FoolishPencil

Pittosporaceae

2005-04-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Family of nine genera of trees, shrubs, or vinelike plants, in the order Rosales, distributed from tropical Africa to the Pacific islands. Members of the family have long, leathery, evergreen leaves; resin in stem ducts; and white, blue, yellow, or reddish flowers. Species of the genus Pittosporum are commonly known as Australian laurel. Tobira, or house-blooming mock orange

Saratoga

2005-04-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

County, eastern New York state, U.S., bounded by the Hudson River to the northeast and east and the Mohawk River to the southeast. Other waterways include Snook Kill and Great Sacandaga, Saratoga, and Galway lakes. The terrain rises from Hudson valley lowlands in the south and east to the Adirondack Mountains in the northwest. Adirondack Park occupies the northwestern

Balalaika

2005-03-31T03:51:00.000-08:00

Russian stringed musical instrument of the lute family. It was developed in the 18th century from the dombra, or domra, a round-bodied, long-necked, three-stringed lute played in Russia and Central Asia. The balalaika is made in six sizes, from piccolo to double bass, and has a flat back and a triangular table, or belly, that tapers to the fretted neck. The frets are movable, and

Spraying And Dusting

2005-03-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

In agriculture, the standard methods of applying pest-control chemicals and other compounds. In spraying, the chemicals to be applied are dissolved or suspended in water or, less commonly, in an oil-based carrier. The mixture is then applied as a fine mist to plants, animals, soils, or products to be treated. In dusting, as an alternative method, dry, finely powdered chemicals

Allodium

2005-03-28T01:28:00.000-08:00

The anarchy that ensued in France after the decline of the Carolingian monarchy at the end of the 9th century allowed much land to be seized and held free, although a large part

Conscription

2005-03-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

Modified forms of conscription

Russell, Pee Wee

2005-03-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Reluctantly trained in violin as a child, Russell also tried piano and drums before settling on the clarinet, on which he became a distinctive stylist. Russell developed a quirky, chance-taking style that employed a generally plaintive tone punctuated by growls, squeaks, and breathy mutterings.

Venetian Needle Lace

2005-03-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

French Point De Venise, Venetian lace made with a needle from the 16th to the 19th century. Early examples were deep, acute-angled points, each worked separately and linked together by a narrow band, or “footing,” stitched with buttonholing. These points were used in ruffs and collars in the 16th and 17th centuries and, from their presence in portraits by Anthony Van Dyck, are known as “vandykes.” Geometrical

Anhwei, Relief

2005-03-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

The northern portion of Anhwei Province is occupied by the North China Plain—an immense level surface that has periodically been flooded by its dominant rivers. The southern section of the province, the Yangtze Valley, is separated from the northern plain by a series of mountains that stretch roughly from west to east. The Ta-pieh Mountains—an extension of the

Blondel, Maurice (édouard)

2005-03-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

He studied at the École Normale Supérieure under Léon Ollé-Laprune and first formulated his philosophy in L'action (1893). Blondel was influenced

Metacarpal

2005-03-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

Any of several tubular bones between the wrist (carpal) bones and each of the forelimb digits in land vertebrates, corresponding to the metatarsal bones of the foot. Originally numbering five, metacarpals in many mammals have undergone much change and reduction during evolution. The lower leg of the horse, for example, includes only one strengthened metacarpal;

São Francisco River

2005-03-20T01:10:00.000-08:00

The upper-middle basin is an agricultural region in which cotton, beans, rice, and corn (maize) are grown. The

Nitti, Frank

2005-03-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Starting as a barber, Nitti became a fence for stolen goods and about 1920 joined Capone's gang. He was sent to prison for 18 months after pleading guilty in 1930 to income-tax evasion, but thereafter he nominally

Deep-sea Trench

2005-03-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Trenches generally lie seaward of and parallel to adjacent island arcs or mountain ranges

East Indiaman

2005-03-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

Large sailing vessel of the type built from the 16th to the 19th century for the trade between Europe and southern Asia. The first were Portuguese and Dutch; English Indiamen appeared late in the 16th century and eventually came to dominate the trade. The ships varied in size from about 400 to 1,500 tons and more; often they were larger than contemporary men-of-war. They were three-masted

Cadmium Poisoning

2005-03-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Toxic effects of cadmium or its compounds on body tissues and functions. Poisoning may result from the ingestion of an acid food or drink prepared in a cadmium-lined vessel (e.g., lemonade served from cadmium-plated cans). Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and prostration usually occur within 15 minutes after ingestion and subside within 24 hours. Inhalation of cadmium fumes in

Chilpancingo, Congress Of

2005-03-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

(September–November 1813), meeting held at Chilpancingo, in present Guerrero state, Mex., that declared the independence of Mexico from Spain and drafted a constitution, which received final approval (Oct. 22, 1814) at the Congress of Apatzingán. José María Morelos y Pavón, who called the congress at Chilpancingo, had assumed leadership of the Mexican independence movement after

Mountain, Mountain belts associated with crustal shortening

2005-03-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Most mountain belts of the world and nearly all of those in Europe, Asia, and North America have been built by horizontal crustal shortening and associated crustal thickening. The landforms associated with such belts depend on the rates, amounts, and types of crustal deformation that occur and on the types of rocks that are exposed to erosion. To some extent the deformation

Alexander

2005-03-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

Alexander was crowned co-emperor with his brother Leo VI in 879 after the death of their elder brother, Constantine, but he remained inactive in state affairs until after Leo's

Legume

2005-03-11T00:17:00.000-08:00

Also called pod fruit of plants of the order Fabales (q.v.), consisting of the single family Leguminosae, or Fabaceae (peas, beans, vetch, and so on). The dry fruit releases its seeds by splitting open along two seams. Legumes furnish food for humans and animals and provide edible oils, fibres, and raw material for plastics. Nutritionally, they are high in protein and contain many of the essential

Kachchh, Rann Of

2005-03-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

Kachchh also spelled Kutch, Cutch , or Kachh saline mudflats, west-central India and southern Pakistan. The Great Rann covers an area of about 7,000 square miles (18,000 square km) and lies almost entirely within Gujarat state, India, along the border with Pakistan. The Little Rann of Kachchh extends northeast from the Gulf of Kachchh and occupies about 2,000 square miles (5,100 square km) in Gujarat state. Originally an extension of the

Computers, Interpreters

2005-03-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

HLL coding was attempted right from the start of the stored-program era in the late 1940s. Shortcode, or short-order code, was the first such language actually implemented. Suggested by John Mauchly in 1949, it was implemented by William Schmitt for the BINAC computer in that year and for UNIVAC in 1950. Shortcode went through multiple steps: first it converted the alphabetic statements

Gauthey, Emiland-marie

2005-03-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

Gauthey studied at the École des Ponts et Chaussées (School of Bridges and Highways) in Paris, then taught there while making

Saint-jean-sur-richelieu

2005-03-07T01:58:00.000-08:00

Also called Saint-Jean city, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada, on the west bank of the Richelieu River, opposite Iberville. Its site, 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Montreal city, was first occupied by Fort-Saint-Jean, built in 1666 and reconstructed in 1748 and 1775. The city became a trading centre on major roads, the Chambly Canal (linking Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence River), and Canada's first

Arabia, Ethnic groups

2005-03-06T05:08:00.000-08:00

In ethnographic terms, Arabs belong to the Mediterranean local race, a subgroup of the Caucasoid geographic race. According to tradition, Arabs are descended from a southern Arabian ancestor, Qahtan, forebear of the “pure” or “genuine” Arabs (known as al-'Arab al-'Aribah), and a northern Arabian ancestor, 'Adnan, forebear of the “Arabicized” Arabs (al-'Arab al-Musta'ribah). A tradition,

Israel, Samaritans

2005-03-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

Samaritans trace their roots to those Jews not dispersed when the Assyrians conquered Israel in the 8th century BCE. About half of the few hundred surviving members of the Samaritan community live near Tel Aviv in the town of Holon. The rest live on Mount Gerizim (Arabic: Jabal al-Tur), near Nabulus in the West Bank. They preserve their separate religious and communal organizations

Armenia

2005-03-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Quindío departamento, west-central Colombia. It lies on the western slopes of the Cordillera Central at an elevation of 4,865 feet (1,483 m), between the Espejo and Quindío rivers. The city lies along a spur of the railway from Puerto Berrío to Popayán and is the transfer point for road traffic to Bogotá via Ibagué (30 miles [50 km] southeast). Armenia (named for the ancient

