William Longchamp (died 1197) was a medieval Lord Chancellor, Chief
Justiciar, and Bishop of Ely in England. Born to a humble family in
Normandy, he owed his advancement to royal favour. Although
contemporary writers accused Longchamp of being the son of a peasant,
his father held land as a knight. Longchamp first served an
illegitimate son of Henry II of England, but quickly transferred to the
service of Richard I, King Henry's eldest surviving son. When Richard
became King of England in 1189, Longchamp paid £3,000 for the office of
Chancellor, and was soon named to the see, or bishopric, of Ely and
appointed legate by the pope. Longchamp governed England while Richard
was on the Third Crusade, but his authority was challenged by Richard's
brother, John, who eventually succeeded in driving Longchamp from power
and from England. Longchamp's relations with the other leading English
nobles were also strained, which contributed to the demands for his
exile. Soon after Longchamp's departure from England, Richard was
captured on his journey back to England from the crusade and held for
ransom by the Holy Roman Emperor. Longchamp travelled to Germany to
help negotiate Richard's release. Although Longchamp regained the
office of Chancellor after Richard's return to England, he lost much of
his former power. He did, however, retain Richard's trust, and was
employed by the king until the bishop's death in 1197. Longchamp wrote
a treatise on the law, which remained well known throughout the later
Middle Ages, but he aroused much hostility among his contemporaries.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Longchamp>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1838:
In order to avoid persecution by anti-Mormons, Latter Day Saint
movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. and his followers fled Kirtland,
Ohio, for Far West, Missouri.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith%2C_Jr.>
1911:
The University of the Philippines College of Law was founded,
eventually graduating many of the leading Filipino political figures
since then.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines_College_of_Law>
1945:
World War II: The Soviet Union's Red Army crossed the Vistula River in
Poland on their way to invade Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula%E2%80%93Oder_Offensive>
1964:
Rebels led by John Okello overthrew Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah, ending
200 years of Arab dominance in Zanzibar.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanzibar_Revolution>
2010:
A 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti, affecting an estimated three million
people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fiduciary (n):
{{context
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fiduciary>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in
my opinion, is safe.
--Edmund Burke
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke>
Changeling is a 2008 American drama film directed by Clint Eastwood and
written by J. Michael Straczynski. Based on real life events in 1928
Los Angeles, the film stars Angelina Jolie as a woman who is reunited
with her missing son—only to realize he is an impostor. After she
confronts the city authorities, they vilify her as an unfit mother and
brand her delusional. The film explores the political fallout and the
episode's connection to the "Wineville Chicken Coop" kidnapping and
murder case. Principal photography took place in 2007 in Southern
California; in post-production, scenes were supplemented with CGI
skylines, backgrounds, vehicles and people. Changeling premiered at the
2008 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim. Its October 2008
theatrical release met with a more mixed reaction; the acting and story
were generally praised, while criticism focused on the conventional
staging and lack of nuance. The film performed modestly at the North
American box office, but better internationally, earning $113Â million
worldwide. Changeling received nominations in three Academy Award and
eight BAFTA Award categories.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling_%28film%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1055:
Theodora, the daughter of Constantine VIII and Helena, daughter of
Alypius, became Byzantine Empress.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_%2811th_century%29>
1787:
German-born British astronomer and composer William Herschel discovered
the Uranian moons Oberon and Titania, named by his son John after
characters from William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberon_%28moon%29>
1943:
Italian American journalist and union activist Carlo Tresca , a leading
public opponent of Mafia infiltration of unions, was assassinated by a
Mafia gunman.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Tresca>
1960:
Henry Lee Lucas, once listed as America's most prolific serial killer,
committed his only confirmed murder, although he confessed to killing
about 600 and was convicted of eleven homicides.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lee_Lucas>
2007:
In her room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, British author J. K.
Rowling left a signed statement on a marble bust of Hermes which read,
"J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in
this room", her seventh and final Harry Potter novel.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rictus (n):
1. A bird's gaping mouth.
2. Any open-mouthed expression
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rictus>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I should esteem it the extreme of imprudence to prolong the precarious
state of our national affairs, and to expose the union to the jeopardy
of successive experiments, in the chimerical pursuit of a perfect plan.
