Table of Contents
inter alia
01 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word a Day
2. Quote of the Day
3. Reading List
4. HotSite
1. A Word a Day
fey (fay) adjective
1.a. Having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or
quality: "She's got that fey look as though she's had breakfast with a
leprechaun." (Dorothy Burnham).
b. Having visionary power; clairvoyant.
c. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.
2. Scots. a. Fated to die soon.
b. Full of the sense of approaching death.
[Middle English feie, fated to die, from Old English fege.]
"If all this seems a little fey and politically correct, if it inspires
the urge to ask why they can't just get on with designing buildings with
four walls and a roof..."
Rowan Moore, The Arts: Smashing the glass ceiling Hard luck, boys,
The Daily Telegraph, 13 Nov 1997.
--
>From _A.Word.A.Day._ by Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org>
2. Quote of the Day
"The first of April is the day we remember what
we are the other 364 days of the year. "
-American humorist Mark Twain
3. Reading List
A Fitting Apology
By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, March 31, 1998; Page A17
Should President Clinton now apologize for apologizing? It seems he
should. His remarks about the American role in the slave trade, neither
historically inaccurate nor, you would think, all that controversial, have
been denounced by no less a personage than a key member of the House
GOP leadership and mocked -- nay, scorned -- by pundits galore. We are
not, I take it, sorry about slavery. . . .
>From the Washington Post Op-Ed page. Read the complete story here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1998-03/31/045r-033198-idx.html
4. HotSite
LibrarySpot
Great library and reference resources, including useful reference tools
and periodicals and online texts in the reading room.
http://www.libraryspot.com
Table of Contents
inter alia
02 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word a Day
2. Quotes of the Day
3. HotSite -- correction
1. A Word a Day
WORD DU JOUR:
belles-lettres (bel-LET-ruh) (pl.n., used with a singular verb)
-Definition(s): 1. literature regarded for its aesthetic value rather than
its didactic or informative content 2. light, stylish writings, usually
on literary or intellectual subjects 3. belletrist (n.) a writer of
belles-lettres 4. belletristic (adj.) of or pertaining to such writing
-Samples:
"The fear, as in literary criticism, is that
one will lapse, or will be accused of lapsing,
back into the old belle-lettristic mode, than
which it is rightly felt that nothing could be
more deadly--though other things can be as bad."
--Michael Tanner, *The State of the Language*
"We have risen above the mere belletristic treatment
of classical literature."
--Mark Pattison
-Side Dishes: Any Frenchman could tell you that *belles-lettres* means,
literally, "fine letters," but in English it has taken on special
connotations. Though in principle it refers to "elegant literature. . .
having a purely aesthetic, as opposed to a utilitarian, function. . .
[and] embraces poetry, fiction, criticism, and literary studies"
(Schur), as the above quotations illustrate, it is most often used
pejoratively. No writer wants to be referred to as "an unlearned
belletristic trifler," as Matthew Arnold once called himself.
-Dessert: On the other hand, one generally doesn't mind being called
a *bel esprit* (BEL e-SPREE). This time the French phrase being
borrowed is "fine mind," and a bel esprit is therefore "a cultivated,
intelligent person." If only more writers were, in fact, beaux esprits
(BOE-ze-SPREE--the plural form) perhaps belletrism wouldn't have such
a bad reputation.
"Mr. Harrington, the delightful bel esprit,
invites only his most respected literary
colleagues to his lavish *soirees*."
Finally, the French have given us *belle epoque* (BEL ay-PUK). Meaning
literally "beautiful era," belle epoque refers to "an era of artistic,
literary, and cultural refinement in a society, esp. in France at the
beginning of the twentieth century."
"The haughty British scholars raised the ire
of their American colleagues by suggesting
that American literature, even during the
belle epoque of the early 1900's, failed to
measure up to the quality of British letters."
You might wish to re-examine a couple other words based on the French
*belle* by checking out the WDJ for 2/9/98 on the on-line archive at the
Web site listed below. In any case, as the French might say, ayez une belle
journee (that is, have a nice day)!
--
From Word Du Jour by Tim Bottorff
2. Quotes of the Day
"I had sex with Bill Clinton, but the important part to me is that I was
never pressured. We had an intimate evening. Nothing was ever forced. It
was completely consensual."
Actress Elizabeth Ward Gracen, whose friend, Judy Stokes, testified Gracen told
her Bill Clinton once "pressured" her into having sex
(The Washington Post, "Jones Seeks Delay to Get Lewinsky Evidence")
"We're not going to be commenting on a 15-year-old story."
White House spokesman James Kennedy
(The Washington Post, "Jones Seeks Delay to Get Lewinsky Evidence")
4. HotSite
Correction
The mail list for new 5th Circuit opinions (HotSite of 26mar98)
may not be for everyone since it plops rather lengthy files onto
your hard drive as attachments to email. If you don't keep on
top of it, things can get cluttered pretty quickly.
An alternative to subscribing is to review the opinions on the WWW at
this site: http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/new/index.htm
There is also a link to a page with all opinions released in the last
thirty days, and to a 5th circuit search engine as well.
Table of Contents
inter alia
03 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word a Day
2. Quote of the Day
3. Reading List
4. Weird Facts of the Day
1. A Word a Day
WORD DU JOUR:
myrmidon (MUR-mi-don) (n.)
-Definition(s): 1. a follower who carries out orders without question
2. a hired ruffian; a base attendant
-Samples:
"His myrmidon on this occasion was a little
rednosed butler."
--Thomas Peacock, *Headlong Hall*
"Acts which. . . are not being perpetrated
by British ministers, but are openly confessed
and unblushingly gloried by their myrmidons
in the press."
--*Spirit Metropolitan Conservative
Press*, 1839
-Side Dishes: The Myrmidons were a warlike race of men of ancient
Thessaly, whom, according to legend, Achilles led to the siege of
Troy. Thus, today a myrmidon is anyone who follows orders unquestion-
ingly or, more forcefully, one who is hired to attend to or follow
someone (a "thug"). Some may know the word from the phrase "myrmidon
of the law," which is a term applied pejoratively to a policeman,
bailiff, or other administrative officer of the law.
The Myrmidons were so called after the Greek *murmex*, "ant," because
it was said that Zeus made them from a race of ants. From the same
root we also get *myrmecology* (mur-mi-KOL-i-jee), "the branch of
entomology that deals with ants."
