CupNut

Robert Irving Burns Property Consultants

2006-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Robert Irving Burns has been established for over 40 years and is an independent partnership, who specialise in a full range of property services. These include commercial property
and commercial offices as well as property to let london. Whilst my business partner and I were looking for Offices, we found Rib’s expertise invaluable.

New Hampshire V. Louisiana

2005-04-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

(108 U.S. 76 [1883]), U.S. Supreme Court case (combined with New York v. Louisiana) concerning an attempt by the states of New Hampshire and New York to force Louisiana to pay interest on state bonds owned by citizens of the plaintiff states and assigned to those states for collection. Laws had been passed by New Hampshire in 1879 and by New York in 1880 under which a citizen of either of those states

Reformed Churches In The Netherlands

2005-04-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Christian Reformed Church was organized by seceders who left The Netherlands Reformed Church (q.v.) in 1834 because of disagreements over church organization

Itabuna

2005-04-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

City, southeastern Bahia estado (“state”), northeastern Brazil. It lies just west of Ilhéus on the Cachoeira River at 174 feet (53 m) above sea level. Itabuna, which was elevated to city status in 1910, is the trade centre for a rich zone yielding cacao, livestock, and other agricultural products. It was used as a setting by Jorge Amado in his novels dealing with the cacao culture. A chemical

Insurance, Warranties

2005-04-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

In applying for insurance, the applicant makes certain representations or warranties. If the applicant makes a false representation, the insurer has the option of voiding the contract. Concealment of vital information may be considered misrepresentation. In general, the misrepresentation or concealment must concern a material fact—defined as a fact that would,

Tor

2005-04-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

Exposed rock mass of jointed and broken blocks. Tors are seldom more than 15 metres (50 feet) high and often occur as residues at the summits of inselbergs and at the highest points of pediments. Tors usually overlie unaltered bedrock and are thought to be formed either by freeze–thaw weathering or by groundwater weathering before exposure. There is often evidence of spheroidal

Nereid

2005-04-01T01:23:00.000-08:00

In Greek religion, any of the daughters (numbering 50 or 100) of the sea god Nereus (eldest son of Pontus, a personification of the sea) and of Doris, daughter of Oceanus (the god of the water encircling the flat Earth). The Nereids were depicted as young girls, inhabiting any water, salt or fresh, and as benign toward humanity. They were popular figures in Greek literature. The best

Marsaxlokk

2005-03-31T00:49:00.000-08:00

Also called Marsa Scirocco, village, southeastern Malta. It lies along Marsaxlokk Bay, southeast of Valletta. It was the first landing place and anchorage of the Turkish fleet in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. A fortress (now housing the marine sciences laboratory of the University of Malta) was built there in the early 17th century, and its garrison drove off a later Turkish landing attempt in 1614. There

Molar Gas Constant

2005-03-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

(symbol R), fundamental physical constant arising in the formulation of the general gas law. For an ideal gas (approximated by most real gases that are not highly compressed or not near the point of liquefaction), the pressure p times the volume V of the gas divided by its absolute temperature T is a constant. When one of these three is altered for a given mass of gas, at least

Grayling

2005-03-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

(Thymallus), any of several troutlike game fishes, family Salmonidae, found in cold, clear streams of Eurasia and northern North America. Graylings are handsome, silvery-purple fishes, which reach a length of about 40 cm (16 inches). They have rather large scales, large eyes, a small mouth with feeble teeth, and a saillike, brightly coloured dorsal fin, with 20 to 24 rays. They feed primarily

Tibet, The people

2005-03-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

The Tibetan and Burmese languages are related, although they are mutually unintelligible

Gypcrete

2005-03-29T02:25:00.000-08:00

Also called Gypcrust, gypsum-cemented duricrust, an indurated, or hardened, layer formed on or in soil. It generally occurs in a hot, arid or semiarid climate in a basin that has internal drainage. It usually is composed of about 95 percent gypsum (a hydrated calcium sulfate mineral) and is initially developed in a playa as an evaporite. Gypcrete ranges from a loose, powdery deposit to massive

New Zealand, Annexation and further settlement

2005-03-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

In 1838 the British government decided upon at least partial annexation. In 1839 it commissioned William Hobson, a naval officer, as lieutenant governor and consul to the Maori chiefs, and he annexed the whole country, the North Island by the right of cession from the Maori chiefs and the South Island by the right of discovery. At first New Zealand was legally part of New South

Oak Bay

2005-03-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

District municipality, southwestern British Columbia, Canada, on southeastern Vancouver Island. It is an eastern residential suburb of Victoria, the provincial capital, and is a popular retirement community, with one of the highest percentages of persons over 65 in Canada. Inc. 1906. Pop. (1991) 17,815.

