John Hay (1838–1905) was an American statesman and official whose
career in government stretched over almost half a century. After
graduation from Brown University in 1858, Hay read law in his uncle's
office in Springfield, Illinois, adjacent to that of Abraham Lincoln.
Hay worked for Lincoln's successful presidential campaign, and became
his assistant private secretary. Through the American Civil War, Hay was
close to Lincoln, and stood by his deathbed after Lincoln was shot at
Ford's Theatre. In 1897, President William McKinley made him the
ambassador to Britain. The following year, Hay became the U.S. secretary
of state. He served almost seven years, first under McKinley before his
assassination, and then under Theodore Roosevelt. Hay was responsible
for the Open Door Policy in China. To clear the way for the building of
the Panama Canal, he negotiated the 1901 Hay–Pauncefote Treaty with
the United Kingdom, the 1903 Hay–Herrán Treaty with Colombia, and the
1903 Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty with Panama.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hay>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1907:
New York City held its first annual ball drop event in Times
Square as part of New Year's Eve celebrations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Ball>
1909:
The Manhattan Bridge, connecting Lower Manhattan to Downtown
Brooklyn and considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension
bridges, opened to traffic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Bridge>
1965:
Central African military officers led by Jean-Bédel Bokassa
began a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Sylvestre_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Godspeed:
1. (literary) Used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that
the outcome of the actions of a person (typically someone about to start
a journey or a daring endeavour) is positive for them.
2. (uncountable) The wishing of someone a smooth journey, or success,
especially at a parting; (countable) a statement expressing this.
3. (countable, figuratively)
4. (archaic) Chiefly in in the Godspeed of: the most important part of
something, or point at which something happens; also, the last minute or
last moment.
5. (originally Ireland) In back of Godspeed: a distant, remote, or
unknown place.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Godspeed>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A very strong military posture is vitally necessary today. How
long it must continue I am not prepared to estimate, but I am sure that
it is too narrow a basis on which to build a dependable, long-enduring
peace. The guarantee for a long continued peace will depend on other
factors in addition to a moderated military strength, and no less
important. Perhaps the most important single factor will be a spiritual
regeneration to develop goodwill, faith, and understanding among
nations. Economic factors will undoubtedly play an important part.
Agreements to secure a balance of power, however disagreeable they may
seem, must likewise be considered. And with all these there must be
wisdom and the will to act on that wisdom.
--George C. Marshall
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_C._Marshall>
U.S. Highway 8 runs east–west for 280 miles (451 km), mostly within
the state of Wisconsin. It connects Interstate 35 in Forest Lake,
Minnesota, to U.S. Highway 2 at Norway in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. Except for some short freeway segments, it is mostly undivided
surface road. It is maintained by the departments of transportation of
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Part of the U.S. Highway System, it
was commissioned on November 11, 1926, running between Forest Lake and
Pembine, Wisconsin, with a planned continuation to Powers, Michigan. The
western end was extended to Minneapolis, but the terminus was later
moved back to Forest Lake. The eastern terminus was changed from Powers
to Norway. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation built a bypass
around Rhinelander in the 1990s and created a locally maintained
business loop along the old highway through the central business
district. The signage for the loop was removed in 2005. (This article
is part of a featured topic: U.S. Highways in Michigan.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/U.S._Highways_in_Mi…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1902:
The Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott attained a
new Farthest South point in Antarctica.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Expedition>
1903:
In one of the deadliest single-building fires in United States
history, the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago killed more than 600
people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois_Theatre_fire>
1954:
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation was established to
consolidate criminal investigation and intelligence into a single
agency.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bureau_of_Investigation_%28Finland%29>
2009:
Pro-government counter-demonstrators held rallies in several
Iranian cities in response to recent anti-government protests on the
holy day of Ashura.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_30,_2009_Iranian_pro-government_rall…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
blastpipe:
(mechanical engineering, rail transport) A pipe forming part of the
exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from
the cylinders up into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to
increase the draught through the firebox; this speeds up the release of
smoke through the chimney.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blastpipe>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pelé. I
have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a
soccer player, but how to be like a man.
