BitterCard

Financial services

2007-01-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

Owner of 0800Promote, steve harris
has launched a new estate agency business, bringing a fresh approach to property services in North London.

Adamnán, The Vision Of

2005-04-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

Irish Fís Adamnáín in the Gaelic literature of Ireland, one of the earliest and most outstanding medieval Irish visions. This graceful prose work dates from the 10th century and is preserved in the later The Book of the Dun Cow (c. 1100). Patterned after pagan voyages (immrama) to the otherworld, The Vision of Adamnán vividly describes the journey of Adamnán's soul—guided by an angel—first through

Technical Education

2005-04-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

The academic and vocational preparation of students for jobs involving applied science and modern technology. It emphasizes the understanding and practical application of basic principles of science and mathematics, rather than the attainment of proficiency in manual skills that is properly the concern of vocational education. Technical education has

Amambaí Mountains

2005-03-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

Extending south-southwest initially as the Maracaju Mountains for approximately 200 miles (320 km) from Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, they form the western side of the Brazilian Highlands and mark the divide between the tributaries of the Paraguay River and those of the Paraná

Cameron, Julia Margaret

2005-03-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

The daughter of an officer in the East India Company, Julia Margaret Pattle married jurist Charles Hay Cameron in 1838. The couple had six children, and in 1860 the family settled on the Isle of Wight.

Apries

2005-03-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

Apries failed to help his ally King Zedekiah of Judah against Babylon, but after the fall of Jerusalem he received many Jewish refugees into Egypt. Later he took the Phoenician port of Sidon, but, because of his subsequent failure in an attack on Cyrene in Libya, the Egyptian army mutinied

Lentulus Crus, Lucius Cornelius

2005-03-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

In 61 BC Lentulus was the chief accuser of Publius Clodius on a charge of sacrilege at a festival. Lentulus was a praetor in 58. As consul in 49 he advocated the rejection of all peace terms offered by Caesar in his conflict with the Senate. On the outbreak of the Civil War

Korea Strait

2005-03-24T22:58:00.000-08:00

Passage of the northwest Pacific extending northeast from the East China Sea to the Sea of Japan (East Sea) between the south coast of the Korean peninsula (northwest) and the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Honshu. The strait, which is 300 feet (90 m) deep, is bisected by the Tsushima islands, the passage to the east being often referred to as Tsushima Strait. The western channel

Abelard, Peter

2005-03-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

The outline of Abelard's career is well known, largely because he described so much of it in his famous Historia calamitatum (“History of My Troubles”). He was born the son of a knight in Brittany south of the Loire River. He sacrificed his inheritance and the prospect of a military career in order to study philosophy, particularly logic, in France. He provoked bitter quarrels

Astor (of Hever Castle), Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount, Baron Astor Of Hever Castle

2005-03-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

He was the elder son of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, and a great-great-grandson

Manchineel

2005-03-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Also called Poison Guava (Hippomane mancinella), tree of the genus Hippomane, of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), that is famous for its poisonous fruits. The manchineel is native mostly to sandy beaches of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Its attractive, single or paired yellow-to-reddish, sweet-scented, applelike fruits have poisoned Spanish conquistadores, shipwrecked

Sardine

2005-03-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Any of certain food fishes of the herring (q.v.) family, Clupeidae, especially members of the genera Sardina, Sardinops, and Sardinella; the name sardine can also refer to the common herring (Clupea harengus) and to other small herrings or herringlike fishes when canned in oil. The European sardine (Sardina, or Clupea, pilchardus)—known as pilchard in Britain—occurs in the

Blood Brotherhood

2005-03-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

Special alliance or tie that binds persons together in a fashion analogous to, but distinct from, kinship ties. The relationship derives its name from the ritual commingling of the blood of the participants. The nature of the alliance thus formed typically enjoins the members to mutual support, loyalty, or affection. When practiced between groups, blood brotherhood

Zapata, Emiliano

2005-03-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

Mexican revolutionary, champion of agrarianism, who fought in guerrilla actions during and after the Mexican Revolution (1911–17).

Arnim, Achim Von

2005-03-14T00:32:00.000-08:00

While a student at the University of Heidelberg, Arnim published jointly with Clemens Brentano a remarkable collection of folk poetry, Des Knaben Wunderhorn (q.v.; the title derives from the opening

Tamil Literature

2005-03-13T17:03:00.000-08:00

Body of writings in Tamil, a Dravidian language of India and Sri Lanka. Apart from literature written in classical (Indo-Aryan) Sanskrit, Tamil is the oldest literature in India. Some inscriptions on stone have been dated to the 3rd century BC, but Tamil literature proper begins around the 1st century AD. Much early poetry was religious or epic; an exception was the secular court

Turkic Peoples

2005-03-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

Any of various peoples whose members speak languages belonging to the Turkic subfamily of the Altaic family of languages. They are historically and linguistically connected with the T'u-chüeh, the name given by the Chinese to the nomadic people who in the 6th century AD founded an empire stretching from Mongolia and the northern frontier of China to the Black Sea. With

Cacus And Caca

2005-03-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

In Roman religion, brother and sister, respectively, originally fire deities of the early Roman settlement on the Palatine Hill, where “Cacus' stairs” were later situated. The Roman poet Virgil described Cacus as the son of the flame god Vulcan and as a monstrous fire-breathing brigand who terrorized the countryside. He stole some of the giant Geryon's cattle from the

Rymer, Thomas

2005-03-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Rymer left the University of Cambridge without taking a degree and began to study law at Gray's

Round

2005-03-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

In music, a polyphonic vocal composition in which three or four voices follow each other around in a canon at the unison or octave. See canon; catch.

Kryvyy Rih

2005-03-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

Russian Krivoy Rog, also spelled Krivoi Rog, or Krivoj Rog, city, Dnipropetrovsk oblast (province), Ukraine, situated at the confluence of the Inhulets and Saksahan rivers. Founded as a village by Zaporozhian Cossacks in the 17th century, it had only 2,184 inhabitants in 1781. In 1881 a French company began to work the local iron-ore deposits, and a railway was constructed to the Donets Basin coalfield in 1884. After that date Kryvyy Rih became a significant

Alumbrado

2005-03-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

Italian Illuminato, plural Illuminati, a follower of a mystical movement in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. Its adherents claimed that the human soul, having attained a certain degree of perfection, was permitted a vision of the divine and entered into direct communication with the Holy Spirit. From this state the soul could neither advance nor retrogress. Consequently, participation in the liturgy,

Medicine, Military practice

2005-03-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

The main means of preventing

Epistemology, Rationalism versus empiricism

2005-03-05T00:37:00.000-08:00

The second issue that emerges from considerations of the origins of knowledge focuses on the distinction between rationalism and empiricism. Though closely related to the issue of innateness versus learning, the question in this case concerns the nature of the source from which knowledge arises. The history of discussion of the issue indicates that two main

Kiefer, Anselm

2005-03-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

Kiefer abandoned his law studies at the University of Freiburg in 1966 to pursue art. He subsequently studied at art academies in Freiburg, Karlsruhe, and Dusseldorf. In the latter city in 1970 he became a student of the conceptual

Sri Lanka, Recreation

2005-03-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

The sites of ancient cities and other religiocultural centres such as Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Kataragama, and Adam's Peak attract thousands of tourists

Clouet, François

2005-03-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

The son of Jean Clouet, he was known also under his father's byname, Janet, a circumstance that created a persistent confusion between the works of these two painters. François worked with Jean possibly as early as 1536 and replaced him in 1540 as official painter

Valdés, Alfonso De

2005-03-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Valdés may have studied at the University of Alcalá before joining the court of the emperor Charles V as a secretary and official Latinist. Valdés held important positions at the Diet of Worms, where he worked

Vaccine

2005-02-28T02:10:00.000-08:00

A vaccine can confer active immunity against a specific harmful agent by stimulating the immune system to attack the agent. Once stimulated by a vaccine, the antibody-producing cells, called B lymphocytes,

Buir Lake

2005-02-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

Wade–Giles romanization Pei-erh Hu, Mongol Pinyin Buir Nur, lake on the border of the Mongolian People's Republic and China. It has an area of 235 square miles (609 square km). It receives the Ha-lo-hsin River from the southeast, and its outlet, the Orchun River, flows into Hu-lun Lake to the north.

Lepidopteran, Environmental hazards

2005-02-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

As primary consumers of green plant material, the Lepidoptera are enormously important in food chains, not only because of the very large number of species in the order and the diversity of their food habits, but also because of the abundance of individuals. In most land environments they, in turn, are eaten by a host of other animals: predators, parasites, and scavengers.

Algeria, World War II and the movement for independence

2005-02-25T03:09:00.000-08:00

World War II brought with it the collapse of France and, in 1942, the Anglo-American occupation of North Africa. The occupation forces were to some extent automatically agents of emancipation; both Allied and Axis radio stations began to broadcast in Arabic, promising a new world for formerly subject peoples. The effect was further heightened by the June 1941 promise of emancipation

García I (or Ii) Sanchez

2005-02-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

King of Pamplona (Navarre) from 925 to 970, son of Sancho I Garcés and Queen Toda Aznar. He owed his throne to the support of his cousin 'Abd ar-Rahman III, the Umayyad caliph of Cordoba. The end of his reign was taken up with wars against the count of Castile, Fernán González. Sancho I of Leon, deposed by the Castilian, took refuge in Navarre; García took to the field and in 960 managed to capture

Asparagus

2005-02-23T23:19:00.000-08:00

Asparagus may be erect or climbing, and most of the species are more

China

2005-02-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

Also called chinaware any of various fine ornamental and useful ceramic wares, usually made of porcelain. See porcelain; bone china; ironstone china.

France, History Of, Sister republics

2005-02-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile the Directory regime successfully exported revolution abroad by helping to create “sister republics” in western Europe. During the Revolution's most radical phase, in 1793–94, French expansion had stopped more or less at the nation's self-proclaimed “natural frontiers”—the Rhine, Alps, and Pyrenees. The Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) and the left bank of the Rhine

Dow, Charles Henry

2005-02-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

In his twenties Dow took up journalism,

Chandler, Seth Carlo

2005-02-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

Chandler initially worked for the U.S. Coast Survey (1864–70). He then worked as an actuary until he joined the Harvard University Observatory in 1881. From 1896 to 1909 he edited

Waikato

2005-02-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Local government region, northern North Island, New Zealand. It includes the mountainous Coromandel Peninsula and adjacent Hauraki Plains in the northeast; the fertile Waikato River valley in the northwest; the hills, limestone crags, and canyons of King Country in the southwest; and much of the island's rugged central volcanic plateau and Lake Taupo, the country's

Disk Bat

2005-02-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

Disk bats are distinguished by round pads at the base of the thumb and on the sole of the

Greek Civil War

2005-02-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

The first stage of the civil war began only months before Nazi Germany's occupation of Greece ended in October 1944. The German occupation had been resisted by two principal Greek guerrilla forces, the communist-controlled EAM-ELAS (Ethnikón

France, History Of, Merovingian literature and arts

2005-02-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

During the entire 6th century many writers, inspired by classical tradition, produced works patterned on antique models; such writers included Sidonius Apollinaris (d. c. 488), Gregory of Tours (d. 594/595), and Venantius Fortunatus (d. c. 600). The writing of saints' lives—hagiography—became the most widespread literary genre of the period. Nevertheless, the standard of literature continued

Clonorchiasis

2005-02-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

Chronic infection caused by Clonorchis sinensis, or liver fluke, a parasitic worm some 10 to 25 mm (0.4 to 1 inch) long that lives in the bile ducts of the liver in humans and other mammals. Clonorchiasis is a common disease in China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan and is acquired by eating freshwater fish containing the fluke larvae. The fish are themselves infected by swallowing the

Shah-nameh

2005-02-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

(1010; “Book of Kings”), celebrated work of the Persian epic poet Ferdowsi, in which the Persian national epic found its final and enduring form. Written for Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna, the Shah-nameh is a poem of nearly 60,000 verses, mainly based on the Khvatay-namak, a history of the kings of Persia in Pahlavi (Middle Persian) from mythical times down to the 7th century. Ferdowsi versified and updated

Møn

2005-02-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

English Moen island, Storstrøm amtskommune (county commune), Denmark. The island has an area of 84 square miles (218 square km) and lies in the Baltic Sea. It is separated from southern Sjælland (Zealand) by the Ulv Strait and from Falster Island by the Grøn Strait. It is primarily flat except on the east coast, where white chalk cliffs covered with beech forests rise above 450 feet (137 m) in places. The

Faenza Majolica

2005-02-10T04:58:00.000-08:00

Majolica also spelled Maiolica, tin-glazed earthenware produced in the city of Faenza in the Emilia district of Italy from the late 14th century. Early Faenza ware is represented by green and purple jugs decorated with Gothic lettering and heraldic lions and by Tuscan oak leaf jars. The first significant majolica piece, a wall plaque, is dated 1475. Typical Renaissance motifs appear on 15th-century ware,

Amphibian

2005-02-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

Overviews of amphibians and their natural history may be found in the following works: Fernand Angel, Vie et moeurs des amphibiens (1947), a popular account; Doris M. Cochran, Living Amphibians of the World (1961, reissued 1972), a lively and beautifully illustrated popular account; Hans Gadow, Amphibia and Reptiles (1901, reprinted 1968), a classic work, old but still worth reading; Robert Mertens, The World of Amphibians and Reptiles (1960; originally published in French, 1939), a beautifully written and illustrated popular book; Robert L. Carroll, Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution (1988), which contains a comprehensive treatment of fossil amphibians; David M. Green and Stanley K. Sessions (eds.), Amphibian Cytogenetics and Evolution (1991), on the chromosomal and molecular evolution in amphibians; William E. Duellman and Linda Trueb, Biology of Amphibians (1986, reissued 1994), a comprehensive treatment of the group; Martin E. Feder and Warren W. Burggren, Environmental Physiology of the Amphibians (1992), a thorough compendium of amphibian physiology; George R. Zug, Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (1993), a college-level textbook; G. Kingsley Noble, The Biology of the Amphibia (1931, reprinted 1954), the classic English work on amphibians; Darrel R. Frost (ed.), Amphibian Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (1985), which includes a complete list of the species recognized taxonomically through 1985; and Linda Trueb and R. Cloutier, “A Phylogenetic Investigation of the Inter- and Intrarelationships of the Lissamphibia (Amphibia: Temnospondyli),” in Hans-Peter Schultze and Linda Trueb (eds.), Origins of the Higher Groups of Tetrapods (1991), a thorough analysis of the relationships of the living orders of amphibians. James A. Peters, Dictionary of Herpetology (1964), is a useful guide, especially for nonspecialists, to understanding the technical terms used by herpetologists.

Auger

2005-02-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

Tool (or bit) used with a carpenter's brace for drilling holes in wood. It looks like a corkscrew and has six parts: screw, spurs, cutting edges, twist, shank, and tang. The screw looks like a tapered wood screw and is short and small in diameter; it centres the bit and draws it into the work. At the working end of the twist there are two sharp points called spurs, which score a circle

La Farina, Giuseppe

2005-02-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

The son of a Sicilian magistrate and scholar, La Farina received a law degree in 1835 and soon became involved with a secret committee for Italian unity; he was forced into exile after it attempted an insurrection in 1837. Receiving

Talladega

2005-02-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1834) of Talladega county, east-central Alabama, U.S., in the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains, about 60 miles (100 km) east of Birmingham. The site was originally inhabited by Creek Indians, and its name was derived from Creek words meaning “border town.” On November 9, 1813, Andrew Jackson defeated a large force of Creek there, and the Creek were forced out in the 1830s. During

Zomba

2005-02-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

City, southern Malawi. It lies on the lower slopes of Zomba Mountain in the Shire Highlands, 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Blantyre. Established in 1885 as a planters' settlement, from 1891 it was the centre for the administration of the British Central African Protectorate (later Nyasaland) and the capital of independent Malawi from 1966 until 1975, when the new capital was opened at Lilongwe. The

Botosani

2005-02-04T02:45:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Botosani judet (county), northeastern Romania. It lies in a rich farming area of northern Moldavia, near the border with Moldova. As a settlement, it was first documented in 1439. The Popauti Church dates from 1496. Long known as a market centre for agricultural produce and wines, Botosani has also become an industrial centre, particularly in textiles. Pop. (1989 est.) 119,563.

Padmasambhava

2005-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

According to tradition, he was a native of Udyana (now Swat, Pak.), an area famed for its magicians. Padmasambhava was a Tantrist and a member of the Yogacara sect and taught at Nalanda, a centre of Buddhist studies

Lie, Trygve (halvdan)

2005-02-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Kristiania (Oslo), Lie practiced law and became a leading member of the Norwegian Labour Party

Dunqulah

2005-02-01T02:34:00.000-08:00

The historic town of Old Dunqulah (Dunqulah al-'Ajuz) was situated on the

Gabú

2005-01-31T21:52:00.000-08:00

Formerly Nova Lamego town, eastern Guinea-Bissau, western Africa. Gabú is situated along the Colufe River, a tributary of the Gêba River, and is an agricultural marketing centre. Peanuts (groundnuts), grown mainly by the Muslim Fulani peoples, are the principal crop of the region. The town is connected by road to Bissau, the national capital, and to other coastal towns. Pop. (latest est.) town, 7,803.

Alexis

2005-01-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

Alexis came from Thurii but apparently lived most of his long life in Athens; he was said to have been Menander's uncle. According to Plutarch, he lived to the age of 106 and died on the stage while being crowned. Alexis is

Ghazali, Al-

2005-01-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Al-Ghazali was born at Tus (near Meshed in eastern Iran) and was educated there, then in Jorjan, and finally at Nishapur (Neyshabur), where his teacher was al-Juwayni, who earned the title of imam al-haramayn (the imam

Eakins, Thomas

2005-01-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

All paintings in oils unless otherwise noted. “A Street Scene in Seville” (1870; Mrs. John R. Garrett, Sr. Collection); “Home Scene” (1871; Brooklyn Museum, New York); “Max Schmitt in a Single Scull” (1871; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City); “Katherine” (1872; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.); “The Pair-Oared Shell” (1872; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “The Biglin Brothers Turning the Stake” (1873; Cleveland Museum of Art); “John Biglin in a Single Scull” (watercolour, 1873; Metropolitan Museum of Art); “Sailing” (1874; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “Pushing for Rail” (1874; Metropolitan Museum of Art); “The Gross Clinic” (1875; Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia); “Will Schuster and Blackman Going Shooting” (1876; Yale University Art Gallery); “Chess Players” (1876; Metropolitan Museum of Art); “William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River” (1877; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “The Fairman Rogers Four-in-Hand” (1879; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “The Crucifixion” (1880; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “The Pathetic Song” (1881; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.); “The Swimming Hole” (1883; Fort Worth Art Center Museum, Fort Worth, Texas); “Lady with a Setter Dog (Mrs. Eakins)” (1885; Metropolitan Museum of Art); “Walt Whitman” (1887; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia); “Letitia Wilson Jordan Bacon” (1888; Brooklyn Museum); “Miss Van Buren” (c. 1889; Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.); “The Agnew Clinic” (1889; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia); “Professor Henry A. Rowland” (1891; Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Mass.); “The Concert Singer” (1892; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “Frank Hamilton Cushing” (1894–95; Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Okla.); “Taking the Count” (1898; Yale University Art Gallery); “Salutat” (1898; Addison Gallery of American Art); “Between Rounds” (1899; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “Benjamin Eakins” (1899; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “Mrs. William D. Frishmuth” (1900; Philadelphia Museum of Art); “The Thinker: Louis N. Kenton” (1900; Metropolitan Museum of Art); “Self-Portrait” (1902; National Academy of Design, New York); “Mrs. Edith Mahon” (1904; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Mass.); “Monsignor Diomede Falconio” (1905; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.).

Padmasambhava

2005-01-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sankaran Nair, Sir Chettur

2005-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

Sankaran Nair

Vieux Fort

2005-01-25T02:58:00.000-08:00

Town and former capital of St. Lucia island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It lies 19 miles (30 km) south of the harbour of Castries and is situated near the island's extreme southeastern tip on fertile, flat ground overlooking Vieux Fort Bay. Named after a 17th-century fort (Old Fort), it was the site of St. Lucia's first sugar works (1765) and is still the centre of a sugar- and coconut-growing

Gabon, Education

2005-01-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

The educational system continues to be modeled closely after that of France. French remains the sole medium of instruction; Bantu languages are studied as electives at the secondary and higher levels. While education is officially mandatory from the ages of 6 to 16, the bulk of children do not attend long enough to achieve literacy or numeracy. The Omar Bongo University,

Hirah, Al-

2005-01-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

(from Syriac hirta, “camp”), English Hira, ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq; it was prominent in pre-Islamic Arab history. The town was originally a military encampment, but in the 5th and 6th centuries AD it was the capital of the Lakhmids, who were Arab vassals of Sasanian Persia (Iran). As such it was a centre of diplomatic, political, and military activities

Empiricism, In contemporary philosophy

2005-01-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

The most influential Empiricist of the 20th century was the great British philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), who at first was Lockean in his theory of knowledge—admitting both synthetic a priori knowledge and concepts of unobservable entities. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), the influential pioneer of the school of Linguistic Analysis, convinced Russell that

Ramkhamhaeng

2005-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

On the death of his brother, King Ban Muang, about 1279, Ramkhamhaeng inherited his tiny kingdom of only a few hundred square miles. Over the next two decades—by careful diplomacy, shrewd alliances, and military

Côte D'azur

2005-01-20T00:47:00.000-08:00

(French: “Coast of Azure”), cultural region in southeastern France encompassing the French Riviera (see Riviera) between Menton and Cannes in Alpes-Maritimes département and extending into southern Var département. The population is predominantly urban. Traditional inland towns in Alpes-Maritimes include Gourdon, Èze, Utelle, and Peille; many such towns are perched

Guadalcanal

2005-01-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Largest island of the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. With an area of some 2,047 square miles (5,302 square km), it is of volcanic origin with a mountainous spine (Kavo Range) that culminates in Mount Makarakomburu (8,028 feet [2,447 m]), the highest point in the country. Many short, rapid streams, including the Mataniko, Lunga, and Tenaru, tumble from the wooded mountains to the coast,

Biblical Literature, Collations of the Masoretic materials

2005-01-17T03:01:00.000-08:00

The earliest extant attempt at collating the differences between the Ben Asher and Ben Naphtali Masoretic traditions was made by Mishael ben Uzziel in his KitaG Gi-Hulaf (before 1050). A vast amount of Masoretic information, drawn chiefly from Spanish manuscripts, is to be found in the text-critical commentary known as Minhath Shai, by Solomon Jedidiah Norzi, completed in 1626 and

Albanian Literature

2005-01-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

The development of Albanian literature was seriously hindered by the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Albania from the 15th to the late 19th century and prohibited publications in the Albanian language for most of that time. The oldest fragment of writing in Albanian

Tadpole

2005-01-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Most tadpoles are vegetarians, although those of some species are carnivorous or even cannibalistic. Tadpole metamorphosis follows

Utopia

2005-01-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

The word first occurred in Sir Thomas More's Utopia, published in Latin as Libellus . . . de optimo reipublicae statu, deque nova insula Utopia (“Concerning the highest state

Water Rail

2005-01-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

(Rallus aquaticus), slender marsh bird of the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes), native to most of Europe and Asia. Its length is about 28 cm (11 inches), and it has a moderately long beak. The sides of the bird have black and white bands. The name water rail also is used as a general term for the larger group, or tribe, to which R. aquaticus belongs. Rallus aquaticus can be distinguished

Ford Motor Company

2005-01-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

American automotive corporation founded in 1903 by Henry Ford (q.v.) and 11 associate investors. In 1919 the company was reincorporated, with Ford, his wife, Clara, and his son, Edsel, acquiring full ownership; they, their heirs, and the Ford Foundation (formed 1936) were sole stockholders until January 1956, when public sale of the common stock was first offered. The company today is chiefly engaged

Black Stone Of Mecca

2005-01-12T01:24:00.000-08:00

Arabic Al-hajar Al-aswad, Muslim object of veneration, built into the eastern wall of the Ka'bah (small shrine within the Great Mosque of Mecca) and probably dating from the pre-Islamic religion of the Arabs. It now consists of three large pieces and some fragments, surrounded by a stone ring and held together with a silver band. According to popular Islamic legend, the stone was given to Adam on his

Ståhlberg, Kaarlo Juho

2005-01-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Joining the Constitutionalist Party, Ståhlberg was elected to the Diet in 1904 and entered the government of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in 1905 but resigned in 1907. From 1908 to 1918 he was professor of administrative law at the University

Atkins, Chet

2005-01-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

Born into a musical family, Atkins began playing the guitar as a child and during his teen years performed professionally as a fiddler. By the late 1940s he had become a sought-after

Childhood Disease And Disorder, Respiratory disorders

2005-01-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

Numerous abnormalities of respiratory function are common in the newborn infant. One of the most severe is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS; also called hyaline membrane disease). RDS occurs in 0.5 to 1 percent of all deliveries, and, as previously mentioned, is especially common in premature infants. In addition, it is encountered commonly in infants of diabetic mothers

Mexico, History Of, Classic Period

2005-01-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

The characteristic Middle American aesthetic and religious patterns that began in the Late Formative crystallized in the Classic Period. In the Maya Lowlands polychrome ceramics, the use of the corbeled vault in temple construction, the foreshadowings of typical Maya art, and the probable beginnings of Initial Series calendrics all belong to the end of the

Scandinavian Literature, Icelandic

2005-01-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Modern Icelandic prose writing did not really develop until the late 1870s, when a group of young men, influenced by the theories of the Danish critic Georg Brandes, began their literary careers. Unfortunately, they had absorbed Brandes' ideas uncritically, which resulted in introspective, self-pitying works believed by their authors to be realistically written. The

Macdonald, John Sandfield

2005-01-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Macdonald was called to the bar in 1840, and the next year he was elected to the Canadian Parliament for Glengarry, a seat he held for 16 years. He supported constitutional government and in 1849–51 served as solicitor general. He held the posts of speaker

Gabriel, Ange-jacques

2005-01-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

The most celebrated member of a family of architects, he was the son of Jacques V (1667–1742), whom he succeeded as premier architect to Louis XV

Janmastami

2005-01-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

The occasion is observed with particular

Arts, East Asian, Painting

2005-01-02T01:59:00.000-08:00

Painting of the Kamakura period, both religious and secular, was marked by a sense of immediacy and vitality. The Amidist sects spawned cults that emphasized devotion to particular intercessory figures who had initially been considered ancillary in the overall Pure Land Buddhist pantheon. For example, the Jizo Bosatsu, the bodhisattva depicted in the guise of

Germanic Religion And Mythology, Minor Aesir

2005-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

A number of minor deities are also ranked among the Aesir. The god Heimdall (Heimdal[l]r) is particularly interesting, but rather enigmatic. His antagonism with Loki, with whom he struggles for the possession of the Brísingamen necklace, results in their killing each other in the Ragnarök, according to Snorri. Heimdall is of mysterious origin: he is the son of nine mothers,

Racan, Honorat De Bueil, Seigneur De

2004-12-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

Racan became a page at the court of Henry IV and served in the army. His works include the celebrated Stances sur la retraite (c. 1618; “Stanzas on Retreat”), which reflects his love of nature and his reluctance to adhere to the poetic discipline of his master, François de Malherbe, whose

Peru, Pre-Hispanic groups

2004-12-31T03:01:00.000-08:00

Throughout the pre-Hispanic period, the peoples of Peru were largely isolated from one another by the rugged topography of the country. At least three times, however, a unifying culture spread across the Andes. Beginning c. 1000 BC, the Chavín culture permeated the region, emanating possibly from the northern ceremonial site of Chavín de Huántar. After AD 600, the Huari civilization,

Shih Wang

2004-12-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

The first king receives the dead and determines whether or not they

Photometry

2004-12-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

The earliest observations of the apparent brightness of the stars were made by Greek astronomers. The system used by Hipparchus about

Duckpins

2004-12-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

Bowling game played on a standard tenpin lane with smaller pins and balls. Duckpins are 9.4 inches (23.3 cm) tall. The ball that is used to knock the pins down is a maximum of 5 inches in diameter and 3 pounds 12 ounces (1.7 kg) in weight, and it has no finger holes. Three balls may be rolled in each frame of the 10-frame game. There is no bonus for knocking down all 10 pins with three balls. Other rules are

Factor, Max, Jr.

2004-12-27T01:20:00.000-08:00

(FRANCIS FACTOR), U.S. cosmetician who, with his father, developed Pan-Cake makeup so actors would not appear green in colour motion pictures and, when it began to be worn offscreen as well, mass-produced it and built their company into an international cosmetics empire (b. Aug. 18, 1904--d. June 7, 1996).

Aehrenthal, Aloys, Count Lexa Von

2004-12-25T03:28:00.000-08:00

Entering the imperial foreign service as attaché in Paris (1877), Aehrenthal subsequently worked at

Akhisar

2004-12-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

Historically Thyatira town, western Turkey, in a fertile plain on the Great Zab River (the ancient Lycus). The ancient town, originally called Pelopia, was probably founded by the Lydians. It was made a Macedonian colony about 290 BC and renamed Thyatira. It became part of the kingdom of Pergamum in 190 BC and was an important station on the ancient Roman road from Pergamum (Bergama) to Laodicea (near Denizli).

Minamoto Yoshitomo

2004-12-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Japanese warrior whose support of Taira Kiyomori, the leader of the Taira clan, in the Hogen Disturbance (1156) was decisive in a Taira victory over the Minamoto clan, headed by Yoshitomo's own father, Minamoto Tameyoshi. After Kiyomori's victory, Yoshitomo was ordered to kill his father. He refused, but another Minamoto officer, saying it would

Monaghan

2004-12-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Irish Muineachán (Place of Thickets) one of the three counties of Ireland forming part of the historic province of Ulster. It projects northward into Northern Ireland, and has an area of 498 sq mi (1,291 sq km). Most of the northern boundary winds through cultivated lowlands except on Slieve (mountain) Beagh, a desolate upland rising to 1,221 ft (372 m). For many miles the boundary with Northern Ireland runs along the River

Aquino, Benigno Simeon, Jr.

2004-12-22T01:48:00.000-08:00

The grandson of a Philippine general and the son of a well-known politician and landowner,

Hooch, Pieter De

2004-12-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hooch was a pupil of Claes Berchem at Haarlem. From 1653 he was in the service of Justus de Grange and lived in Delft, The Hague, and Leiden. From 1654 to 1657 he was a member of the painters' guild of Delft, but after that date there are no traces of his career until about 1667, when

Alabastron

2004-12-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

Elongated, narrow-necked flask, used as a perfume or unguent container. The Greek alabastron has no handles but often lugs (ear-shaped projections), sometimes pierced with string holes. There are three types of classical alabastron: a basic Corinthian bulbous shape about 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) high that appeared from the mid-7th century BC and was common in Greece (see ); a long, pointed

Wagner, Richard

2004-12-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

The artistic and theatrical background of Wagner's early years (several elder sisters became opera singers or actresses) was a main formative influence. Impulsive and self-willed, he was a negligent scholar at the Kreuzschule, Dresden, and the Nicholaischule, Leipzig. He frequented concerts, however, taught himself the piano and composition, and read the plays of

Ogpu

2004-12-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Early security and political police of the Soviet Union and a forerunner of the KGB (q.v.).