-Dessert: The *martinet* (mawr-tn-ET) likes to have plenty of myrmidons
in his ranks. A martinet, of course, is: 1. a rigid disciplinarian
2. one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules. Jean
Martinet (?-1672) is the fellow responsible for this word. A French
officer during the reign of Louis XIV, Martinet was a harsh disciplin-
arian who insisted on excellence from his troops. He was "accidentally"
killed in the siege of Duisberg in 1672 when he entered the line of
fire of his own rear ranks, though perhaps one of the lads in his unit
had simply endured more than enough of his strict training methods.
In any event, his name lives on today, in senses that extend well
beyond military discipline.
"She knew that the fine ladies. . . were moral
martinets with respect to any one not born
among themselves."
--Benjamin Disraeli, *Tancred*
"A true-born martinet never thinks he is at
all severe."
--*Poor Nellie*, 1888
"No garrison had ever been governed with so
rancorous and unrelenting a martinetship."
--Horatio Smith, *Tor Hill*
--
>From Word Du Jour--Copyright 1998 Tim Bottorff
2. Quote of the Day
Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.
-W. Shakespeare; Measure for Measure
--
>From The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html
3. Reading List
====Starr Vows Vigorous====
====Pursuit Despite Dismissal====
By Peter Baker and Susan Schmidt
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, April 3, 1998; Page A1
===========Excerpt==============
"Lewinsky's attorney, William H. Ginsburg, has claimed in court that he has
a binding immunity agreement with Starr. A ruling is still pending, but a
related decision handed down this week may offer clues to the thinking of
Chief U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson, who supervises the
grand jury.
In a sealed proceeding, Johnson ruled Tuesday that Lewinsky's first
lawyer, Francis D. Carter, must testify about his conversations with his
client as requested by Starr. According to a source familiar with the
decision, Johnson concluded that attorney-client privilege did not apply
because of evidence that Lewinsky intended to commit a crime when she
hired Carter to help draft a Jan. 7 affidavit in the Jones case denying a
sexual relationship with Clinton."
Read the entire story at http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/clinton.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/starr0
40398.htm
4. Weird Facts of the Day
There are only thirteen blimps in the world,
nine of which are based in the U.S.
There are more varieties of insects in existence
than the total of all kinds of all other animals combined.
The annual harvest of one coffee tree produces
just one pound of ground coffee.
About 85 percent of the Earth's
plant life is in the oceans.
The blue whale can survive without
eating for up to six months.
About 35,000 people work in the
World Trade Center in New York City.
The Pacific Ocean takes up almost half
of the Earth's surface.
In 1900 about one-fourth of American males
between the ages of ten and fifteen had jobs.
Bats eat 1500 times their bodily
weight in insects each year.
There are more than ten thousand
golf courses in the United States.
--
>From _Students Online_ http://www.jayi.com/so/
Table of Contents
inter alia
06 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word a Day
2. Quote of the Day
3. HotSites
1. A Word a Day
purl (purl) intr.verb
1. To flow or ripple with a murmuring sound.
purl noun
The sound made by rippling water.
[Probably of Scandinavian origin.]
purl also pearl tr.verb
1. To knit (yarn) with a purl stitch.
2. To edge or finish (a handkerchief, for example) with lace or
embroidery.
purl intr.verb
1. To do knitting with a purl stitch.
2. To edge or finish with lace or embroidery.
purl noun
1. Inversion of a knit stitch; purl stitch.
2. A decorative edging of lace or embroidery.
3. Gold or silver wire used in embroidery.
[Origin unknown.]
[Probably of Scandinavian origin.]
"The waters purled, the waters swelled,--
They kissed his naked feet;
His heart a nameless transport held,
As if his love did greet."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Fisher Brooks, Charles Timo,
The World's Best Poetry on CD), 20 Mar 1995.
--
From _A.Word.A.Day._ by Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org
2. Quote of the Day
The constitution is not neutral. It was designed
to take the government off the backs of people.
--William Douglas [1898-1980], US supreme court justice
3. HotSites
It's time to think about taxes!
Wegner, LLP - CPAs and consultants has a very good web
page explaining the 1997 tax law changes:
http://www.wegnercpas.com/encyclop/97update/direct.htm
Wegner, LLP - CPAs and consultants also has a great online tax
encyclopedia. The encyclopedia is based on 1996 tax law, but much of
the information is still valid and it is a great resource.
http://www.wegnercpas.com/encyclop/96encycl/encyclop.htm
Here is another good explanation of the 1997 tax law changes:
http://www.fsonline.com/mkt/tra1997.html
Not many people really understand Roth IRAs. They are really one the
the VERY BEST investments you could make. Roth IRAs are not tax
deductible, but the whole thing is tax deferred and it comes out tax
free too! Here are a couple of web pages that calculate which IRA is
better for you, a regular IRA or a ROTH IRA.
Strong Funds:
http://www.strong-funds.com/strong/Retirement/iras_whichtype.htm
http://www.strong-funds.com/strong/Retirement/iras.htm
T Rowe Price IRA analyzer:
http://www.troweprice.com/newira/index.html
Grant Thornton has a great online newletter (including past
editions). VERY useful and good info:
http://www.gt.com/gtonline/tax/tba/tbatoc.html
Lacerte software publishes tax software for CPAs. They also have a
very good website with an image map to select your state tax forms
(VERY cool). Select a state and that state's forms and links are
reflected on the right frame. Other helpful info is also available on
this web page:
http://www.lscsoft.com/links/links.htm
The Tax Prophet is a great place with lots of tax info and other neat
stuff. Be sure to check the interative tax applicactions!
http://www.taxprophet.com/
http://www.taxprophet.com/apps.html
Here is a GREAT place to keep informed and up to date with tax stuff:
WHAT HAPPENED? "These are tools I use to find what is happening in the
U.S. Income Tax World Today."
http://www2.best.com/~ftmexpat/html/taxsites/newdynamic.html
Maxwells Taxing Times is an electronic compendium of information
related to the upcoming task of filling out and filing your Income Tax
forms for 1997.
http://www.maxwell.com/tax/
Here is a place that has a retirement calculator.
http://www.savemoney2.com/famplan/famplan.htm
PPC is a company that publishes guides for accountants. They also
have some great resources on their website. Here is a very good tax
data sheet:
http://www.ppcinfo.com/nta-257c.htm
Dennis Schmidt's website has long been regarded as the best place to
go for tax resources and info:
http://www.taxsites.com/
Here is a great tax resources website:
http://www2.best.com/~ftmexpat/html/taxsites.html#contents
1040.com is another good place for individual tax info:
http://www.1040.com/
H & R Block has a pretty good site too:
http://www.hrblock.com/tax/
H & R Block even has a tax refund calculator:
http://www.hrblock.com/tax/refund/
Here is a website that lists the AFR (Applicable Federal Rates). The
site even has the rates going back to 1990:
http://www.pmstax.com/afr/index.html
HERE ARE OTHER SOURCES OF TAX HELP...