--Pelé
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9>
Operation Grandslam was an offensive undertaken by United Nations
peacekeeping forces from 28 December 1962 to 15 January 1963 against
the gendarmerie of the State of Katanga, which was rebelling against the
Republic of the Congo in central Africa. Katanga's leader, Moïse
Tshombe, repeatedly violated agreements he had made with the UN and the
Congolese government. The UN Operation in the Congo became increasingly
impatient towards Tshombe and drew up plans to resolve the situation
through force. In December 1962 Katangese gendarmes attacked UN
peacekeepers, and U Thant, Secretary-General of the UN, authorised an
offensive. UN forces secured the Katangese capital, Élisabethville, and
destroyed much of the Katangese Air Force in December 1962. In early
January Indian peacekeepers exceeded their orders and crossed the Lufira
River ahead of schedule, generating panic behind the Katangese lines.
The Katangese forces were decisively defeated and Katanga was forcibly
reintegrated into the Congo.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Grandslam>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1812:
War of 1812: In a three-hour single-ship action, HMS Java
(drawing shown) was captured by USS Constitution off the coast of
Brazil.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Java_%281811%29>
1876:
A railway bridge collapsed over the Ashtabula River in Ohio,
killing 92 people and injuring 64 others on a Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern Railway train.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabula_River_railroad_disaster>
1928:
The Northern Expedition, a military campaign by the National
Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang, ended with the complete control of
the Republic of China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Expedition>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
reniform:
1. (chiefly biology, mineralogy) Synonym of kidney-shaped (“having an
approximately circular or elongated ovoid shape with an inward curve or
indentation on one side”)
2. (botany) Of a leaf: kidney-shaped, with the petiole attached at the
notch.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reniform>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Be unhoused, O my soul! Only the Infinite be your goal. Leave
those myriad forms behind, Leave the million names that bind. A flash
will pierce your heart and mind, And unhouse you, O my soul!
--Kuvempu
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kuvempu>
The Battle of Van Buren was fought at Van Buren, Arkansas, on
December 28, 1862, during the American Civil War. After winning the
Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, Union brigadier generals James
G. Blunt (pictured) and Francis J. Herron prepared for a raid against
the Confederate positions at Van Buren and Fort Smith. The Union troops
struck an outlying Confederate cavalry unit north of Van Buren the
morning of December 28. The Confederate cavalry fled to Van Buren,
which was then overrun by Union troops. The Union pursued and captured
three steamboats, Confederate troops, and many supplies; two more
steamboats and more supplies were destroyed by the Confederates. An
artillery duel occurred at Van Buren and there was minor skirmishing
further downriver after nightfall. After the battle, Confederate major
general Thomas C. Hindman withdrew his men to Little Rock and the Union
force returned from the raid. The battles of Prairie Grove and Van Buren
broke Confederate strength in the region.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Van_Buren>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1907:
The last confirmed sighting of the now-extinct huia occurred in
the Tararua Range on New Zealand's North Island.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huia>
1955:
Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Il-sung delivered the Juche
speech, outlining the state ideology of his regime.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Eliminating_Dogmatism_and_Formalism_and_Es…>
2009:
Tibetan dissident filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen was imprisoned for
subversion by Chinese authorities after a secret trial.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhondup_Wangchen>
2014:
The passenger ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in the Adriatic
Sea, resulting in nine deaths, with a further 19 missing.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Norman_Atlantic>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
indolence:
1. Habitual laziness or sloth.
2. (pathology) Lack of pain in a tumour.
3. (obsolete)
4. A state in which one feels no pain or is indifferent to it; a lack of
any feeling.
5. A state of repose in which neither pain nor pleasure is experienced.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/indolence>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our faiths are similar — it's merely our religions that may
differ. I have faith in the inherent goodness of man and I'm sure you
feel the same. ... I have the greatest respect for any discipline that
preaches kindness and charity and love for one's fellow man. Most
important of all, to me — "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto
you" is the greatest phrase ever written. If everyone followed that
creed, this world would be a paradise.
--Stan Lee
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stan_Lee>
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film written and directed by
James Cameron. Set in the far future, it is the sequel to the 1979
science fiction horror film Alien, and the second film in the Alien
franchise. Sigourney Weaver (pictured) stars as Ellen Ripley, sole
survivor of an alien attack on her ship, with Michael Biehn, Paul
Reiser, Lance Henriksen, and Carrie Henn in supporting roles. Aliens was
released on July 18, 1986, to critical acclaim with Weaver's
performance garnering consistent praise. The film received several
awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best
Actress for Weaver at a time when the science fiction genre was
generally overlooked. Aliens was one of the highest-grossing films of
1986 worldwide, earning $131.1 to 183.3 million during its theatrical
run. Aliens is now considered among the greatest films of the 1980s, and
among the best science fiction, action, and sequel films ever made.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_%28film%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1831:
HMS Beagle departed Plymouth, England, on a voyage to South
America that established Charles Darwin's standing as a naturalist.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_voyage_of_HMS_Beagle>
1918:
A public speech by the Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski in
Poznań sparked the Greater Poland uprising against Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacy_Jan_Paderewski>
1932:
New York City's Radio City Music Hall opened with the world's
largest auditorium at the time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_City_Music_Hall>
1997:
Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright was assassinated
in HM Prison Maze by members of the Irish National Liberation Army.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Wright_%28loyalist%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
whilom:
1. (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; formerly, once
upon a time.
2. (obsolete)
3. At times, on occasion, sometimes.
4. (rare) Preceded by of or this: for some time that has passed.
5. (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; former, sometime.
6. (obsolete) Of a person: deceased, late.
7. During the same time that; while.
8. Up to the time that; till, until.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/whilom>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You bring me the deepest joy that can be felt by a man whose
invincible belief is that Science and Peace will triumph over Ignorance
and War, that nations will unite, not to destroy, but to build, and that
the future will belong to those who will have done most for suffering
humanity.
--Louis Pasteur
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur>
Between 1952 and 1954, John Raymond published three science fiction
magazines and a fantasy magazine. Raymond, an American publisher of
men's magazines who knew little about science fiction, hired Lester del
Rey to edit the digest-size magazines. Space Science Fiction and
Science Fiction Adventures appeared in 1952, followed by Rocket Stories,
which targeted a younger audience, and Fantasy Magazine (pictured),
which published fantasy rather than science fiction. All four were
profitable, but Raymond did not reinvest the profits into the magazines,
and paid contributors late. When del Rey discovered that Raymond was
planning to cut rates, he resigned. Two of the magazines continued
briefly with Harry Harrison as editor, but all ceased publication by the
end of 1954. The magazines are well-regarded by science fiction
historians, and carried fiction by many writers well known in the field,
or who would later become famous, including Isaac Asimov, Philip K.
Dick, Robert E. Howard, and John Jakes.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Raymond_science_fiction_magazines>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
American Revolutionary War: George Washington led a Continental
Army column across the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack
against Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton (painting shown).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trenton>
1898:
At the French Academy of Sciences, physicists Pierre and Marie
Curie announced the discovery of a new element, naming it radium.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium>
1919:
American baseball player Babe Ruth was sold by the Boston Red
Sox to their rivals, the New York Yankees, beginning the 84-year-long
"Curse of the Bambino".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth>
1943:
Second World War: The German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk at
the Battle of the North Cape during an attempt to attack Arctic convoys.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_North_Cape>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tower of silence:
(Zoroastrianism) A low, cylindrical, open-topped tower where
Zoroastrians place the bodies of deceased people to disintegrate from
exposure and consumption by carrion birds such as vultures, the
remaining bones being kept in an ossuary; a dakhma.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tower_of_silence>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Men are more or less reconciled to the thought of death, but they
also know that it is not necessary to kill one another. They know it
intermittently, just as they know other things which they conveniently
proceed to forget where there is danger of having their sleep disturbed.
