Some appellate courts have upheld lawyers' rights to research jurors online, including one in New Jersey that ruled last year that a lower-court judge erred by prohibiting a plaintiffs' attorney from using the Internet in the courtroom. The court wrote: The fact that the plaintiffs' lawyer "had the foresight to bring his laptop computer to court and defense counsel did not, simply cannot serve as a basis for judicial intervention in the name of 'fairness' or maintaining a 'level playing field.' " Jury selection is not the only way in which social media are altering the nation's courts. Divorce lawyers have used information in social-media posts to extract higher alimony payments from indiscreet spouses, experts and lawyers report. And in some juvenile courts, judges considered what defendants wrote online to help determine whether they were remorseful. Using Facebook and other social media such as MySpace and blogs are particularly appealing during jury selection because lawyers have limited time to ask questions. Social-networking sites often contain candid, personal information generated directly by the user. "These days, it's the place where people voice their opinions," said jury consultant Art Patterson. See social clues lawyers are consultants are looking for at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703561604576150841297191886.html

Catherine de Medicis, b. Florence, Apr. 13, 1519, was the mother of the last Valois kings of France and guardian of the royal authority in the Wars of Religion. Her parents died soon after her birth, and she was brought up by her MEDICI relatives during a period when their rule in Florence was marked by violence and intrigue. When Catherine arrived from Florence to marry Henry II of France in 1533, she imported the Italian balletto to her new home in France, where it became the ballet. She also brought with her retinue a of master chefs. She brought Italian staples: milk-fed veal, baby peas, artichokes, broccoli, and various pastas. The French court tasted, for the first time, such delicacies as quenelles (fish dumplings), zabaglione (a rich egg yolk and wine custard), and scaloppine. The first modern perfume, made of scented oils blended in an alcohol solution, was made in 1370 at the command of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary and was known throughout Europe as Hungary Water. The art of perfumery prospered in Renaissance Italy, and in the 16th century, Italian refinements were taken to France by Catherine de Medicis’ personal perfumer. France quickly became the European center of perfume and COSMETIC manufacture. Cultivation of flowers for their perfume essence, which had begun in the 14th century, grew into a major industry in the south of France.
http://www.escoffier.com/index.php/content-categories/escoffier-and-great-chefs/historic-chefs/catherine-de-medicis

Florentine: Relating to or characteristic of Florence, a city in the center of central Italy's Tuscany region. For our purposes, Florentine refers to foods that are cooked in the style of Florence--specifically egg, meat and fish dishes that contain spinach and, most often, a creamy Mornay-style sauce. Certainly not all dishes in Florence, Italy contain spinach and cream sauce. The connection between the key ingredients and the city is not entirely clear. The closest explanation comes from an unverified story about the Italian wife of France's Henry II. Catherine de Medici is credited with introducing a number of Italian foods to France including Italian ices and sherbet. Some "I-didn't-do-my-research" food historians even credit her for bringing pasta to France. As the simple tale goes, Catherine introduced spinach to the Court of France around the year 1550. To honor her Italian heritage, she decided to call any dish containing spinach 'Florentine'. http://www.mrbreakfast.com/glossary_term.asp?glossaryID=149

In 2007, a University of Colorado at Boulder team excavating an ancient Maya village in El Salvador buried by a volcanic eruption 1,400 years ago has discovered an ancient field of manioc, the first evidence for cultivation of the calorie-rich tuber in the New World. The manioc field was discovered under roughly 10 feet of ash, said CU-Boulder anthropology Professor Payson Sheets, who has been directing the excavation of the ancient village of Ceren since its discovery in 1978. Considered the best-preserved ancient village in Latin America, Ceren's buildings, artifacts and landscape were frozen in time by the sudden eruption of the nearby Loma Caldera volcano about 600 A.D., providing a unique window on the everyday lives of prehistoric Mayan farmers.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820122541.htm

Manioc, also known as cassava, is a hardy plant that produces a waxy, rather insipid-tasting root that can be made into anything from tortillas to moonshine. It can grow almost anywhere and it's a virtual carbohydrate factory, producing roughly six times more calories than corn under the same conditions. Native to South America, the manioc root is now the world's third biggest dietary carbohydrate source.
http://www.archaeology.org/0907/abstracts/insider.html