Client Valuation Services has a pamphlet called "Ca$h for your used
Clothing" that I *HIGHLY* recommend. The book is $17.95 including
shipping charges and a 1 year audit protection warranty.
"You can order a copy of the booklet by calling 1-800-875-5927. If,
after completing this booklet, you don't save an additional $200 on
your income taxes, then return it for a full refund."
http://www.taxsave.com/
HERE IS SOME HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR ELECTRONIC FILING:
There are many options for filing your tax returns electronically.
There are also many other options and programs that allow one to file
tax returns electronically. Here are some of those options:
1. If you can file a form 1040EZ, you can use the telephone to file your tax
return.
2. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and TCE (Tax Counseling for
the Elderly) offer *free* income tax preparation and help and many of
these sites also offer *free* electronic filing. For the VITA site
nearest you, contact the Taxpayer Education office at your local IRS office.
FYI - the main IRS phone number is 1-800-829-1040
You may also contact the American Association of Retired Persons
(AARP) to find out the nearest TCE/Tax-Aide site by calling:
1-888-227-7669.
3. Some banks and employers offer electronic filing. However, I am
not aware of any specific banks or employers offering this service and
do not know of any list of them...
4. Here is information about electronic filing of your tax returns:
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/elec_svs/index.html
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/elec_svs/ets.html
Here are the software programs recognized by the IRS to file tax returns
online.
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/elec_svs/ol-txpyr.html#Soft
5. H & R Block and most major NON CPA income tax preparers offer
electronic filing. Many of those businesses provide electronic filing
for a fee even if they do not prepare your tax return. This is often
a better option than buying a tax preparation program that will only
be used once.
6. Even though the thought of filing your tax return online sounds
appealing, I am not a big fan of this approach especially if you owe
the IRS. If you will be receiving a refund you *might* get it a
little earlier by filing electronically and having the check
automatically deposited to your bank account. Note that you can also
have your refund automatically deposited to your bank account without
filing electronically...
Tax forms can be received by Fax from the IRS or they can also
be downloaded from the IRS web site. The faxback telephone number is
available here:
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/cover.html
Table of Contents
inter alia
07 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word a Day
2. Humor
3. Reading List
1. A Word a Day
WORD DU JOUR:
cacoethes scribendi (kak-oe-EE-theez skree-BEN-dee) (n.)
-Definition(s): 1. the compulsion to write 2. scribbler's itch
-Samples:
"He didn't want to be disturbed in his writing,
or the meditations incidental to his writing.
Time and again, Mrs. Thing--I never found out
her name--had to drag him downstairs by the
scruff of his neck to his supper, he was that
taken up by his work, you wouldn't believe.
Poor devil! I don't expect he's ever heard
of *cacoethes scribendi*, but he's got it
pretty badly."
--Cyril Hare, *Suicide Excepted*
"*Cacoethes scribendi*. . . sometimes called the
`itch to scribble'. . . undoubtedly played a
large part in the production of this book."
--Norman Schur
-Side Dishes: *Cacoethes scribendi* (generally still italicized) is just
one of three such tongue-twisting expressions that has found a place
in the English lexicon. *Cacoethes loquendi* (- loe-KWEN-dee) is "the
irresistible urge to talk" and *cacoethes carpendi* (- kar-PEN-dee) is
"a mania for fault-finding; nitpicking."
The *cacoethes* part of these expressions, "an irresistible compulsion,
a mania," comes from the Greek *kakoethes*, "ill-disposed," and is
sometimes used alone. The second part of each of these expressions
comes from non-Greek roots, though: *scribere*, "to write," and *loqui*,
"to speak," are Latin; I was unable to trace *carpendi*'s ultimate root
but believe it might come from the Middle English *carpen*, and further
from the Old Norse *karpa*, "to boast," which has also given us the
verb *carp*, "to find fault in a disagreeable manner; to complain
fretfully" ("he ruthlessly carped on even her slightest mistakes").
At any rate, these hybrid expressions certainly have many uses!
-Dessert: The *scribere* root is an important one for writers. Writers
who are not well-respected are often dismissed as mere "scribblers."
And *scribblative*, therefore, describes writing that is hasty and
verbose.
Less derogatory terms deriving from the *scribere* root include
*scribe*, "generally, a writer or journalist; or a professional
copyist," *scriptory*, "pertaining to writing," *scriptorium*
(pl. -ia), "a writing room, esp. of scribes in medieval monastery,"
*scriptural*, "pertaining to writing, esp. of that contained in the
Scriptures," and *scripturient*, which is the adjectival equivalent
of *cacoethes scribendi*: "having a great urge to write or be an
author."
"The parents encouraged their scripturient
daughter, allowing her time to reflect and
write while forcing her brothers to take on
more of the housework."
Finally, though it looks a little different, *scrivener* comes from
the same root and is generally synonymous with "scribe" in the sense
of "a professional copyist." It is chiefly notable, though, in the
expression *scrivener's palsy*, a condition which less literary
folks would be more apt to call "writer's cramp."
That's all the scribbling we'll do at the Word Lover's Cafe this week,
but we'll re-open next Monday, as always!
--
From Word du Jour by Tim Bottorff
2. Humor
Colleen, a healthy, attractive mother of three, aged 40, went to the
doctor for her annual check-up. Later that evening, as she and her
husband Tammas were undressing for bed, she stood in front of the mirror
and admired her naked body. Tammas was in a bit of a temper that evening
and groused at her, "And just what are you starin' at, ye vain hussy?"
Colleen tossed her head and replied, "That handsome, young Dr.
McGillicuddy says I have the breasts of a 19-year-old girl!" Tammas grew
red in the face and shouted, "And did he say anything about your
40-year-old Irish ass?" His wife paused for a moment and then replied
calmly, "Why no, he never mentioned yer name at all!"
3. Reading List
From the Washington Post:
Starr's Two Jobs On
Collision Course?
By Ruth Marcus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 7, 1998; Page A02
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr is
rethinking plans to make a complicated and
time-consuming appeals court argument for
a private law client in May, the same month
he will be trying to finish his report to
Congress on the investigation of President
Clinton.
"No final decision has yet been reached
about whether Ken will argue the matter,"
said his partner, Jay Lefkowitz. "It's a very
important matter and it's something I know
he is discussing with his client."
Starr had been planning to appear before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals in Richmond on May 5 in an intricate dispute between the
Meineke Discount Muffler Shops and its franchisees, who argue that the
muffler company defrauded them of millions of dollars that were supposed
to go for advertising. Starr is representing Meineke and asking the appeals
court to overturn a nearly $400 million judgment against it.
But the argument comes just as Starr and his staff in the independent
counsel's office are fighting the clock to prepare a report for Congress on
their investigation of Clinton in the Monica S. Lewinsky matter. Sources
close to the probe said Starr's goal is to complete that report by the end
of May.
Until this week, Starr seemed intent on doing the argument. Charles J.
Cooper, the lawyer for the franchise owners opposing Meineke and a
longtime friend of Starr's from their days in the Reagan Justice
Department, said yesterday he will devote about 100 hours to preparing
for the argument. He said he had spoken with Starr in the last week and
"Ken made clear to me that he intended to argue the case."
Starr's private legal work – he has continued to maintain his law practice
at the firm of Kirkland & Ellis and has earned more than $1 million
annually – is permitted by the independent counsel statute. But the extent
of his practice and the nature of his clients have been subjects of
controversy throughout Starr's 3¾-year tenure as a special prosecutor,
and the White House has seized on the Meineke case as the latest opening
to attack Starr.
Two senior aides, Rahm Emanuel and Paul Begala, raised the issue on the
Sunday talk shows, arguing that Starr had no standing to accuse the White
House of trying to delay matters when he has been occupied with outside
legal work. "I understand that he thinks he's unaccountable and that the
taxpayers are able to pay him full time for part-time performance, but the
fact of the matter is Ken Starr took three years to conclude [White House
deputy counsel] Vince Foster committed suicide and he's saying everyone
else is slow-walking – that's chutzpah," Emanuel said.
Starr's defenders pointed out that he has given up arguing several
important cases for his law firm, including one before the Supreme Court,
because of his independent counsel duties. And they say that Starr
manages to juggle those dual roles in part because, as an appellate
litigator, he can prepare for those cases on airplane rides or in hotel
rooms.
In addition, they said, Starr works prodigious hours. "He probably works
an average 14 to 16 hours a day," said deputy independent counsel Jackie
Bennett. Since the allegations involving Lewinsky arose, Bennett said,
"he's been in the office virtually every single day . . . and that includes
weekends."
Some independent observers questioned whether it would be appropriate
for Starr to argue the Meineke case while he is also occupied with a
matter that could determine the future course of Clinton's presidency.
"He's fully permitted to do it and I think it's a really bad idea, particularly
at this stage," said St. John's University law professor John Q. Barrett, a
former prosecutor for Iran-contra independent counsel Lawrence E.
Walsh. "It creates an issue for people who want to criticize him. It creates
an appearance of less than vigorous pursuit. . . . The appearance he wants
is full-time, single-minded public business, and clearly he sees it
differently."
Cooper, his opponent in the Meineke case, said: "I honestly think that the
feature of the independent counsel statute . . . that permits an independent
counsel to maintain a private law practice is a good feature. Whether or
not in any particular case it's a good idea to make use of that feature just
depends on the circumstances, and I think obviously Ken has an
enormously important task to complete as promptly as he can. Beyond
that, I just don't want to get into trying to render a judgment on Ken's
decision."
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
4. HotSites
For those who indulge:
http://www.cigarlife.com/
This HotSite was submitted by subscriber, John F. Whitney.
Millard Humor Magazine:
http://www.millmag.com/
Table of Contents
inter alia
09 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. HotSites
2. A Word A Day
3. Cool Fact of the Day
1. HotSites
THE SPEEDTRAP REGISTRY
Planning a roadtrip? Take a look at the Speedtrap Registry before you go.
This site includes lists and helpful hints about speedtrap locations around
the world. Although the U.S. has the largest collection, there are plenty
of entries from other countries as well. Most entries include location
(latitude, longitude, and mile marker), what speed measuring technology is
used, and whether or not the car is marked. The average ticket cost and
scanner frequency are icing on the cake! The site includes links to Web
sites about driving, and a form to add your least favorite speedtraps to
the Registry.
http://www.Nashville.Net/speedtrap/
--
WEGMAN WORLD
The Weimeraners made it onto the Web! William Wegman's been photographing
his Weimaraner dogs, in costume and out, since he got his first one, Man
Ray, in 1970. Wegman World includes a few select images, and a family tree
to help you tell the pooches apart. You can also order books, videos,
t-shirts, and every other product branded with the Weimaraners.
http://www.wegmanworld.com
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
From: Your WebScout http://www.webscout.com/
2. A Word A Day
baedeker (BAY-de-kuhr) noun
A guidebook to countries or a country.
[After Karl Baedeker (1801-1859) German publisher who established a series
of guidebooks in 1829.]
Robert Lee Hotz, Science File; Navigating the Mind; Los Angeles Times,
3 Oct 1996, pp. B-2.
"Such a Baedeker of the brain would be an invaluable research guide for
anyone trying to navigate the wilderness of the human mind."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
From: A. Word. A. Day. http://www.wordsmith.org/
3. Cool Fact of the Day
Loudest Insect
The loudest known insect is the cicada, which can be heard
for a quarter mile (400 m). Its loud whirring sound is
produced by the male cicadas to attract females.
The most common types are the periodical cicadas, which
spend long amounts of time in the larva or grub stage before
emerging in swarms. In the United States, this period is most
commonly 13 years in the southeast and 17 years in the
northeast.
After mating, 400 to 600 eggs are deposited on tree branches.
After six or seven weeks, the eggs hatch and the larvae drop
to the ground where they burrow in and begin their long
underground life cycle. When the proper number of years has
passed, they emerge from the ground and molt, leaving their
shell behind. They climb a tree and the males begin their
whirring sound to attract females, starting the cycle all over
again.
