New York Times: "Thousands of the nation’s largest water polluters are outside the Clean Water Act’s reach because the Supreme Court has left uncertain which waterways are protected by that law, according to interviews with regulators. As a result, some businesses are declaring that the law no longer applies to them. And pollution rates are rising. Companies that have spilled oil, carcinogens and dangerous bacteria into lakes, rivers and other waters are not being prosecuted, according to Environmental Protection Agency regulators working on those cases, who estimate that more than 1,500 major pollution investigations have been discontinued or shelved in the last four years.
• "The two Supreme Court decisions at issue — Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corps of Engineers in 2001 and Rapanos v. United States in 2006 — focused on the federal government’s jurisdiction over various wetlands. In both cases, dissenting justices warned that limiting the power of the federal government would weaken its ability to combat water pollution. “Cases now are lost because the company is discharging into a stream that flows into a river, rather than the river itself,” said David M. Uhlmann, a law professor at the University of Michigan who led the environmental crimes section of the Justice Department during the last administration."

Telling the story of women's work is never done: Writing Women Back into History” is the theme for National Women’s History Month, March 2010, the annual celebration of women in the United States. For years women’s contributions were routinely underestimated or ignored even in the history of librarianship. While this still remains the case for much of history, the second wave of feminism reinvigorated interest in, and work on, “women’s history” at the academic and community levels. Now children learn about Sojourner Truth as well as Betsy Ross and we understand that Abigail Adams contributed to the founding of this country as did her husband, John, our nation’s second president."
For additional programming ideas and resource materials, see “(At Least) 21 Ideas for Celebrating Women’s History Month” and “To Help You Plan.”

Andrés Duany, a renowned Miami architect and planner is has a solution for dealing with the post-quake housing crisis in Haiti. He has devised a stripped-down, bunkhouse-like structure made of near indestructible, space-age materials that can withstand earthquakes and hurricanes . Dubbed the ‘core house’, this light, expandable temporary dwelling accommodates eight people. http://m.greendiary.com/entry/miami-architect-designs-core-house-for-haitis-homeless/

Andrew Carnegie gave $2 million in 1901 to start the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) at Pittsburgh and the same amount in 1902 to found the Carnegie Institution at Washington, D.C. He later contributed more to these and other schools. CIT is now part of Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie served on the Board of Cornell University. In 1911, Andrew Carnegie became a sympathetic benefactor to George Ellery Hale, who was trying to build the 100 inch (2.5 m) Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson, and donated an additional ten million dollars to the Carnegie Institution with the following suggestion to expedite the construction of the telescope: "I hope the work at Mount Wilson will be vigorously pushed, because I am so anxious to hear the expected results from it. I should like to be satisfied before I depart, that we are going to repay to the old land some part of the debt we owe them by revealing more clearly than ever to them the new heavens." The telescope saw first light on November 2, 1917, with Carnegie still alive.[20] In Scotland, he gave $10 million in 1901 to establish the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, a fund to assist education at Scottish universities.[21] He was subsequently elected Lord Rector of University of St. Andrews. He also donated large sums of money to Dunfermline, the place of his birth. In addition to a library, Carnegie also bought the private estate which became Pittencrieff Park and opened it to all members of the public, establishing the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust[22] to benefit the people of Dunfermline. A statue of him stands there today. He gave a further $10 million in 1913 to endow the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, a grant-making foundation.[23][24] Carnegie also established large pension funds in 1901 for his former employees at Homestead and, in 1905, for American college professors. The latter fund evolved into TIAA-CREF. One critical requirement was that church-related schools had to sever their religious connections to get his money. His interest in music led him to fund construction of 7,000 church organs. He built and owned Carnegie Hall in New York City.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Carnegie

Pollepel Island[1] is an island in the Hudson River. Also known as Pollopel Island, Pollopel's Island, and Bannerman Island, it is the site of Bannerman's Castle[2][3] The name is from the Dutch word pollepel 'ladle'. Pollepel Island is about 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City[4] and about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the Hudson River's eastern shore.[3] It contains about 6.5 acres (26,000 m2) — most of it rock.[3] The principal feature on the island is Bannerman's Castle, an abandoned military surplus warehouse.[2] It was built in the style of a castle by businessman Francis Bannerman VI (1851–1918).[3] It remains one of a very small number of structures in the United States which can properly be called a castle. Pollepel Island is sometimes referred to as Bannerman's Island.[5] One side of the castle carries the words "Bannerman's Island Arsenal".[2] Pollepel Island was discovered during the first navigation of the Hudson River by early Dutch settlers in New York,[6] at the "Northern Gate" of the Hudson Highlands. There are accounts Native Americans believed the island was haunted and European settlers also told tales about it, including the legend of Polly Pell, invented to explain the island's name after its Dutch origins had been forgotten. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollepel_Island

Muse reader shares BEST EVER salad dressing recipe dating from the 40s or 50s. There are many more oils and vinegars that can be substituted (as well as spices) and it is an excellent, excellent base for not only dressing, but dip, sandwich spread, meat marinade/rub, etc.

