Picture of the day for August 31, 2017

Honour guards at Ala-Too Square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.. Learn more.

sanguinary

Definition: (adjective) Accompanied by bloodshed.
Synonyms: butcherly, gory, slaughterous.
Usage: A sanguinary encounter seemed daily imminent between the two parties in the streets of Baltimore.
Discuss

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last-ditch attempt

A final effort or attempt to solve a problem or avoid failure or defeat, especially after a series of failures or setbacks. Watch the video

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Thurgood Marshall Confirmed as First African-American US Supreme Court Justice (1967)

The great-grandson of a slave and the first African American to serve on the US Supreme Court, Marshall was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the height of the Civil Rights movement. As a lawyer, he won 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the Supreme Court, including the landmark Brown v. Board of Education and others that established equal protection for African Americans in housing, voting, employment, and education. What church has included Marshall in its calendar of saints? Discuss


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Ice Diving

Ice diving is a type of penetration diving that takes place under ice. Because it is a particularly dangerous form of diving, divers need to wear exposure suits, hoods, and gloves to protect themselves from frigid waters; use a harness and rope to tether themselves to the surface in case they lose consciousness and must be hauled out; and train in correctly impacting the underside of surface ice in case of rapid ascent. Why should no more than two ice divers dive from the same hole at once? Discuss


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Huey P. Long Day

Huey Long was the colorful and often controversial governor of Louisiana from 1928 until 1932. Although he was impeached only a year after he'd been elected, he refused to yield the governorship to his lieutenant governor, a political enemy. Despite his controversial political activities, Long was revered by the rural people of the state, who supported his Share-Our-Wealth Society promising a minimum income for every American family. His birthday, August 30, is a special observance in Louisiana that the governor can declare a legal holiday. Discuss


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Muriel Ellen Deason, AKA Kitty Wells (1919)

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Wells sang gospel music in church as a child and performed on radio in the 1930s. She achieved fame with her 1952 hit, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," a rebuttal to a popular song about wayward women. It made her the first female musician to top the country music charts, paving the way for later female country stars such as Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. She sang about topics such as drinking and divorce. How did radio stations react to her first hit? Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 30, 2017

A male emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa) which flies in England from late June through to September. The Gachalá emerald, one of the most valuable emeralds in the world, was discovered 50 years ago in Colombia. Learn more.

last chance (for/at/to do something)

The last or final opportunity to get, have, do, or achieve something. Watch the video

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Mudra

In dharmic religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, mudras are symbolic gestures of the hands and fingers used in ceremonies, dance, and art. Each is associated with a specific quality, such as knowledge, that is said to be imparted on the practitioner. Mudras often accompany the vocalization of a mantra, or sacred utterance, and act as a kind of ceremonial seal affirming the statement or prayer. Which mudra expels demons and removes obstacles such as sickness or negative thoughts? Discuss


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Chemical Element Meitnerium Is Synthesized (1982)

In 1982, a German research team led by Peter Armbruster and Gottfried Münzenberg at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research created a new element. While bombarding bismuth-209 atoms with iron-58 ions, they detected a single atom of what is now called meitnerium. Its atomic number is 109. The artificially-produced, radioactive element is named for Lise Meitner, the Austrian-Swedish physicist and mathematician who helped discover nuclear fission. When was the name "meitnerium" officially adopted? Discuss


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John Locke (1632)

Locke was an English philosopher and founder of British Empiricism. He summed up the Enlightenment in his belief in the middle class and its right to freedom of conscience and right to property, in his faith in science, and in his faith in the goodness of humanity. His influence on philosophy and political theory has been incalculable. His 1690 Two Treatises of Government influenced the American and French revolutions. He once fled to Holland under suspicion of involvement in what plot? Discuss


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ferment

Definition: (noun) A state of agitation or turbulent change or development.
Synonyms: agitation, fermentation, tempestuousness, unrest.
Usage: In 1789 a ferment arises in Paris; it grows, spreads, and is expressed by a movement of peoples from west to east.
Discuss

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Radha Ashtami

This Hindu holiday celebrates the birth of Radha, who was the mistress of the god Krishna during the period of his life when he lived among the cowherds of Vrindavana. Although she was the wife of another gopa (cowherd), she was the best-loved of Krishna's consorts and his constant companion. Some Hindus believe that Radha is a symbol of the human soul drawn to the ineffable god Krishna. Images of Radha are bathed on this day and then dressed and ornamented before being offered food and worship. Hindus bathe in the early morning and fast all day to show their devotion to Radha. Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 29, 2017

Ceiling of the central room of the Windcatcher (Emarat e Badgir), built during the reign of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and part of the Golestan Palace, the former royal Qajar complex in Iran's capital city, Tehran. The UNESCO World Heritage Site belongs to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran's arg ("citadel") and is one of the oldest of the historic monuments in the city.. Learn more.

Thomas Hardy

Cruelty is the law pervading all nature and society; and we can't get out of it if we would. Discuss


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Et in Arcadia Ego: I Am Also in Arcadia

"Et in Arcadia Ego" is a Latin phrase that most famously appears as the title of two highly influential 17th-century paintings depicting shepherds from classical antiquity gathered around an austere tomb. The phrase is usually interpreted as "I am also in Arcadia," and its purpose is to set up an ironic contrast between mortality and idle merriment. Recently, however, the phrase has been used in conspiracy theories and interpreted to mean what? Discuss


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in the last analysis

When everything has been considered; when all the facts are known or the truth has come to light. Watch the video

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acerbic

Definition: (adjective) Sharp or biting, as in character or expression.
Synonyms: blistering, caustic, acid, vitriolic, acerb, acrid, sulfurous, virulent, bitter.
Usage: The comedienne's acerbic wit drew laughs from the crowd, though some found her jokes offensive.
Discuss

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Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Augustine is best known for his spiritual autobiography, the Confessions, which details the excesses of his youth, his career as a teacher of rhetoric, his years as a believer in Manicheism and Platonism, and his belated conversion to Christianity. It is primarily for his writings that he is known as the patron saint of theologians and scholars, and one of the "Four Latin Fathers" of the Christian Church. When Spanish soldiers landed on the coast of Florida on St. Augustine's Day in 1565, they named the U.S.'s oldest European community after him. Discuss


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First Issue of Scientific American Magazine Is Published (1845)

In 1845, Rufus Porter—an eccentric inventor, painter, and editor—published the first issue of Scientific American, a weekly newspaper about new inventions. By 1853, its circulation had reached 30,000 and it was reporting on various sciences, such as astronomy and medicine. In 1921, it became a monthly. Its solidly-researched, well-written articles, accompanied by illustrations and explanations, have made it a highly regarded publication. How much did the first subscriptions cost? Discuss


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William Robertson Davies (1913)

Davies was one of Canada's most distinguished writers. Educated at Oxford, he produced more than 30 works of fiction throughout his long literary career, as well as plays, essays, and criticism. Among the themes explored in his densely plotted novels are life's moral dimensions and the isolation of the spirit. He is best known for his three novel trilogies dealing with life and culture in fictional Ontario villages. What innovative technology, considered indispensible today, did he proudly shun? Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 28, 2017

Soviet electric locomotive VL22m-1483, the last remaining operational VL22m, with the passenger train Kutaisi - Tkibuli just before arriving at Satsire, Georgia.. Learn more.

Edwin Drake Strikes Oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania (1859)

In the late 1850s, Drake hired a salt well driller to start digging on a piece of land near Titusville, Pennsylvania. Though oil was known to exist nearby, there was no practical way to extract it, and its primary use was in medicine. In August 1859, Drake struck oil at a depth of 69 feet (21 m), an event that marked the birth of the oil industry. Once a quiet village, Titusville became a bustling town as prospectors flocked to the area. What disaster struck the town more than once? Discuss


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The Q Document

In the 19th century, New Testament scholars noted that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which display similarity in word choice and event placement, share material not found in their generally recognized common source, the Gospel of Mark. Accordingly, some theorized that, independently of one another, the authors used the Gospel of Mark along with a hypothetical second source, dubbed the Q document, when composing their manuscripts. What is the theoretical lost text said to contain? Discuss


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lap of the gods

A state beyond possible human control, intervention, or responsibility; a state or condition that is or will be decided by nature or fate. Usually used in the phrase "in the the lap of the gods." Watch the video

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Wheat Harvest Festival

The small village of Provins in north-central France celebrates its wheat harvest at the end of the summer. On the last Sunday of August, villagers decorate their homes and shops with wheat and wildflowers. There are also exhibits of antique farming tools and parades featuring harvest floats pulled by tractors. The villagers reenact ancient rituals involving wheat and perform demonstrations of how the grain is separated, ground, and baked to make bread. Discuss


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Charles Stewart Rolls (1877)

A member of the British aristocracy, Rolls developed an interest in engines and cars while studying at Cambridge. He became the first person there to have a car—a Peugeot—and, in 1902, he went into the automobile sales business. Striking a deal with manufacturer Frederick Royce in 1906, he co-founded the Rolls-Royce automobile company, which quickly earned a reputation for its engineering. In 1910, at the age of 32, Rolls became the first Briton to die in what unusual way? Discuss


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straddle

Definition: (verb) Range or extend over; occupy a certain area.
Synonyms: range.
Usage: With his car straddling two lanes of traffic and with fifteen police cruisers in hot pursuit, the out-of-control driver sped down the highway.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for August 27, 2017

A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (nose art Thunderbird), below, and a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress flying in a heritage flight formation during 2006 Defenders of Liberty Airshow at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA, USA, on May 12, 2006.. Learn more.

mesa

Definition: (noun) A broad, flat-topped elevation with one or more clifflike sides, common in the southwest United States.
Synonyms: table.
Usage: They scaled forest-clad heights until they emerged on a naked mesa.
Discuss

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Bomb Delivered to Harvey's Resort Hotel (1980)

After losing a substantial amount of money gambling at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, John Birges devised a plan to recoup his losses. On August 26, 1980, he planted a bomb containing nearly 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of dynamite at the casino. His attempt to extort millions of dollars failed, but so did efforts to disarm his sophisticated, tamper-proof bomb. The resulting explosion destroyed much of the casino on August 27. No one was injured. How did experts try to disarm the bomb? Discuss


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Homer

But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast, for gentle ways are best, and keep aloof from sharp contentions. Discuss


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Paryushana (Paryushan Parva)

Like most other Jaina festivals, the Paryushana festival is observed by focusing on the 10 cardinal virtues: forgiveness, charity, simplicity, contentment, truthfulness, self-restraint, fasting, detachment, humility, and continence. Believers ask those whom they may have offended to forgive them, and friendships that have lapsed during the year are restored. The Paryushana festival is observed all over India in the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). Discuss


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Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, AKA Mother Teresa (1910)

In 1927, 17-year-old Agnes Bojaxhiu left her native Macedonia and became a Catholic nun in India, changing her name to Teresa. She never saw her family again. Her decades of devoted charity to the poor earned her global recognition and a 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. Though she was a prominent religious figure, she suffered from a crisis of faith that lasted decades. Since her death in 1997, she has rapidly progressed toward being declared a saint. Why was an exorcism once performed on Mother Teresa? Discuss


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The Batavia

Though the shipwreck of the Batavia, a Dutch East India Company ship that ran aground on its maiden voyage in 1628, was fairly uneventful, the mutiny and massacre that took place among its survivors earned the Batavia a lasting place in history. While stranded on islands near the Western Australian coast, several mutineers persuaded their followers to kill 125 people as part of a plot to hijack the rescue ship they hoped would find them. What happened when the rescue party arrived? Discuss


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land-poor

Owning a large amount of land that is unprofitable and being without the means to maintain it or capitalize on its fertility. Watch the video

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Picture of the day for August 26, 2017

Prodasineura verticalis emergence.. Learn more.

Ars Goetia

Ars Goetia is the title of the first section of The Lesser Key of Solomon, an anonymous 17th-century book of magic that became one of the most popular texts of demonology. The Ars Goetia describes the 72 demons that King Solomon is said to have confined in a magic vessel and includes instructions on how to use magic rituals to call up the same demons to do the conjurer's will. What famous British occultist published a revised version of the Ars Goetia? Discuss


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Uruguay Declares Its Independence from Brazil (1825)

In 1811, José Gervasio Artigas, who would become Uruguay's national hero, launched a successful revolution against the Spanish authorities who ruled a combined Uruguay and Argentina. Ten years later, the eastern province of Uruguay was annexed by Brazil, which was still under Portuguese rule. Brazil became independent from Portugal the following year, and in 1825, Uruguay declared independence from Brazil. Why is the country now called the Oriental Republic of Uruguay? Discuss