Cummingtonite

2005-03-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

An amphibole mineral, an iron and magnesium silicate that occurs in metamorphic rocks. For chemical formula and detailed physical properties, see amphibole (table).

X Ray

2005-03-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Two types of secondary

Strangles

2005-03-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

Horse disease caused by Streptococcus equi, a bacterium that invades nasal and throat passages and forms abscesses in lymph nodes and other parts of the body. It is one of a group of diseases called distemper of horses. Young horses are most susceptible to it, and outbreaks of the disease usually occur where a number of horses are stabled. Mortality is low. Treatment

Zeeman Effect

2005-03-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

In physics and astronomy, the splitting of a spectral line into two or more components of slightly different frequency when the light source is placed in a magnetic field. It was first observed in 1896 by the Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman as a broadening of the yellow D-lines of sodium in a flame held between strong magnetic poles. Later the broadening was found to be a distinct

China, Regional cultures of the Late Neolithic

2005-03-25T02:47:00.000-08:00

By the 3rd millennium BC the regional cultures in the areas discussed above showed increased signs of interaction and even convergence. That they are frequently referred to as varieties of the Lung-shan culture (c. 2500–2000 BC) of east central Shantung—characterized by its lustrous, eggshell-thin black ware—suggests the degree to which these cultures are thought to have experienced

Yenisey River

2005-03-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

The peoples of the Yenisey valley are diverse. Around the western headwaters (Great and Little Yenisey) Tuvans predominate in the rural areas, but they are joined by significant numbers of Russians in Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva. To the north of Tuva the Krasnoyarsk kray (territory) of Russia extends down the entire valley northward to the Kara Sea; its population comprises

Xia Yan

2005-03-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Xia studied in Japan, and after his return to China in 1927 he joined the Chinese Communist Party. He founded the Art Theatre in 1929, was the first to call for a “drama of the proletariat,” and became one of the leaders of the League of Leftist Writers when it was formed in 1930. In the same

Rameau, Jean-philippe

2005-03-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Rameau's father, Jean, played the organ for 42 years in various churches in Dijon and hoped one day to see his son on a lawyer's, rather than an organist's, bench. These hopes

China, Archaeology in China

2005-03-21T00:14:00.000-08:00

The practice of archaeology in China has been rooted in modern Chinese history. The intellectual and political reformers of the 1920s challenged the historicity of the legendary inventors of Chinese culture, such as Shen Nung, the divine farmer, and Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor. At the same time, scientific study of the prehistoric period was being sponsored by Western

Iowa, Cultural life

2005-03-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

A widely dispersed population with small urban centres makes it difficult for Iowans to support many of the cultural amenities that exist in large urban settings. Traveling shows, including theatre and dance, symphonies, and guest artists visit many places in the state each year. The major cultural centres are the universities and colleges. The fine arts are notably

Pacific Islands Forum

2005-03-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1971–2000) South Pacific Forum organization established in 1971 to provide a setting for heads of government to discuss common issues and problems facing the independent and self-governing states of the South Pacific. Headquartered in Suva, Fiji, the Forum includes Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon

Zambezi River

2005-03-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

The first non-Africans to reach the Zambezi were Arab traders, who utilized the river's lower reaches from the 10th century onward. They were followed in the 16th century by the Portuguese, who hoped to use the river to develop a trade in ivory, gold, and slaves. Until the 19th century, the river, then called the Zanbere, was believed to flow south from a vast inland sea that was also

Balaguer, Victor

2005-03-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

Balaguer was a precocious youth; his first dramatic essay, Pépin el Jorobado; o, el hijo de Carlomagno (1838; “Pippin the Hunchbacked; or, The Son of Charlemagne”), was staged in Barcelona when he was 14. At 19 he was publicly “crowned” after the production of his second play, Don Enrique el Dadivoso (1843; “Don Henry

Alismatales

2005-03-18T00:52:00.000-08:00

Also called Alismales, the water-plantain order of flowering plants, belonging to the class Liliopsida (monocotyledons; characterized by a single seed leaf). Most species are aquatic and grow submerged or partially exposed to the air in marshes and other freshwater habitats. Many are aquatic weeds that hinder irrigation and navigation, though others provide important habitats for

Alcmaeon

2005-03-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Alcmeon, in Greek legend, the son of the seer Amphiaraus and his wife Eriphyle. When Amphiaraus set out with the expedition of the Seven Against Thebes, which he knew would be fatal to him, he commanded his sons to avenge his death by slaying Eriphyle (who had been bribed by Polyneices with the necklace of Harmonia to persuade her husband to fight) and by undertaking a second expedition

Mêlée

2005-03-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Also spelled mellay ancient and medieval game, a predecessor of modern football (soccer), in which a round or oval object, usually the inflated bladder of an animal, was kicked, punched, carried, or driven toward a goal. Its origins are not known, but, according to one British tradition, the first ball used was the head of an enemy Dane. The games were played by large numbers of people with few rules

Temperature Stress

2005-03-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Physiological stress induced by excessive heat or cold that can impair functioning and cause injury or death. Exposure to intense heat increases body temperature and pulse rate. If body temperature is sufficiently high, sweating may cease, the skin may become dry, and deeper and faster breathing may follow. Headaches, nausea, disorientation, fainting, and unconsciousness

Carnivore, Distribution and abundance

2005-03-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

Carnivores are found worldwide. Terrestrial forms are absent from most oceanic islands, though the coastlines are usually visited by seals (pinnipeds). Except for the dingo (which probably was introduced by aboriginal man), Australia has no native terrestrial members of the Carnivora. Man has taken his pets, as well as a number of wild species, to most islands. For example,

Denner, Johann Christoph

2005-03-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Denner's father, Heinrich, made horns and animal calls; from him Christoph learned instrument building, at the same time becoming an excellent performer. His energy was mainly devoted to improving already existing woodwind instruments, and his well-tuned

Rio Grande

2005-03-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Grande del Norte, or (in Mexico) Río Bravo, or Río Bravo del Norte, fifth longest river of North America, and the 20th longest in the world, forming the border between the U.S. state of Texas and Mexico. Rising as a clear, snow-fed mountain stream more than 12,000 feet (3,700 metres) above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, the Rio Grande descends across steppes and deserts, watering rich agricultural regions as it flows on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The

Tachikawa, Keiji

2005-03-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

After having endured months of disappointing sales, Japanese wireless provider NTT DoCoMo staged a spirited comeback in 2003 under the leadership of company president Keiji Tachikawa. NTT DoCoMo was operated by Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, Japan's main telecommunications carrier. The company had seen sales of its wireless phones plummet since 2001 as the mobile market

Yhwh

2005-03-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

In Hebrew, the name of God as revealed to Moses. Because of its four letters, it is also known as the Tetragrammaton. See Yahweh.

Saho

2005-03-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Sao, Shaho, Shoho, or Shiho, also called Afar-saho, language spoken by several peoples, most of whom inhabit the coastal plains of southern Eritrea. Saho is generally classified as an Eastern Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic (formerly Hamito-Semitic) language family. The Saho-speaking peoples are bordered to the north by the Tigre, to the west by the Tigray, and to the south and east by the Afar, with whose language

Elgin

2005-03-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

On a hill to the west stood the 12th-century castle that in 1291 marked the northern limit of the English occupation of Scotland. The castle was destroyed after the Battle of Bannockburn (1314), which

Cariboo Road

2005-03-12T03:05:00.000-08:00

Wagon trail that was constructed (1862–65) in the Fraser River valley, in southern British Columbia, Canada, to serve the Cariboo gold rush. The trail extended more than 400 miles (644 km) from Yale, at the head of steamboat navigation on the Fraser River, through Ashcroft, to Barkerville in the Cariboo Mountains. The project was regarded as an engineering triumph because of the precipitous

Absalom

2005-03-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

The picture of Absalom that is presented in 2 Samuel 13–19 suggests that he was the Alcibiades of the Old Testament, alike in his personal attractiveness, his lawless insolence, and his tragic fate. He is first mentioned as murdering his half brother Amnon, David's eldest son, in revenge for the rape of his

Domeykite

2005-03-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

A copper arsenide mineral (formulated Cu3As) that is often intergrown with algodonite, another copper arsenide. Both are classified among the sulfide minerals, although they contain no sulfur. They occur in Chile, in Keweenaw County, Mich., and in other localities. Domeykite crystallizes in the isometric system. For detailed physical properties, see sulfide

Jacob, Max

2005-03-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Jacob departed his native Brittany in 1894 to go to Paris, where he lived in extreme poverty but eventually became an important

Rovaniemi

2005-03-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

Town, capital of Lapin lääni (Lappi province), northern Finland, at the junction of the Kemijoki and Ounasjoki (rivers), northeast of Tornio, on the Arctic Circle. Incorporated in 1929, it became the administrative centre of Lappi in 1939, when the government of Lapland was reorganized. Road building between 1920 and 1940 spurred its development, but near the end of World War II the retreating

Sun Tzu

2005-03-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

The book is traditionally attributed to Sun Tzu (personal name Sun Wu), a military strategist and general who served the state of Wu near the end of the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC). It is more likely, however, that it was written early in the Warring

Arnim, Hans Georg Von

2005-03-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

Soldier and statesman prominent in German affairs during the Thirty Years' War. He served (1613–17) with the Swedes under Gustaf II Adolf, with the Poles (1621), with Wallenstein's imperial army (1626) as a field marshal, and with the Saxons (1631–35, 1638–41). A strict Lutheran, Arnim resigned his imperial commission in protest against the Edict

Arabia

2005-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Arabia may be described as a vast plateau, edged with deeply dissected escarpments on three sides and sloping gently northeastward from the Red Sea to the eastern lowlands adjoining the Persian Gulf. The peninsula's highest peak, An-Nabi Shu'ayb, at 12,008 feet (3,660 metres), is located approximately 20 miles northwest of San'a' in Yemen.

Scylla And Charybdis

2005-03-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, two immortal and irresistible monsters who beset the narrow waters traversed by the hero Odysseus in his wanderings (later localized in the Strait of Messina). Scylla was a supernatural creature, with 12 feet and 6 heads on long, snaky necks, each head having a triple row of sharklike teeth, while her loins were girt with the heads of baying dogs. From her

Hydroponics

2005-03-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

Plants have long been grown with their roots immersed in solutions of water and fertilizer for scientific studies of their nutrition. Early commercial hydroponics (from Greek hydro, “water,” and ponos, “labour”) adopted this method of

Argentina

2005-03-06T02:47:00.000-08:00

The population of the area now called Argentina may have totaled 300,000 before

Régnier, Henri (-françois-joseph) De

2005-03-06T02:04:00.000-08:00

Born of an old Norman family, Régnier began to prepare for a career as a diplomat, but while studying law in Paris he came under the influence of the Symbolist poets and published his first volume of poems, Lendemains (“Tomorrows”), in 1885. Other volumes followed: Les Jeux rustiques et

Van De Graaff, Robert Jemison

2005-03-05T23:43:00.000-08:00

After working for a time as an engineer with the Alabama Power Company,

Interior Design, Floors

2005-03-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Basically, there are two kinds of floors for interiors: those that are an integral part of the structure and those that are applied after the structure is completed. Interior designers working together with architects have the opportunity to specify flooring such as slate, terrazzo, stone, brick, concrete, or wood, but in most interiors the flooring is designed at

Cronaca, Il

2005-03-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

He was not related to Antonio and Piero Pollaiuolo. According to Vasari, it was his accurate accounts of the marvels of Rome, where he studied, that earned him the nickname of “Il Cronaca” (“The Chronicler”). In 1480 he returned to Florence, where he designed the courtyard

Východoceský

2005-03-04T15:32:00.000-08:00

Kraj (region), north-central Czech Republic. It is bordered by Stredoceský and Severoceský kraje to the west, Poland to the north, Severomoravský kraj to the east, and Jihomoravský and Jihoceský kraje to the south. The Krkonoše (“Giant”) Mountains range across the north; in them rises the Labe (Elbe) River, which flows first south, then west, and which, with its tributaries, forms the

île-de-france

2005-03-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

Région encompassing the north-central French départements of Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Essonne, and Yvelines and roughly coextensive with the historical region of the Île-de-France. The capital is Paris. The région is bounded by the départements of Eure to the northwest, Oise and Aisne to the north, Marne, Aube, and Yonne

Riau

2005-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

Provinsi (“province”), east-central Sumatra, Indonesia. It is bounded by the provinces of Jambi on the south, Sumatera Barat (West Sumatra) on the west, Sumatera Utara (North Sumatra) on the north and northwest, the Malacca Strait on the east, and the Berhala Strait on the southeast. Riau provinsi includes the Riau Islands, an archipelago lying at the southern entrance to the

Atacamite

2005-03-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Green, brilliant halide mineral, basic copper chloride [Cu2(OH)3Cl]. It is a secondary mineral, formed by the oxidation of other copper minerals, particularly under arid conditions; it is widespread as brittle, transparent to translucent crystals in Atacama Province, Chile; in Boleo, Mex.; and in South Australia. For detailed physical properties, see halide mineral

Jacobs, Helen Hull

2005-03-02T01:08:00.000-08:00

Jacobs was the national junior tennis champion in 1924–25 and attended the University of California, Berkeley, from 1926 to 1929. She was defeated by Helen Wills in the 1928 finals at Forest Hills, New York, and in the Wimbledon

Aquaculture: Fulfilling Its Promise

2005-03-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

For 25 centuries fish farming (aquaculture) has been a mainstay of Asian agriculture. Throughout China, India, and Thailand, it prospered on traditional small-scale farms. In recent years, however, fish farming has begun to suffer from problems associated with rapid growth and careless stewardship. As the 20th century draws to a close, aquaculture must redefine itself

Narcotic

2005-03-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

The main therapeutic use of narcotics is for pain relief, and hence they are often called narcotic analgesics. The best-known narcotics are the opiates—i.e., compounds

Kulakova, Galina

2005-02-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

A member of four Soviet Olympic ski teams from 1964 to 1976, Kulakova was a national champion from 1969 to 1971 and a world champion in 1969 and 1970. In 1968 at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, Kulakova won

Neo-impressionism

2005-02-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Movement in French painting of the late 19th century that reacted against the empirical realism of Impressionism by relying on systematic calculation and scientific theory to achieve predetermined visual effects. Whereas the Impressionist painters spontaneously recorded nature in terms of the fugitive effects of colour and light, the Neo-Impressionists

Ahmed Yesevi

2005-02-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

Very little is known about his life, but legends indicate that his father died when the boy was young and his family moved to Yasi, where

General Store

2005-02-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

Retail store in a small town or rural community that carries a wide variety of goods, including groceries. In the United States the general store was the successor of the early trading post, which served the pioneers and early settlers. Located at a crossroads or in a village, it served the surrounding community and farmers from the neighbouring countryside and carried

Socrates, Xenophon

2005-02-27T03:52:00.000-08:00

Among the compositions of Xenophon, the one that gives the fullest portrait of Socrates is Memorabilia. The first two chapters of Book I of this work are especially important, because they explicitly undertake a refutation of the charges made against Socrates at his trial; they are therefore a valuable supplement to Xenophon's Apology, which is devoted entirely

Profile Records

2005-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hip-hop was scorned by the established music industry as a novelty idiom until 1986, when Run-D.M.C. enrolled Aerosmith's vocalist, Steven Tyler, and guitarist, Joe Perry, to take part in a revival of the hard rockers' hit “Walk This Way” from 10 years earlier. Released on the Profile label, the resultant record was accepted by many radio formats and became the first rap hit to make the

Baraboo

2005-02-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1840) of Sauk county, south-central Wisconsin, U.S. It lies on small hills 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Madison. Baraboo originated in the early 19th century as a trading post established by the French trapper Jean Baribault, who lived along the river that was named (somewhat phonetically) for him. Incorporated in 1882, the community developed as a distribution centre for dairy

Malabar Coast

2005-02-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

Name long applied to the southern part of India's western coast, approximately from Goa southward, which is bordered on the east by the Western Ghats range. The name has sometimes encompassed the entire western coast of peninsular India. It now includes most of Kerala state and the coastal region of Karnataka state. The coast consists of a continuous belt of sand dunes.

Biblical Literature, Types of manuscript errors

2005-02-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Since scribes either copied manuscripts or wrote from dictation, manuscript variants could be of several types: copying, hearing, accidental, or intentional. Errors in copying were common, particularly with uncial letters that looked alike. In early manuscripts OC (for hos, “[he] who”), for example, might easily be mistaken for the traditional abbreviation of God: QC (for

Marquette University

2005-02-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Milwaukee, Wis., U.S. It is affiliated with the Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic church. It offers degree programs at the bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional levels. Marquette comprises 12 schools, colleges, and programs, including a school of law and a physical therapy program. The School of Dentistry

Kolbe, Hermann

2005-02-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

After studying chemistry with Friedrich Wöhler, Kolbe became an assistant to Robert Bunsen at the University of Marburg in 1842. Subsequently he assisted Lyon Playfair at the

Philepittidae

2005-02-23T05:58:00.000-08:00

Members range in size from 9 to 16.5 centimetres (3.5 to 6.5 inches) long. The two species of asities (Philepitta) are plump, stout-legged pitta-like birds that browse foliage for berries and other fruit. The false sunbirds (Neodrepanis

Abuná River

2005-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Abuná, Portuguese Rio Abunã, headwater of the Amazon, rising in several streams, east of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes. The navigable river flows for about 200 miles (320 km) northeast through rain forests, forming Bolivia's northern border with Brazil. It joins the Río Madeira, a tributary of the Amazon, at Manoa, Bolivia. Rubber, Brazil nuts, quinine, and other forest products are the principal items

Fama

2005-02-22T04:53:00.000-08:00

Greek Pheme, in Greco-Roman mythology, the personification of popular rumour. Pheme was more a poetic personification than a deified abstraction, although there was an altar in her honour at Athens. The Greek poet Hesiod portrayed her as an evildoer, easily stirred up but impossible to quell. The Athenian orator Aeschines distinguished Popular Rumour (Pheme) from Slander (Sykophantia)

Sea Swallow

2005-02-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Any of certain coastal tern species. See tern.

Arias Sánchez, Oscar

2005-02-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Born into one of the wealthiest coffee-growing families in Costa Rica, Arias studied economics at the University of Costa Rica and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Essex in England. In the 1960s he began working for the moderate socialist

Tigray

2005-02-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Tigray contains the core of the ancient Aksumite kingdom and the

Skiing

2005-02-20T03:32:00.000-08:00

The 15th Nordic World Cup overall title for men's cross-country racing was clinched by Vladimir Smirnov of Kazakhstan, the previous season's runner-up. Defending champion Bjørn Dæhlie of Norway was second, and Jari Isometsae of Finland placed third. The women's crown was won by Manuela Di Centa of Italy, followed by two Russians, Lyubov Yegorova (see BIOGRAPHIES) and Yelena

Aulnoy, Marie-catherine Le Jumel De Barneville, Countess (comtesse) D'

2005-02-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

Shortly after her marriage as a young girl in 1666, Marie d'Aulnoy conspired with her mother and their two lovers to accuse falsely Marie's husband, a middle-aged financier, of high treason. When the plot miscarried,

Cumberland, William Augustus, Duke Of

2005-02-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

During the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48), he became commander of the allied forces (1745) and was severely defeated by France's Marshal Maurice

Thompson River

2005-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Major tributary of the Fraser River, in southern British Columbia, Canada. The North Thompson (210 miles [340 km]) rises in the Cariboo Mountains east of Wells Gray Provincial Park and follows an easterly then southwesterly course to Kamloops; the South Thompson (206 miles) emerges from Shuswap Lake and flows northwesterly to Kamloops (see photograph), where the two streams unite

Powell, William

2005-02-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1912, Powell debuted

Industrial Diamond

2005-02-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

Any diamond that is designated for industrial use, principally as a cutting tool or abrasive. In general, industrial diamonds are too badly flawed, irregularly shaped, poorly coloured, or small to be of value as gems, but they are of vital importance in the modern metalworking and mining industries. Their utility stems from the fact that diamond is the hardest natural

Anticholinesterase

2005-02-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

Any of several drugs that prevent destruction of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase within the nervous system. Acetylcholine acts to transmit nerve impulses within the parasympathetic nervous system—i.e., that part of the autonomic nervous system that tends to induce secretion, to contract smooth muscles, and to dilate

Floral Decoration

2005-02-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

Many different kinds of plant materials are used in floral decorations, among them flowers, foliage, grasses, grains, branches, berries, seeds, nuts, cones, fruits, and vegetables. The materials may be living, dried, or artificial. Initially, man was restricted to using native wildings, or uncultivated plants, but as civilization developed over a period of thousands of

Gabon, History Of

2005-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

Attempts by the republic's first president, Léon M'ba, to institute

Lancaster, Burt

2005-02-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

One of five children born to a New York City postal worker, Lancaster exhibited considerable athletic prowess as a youth. At age 19 he joined the circus and performed in an acrobatic act with partner Nick Cravat,

Francis I

2005-02-15T01:07:00.000-08:00

The son of Ferdinand I and Maria Carolina, Francis at first inclined toward liberalism. After the introduction of the constitution of 1812, which provided for a bicameral government along British lines, he was appointed vicario, or regent, of Naples. Francis sympathized with the Carbonari uprising of 1820; he opposed the decision

Anderson, Viv

2005-02-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Anderson began his professional football

Bull Moose Party

2005-02-13T02:39:00.000-08:00

Formally Progressive Party U.S. dissident political faction that nominated former president Theodore Roosevelt for the presidency in 1912; the formal name and general objectives of the party were revived 12 years later. Opposing the entrenched conservatism of the regular Republican Party, which was controlled by Pres. William Howard Taft, a National Republican Progressive League was organized in 1911 by Sen. Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin. The group became the Progressive Party the following year and ran Theodore Roosevelt for president; it called for revision of the political nominating machinery and an aggressive program of social legislation. The party's popular nickname of Bull Moose was derived from the characteristics of strength and vigour often used by Roosevelt to describe himself. The Bull Moose ticket polled some 25 percent of the popular vote. Thus split, the Republicans lost the election to the Democrats under Woodrow Wilson. The Bull Moose Party evaporated and the Republicans were reunited four years later.

Lovelace, Augusta Ada King, Countess Of

2005-02-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

She was the daughter of the 6th Lord Byron (the famous poet) and Annabella Milbanke Byron, who legally separated

Taldy-kurgan

2005-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Kazak Taldyqorghan city, southeastern Kazakstan. It is situated on the left bank of the Karatal River and in the western foothills of the Dzungarian Alatau Range. It grew up on the site of Gavrilovka village, founded in the second half of the 19th century, and it developed particularly after the construction of a branch line from the Turk-Sib Railway in 1949. Food products, construction materials,

Tapestry, 15th century

2005-02-12T03:31:00.000-08:00

The greatest tapestries of the 15th century were produced in the Flemish cities of Arras, Tournai, and Brussels. In the first half of the century it was Arras that particularly prospered under the patronage of the dukes of Burgundy. Duke Philip the Good (1396–1467) had a specially designed building erected in the city to allow for better conservation of his tapestry collection.

M.v.o.

2005-02-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Member, either fourth or fifth class, of the Royal Victorian Order. This rank of the order does not confer knighthood. See Royal Victorian Order.

R.e.m.

2005-02-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

R.E.M., named for a dream-state condition (rapid eye movement), formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia, a university town about 65 miles

Truman, Bess

2005-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Retiring to their home in Independence, the Trumans had less to do with politics than with their grandchildren and friends. After her death Bess was buried beside her husband at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence. For his unpretentious wife, he had already specified her epitaph: First Lady of the U.S., 1945–1953.

Tibet, Drainage and soils

2005-02-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

The Plateau of Tibet is a prime source of water for Central Asia. The Indus River, known in Tibet as the Shih-ch'üan Ho (in Tibetan, Sênggê Zangbo: “Out of the Lion's Mouth”), has its source in western Tibet near Mount Kailas, a mountain sacred to Buddhists and Hindus; it then flows westward across Kashmir to Pakistan. Three other rivers also begin in the west. The Hsiang-ch'üan River

Nephelinesyenite

2005-02-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Medium- to coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, a member of the alkali-syenite group (see syenite) that consists largely of feldspar and nepheline. It is always considerably poorer in silica and richer in alkalies than granite. The extraordinarily varied mineralogy of the nephelinesyenites and their remarkable variation in habit, fabric, appearance, and composition

Heinesen, William

2005-02-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

In 1921, while studying in Copenhagen, Heinesen published a volume of lyric poetry, Arktiske Elegier (“Arctic Elegies”). He wrote three more

Strafford, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl Of, Baron Of Raby

2005-02-08T01:37:00.000-08:00

Leading adviser of England's King Charles I. His attempt to consolidate the sovereign power of the king led to his impeachment and execution by Parliament.