2 med garlic cloves (or more if you’re into garlic)
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t tarragon
1/2 t sugar
1 t dried mustard
1 egg
1 c salad oil
1/4-1/3 c cider vinegar

Food process spices and garlic. Add egg and continue processing. Slowly pour in oil (this is where emulsification happen) then add vinegar until desired consistency. It keeps for ages in the fridge. Sometimes I throw in bleu cheese AFTER it’s emulsified. Sometimes I use dill or thyme in place of the tarragon. Sometimes I use lemon or lime juice/rice vinegar/balsamic—just keep the proportions consistent and it’s almost no fail.

Q: When will the census forms be delivered and who is responsible for them?
A: The census "package" will be delivered by a U.S. Census Bureau worker between today and April 30, or by the U.S. Postal Service between March 15 and March 17. It includes a cover letter, a form, and a return envelope. The form has only 10 questions and is one of the shortest. The head of household must complete the form for everyone living there on April 1. People who live and sleep at the address most of the time should be listed, as should people staying on April 1 with no permanent address. Federal law requires a response and the head of household can be fined of up to $5,000 if he/she doesn't, but "the Census Bureau views this approach as a last resort." The Census Bureau is required by the Constitution to count everyone in the country every 10 years, regardless of citizenship status. -- U.S. Department of Commerce.
Q: What should I do when I encounter a revolving door when I'm with someone else? Should one let one's female companion or business partner proceed through the door first, having to shoulder most of the effort to start it spinning? Or should one proceed first, providing the initial effort, but seeming rude by entering first?
A: Men traditionally entered a revolving door first if it wasn't moving, but women went first if it was already in motion. This old bit of etiquette was based on the notion that women needed help to push the door. Today, the person in front enters first and pushes.
Separately, the larger question of when a man should open a door or hold a chair for a woman depends largely on whether the woman will appreciate these gestures. It is probably fair to say that most young women today are not inclined to sit in a car while a date walks around to open the door. The man's best bet is to ask: "May I get the door for you?" or "Can I hold your chair?" By leaving the choice to her, he doesn't have to guess about her preference. The woman should respond politely: "Yes, thank you" or "No, but thank you. I can manage it." Of course, this works between two men, two women, or a woman and a man also. Like so many matters of modern etiquette, a little communication between people involved is the logical way to resolve the problem. -- Emily Post's Etiquette Daily. http://www.thecourier.com/Opinion/columns/2010/Mar/JU/ar_JU_030110.asp?d=030110,2010,Mar,01&c=c_13

Some countries require your passport be valid for another six months before you enter. Check with your travel agent or see this list of countries with specific information.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html

It started with a notice in the local newspaper last fall. The minor league baseball team in Lansing, Mich., wanted to sell the naming rights to its stadium, then called Oldsmobile Park. General Motors Corp., which hadn't built any Oldsmobiles since 2004, was ending its sponsorship. Thomas M. Cooley Law School President Don LeDuc was intrigued. If corporations can gain visibility with stadium naming rights, he thought, why not a law school? Three months later, LeDuc and the Lansing Lugnuts announced that they had struck a deal. Oldsmobile Park is now Cooley Law School Stadium. LeDuc believes it's the first time a law school has secured naming rights to an unaffiliated sports facility. The school will pay nearly $1.5 million to the team during the 11-year naming contract. http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202444420825&src=EMC-Email&et=editorial&bu=National%20Law%20Journal&pt=NLJ.com-%20Daily%20Headlines&cn=20100224NLJ&kw=Law%20school%20buys%20naming%20rights%20to%20minor%20league%20ball%20park&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

de jure (di JOOR-ee, day JOOR-ay, day YOO-ray, day JYOO-ray)
adverb: By right; by law.
adjective: Rightful.
From Latin de jure (from the law). Ultimately from the Indo-European root yewes- (law) that is also the source of jury, judge, just, injury, perjury, and conjure. The complement of de jure is de facto meaning "in practice".
ad hominem (ad HO-mi-nuhm, HOM-uh-nuhm))
adverb, adjective:
Appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or other personal considerations rather than to intellect or reason.
Attacking an opponent personally instead of answering the argument.
From Latin, literally "to the person". A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg

Both the longest[1] and the largest island in the contiguous United States, Long Island extends 118 miles (190 km) from New York Harbor, and has a maximum width of 23 miles (37 km) between the northern (Long Island Sound) coast and the southern Atlantic coast.[2] With a land area of 1,401 square miles (3,629 km2), Long Island is the 11th largest island in the United States, the 148th largest island in the world, larger than any U.S. territory except Puerto Rico,[2] and just smaller than the state of Rhode Island (1545 sq mi). Long Island had a population of 7,448,618 as of the 2000 census,[2] making it the most populated island in any U.S. state or territory. I t is also the 17th most populous island in the world, ahead of Ireland, Jamaica and the Japanese island of Hokkaidō. Its population density is 5,470 inhabitants per square mile (2,110 /km2). If it were a state, Long Island would rank 12th in population. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island

