DelicateBrick

Quintus Smyrnaeus

2005-03-24T03:44:00.000-08:00

Quintus claimed that the Muses inspired him when, still a beardless lad, he kept sheep near the temple of Artemis. His style is monotonous, and his vocabulary

France, History Of, Sale of national lands

2005-03-21T04:41:00.000-08:00

The Assembly had not lost sight of the financial crisis that precipitated the collapse of absolutism in the first place. Creating an entirely new option for its solution, the Assembly voted to place church property—about 10 percent of the land in France—“at the disposition of the nation.” This property was designated as biens nationaux, or national lands. The government

Paradoxes Of Zeno

2005-03-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

Statements made by the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea, a 5th-century-BC disciple of Parmenides, a fellow Eleatic, designed to show that any assertion opposite to the monistic teaching of Parmenides leads to contradiction and absurdity. Parmenides had argued from reason alone that the assertion that only Being is leads to the conclusions that Being (or all that there

Dagan

2005-03-18T19:16:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Dagon West Semitic god of crop fertility, worshiped extensively throughout the ancient Middle East. Dagan was the Hebrew and Ugaritic common noun for “grain,” and the god Dagan was the legendary inventor of the plow. His cult is attested as early as about 2500 BC, and, according to texts found at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), he was the father of the god Baal. Dagan had an important temple

Extensor Muscle

2005-03-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

Any of the muscles that increase the angle between members of a limb, as by straightening the elbow or knee or bending the wrist or spine backward. The movement is usually directed backward, with the notable exception of the knee joint. In humans, certain muscles of the hand and foot are named for this function. In the hand these include the extensor carpi radialis brevis,

Aalto, Alvar

2005-03-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

Aalto, whose work exemplifies the best of 20th-century Scandinavian architecture, was one of the first to depart from the stiffly geometric designs common to the early period of the modern movement and to stress informality and personal expression. His style is regarded as both romantic and regional. He used complex forms and varied materials, acknowledged the character

Rhétoriqueur

2005-03-12T03:14:00.000-08:00

Guillaume de Machaut, who popularized the new lyric genres such as the rondeau, ballade, lai, and virelai in the 14th century, is considered

Tagaytay

2005-03-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

City, southwestern Luzon, Philippines. It is located on Tagaytay Ridge at about 2,000 feet (600 m) above sea level, on the northern flank of Mount Taal. The city is a weekend retreat, popular for its cool climate and outstanding view to the south of Taal Lake, with an active volcano on an island. Market gardening for the Manila area to the north is a local activity. Inc. city, 1938. Pop. (1990 prelim.)

Carnatic Music

2005-03-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

Chancel

2005-03-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

This lattice is now more commonly

Wu-han

2005-03-04T00:44:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Wuhan fifth largest city of the People's Republic of China, in Hupeh Province, located at the confluence of the Han and Yangtze rivers. It is a conurbation of three adjacent cities—Han-k'ou (Hankow), Han-yang, and Wu-ch'ang; the last is the capital of Hupeh Province. Han-k'ou lies on the north bank of the Yangtze at the mouth of the Han. Immediately across the Han from it is the older city

Masnawi

2005-03-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

The form originated in the Middle Persian period (roughly from the 3rd century BC to the 9th century AD). It became a favourite poetic form of the Persians and of those cultures

Piura

2005-02-28T01:05:00.000-08:00

Capital of Piura department, northwestern Peru, on the Piura River in the warm coastal desert. San Miguel de Piura was the first city founded (1532) in Peru by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The original site proved unhealthful, and several other locations were occupied before the present site was settled in 1588. Piura retains a colonial flavour, especially in the church

Mies Van Der Rohe, Ludwig

2005-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Four years later, in 1937—again after working mainly on projects that were never built—Mies moved to the United States. Soon after he arrived in the country, he gained an appointment as director of the School of Architecture at Chicago's Armour Institute (later the Illinois Institute of Technology). Mies served as the school's director for the next 20 years, and, by the time he

