GoodKnot

Organic Underwear

2006-10-29T03:20:00.000-08:00

Natural soft Organic Clothinggoods are hard to find as they can often be a little course. Liv Organic Cotton Goodsare soft and luxurious and their Organic Underwear is to die for.

Japanese Baseball Leagues

2005-04-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

The two main leagues in Japan are the Central League and the Pacific League. Each league is composed

Ramiro Ii

2005-04-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

King of Leon and Asturias in Christian Spain from 931 to 951. The second son of King Ordoño II, he became king on the abdication of his elder brother, Alfonso IV. Ramiro was an exceptional general who scored several major victories (e.g., the Battle of Simancas, 939) over the caliphate of Córdoba in Muslim Spain. In 944 he negotiated a five-year truce with the caliph 'Abd

Sunda Islands

2005-03-31T09:39:00.000-08:00

Group of islands extending from the Malay Peninsula to the Moluccas southeast of the Asiatic mainland toward New Guinea. They include the Greater Sundas (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, and adjacent smaller islands) and the Lesser Sundas (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, and Flores, Timor, Alor, and adjacent smaller islands). With the exception of Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and

G.m.

2005-03-30T23:46:00.000-08:00

Recipient of the George Medal, a British decoration for valour. See George Cross.

Daniel, Yuli Markovich

2005-03-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

After being seriously wounded in World War II while serving in the Soviet army

Ilhéus

2005-03-26T02:33:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern Bahia estado (“state”), northeastern Brazil. It is situated just east of Itabuna near the mouth of the Cachoeira River on Ilhéus Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic. An old Portuguese colonial settlement that was originally named São Jorge dos Ilhéos (1532), it was given city status in 1881. Most of Brazil's cacao is grown in the locality, and Ilhéus is consequently one of

Nigeria, Relief

2005-03-23T02:55:00.000-08:00

In general, the topography of Nigeria consists of plains in the north and south interrupted by plateaus and hills in the centre of the country. The Sokoto Plains are in the northwestern corner of the country, while the Borno Plains in the northeastern corner surround the Lake Chad region. The Lake Chad basin and the coastal areas, including the Niger River delta and

Akutagawa Ryunosuke

2005-03-21T02:52:00.000-08:00

As a boy Akutagawa was sickly and hypersensitive, but he excelled at school and was a voracious reader. He began his literary career while attending Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo), where he studied English literature from

Selangor Civil War

2005-03-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Following the disputed recognition of Abdul Samad as sultan in 1860, Malay chiefs gradually became polarized into two camps—generally the lower-river versus the upper-river chiefs. The main issue concerned the lucrative

Omagh

2005-03-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

District (established 1973), formerly in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It covers 434 square miles (1,125 square km) of rolling lowlands and hills and is bordered by the districts of Strabane to the north, Magherafelt and Cookstown to the east, Dungannon to the south, and Fermanagh to the west. Northern and eastern Omagh district includes relatively unproductive moorlands and

Southwest National Park

2005-03-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Marked by rugged terrain and a cold, wet

Silicone

2005-03-17T01:34:00.000-08:00

Also called Polysiloxane, any of a diverse class of chemical polymers manufactured in the form of fluids, resins, or elastomers. Although they are partially organic in composition, the molecules of silicones differ from those of most polymers in that the backbone of their structure does not contain carbon, the characteristic element of organic compounds, but is a polysiloxane chain, in which

Davenport, Edward Loomis

2005-03-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

In spite of family opposition, Davenport went on the stage, making his debut in 1836 under the stage name Mr. E. Dee, playing Parson

France, History Of, Culture and learning

2005-03-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Literacy and elementary learning became more widespread. The courtly tastes of the 12th century, while not obliterated, were overtaken by a more flexible and ironic sensibility evident in vernacular ballads, fables, satires, and moralizing literature, most popular in the northern towns. The burgher or knight began to take a keen interest in the tangible world about

Steffen, Albert

2005-03-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

Steffen's early works were compassionate messages of alarm at the disastrous effects of modern technological civilization and secularized thought in human relations. Moved by these problems, he joined the

Merchant Marine

2005-03-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

The commercial ships of a nation, whether privately or publicly owned. The term merchant marine also denotes the personnel that operate such ships, as distinct from the personnel of naval vessels. Merchant ships are used to transport people, raw materials, and manufactured goods. Merchant fleets can be important economic assets for nations that have limited natural

Game

2005-03-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

A universal form of recreation generally including any activity engaged in for diversion or amusement and often establishing a situation that involves a contest or rivalry. Card games are the games most commonly played by adults. Children's games include a wide variety of amusements and pastimes primarily for children. See also card game; children's game.

Dewey, George

2005-03-11T02:25:00.000-08:00

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., in 1858, Dewey was commissioned a lieutenant three years later. In the U.S. Civil War (1861–65), he served with Union naval forces in the battles of New Orleans (1862) and Port Hudson and Donaldsonville,

Interior Design, England

2005-03-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

The breakup of the feudal system during the Wars of the Roses and under Henry VII in the late 15th century had far-reaching effects on the social structure of the time and consequently on domestic buildings and their decoration. The new conditions necessitated a larger number of rooms, and a great hall, though still an important apartment, was no longer the focus of indoor

'olam Ha-ba

2005-03-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

In Jewish theology, either “the world after death” or the new creation or restoration of the world that is to follow the messianic millennium. Because this latter interpretation stemmed from the teachings and exhortations of the prophets, it was especially prevalent during the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem (516 BC–AD 70). Whatever the interpretation of 'olam ha-ba, it

Aesthetics, The role of imagination

2005-03-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

Such paradoxes suggest the need for a more extensive theory of the mind than has been so far assumed. We have referred somewhat loosely to the sensory and intellectual components of human experience but have said little about the possible relations and dependencies that exist between them. Perhaps, therefore, the paradoxes result only from our impoverished description

Silchar

2005-03-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

City, southern Assam state, northeastern India. Situated on the Surma River near the Bangladesh border, it is a trade and processing centre for tea, rice, and other agricultural products. There is limited industry, principally papermaking and tea-box manufacturing. The city has an airport and lies on both a rail line and a motor road connecting Aizawl in Mizoram state

Carlini, Armando

2005-03-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

Educated at

Bernese Alps

2005-03-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Also called Bernese Oberland, German Berner Alpen, or Berner Oberland, French Alpes Bernoises, segment of the Central Alps lying north of the Upper Rhône River and south of the Brienzer and Thunersee (lakes) in Bern and Valais cantons of southwestern Switzerland. The mountains extend east-northeastward from the bend of the Rhône near Martigny-Ville to Grimsel Pass and Haslital (valley of the upper Aare River). Many peaks rise to more than 12,000 ft (3,660 m); Finsteraarhorn

Kaziasker

2005-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

The title was created by Sultan Murad I (reigned 1360–89), who appointed Çandarli Kara Halil as the first kaziasker. In that office he accompanied the army in campaigns and

Yuman

2005-03-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Two major divisions of Yuman people are recognized: the river Yumans, who lived along the lower Colorado and

Spanish Marriages, Affair Of The

2005-03-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

The political maneuvering surrounding the dual marriages (October 10, 1846) of Queen Isabella II of Spain to her cousin Francisco de Asís de Bourbon, duque de Cadiz, and of her younger sister and heiress to the throne, Luisa Fernanda, to Antoine, duc de Montpensier, the youngest son of King Louis-Philippe of France. The marriages revived dynastic ties between Spain and France

Elisha

2005-02-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

The popular traditions about Elisha (2 Kings 2–13) sketch a charismatic, quasi-ecstatic figure, very similar to Elijah.

Benedetto Da Majano

2005-02-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

He was greatly influenced by the Florentine sculptors Desiderio da Settignano and Antonio Rossellino. His earliest surviving work is the shrine of S. Savino (1468–72) in the Faenza cathedral. Between 1470 and 1475 he was engaged on the

Lynchburg

2005-02-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

City, administratively independent of, but located in, Campbell and Bedford counties, south-central Virginia, U.S. It is situated on the James River, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city grew from a ferry landing settled in 1757 by Quakers; it was named for John Lynch, the ferry operator who owned the original town site. During the American Revolution, John's

Black Letter

2005-02-25T15:38:00.000-08:00

Also called Gothic Script, or Old English Script, in calligraphy, style of alphabet that was used for handwriting throughout Latin Christendom for about 500 years, from the decline of the literary reforms under Charlemagne in the early 9th century to the humanistic revival of the Renaissance. It is distinguished by a uniform treatment of vertical strokes that end on the baseline, the use of angular lines instead of

Amphibian, Larval stage

2005-02-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

The amphibian larva represents a morphologically distinct stage between the embryo and adult. Most aquatic larvae depend on the environment for their food supply. Salamander and caecilian larvae remain more like their respective adults in structure, function, and nutritional requirements than do anuran larvae. Not long after emerging from their shells, larval

Anhwei

2005-02-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

Chinese (Wade-Giles) An-hui, (Pinyin) Anhui, sheng (province) of China. It is one of the country's smallest provinces, covering an area of 54,000 square miles (139,900 square kilometres) and stretching for 400 miles (640 kilometres) from north to south. Landlocked, it is bounded by the provinces of Kiangsu to the northeast, Chekiang to the southeast, Kiangsi to the south, and Hupeh and Honan to the west. Its northern extremity barely touches

Crime And Punishment, Incapacitation

2005-02-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

Incapacitation is an object of punishment that has been known since early times. The idea is simply that the offender should be dealt with in a manner that will make it impossible for him to repeat his offense—by execution or banishment in earlier times, in more modern times by execution or lengthy periods of incarceration. This is the only objective of punishment

Dehua Porcelain

2005-02-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Te-hua Chinese porcelain made at Dehua in Fujian province. Although the kiln began production some time during the Song period (960–1279), most examples of the porcelain are attributed to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The characteristic product of Dehua was the white porcelain known to the French as blanc de chine, which had the appearance of blancmange, or milk jelly. Figures of Buddhist deities,

Paradox

2005-02-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Apparently self-contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is revealed only by careful scrutiny. The purpose of a paradox is to arrest attention and provoke fresh thought. The statement “Less is more” is an example. Francis Bacon's saying, “The most corrected copies are commonly the least correct,” is an earlier literary example. In George Orwell's anti-utopian

Rourke, Constance Mayfield

2005-02-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

After earning an A.B. from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., (1907) and studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, Rourke taught English at Vassar. In 1915 she resigned, thereafter working as a research historian and free-lance writer devoted to defining the historical aspects

Agrihan

2005-02-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

Formerly Grigan or Agrigan one of the Mariana Islands, part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It lies in the western Pacific Ocean, 350 miles (563 km) north of Guam. An active volcano that last erupted in 1917, it has a total land area of 18 square miles (47 square km) and rises to 3,166 feet (965 metres), the highest point in the commonwealth. Agrihan was the site of the last stand the indigenous Chamorro people

General Santos

2005-02-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1954) Buayan, city, southern Mindanao, Philippines. The city is named for General Paulino Santos, who directed the pioneer settlement (mostly by Christian Filipino migrants) and development of the Koronadal Valley that began in the mid-1930s. General Santos city is located at the head of Sarangani Bay of the Celebes Sea along the southern shore of Mindanao. The city is a principal shipping

Arbeau, Thoinot

2005-02-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

Orchésographie is

San Carlos De Bariloche

2005-02-15T03:42:00.000-08:00

Also called Bariloche resort town, Río Negro provincia, southwestern Argentina. It lies on the southeastern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapí, in the Andean lake district. Chalet-type building construction, introduced in 1905 by Swiss immigrants, provides an appropriate setting for skiing in the winter months on the slopes of the nearby V. López and Otto peaks, while the many lakes and streams afford

Cosmati Work

2005-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

Type of mosaic technique that was practiced by Roman decorators and architects in the 12th and 13th centuries, in which tiny triangles and squares of coloured stone (red porphyry, green serpentine, and white and other coloured marbles) and glass paste were arranged in patterns and combined with large, stone disks and strips to produce geometric designs. Cosmati work

Qashqa'i Rug

2005-02-13T06:12:00.000-08:00

Qashqa'i also spelled Kashgai, floor covering handwoven by the Qashqa'i tribe, known as the best rug from the Shiraz district of Iran. They are the brightest in colouring, with rich blues and reds and some use of golden yellow. Usually their designs are geometric, perhaps with a row of three diamond medallions against a background replete with tiny forms of all kinds, including stylized animals and

United States, Animal life

2005-02-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

The mammals of the two coasts are strikingly different, though true seals (the harbour seal and the harp seal) are found on both. The sea lions, with longer necks and with projecting ears, are found only in the Pacific—the California sea lion, the more northern Steller's sea lion, and the fur seal. On the East Coast the larger rivers of Florida are inhabited by the Florida manatee, or sea cow, a close relative of the more widespread and more distinctively marine West Indian species.

Media And Publishing, Amateur Radio.

2005-02-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

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

Fursey, Saint

2005-02-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

First educated under Brendan the Navigator, Fursey later became a monk at the monastery of Clonfert, in County Galway,

Holiday, Billie

2005-02-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

Eleanora Fagan was the daughter of Clarence Holiday, a professional musician who for a time played guitar with the Fletcher Henderson band. She later adopted the name Billie from a favourite movie actress, Billie Dove. In 1928 she moved with her

Devil

2005-02-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

In the monotheistic Western religions, the devil is viewed as a fallen angel who in pride has tried to usurp the position of

Melchizedek

2005-02-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Melchisedech, in the Old Testament, a figure of importance in biblical tradition because he was both king and priest, was connected with Jerusalem, and was revered by Abraham, who paid a tithe to him. He appears as a person only in an interpolated vignette (Gen. 14:18–20) of the story of Abraham rescuing his kidnapped nephew, Lot, by defeating a coalition of Mesopotamian kings under

Adam, Paul

2005-02-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Author whose early works exemplify the Naturalist and Symbolist schools and who later won considerable reputation for his historical and sociological novels. Publication of his first Naturalist novel, Chair molle (1885), led to his being prosecuted; his second, Le Thé chez Miranda (1886), written with Jean Moréas, is an early example of Symbolism. In 1899, with La

Pork

2005-02-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Flesh of hogs, usually slaughtered between the ages of six months and one year. The most desirable pork is grayish pink in colour, firm and fine-grained, well-marbled, and covered with an outer layer of firm white fat. About 30 percent of the meat is consumed as cooked fresh meat; the remainder is cured or smoked for bacon and ham, used in sausage, and rendered to produce lard.

Adam, Paul

2005-02-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

Originally based in the Shankill Road area of Belfast, the UDA was responsible for political murders of Roman Catholics and prominent Republicans, though it claimed responsibility for most killings

Hanks, Nancy

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

Hanks graduated from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, in 1949 and two years later settled in Washington, D.C. In 1953 she became an assistant to Nelson A. Rockefeller, then

Atzcapotzalco

2005-01-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Azcapotzalco, city, northwestern Federal District, central Mexico. Situated approximately 7,350 feet (2,240 m) above sea level in the Valley of Mexico, the city was founded in the 12th century and given the Aztec name meaning “anthill” because of its large population. It became famous for its slave market and the skill of its craftsmen in working precious metals. Hernán Cortés later set up smelters

China, Reorganization of the KMT

2005-01-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

The KMT held its First National Congress in Canton on Jan. 20–30, 1924. Borodin, who had reached Canton in October 1923, began to advise Sun in the reorganization of his party. He prepared a constitution and helped draft a party program as a set of basic national policies. Delegates from throughout China and from overseas branches of the party adopted the program and the new constitution.

Jabiru

2005-01-29T01:22:00.000-08:00

(species Jabiru mycteria), a typical stork of the New World, ranging from Mexico to Argentina. The jabiru belongs to the stork family, Ciconiidae (order Ciconiiformes). It is mostly white, with the naked skin of the head and upper neck black and red. The unusually heavy bill is slightly upturned. The jabiru is one of the largest American flying birds, reaching a length of 140 cm

Thomas, Norman (mattoon)

2005-01-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Following his graduation from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, about 1911, Thomas accepted the pastorate of the East Harlem Church and the chairmanship of the American Parish, a settlement house in one of the poorest sections of New York City.

Epistemology, Ancient

2005-01-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

An excellent collection on skepticism is Miles Burnyeat (ed.), The Skeptical Tradition (1983). For Greek Skepticism in particular, see Charlotte L. Stough, Greek Skepticism: A Study in Epistemology (1969). The chief epistemological works of Plato are his Meno, Theaetetus, and Republic, especially Books V–VII. The views of Aristotle can be found in On the Soul, Metaphysics, Book IV, ch. 5 and 6, and Posterior Analytics, Book I, ch. 3. The locus classicus for ancient skepticism is R.G. Bury (trans.), Sextus Empiricus, 4 vol. (1933–49), in The Loeb Classical Library series. From among the voluminous writings of Augustine, see Against the Academicians, trans. by Mary Patricia Garvey (1942, reissued 1978).

Wren-babbler

2005-01-27T03:23:00.000-08:00

Any of about 20 species of small Asian birds belonging to the babbler family Timaliidae (order Passeriformes). They are 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) long, rather short-tailed, and have a rather short and straight bill. These features differentiate wren-babblers from the closely related scimitar-babblers. Wren-babblers occur chiefly in southern Asia. An example is the streaked

Antequera

2005-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

City, Málaga province, in the autonomous community (region) of Andalusia, southern Spain, northwest of Málaga, at the foot of the Sierra del Torcal. Neolithic dolmens (Menga, Viera, and El Romeral) attest to prehistoric occupation of the site. The city, known to the Romans as Anticaria and to the Moors as Madinah Antakira, was reconquered for Christian Spain by the infante

Water

2005-01-25T04:11:00.000-08:00

A substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid states. Water is one of the most plentiful and essential of compounds. It is vital to life, participating in virtually every process that occurs in plants and animals. Although the molecules of water are simple in structure (H2O), the physical and chemical properties

Gauge

2005-01-24T01:42:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Gage, in manufacturing and engineering, a device used to determine, either directly or indirectly, whether a dimension is larger or smaller than another dimension that is used as a reference standard. Some devices termed gauges may actually measure the size of the object to be gauged, but most gauges merely indicate whether the dimensions of the test object are sufficiently

Mammal, Dentition

2005-01-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

Specialization in food habits has led to profound dental changes. The primitive mammalian tooth had high, sharp cusps and served to tear flesh or crush chitinous material (primarily the exoskeletons of terrestrial arthropods, such as insects). Herbivores tend to have specialized cheek teeth with complex occlusal (contact) patterns and various ways of expanding

France, History Of, The shrinking of the frontiers and peripheral areas

2005-01-22T17:48:00.000-08:00

These events undermined the Frankish hegemony. In Brittany the Franks maintained control of the eastern region but had to cope with raids by the Bretons, who had established heavily populated settlements in the western part of the peninsula. To the southwest the Gascons, a highland people from the Pyrenees, had been driven northward by the Visigoths in 578 and settled

Quidor, John

2005-01-21T04:21:00.000-08:00

At age nine Quidor moved with his family to New York City. He began his career

Oberth, Hermann (julius)

2005-01-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

The son of a prosperous physician, Oberth studied medicine in Munich, but his education was interrupted by service in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I. After being wounded in the war, he found time to pursue

Lear, William P(owell)

2005-01-19T05:32:00.000-08:00

The child of immigrant parents

Carnatic Music

2005-01-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Karnatic Music, music of southern India (generally south of the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh state) that evolved from ancient Hindu traditions and was relatively unaffected by the Arabic and Iranian influences that, since the late 12th and early 13th centuries, as a result of the Islamic conquest of the north, have characterized the Hindustani music of northern India. In contrast

Raymond Terrace

2005-01-17T02:02:00.000-08:00

Town, eastern New South Wales, Australia, on the east bank of the Hunter River (near its junction with the Williams), just north of Newcastle. Founded in the 1830s, the town was named after a member of an exploring expedition in 1812 led by Gov. Lachlan Macquarie. An important wool river port in the 1840s, Raymond Terrace was proclaimed a municipality and in 1937 merged into the Shire of Port

Jet Engine, Medium-bypass turbofans, high-bypass turbofans, and ultrahigh-bypass engines

2005-01-16T22:50:00.000-08:00

Moving up in the spectrum of flight speeds to the transonic regime—Mach numbers from 0.75 to 0.9—the most common engine configurations are turbofan engines, such as those shown in Figures 4 and 5. In a turbofan, only a part of the gas horsepower generated by the core is extracted to drive a propulsor, which usually consists of a single low-pressure-ratio, shrouded turbocompression

Raymond Terrace

2005-01-15T01:22:00.000-08:00

At the end of World War II, Christian Democratic parties

Fu'ad I

2005-01-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

After serving in a number of administrative posts, Fu'ad became sultan of Egypt in 1917, at which time Egypt was still a British protectorate. In 1919 Britain indicated a willingness to negotiate a treaty that would give Egypt more independence. Most Egyptians welcomed this prospect,

Goatsbeard

2005-01-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

(species Aruncus dioicus or A. sylvester), herbaceous perennial plant, of the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the North Temperate Zone. It occurs most commonly in rich woods, especially in mountainous regions. The plant grows 1.2 to 1.8 m (4 to 6 feet) tall and has pinnately compound (i.e., feather-formed) leaves up to 50 cm (20 inches) long. Eight to 10 small, stalkless, white flowers are borne on leafless

Tura

2005-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Urban settlement and administrative centre of Evenky autonomous okrug (district), Krasnoyarsk kray (region), east-central Russia. The settlement lies along the Nizhnaya (Lower) Tunguska River at its confluence with the Kochechum. Tura is a transshipment point on the river. It is also the site of an institute of agriculture of the far north and a regional museum. Pop. (1991 est.)

Macdowell, Edward (alexander)

2005-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

MacDowell first studied in New York with Teresa Carreño and then at the Conservatoire (1876–78) in Paris. In 1878 he went to Germany to study composition

Madeira River

2005-01-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Rio Madeira, major tributary of the Amazon. It is formed by the junction of the Mamoré and Beni rivers at Villa Bella, Bolivia, and flows northward forming the border between Bolivia and Brazil for approximately 60 miles (100 km). After receiving the Rio Abunã, the Madeira meanders northeastward in Brazil through Rondônia and Amazonas states to its junction with the Amazon River, 90 miles

Furniture, France

2005-01-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

The Neoclassical style, sometimes called Louis Seize, or Louis XVI, began in the 1750s. Tiring of the Rococo style, craftsmen of the 18th century turned for inspiration to classical art. The movement was stimulated by archaeological discoveries, by travel in Italy, Greece, and the Near East, and by the publication, all over Europe, of works on the classical monuments. The Neoclassical

Arabia, History Of, Religious reform

2005-01-07T01:48:00.000-08:00

The Wahhabi movement, which introduced a new factor into the pattern of Arabian politics, was founded by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, a reformer influenced by the writings of the 13th–14th-century pietist theologian Ibn Taymiyah, of the strict Hanbali school of Islamic law. It was 'Abd al-Wahhab's intention to purify Islam of polytheism and to return it to an idealized primitive state.

Mclean, Jackie

2005-01-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

From a musical family, McLean became known as a fine altoist in his teens and first recorded in 1951, with Miles Davis, playing “Dig” (also called “Donna”), a McLean theme that became a jazz standard. McLean played in Charles Mingus' and Art Blakey's groups, then

Uzice

2005-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1947–92) Titovo Uzice, town, Serbia, Yugoslavia. It lies along the Djetinja River and the Sarajevo-Cacak-Belgrade railway line. A medieval town of strategic importance, Uzice was the headquarters for the Partisan army in autumn 1941. It was renamed in honour of Josip Broz Tito in 1946 but reverted to its old name in 1992. The Museum of the Insurrection is installed in the building that served as headquarters

Gobi, Plant life

2005-01-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

Vegetation, as mentioned above, is sparse and rare. On the plateau and on the plains beneath the mountains, small bushlike vegetation occurs: echinochloa (a type of succulent grass found in warm regions), yellowwood bean caper, winter fat (a shrub covered with densely matted hairs), Dzungarian reaumur, nitre bush, and bushlike halophytic vegetation. In the salt marshes,

Baseball Hall Of Fame

2005-01-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

In full National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum museum and honorary society, Cooperstown, New York, U.S. The origins of the hall can be traced to 1935, when plans were first put forward for the 1939 celebration of the supposed centennial of baseball (it was then believed that the American army officer Abner Doubleday had developed the game at Cooperstown in 1839, a story that was later discredited). The first vote for players to be

Pen Drawing

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

Artwork executed wholly or in part with pen and ink, usually on paper. Pen drawing is fundamentally a linear method of making images. In pure pen drawing in which the artist wishes to supplement his outlines with tonal suggestions of three-dimensional form, modeling must necessarily be effected by the close juxtaposition of a series of strokes forming areas of hatching

Botrytis Blight

2004-12-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

Also called botrytis rot , or gray mold blight disease of plants growing in humid areas that is usually caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Most vegetables, fruits, flowers, and woody plants are susceptible; injured, old, and dead plant parts become infected first. Soft, tan to brown spots or blotches become covered with a dusty mold in moist weather. Seedlings, young shoots, or leaves may wither and collapse; buds

Floquet, Charles (-thomas)

2004-12-31T06:01:00.000-08:00

Floquet strongly opposed the Second Empire and rapidly made a name for himself as a republican lawyer and journalist. In 1870–71 he participated in the formation of the new republic and

Fleming, Victor

2004-12-30T08:16:00.000-08:00

Fleming started in the industry as a stunt car driver in 1910, later doing camera work for D.W. Griffith. Serving in the photographic section during World War I, he acted as

Sara

2004-12-28T01:09:00.000-08:00

Cluster of peoples living on the fringe of the southern Sudan, especially in the northwestern regions of the Central African Republic and the south-central area surrounding Sarh, south of Lake Chad in Chad. They include the Gula, Kara, Kreish, Nduka, Ngama, and Sara proper. The Sara peoples all speak Central Sudanic languages of the Nilo-Saharan language family, and their

Swag

2004-12-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

The swag, or festoon, usually carved from

Valdosta

2004-12-27T03:28:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1860) of Lowndes county, southern Georgia, U.S., about 60 miles (100 km) northeast of Tallahassee, Florida. Troupville, the original town and county seat (1828, as Franklinville), was moved 4 miles (6 km) east in 1859 to the present site to be on the right-of-way of the area's first railroad. The new town was named for Georgia Governor George M. Troup's plantation, Val d'Osta (for the Italian region Valle

Nordenskjöld, Otto

2004-12-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

A nephew of the scientist-explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, he became a lecturer in mineralogy and geology at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1894 and led a geologic expedition to southern South America

Olm

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

(Proteus anguinus), blind salamander belonging to the family Proteidae (order Caudata) and found in caves of the Carpathian Mountains in southeastern Europe. It grows to about 30 cm (12 inches) long and has a normally white (unpigmented) body, tiny limbs, red gill plumes, narrow head, and a blunt snout. The olm's vestigial but light-sensitive eyes are covered with skin. It usually

Leadbelly

2004-12-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Musical from childhood, Leadbelly played accordion, 6- and 12-string guitar, bass, and harmonica. He led a wandering life, learning songs by absorbing oral tradition.

Smibert, John

2004-12-22T22:16:00.000-08:00

Smibert was apprenticed to a house painter in Edinburgh and in 1709 went to London. In 1713 he studied at London's Great Queen Street's Academy, which was run by Sir Godfrey Kneller, whose late-Baroque style would

Amnesty

2004-12-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

In criminal law, sovereign act of oblivion or forgetfulness (from Greek amnesia) for past acts, granted by a government to persons who have been guilty of crimes. It is often conditional upon their return to obedience and duty within a prescribed period. Amnesty is granted usually for political crimes against the state, such as treason, sedition, or rebellion. It is addressed

Canterbury Plains

2004-12-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

Organized settlement

Alternation Of Generations

2004-12-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

In algae, fungi, mosses, ferns, and seed plants, alternation of generations is common; it is not always easy to observe, however, since one or the other of the generations is often

Nicaragua, Flag Of

2004-12-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Independence for Central America was first proclaimed on September 15, 1821, but Mexico then subdued the area for two years. The flag of the newly independent United Provinces of Central America was adopted on August 21, 1823, and consisted of blue-white-blue stripes with the national coat of arms in the centre. Those arms included basically the same design elements Nicaragua uses

Girl Scouts

2004-12-18T03:23:00.000-08:00

Also called (in Great Britain and some other countries) Girl Guides worldwide organization for girls, dedicated to training them in citizenship, good conduct, and outdoor activities. Robert (later Lord) Baden-Powell founded the Girl Guides in Great Britain in 1910 in response to the requests of girls who were interested in the Boy Scout movement established by him in 1908. The first Girl Scout troop in the United States was formed in 1912 by Juliette

Trianon, Treaty Of

2004-12-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

The Allies' presentation of their terms for peace with Hungary was delayed first by their reluctance to treat with Béla Kun's communist regime in that country and subsequently by the obvious