Air travel chaos across the globe deepened on April 16 as a vast, high-altitude plume of volcanic ash from Iceland spread further across northern and central Europe, forcing authorities to close airspace and ground airplanes to forestall potentially catastrophic damage to jet engines. Most of Europe’s major airports—key hubs for international travelers—were closed. Thousands of flights had been canceled since the massive disruption began on April 15, stranding or delaying millions of passengers from North America to Asia. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/world/europe/17ash.html?src=me

Reader feedback to History of Taxation
I am reading Lords of the Sea by John Hale. His theme is that it was Athens' navy of triremes that leveled society, brought democracy, and gave Athens considerable distinction in the 5th century B.C. To fund resistance to the great Persian empire, and later to subdue and bring the Aegean and Black Sea shoreline communities into Athens' influence and control, the rich citizens were expected to take personal responsibility to build, maintain, and pay for a staff of rowers, steersmen, and officers for a trireme. This gave the lower class (the Thetes) a source of income and productive employment that translated into political and social power in Athenian society. Rowers were not slaves chained to their oars, but trained and willing paid volunteers for the greater glory of their state. It is said that they could sustain speeds of 10 knots, which, with competent steersmen, made a trireme a very effective instrument of war as it maneuvered about ramming Phoenician opponents.
A major source of Athens' (Attica) income was from silver mines, waterborne trade, and tribute from colonies and affiliated states. This income seems to have been regarded as community property and the democratic assembly regularly voted to distribute it in larger portion to the rich so they could meet their naval obligations. "Trickle down"? Progressive taxation? The result was a great leveler and generator of wealth for everybody. Then was an era of extraordinary leaders and thinkers among them -- philosophers, playwrights, military strategists, artists, etc.
In another book about the interplay of rum and American history, I learned that the Molasses Act was enacted to protect Britain's lucrative rum industry in the Caribbean. It seems that New York and Boston had become major producers of rum for local consumption -- the North American colonists were quite fond of rum.

U.S. News surveyed 184 accredited programs to get the information used in the ranking of top law schools. See best law school rankings for 2010: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/rankings

Toponyms are words derived from places. Whether it's when we drink champagne (from Champagne, France), commit a solecism (after Soloi, an Athenian colony in Cilicia), or when we meet our Waterloo (Waterloo, Belgium), we are (perhaps unknowingly) alluding to a distant land and its history.
shanghai (SHANG-hy) verb tr.
To recruit someone forcibly or by fraud into doing something.
After Shanghai, a major seaport in east China. The term derives from the former practice (mid-1800s to early 1900) of luring men, by the use of drugs, liquor, or violence into serving on US ships destined for East Asia. People who recruited sailors in this manner were called crimps. The practice ended with The Seamen's Act of 1915 that made crimping a federal crime.
Munich (MYOO-nik) noun
A shortsighted or dishonorable appeasement.
After Munich, Germany, the site of a pact signed by Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany on Sep 29, 1938 that permitted annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland by Nazi Germany. WWII began a year later; Sudetenland was restored to Czechoslovakia after the war. The name Munich is an exonym (a name used by outsiders). The local name (endonym) for Munich is München, derived from Mönch (monk) as the city was founded by Benedictine monks in 1158.
bayonet (BAY-uh-nit, -net, bay-uh-NET) noun
A blade attached to the muzzle of a gun, used in close combat.
verb: To fight or kill with bayonet.
After Bayonne, a town in southwest France, where the weapon originated or was first used in early 17th century. A Word A Day with Anu Garg

How many S sounds in the following statements?
Simplicity is elegance. Respect relaxes and satisfies. Civility lessens instances of polarization.
"Communities thrive @ your library®." Library users abound.

THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE
A listener recently wrote confused about the varieties of peas in the market—English peas, sugar snap peas, and Chinese snow peas (the prime pea trio)—and wondered if they are cooked the same way. Sugar snaps and snow peas have edible pods, English peas do not. The sugar in English peas starts turning to starch once they're picked, so you have to get them fresh from the vine. Sugar snaps hold their sweetness for a couple of weeks after harvest providing they are kept cold. Chinese snow peas are less sweet, with flat pods and small bumps of immature peas. The Splendid Table April 14, 2010