For more information about and photos of cicadas, visit
Cicada Mania -- http://www.dancentury.com/cicada/
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
From: The Learning Kingdom
http://www.LearningKingdom.com/press/coolfact/4-7-98.html
Table of Contents
inter alia
14 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. On This Day . . .14 April
3. Weird Facts of the Day
1. A Word A Day
debunk (di-BUNGK) tr.verb
To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of:
WORD HISTORY: One can readily see that debunk is constructed from the prefix
de-, meaning "to remove," and the word bunk. But what is the origin of the
word bunk, denoting the nonsense that is to be removed? Bunk came from a
place where much bunk has originated, the United States Congress. During the
16th Congress (1819-1821) Felix Walker, a representative from western North
Carolina whose district included Buncombe County, continued on with a dull
speech in the face of protests by his colleagues. Walker replied he had felt
obligated "to make a speech for Buncombe." Such a masterful symbol for empty
talk could not be ignored by the speakers of the language, and Buncombe,
actually spelled Bunkum in its first recorded appearance in 1828 and later
shortened to bunk, became synonymous with claptrap. The response to all this
bunk seems to have been delayed, for debunk is not recorded until 1923.
"But his aim is to portray Dahl as 'a capricious tycoon' rather than a
great writer, to debunk the 'myths' that he claims Dahl put about
concerning himself in Boy and Going Solo."
Christina Hardyment, Book Review / The pink plastic dummy award: 'Roald
Dahl', Independent, 12 Mar 1994.
--
From A. Word. A. Day. http://www.wordsmith.org.awad/
2. On This Day . . .14 April
Birthdates which occurred on April 14:
1578 Philip III king of Spain & Portugal (1598-1621)
1738 Duck of Portland (C) British PM (1783, 1807-09)
1925 Rod Steiger actor (Illustrated Man, Pawnbroker, Chosen)
1935 Loretta Lynn Kentucky, country singer, a coal miner's daughter
1941 Julie Christie Assam India, actress (Dr Zhivago)
1941 Pete Rose Cincinnati Reds, Charlie hustle (most hits in majors)
1968 Anthony Michael Hall Boston Mass, comedian (SNL, Breakfast Club)
On this day...
1828 1st edition of Noah Webster's dictionary published
1860 1st Pony Express rider arrives in SF from St Joseph, Mo
1865 Mobile, Alabama is captured
1865 Pres Abraham Lincoln shot in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth
1894 1st public showing of Edison's kinetoscope (moving pictures)
1912 The Titanic,launched on 31 May 1911, on route from Southampton
to New York with 2200 passengers, strikes Iceburg off the coast of
Halifax, Nova Scotia, and sinks. (1500+ death toll)
1956 Ampex Corp demonstrates 1st commercial videotape recorder
1968 Roberto de Vicenzo loses Masters for signing an incorrect score card
1981 1st Space Shuttle-Columbia 1-returns to Earth
1986 US aircraft attacks 5 terrorist locations in Libya
WORLDWIDE HISTORIC DATES & EVENTS brought to you DAILY by : Scope Systems
3. Weird Facts of the Day
Proportionally speaking, the earth is smoother than a billiard ball.
An opossum is pregnant for only thirteen days before giving birth.
The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.
More people are killed annually by donkeys than by plane crashes.
There are two-and-a-half times as many cattle in Argentina
as there are people.
One ostrich weighs as much as 47,000 bee hummingbirds.
Living insects outnumber humans a billion to one.
One inch of rain contains the same amount of water as
ten inches of snow.
During any given hour, there are an average of 61,000
people airborne over the U.S.
--
From Students Online: http://www.jayi.com/
Table of Contents
inter alia
16 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. HotSite
3. Reading List
1. A Word A Day
cabal (kuh-BAL) noun
1. A conspiratorial group of plotters or intriguers:
"Espionage is quite precisely it-a cabal of powerful men, working
secretly" (Frank Conroy).
2. A secret scheme or plot.
cabal intr.verb
To form a cabal; conspire.
[French cabale, from Medieval Latin cabala.]
WORD HISTORY: The history of cabal reveals how a word can be transferred from
one sphere of activity to another while retaining only a tenuous connection
with its past. Ultimately from Hebrew but transmitted to English probably by
way of Medieval Latin and French, cabal is first recorded in English in 1616
in the sense "cabala." Cabala was the name for the Hebrew oral tradition
transmitted by Moses and also the name for a Jewish religious philosophy
based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The notion
"esoteric" is central to the development of this word in English, for cabal,
probably following the sense development in French, came to mean "a
tradition, special interpretation, or secret," "private intrigue" (first
recorded in 1646-1647), and "a small body of intriguers" (first recorded in
1660). It is probably not coincidental that cabal is found with these latter
meanings during the mid-17th century, that time of plots and counterplots by
Royalists and Parliamentarians. The word gained a false etymology when it was
noticed that the five most influential ministers of Charles II were named
Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale.
"What you are seeing happen though is rump groups of so-called wise men,
former foreign policy advisers to both Democratic and Republican
administrations are beginning to meet in little sort of cabals around
town..."
Congress Getting Its Hands in Foreign Policy,
Morning Edition (NPR), 9 May 1994.
--
From A. Word. A. Day. http://www.wordsmith.org.awad/
2. HotSite
Current and past Pulitzer Prize winners, and more:
http://www.pulitzer.org/navigation/index.html
3. Reading List
Los Angeles Times Posts Pulitzer
Prize Winners on its Web Site
LOS ANGELES, April 15 , 1998 -- Articles and photographs from Los
Angeles Times' two 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning entries are available
on The Times' Web site, latimes.com. The material is accessible today
via a special link on the latimes.com home page at
<http://www.latimes.com>.
The Times' two Pulitzer Prizes, announced today, were awarded to:
1. The Times staff in the "breaking news" category for its coverage
of the North Hollywood bank shoot-out on February 28, 1997, and
2. Times photographer Clarence Williams in the "feature photography"
category for his photographs that accompanied The Times' "Orphans of
Addiction" series in November 1997.
Williams' winning photographs are available on the site at
<http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/REPORTS/PULITZER_98>, along with a
special package on the "Orphans of Addiction" two-part series. For
the North Hollywood bank shoot-out entry, the Web site is posting
stories and photographs from The Times' first-day coverage published
March 1, 1997.
The Los Angeles Times has now won 22 Pulitzer Prizes, including four
Pulitzer Gold Medals for "disinterested and meritorious public
service."
The Times is the second largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the
country. It publishes four daily regional editions covering the Los
Angeles metropolitan area, the San Fernando Valley, and Orange and
Ventura counties.
The Los Angeles Times web site is located at <http://www.latimes.com>.
The Baltimore Sun's "Shipbreakers" series, which won
the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting,
is available on-line.
The stories, by Will Englund and Gary Cohn with photos by Perry Thorsvik,
exposed the extraordinary hazards to workers and the environment caused by
the little-known industry that scraps old ships.
Their sweeping account of migrant workers maimed and killed in sloppy and
unregulated shipbreaking operations from Baltimore to India prompted the
U.S. Navy to drop a plan to send retired warships overseas for scrapping.
Our coverage of the Pulitzer (this is where we get to brag) is available at:
http://www.sunspot.net
For the stories themselves, surf over to:
http://www.sunspot.net/news/special/shipbreakers/
Table of Contents
inter alia
17 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. HotSites
3. Quote of the Day
4. On This Day . . . 17Apr
1. A Word A Day
maw (maw) noun
1. The mouth, stomach, jaws, or gullet of a voracious animal, especially
a carnivore.
2. The opening into something felt to be insatiable.
[Middle English mawe, from Old English maga.]
"Till, weary, he sat down before the maw
Of a wide outlet, fathomless and dim
To wild uncertainty and shadows grim."
Keats, John. Poetical Works, 1884.
--
From A. Word. A. Day. http://www.wordsmith.org.awad/
2. HotSites
Traveling on the cheap and other useful
information about airline travel:
Discount Ticket Homepage:
http://www.etn.nl/dttickets/
Internet Airfares, guide to low-price flying:
http://www.air-fare.com/
The Air Traveler's Handbook, the FAQ posting for the rec.travel.air newsgroup:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/mkant/public/travel/airfare.html
Travel Library (travel and tourism information):
http://www.travel-library.com/
3. Quote of the Day
In science one tries to tell people, in such a way
as to be understood by everyone, something that no
one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact
opposite.
--Paul Dirac [1902-1984]
4. On This Day . . . 17Apr
Birthdates which occurred on April 17:
1885 Isak Dinesen Danish writer (Out of Africa, 7 Gothic Tales)
1894 Nikita S Khrushchev Soviet leader (1953-64)
1897 Thornton Wilder US, novelist/playwright (Our Town)
1918 William Holden actor (Stalag 17, Bridge Over the River Kwai, SOB)
1923 Harry Reasoner Dakota City Iowa, newscaster (60 Minutes, ABC, CBS)
1961 Boomer Esiason NFL QB (Cincinnati Bengels)
Deaths which occurred on April 17:
485 Proclus Greek mathematician, dies in Athens
1790 Benjamin Franklin US, (Poor Richards Almanac), dies at 84
1987 Dick Shawn comedian (Producers), dies at 63
1990 Rev Ralph Abernathy civil rights activist, dies at 64
On this day...
858 Benedict III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1492 Christopher Columbus signs contract with Spain to find the Indies
1521 Martin Luther is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church
1524 NY Harbor discovered by Giovanni Verrazano
1861 Virginia become 8th state to secede
1865 Mary Surratt is arrested as a conspirator in Lincoln's assassination
1920 American Professional Football Association forms
1947 Jackie Robinson bunts for his 1st major league hit
1953 Mickey Mantle hits a 565' (172 m) HR in Wash DC's Griffith Stadium
1956 Willie Mosconi sinks 150 consecutive balls in a billiard tournament
1961 1,400 Cuban exiles land in Bay of Pigs attempt to overthrow Castro
1964 Ford Mustang formally introduced ($2368 base)
1969 Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Sen Robert F Kennedy
1970 Apollo 13 limps back safely, Beech-built oxygen tank no help
1975 Khmer Rouge captures Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Kampuchea Natl Day)
1983 India entered space age launching SLV-3 rocket
1991 Dow Jones closes for 1st time over 3,000
WORLDWIDE HISTORIC DATES & EVENTS brought to you DAILY by : Scope Systems
Table of Contents
inter alia
21 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. HotSites
3. Quotes of the Day --all Mark Twain
4. On This Day . . . 21Apr
1. A Word A Day
seersucker (SIER-suk-uhr) noun
A light, thin fabric, generally cotton or rayon, with a crinkled surface
and a usually striped pattern.
[Hindi sirsakar, from Persian shiroshakar : shir, milk (from Middle Persian)
+ o, and, from Middle Persian u, from Old Persian uta + shakar, sugar, from
Sanskrit sarkara, from the resemblance of its smooth and rough stripes to
the smooth surface of milk and bumpy texture of sugar.]
WORD HISTORY: Through its name, seersucker, a lightweight fabric for summer
suits and dresses, gives us a glimpse at the history of India. The facts of
the word's history are that it came into English from the East Indian
language Hindi (sirsakar). The word in Hindi was borrowed from the Persian
compound shiroshakar, meaning literally "milk and sugar" but used in a
figurative way for a striped linen garment. The Persian word shakar "sugar,"
in turn came from Sanskrit sarkara. Persian, Indian, English--clearly we are
dealing with multiple cultural borrowing here, and the Persians did indeed
borrow sugar and the word for sugar from India in the 6th century. During
and after Tamerlane's invasion of India in the late 14th century, the
opportunity for borrowing Persian things and words such as shir-o-shakar was
present, since the Mongol Turk Tamerlane incorporated Persia as well as
India into his empire. It then remained for the English during the 18th
century, when the East India Company and England were moving toward
supremacy in India, to borrow the material and its name seersucker (first
recorded in 1722 in the form Sea Sucker) from an Indian language.
"For some strange reason, I was wearing my good suit that day -- a
seersucker, along with my best shirt and a tie."
Chapin, William, Life in the water.(swimming),
Mother Earth News, 16 Jun 1995.
--
From A. Word. A. Day. http://www.wordsmith.org.awad/
2. HotSites
a) Government.thelinks.com (reference/research)
http://government.thelinks.com/
b)TEXAS.NET MUSEUM OF ART
http://lonestar.texas.net/~mharden/ftp_site.htm
Bill Gates doesn't own everything of import. Sure, he's got the Codex
Leicester, but Mark Harden's got the Texas.Net Museum of Art. His
collection doesn't house original da Vinci manuscripts, granted: just
big, clear scans of several hundred artists' work. Harden has
assembled virtually all the masters, from Altdorfer to Wyeth,
organized in a neat, clean sidebar. Click on an artist's name and get
instant access to reproductions (viewable in either large-scale or
thumbnail versions), plus books about the artist (through
Amazon.com), histories, and related links. A great resource for new
wallpaper as well as putting an image to an artist's name.
--
From TipWorld - http://www.tipworld.com
The Internet's #1 Source for Computer Tips, News, and Gossip
3. Quotes of the Day --all Mark Twain
What, sir, would the people of the earth be
without woman? They would be scarce, sir, almighty scarce.
I have never let my schooling interfere
with my education.
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive,
but it is lightning that does the work.
I believe that our Heavenly Father invented man
because he was disappointed in the monkey.
The history of the race, and each individual's
experience, are thick with evidence that a truth
is not hard to kill and that a lie told well
is immortal.
4. On This Day . . . 21Apr
Birthdates which occurred on April 21:
1782 Friedrich Froebel Germany, founded kindergaten
1816 Charlotte Bront‰ Tornton England, novelist (Jane Eyre)
1838 John Muir US, naturalist, discovered glaciers in High Seirras
1926 Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor II, queen of England (1952- )
Deaths which occurred on April 21:
1910 Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens], author, dies in Redding Conn
1918 "Red" Baron Manfred von Richtofen, killed in WW I
On this day...
753 -BC- Traditional date of the foundation of Rome
1789 John Adams sworn in as 1st US VP (9 days before Washington)
1828 Noah Webster publishes 1st American dictionary
1836 Battle of San Jacinto, in which Texas wins independence from Mexico
1855 1st train crosses Miss River's 1st bridge, Rock Is Ill-Davenport Ia
1898 Spanish-American War begins
1972 John Young & Charles Duke explore Moon (Apollo 16)
--
From Scope Systems
Table of Contents
inter alia
22 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. HotSite
3. Quote of the Day
4. On This Day . . . 22Apr
1. A Word A Day
rankle (RANG-kuhl) intr.verb
1. To cause persistent irritation or resentment.
2. To become sore or inflamed; fester.
rankle tr.verb
To embitter; irritate.
[Middle English ranclen, from Old French rancler, alteration of draoncler,
from draoncle, festering sore, from Latin dracunculus, diminutive of draco,
dracon-, serpent.]
WORD HISTORY: A persistent resentment, a festering sore, and a little snake
are all coiled together in the history of the word rankle. "A little snake"
is the sense of the Latin word dracunculus to which rankle can be traced,
dracunculus being a diminutive of draco, "snake." The Latin word passed into
Old French, as draoncle, having probably already developed the sense
"festering sore," because some of these sores resembled little snakes in
their shape or bite. The verb draoncler, "to fester," was then formed in Old
French. The noun and verb developed alternate forms without the d-, and both
were borrowed into Middle English, the noun rancle being recorded in a work
written around 1190, the verb ranclen, in a work probably composed about
1300. Both words had literal senses having to do with festering sores. The
noun is not recorded after the 16th century, but the verb went on to develop
the figurative senses having to do with resentment and bitterness with which
we are all too familiar.
2. HotSite
Want to fly to Paris? Name your price at this site,
where the custumer's in control. If your price is accepted,
you'll be strolling the Left Bank on the cheap.
Priceline.Com
The Buying Service Where You Name the Price
http://www.priceline.com
Leisure Airline Tickets * New Cars
3. Qoute of the Day
Jabberwocky
Lewis Carroll
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
did gyre and gimble in the wabe.
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
the frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the maxome foe he sought-
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood a while in thought.
As in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came.
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack.
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"Has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Calloh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
4. On This Day . . . 22Apr
Birthdates which occurred on April 22:
1451 Isabella I of Castile, Queen of Spain, patron of Columbus
1707 Henry Fielding England, novelist (Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones)
1724 Immanuel Kant Germany, philosopher (Critique of Pure Reason)
1777 Henry Clay the great compromiser
1904 J Robert Oppenheimer head of the Manhattan (A-bomb) Project
1937 Jack Nicholson actor (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Shining)
1946 Dectuplets Bacacay Brazil, 8 males & 2 females
On this day...
296 St Gaius ends his reign as Catholic Pope
536 St Agapitus I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
687 -BC- Chinese record a meteor shower in Lyra
1145 19th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet
1509 Henry VIII ascended to throne of England
1861 Robert E Lee named commander of Virginia forces
1889 Oklahoma land rush officially started; some were "sooner"
1898 1st Spanish-American War action: USS Nashville, takes enemy ship
1952 1st atomic explosion on network news, Nob, Nevada
1955 Congress orders all US coins bear motto "In God We Trust"
1972 Apollo astronauts John Young & Charles Duke ride on the Moon
1988 Women are allowed to compete in the Little 500 bicycle race
in Bloomington, Indiana, for the 1st time
1991 Intel releases the 486SX chip
WORLDWIDE HISTORIC DATES & EVENTS brought to you DAILY by : Scope Systems
Table of Contents
inter alia
23 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. On This Day . . . 23Apr
3. Quotes of the Day -- all William Shakespeare
4. HotSite
1. A Word A Day
maroon (muh-ROON) tr.verb
1. To put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon.
2. To abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape:
The travelers were marooned by the blizzard.
maroon noun
1. Often Maroon.
a. A fugitive Black slave in the West Indies in the 17th and 18th
centuries.
b. A descendant of such a slave.
2. A person who is marooned, as on an island.
[From French marron, fugitive slave, from American Spanish cimarron, wild,
runaway, perhaps from cima, summit, from Latin cyma, sprout.]
WORD HISTORY: The history of the word maroon, which we associate with desert
islands, takes us back to the days of slavery, when the noun maroon was a
term in English for a Black person who lived in the mountains and forests of
Dutch Guiana (Suriname) and the West Indies, a term that is still used in
parts of the Caribbean. These were plantation slaves who had run away to live
free in uncultivated parts. The English word is taken from the French word
marron, "runaway Black slave," which in turn was an alteration of American
Spanish cimarron, meaning "runaway slave." Cimarron is perhaps from cima,
"summit." Having come into English (first recorded in 1666), maroon took on
a life of its own and came to be used as a verb meaning "to be lost in the
wilds," from which our sense "to put ashore on a deserted island or coast"
evolved.
maroon noun
Color. A dark reddish brown to dark purplish red.
[French marron, chestnut, from Italian marrone.]
"Marooned on a bucolic island without any other culture, their personal
and professional lives become almost indistinguishable."
Klein, Jeffrey, Billing us softly. Mother Jones, 11 Jan 1998.
--
From http://www.wordsmith.org
2. On This Day . . . 23Apr
Birthdates which occurred on April 23:
1547 Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Spanish writer (Don Quioxite)
1564 William Shakespeare bard (Hamlet, MacBeth, Julius C‘sar) (approx)
1791 James Buchanan (Fed/Dem) 15th US president (1857-61)
1813 Stephen Douglas the "Little Giant", debated Lincoln
1899 Vladimir Nabokov St Petersburg, novelist (Lolita, Ada)
1926 Virgil I (Gus) Grissom astronaut (Liberty Bell 7, Gemini 3)
1928 Shirley Temple Black Santa Monica Calif, child actress/ambassador
1936 Roy Orbison sings about his Little Woman (Traveling Willberries)
1960 Valerie Bertinelli Del, (1 Day at a Time, Sydney); Ms Eddie Van Halen
Deaths which occurred on April 23:
1616 William Shakesphere English author, dies, on his 52nd birthday
1978 Will Greer actor (Grandpa Walton-The Waltons), dies at 76
1983 Buster Crabbe Olympic swimmer/actor, dies at 75 in Scottsdale Az
1985 Sam Ervin (Sen-D-NC), dies
On this day...
1348 1st English order of knighthood founded (Order of the Garter)
1861 Arkansas troops seize Fort Smith
1950 1st major league day game completed under lights (Phils 6, Braves 5)
1965 Launch of 1st Soviet communications satellite
1967 Soyuz 1 launched; Vladimir Komarov becomes 1st in-flight casualty
1969 Sirhan Sirhan sentenced to death for killing Bobby Kennedy
1971 Soyuz 10 launched; cosmonauts become 1st in Salyut 1 space station
1972 Apollo 16 astronauts explores Moon surface
1985 New Coke debuts
1989 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays his last game as a Laker
WORLDWIDE HISTORIC DATES & EVENTS by : Scope Systems
>
3. Quotes of the Day -- all William Shakespeare
I have no other but a woman's reason:
I think him so, because I think him so.
--Act I, sc. 2, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
She is mine own,
And I as rich in having such a jewel
As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl,
The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.
--Act I, sc. 4, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
--Act I, sc. 3, The Merchant of Venice
For it so falls out
That what we have we prize not to the worth
Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and lost,
Why, then we rack the value; then we find
The virtue that possession would not show us
Whiles it was ours.
--Act IV, sc. 1, Much Ado About Nothing
4. HotSite
http://www.ibiscom.com/
EyeWitness recounts history through the words of those who lived it, using
personal narratives and other first-hand sources to illuminate the past.
Experience an historical event through the words of those who witnessed it.
EyeWitness is presented by Ibis Communications, Inc. a digital publisher of
educational CD-ROMs.
Little Bighorn, Wounded Knee, Assassination of Lincoln, Pearl Harbor, and
much more!
Table of Contents
inter alia
23 April 1998
In Today's Issue
1. A Word A Day
2. On This Day . . . 30Apr
1. A Word A Day
WORD DU JOUR:
afflatus (uh-FLAY-tus) (n.)
-Definition(s): 1. a strong creative impulse 2. divine inspiration
3. the miraculous communication of supernatural knowledge
-Samples:
"Orpheus said ancient poets wrote by a
divine afflatus."
--Joseph Priestley, *Institutes of
Natural and Revealed Religion*
"Aristophanes must have eclipsed them. . .
by the exhibition of some diviner faculty,
some higher spiritual afflatus."
--John Symonds, *Studies of the Greek Poets*
By back-formation, we get the verb *afflate*, "to inspire, to arouse
by divine influence," though it is hardly ever used.
Part of the beauty of *afflatus* lies in its roots: it comes from the
Latin *afflare*, "to blow on." Any writer who has experienced a true
afflatus understands how perfectly suiting this origin is, as such
inspiration does indeed seem to come on a gust of some mysteriously
powerful wind. Now, catching that wind is the trick, n'est-ce pas?
Those with more banal tastes will be interested to know that
the common *inspiration* has similar roots. Specifically, *inspire*
comes from the Latin *inspirare*, "to breathe into." The important
distinction here is that *inspiration* is so overused that it scarcely
carries any of its "airy" connotations anymore; our society is virtually
inundated with "inspirational messages," "inspired artists," and the
like. *Afflatus* and *afflate*, on the other hand, are relatively fresh
and when used sparingly and carefully can create a much more powerful
impression. Why, they might even arouse an afflatus in you.
__
From Word du Jour by Tim Bottorff
Visit WDJ's home on the Web at http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/~garrett/wdj
2. On This Day . . .30Apr
Birthdates which occurred on your SELECTED date of April 30:
1933 Willie Nelson country singer (On the Road Again)
1946 Carl XVI Gustav king of Sweden (1973- )
Deaths which occurred on April 30:
1828 Shaka the great Zulu king, killed
1945 Adolph Hitler & wife Eva Braun commit suicide
1991 George Sperti Sperti inventor (Preparation H), dies at 91
On this day...
1006 Brightest supernova in recorded history is observed
1563 Jews are expelled from France by order of Charles VI
1789 George Washington inaugurated as 1st president of US
1798 Dept of Navy established
1803 US doubles in size through the Louisiana Purchase ($15 million)
1812 (Eastern) Louisiana admitted as 18th US state
1864 New York becomes 1st state to charge a hunting license fee
1948 Org of American States charter signed at Bogot , Colombia
1955 Element 101, Mendelevium, announced
1970 US troops invade Cambodia
1973 Nixon announces resignation of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, et al
1980 Terrorists seize Iranian Embassy in London
1990 US 66th manned space mission STS 31 (Discovery 10) returns from space
1991 Cyclone kills 125,000 in Bangladesh
WORLDWIDE HISTORIC DATES & EVENTS brought to you DAILY by : Scope Systems
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