I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. The result of
the deliberations of all collective bodies must necessarily be a
compound as well of the errors and prejudices, as of the good sense and
wisdom of the individuals of whom they are composed.
--Alexander Hamilton
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton>
The Archaea are a group of single-celled microorganisms with no cell
nucleus nor any other membrane-bound organelles. They show many
differences in their biochemistry from other forms of life and have an
independent evolutionary history. In the three-domain system, they are
classified as a separate domain from the phylogenetically distinct
Bacteria and Eukaryota. Archaea are divided into four recognized phyla,
but many more phyla may exist. Of these groups the Crenarchaeota and
the Euryarchaeota are most intensively studied. Classification is still
difficult, since the vast majority have never been studied in the
laboratory. Archaea and bacteria are quite similar in size and shape,
but a few archaea have very unusual shapes. Despite this visual
similarity to bacteria, archaea possess genes and several metabolic
pathways that are more closely related to those of eukaryotes: notably
the enzymes involved in transcription and translation. Initially,
archaea were seen as extremophiles that lived in harsh environments,
such as hot springs and salt lakes, but they have since been found in a
broad range of habitats, including soils, oceans, and marshlands.
Archaea are now recognized as a major part of Earth's life and may play
roles in both the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaea>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1645:
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and a fervent supporter of King
Charles I, was beheaded in the midst of the English Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Laud>
1776:
Common Sense by Thomas Paine , a document denouncing British rule in
the Thirteen Colonies, was published.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_%28pamphlet%29>
1941:
Greco-Italian War: The Greek army captured the strategically important
Klisura Pass in Albania.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Klisura_Pass>
1946:
The first session of the United Nations General Assembly convened at
the Westminster Central Hall in London with representatives from 51
member states.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly>
1993:
The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever recorded in
the North Atlantic, reached its peak intensity.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braer_Storm_of_January_1993>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
prodigy (n):
1. An amazing or marvellous thing.
2. An extremely talented person, especially a child
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prodigy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Corruption never has been compulsory; when the cities lie at the
monster's feet there are left the mountains.
--Robinson Jeffers
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robinson_Jeffers>
John L. Helm (1802–1867) was the 18th and 24th governor of Kentucky,
although his aggregate service in that office was less than fourteen
months. He also represented Hardin County in both houses of the
Kentucky General Assembly and was chosen Speaker of the Kentucky House
of Representatives four times. In 1838 his sole bid for national office
ended in defeat when his opponent, Willis Green, was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives. After his service as governor Helm
became president of the struggling Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
Although he openly opposed secession during the American Civil War,
federal military forces labeled Helm a Confederate sympathizer. In
September 1862, he was arrested for this alleged sympathy, but Governor
James F. Robinson recognized him as he was being transported to a
prison in Louisville and had him released. After the war Helm
identified with the Democratic Party, and in 1865 Hardin County voters
returned him to the state senate. In 1867 he was the state's Democratic
candidate for governor. Despite his failing health, Helm made a
vigorous canvass of the state and won the general election. He was too
weak to travel to Frankfort for his inauguration, so state officials
administered the oath of office at his home on September 3, 1867. He
died five days later.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Helm>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1127:
Invading Jin soldiers besieged and sacked Kaifeng and abducted Emperor
Qinzong and others, ending the Northern Song Dynasty of China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Dynasty%23Northern_Song%2C_960%E2%80%9311…>
1768:
Philip Astley staged the first modern circus in London.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/circus>
1909:
Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition, planted the British
flag 97Â miles (156 km) from the South Pole, the furthest anyone had
ever reached at that time.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton>
1917:
World War I: Troops of the British Empire defeated Ottoman forces at
the Battle of Rafa on the Sinai–Palestine border in present-day Rafah.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rafa>
1972:
The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association lost to
the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a 33-game winning streak, the longest of
any team in American professional sports.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Lakers>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring (adj):
(idiomatic) [[unsuitable
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/neither_fish%2C_flesh%2C_nor_good_red_herring>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity.
I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on without
end.