Puerto Rico (pronounced /ˌpwɛərtə ˈriːkoʊ/ or /ˌpɔrtə ˈriːkoʊ/), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" — literally Associated Free State of Puerto Rico), is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico (Spanish for "rich port") is composed of an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area and second smallest by population among the four Greater Antilles, which also include Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica.
Puerto Ricans often call the island Borinquen, from Borikén, its indigenous Taíno name.[4][5] The terms boricua and borincano derive from Borikén and Borinquen respectively, and are commonly used to identify someone of Puerto Rican heritage. The island is also popularly known as "La Isla del Encanto", which translated means "The Island of Enchantment." Puerto Rico consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos. Of these last five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona is uninhabited most of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are also many other even smaller islands including Monito and "La Isleta de San Juan" which includes Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has an area of 13,790 square kilometers (5,320 sq mi), of which 8,870 km2 (3,420 sq mi) is land and 4,921 km2 (1,900 sq mi) is water.[102] The maximum length of the main island from east to west is 180 km (110 mi), and the maximum width from north to south is 65 km (40 mi).[103] Puerto Rico is the smallest of the Greater Antilles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico

Quote For money you can have everything it is said. No, that is not true. You can buy food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; soft beds, but not sleep; knowledge but not intelligence; glitter, but not comfort; fun, but not pleasure; acquaintances, but not friendship; servants, but not faithfulness; grey hair, but not honor; quiet days, but not peace. The shell of all things you can get for money. But not the kernel. That cannot be had for money.
Arne Garborg, born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg (1851-1924) Norwegian writer

Scientists classify yogurt as a protein thickener. Proteins coagulate as they heat up, which thickens sauces. In the case of yogurt, its proteins are already coagulated by their culturing process, so when heated close to a boil, the yogurt curdles, separating its proteins and liquids. For smooth sauce, add yogurt at the end of cooking. In dishes where simmering it into the sauce is essential for character, accept yogurt's quirks and don't worry. The Splendid Table February 24, 2010

Comic strip humor Every 24 hours, the world turns over on someone who was sitting on top of it. Crankshaft February 24, 2010

Maroon (color) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (362 words)


Maroon is the national color of the Republic of Latvia, and is featured in its National flag.

Maroon is the main color in the flag of Qatar.


Maroon is the official color of the state of Queensland, Australia.

Maroon Bells - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (457 words)


Maroon Peak, at 14,156 feet, is the 27th highest peak in Colorado; North Maroon Peak, at 14,014 feet, is the 50th highest.

The view of the Maroon Bells from the Maroon Creek valley to the northeast is one of the most famous scenes in Colorado, and is reputed to be the "most-photographed spot in Colorado".

Maroon Lake is at an altitude of 9,580 feet of 2880 meters.
Maroon is a color related to dark red. Maroon is a type of red, mixed with brown not purple or pink[citation needed]. Although conceptually a color mixture, it can be regarded as a dark (and possibly also desaturated) shade of red. Derived from French marron ("chestnut"), it didn't become a color-word in English until ca. 1791. http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Maroon-(color)

Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District is a class action suit brought by Blake J. Robbins and other students of Harriton High School[1] in the Lower Merion School District, Pennsylvania, United States, for allegedly infringing upon the privacy of the students via remotely activated webcams in school laptops while the laptops were being used at home.[2][3] The case was brought after Robbins was allegedly disciplined at school, with a photograph taken by the webcam as evidence. The matter has since also begun to be investigated by the FBI, and is being cited as an example of how modern technology impacts personal privacy (whether or not the school itself broke any rules or laws).[4] The school used LANrev for tracking.[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_J._Robbins_v._Lower_Merion_School_District

Lights. Camera. Traction. That's what President Obama will be seeking February 25 at a televised summit with Republicans and Democrats on his stalled effort to revamp America's health care system. The session, however, carries much broader implications. Whether or not Obama ultimately gets a health care bill through Congress, the effort could have practical and political consequences for years to come. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-02-23-health-care-summit-Obama_N.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/health/policy/24health.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703503804575083901649362256.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

In the hope of ending its reputation for Fortress America-style embassies, the State Department yesterday selected a Philadelphia architecture firm known for its thoughtful and environmentally rigorous work to design a new, more welcoming U.S. Embassy in London. The firm, KieranTimberlake, beat out three better-known finalists in a lengthy competition whose jury included top design-world figures, the State Department announced. This is only the fourth time the foreign service has held such a competition to select an embassy architect. This one was organized with the intention of making a statement about America's democratic and environmental aspirations, even while it struggles to accommodate the intense security demands of a post-9/11 world.
Read story and see picture at: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20100224_Phila__firm_will_design_U_S__Embassy_in_London.html


What's the difference between a bill and a law? Learn through lyrics:
I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I'm off to the White House
Where I'll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills
For the president to sign
And if he signs me, then I'll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill.
See the rest of the words and links to YouTube for this and other rock songs at:
http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Bill.html Thanks, Julie

The 50 State Capitals Song Tune: Turkey in the Straw
Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Indianapolis, Indiana;
And Columbus is the capital of Ohio
There's Montgomery, Alabama south of Helena, Montana
Then there's Denver, Colorado under Boise, Idaho.

Texas has Austin, then we go north to
Massachusetts, Boston; and Albany, New York
Tallahassee, Florida; and Washington, D.C.
Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Nashville, Tennessee
(Elvis used to hang out there a lot, ya know)

Trenton's in New Jersey north of Jefferson, Missouri
You got Richmond in Virginia, South Dakota has Pierre
Harrisburg's in Pennsylvania and Augusta's up in Maine
And here is Providence, Rhode Island next to Dover, Delaware.

Concord, New Hampshire, just a quick jaunt to
Montpelier which is up in Vermont
Hartford's in Connecticut, so pretty in the fall
And Kansas has Topeka, Minnesota has St. Paul

Juneau's in Alaska and there's Lincoln in Nebraska
And it's Raleigh out in North Carolina
And then there's Madison, Wisconsin and Olympia in Washington
Phoenix, Arizona and Lansing, Michigan

Here's Honolulu, Hawaii's a joy
Jackson, Mississippi and Springfield, Illinois
South Carolina with Columbia down the way
And Annapolis in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay
(They have wonderful clam chowder.)

Cheyenne is in Wyoming and perhaps you make your home in
Salt Lake City out in Utah where the buffalo roam
Atlanta's down in Georgia and there's Bismarck, North Dakota
And you can live in Frankfort in your old Kentucky home.

Salem in Oregon, from there we join
Little Rock in Arkansas, Iowa's got Des Moines
Sacramento, California; Oklahoma and its city
Charleston, West Virginia and Nevada, Carson City.

That's all the capitals there are!
http://www.mrsjonesroom.com/songs/50capitals.html
Hear the song or visit about a dozen linked sites with information on state capitals.

The safety and aesthetics of commercial electronic variable message signing were reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration in 1980 . Read about types of electronic billboards, state regulations, distractions and safety at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/REALESTATE/elecbbrd/chap2.htm

Blog Carnival from Northern Colorado Writers (NCW)
Eat Like the Doc Does
I’ve enjoyed Michael Pollan’s books, especially The Omnivore’s Dilemna and In Defense of Food. Both of those won James Beard Awards, often termed “the Oscars of Food.” Now Pollan, who is the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley, has published a slender volume of sixty-four “Food Rules” designed to help us get off the “Western Diet.” He defines that as lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of refined grains, lots of everything except vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and associates it with high rates of chronic diseases. http://peterdspringbergmdfacp.com/blog/
Hearth Cricket Mysteries, writing, recipes and musings on traditional domestic arts http://www.hearthcricket.com/
Emerald City commentary, rantings, inspiration, blatherings, quips, witticisms, jargon, pleasantries, wisecracks, wordplay, whatnot and all that jazz.
http://www.emeraldcity48.blogspot.com/
Words by Bob use, misuse and humor of words
http://wordsbybob.wordpress.com/

Quote Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong. -Dandamis, Indian philosopher (4c BCE)

The National Law Journal has published its annual ranking of schools based on which sent the highest percentage of graduates to first-year jobs at the country's largest firms. Forget faculty-student ratios, student satisfaction, a school's reputation or any other measure of greatness. What counts most these days is a school's ability to deliver the bacon.
Here are the Top 10 in the NLJ ranking followed by the percentage of grads who landed first-year positions at the nation's largest firms.
1. Northwestern University School of Law - 55.9 percent
2. Columbia Law School - 54.4 percent
3. Stanford Law School - 54.1 percent
4. University of Chicago Law School - 53.1 percent
5. University of Virginia School of Law - 52.8 percent
6. University of Michigan Law School - 51 percent
7. University of Pennsylvania Law School - 50.8 percent
8. New York University School of Law - 50.1
9. UC Berkeley School of Law - 50 percent
10. Duke Law School - 49.8 percent
WSJ Law Blog February 22, 2010

GPO and Cornell University Law School Open Government Initiative Project
News release: The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and Cornell University Law School are beginning a year-long pilot project to evaluate a conversion process of The Code of Federal Regulations(CFR) in XML (extensible markup language) format. The CFR is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government. The Cornell Legal Information Institute will convert various titles into XML and place them on the university’s Web site for students to research. GPO and Cornell will apply lessons learned from this pilot project and share the information with members of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to find ways of providing the public openness to government documents...GPO recently announced the conversion of the CFR into XML and placed online at GPO’s Federal Digital System and the Government’s site for Government data. Initially the CFR’s from 2007 to present are available and those dating back to 2000 will be added over the next few months.