France, History Of, The Paris Commune

2005-02-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

A few days later, the assembly transferred the seat of government from Bordeaux to Versailles. It had scarcely arrived when it was confronted by a major civil war—the rebellion of the Paris Commune. This event, complex in itself, has been made even more difficult to understand by the mythology that later grew up around it. Karl Marx, who promptly hailed the Commune as

Amatitlán, Lake

2005-02-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

Spanish Lago De Amatitlán, lake, south-central Guatemala, in the central highlands at 4,085 feet (1,248 m) above sea level. The volcanic lake, 130 feet (40 m) deep, is 7 miles (11 km) long and 2 miles (3 km) wide and has an area of about 6 square miles (15 square km). It is fed by the Villalobos River and drained by the Michatoya River. A popular tourist area, the lake and the town of Amatitlán, at the head of the Michatoya, are situated by highway

Jackson, Andrew

2005-02-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Whatever the motives, Jackson had preserved the integrity of the Union against the most serious threat it had yet faced. In contrast, he was remarkably complacent when Georgia defied the federal government. In 1829 Georgia extended its jurisdiction to about 9,000,000 acres (4,000,000 hectares) of land that lay within its boundaries but was still occupied by the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokees' title to the land, on which gold had been discovered, having been guaranteed by a treaty with the United States, the Indians appealed to the federal courts. In two separate cases, the Supreme Court ruled against Georgia, but Georgia ignored those decisions and continued to enforce its jurisdiction within the territory claimed by the Cherokees. In contrast to his strong reaction against South Carolina's defiance of federal authority, Jackson made no effort to restrain Georgia, and those close to him felt certain that he sympathized with the position taken by that state. He is said to have declared privately, “John Marshall [the chief justice] has made his decision, now let him enforce it!” Jackson's failure to support the Supreme Court remains an indelible stain on his record. The Cherokee, left without a choice, signed another treaty in 1835 giving up their land in exchange for land in the Indian Territory west of Arkansas. Three years later, having been rounded up by General Winfield Scott, some 15,000 Cherokees were forced to wend their way westward, mostly on foot, on a journey that became known as the Trail of Tears. On the way, during the cold and wet of winter, nearly a quarter of them died of starvation, illness, and exposure (see primary source documents: On Indian Removal and A Permanent Habitation for the American Indian).

Aracaju

2005-02-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Port city and capital, Sergipe estado (“state”), northeastern Brazil, lying on the Continguiba River at the base of a ridge of sand hills 6 miles (10 km) from the coast. The city, which was founded in 1855 as a new state capital, is laid out in an unusual grid pattern. It is a regional commercial and industrial centre, processing leather, bananas, cassava, feijão (beans), mangoes, cashews, salt,

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Renaissance

2005-02-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

Romance and romantic forms provide the main vehicle for the entrance of allegory into the literature of the Renaissance period. The old Arthurian legends carry a new sophistication and polish in the epics of the Italians Boiardo, Ariosto, and Tasso and in the work of Edmund Spenser. By interlacing several simultaneous stories in one larger narrative, the literary

Pius Iii

2005-02-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

He was made archbishop of Siena and cardinal deacon in 1460 by his uncle, Pope Pius II (formerly Cardinal Aneas Silvius Piccolomini), who permitted him to assume the name and arms of the Piccolomini. He was employed by subsequent popes in several important legations, as by Paul II at the Diet of

Colonialism, Western, World War II (193945)

2005-02-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

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

Vyshny Volochyok

2005-02-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Vyshnii Volochek , or Višnij Volocok city, Tver oblast (province), western Russia. The city's importance began in the 18th century as a result of its position on the highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It soon became important for its textiles and hosiery, and today it also has industries in the woodworking, paper, and food-processing fields. There is a textile college and a medical school. The city is often

Alliance

2005-02-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

In international relations, a formal agreement between two or more states for mutual support in case of war. Contemporary alliances provide for combined action on the part of two or more independent states and are generally defensive in nature, obligating allies to join forces if one or more of them is attacked by another state or coalition. Although alliances

Annelid, Hormones

2005-02-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

Neurosecretory cells, which are nerve cells that produce hormones, are found in the brain; their structure, similar to that of nonsecretory nerve cells, consists of fine projections (an axon and neurofibrils)