Gall, Saint

2005-03-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

Educated at the monastery of Bangor (in present-day North Down district, N.Ire.), Gall became a disciple of St. Columban and joined him on a mission to France. When Columban proceeded to Italy, Gall remained with the semipagan Alemanni,

Religion

2005-03-02T03:23:00.000-08:00

More than 700 members of a Ugandan group called the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments were found dead in several locations after having been killed by fire, poisoning, and strangulation. It appeared that the group's founder, former Roman Catholic catechist Joseph Kibwetere, and its “prophetess,” Credonia Mwerinde, had carried out the murders and then

Wakan

2005-03-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Wakonda, or Wakanda, among various American Indian groups, a great spiritual power of supernatural origin belonging to some natural objects. Wakan may be conceived of as a weak or strong power; the weak powers can be ignored, but the strong ones must be placated. Poisonous plants and reptiles can contain wakan, as can intoxicating drinks. Wakan beings are the immortal supernatural powers

Selenium Cell

2005-02-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Photoelectric device used to generate or control an electric current. Selenium photocells are commonly used in photographic-exposure meters, burglar alarms, electronic-door opening and counting devices, electronic control systems in factory assembly lines, and industrial colour perceptors. In some ways, such as colour perception and sensitivity, the performance

John George Ii

2005-02-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

In 1657, just after his accession, he made an arrangement with his three brothers with the object of preventing disputes over their separate territories, and in 1664 he entered into friendly relations with Louis XIV of France. He received money from the French

Gtsang Dynasty

2005-02-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Also spelled gTsang (c. 1565–1642), Chinese royal dynasty whose rule was centred in the province of Gtsang, or gTsang. The Gtsang was the last secular native ruling house in Tibet. After overthrowing the previous Rin-spung rulers of the country around 1565, the Gtsang kings allied themselves with the powerful Karma-pa, or Red Hat, order of Buddhists and opposed the new reformed Dge-lugs-pa, or Yellow Hat, Buddhists,

Ady, Endre

2005-02-25T02:38:00.000-08:00

Ady was born into an impoverished but noble family. On leaving school he studied law for a time, but in 1899 he published an insignificant volume of verse, Versek, and from 1900 until his death he worked as a journalist. In 1903 he published another volume of poetry,

Arpino, Gerald

2005-02-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

While serving in the U.S. Coast Guard (1945–48), Arpino met dancer Robert Joffrey in Seattle, Wash., and learned dancing in his spare time. Later, after training and performing in New York City, he toured with the Ballet Russe and appeared in Broadway musicals. He helped Joffrey

Agriculture

2005-02-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

The science or art of cultivating the soil, growing and harvesting crops, and raising livestock. The art of making land more productive is practiced throughout the world—in some areas by methods not far removed from the conditions of several thousands of years ago and in other areas, with the aid of science and mechanization, as a highly commercial type of endeavour.

Alabama, Relief

2005-02-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

The southern extremities of the Appalachians cover almost

Syrian Desert

2005-02-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

Arabic Badiyat Ash-sham, arid wasteland of southwestern Asia, extending northward from the Arabian Peninsula over much of northern Saudi Arabia, eastern Jordan, southern Syria, and western Iraq. Receiving on the average less than 5 inches (125 mm) of rainfall annually and largely covered by lava flows, it formed a nearly impenetrable barrier between the populated areas of the Levant and Mesopotamia

Italic Script

2005-02-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

In calligraphy, script developed by the Italian humanists about 1400 from antique Latin texts and inscriptions. The humanists called the Carolingian minuscule in which most of these sources were preserved lettera antica, mistakenly regarding it as a Roman script from the time of Cicero. The Florentine scribe Niccolò Niccoli (d. 1437) combined the rhythm and fluidity of

Cohan, George M.

2005-02-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

At an early age he performed with his parents and sister, subsequently taking comedy roles in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage. By 1893 he was writing vaudeville skits and popular songs. His

Holabird, William

2005-02-18T01:22:00.000-08:00

U.S. architect who, with his partner, Martin Roche, was a leading exponent of the influential Chicago School of commercial architecture; their Tacoma Building (Chicago, 1886–89) established the use of a total steel skeleton as a framework for building skyscrapers—a significant advance over the pioneering use of metal supports in the

Forbin, Claude De

2005-02-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

After becoming an experienced seaman, he went on a French mission to the king of Siam, whom he served as grand admiral for two years (1685–87). Returning to France as commandant of a frigate

Levi, Carlo

2005-02-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

Levi was a painter and a practicing physician when he was exiled (1935–36) to the southern district of Lucania for anti-Fascist activities. His

Biblical Literature, Division of the land and renewal of the Covenant

2005-02-15T00:32:00.000-08:00

The division of the land among the tribes is recounted in chapters 13–22. Two sources were apparently used by the Deuteronomist in dealing with the division of the land: a boundary list from the pre-monarchical period (i.e., before the late 11th century BCE) and a list of cities occupied by several tribes from the 10th to the 7th century BCE. The tribes who occupied territories were: Reuben,

Durham

2005-02-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

Administrative, geographic, and historic county of northeastern England, on the North Sea coast. The administrative, geographic, and historic counties cover somewhat different areas. The administrative county comprises seven districts: Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, the city of Durham, Easington, the borough of Sedgefield, Teesdale, and Wear Valley. The geographic

Permafrost, Air temperature and ground temperature

2005-02-11T04:32:00.000-08:00

In areas where the mean annual air temperature becomes colder than 0° C, some of the ground frozen in the winter will not be completely thawed in the summer; therefore, a layer of permafrost will form and continue to grow downward gradually each year from the seasonally frozen ground. The permafrost layer will become thicker each winter, its thickness controlled by

Pyramid Lake

2005-02-10T02:19:00.000-08:00

Lake within Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, western Nevada, U.S., between the Lake Range and the Virginia Mountains. A remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan, Pyramid Lake was formed during the Pleistocene Epoch (which began about 1.6 million years ago). It is the largest natural lake in the state, about 30 miles (48 km) long and 7 to 9 miles (11 to 14 km) wide, and is fed from the south by the Truckee

Gnu

2005-02-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

The gnu, which stands higher at the shoulder than at the rump, attains a shoulder height of 1–1.3 metres (3–4 feet). The southern African form, the white-tailed gnu, or black wildebeest (C. gnou), is dark brown with long black tufts

Actinium Series

2005-02-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

Set of unstable heavy nuclei constituting one of the four radioactive series (q.v.).

Great Hall

2005-02-02T05:29:00.000-08:00

Main apartment in a medieval manor house, monastery, or college, in which meals were taken. In large manor houses it also served other purposes: justice was administered there, entertainments given, and often at night the floor was strewn with rushes so that many of the servants could sleep there.

Albert Of Saxony

2005-01-31T03:38:00.000-08:00

He studied at Prague and then at the University of Paris, where he was a master of arts from 1351 to 1362 and rector in 1353. Most probably he is to be identified with the Albert of Ricmestorp, or Rückmersdorf, who was rector of the University of Vienna in 1365 and bishop

Education, Philosophy Of, Lockean view

2005-01-29T23:01:00.000-08:00

John Locke, the 17th-century English philosopher, has been credited with formulating the classical liberal defense of individual freedom against the authorities of state and church. Opposed both to what he deemed the stagnation of unreflective tradition and the perils of enthusiastic radicalism, Locke saw science, reason, and experience as the best safeguards

Alimentary Paste

2005-01-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

A shaped and dried dough prepared from semolina, farina, wheat flour, or a mixture of these with water or milk and with or without egg or egg yolk. See pasta.

Thun Und Hohenstein, Franz Anton, Prince (fürst) Zu

2005-01-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

Franz Anton was the son of Friedrich, Count von Thun und Hohenstein, and he shared the moderate pro-Czech

Ibagué

2005-01-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

Capital of Tolima department, central Colombia, on the eastern slopes of the Andean Cordillera Central (Central Mountains). Founded as San Bonifacio de Ibagué in 1550 on the site of an Indian village, it was moved to its present location, on a plain 4,216 ft (1,285 m) above sea level, because of Indian attacks. It was the capital of the republic for a short time in 1854. The rapid expansion of coffee

China, The North China Plain

2005-01-20T00:45:00.000-08:00

Comparable in size to the Manchurian Plain, most of this plain lies at heights below 150 feet, and the relief is monotonously flat. It was formed by enormous sedimentary deposits brought down by the Huang Ho and Huai River from the Loess Plateau; the Quaternary deposits alone (i.e., those from 10,000 to 2,500,000 years old) reach thicknesses of 2,500 to 3,000 feet. The river channels, which are higher than

Culbertson, Ely

2005-01-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

Culbertson was the son of an American oil explorer and lived as a boy in Russia. He was educated in Geneva and Paris. In his youth he was a revolutionary agent in the Russian Caucasus, Mexico, and Spain. When his father's

Middletown

2005-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

City, Orange county, southeastern New York, U.S., 60 miles (97 km) northwest of New York City. Settled in 1756, it was organized around the local Congregational church in 1785 and named for its midway location between the Hudson and Delaware rivers. Until 1798 it was in Ulster county. It became headquarters for several turnpike companies and, after 1843, the terminal of the Erie Railroad (later Erie

France, History Of, The abolition of feudalism

2005-01-15T02:36:00.000-08:00

Of course the violence of peasant insurgency worried the deputies of the National Assembly; to some it seemed as if the countryside were being engulfed by anarchy that threatened all property. But the majority was unwilling to turn against the rebellious peasants. Instead of denouncing their violence, they tried to appease peasant opinion. Liberal nobles and

Stone Age, Ax factories and flint mines

2005-01-12T03:43:00.000-08:00

Celts, or axes, were manufactured in factories where specially suitable rock outcrops occurred, and they were traded over great distances. Products of the factories at Graig Lwyd, Penmaenmawr, North Wales, were transported to Wiltshire and Anglesey, those of Tievebulliagh on the Antrim coast to Limerick, Kent, Aberdeen, and the Hebrides. Similarly, large nodules of

Clifford, Sir Hugh Charles

2005-01-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

A descendant of Clifford of the Cabal under Charles II, and a grandson of the 7th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, Hugh Clifford was expected to follow his father, a distinguished general, into the British Army but decided instead to join

Kaf, Al-

2005-01-08T05:17:00.000-08:00

Also spelled El-kef, or Le Kef, town, northwestern Tunisia. The town is situated at an elevation of 2,559 feet (780 m) on the slopes of the Haut (high) Tell, 22 miles (35 km) from the Algerian border. It occupies the site of an ancient Carthaginian town and later Roman colony—Sicca Veneria. Al-Kaf (“The Rock”) was an important stronghold during Turkish rule and is now a regional marketplace and strategic road junction on the

Ocean, The subtropical gyres

2005-01-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

These are anticyclonic circulation features. The Ekman transport within these gyres forces surface water to sink, giving rise to the subtropical convergence near 20°–30° latitude. The centre of the subtropical gyre is shifted to the west. This westward intensification of ocean currents was explained by the American meteorologist and oceanographer Henry M. Stommel

Agung, Abulfatah

2005-01-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

Agung encouraged English and French trade but successfully opposed Dutch expansion into the area in the early part of his reign. In the 1670s, however, when he attempted to change the succession to his throne from his older son Sultan Haji to his younger son, Haji revolted and with Dutch help seized the throne. Haji

Cosmogony

2004-12-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

In astronomy, study of the evolutionary behaviour of the universe and the origin of its characteristic features. For scientific theories on the unsolved problem of the origin of the solar system, see planetesimal; protoplanet; solar nebula. For an outline of the development of astronomical ideas regarding the structure of the universe, see cosmology; for theories

Performing Arts, European Union.

2004-12-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

With the funding facilities of the European Union's MEDIA program, possibilities for co-production, and the formation of a European Film Promotion organization, a clear grouping of national film industries developed, linking the member countries of the European Union along with “candidate countries” and Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland—countries that, though

Metaphor

2004-12-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

The distinction is not simple. The metaphor makes a qualitative leap from a reasonable, perhaps prosaic comparison, to an identification or fusion of two objects, to make one new entity partaking of the characteristics

Biblical Literature, Kings: the second book

2004-12-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Second Book of Kings continues the history of the monarchies of Israel and Judah and of the prophetic movement. Ahaziah fell from an upper chamber of his palace in Samaria and sought help from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. Elijah met the messengers to castigate them for not seeking aid from Yahweh, the God of Israel, and told a third delegation that had been sent out

Amphiuma

2004-12-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

Although there are both three-toed and one-toed species,

Kermadec Trench

2004-12-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

Submarine trench in the floor of the South Pacific Ocean, about 750 mi (1,200 km) in length, forming the eastern boundary of the Kermadec Ridge. The two together comprise the southern half of the Tonga–Kermadec Arc, a structural feature completed to the north by the Tonga Trench and Ridge. The Kermadec Trench reaches a maximum depth of 32,962 ft (10,047 m).

Ahmad Khan, Sir Sayyid

2004-12-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

Sayyid also spelled Syad, or Syed, Ahmad also spelled Ahmed Muslim educator, jurist, and author, founder of the Anglo-Mohammedan Oriental College at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, and the principal motivating force behind the revival of Indian Islam in the late 19th century. His works, in Urdu, include Essays on the Life of Mohammed (1870) and commentaries on the Bible and on the Qur'an. In 1888 he was made a Knight Commander

Norbert Of Xanten, Saint

2004-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Norbert was ordained in 1115. Failing to reform his peers at the collegiate church of Xanten, he traveled throughout France and

Orb Weaver

2004-12-16T02:03:00.000-08:00

Notable among them are the silk spiders (subfamily Nephilinae), so called because of the great strength of their silk, which is sometimes used in the manufacture of textiles.

Arts, Native American, The Northwest Coast

2004-12-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

Indian tribes along the Pacific coasts of Washington and British Columbia developed masked medicine dances and elaborate fishing ceremonies, such as that performed for a bountiful salmon catch. Their two most striking types of ceremonies are the potlatch, a feast and a dance for display and distribution of the host's wealth, and the midwinter initiation ceremony.

Avranches

2004-12-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

In 1172 the excommunicated Henry II of England received absolution in Avranches for the

Zizka, Jan, Count

2004-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

Zizka grew up at the court of the German king Wenceslas (King Wenceslas

Spode Porcelain

2004-12-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

Porcelain introduced about 1800 in the factory of Josiah Spode and Josiah Spode II at Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, Eng. This hybrid porcelain—combining the ingredients of hard-paste porcelain (china clay and china stone) and bone ash—became the standard English bone china. Early Spode porcelain consists of elaborate services and outsize vases, lavishly decorated

Râmnicu Vâlcea

2004-12-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Rîmnicu Vîlcea, city, capital of Vâlcea judet (county), south-central Romania, on the Olt River. Documented as a town in the late 14th century, it was a local market town during the Middle Ages. Historic buildings in the city include the house of Anton Pann, folklorist and writer; a fortified church, Cetatuia; and the local museum, with art and history sections. Since World War II Râmnicu Vâlcea has

Békéscsaba

2004-12-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Town, seat of Békés megye (county), southeastern Hungary. A central point for road and rail communications, it is also connected by canal with the Körös River and serves as an agricultural and industrial centre for a large fertile countryside. A 13th-century Roman Catholic church (rebuilt in the 18th century) is evidence of the town's long occupation. The settlement in the

Sesshu

2004-12-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Original surname Oda , also called Toyo, Unkoku , or Bikeisai artist of the Muromachi period, one of the greatest masters of the Japanese art of sumi-e, or monochrome ink painting. Sesshu adapted Chinese models to Japanese artistic ideals and aesthetic sensibilities. He painted landscapes, Zen Buddhist pictures, and screens decorated with birds, flowers, and animals.

Bristol Bay

2004-11-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

Arm of the Bering Sea, indenting for 200 mi (320 km) the southwest coast of Alaska, U.S.; its mouth extends for 270 mi between Cape Newenham (north) and the southwest end of the Alaska Peninsula (south). Its shoreline includes the individually named bays at the mouths of the Togiak, Nushagak, Kvichak, and Ugashik rivers. The shallowness of Bristol Bay limits navigation to small salmon-fishing

Swanson, Gloria

2004-11-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

Swanson was the only child of a civilian official of the U.S. Army transport service, whose work during Swanson's childhood took the family to

Dagestan

2004-11-26T21:04:00.000-08:00

Dagestan can be divided into five physical regions. The first, occupying most of the southern half of the republic, consists of the Caucasus Mountains, there at their widest.

Keeler, Wee Willie

2004-11-24T00:51:00.000-08:00

Keeler was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed. He played in the major leagues from 1892 to 1910 and achieved a career batting average

Zahiriyah

2004-11-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “Literalists”), followers of an Islamic legal school that insisted on strict adherence to the literal text (zahir) of the Qur'an and Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) as the only source of Muslim law. Founded in Iraq by Dawud Khalaf in the 9th century, it spread to Iran, North Africa, and Muslim Spain, where the philosopher Ibn Hazm was its chief exponent. Although

Zahiriyah

2004-11-19T19:07:00.000-08:00

Organization that evolved out of an international protest against atmospheric nuclear testing held on November 1, 1961. On that day between 12,000 and 50,000 women in various nations demonstrated to protest nuclear testing and to voice concern, in particular, about the hazards posed by such testing to children's health. In the United States some 1,500 women marched in Washington, D.C., to make

Alabama, Industry

2004-11-17T04:34:00.000-08:00

Industrial development in Alabama has long been based on the iron and steel industry of Birmingham, the development of which was facilitated by accessible deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone. Other minerals include the state's well-known white marble. Oil production in commercial quantities dates from 1944, and there are a number of wells in the coastal regions.

Earth, Magnetic reconnection

2004-11-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

The observed dependence of geomagnetic activity on the orientation of the IMF is explained by most researchers as a consequence of magnetic reconnection. In reconnection, two oppositely directed magnetic fields are brought together by flowing plasmas at an x-type neutral line. Far from the neutral line the magnetic field is frozen in the plasma; however, near

Biblical Literature, Greek versions

2004-11-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

The first New Testament was done by Maximus of Gallipoli in 1638 (at Geneva?). The British

Narrandera

2004-11-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Town, south central New South Wales, Australia, on the Murrumbidgee River. Settled in 1863 as a livestock station, it was proclaimed a town in 1880 and given an Aboriginal name meaning “place of lizards.” Gazetted a borough in 1885, it was merged with Yanco Shire in 1960. Lying within the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas, it serves, with the nearby towns of Leeton and Griffith, a district producing

Wyspianski, Stanislaw

2004-11-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

Wyspianski's early education included classical literature and fine arts. In 1890 he received a grant enabling him

Silk Road

2004-11-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Originating at Sian, the 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometre) road, actually a caravan tract, followed the Great Wall

Maso Di Banco

2004-10-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

Florentine painter who was the most talented of Giotto's pupils. Maso's work displays a style that effectively and intelligently incorporated the teachings of the master. It was the work of Maso that Ghiberti singled out in the 15th century for praise. Maso is mentioned in connection with the Bardi family in a document of 1341. It was a member of this family that provided

Ear Disease, Ossicular interruption

2004-10-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

The ossicular chain of three tiny bones needed to carry sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the fluid that fills the inner ear may be disrupted by infection or by a jarring blow on the head. Most often the separation occurs at its weakest point, where the incus joins the stapes. If the separation is partial, there is a mild impairment of hearing; if it is complete,

Korean Literature

2004-10-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

Although Korea has had its own language for several thousand years, it has had a writing system only since the mid-15th century, when Hangul

Lear

2004-10-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Legendary British king and central character of William Shakespeare's King Lear. One of the most moving of Shakespeare's tragic figures, Lear grows in self-awareness as he diminishes in authority and loses his illusions. Lear at the outset presents the very picture of foolish egotism and is tricked out of what he has expected to be a carefree retirement by his own

Blomberg, Werner (eduard Fritz) Von

2004-10-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

A general staff officer during World War I, Blomberg was named chief of staff of the Stuttgart army area (1921), head of the department of military training

Dysmenorrhea

2004-10-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Primary

Colonialism, Western, World War II (193945)

2004-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Although the Axis Powers failed in their global strategy, they crippled European colonial rule in Asia.

Encyclopædia Britannica

2004-10-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

The oldest and largest English-language general encyclopaedia. The Encyclopædia Britannica has been published since 1768, when its first edition began to appear in Edinburgh, Scotland.