Google Book Search Legal Saga Continues in NY District Court
Follow up to postings on Google Book Search resources and related litigation, the latest news from The Laboratorium - GBS: Fairness Hearing Report [held February 18, 2010, U.s. District Court, Southern District of New York], with Part I here and Part II here. These report cover the arguments of settlement supporters and opponents; and the arguments made by the Department of Justice and the parties, along with a few brief comments of Law Professor James Grimmelmann.

EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
News release: "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has released an action plan to guide the Obama Administration’s historic efforts to restore the Great Lakes . The action plan, which the administrator unveiled at a Sunday meeting with governors from the Great Lakes states, lays out the most urgent threats facing the Great Lakes and sets out goals, objectives and key actions over the next five years to help restore the lakes."
• FY2010 – FY2014 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan

Q. What is the longest river in Europe?
A. The Volga [Russia] is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. Longest river in EU is Danube [Germany-Black Sea] River Volga empties into the Caspian sea. Its basin forms about one third of European Russia. It rises in the Valday Hills with an altitude of 742 ft (226m), flows eastwards. Oka, Sura, Vetluga, Kama, and Samara are its major tributaries. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_longest_river_in_Europe
John Charles Olmsted (1852-1920), the nephew and adopted son of Frederick Law Olmsted, was an American landscape architect. With his brother, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., he founded Olmsted Brothers, a landscape design firm in Brookline, Massachusetts. The firm is famous for designing many public places, including Central Park. John Olmsted's body of work from over 40 years as a landscape architect has left its mark on the American urban landscape. John Olmsted continued the park planning begun by his father. He carried his design philosophy of integrated park systems into new cities such as Portland, Maine; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Spokane, Dayton, and Charleston. In these cities, he pioneered his comprehensive planning philosophy of integrating civic buildings, roads, parks, and greenspaces into livable urban areas. Olmsted also designed individual parks in New Orleans, Watertown, New York; and Chicago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles_Olmsted
Recipes from Saveur, Special Issue "Los Angeles"
http://www.saveur.com/in_this_issue.jsp?issueId=201002
includes Korean Fried Chicken, Cobb Salad, Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleons, Kale and Avocado Salad, Winter Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Find out about jackfruit in A Taste of Asia and Pizzeria Mozza where you book a table a month in advance in Mighty Fine Pie at:
http://www.saveur.com/in_this_issue.jsp?page=1&order=2&subcat=&issueId=201002

Read about Leon Salad and Marinated Octopus Salad at:
http://www.saveur.com/in_this_issue.jsp?page=1&order=3&subcat=&issueId=201002

Exotic tropical fruits
breadfruit = panapen = pana de pepita This is the plant that the H.M.S. Bounty was carrying in the South Pacific when its crew mutinied.
durian = stinky fruit The weird and smelly durian has attracted a cult-like following. It's called the King of Fruits by aficionados in Southeast Asia. The boiled seeds of the durian are called betons.
jackfruit = jakfruit = jak = nankga This is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world--it weighs up to 100 pounds. It's hard to find fresh in the United States, but Asian markets sometimes stock canned jackfruit. The yellowish pulp tastes a bit like banana. The seeds can be boiled and eaten.
Read about many more exotic fruits at: http://www.foodsubs.com/Fruittroex.html

Filibuster n.
The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.
An instance of the use of this delaying tactic.
An adventurer who engages in a private military action in a foreign country.
v., -tered, -ter•ing, -ters.
v.intr.
To use obstructionist tactics in a legislative body.
To take part in a private military action in a foreign country.
v.tr.
To use a filibuster against (a legislative measure, for example).
http://www.answers.com/topic/filibuster

Using the filibuster to delay or block legislative action has a long history. The term filibuster -- from a Dutch word meaning "pirate" -- became popular in the 1850s, when it was applied to efforts to hold the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill. In the early years of Congress, representatives as well as senators could filibuster. As the House of Representatives grew in numbers, however, revisions to the House rules limited debate n the smaller Senate, unlimited debate continued on the grounds that any senator should have the right to speak as long as necessary on any issue. In 1841, when the Democratic minority hoped to block a bank bill promoted by Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, he threatened to change Senate rules to allow the majority to close debate. Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton rebuked Clay for trying to stifle the Senate's right to unlimited debate. Three quarters of a century later, in 1917, senators adopted a rule (Rule 22), at the urging of President Woodrow Wilson, that allowed the Senate to end a debate with a two-thirds majority vote, a device known as "cloture."
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Filibuster_Cloture.htm

One of the first known practitioners of the filibuster was the Roman senator
Cato the Younger.
In debates over legislation he especially opposed, Cato would often obstruct the measure by speaking continuously until nightfall. As the Roman Senate had a rule requiring all business to conclude by dusk, Cato's purposefully long-winded speeches were an effective device to forestall a vote. Cato attempted to use the filibuster at least twice to frustrate the political objectives of Julius Caesar. http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Filibuster

The hula is a rich tradition of Hawaii and has gone through many stages in its history. Its origins are shrouded in legend and according to one of them, the hula originated when the goddess of fire, Pele, commanded her younger sister, Laka to dance. Another legend says that Hi'iaka danced to appease her sister, Pele. A lot of the present day dances are based on this Hi'iaka epic and schools were begun to honor Laka as well as temples that were dedicated to her. Until the early twentieth century, ritual and prayer surrounded all aspects of hula. http://www.alohamagazine.com/en/hula.htm

Savannah noun
1 : a port in eastern Georgia near the mouth of the Savannah river
2: a river in South Carolina that flows southeast to the Atlantic [syn: Savannah River]
3 : a flat grassland in tropical or subtropical regions [syn: savanna]
Source: WordNet (r) 2.0 http://www.dictionary.net/savannah

Nestled in the Austrian Alps, Salzburg is a beautiful, scenic city with a unique attraction hidden within those mountains. Salzburg, translated salt mountain, got its name from its ancient salt mines. http://www.ehow.com/how_2039337_visit-salt-mine-salzburg.html

affranchise (uh-FRAN-chyz) verb tr.
To make or set free.
From Old French franchise, from franche, feminine of franc (free), from Latin francus (free). Franchise and enfranchise are synonyms of this word.
Star Chamber (star CHAYM-buhr) noun
A court or group marked by arbitrary, oppressive, and secretive procedures.
After the Star Chamber in the Palace of Westminster in London. It was the site of a closed-door court appointed by King Henry VII of England in the 15th century. Notorious for its abuse of power -- rulings made in secret, no appeal -- it was abolished by the Long Parliament in 1641. The chamber was so named because its ceiling was decorated with stars.
Grub Street (grub street) noun
The world of impoverished journalists and literary hacks.
After Grub Street in London where such writers lived. In 17th century London, Grub Street near Moorfields was the place to find impoverished writers. Even though this street was renamed Milton Street in 1830, the world of hack writers is still known as Grub Street. A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg

Typo found by muse reader in Sherlock Holmes color plates:
It should say Copper Beeches, not Cooper Beeches. The title refers to copper beech trees.

Q: How many Americans are killed by lightning?
A: Lightning killed an average of 58 people each year from 1979 to 2008.
Documented injuries average about 300 per year, although undocumented injuries are likely to be much higher. -- National Weather Service.
If you're even a little curious, then just ask by e-mail to justask@thecourier.com, by fax to 419-427-8480, or by mail to Just Ask, The Courier, P.O. Box 609, Findlay, OH 45839.

A muse reader has found a document with an article from the magazine section of the Toledo Blade dated July 15, 1984. The article is about Fuller & Henry and Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick law firms. There are pictures of six attorneys many readers will recognize. Let me know if you want a copy of it. Thanks, Ed. Thanks, Darla for alerting me.

SUMMARY “THE CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTABILITY RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLOSURE ACT”
Prevents Unfair Increases in Interest Rates and Changes in Terms
Prohibits arbitrary interest rate increases and universal default on existing balances;
Requires a credit card issuer who increases a cardholder’s interest rate to periodically review and decrease the rate if indicated by the review;
Prohibits credit card issuers from increasing rates on a cardholder in the first year after a credit card account is opened;
Requires promotional rates to last at least 6 months. See the complete summary at: http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/051909_CreditCardSummaryFinalPassage.pdf The bill was signed on May 22, 2009 and goes into effect February 22, 2010.

Deloitte’s 2010 Industry Outlook – U.S. State Government: "State governments will face a number of significant and continuing challenges in 2010. From budget deficits to runaway Medicaid costs to infrastructure challenges, the new year is shaping up to be perhaps one of the most difficult in recent history. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel. 2010 is a significant election year, with 36 states and two territories holding elections – the greatest number in decades. This gubernatorial turnover will invariably bring new agendas representing change, and change creates opportunities. Deloitte’s 2010 Industry Outlook for State Government looks ahead at the coming year and the most significant changes and opportunities state governments are likely to face."

PBS FRONTLINE Investigation: Flying Cheap
Flying Cheap - Introduction: "Last February, Continental Flight 3407 crashed outside of Buffalo, N.Y., killing 49 people onboard and one on the ground. Although 3407 was painted in the colors of Continental Connection, it was actually operated by Colgan Air, a regional airline that flies routes under contract for US Airways, United and Continental. The crash and subsequent investigation revealed a little-known trend in the airline industry: Major airlines have outsourced more and more of their flights to obscure regional carriers. Today, with regional airlines accounting for more than half of all scheduled domestic flights in the United States and responsible for the last six fatal commercial airline accidents, FRONTLINE producer Rick Young and correspondent Miles O'Brien investigate the safety issues associated with outsourcing in Flying Cheap."
MAP: See the regionals flying out of top U.S. airports--and their safety record
Interviews: Regional pilots, industry reps, gov't regulators, aviation watchdogs
Safety and Regional Airlines: Code-share agreements, regulation/liability issues, Washington's response
Continental Flight #3704 Families: Inside their crusade to improve airline safety
Watch the Full Program Online

A prime number is one that can only be divided by itself and one. Two is the only even prime number.

ruth•ful (ro̵̅o̅t̸h′fəl) adjective
NOW RARE full of ruth; feeling, showing, or arousing pity or sorrow
Etymology: ME reuthful http://www.yourdictionary.com/ruthful

What is the origin of the phrasing, "starting from scratch"?
Most English language experts agree that the traditional phrase, "starting from scratch," began with racing sports. Before a race (biking, boating, driving, running or swimming), a starting line is traditionally marked out for competitors. In a handicapped race, some participants may be allowed to begin ahead (with either an advance start or a forward starting line). In a scratch race, however, all participants must start at the same line, with no advantages allowed, commencing the race at the get-go. With prevalent usage, starting from scratch has come to refer to any form of beginning all over again. Used more loosely, starting from scratch may mean beginning and completing any project (even a first-time effort) with no previous preparation and with the most basic of materials. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2639431/idioms_unpacked_starting_from_scratch.html?cat=37

French officials confirmed on February 18 the purchase of Venetian Giacamo Casanova's handwritten autobiography, The Story of My Life. The French library — with the financial assistance of an anonymous patron — purchased the journal, which is believed to be the last surviving manuscript by Casanova. It had previously been owned by the heirs of the Germany publishing house Brockhaus, which acquired the manuscript in the 19th century. The purchase price was not disclosed, but experts believe it could likely be the highest price ever paid for an original manuscript.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2010/02/18/casanova-memoir-france.html#ixzz0fv4ipn9y

Quote
I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the first time.
Josh Billings, columnist and humorist (1818-1885)

Screenwriter Dan Turkewitz, back in 2006, shot off a note to the nine Supreme Court justices, reporting that “There are parts of the story that deal with the legality of [Maine joining Canada] and, of course, a big showdown in the Supreme Court is part of the story.” Continued Dan: At the moment my story is a 12 page treatment. As an architect turned screenwriter, it is fair to say that I come up a bit short in the art of Supreme Court advocacy. If you could spare a few moments on a serious subject that is treated in a comedic way, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. I'm sure you'll find the story very entertaining. According to Dan's brother Eric, Justice Scalia was the only justice to respond. His brief letter read: I am afraid I cannot be of much help with your problem, principally because I cannot imagine that such a question could ever reach the Supreme Court. To begin with, the answer is clear. If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. (Hence, in the Pledge of Allegiance, “one Nation, indivisible.”) Secondly, I find it difficult to envision who the parties to this lawsuit might be. Is the State suing the United States for a declaratory judgment? But the United States cannot be sued without its consent, and it has not consented to this sort of suit. I am sure that poetic license can overcome all that - but you do not need legal advice for that. Good luck with your screenplay.
WSJ Law Blog February 17, 2010

Three things must happen for you to see a rainbow's colors. First, the sun must be shining. Second, the sun must be behind you, and third, there must be water drops in the air in front of you. Sunlight shines into the water drops, which act as tiny prisms that bend or "refract" the light and separate it into colors. Rainbows have no end. We usually don't see the full circle because the horizon of the Earth is in the way. But if the sun is very low in the sky, either just before sunset or just after sunrise, we can see a half circle. The higher the sun is in the sky, the less we see of the rainbow. The only way to see the full circle of a rainbow in the sky is to be above the raindrops and have the sun behind you. You would have to look down on the drops from an airplane. http://www.wxdude.com/Rainbows.html

How could global warming be driving our massive snowstorm pattern? One word: moisture. A warmer atmosphere holds more water. Plus, warmer surface temperatures are triggering more evaporation of ocean water worldwide. That water goes up, up, up into that atmosphere. And what goes up must sooner or later come down. This is precisely what scientific studies are now documenting. Water vapor in the global atmosphere jumped by about 5 percent in the 20th century, P.Y. Groisman and his colleagues reported in 2004. This while there has been an observed, significant uptick in heavy winter precipitation events in the Northeastern U.S., according to a 2006 study. And all the while, global temperatures have risen sharply, including an average warming of 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the Northeastern U.S.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.warming14feb14,0,6844763.story