Iberville

2005-02-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

Town, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada, on the east bank of the Richelieu River, opposite Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Originally called Christieville, it was renamed in 1854 for the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. The town is a rail and highway hub and a residential district of Saint-Jean. Economic activities include woodworking, dairying,

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan

2005-02-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Marjorie Kinnan graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1918. The next year she married Charles A. Rawlings, a newspaperman, and worked for periods as a reporter and feature writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal and the

Balcony

2005-01-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

External extension of an upper floor of a building, enclosed up to a height of about three feet (one metre) by a solid or pierced screen, by balusters (see also balustrade), or by railings. In the medieval and Renaissance periods, balconies were supported by corbels made out of successive courses of stonework, or by large wooden or stone brackets. Since the 19th century, supports

Strålsund Faience

2005-01-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

Tin-glazed earthenware made at Strålsund, Swed. (now Stralsund, Ger.), from around 1755 to 1792. The factory was founded by Johann Ulrich Giese, who leased it to Johann Eberhard Ludwig Ehrenreich. The latter had founded a faience factory at Marieberg in Sweden, and the products of Strålsund differ little from Marieberg ware. All-white vases, decorated with naturalistic flowers

Uddevalla

2005-01-26T05:12:00.000-08:00

Town, Västra Götaland län (county), southwestern Sweden. It lies along the Bäve River, at the head of By Fjord (an inlet of the Skagerrak), north of Göteborg. The site has been identified with Odensvold, a pagan place of sacrifice. The town was incorporated in 1498. On several occasions during the Danish-Swedish wars, large parts of it were destroyed and ravaged by fire. Uddevalla

Culmann, Carl

2005-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

In 1841 Culmann entered the Bavarian civil service as a cadet bridge engineer with the Hof railway construction division. He was eventually appointed professor of engineering sciences at the

Teagarden, Jack

2005-01-23T22:08:00.000-08:00

Beginning on trombone at age seven, Teagarden was entirely self-taught. After drifting across the Southwest, he eventually arrived in New York City in 1927 and made his recording debut; from that moment he was the acknowledged

Godavari River

2005-01-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Sacred river of central India. It rises in the Western Ghats 50 miles (80 km) from the Arabian Sea and flows generally eastward across the Deccan Plateau, along the Maharashtra–Andhra Pradesh border and across Andhra Pradesh state, turning southeastward for the last 200 miles (320 km) of its course before reaching the Bay of Bengal. There it empties via its two mouths: the Gautami

Luther, Martin, Augustinian Order at Erfurt

2005-01-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

In joining the eremitical order of St. Augustine, Luther had joined an important mendicant order, which by the middle of the 15th century had over 2,000 chapters. As a result of reforms carried through in 1473, the house at Erfurt, to which Luther went, accepted the strict, observant interpretation of the rule. Under Johann von Staupitz, Luther's mentor and vicar general to the order,

Biblical Literature, The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness

2005-01-16T03:51:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting Dead Sea Scrolls is The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness, a description of the eschatological war between the Sons of Light—i.e., the sect—and the rest of mankind, first with the other Jews and then with the Gentiles. At the end the Sons of Light will conquer the whole world, and in this war they will be helped by heavenly hosts;

Arisaema

2005-01-15T03:11:00.000-08:00

Of the hardy species often planted in the shady wild garden, two are especially familiar. The jack-in-the-pulpit, or Indian turnip (A. triphyllum), native to eastern North America, usually has

Morava River

2005-01-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

Serbo-Croatian Velika Morava river in Serbia, Yugoslavia, formed by the confluence of the South (Juzna) Morava and West (Zapadna) Morava rivers. It follows a 137-mile (221-kilometre) course, mainly northerly, to enter the Danube River near Smederevo. North of Lapovo the Morava opens into the wide, meandering Pomoravlje valley, a fertile agricultural region. The total area of the Morava River basin is 14,457 square miles

Ligament

2005-01-11T02:49:00.000-08:00

Tough fibrous band of connective tissue that serves to support the internal organs and hold bones together in proper articulation at the joints. A ligament is composed of dense fibrous bundles of collagenous fibres and spindle-shaped cells known as fibroblasts, with little ground substance (a gel-like component of the various connective tissues). Ligaments may

Middleton, Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl Of

2005-01-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

Eldest son of the 1st Earl, he held several offices under Charles II and James II, being envoy extraordinary at Vienna and afterwards joint secretary for Scotland. In 1684 he became an English secretary of state, and with Richard Graham, Viscount Preston, he had the difficult task of managing

Machine Tool, Diamonds

2005-01-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Diamonds have been used for many years for truing grinding wheels, in wire-drawing dies, and as cutting tools. For cutting applications they are used largely for taking light finishing cuts at high speed on hard or abrasive materials and for finish-boring bronze and babbitt-metal bearings.

Haakon Iii Sverresson

2005-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

During his short reign he tried to heal the breach between the crown and the church, so that exiled bishops returned to their sees. It was said that the sickness which caused his sudden death was the result of poison put into his drink at the instigation of his Swedish stepmother, Margaret.

Furniture, England

2005-01-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

About 1720, mahogany was imported into England and slowly superseded walnut as the fashionable wood for furniture. The Palladian (after the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio) interiors demanded furniture more striking and larger in scale than the walnut-veneered pieces of the early 18th century. Inspired by the interiors of French and Italian palaces,

Earphone

2004-12-31T07:50:00.000-08:00

Small loudspeaker held or worn close to the listener's ear or within the outer ear. Common forms include the hand-held telephone receiver; the headphone (q.v.), in which one or two earphones are held in place by a band worn over the head; and the plug earphone, which is inserted in the outer opening of the ear. The conversion of electrical to acoustical signals is effected by

Biblical Literature, Manuscripts and printed editions of the Septuagint

2004-12-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

The manuscripts are conveniently classified by papyri uncials (capital letters) and minuscules (cursive script). The papyri fragments run into the hundreds, of varying sizes and importance, ranging from the formative period of the Septuagint through the middle of the 7th century. Two pre-Christian fragments of Deuteronomy from Egypt are of outstanding significance.

Eisenhüttenstadt

2004-12-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

City, Brandenburg Land (state), eastern Germany. The city lies along the Oder River at the Polish border, southeast of Frankfurt an der Oder. It was formed in 1961 by the union of Fürstenberg, Stalinstadt, and Schönfliess. Stalinstadt was a planned-residence town for workers employed in a metallurgical complex established in 1951 just west of the old town of Fürstenberg. Now one

Ampthill (of Ampthill), Odo William Leopold Russell, 1st Baron

2004-12-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

A member of a prominent family, Russell as a youth became fluent in French, German, and Italian through tutoring and wide travel and also acquired the social gifts for a diplomatic career. He served in a variety of posts in Vienna, Paris, Constantinople,

France, History Of, Louis IX

2004-12-24T14:58:00.000-08:00

Louis IX, who was canonized in 1297, is the best-known Capetian ruler. He impressed all who came in touch with him, and the records of his reign—anecdotal and historical as well as official—leave no doubt that he

Losey, Joseph

2004-12-21T00:56:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Dartmouth College (B.A., 1929) and Harvard University (M.A., 1930), Losey wrote book and theatre reviews. In 1935, while working as a European-based reporter for Variety, the

Gadamer, Hans-georg

2004-12-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

German philosopher (b. Feb. 11, 1900, Marburg, Ger.—d. March 14, 2002, Heidelberg, Ger.), was a principal figure in 20th-century philosophical hermeneutics. His conception of language as a historical phenomenon had great influence in postmodernist and poststructuralist thought. Gadamer studied philosophy in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Pol.), Munich, and Marburg, where he completed a doctorate (1922) on

Muhavura

2004-12-17T04:12:00.000-08:00

Also called Volcan Muhabura, extinct volcano at the easternmost end of the Virunga Mountains in east central Africa. It lies northeast of Lake Kivu on the border between Uganda and Rwanda. It is more than 13,500 ft high, and its crater contains a lake. The volcano forms part of the Virunga National Park, which is the home of the mountain gorilla.

Basavan

2004-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

An outstanding Mughal painter, renowned as a superb colourist and as a sensitive observer of human nature. His name indicates that he may have been a member of the Ahir, or cowherders' caste, in the region of modern Uttar Pradesh. He was most active between about 1580 and 1600, and his name appears on the margins of more than 100 paintings, most often as the designer, in

Rocky Mountains, Plant life

2004-12-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

The plant communities of the Rockies vary markedly according to elevation, latitude, and exposure. On the eastern slopes in Colorado and New Mexico, strong winter winds off the arid plains stunt and deform the scattered cedars and piñon pines. The lower elevations at this end of the system are predominantly treeless, except along watercourses, where cottonwoods

Carnivore, Importance to humans

2004-12-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

The cat, like the dog, was originally taken into the home of man as a pet. Unlike the dog, the cat has not been trained to hunt or to serve as a guardian. Cats may perform the function of “mouse catcher” in those areas where mice become a problem, but most urban house cats do not have the opportunity to perform this unless garbage and trash are allowed to accumulate. On farms, where

Actinide Element

2004-12-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

Any of a series of 15 consecutive chemical elements in the periodic table from actinium to lawrencium (atomic numbers 89–103). As a group they are significant largely because of their radioactivity. Although several members of the group, including uranium (the most familiar), occur naturally, most are man-made. Both uranium and plutonium have been used in atomic bombs for their

Arnold, Matthew

2004-12-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Lastly Arnold turned to religion, the constant preoccupation and true centre of his whole life, and wrote St. Paul and Protestantism (1870), Literature and Dogma (1873), God and the Bible (1875), and Last Essays on Church and Religion (1877). In these books, Arnold really founded Anglican “modernism.” Like all religious liberals, he came under fire from two sides: from the orthodox, who accused him

La Fontaine, Jean De

2004-12-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Poet whose Fables rank among the greatest masterpieces of French literature.

Tlazoltéotl

2004-12-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Ixcuina, or Tlaelquani, Aztec goddess who represented sexual impurity and sinful behaviour; she was probably introduced to the Aztecs from the gulf lowlands of Huaxteca. Tlazoltéotl was an important and complex earth-mother goddess. She was known in four guises, associated with different stages of life. As a young woman, she was a carefree temptress. In her second form she was the destructive

Cyprian, Saint

2004-12-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Educated in Greece, Cyprian was appointed by Constantinople to be metropolitan of Kiev and Lithuania in 1375 and then of Moscow in 1381. In 1382 Cyprian was forced into exile by the prince of Moscow, Dmitry, who rejected all appointments made by Constantinople. Eight years later, following the succession of

Abu 'ali Mustafa

2004-12-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Born Mustafa al-Zibri, he later took the nom de guerre Abu 'Ali Mustafa. As a young man he joined George Habash's Arab National Movement,

Manchester

2004-12-03T02:09:00.000-08:00

City, Hillsborough county, southern New Hampshire, U.S. It lies along the Amoskeag Falls (named for the Amoskeag Indians who once inhabited the area) of the Merrimack River, the 55-foot (17-metre) drop of which provides hydroelectric power. Manchester is the state's largest city and the centre of a metropolitan area that includes Goffstown, Bedford, Londonderry, and

Gautier D'arras

2004-12-03T00:27:00.000-08:00

An official of Philippe d'Alsace, Count of Flanders, Gautier is named in many charters between

Fen River

2004-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

The Fen River and its tributaries

Great Barrier Island

2004-12-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

Known to the Maoris as Aotea, the island was

Iasi

2004-11-30T23:55:00.000-08:00

Judet (county), northeastern Romania, occupying an area of 2,112 square miles (5,469 square km), and bounded on the east by Moldova. The southward-flowing Prut River marks the county's eastern border with Moldova, and the Siret River drains the hilly terrain of the county to the south. Iasi county was a part of feudal Moldavia. Iasi city is the county capital and has chemical, textile, and

Kyongsang-puk

2004-11-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Do (province), eastern South Korea. It is bounded on the east by the Sea of Japan (East Sea), on the south by Kyongsang-nam do, on the west by the do of Cholla-puk and Ch'ungch'ong-puk, and on the north by Kangwon do. It is South Korea's largest do in both size and population. The homeland of the Silla kingdom (57 BC–AD 935), of which there are historical remains, mainly in the Kyongju area, Kyongsang-puk has

Iliad

2004-11-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

Epic poem on the Trojan War traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer.

Ansgar, Saint

2004-11-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

Of noble birth, Ansgar entered the Benedictine abbey of Corbie in Picardy, where he was educated. After 823 he taught in the monastic school at Corvey (“New Corbie”), Westphalia, where

Botta, Carlo Giuseppe Guglielmo

2004-11-26T16:39:00.000-08:00

Having graduated in medicine at the University of Turin in 1786, Botta was in his youth inspired by the ideas of the French Revolution. Arrested as a spy for the French in 1794, he left Italy for France the following year and from 1796 to 1798 served as a physician

Claremore

2004-11-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1907) of Rogers county, northeastern Oklahoma, U.S., northeast of Tulsa. In 1880 John Bullette, a Delaware Indian, settled on the site, which he called Claremore for an Osage chief whose tribe once lived there. In 1882 it was moved from the banks of the Verdigris River to its present location to meet the Frisco Railroad, where pioneer settlement began. Artesian mineral waters,

Moses, Grandma

2004-11-24T23:55:00.000-08:00

Anna Robertson had only sporadic periods of schooling during her childhood. At age 12 she left her parents' farm and worked as a hired girl until she married

Profumo Affair

2004-11-23T04:37:00.000-08:00

At a party at the country estate of Lord Astor on July

Breitinger, Johann Jakob

2004-11-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

He studied theology and became professor at the Collegium Carolinum in Zurich. He lectured on Hebrew, Greek, Latin, logic, and rhetoric; showed excellence as a philologist in many editions; and advocated education on humanist lines

Space Exploration

2004-11-21T02:36:00.000-08:00

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik

Orbital

2004-11-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

In chemistry and physics, a mathematical expression, called a wave function, that describes properties characteristic of no more than two electrons in the vicinity of an atomic nucleus or of a system of nuclei as in a molecule. An orbital often is depicted as a three-dimensional region within which there is a 95 percent probability of finding the electron (see

Hand Tool

2004-11-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

Any of the implements used by craftsmen in manual operations, such as chopping, chiseling, sawing, filing, or forging. Complementary tools, often needed as auxiliaries to shaping tools, include such implements as the hammer for nailing and the vise for holding. A craftsman may also use instruments that facilitate accurate measurements: the rule, divider, square, and

Braak, Menno Ter

2004-11-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

In 1932 ter Braak founded, with Edgar du Perron, the magazine Forum, which called for a rejection of contemporary aestheticism (with its emphasis on elegance and form) and a return to sincerity and substance

Hai-nan, The people

2004-11-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Two-thirds of Hai-nan's predominantly rural population is concentrated in the northeastern lowlands. Most of the people are Han (Chinese), but about one-sixth are ethnic minorities. The Li, concentrated in the south, constitute the largest minority group, followed by the Miao. The largest cities are Hai-k'ou in the north and the port city of Ya-hsien (locally called San-ya)

Crailsheim

2004-11-16T04:41:00.000-08:00

City, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany. It lies along the Jagst River, about 45 miles (70 km) northeast of Stuttgart. A Frankish settlement in the 6th and 7th centuries, it was chartered in 1320 and passed to the Hohenzollerns in 1399 and to Württemberg in 1810. Most of the old city with its historic buildings was destroyed in World War II, but the Romanesque church of St. John

Barotrauma

2004-11-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Any of several disorders arising from changes in pressure upon the body. Man is adapted to live at an atmospheric pressure of 760 millimetres (the pressure at sea level). When he ventures under water or into the upper atmospheres of space, the surrounding pressure varies from that of his usual environment. Most body tissue is either solid or liquid and remains virtually

Furniture, Chest

2004-11-14T02:01:00.000-08:00

The chest, including the coffin (and sarcophagus), is an ancient primitive furniture form that has survived into the 20th century. The design of a clothes chest is optional; its size depends on changing demands. The construction of a coffin, on the other hand, is a set task. The format is determined by certain principal dimensions, and the human figure has at all times exercised

Puerto Princesa

2004-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

City, east-central Palawan, Philippines. It is an important port on a sheltered inlet of the Sulu Sea, south of Honda Bay, and it has an airport. The city was formerly called Cuyo. The site of a penal colony during the Spanish regime, Puerto Princesa has become one of several resettlement sites on the island for migrants from Luzon and the western Visayan region. Copra, lumber,

Eastern Africa, Irrigation

2004-11-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

The irrigation of arid areas is limited by the amount of water that can be brought in from outside the region, but not much of even this limited potential is utilized. For example, 70 percent of Kenya is cultivable only by irrigation, but only 3 percent receives more than 50 inches of rain, the minimal amount from which any considerable runoff can be expected. Only the Tana and

Aschelminth, Associations

2004-11-11T00:21:00.000-08:00

Bacteria form mutually beneficial associations (symbiosis) with nematodes. The insect-pathogenic nematodes Steinernema and Heterorhabditis carry different species of Xenorhabdus in their intestines, which their soil-living infective juveniles inject into any insect they can invade. Bacterial toxins kill the insect, and the nematodes then multiply for

Roman Numeral

2004-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Any of the symbols used in a system of numerical notation based on the ancient Roman system. The symbols are I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, standing, respectively, for 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 in the Hindu-Arabic numeral system. A symbol placed after another of equal or greater value adds its value—e.g., II = 2 and LX = 60. A symbol placed before one of greater value subtracts its value—e.g., IV = 4, XL = 40, and CD = 400.

Eastern Africa, Habitat

2004-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

A more useful way of grouping the East African peoples into types is according to their habitats, which can be summarized as follows: wet lowland, wet highland, semiarid, and arid. Wet lowland habitats are concentrated around Lake Victoria, and among the peoples found there about 1900 were the Ganda and Luo, both large in number. Wet highland habitats are less concentrated

Malay

2004-11-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

The Malay were once probably a people of coastal

Pyrgos

2004-11-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

Modern Greek Pírgos, chief town and capital of the nomós (department) of Ilía, western Peloponnese, Greece, situated on the agricultural plain of the lower Alpheus River. Its port, Katákolon, to the west, was founded in 1857 to handle the export of Corinth raisins (currants). Pyrgos lies near ancient Letrinoi, a town on the Sacred Way from Elis to Olympia. The town is linked by rail to Pátrai and Kalá

Theatre, Western, Commedia dell'arte

2004-11-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

Around the mid-16th century, there emerged in Italy a lively tradition of popular theatre that fused many disparate elements into a vigorous style, which profoundly influenced the development of European theatre. This was the legendary commedia dell'arte (“theatre of the professionals”), a nonliterary tradition that centred on the actor, as distinguished from the

Performing Arts, Popular - International.

2004-11-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

The year 2002 was a classic one for African music, and arguably the finest of a batch of great new albums came from the celebrated Malian singer Salif Keita. His recent work had included excursions into jazz-rock and funk, but the album Moffou was very different—an acoustic set that marked a return to his African roots. The relaxed, gently rhythmic backing was provided by

Alesia

2004-11-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Ancient town situated on Mont Auxois, above the present-day village of Alise-Sainte-Reine in the département of Côte d'Or, France, famous as the site of the siege of Vercingetorix by Julius Caesar in 52 BC that was decisive in his conquest of Gaul. The Gallic town was succeeded on the same site by a Roman town.