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Uruguay Independence Day

This national holiday commemorates the declaration of independence of Uruguay from Portuguese rule on this day in 1825. By 1828, Uruguay was officially autonomous. Patriotic ceremonies are held in the capital city of Montevideo, with speeches and the singing of the national anthem. Discuss


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embodiment

Definition: (noun) A new personification of a familiar idea.
Synonyms: avatar, incarnation.
Usage: The State is the visible embodiment of justice under the conditions of human society.
Discuss

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the lady of the house

A woman who looks after and runs the house; the matriarch of a family or household. Watch the video

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Ivan the Terrible (1530)

Ivan IV was the first ruler of Russia to formally assume the title "czar." His early reign saw modernization, expansion, and reform. However, after a near-fatal illness, a failed war against Sweden and Poland, and the death of a wife, Ivan's mental state deteriorated. He withdrew to his personal territory, and his later reign was marked by extreme violence, repression, and tyranny. He rid himself of unwanted wives by forcing them into convents. Why did Ivan murder his son—and only heir—in 1581? Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 25, 2017

Interior view of main dome of Jvari, a UNESCO World Heritage Site monastery from the 6th century located on a hill over Mtskheta, former capital of the Kingdom of Iberia, Georgia.. Learn more.

Pete Rose Is Banned from Baseball (1989)

During his 24-year baseball career, Rose played in more games and got more hits than any player in history. Even so, the onetime Most Valuable Player could not avoid a lifetime ban from the sport after being accused of betting on baseball games—including those of his own team. In return for not having the charges formally proven, Rose accepted the banishment, which rendered him ineligible for induction into baseball's Hall of Fame. However, he later spent five months in federal prison—for what? Discuss


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St. Bartholomew's Day

St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of beekeepers and honey-makers, and for this reason it was traditional in England for the honey crop to be gathered on August 24. Since the main ingredient in mead—an ancient alcoholic drink that is still made in some parts of England today—is honey, the Blessing of the Mead is also observed on St. Bartholomew's Day. Discuss


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Lady Luck

The personification of fortune, whether good or bad. (Sometimes spelled in lowercase.) Watch the video

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dusky

Definition: (adjective) Characterized by little or inadequate light; shadowy.
Synonyms: twilight, twilit.
Usage: I met him on the road one dusky evening, and he insisted on seeing me safely home.
Discuss

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Chess Boxing

Chess boxing combines the two titular activities, speed chess and boxing, in a competition that tests participants' mental agility and physical prowess. Matches consist of as many as 11 alternating four-minute chess sessions and two-minute boxing rounds. A competitor can win by knockout, checkmate, judge's decision, or if his opponent's 12 minutes of chess time elapses. The sport, now governed by the World Chess Boxing Organisation, was first envisioned in 1992 by Enki Bilal in what art form? Discuss


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Siaka Stevens (1905)

Almost immediately after being sworn in as prime minister of Sierra Leone in 1967, Stevens was overthrown in a coup. He was recalled from exile after another coup 13 months later. In 1971, he became the first president of Sierra Leone, and during his tenure he made Sierra Leone a single-party state. His administration was plagued by corruption and economic mismanagement, and despite economic and civil turmoil, he remained in office until his peaceful retirement in 1985. Who succeeded him? Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 24, 2017

St. Bartholomew's is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage church in the Berchtesgadener Land district of Bavaria in Germany. An annual pilgrimage to St. Bartholomew's is held on the Saturday after 24 August, starting from the Austrian municipality of Maria Alm and crossing the Berchtesgaden Alps.. Learn more.

suppliant

Definition: (noun) One praying humbly for something.
Synonyms: petitioner, requester, supplicant.
Usage: "Oh, God!" prayed the kneeling suppliant, "protect my husband, guard my son, and take my wretched life instead!"
Discuss

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Charlotte Bronte

Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. Discuss


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Freckleton Air Disaster (1944)

On the morning of August 23, 1944, an American B-24 bomber aircraft crashed into the village of Freckleton in Lancashire, England, during a fierce storm. The plane hit the Holy Trinity School, three houses, and a snack bar for American servicemen. Fuel from the plane's ruptured fuel tank created an inferno. Of the 61 people killed in the crash and fire, 38 were children. What reportedly widespread belief among the American airmen about British weather may have contributed to the disaster? Discuss


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Stede Bonnet: The Gentleman Pirate

In 1717, a moderately wealthy landowner named Stede Bonnet decided to abandoned his wife and children and become a pirate, even though he had no prior sailing experience. He bought a 60-ton sloop that he named Revenge, outfitted it with 10 guns, and proceeded to capture and plunder vessels along the American coast. After about a year and a half of piracy, during which time he partnered with Blackbeard, he was captured and hanged. Why did Bonnet suddenly decide to become a pirate? Discuss


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Ernst Krenek (1900)

Krenek was an Austrian-American composer born in Vienna to Czech parents. He studied in Berlin and Vienna and began composing in the 1920s. His 1926 jazz opera, Johnny Strikes Up, was extremely successful and has been translated into many languages. He explored atonal and 12-tone compositions, which lack a definable key. In 1937, Krenek moved to the US, where he became a citizen in 1945. In 1924, he began a short-lived marriage to the daughter of what famous composer? Discuss


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labor under the illusion of/that

To live, operate, or function with the unyielding belief in something, especially that which is fanciful, unrealistic, or untrue. Primarily heard in US. Watch the video

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Vulcanalia

Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of volcanic or destructive fire. The Vulcanalia, or festival in honor of Vulcan, was held on August 23, right at the time of year when forest fires might be expected and when the stored grain was in danger of burning. For this reason Vulcan's cult was very prominent at Ostia, where Rome's grain was stored. At the Vulcanalia, which was observed in Egypt, in Athens, and in Rome, the priest or flamen Volcanis performed a sacrifice, and the heads of families burned small fish they had caught in the Tiber River. Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 23, 2017

Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, France, as seen from above. Learn more.

interpenetrate

Definition: (verb) Spread or diffuse through.
Synonyms: imbue, permeate, pervade, diffuse, riddle, penetrate.
Usage: Crossing his arms on his chest, as if to control this new sensation of delight, he drank in delicious draughts of that mysterious air which interpenetrates at night the loftiest forests.
Discuss

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Sugar on Snow

Called "maple taffee" in English-speaking Canada, "tire d'érable" in French-speaking Canada, and "sugar on snow" in the US, maple candy is a confection made with just two ingredients: maple sap and snow. Part of traditional culture in Quebec and northern New England, the sweet is made by boiling maple sap to a certain temperature and pouring it in its molten state onto clean snow. The cold causes it to rapidly thicken, and it is served fresh. What unlikely food is often paired with the treat? Discuss


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(someone) (just) doesn't know when to quit

Someone would be better off not doing something or acting a certain way because it is or may become destructive, counterproductive, futile, or undesirable. Watch the video

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The First Geneva Convention Is Signed (1864)

After witnessing firsthand the suffering of thousands of wounded soldiers left without aid on a battlefield in Italy, Jean-Henri Dunant returned to his native Switzerland and began campaigning for the humane treatment of war wounded. This prompted an international conference that resulted in the First Geneva Convention, an international agreement protecting neutral medical personnel and wounded soldiers. The Red Cross was also founded as a direct result of his efforts. What battle inspired him? Discuss


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Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908)

Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who is considered the father of photojournalism. His works, which were unmanipulated and achieved with simple techniques, are remarkable for their flawless capture of a situation's "decisive moment." He served in World War II and escaped a Nazi prison camp after three years to dig up a camera he had previously buried. He hated being photographed and was fiercely private. He claimed to have confided his secrets in someone he would never meet again. Who? Discuss


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Queenship of Mary

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was identified with the title of "Queen" at least as early as the 13th century. On October 11, 1954, during the Marian year that marked the centenary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Pope Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31. After the Second Vatican Council, the feast (classified as an obligatory memorial) was changed to August 22 so that it would follow the Feast of the Assumption on August 15. Discuss


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Herman Melville

There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke. Discuss


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Picture of the day for August 22, 2017

Rally Lisboa-Dakar 2006. In the picture Marc Coma (Nº2), winner of the Rally Dakar 2006, in the moto category. The image took place somewhere in the 2006 route.. Learn more.