--Simone de Beauvoir
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir>
"Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob
Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of
verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a
gruelling tour of England. During a difficult two day's pre-production,
Dylan struggled to find the essence of the song, which was recorded
without success as a waltz. A breakthrough was made when it was tried
in a rock music format, and rookie session musician Al Kooper
improvised the organ riff for which the track is known. However,
Columbia Records was unhappy with both the song's length at over six
minutes and its heavy electric sound, and were hesitant to release it.
It was only when, a month later, a copy was leaked to a new popular
music club and heard by influential DJs that the song was put out as a
single. Although radio stations were reluctant to play such a long
track, "Like a Rolling Stone" reached number two in the US charts and
became a worldwide hit. The track has been described as revolutionary
in its combination of different musical elements, the youthful, cynical
sound of Dylan's voice, and the directness of the question in the
chorus: "How does it feel?". "Like a Rolling Stone" transformed Dylan's
career and is today considered one of the most influential compositions
in post-war popular music and has since its release been both a music
industry and popular culture milestone which elevated Dylan's image to
iconic. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Jimi
Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Wailers and Green Day.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Rolling_Stone>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1746:
Second Jacobite Rising: Bonnie Prince Charlie occupied the town of
Stirling, Scotland, but failed to capture its castle.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling>
1790:
George Washington delivered the first ever State of the Union address
in New York City, then the provisional capital of the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_address>
1838:
Alfred Vail and Samuel Morse conducted the first successful public
demonstration of the telegraph.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Vail>
1889:
Statistician Herman Hollerith received a patent for his electric
tabulating machine, the precursor to modern computers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Hollerith>
1956:
Five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States were
killed by the Huaorani in the rainforest of Ecuador shortly after
making contact with them.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Auca>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
centiday (n):
One one-hundredth (1/100) of one day; that is, 14 minutes and 24
seconds
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/centiday>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
My intent is to tell the truth as I know it, realizing that what is
true for me may be blasphemy for others.
--Gerry Spence
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence>
Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817) was the only child of George,
Prince of Wales (later George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick. Had she
outlived her father and her grandfather, King George III, she would
have become Queen of the United Kingdom. Instead, she died following
childbirth at the age of 21. Charlotte's parents disliked each other
from before their pre-arranged marriage and soon separated. As
Charlotte grew to adulthood, her father pressured her to marry William,
Hereditary Prince of Orange, but after initially accepting him,
Charlotte soon broke off the match. This resulted in an extended
contest of wills between her and her father, and finally the Prince of
Wales permitted her to marry Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later
Leopold I of Belgium). After a year and a half of happy marriage,
Charlotte died after giving birth to a stillborn son. Charlotte's death
set off tremendous mourning in the country, which had seen her as a
sign of hope and a contrast to her mentally ill grandfather and
unpopular father. As she had been King George III's only legitimate
grandchild, there was pressure on the King's unwed sons to marry. King
George III's fourth son, Edward, Duke of Kent, fathered the eventual
heir, Queen Victoria.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Charlotte_of_Wales>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1610:
Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei first observed three of the
eventual four Galilean moons through his telescope: Io, Europa, and
Callisto.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Io_%28moon%29>
1922:
Dáil Éireann narrowly approved the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended the
Irish War of Independence and established the Irish Free State a
self-governing dominion within the British Empire.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Irish_Treaty>
1948:
Air National Guard pilot Thomas Mantell fatally crashed his P-51
Mustang while in pursuit of a supposed UFO near Fort Knox, Kentucky,
US.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantell_UFO_incident>
1975:
The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women was established
to promote empowerment and gender equality for the women of the
Philippines.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Commission_on_Women>
2007:
Newly appointed Archbishop of Warsaw Stanisław Wielgus resigned amid
allegations that he collaborated with the Polish communist government's
secret police.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Wielgus>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hoo-ha (n):
A fuss, uproar, commotion or stir; hype; brouhaha
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hoo-ha>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
When I take people round to see my animals, one of the first questions
they ask (unless the animal is cute and appealing) is, "what use is
it?" by which they mean, "what use is it to them?" To this one can
reply "What use is the Acropolis?" Does a creature have to be of direct
material use to mankind in order to exist? By and large, by asking the
question "what use is it?" you are asking the animal to justify its
existence without having justified your own.