Swag

2004-11-02T01:51:00.000-08:00

The swag, or festoon, usually carved from

Bloc National

2004-11-01T00:13:00.000-08:00

Right-wing coalition elected to the French Chamber of Deputies (lower house of the legislature) on a wave of nationalist sentiment at the end of World War I; it controlled the French government until 1924. The Bloc gained about three-fourths of the seats in the elections of November 1919, one of the largest conservative majorities in the history of the Third Republic (1870–1940). The Chamber

Min Mountains

2004-10-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

Wade–Giles romanization and Pinyin Min Shan, range in southwestern Kansu and northwest Szechwan sheng (provinces), China. The Min Mountains are a branch of the Kunlun Mountains and have a roughly northwest to southeast axis. The range is made up of extremely rugged limestone, with an average elevation of 8,200 feet (2,500 m) above sea level; individual peaks reach much higher elevations. In the western section of the range,

Tierra Blanca

2004-10-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

City, southern Veracruz state, south central Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico lowland, in the Río Papaloapan Valley, near the border of Oaxaca state, at an elevation of 200 ft (60 m) above sea level. Its climate is hot and humid. Tierra Blanca plays an important role in regional agriculture, industry, and transportation. The area is noted principally for its livestock and petroleum,

Discoverer

2004-10-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Any of a series of unmanned experimental satellites launched by the United States Air Force. Although the Discoverer satellites had several apparent applications—such as testing orbital maneuvering and reentry techniques—they often are regarded as a forerunner of the military reconnaissance satellite. Discoverer 1 (launched Feb. 28, 1959) was equipped with a camera

Joyce, William

2004-10-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Though his father was a naturalized U.S. citizen, Joyce lived most of his life in Ireland and England. He was active in Sir Oswald Mosley's British fascist organization and was also a cofounder

Indes, Compagnie Française Des

2004-10-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

(French: “French Company of the Indies”), one of the companies known as the French East India Company (q.v.).

Talat Pasa

2004-10-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

The son of a minor Ottoman official, Talat joined the staff of the telegraph company in Edirne, but he was soon arrested (1893) for subversive political activity. Released two years later, he was appointed chief

Episcopus Vagans

2004-10-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

In the early Christian

Wage And Salary

2004-10-25T03:26:00.000-07:00

Analyses of economic distribution appear in David Ricardo, Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817, reissued 1981), the classical subsistence theory of wages; Karl Marx, Capital, vol. 1 (1886; originally published in German, 1867), also available in many later editions, treating the process of distribution as pure conflict; John Bates Clark, Distribution of Wealth (1899, reissued 1965), the classic work on marginal productivity theory whereby distribution is viewed as a harmonious process in which the factors of production receive as income what they contribute to the product; Frank H. Knight, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit (1921, reprinted 1985), an analysis of profits viewed as a result of imperfect foresight and as a remuneration for risk-bearing; Joseph Schumpeter, The Theory of Economic Development (1934, reprinted 1987; originally published in German, 1912), an analysis of economic development as a result of the innovations of entrepreneurs motivated by profit; Paul H. Douglas, The Theory of Wages (1934, reissued 1964), marginalist theory based on statistical research which sets forth the famous Cobb–Douglas function; K.J. Arrow et al., “Capital–Labor Substitution and Economic Efficiency,” The Review of Economics and Statistics, 43:225–250 (1961), an econometric study explaining the falling share of capital in the national income by the elasticity of substitution; J.R. Hicks, The Theory of Wages, 2nd ed. (1963, reissued 1973), a sophisticated treatment of marginal productivity theory; and Nicholas Kaldor, “Alternative Theories of Distribution,” in his Essays on Value and Distribution, 2nd ed. (1980), a discussion of various theories from Ricardo to Keynes. Dan Usher, The Economic Prerequisite to Democracy (1981), suggests that democracy requires broad agreement on how an economic system will distribute wealth. Other works in this area are Alan S. Blinder, Toward an Economic Theory of Income Distribution (1974); and Ronald G. Ehrenberg and Robert S. Smith, Modern Labor Economics: Theory and Public Policy, 5th ed. (1994).

Nataraja

2004-10-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

In the most common type of images, which includes the magnificent Cola bronzes of the 10th–11th century, Siva is shown with four arms and flying locks dancing on the figure of a dwarf, the Apasmarapurusa (a symbol of man's ignorance; puru