000:
Second Chechen War: Russia captured Grozny, the capital of
Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen government into exile.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grozny_(1999%E2%80%932000)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mana:
1. Power, prestige; specifically, a form of supernatural energy in
Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people.
2. (fantasy role-playing games) Magical power.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mana>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to
keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of
self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible
liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a
hill.
--Ronald Reagan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan>
The Courageous class was the first British multi-ship class of aircraft
carriers. The three ships—Furious, Courageous and Glorious—were
originally laid down as battlecruisers to be used in the Baltic Project
during the First World War. They were very fast, but their minimal
armour and guns limited their long-term utility in the post-war Royal
Navy, until they were converted to aircraft carriers as permitted by the
1922 Washington Naval Treaty. Furious, already partially converted
during the war, began reconstruction in 1921. As the first large carrier
completed by the Royal Navy, the ship was used to evaluate aircraft
handling and landing procedures, including the first-ever carrier night
landing in 1926. During the Second World War, Courageous became the
first British warship lost, torpedoed in September 1939 by a German
submarine. Glorious, sailing home with minimal escort after the
Norwegian Campaign, was sunk by two German battleships in June 1940.
Furious ferried aircraft, escorted convoys and launched air attacks in
support of British forces until late 1944.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courageous-class_aircraft_carrier>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1783:
The first of five strong earthquakes hit the region of Calabria
on the Italian Peninsula killing more than 32,000 people over a period
of nearly two months.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1783_Calabrian_earthquakes>
1818:
Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascended to the
thrones of Sweden and Norway.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_XIV_John_of_Sweden>
1909:
Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announced the creation of
Bakelite, the world's first synthetic plastic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite>
1923:
Australian cricketer Bill Ponsford made 429 runs to break the
world record for the highest first-class score.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ponsford>
2009:
The United States Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal ran
aground on a coral reef off the island of Oahu.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_USS_Port_Royal_grounding>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
yokeag:
(US) Dried, pulverized corn kernels, sometimes mixed with maple sugar.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yokeag>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We talk a great deal about patriotism. What do we mean by
patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what
we mean is a sense of national responsibility which will enable America
to remain master of her power — to walk with it in serenity and
wisdom, with self-respect and the respect of all mankind; a patriotism
that puts country ahead of self; a patriotism which is not short,
frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of
a lifetime. The dedication of a lifetime — these are words that are
easy to utter, but this is a mighty assignment. For it is often easier
to fight for principles than to live up to them.
--Adlai Stevenson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson>
Allen Walker is a fictional teenage character who appears as the
protagonist of Katsura Hoshino's manga D.Gray-man, as well as two anime
adaptations, three light novels, two video games, and several crossover
fighting games. In the 19th century, the gentlemanly teenager joins the
Black Order, a group of soldiers known as Exorcists, and fights Akuma
demons and their creator, the Millennium Earl. In the anime television
series and related franchise, he was voiced by Sanae Kobayashi. In 2016,
for the new television anime series D.Gray-man Hallow, he was voiced by
Ayumu Murase, and by Todd Haberkorn in an English-language anime series.
The character has been popular with D.Gray-man readers, usually ranking
in the top three in the series' popularity polls. Reactions to him have
also been generally positive in manga and anime publications and other
media. Critics have noted approvingly that his calm demeanor and
mysterious origin are atypical of a protagonist in manga for boys.
Merchandise featuring Allen Walker's likeness includes clothing and
cosplay pieces.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Walker>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1169:
A strong earthquake struck the eastern coast of Sicily, causing
at least 15,000 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1169_Sicily_earthquake>
1859:
German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf rediscovered the
Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th-century uncial manuscript of the Greek Bible, in
Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Sinaiticus>
1969:
Yasser Arafat was elected chairman of the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Arafat>
1974:
The Provisional Irish Republican Army bombed a motor coach
carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel and their family
members, killing twelve.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M62_coach_bombing>
2004:
Four Harvard University students launched the popular social
networking website Facebook from their dorm room.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dais:
1. A raised platform in a room for a high table, a seat of honour, a
throne, or other dignified occupancy; a similar platform supporting a
lectern, pulpit, etc., which may be used to speak from.
2. (historical, northern Britain) A bench, a settle, a pew.
3. (obsolete) An elevated table in a hall at which important people are
seated; a high table.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dais>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have not heard a word of respect or compassion spoken of our
enemy since I came here. It is not the willingness to kill on the part
of our soldiers which most concerns me. That is an inherent part of war.
It is our lack of respect for even the admirable characteristics of our
enemy — for courage, for suffering, for death, for his willingness to
die for his beliefs, for his companies and squadrons which go forth, one
after another, to annihilation against our superior training and
equipment. What is courage for us is fanaticism for him. We hold his
examples of atrocity screamingly to the heavens while we cover up our
own and condone them as just retribution for his acts.
--Charles Lindbergh
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh>
After a spinal cord injury (SCI), sexuality can still be satisfying,
although the injury often causes sexual dysfunction. Physical
limitations from SCI can affect sexual function, sexuality, and quality
of life. Damage to the spinal cord impairs its ability to transmit
messages between the brain and parts of the body below the level of the
lesion, resulting in lost or reduced sensation and muscle motion, and
affecting orgasm, erection, ejaculation, and vaginal lubrication. SCI
can also impact sexuality when it leads to depression and an altered
self-image. Even so, many people with SCI have satisfying sex lives,
often including sexual arousal and orgasm. They can focus on different
areas of the body and types of sexual acts, and often find newly
sensitive erotic areas of the skin in erogenous zones or near borders
between areas of preserved and lost sensation. Drugs, devices, and
surgery can help men achieve erection and ejaculation. Although male
fertility is reduced, many men with SCI can still father children.
Women's fertility is not usually affected, although precautions must be
taken for safe pregnancy and delivery.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_after_spinal_cord_injury>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1781:
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: British forces captured the Dutch
island of Sint Eustatius after a brief skirmish.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Sint_Eustatius>
1813:
Argentine War of Independence: José de San Martín and his
Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers gained a largely symbolic victory against
a royalist army in the Battle of San Lorenzo.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Lorenzo>
1953:
Hundreds of native creoles known as forros were massacred in
São Tomé by the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batep%C3%A1_massacre>
1971:
New York City Police officer Frank Serpico, who had reported
police corruption to the department and the press, was shot and wounded
under questionable circumstances.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Serpico>
2010:
A cast of L'Homme qui marche I by Swiss sculptor Alberto
Giacometti sold for £65 million (US$103.7 million), setting the record
for most expensive sculpture sold at a public auction.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Homme_qui_marche_I>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cunette:
(military) A trench dug in a moat to allow for drainage, or as an extra
obstacle for attackers.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cunette>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Anyone whose attention and love are really directed towards the
reality outside the world recognizes at the same time that he is bound,
both in public and private life, by the single and permanent obligation
to remedy, according to his responsibilities and to the extent of his
power, all the privations of soul and body which are liable to destroy
or damage the earthly life of any human being whatsoever.
--Simone Weil
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_Weil>
Suillus salmonicolor, the slippery Jill, is a fungus in the family
Suillaceae. Its mushrooms appear scattered or in groups on the ground
near the roots of pine trees, because the fungus exchanges nutrients
with the roots in a mutually beneficial mycorrhizal association. It is
found in North America (including Hawaii), Asia, the Caribbean, South
Africa, Australia and Central America. The mushroom's dingy yellow to
brownish cap, up to 9.5 cm (3.7 in) wide, can be rounded or flattened,
and is slimy when wet. The small yellow pores on its underside become
olive-brown with age. The stem is up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long and
1.6 cm (0.6 in) thick and is covered with reddish-brown glandular
dots. Young specimens are covered with a grayish, slimy partial veil
that later ruptures, leaving a sheathlike ring on the stem. Although the
mushroom is generally considered edible—especially if the slimy cap
cuticle and partial veil are first peeled off—opinions about its
palatability vary. Similar species include S. acidus, S. subalutaceus,
and S. intermedius.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suillus_salmonicolor>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1141:
Stephen, King of England was captured by forces loyal to the
Empress Matilda at the Battle of Lincoln.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen,_King_of_England>
1709:
Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was rescued by English
captain Woodes Rogers and the crew of the Duke after spending four years
as a castaway on an uninhabited island in the Juan Fernández
archipelago, providing the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson
Crusoe.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodes_Rogers>
1934:
The Export–Import Bank, the United States' official export
credit agency, was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export%E2%80%93Import_Bank_of_the_United_Stat…>
2004:
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer became the top-ranked men's
singles player, a position he held for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rankism:
Abuse, discrimination, or exploitation based on rank.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rankism>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day
was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered? as "Phil" in
--Groundhog Day
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_(film)>
Love, Inc. is an American television sitcom that originally aired for
one season on United Paramount Network (UPN) from September 2005 to May
2006. Although it was developed as a vehicle and sitcom debut for
Shannen Doherty, the series instead featured an ensemble cast led by
Busy Philipps, Vince Vieluf, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Ion Overman, and
Holly Robinson Peete (pictured) as five matchmakers working at a dating
agency. It suffered from low viewership despite its high ratings among
young Hispanic women; it was canceled following UPN's merger with The WB
to launch The CW in 2006. The cancellations of this and other black
sitcoms were criticized for reducing representation of African-American
characters and reducing the number of roles for African-American actors
on television. Critical response to Love, Inc. was mixed: some praised
its multi-ethnic cast, while others felt that the storylines and
characters were unoriginal and that Philipps' portrayal of her character
was unsympathetic. (
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love,_Inc._(TV_series)>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1327:
Fourteen-year-old Edward III (pictured as adult) became King of
England, but the country was ruled by his mother, Queen Isabella, and
her lover, Roger Mortimer.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_III_of_England>
1411:
The First Peace of Thorn was signed, ending the
Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian%E2%80%93Teutonic_War>
1982:
Senegal and the Gambia formed the Senegambia Confederation to
promote cooperation between the two countries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegambia_Confederation>
2003:
All seven crew members aboard Space Shuttle Columbia were
killed when the orbiter disintegrated over Texas during reentry.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gutbread:
The pancreas, especially the pancreas of livestock used as food.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gutbread>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be.
… Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed — Let it be that
great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
--Langston Hughes
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes>