Maynard James Keenan (born 1964) is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, producer, winemaker, and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the multi-platinum rock bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. In 2003, he created Puscifer as a side project, financing and releasing its first studio album in October 2007. Puscifer made its concert debut in Las Vegas in February 2009, and Tool began their 2009 summer tour, headlining the Mile High Music Festival and Lollapalooza, with Keenan integrating dates for signing sessions to promote his wine. In addition to his music career, he has performed improvisational stand-up comedy, as inspired by close friend Bill Hicks, and ventured into acting, making his feature film debut in April 2009 with the release of Crank: High Voltage. He is the current owner of Merkin Vineyards and the associated winery, Caduceus Cellars, and has part ownership of Stronghold Vineyards, all located in Arizona, where he resides. Among other business ventures, he is a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors and owns a produce market in Cornville, Arizona. In July 2009, Keenan opened an organic market in Arizona featuring a tasting room for his wines as well as a food court.
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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
778:
A Frankish army led by Roland was defeated by the Basques at Roncevaux Pass in the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain, a tale retold in the Old French epic poem The Song of Roland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Roncevaux_Pass
1248:
The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral , built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, was laid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral
1914:
The Panama Canal opened to traffic, providing a shortcut from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the Isthmus of Panama. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal
1945:
The Gyokuon-hōsō was broadcast in Japan, announcing the unconditional surrender of the Japanese army and naval forces, bringing World War II to a close. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Japan
1947:
The British Raj was partitioned into the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Raj
1998:
A car bomb attack carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army killed 29 people and injured approximately 220 others in Omagh, Northern Ireland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omagh_bombing
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
rest on one's laurels (v): (idiomatic) To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rest_on_one%27s_laurels
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
A form of government that is not the result of a long sequence of shared experiences, efforts, and endeavors can never take root. --Napoleon I of France http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Napoleon_I_of_France