To live without killing is a thought which could electrify the world, if
men were only capable of staying awake long enough to let the idea soak
in. But man refuses to stay awake because if he did, he would be obliged
to become something other than he now is, and the thought of that is
apparently too painful for him to endure.
--Henry Miller
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Miller>
Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry like Christmas is the third book
of a seven-volume autobiography series by Maya Angelou (pictured). Set
between 1949 and 1955, the book largely spans her twenties. Angelou
describes her struggles to support her young son, form relationships,
and forge a career in entertainment. Its 1976 publication was the first
time an African-American woman had expanded her life story into a third
volume. It was described as "a graphic portrait of the adult self in
bloom" and "a journey of discovery and rebirth". In the book, Angelou
examines many of the same subjects and themes in her previous
autobiographies, including travel, music, race, conflict, and
motherhood. She depicts the conflict she felt as a single mother,
despite her success as a performer as she travels Europe with the
musical Porgy and Bess. Her depictions of her travels, which take up 40
percent of the book, have roots in the African-American slave narrative.
(This article is part of a featured topic: Maya Angelou
autobiographies.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Maya_Angelou_autobi…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1100:
Baldwin I was crowned the first king of Jerusalem (depicted)
in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Jerusalem>
1809:
American physician Ephraim McDowell performed the world's first
removal of an ovarian tumor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephraim_McDowell>
1989:
Romanian Revolution: Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and
his wife Elena were condemned to death on a wide range of charges and
executed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_and_execution_of_Nicolae_and_Elena_Ceau…>
2009:
A fire destroyed Longford's 19th-century St Mel's Cathedral,
considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mel%27s_Cathedral>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
jingle bell:
A small, hollow, spherical metal bell with a narrow slit opening or
small holes, containing a loose ball or rod as a clapper, which is
attached to a horse's harness as a signal, or (music) used as a musical
instrument.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jingle_bell>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Someplace between apathy and anarchy is the stance of the
thinking human being; he does embrace a cause, he does take a position,
and can’t allow it to become business as usual. Humanity is our
business.
--Rod Serling
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rod_Serling>
Francis Neale (1756–1837) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit
in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. He played a substantial role in the
Jesuit order's restoration in the US. Born in Maryland, Neale was
educated and ordained a priest at the Colleges of Bruges and Liège.
When he returned to the US in 1788, he became the pastor at St. Thomas
Manor, where he opposed Bishop John Carroll's founding of Georgetown
College. In 1790, Neale oversaw the establishment of Holy Trinity, the
first Catholic church in Washington, D.C. He established the Church of
St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia, and became the president of Georgetown
College in 1809. The number of students declined dramatically due to his
implementation of strict monastic discipline. Neale joined the Jesuit
order when it was restored in 1806. He became the novice master at
Georgetown and treasurer of the Jesuits' Maryland mission. He spent his
later years as the spiritual director to the nuns at the Georgetown
Visitation Monastery.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Neale>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1814:
The United Kingdom and the United States signed a peace treaty
in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghent>
1846:
The Sultanate of Brunei ceded the island of Labuan to the
British Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Colony_of_Labuan>
1968:
Piloted by Jim Lovell, Apollo 8 became the first human
spaceflight to reach and orbit the moon (Earthrise pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Lovell>
1973:
The U.S. Congress granted home rule to Washington, D.C.,
allowing the residents to elect their own mayor and a city council.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_home_rule>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
like turkeys voting for Christmas:
(Britain, simile, humorous) Of an action: self-defeating or serving to
bring about a situation detrimental to the person performing the action.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/like_turkeys_voting_for_Christmas>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Greatness is a spiritual condition worthy to excite love,
interest, and admiration; and the outward proof of possessing greatness
is that we excite love, interest, and admiration.
--Matthew Arnold
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Matthew_Arnold>
Blast Corps is a 1997 action video game for the Nintendo 64 (pictured).
In the game, the player uses vehicles to destroy buildings in the path
of a runaway nuclear missile carrier. In the game's 57 levels, the
player solves puzzles by moving objects and bridging gaps with the
vehicles. Blast Corps was developed at Rare by a small team of recent
graduates over the course of a year. They were inspired, in part, by the
puzzle elements of Donkey Kong '94. Nintendo published and released
Blast Corps to critical acclaim in March 1997 in Japan and North
America. Its European and Australian release followed on December 22.
The game received several editor's choice awards and Metacritic's
second-highest Nintendo 64 rating of 1997. It sold about a million
copies, below the team's expectations. Reviewers praised the game's
originality, variety, and graphics, but some critiqued its controls and
repetition. Reviewers of the 2015 Rare Replay retrospective compilation
noted Blast Corps as a standout title.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blast_Corps>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1815:
Jane Austen's novel Emma was first published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_%28novel%29>
1919:
The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act was enacted, lifting
most of the existing common-law restrictions on women in the United
Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Disqualification_%28Removal%29_Act_1919>
1958:
Tokyo Tower, then the world's tallest freestanding tower,
opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
well-wisher:
1. Someone who extends good wishes, or expresses sympathy, to someone
else.
2. (obsolete, rare) Followed by to: someone who has an ambition to be or
become something. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/well-wisher>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Christmas story is at the heart of the … Christian faith.
But the message of hope, love, peace, and joy — they’re also
universal. It speaks to all of us, whether we’re Christian, Jewish,
Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, or any other faith, or no faith at all. It
speaks to all of us as human beings who are here on this Earth to care
for one another, to look out for one another, to love one another.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan
Trainor (pictured) from her debut major-label studio album Title (2015),
featuring guest vocals from singer John Legend. Trainor wrote the song
with Justin Weaver and Caitlyn Smith, and produced it with Chris
Gelbuda. Epic Records released it as the album's fourth single on June
23, 2015. A soul love ballad, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is about
savoring moments spent with loved ones and not taking them for granted.
Critics praised Trainor's vocals and the song's composition, but some
thought its subdued style did not suit her. It reached number one in
Australia, New Zealand, and Poland, and number eight in the US. It was
certified 4× Platinum in the US and 5× Platinum in Australia and
Canada. The music video depicts Trainor singing on a rainy night while
people in diverse relationships interact with loved ones. Trainor
performed the song on television shows and her concert tours.
(This article is part of a featured topic: Title (album).).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Title_%28album%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1807:
In an effort to avoid engaging in the Napoleonic Wars, the
United States Congress passed the Embargo Act, forbidding American ships
from engaging in trade with foreign nations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embargo_Act_of_1807>
1971:
Two groups of French doctors involved in humanitarian aid
merged to form Médecins Sans Frontières.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9decins_Sans_Fronti%C3%A8res>
1984:
While riding a New York City Subway train, Bernhard Goetz shot
four African-American youths who had attempted to rob him, sparking a
nationwide debate on vigilantism, racism, and the legal limits of self-
defense.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_New_York_City_Subway_shooting>
2001:
Richard Reid unsuccessfully attempted to detonate a bomb in his
shoe on a transatlantic flight from Paris to Miami.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reid>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sybaritic:
Of or having the qualities of a sybarite (“a person devoted to luxury
and pleasure”); dedicated to excessive comfort and enjoyment; decadent,
hedonistic, self-indulgent.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sybaritic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
This battle is not only for the territory, for this or another
part of Europe. The battle is not only for life, freedom and security of
Ukrainians or any other nation which Russia attempts to conquer. This
struggle will define in what world our children and grandchildren will
live, and then their children and grandchildren. It will define whether
it will be a democracy of Ukrainians and for Americans — for all.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>