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Faraaz Damji | 15 Jun 06:09

[Wikipedia] June 15: The World Without Us

   The World Without Us is a non-fiction book about what would happen to
   the natural and built environment if humans suddenly disappeared,
   written by American journalist Alan Weisman and published by St.
   Martin's Thomas Dunne Books.  It is a book-length expansion of
   Weisman's own February 2005 Discover article "Earth Without People".
   Written largely as a thought experiment, it outlines, for example, how
   cities and houses would deteriorate, how long man-made artifacts would
   last, and how remaining lifeforms would evolve.  Weisman concludes that
   residential neighborhoods would become forests within 500 years, and
   that radioactive waste, bronze statues, plastics, and Mount Rushmore
   will be among the longest lasting evidence of human presence on Earth.
   The author of four previous books and numerous articles for magazines,
   Weisman traveled around the world to interview academics, scientists
   and other authorities.  He used quotes from these interviews to explain
   the effects of the natural environment and to substantiate
   predictions.  The book has been translated and published in France,
   Germany, Portugal and Spain.  It was successful in the U.S., reaching
   #6 on the New York Times Best Seller list.  It ranked #1 on Time and
   Entertainment Weekly's top 10 non-fiction books of 2007.
   The book has received largely positive reviews, specifically for
   Weisman's journalistic and scientific writing style, but some have
   questioned the relevance of its subject matter.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Without_Us

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1667:
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Faraaz Damji | 13 Jun 07:30

[Wikipedia] June 13: Priestley Riots

   The Priestley Riots took place from 14 July to 17 July 1791 in
   Birmingham, England; the rioters' main targets were religious
   Dissenters, most notably the religious and political controversialist,
   Joseph Priestley.  The riots started with an attack on a hotel that was
   the site of a banquet organized in sympathy with the French
   Revolution.  Then, beginning with Priestley's church and home, the
   rioters attacked or burned four Dissenting chapels, twenty-seven
   houses, and several businesses.  Many of them became intoxicated by
   liquor that they found while looting, or with which they were bribed
   to stop burning homes.  A small core could not be bribed, however, and
   remained sober.  They burned not only the homes and chapels of
   Dissenters, but also the homes of people they associated with
   Dissenters, such as members of the scientific Lunar Society.  While the
   riots were not initiated by Prime Minister William Pitt's
   administration, the national government was slow to respond to the
   Dissenters' pleas for help.  Local Birmingham officials seem to have
   been involved in the planning of the riots, and they were later
   reluctant to prosecute any ringleaders.  Those who had been attacked
   gradually left, leaving Birmingham a more conservative city than it
   had been throughout the eighteenth century.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestley_Riots

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1525:
   Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora, against the celibacy
   discipline decreed by the Roman Catholic Church on priests.
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Faraaz Damji | 12 Jun 07:24

[Wikipedia] June 12: Durian

   The durian is the fruit of trees of the genus Durio belonging to the
   Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton,
   mallows and linden trees.  Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia
   as the "King of Fruits," the fruit is distinctive for its large size,
   unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk.  The fruit can grow up
   to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter,
   and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb).  Its shape
   ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown,
   and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on the species.  The hard
   outer husk is covered with sharp, prickly thorns while the edible
   flesh within emits a distinctive odour, which is regarded as either
   fragrant or overpowering and offensive.  The odour of the ripe fruit is
   strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact.  The flesh can be
   consumed at various stages of ripeness and is used to flavour a wide
   variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines.  The
   seeds can also be eaten when cooked.  Many consumers express
   preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the
   market.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1864:
   Union General Ulysses S.  Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle
   of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia, ending one of the
   bloodiest, most lopsided battles in the American Civil War.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor)
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Faraaz Damji | 11 Jun 09:04

[Wikipedia] June 11: George I of Great Britain

   George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714
   until his death.  At the age of 54, he ascended the British throne as
   the first monarch of the House of Hanover.  Although many bore closer
   blood-relationships to the childless Queen Anne, the Act of Settlement
   1701, which prohibits Catholics from inheriting the throne, designated
   her cousin, Sophia of Hanover, as heiress to the throne.  Sophia was
   Anne's closest living Protestant relative but died a matter of weeks
   before Anne leaving the Protestant succession to her son, George.  In
   reaction, the Jacobites attempted to depose George and replace him
   with Anne's Catholic half-brother, James Francis Edward Stuart, but
   their attempts failed.  During George's reign in Britain, the powers of
   the monarchy diminished and the modern system of Cabinet government
   led by a Prime Minister underwent development.  Towards the end of his
   reign, actual power was held by Sir Robert Walpole.  George died on a
   trip to his native Hanover, where he was buried.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_I_of_Great_Britain

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1770:
   English explorer James Cook ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef)

1892:
   The Salvation Army's Limelight Department, one of the world's
   earliest film studios, was officially established in Melbourne,
   Australia.
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Faraaz Damji | 9 Jun 08:09

[Wikipedia] June 9: Jurassic Park (film)

   Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction film directed by Steven
   Spielberg, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton.
   The film centers on the fictional island of Isla Nublar, where
   scientists have created an amusement park of cloned dinosaurs.  John
   Hammond (Richard Attenborough) invites a group of scientists, played
   by Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern, to visit the park.
   Sabotage sets the dinosaurs on the loose, and technicians and visitors
   attempt to escape the island.  Spielberg acquired the rights to the
   novel before its publication in 1990, and Crichton was hired to adapt
   his novel.  David Koepp wrote the final draft, which left out much of
   the novel's exposition and violence, and also made numerous changes to
   the characters.  Spielberg hired Stan Winston Studios to create
   animatronics to portray the dinosaurs, shots of which were mixed with
   newly developed computer-generated imagery by Industrial Light and
   Magic.  Jurassic Park is regarded as a landmark in the usage of CGI
   effects and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the
   effects (though reaction to other elements of the picture, such as
   character development, was mixed).  Jurassic Park spawned a franchise
   of films and other media, and was followed by The Lost World: Jurassic
   Park in 1997 and by Jurassic Park III in 2001, with Jurassic Park IV
   currently in development.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Park_%28film%29

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Today's selected anniversaries:

68:
   Roman Emperor Nero committed suicide after he was deposed by the
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Faraaz Damji | 6 Jun 17:21

[Wikipedia] June 6: Sertraline

   Sertraline (known under the trade names Zoloft and Lustral) is an
   antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class.  It
   was introduced to the market by Pfizer in 1991.  Sertraline is
   primarily used to treat clinical depression in adult outpatients as
   well as obsessive-compulsive, panic and social anxiety disorders in
   both adults and children.  In 2007 it was the most prescribed
   antidepressant on the U.S. retail market.  The efficacy of sertraline
   for depression is similar to that of older tricyclic antidepressants,
   but its side effects are much less pronounced.  Differences with newer
   antidepressants are subtler and also mostly confined to side effects.
   Evidence suggests that sertraline may work better than fluoxetine
   (Prozac) for some subtypes of depression.  Sertraline is highly
   effective for the treatment of panic disorder but is inferior to
   cognitive behavioral therapy when applied to obsessive-compulsive
   disorder.  Sertraline shares the common side effects and
   contraindications of other SSRIs, with high rates of nausea, diarrhea,
   insomnia, and sexual side effects; however, it does not cause weight
   gain, and its effects on cognition are mild.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sertraline

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1523:
   Gustav Vasa became King of Sweden, marking the end of the Kalmar
   Union.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_I_of_Sweden)
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Faraaz Damji | 4 Jun 18:59

[Wikipedia] June 4: Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood

   The Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood is a fresco by Paolo
   Uccello, commemorating English condottiero John Hawkwood, commissioned
   in 1436 for the Florence Cathedral.  The fresco is an important example
   of art commemorating a soldier-for-hire in the Italian peninsula and
   is a seminal work in the development of perspective.  The politics of
   the commissioning and recommissioning of the fresco have been analyzed
   and debated by historians.  The fresco is often cited as a form of
   "Florentine propaganda" for its appropriation of a foreign soldier of
   fortune as a Florentine hero and for its implied promise to other
   condottieri of the potential rewards of serving Florence.  The fresco
   has also been interpreted as a product of internal political
   competition between the Albizzi and Medici factions in Renaissance
   Florence, due to the latter's modification of the work's symbolism and
   iconography during its recommissioning.  The fresco is the oldest
   extant and authenticated work of Uccello, and from a relatively
   well-known aspect of his career compared to the periods before and
   after its creation.  The fresco has been restored (once by Lorenzo di
   Credi, who added the frame) and is now detached from the wall; it has
   been repositioned twice in modern times.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funerary_Monument_to_Sir_John_Hawkwood

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1037:
   Henry III became Holy Roman Emperor following the death of his
   father, Conrad II.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor)
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Faraaz Damji | 30 May 08:30

[Wikipedia] May 30: D. B. Cooper

   D.  B.  Cooper is the name commonly used to refer to a hijacker who, on
   November 24 1971, after receiving a ransom payout of US$200,000,
   jumped from the back of a Boeing 727 as it was flying over the Pacific
   Northwest of the United States possibly over Woodland, Washington.
   Despite hundreds of suspects through the years, no conclusive evidence
   has surfaced regarding Cooper's identity or whereabouts.  The FBI
   believes he did not survive the jump.  Several theories offer competing
   explanations of what happened after his famed jump.  The nature of
   Cooper's escape and the uncertainty of his fate continue to intrigue
   people.  The Cooper case remains an unsolved mystery.  It has baffled
   both government and private investigators for decades, with countless
   leads turning into dead ends.  In March 2008, the FBI thought it might
   have had one of the biggest breakthroughs in the case when children
   unearthed a parachute within the bounds of Cooper's probable jump site
   near the town of Amboy, Washington.  Experts later revealed that it did
   not belong to the hijacker.  Still, despite the case's infamy for its
   enduring lack of evidence, a few significant clues have arisen.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1431:
   Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen,
   France after being convicted of heresy in a politically motivated
   trial.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc)
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Faraaz Damji | 28 May 06:05

[Wikipedia] May 28: Troy McClure

   Troy McClure is a recurring fictional character in the animated
   television series The Simpsons.  He was voiced by Phil Hartman, and
   first appeared in the episode "Homer vs.  Lisa and the 8th
   Commandment".  McClure was based on B-movie actors Troy Donahue and
   Doug McClure, as well as Hartman himself.  After Phil Hartman's murder
   in 1998, the character was retired, making his final appearance in the
   tenth-season episode "Bart the Mother".  He is one of the show's most
   popular recurring characters and, had Hartman not died, might have
   been the subject of a live-action film.  McClure is a washed-up actor,
   frequently shown presenting infomercials and educational videos.  He is
   vain and self-centered, marrying Selma Bouvier to aid his failing
   career and quash rumors about his personal life.  McClure appears as
   the central character only in the episode "A Fish Called Selma", but
   he hosts the episodes "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" and
   "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase".

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_McClure

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1588:
   Anglo-Spanish War: The Spanish Armada (a galleass pictured), with
   130 ships and over 30,000 men, set sail from Lisbon for the English
   Channel to engage English naval forces.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Armada)

1644:
   English Civil War: Royalist troops allegedly slaughtered up to 1,600
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Faraaz Damji | 26 May 05:18

[Wikipedia] May 26: Nguyen Ngoc Tho

   Nguyen Ngoc Tho was the first Prime Minister of South Vietnam, serving
   from November 1963 to late January 1964.  Tho was appointed to head a
   civilian cabinet by General Duong Van Minh's military junta, which
   came to power after overthrowing and assassinating Ngo Dinh Diem, the
   nation's first president.  Tho's rule was marked by a period of
   confusion and weak government, as the Military Revolutionary Council
   and the civilian cabinet vied for power.  Tho oversaw South Vietnam's
   failed land reform policy, and was accused of lacking vigour in
   implementing the program because he was a large landowner.  He was
   noted for his faithful support of Diem during the Buddhist crisis that
   ended the rule of the Ngo family.  Despite being a Buddhist, Tho
   staunchly defended the regime's pro-Catholic policies and its violent
   actions against the Buddhist majority.  Tho lost his job and retired
   from politics when Minh's junta was deposed in a January 1964 coup by
   General Nguyen Khanh.

Read the rest of this article:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Ngoc_Tho

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1828:
   Kaspar Hauser, a foundling with suspected ties to the Royal House of
   Baden, first appeared in the streets of Nuremberg, Germany.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspar_Hauser)

1896:
   The Dow Jones Industrial Average, representing twelve stocks from
   various American industries, was first published by journalist Charles
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Faraaz Damji | 22 May 06:18

[Wikipedia] May 22: Edward Low

  Edward Low was a notorious pirate during the latter days of the Golden
  Age of Piracy, in the early 18th century.  He was born around 1690 into
  poverty in Westminster, London, and was a thief and a scoundrel from a
  young age.  Low moved to Boston, Massachusetts as a young man.  
  Following the death of his wife during childbirth in late 1719, he
  became a pirate two years later, operating off the coasts of New
  England, the Azores, and in the Caribbean.  He captained a number of
  ships, usually maintaining a small fleet of three or four.  Low and his
  pirate crews captured at least a hundred ships during his short
  career, burning most of them.  Although he was only active for three
  years, Low remains notorious as one of the most vicious pirates of the
  age, with a reputation for violently torturing his victims before
  killing them.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described Low as "savage and
  desperate", and a man of "amazing and grotesque brutality".  The New
  York Times called him a torturer, whose methods would have "done
  credit to the ingenuity of the Spanish Inquisition in its darkest
  days".  The circumstances of Low's death, which took place around 1724,
  have been the subject of much speculation.  

Read the rest of this article:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Low

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Today's selected anniversaries:

1455:
  Forces led by Richard, Duke of York and Richard, Earl of Warwick
  captured Lancastrian King Henry VI of England, beginning the Wars of
  the Roses with a Yorkist victory in the First Battle of St Albans.  
  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_St_Albans)
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