No red, white or blue in six flags? Muse reader continues: Turns out there are only three flags (this from my daughter) without R, W or B in them: Jamaica, Mauritania and Libya. ;-)

What ten countries have four letters in their names?
You may search and find the list through a search engine--one answer gives twelve countries--or you may play the game at: http://www.sporcle.com/games/4letter_countries.php

Think “Lincoln” and “New York,” and the juxtaposition would most likely conjure up the tunnel or the performing arts center. Until this year, it might have also evoked the majestic Lincoln Building at 60 East 42nd Street. With barely a nod to the former president, the owners of the 53-story tower, which opened 80 years ago, changed the name to One Grand Central Place, removed the bronze plaques on which the Gettysburg Address and his second Inaugural Address were immortalized, and evicted Daniel Chester French’s sculpture of the “seated Lincoln,” the model for the Lincoln Memorial, from the lobby. The Lincoln statue was apparently purchased by Lawrence A. Wein, who bought the building in the early 1950s. He was the father-in-law of Peter L. Malkin, the chairman of W & H Properties, which now owns it. Anthony E. Malkin, president of W & H, said the statue was moved to improve traffic flow and installed in the building’s law library off the lobby “in respect of a president who was himself a lawyer, and as a more befitting spot in our building for a noted work of art.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/nyregion/13lincoln.html

Walter Fredrick Morrison, who at 17 sent the lid of a popcorn tin skimming through the air of a California backyard and as an adult remade the lid in plastic, in the process inventing the simple, elegant flying disc known today as the Frisbee, died February 9 at his home in Monroe, Utah. He was 90. Beloved of man and dog, the Frisbee has for more than half a century been the signature product of Wham-O, a toy and sporting-goods manufacturer based in Emeryville, Calif. The company has sold more than 200 million of the discs since acquiring the rights to Mr. Morrison’s Pluto Platter, as it was then known, in 1957. At least since antiquity, mankind has been hurling flat, round objects — or flying discs, as they are known in aficionados’ parlance — aloft. But Mr. Morrison is widely credited as having designed the first commercial flying disc expressly manufactured and marketed as such. Wham-O changed the name to Frisbee in 1958, influenced by the Frisbie Pie Company in Connecticut, whose tins Yale students hurled for sport. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/us/13morrison.html

At the opera
There's a memorable scene in the 1935 comedy classic A Night at the Opera, in which Groucho Marx interrupts a deadly serious operatic aria with the astute commentary, "Boogie-Boogie-Boogie!" The opera on stage in that scene is among the most popular of all time, Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore. The aria is sung by Azucena, one of the most complex and compelling characters in any opera. Naturally, in the film, the highbrow audience is aghast at Groucho's rude behavior. Il Trovatore is an easy mark, an opera ripe for parody The opera has a complicated, basically unsavory and highly implausible story. Plus, to have any chance at all of understanding it, you first have to learn a background story that's even more complex and unlikely. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112934663

Mozart composed "The Opera of Operas" - Don Giovanni - especially for Prague and he personally conducted its world first performance in 1787 at the Prague Estates Theatre (Stavovské Theatre). National Marionette Theatre presents this brilliant opera in the unique version using the classical marionettes. Tall marionettes as well as the stylish period costumes and original stage effects can be seen in the performance. It lasts about two hours, and a shortened version can be arranged. http://www.mozart.cz/gb/giovanni_gb.html
Note: We saw this in Prague, and orchestra members as well as singers are marionettes.

When the curtain falls on Richard Wagner's "Goetterdaemmerung," conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, in Salzburg at the end of March, the audience will be released into a dark world of greed and trickery. After what's been going on behind the scenes ahead of the opening of the Salzburg Easter Festival, Wagner will seem like deja vu. Since the festival's executive director Michael Dewitte was dismissed indefinitely in December following accusations of fraud, the organization's efforts to save face have become increasingly difficult. Dewitte was allegedly involved in rerouting sponsors' funds to a secret foreign bank account, cheating on expense accounts and paying for services that may not have been rendered to the festival. According to Audit Services Austria, the financial damage caused by Dewitte could amount to as much as 2 million euros (nearly $2.8 million). In one particular case, he is accused of siphoning 300,000 euros from a donation and transferring it to an apparently non-existent Caribbean-based company with a bank account in northern Cyprus. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5220087,00.html

Sometimes, the hardest part of writing is writing the third word. You know, the one right after "Chapter One." Recently, as I chugged into the day's writing, the first thing I did was delete the beginning. By that time, I was about 13,000 words into the manuscript, and I didn't need them anymore. I've used that same basic opening at least two or three times, and it always gets cut. But you have to start somewhere, and as has been said over and over: "You can't fix a blank page." But what about that last page? The one where you can't turn any more pages. It's been said that your first page sells the book. Your last page sells the next book. Guest post by Terry Odell The Writing Bug February 17, 2010