Research at the University of Liverpool has found how Saharan dust storms help sustain life over extensive regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. Working aboard research vessels in the Atlantic, scientists mapped the distribution of nutrients including phosphorous and nitrogen and investigated how organisms such as phytoplankton are sustained in areas with low nutrient levels. They found that plants are able to grow in these regions because they are able to take advantage of iron minerals in Saharan dust storms. This allows them to use organic or ‘recycled’ material from dead or decaying plants when nutrients such as phosphorous – an essential component of DNA – in the ocean are low. Professor George Wolff, from the University’s Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, explains: “We found that cyanobacteria – a type of ancient phytoplankton – are significant to the understanding of how ocean deserts can support plant growth. Cyanobacteria need nitrogen, phosphorous and iron in order to grow. They get nitrogen from the atmosphere, but phosphorous is a highly reactive chemical that is scarce in sea water and is not found in the Earth’s atmosphere. http://vashes.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/dust-storms-in-sahara-desert-sustain-life-in-atlantic-ocean/

An archipelago is a series of islands in a chain or scattered cluster, such as the 19 islands known as the Galapagos. See other definitions at: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:archipelago&ei=18jzS-jfKYSBlAeugoT7DA&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title&ved=0CBIQkAE
There are many archipelagos; for instance, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Thousand Islands between United States and Canada

The word archipelago is directly derived from the Greek ἄρχι- - arkhi- ("chief") and πέλαγος - pelagos ("sea"). In Italian, possibly following a tradition of antiquity, the Archipelago (from medieval Greek *ἀρχιπέλαγος) was the proper name for the Aegean Sea and, later, usage shifted to refer to the Aegean Islands (since the sea is remarkable for its large number of islands). It is now used to generally refer to any island group or, sometimes, to a sea containing a large number of scattered islands like the Aegean Sea. The five largest modern countries that are mainly archipelagos are Japan, the Philippines, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Indonesia. The largest archipelago in the world, by size, is Indonesia. The archipelago with the most islands is the Archipelago Sea in Finland, but these islands are generally small.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago

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From: Susan Campbell Subject: cockaigne
In the pays de cocagne, the triangle between Toulouse, Albi, and Carcassonne in France, it is claimed that the area became known as the land of plenty when the growing of the pastel plant (woad), a blue dye for colouring cloth, brought great wealth to the region in the golden age of pastel -- 1463-1560. After that indigo arrived in the West making pastel uncompetitive and its cultivation was eventually abandoned. The pastel plant's leaves were harvested, crushed, and shaped to form shells, or "cocagnes", from which the blue dye was obtained. The climate and soil of the Midi-Toulousain region were particularly suitable for its cultivation. The demand for pastel blue was so great that a Pastel Market was set up in Toulouse, trading posts were established all over the West and the shells were even transported on special roads. The rich merchants of Toulouse soon built magnificent mansions for themselves and these are still there today.
From: Victor Morano Subject: Etymology of Shangri-La
I suggest if you want to know the real origins of Shangri-la you read Charles Allen's book The Search for Shangri-la. Western culture may have gotten the name Shangri-La from James Hilton's novel but he didn't just make it up.
From: Barbara Sanders Subject: Land of Oz
Def: An unreal or magical place.
That's where I live. Australians refer to Australia as the Land of Oz. I actually live in the Emerald City ... Sydney.

LYNNE'S TIPS
Bagged lettuce may be convenient, but it is pricey. Have the convenience without the extra money with this salad trick. Here's what you do: Pick fresh lettuces you like by the head and buy enough for a week's worth of salads. Soak the fresh greens for about 20 minutes in a sink full of ice water. Get the greens as dry as possible in a salad spinner or by rolling up in cloth towels.
Stuff them into heavy zip-top freezer bags with a paper towel inside to wick away any excess moisture. Press all the air out and seal the bag. Refrigerate until needed. Salad greens will keep well for a week. The key is to cut off the air and moisture and the greens will hold.
The Splendid Table May 19, 2010

Quote The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
attributed to Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) American author and humorist
sometimes attributed to Ellen Parr