HollowOffice

Piepoudre Court

2005-04-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

The court decided summarily and on the spot disputes arising

Dagestan Rug

2005-04-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dagestan rugs are relatively finely woven, with short pile in wool, the warp being of wool and the weft frequently of cotton. Their designs are highly geometric and fragmented, producing the effect of brightly coloured mosaics. There is a wide diversity of patterns,

Lodge, David

2005-03-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

Lodge was educated at University College, London (B.A., 1955; M.A., 1959), and at the University of Birmingham (Ph.D., 1967). His early novels, known mostly in England, include The Picturegoers (1960), about a group of Roman Catholics living in London; Ginger, You're Barmy (1962), Lodge's novelistic

Acculturation

2005-03-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

Two major types of acculturation may be distinguished based on two classes of conditions under which changes take place. A free “borrowing” and modification of cultural

Wick

2005-03-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

Thread, strip, or bundle of fibres that, by capillary action, draws up the oil of a lamp or the melted wax in a candle to be burned. By 1000 BC, wicks of vegetable fibres were used in saucer-type vessels containing olive oil or nut oil in order to provide light, and by 500–400 BC these wicks were in general domestic use. See lamp.

Melrhir, Chott

2005-03-23T23:44:00.000-08:00

Lake in northeastern Algeria. Lying almost entirely below sea level, the Chott Melrhir is a marshy, saline lake that fluctuates in area with the seasons; usually, it is more than 80 miles (130 km) wide east–west. The Melrhir occupies the westernmost of a series of depressions extending into the Sahara from the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. The lowest point in Algeria, 131 feet (40 m) below sea

Ear Disease, Perichondritis

2005-03-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

Infection of the cartilage of the outer ear, called perichondritis, is unusual but may occur from injury or from swimming in polluted water. It is due to a particular microorganism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There is a greenish or brownish, musty or foul-smelling discharge from the outer-ear canal, while the affected outer ear becomes tender, dusky red, and two to three

Field Archery

2005-03-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Also called roving form of archery in which targets of different sizes or shapes are placed at varying distances in uneven, often wooded, terrain in an attempt to simulate hunting conditions. As an organized sport it dates from the formation in 1939 of the National Field Archery Association of the United States. In 1969 a field event was included for the first time in the world archery championships

Uji

2005-03-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Uji is best known as the place where tea was first cultivated in Japan in the Muromachi era (1338–1573). High-quality

Westmorland, Ralph Neville, 1st Earl Of, 4th Baron Neville Of Raby

2005-03-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

The eldest son of John, 3rd Baron Neville, he was knighted during a French expedition in 1380, succeeded to his father's barony in 1388, and was created Earl of Westmorland on Sept. 29, 1397. Further royal

Juan José De Austria

2005-03-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

Juan José was the son of King Philip IV of Spain and María Calderón, a celebrated actress. He received a princely education and a large

China, Fiscal and legal system

2005-03-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

Kao-tsu had inherited a bankrupt state, and most of his measures were aimed at simple and cheap administration. His bureaucracy was very small, at both the central and local levels. The expenses of government were largely met out of endowments of land attached to each office, the rents from which paid office expenses and salaries; by interest on funds of money allocated

Husband, Rick D.

2005-03-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

American astronaut (b. July 12, 1957, Amarillo, Texas—d. Feb. 1, 2003, over Texas), was commander of the space shuttle Columbia's mission. Husband was educated at Texas Tech University and at California State University at Fresno, where he earned a master's degree in 1990. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1980. In 1999 he flew on the Discovery on the first space shuttle mission to dock with the International Space

Peter, Gospel Of

2005-03-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

Pseudepigraphal (noncanonical and unauthentic) Christian writing of the mid-2nd century AD, the extant portion of which covers the condemnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus. Because the work reflects the view that Christ's body had only the appearance of reality, Serapion, bishop of Antioch c. AD 190, believed it was written by a member of the heretical Docetist sect.

Fruit Fly

2005-03-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

The fruit fly has wings that are banded

Cynewulf

2005-03-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

King of the West Saxons, or Wessex (757–786), in England who succeeded to the throne following the deposition of Sigebert. Cynewulf was constantly at war with the Welsh. In 779 Offa of Mercia defeated him and took Bensington. In 785 he was surprised and killed, with all his thanes present, at Marten, in modern Wiltshire (Merantune), by Cyneheard, the brother of the deposed Sigebert.

Columbus

2005-03-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

City, Bartholomew county, south-central Indiana, U.S., on the East Fork of White River, 45 miles (72 km) south of Indianapolis. Founded in 1821 as the county seat, it was named Tiptonia for General John Tipton, who had donated land, but a month later it was renamed Columbus. A diversified industrial community surrounded by productive prairie land, it is known for its modern architecture,

Façon De Venise

2005-03-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

(French: “Venetian fashion”), style of glass made in the 16th and 17th centuries at places other than Venice itself but using the techniques that had been perfected there. It may be outwardly so similar as to be difficult to distinguish from Venetian glass (q.v.) proper. The prestige of Venetian glass was so great in the rest of Europe that French, German, Bohemian,

Augustine, Saint, Controversial writings

2005-03-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Of his works against the Manichaeans, the Confessions probably remains the most attractive and interesting; the sect itself is too little known today for detailed

Silky Terrier

2005-03-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

Australian breed of toy dog, first shown in 1907. It originated in Sydney and was once known as the Sydney Silky. A rather low-set dog, the silky terrier stands 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25.5 centimetres) and weighs 8 to 10 pounds (3.5 to 4.5 kilograms). Its silky, fine coat is glossy blue-gray and tan, with a silver-gray or tan topknot. Developed as a companion dog, the silky is generally friendly and responsive,

Dan Takuma

2005-03-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

Manager of the giant Mitsui zaibatsu, the greatest of the family-owned combines in pre-World War II Japan. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an important member of Japan's business elite, Dan was assassinated by right-wing nationalists who regarded him as a symbol of the evil power of high

Baia Mare

2005-03-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hungarian Nagybánya, city, capital of Maramures judet (county), northwestern Romania. It is situated in the Sasar River valley, surrounded by mountains. This location affords the city protection from the cold northeastern winds and sustains a quasi-Mediterranean vegetation. Founded in the 12th century by Saxon immigrants, it was first known as Neustadt. The first document mentioning the name

Dublin

2005-03-05T02:04:00.000-08:00

Irish Dubh Linn, or Norse Dyfflin (“Black Pool”) , also called Baile Átha Cliath (“Town of the Ford of the Hurdle”), city, formally a county borough, and capital of County Dublin and of Ireland. Located in the east-central part of the country at the head of Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea, the city is the country's chief port, centre of financial and commercial power, and seat of culture. It is also a city of contrasts, maintaining an uneasy relationship between reminders of its colonial past

Yamoussoukro Basilica

2005-03-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

In full Our Lady Of Peace Of Yamoussoukro Basilica, Roman Catholic basilica in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, that is the largest Christian church in the world. The basilica's rapid construction in 1986–89 was paid for by Côte d'Ivoire's president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, and the building is situated in his birthplace, the city of Yamoussoukro. The basilica's form is roughly based on that of Saint Peter's in Rome, with a dome surmounting

Alexander I, Saint

2005-03-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

Fifth pope after St. Peter and successor to St. Evaristus. His 10-year rule (105–115 or 109–119) is attested by Pope St. Eusebius (309/310). Some Catholic writers ascribe to him the introduction of holy water and the custom of mixing sacramental wine with water, and he may have made additions to the liturgy. It is believed he suffered martyrdom, possibly by decapitation, under the

Yerby, Frank

2005-03-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

Yerby's story “Health Card” won the O. Henry Memorial Award for best first published short story in 1944. In 1946 his first novel, The Foxes of Harrow, was an immediate success. His novels are action-packed, usually featuring a strong hero in an earlier period. The stories unfold in colourful language

Ford, Henry, Ii

2005-03-02T02:07:00.000-08:00

In 1940 Ford left Yale University without graduating to join the firm founded by his grandfather, Henry Ford, and at the time run by his father, Edsel Ford. A year later he joined the U.S. Navy; but in 1943, following the unexpected death

Robert Iii

2005-02-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

The eldest son of Robert the Steward (the future Robert II) and Elizabeth Mure, he was legitimated by their marriage several years after

Usk

2005-02-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

Welsh Brynbuga town, present and historic county of Monmouthshire, Wales, lying along the River Usk 20 miles (32 km) from its Bristol Channel mouth. The town was settled first by Celts and then by Romans, who called it Burrium. A Norman castle was built in the 12th century but was partially destroyed about 1402 during the rebellion of the Welsh prince Owen Glendower. Usk is now a small market town and

Chandelier

2005-02-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

Brass chandeliers were made in the

Mitre, Bartolomé

2005-02-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

Growing up in Buenos Aires under the dictatorship of Juan Manuel de Rosas, Mitre began a 15-year exile in 1837. Travelling to Uruguay, Bolivia,

Buzzards Bay

2005-02-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

Inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, indenting southeastern Massachusetts, U.S. The bay is 30 miles (48 km) long and 5–10 miles (8–16 km) wide. It extends to the base of the Cape Cod peninsula (northeast) and is bounded on the southeast by the Elizabeth Islands. It is connected to Cape Cod Bay by the Cape Cod Canal (northeast). The name Buzzards Bay may have originated from the misidentification of ospreys

Kahn, Albert

2005-02-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

Kahn's father, a rabbi, brought his family to the United States in 1881. Kahn had little schooling but was taken on

Florida, Flag Of

2005-02-20T02:32:00.000-08:00

The first flag of Florida was hoisted on June 25, 1845, at the inauguration of its first governor, William D. Moseley. It had five horizontal stripes (blue, orange, red, white, and green) and a ribbon with the inscription “Let us alone.” The U.S. flag served as a canton. The states' rights and antifederalist symbolism in the design is clear, but the associations of the colours are unknown;

Ribeiro Couto, Rui

2005-02-19T04:13:00.000-08:00

Brazilian poet, short-story writer, and diplomat, one of the leading figures of Modernism in its early years. Originally a symbolist poet, Ribeiro Couto evolved toward the Modernism that exploded upon the Brazilian literary scene in the early 1920s, publishing poems and short stories concerning themes of humble everyday life. Besides his

China, Railways

2005-02-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

Railway construction began in China in 1876. Because railways can conveniently carry a greater volume of goods over long distances than can road transport, they are of especial importance in China's transportation system. All trunk railways in China are under the administration of the Ministry of Railways. The central government operates a major rail network in the

Obihiro

2005-02-18T01:42:00.000-08:00

City, southern Hokkaido, Japan, on the Tokachi River. Founded in 1883, it became the administrative capital of Tokachi subprefecture in 1897. The arrival of two railway lines in the early 1900s made Obihiro a trade centre of agricultural products grown in the surrounding Tokachi Plain. Obihiro's industries are based on food processing; the city contains one of the largest beet-sugar

Cluster, Structure

2005-02-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

The abundance distributions for several kinds of clusters show that there are certain sizes of clusters with exceptional stability, analogous to the exceptional stability of the atoms of the inert gases helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon and of the so-called magic number nuclei—i.e., the sequence of unusually stable atomic nuclei beginning with the a-particle,

Japan

2005-02-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Japanese Nihon or Nippon country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western Pacific Ocean. Japan has a total land area of 145,903 square miles (377,887 square km). Nearly this entire area is taken up by the country's four main islands; from north to south these are Hokkaido (Hokkaido), Honshu

Candytuft

2005-02-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Any of 30 species of Eurasian plants of the genus Iberis, of the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Most species are native to the Mediterranean region. Globe candytuft (I. umbellata), widely grown garden annual native to southern Europe, bears flat clusters of pink, violet, white, purple, or red flowers in late summer. The plants are 40 centimetres (16 inches) tall and have long, narrow

China, Buddhism

2005-02-14T02:21:00.000-08:00

The spokesmen of Chinese Buddhism under the early Mongol rulers came from the Ch'an sect (meditation Buddhism). Their high intellectuality and refined aestheticism, however, did not appeal to the Mongols, who felt more attracted by the mixture of magic practices, rather nebulous metaphysics, and impressive symbolism in the visual arts of Tibetan Buddhism. Kublai

Candytuft

2005-02-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Any of about a dozen species of tropical American rodents resembling the small forest-dwelling hoofed animals of tropical Africa and Asia (see chevrotain; duiker; royal antelope). Agoutis weigh up to 6 kg (13 pounds), with an elongated body measuring up to 76 cm (2.5 feet) long. They have a large head and rump but slender legs, comparatively small ears, and a tiny, inconspicuous,

Hawk's-eye

2005-02-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Variety of the semiprecious quartz tiger's-eye (q.v.).

Aiken, Joan

2005-02-09T23:18:00.000-08:00

In full Joan Delano Aiken prolific British author of fantasy, adventure, horror, and suspense tales for both juvenile and adult readers. Perhaps best-known as the inventor of a genre called the “unhistorical romance,” Aiken wrote tales that combine humour and action with traditional mythic and fairy tale elements. Many of these works

Williams, Marion

2005-02-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

U.S. gospel singer (b. Aug. 29, 1927, Miami, Fla.--d. July 2, 1994, Philadelphia, Pa.), drew on blues, jazz, folk, and calypso music as inspirations for her innovative vocals, which included octave-spanning leaps from contralto to spine-tingling falsetto tones; her exceptional artistry was often compared to that of Mahalia Jackson. As a child Williams began singing with the congregation at her

Ferrari, Lodovico

2005-02-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

From a poor family, Ferrari was taken into the service of the noted Italian mathematician Gerolamo Cardano as

Earth Sciences

2005-02-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

Baker, Sir Benjamin

2005-02-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

In 1861 Baker became an assistant to the consulting engineer John Fowler and by 1875 was his partner. Baker became Fowler's chief assistant in 1869 and as such was responsible for the construction of the subterranean District

Sun Dance

2005-02-05T01:14:00.000-08:00

The ceremony

Sun Dance

2005-02-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Nationwide association of labour unions in Canada, comprising both wholly Canadian “national” unions and “international” unions that are Canadian branches of unions based in the United States. The CLC was formed in 1956 through the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada and the Canadian Congress of Labour. At the onset of the 21st century, a majority of the four

Dubus, Andre

2005-02-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

After graduating from McNeese State College (now University), Lake Charles (B.A., 1958), Dubus served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps and then took an M.F.A. degree from the

God (anderson Ind.), Church Of

2005-02-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

Christian fellowship that considers itself a “reformation movement” among Christians and not a church or sect; it accepts its title for identification purposes only. Its members believe that they have organized themselves to carry on the work of the church, but they do not believe they have organized the church, which is made up of all Christians and cannot be limited

Paleography

2005-02-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

Precise boundaries for paleography are hard to define. For example, epigraphy, the study of inscriptions cut on immovable objects for permanent public inspection, is related to paleography. Casual graffiti, sale or election notices as found on the walls

Orb

2005-01-31T23:27:00.000-08:00

Christians adapted the symbol by setting a cross above

Paeligni

2005-01-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

Ancient people of central Italy, whose territory lay inland on the eastward slopes of the Apennines. Though akin to the Samnites, they formed a separate league with their neighbours the Marsi, Marrucini, and Vestini. This league appears to have broken up after the Second Samnite War (304 BC), when each tribe came into an alliance with the Romans that lasted until the Social

Graf, Urs

2005-01-29T20:30:00.000-08:00

The son of a goldsmith, Hugo Graf, he probably studied first under his father and later at Basel, following the style of Albrecht Dürer and of Dürer's assistant, the German painter and draftsman Hans Baldung-Grien. Settling in Basel in 1509, Graf executed his masterpiece

Madhubuti, Haki R.

2005-01-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

Lee attended several colleges in Chicago and graduate school at the University of Iowa (M.F.A., 1984); he also served in the U.S. Army (1960–63). He taught at various colleges and universities, in 1984 becoming a faculty member at Chicago State University. His poetry, which began to appear in the 1960s, was written in black dialect

Argentina, Sports

2005-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Argentina's worldwide preeminence on the polo field reflects the nation's divided social base, the hardiness of its horses, and the skills of its riders. Steeped in the gaucho tradition and with the open fields of the Pampas on which to practice, a ranch hand with the necessary talent can attain high renown and modest wealth at either polo or horse racing. Both the wealthy

Media And Publishing, Amateur Radio.

2005-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

Despite the rise of the Internet, more than two million people throughout the world in 1997 continued to communicate over the air as amateur radio operators. Most of these hams--nearly 700,000, by the FCC's count--were in the U.S. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) reported that it started off the year with 175,000 members, the most in its 83-year history. Hams used their radios mostly for personal

Ambush Bug

2005-01-25T02:23:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect family Phymatidae (order Heteroptera), which contains about 200 species, generally in the tropical Americas and Asia. As its common name indicates, the ambush bug hides on a flower or plant; when prey approaches closely enough, the ambush bug grasps it with its front legs. The upper section (tibia) of each foreleg has teethlike structures that mesh

Bahubali

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

After winning a duel with his half-brother for control of the kingdom, Bahubali is believed by the Jains to have realized the transience of temporal affairs and renounced the world. According

Ternary Form

2005-01-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Musical form consisting of three sections, the last of which is a repeat of the first. The symmetrical construction of this scheme (aba) provides one of the basic shapes in music and may be found as a guiding principle in music from the Middle Ages (in Gregorian chant, for instance, the arrangement antiphon-verse-antiphon is common) to the 20th century (a well-known example

Cabot, John

2005-01-22T04:11:00.000-08:00

Cabot moved to Venice in 1461, or possibly earlier, and became a citizen of that city in 1476. While employed by a Venetian mercantile

Alfred

2005-01-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

When he was born, it must have seemed unlikely that Alfred would become king, since he had four older brothers; he said that he never desired royal power. Perhaps

Devrient, Eduard

2005-01-20T03:17:00.000-08:00

Nephew of the great Romantic actor Ludwig Devrient, Eduard began his career as an opera singer and in March

Abu Madi, Iliya

2005-01-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

When he was 11 years old, Abu Madi moved with his family from their mountain village in Lebanon to Alexandria, Egypt. As a young man he earned money selling cigarettes. He published his first collection of poetry in Alexandria in 1911. The following year he migrated to the United

Paleogeography

2005-01-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Palaeogeography, the geography of selected portions of the Earth's surface at specific times in the geologic past. This geography consists of interpreted reconstructions, produced in map form, which represent visual summaries of a wide variety of complex geologic information. The maps provide a series of relatively instantaneous views of the Earth through geologic time. Paleogeographic

Black Sabbath

2005-01-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

Osbourne, Butler, Iommi, and Ward, schoolmates in Birmingham in the late 1960s, formed the

Antarctica, Antarctica and continental drift

2005-01-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

The geologic evolution of Antarctica has followed a course similar to that of the other southern continents. The earliest chapters in Antarctica's rather fragmentary record extend far back, perhaps as much as 3 billion years, into early Precambrian time. Similarity in patterns of crustal and biological evolution in the southern continents can be traced back some

Argentina, Attempts to restore constitutionalism, 195566

2005-01-14T22:29:00.000-08:00

Lonardi recognized the strength of Peronism and sought a compromise, but he was displaced in November 1955 by General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu. The new administration was a military dictatorship that sought to restore constitutional government. Taking a fiercely anti-Peronist stance, it dissolved Perón's old party and placed the labour unions under state administration.

Black Sabbath

2005-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

At the end of World War II, Christian Democratic parties

Schein, Johann Hermann

2005-01-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Schein's father, a teacher and pastor, died when the boy was seven, and the family moved from rural Grunhain back to Dresden, its former home. At 13, he was a soprano

Nebula

2005-01-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Many characteristics of nebulae are determined by the physical state of their constituent hydrogen, by far the most abundant element. For historical reasons, nebulae in which hydrogen is mainly ionized (H+) are called H II regions; those in which hydrogen is mainly neutral are designated H I regions; and those in which the gas is in molecular form (H2) are referred to as

La Chaussée, Pierre-claude Nivelle De

2005-01-10T22:52:00.000-08:00

French playwright who created the comédie larmoyante (“tearful comedy”), a verse-drama form merging tearful, sentimental scenes with an invariably happy ending. These sentimental comedies, which were precursors of Denis Diderot's drames bourgeois, were psychologically superficial and rhetorically exaggerated and were intended to contribute

Quadrilateral

2005-01-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

Famous combination of four fortresses mutually supporting one another, during the Austrian rule of northern Italy. The four fortified towns were Mantua, Peschiera, Verona, and Legnago, lying between Lombardy and Venetia; the former two were on the Mincio and the latter two on the Adige. The real value of the Quadrilateral, which gave Austria such a firm hold on Lombardy,

Aftasid Dynasty

2005-01-08T04:22:00.000-08:00

Muslim Berber dynasty that ruled one of the party kingdoms (ta'ifahs) at Badajoz in western Spain (1022–94) in the period of disunity after the demise of the Umayyad caliphate of Córdoba. The Lower Frontier (modern central Portugal) had enjoyed a measure of autonomy after the death of the Umayyad caliph al-Hakam II (976), when it was ruled by his freed slave, Sabur (976–1022). In 1022, at Sabur's death, his minister

Karankawa

2005-01-08T01:57:00.000-08:00

Several groups of North American Indians (now extinct) that lived along the Gulf of Mexico from about Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. They were first encountered by the French explorer La Salle in the late 17th century, and their rapid decline began with the arrival of Stephen Austin and other white settlers in the 1820s and 1830s. The Karankawa fought on the side of the Texans

Van Vechten, Carl

2005-01-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

Van Vechten was graduated from the University of Chicago in 1903 and worked as assistant music critic for The New York Times (1906–08), then as that paper's Paris correspondent. His elegant,

Rivière, Jacques

2005-01-06T19:59:00.000-08:00

Writer, critic, and editor who was a major force in the intellectual life of France in the period immediately following World War I. His most important works were his thoughtful and finely written essays on the arts. In 1912 a collection of these essays was published as Études; a second such collection, entitled Nouvelles études (“Further

Puebla

2005-01-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

In full Puebla De Zaragoza, city, capital of Puebla state, central Mexico. Founded as Puebla de los Angeles in 1532, the city lies on a broad plain 7,093 ft (2,162 m) above sea level in the Sierra Madre Oriental foothills. Since viceregal days, Puebla, because of its strategic position on the route between Mexico City, 80 mi (130 km) northwest, and the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz, 140 mi (225 km) east, has been considered a military key

Tabari, At-

2005-01-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

The young at-Tabari demonstrated a precocious intellect and journeyed from his native town to study in the major centres of learning in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Over the course of many years he collected oral and written material from numerous scholars and libraries for his later work. At-Tabari enjoyed sufficient financial independence to enable him to devote the latter

Ear, Human, Function of the ossicular chain

2005-01-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

In order for sound to be transmitted to the inner ear, the vibrations in the air must be changed to vibrations in the cochlear fluids. There is a challenge involved in this task that has to do with difference in impedance—the resistance to the passage of sound—between air and fluid. This difference, or mismatch, of impedances reduces the transmission of sound. The tympanic

Sunflower

2005-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Plant of the genus Helianthus of the family Asteraceae, native primarily to North and South America. The common sunflower is an annual herb with a rough hairy stem 1–4.5 m (3–15 feet) high, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves 7.5–30 cm (3–12 inches) long, and heads of flowers 7.5–15 cm wide in wild specimens and often 0.3 m or more in cultivated types. The disk flowers are brown, yellow,

Baptism

2004-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

A sacrament of admission to the Christian Church. The forms and rituals of the various churches vary, but Baptism almost invariably involves the use of water and the Trinitarian invocation, “I baptize you: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The candidate may be wholly or partly immersed in water, the water may be poured over the head, or a few drops

Cloete, Stuart

2004-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

Cloete farmed in South Africa for several years (1926–35) before turning to writing. His first novel, Turning Wheels (1937), expressed a negative view of Boer life and dealt with interracial love affairs. It stimulated

France, History Of, Economic expansion

2004-12-30T03:07:00.000-08:00

The population, still overwhelmingly agrarian, was growing from about 900 AD, probably most rapidly in the north, where more flexible schemes of crop rotation led to better harvests. Some peasants retained their independence, as in the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, but they were not much envied; still, small free properties nowhere entirely disappeared. Most peasants,

Art For Art's Sake

2004-12-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

A slogan translated from the French l'art pour l'art, which was coined in the early 19th century by the French philosopher Victor Cousin. The phrase expresses the belief held by many writers and artists, especially those associated with Aestheticism, that art needs no justification, that it need serve no political, didactic, or other end.

Tinkisso River

2004-12-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

River, rising in the southern outliers of the Fouta Djallon mountains of Guinea, northeast of Mamou. It flows 250 miles (400 km) north-northeast and east, past Dabola and Bissikrima, across grassy plains and savannas of stunted trees, to enter the Niger River just south of Siguiri. Alluvial gold deposits have long been worked along the Tinkisso River.

Goliad

2004-12-27T02:24:00.000-08:00

Historic city, seat (1837) of Goliad county, southern Texas, U.S., near the San Antonio River, 85 miles (137 km) southeast of San Antonio and 80 miles (129 km) north of Corpus Christi. A Spanish mission, Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo Zuñiga (Spanish: “Our Lady of the Holy Spirit of Zuñiga”), and its protective fort, Presidio La Bahía, were established there in 1749 on the site of an Aranama Indian village.

Basketball, College.

2004-12-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and his Blue Devils were the consensus favourites to win the 2001 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship, but sentimental fans and media alike were pulling for the Arizona Wildcats and their coach, Lute Olson. The death of Olson's wife, Bobbi, on January 1 had brought an outpouring of sympathy from

England, Theatre

2004-12-25T01:36:00.000-08:00

Theatre is probably the performing art for which England is best known. Theatrical performance as such emerged during the Middle Ages in the form of mumming plays, which borrowed elements from wandering entertainers, traditional and ancient folk agricultural rituals, and dances such as the Morris dance (with its set character parts). Under the influence of Christianity,

Coloration, Benzoquinones

2004-12-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Benzoquinones occur in certain fungi and in roots, berries, or galls (abnormal growths) of higher plants, from which they can be recovered as yellow, orange, red, violet, or darker coloured crystals or solids. Small quantities of pale-yellow crystals of coenzyme Q, often called ubiquinones, are almost universally distributed in plants and animals. The ubiquinones impart

Thomas Jefferson University

2004-12-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Private, state-aided, coeducational institution of higher education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. It has one of the largest independent medical schools in the United States. The university comprises Jefferson Medical College, the College of Health Professions, the College of Graduate Studies, and a teaching hospital, the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Vyasa

2004-12-21T19:39:00.000-08:00

According to legend, Vyasa was the son of the ascetic Parasara and the dasa (aboriginal) princess Satyavati and grew up in forests, living with hermits who taught him the Vedas (ancient

Dyslexia

2004-12-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

An inability or pronounced difficulty to learn to read or spell, despite otherwise normal intellectual functions. Dyslexia is a chronic neurological disorder that inhibits a person's ability to recognize and process graphic symbols, particularly those pertaining to language. Primary symptoms include extremely poor reading skills owing to no apparent cause,

Philip

2004-12-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

When the Roman emperor Augustus adjusted Herod's will, Philip was assigned to the region east of the Sea of Galilee, in modern northern Israel, Lebanon, and southern Syria. In AD 6, he may have joined in charging his half brother with misgoverning Judaea,

Mermaid

2004-12-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

Masculine merman a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a human being and the tail of a fish. Similar divine or semidivine beings appear in ancient mythologies (e.g., the Chaldean sea god Ea, or Oannes). In European folklore, mermaids (sometimes called sirens) and mermen were natural beings who, like fairies, had magical and prophetic powers. They loved music and

Holstein, Friedrich Von

2004-12-18T03:41:00.000-08:00

Holstein was raised on his family's estate in Pomerania and their town house in Berlin. Throughout his youth, his family spent a great deal of time traveling abroad, and Holstein became fluent in several foreign languages. A sickly boy, he was educated mostly by private tutors, and, after studying at the University of Berlin, he joined the legal section of the Prussian

Sailer, Anton

2004-12-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

Sailer, a 20-year-old plumber, was the youngest

Papillon

2004-12-16T23:41:00.000-08:00

Breed of toy dog known from the 16th century, when it was called a dwarf spaniel. A fashionable dog, it was favoured by Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette, and it appeared in paintings by some of the Old Masters. The name papillon (French: “butterfly”) was given to the breed in the late 19th century, when a variety with large, flaring ears resembling the wings of a butterfly

HollowOffice

Piepoudre Court

Dagestan Rug

Lodge, David

Acculturation

Wick

Melrhir, Chott

Ear Disease, Perichondritis

Field Archery

Uji

Westmorland, Ralph Neville, 1st Earl Of, 4th Baron Neville Of Raby

Juan José De Austria

China, Fiscal and legal system

Husband, Rick D.

Peter, Gospel Of

Fruit Fly

Cynewulf

Columbus

Façon De Venise

Augustine, Saint, Controversial writings

Silky Terrier

Dan Takuma

Baia Mare

Dublin

Yamoussoukro Basilica

Alexander I, Saint

Yerby, Frank

Ford, Henry, Ii

Robert Iii

Usk

Chandelier

Mitre, Bartolomé

Buzzards Bay

Kahn, Albert

Florida, Flag Of

Ribeiro Couto, Rui

China, Railways

Obihiro

Cluster, Structure

Japan

Candytuft

China, Buddhism

Candytuft

Hawk's-eye

Aiken, Joan

Williams, Marion

Ferrari, Lodovico

Earth Sciences

Baker, Sir Benjamin

Sun Dance

Sun Dance

Dubus, Andre

God (anderson Ind.), Church Of

Paleography

Orb

Paeligni

Graf, Urs

Madhubuti, Haki R.

Argentina, Sports

Media And Publishing, Amateur Radio.

Ambush Bug

Bahubali

Ternary Form

Cabot, John

Alfred

Devrient, Eduard

Abu Madi, Iliya

Paleogeography

Black Sabbath

Antarctica, Antarctica and continental drift

Argentina, Attempts to restore constitutionalism, 195566

Black Sabbath

Schein, Johann Hermann

Nebula

La Chaussée, Pierre-claude Nivelle De

Quadrilateral

Aftasid Dynasty

Karankawa

Van Vechten, Carl

Rivière, Jacques

Argentina, Attempts to restore constitutionalism, 195566