--Gerald Durrell
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerald_Durrell>
"Homer's Enemy" is the 23rd episode of the eighth season of American
animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox
network in the United States on May 4, 1997. The plot of the episode
centers on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's hiring of a new
employee named Frank Grimes. Homer attempts to befriend Grimes;
however, Grimes takes an instant dislike to Homer, angered by his
laziness and incompetence, and eventually declares himself Homer's
enemy. The episode was directed by Jim Reardon and the script was
written by John Swartzwelder, based on an idea pitched by executive
producer Bill Oakley. The episode explores the comic possibilities of a
realistic character with a strong work ethic placed alongside Homer in
a work environment. The show's staff worked hard to perfect the
character of Frank Grimes. He was partially modeled after Michael
Douglas as he appeared in the film Falling Down. Hank Azaria provided
the voice of Frank Grimes, and based some of the characters' mannerisms
on actor William H. Macy. "Homer's Enemy" is considered to be one of
the darkest episodes of The Simpsons and is a favorite of several
members of the production staff. Although Grimes makes his only
appearance in this episode, he was later named one of the "Top 25
Simpsons Peripheral characters" by IGN.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer%27s_Enemy>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1449:
Constantine XI Palaiologos was crowned Byzantine-Roman Emperor, the
last one before the Fall of Constantinople.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_XI_Palaiologos>
1839:
The most damaging storm in 300 years swept across Ireland, with
100-knot winds damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in
Dublin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Big_Wind>
1907:
Italian educator Maria Montessori opened her first school and day care
center for working class children in Rome.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori>
1953:
The first Asian Socialist Conference, an organization of socialist
political parties in Asia, opened in Rangoon, Burma, with 177
delegates, observers and fraternal guests.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Socialist_Conference>
1977:
The record label EMI ended its contract with the English punk rock band
Sex Pistols in response to its members' disruptive behaviour at London
Heathrow Airport two days earlier.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Pistols>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
circumbendibus (n):
{{often
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/circumbendibus>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has
already achieved, but what he aspires to.
--Khalil Gibran
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Khalil_Gibran>
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It
is located about 350Â kilometres (217 mi) west of the state capital
Bangalore. Bound by the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain
ranges, Mangalore is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina
Kannada district in south western Karnataka. Mangalore developed as a
port on the Arabian Sea – remaining, to this day, a major port of
India. Lying on the backwaters of the Netravati and Gurupura rivers,
Mangalore is often used as a staging point for sea traffic along the
Malabar Coast. The city has a tropical climate and lies on the path of
the Arabian Sea branch of the South-West monsoons. Mangalore was ruled
by several major powers, including the Kadambas, Vijayanagar dynasty,
Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, and the Portuguese. The city was a
source of contention between the British and the Mysore rulers, Hyder
Ali and Tippu Sultan. Eventually annexed by the British in 1799,
Mangalore remained part of the Madras Presidency until India's
independence in 1947. The city's landscape is characterized by rolling
hills, coconut palms, freshwater streams, and hard red-clay tiled-roof
buildings.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalore>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1463:
French poet François Villon was banned from Paris by the Parlement
after being commuted from a death sentence.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Villon>
1925:
Nellie Tayloe Ross was inaugurated as Governor of Wyoming, the first
woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Tayloe_Ross>
1941:
World War II: Australian and British troops defeated Italian forces in
Bardia, Libya, the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army
formation took part.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bardia>
1991:
Georgian troops attacked Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia,
opening the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%931992_South_Ossetia_War>
2002:
London police arrested seven people in conjunction with an alleged
terrorist plot to release ricin on the London Underground, although
only one was eventually convicted.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_Green_ricin_plot>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
oniomania (n):
<span class="qualifier-brac">(</span><span
class="qualifier-content">psychology</span><span
class="qualifier-brac">)</span> An abnormal impulse to buy things, or a
condition characterised by such impulses
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/oniomania>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A democratic civilization will save itself only if it makes the
language of the image into a stimulus for critical reflection — not an
invitation for hypnosis.
--Umberto Eco
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco>