Category: FYI

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Nicholas Dawidoff, The Atlantic: How the Beatles Wrote ‘A Day in the Life’

Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.

Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?

FYI December 15, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1025 – Constantine VIII becomes sole emperor of the Byzantine Empire, 63 years after being crowned co-emperor.[3]
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred in Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. The eastern half of the Empire survived the conditions that caused the fall of the West in the 5th century AD, and continued to exist until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire remained the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in the Mediterranean world. The term “Byzantine Empire” was only coined following the empire’s demise; its citizens referred to the polity as the “Roman Empire” and to themselves as “Romans”.[a] Due to the imperial seat’s move from Rome to Byzantium, the adoption of state Christianity, and the predominance of Greek instead of Latin, modern historians continue to make a distinction between the earlier Roman Empire and the later Byzantine Empire.

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Born On This Day

1242 – Prince Munetaka, Japanese shōgun (d. 1274)
Prince Munetaka (宗尊親王, Munetaka Shinnō, 15 December 1242 – 2 September 1274) was the sixth shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan who reigned from 1252 to 1266.[1]

He was the first son of the Emperor Go-Saga and replaced the deposed Fujiwara no Yoritsugu as shōgun at the age of ten. He was a puppet ruler controlled by the Hōjō clan regents.

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FYI

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

EarthSky News

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Marie-Madeleine Riffaud (23 August 1924 – 6 November 2024) was a French poet, journalist and war correspondent. She fought in the French Resistance during World War II. After World War II she reported on the Algerian War for the Communist newspaper L’Humanité, and then worked in Vietnam for the Viet Cong resistance for seven years.

Her first poetry collection, Le Poing Fermé (The Clenched Fist), including poems written in prison, was published in 1945. A memoir giving them context, On l’appelait Rainer (Called Rainer), appeared in 1994.

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By MessyNessy: 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 722); The Portable Pocket “iPad” of Typewriters; Royal Gorge Route in 1951 (still running); When Photography on Fabrics was all the Rage in 1947; A guy who wrapped his brother’s present in cement…; A Brief Round-up of our favourite Kitsch-mas Cheer; The Grey Gardens of Los Angeles and more ->

By MessyNessy: 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 721): An abandoned theatre in Portugal for sale; Watched Gladiator II yet? Check out this fascinating thread on the mysterious flora & fauna that were found growing in the ruins of the Colosseum.; An archaeologist’s 200-year-old note left on a French excavation site, discovered by students; How a 500 year old French chapel visited by Joan of Arc ended up on a Milwaukee University Campus; Madeleine Riffaud, hero of the French Resistance, has died at the age of 100.; The female firefighter uniform from the Achille Serre Ladies Fire Brigade in London, 1926; Tree FM — listen to random forests around the world.; Designing a 19th-Century Kindle: An E-Reader for Dickens; The Fascinating Origin of the Saying: Born with a silver spoon in the mouth and more ->

By Colin Marsall, Open Culture: Binge-Watch Classic Television Programs Free: The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lone Ranger, Dragnet, That Girl & More

Craig Medred: Frigid benefit

Craig Medred: Zero-sum fishery

Ouch~
Ben Shapiro: When a Rabbi’s Son Becomes a Christian

Ideas

By reeddyer1: Ice Lanterns

By nuevecuervos: Let’s Make Some Killer Plants!

Recipes

Taste of Home: Taste of Home Home Dishes & Beverages Stews Vegetable Stews Quick Italian Veggie Skillet

Food Talk Daily: 12 Great Ways to Eat Eggplant

By In The Kitchen With Matt: Easy Christmas Gnomes Brownie Bites

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

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FYI December 09-14, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1432 – The first battle between the forces of Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis is fought near the town of Oszmiana (Ashmyany), launching the most active phase of the Lithuanian Civil War.[3]
The Lithuanian Civil War of 1432–1438[1] was a war of succession to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, after Vytautas the Great died in 1430 without leaving an heir.[2][3][4] The war was fought on the one side by Švitrigaila, allied with the Teutonic Knights, and on the other by Sigismund Kęstutaitis, backed by the Kingdom of Poland. The war threatened to sever the Union of Krewo, the personal union between Poland and Lithuania.[2] Švitrigaila’s alliance with the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Paul von Rusdorf, launched the Polish–Teutonic War (1431–1435) but failed to secure victory for Švitrigaila.[5]

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1877 – Russo-Turkish War: The Russian Army captures Plevna after a 5-month siege. The garrison of 25,000 surviving Turks surrenders. The Russian victory is decisive for the outcome of the war and the Liberation of Bulgaria.
The siege of Plevna or Pleven, was a major battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, fought by the joint army of Russian Empire and Kingdom of Romania against the Ottoman Empire.[6] After the Russian army crossed the Danube at Svishtov, it began advancing towards the centre of modern Bulgaria, with the aim of crossing the Balkan Mountains to Constantinople, avoiding the fortified Turkish fortresses on the Black Sea coast. The Ottoman army led by Osman Pasha, returning from Serbia after a conflict with that country, was massed in the fortified city of Pleven, a city surrounded by numerous redoubts, located at an important road intersection.

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861 – Assassination of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil by the Turkish guard, who raise al-Muntasir to the throne, start of the “Anarchy at Samarra”.[3]
Ja’far ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (Arabic: جعفر بن محمد بن هارون, romanized: Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn); March 822 – 11 December 861, commonly known by his regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (Arabic: المتوكل على الله, romanized: al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh, lit. ’He who relies on God’), was the tenth Abbasid caliph, ruling from 847 until his assassination in 861. He succeeded his brother, al-Wathiq (r. 842–847), and is known for expanding the empire to its maximum extent.[1] He was deeply religious, and is remembered for discarding the Muʿtazila, ending the Mihna (a period of persecution of Islamic scholars), and releasing Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He is also known for his tough rule, especially with respect to non-Muslim subjects.

1862 – American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River.[4]
USS Cairo /ˈkeɪroʊ/ is the lead ship of the City-class casemate ironclads built at the beginning of the American Civil War to serve as river gunboats.

Cairo is named for Cairo, Illinois. In June 1862, she captured the Confederate garrison of Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, enabling Union forces to occupy Memphis. As part of the Yazoo Pass Expedition, she was sunk on 12 December 1862, while clearing mines for the attack on Haines Bluff. Cairo was the first ship ever to be sunk by a mine remotely detonated by hand.

The remains of Cairo can be viewed at Vicksburg National Military Park with a museum of its weapons and naval stores.

1643 – English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire.[7]
The Battle of Alton (also Storm of Alton),[7] of the First English Civil War, took place on 13 December 1643 in the town of Alton, Hampshire, England.[α] There, Parliamentary forces serving under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of Royalist infantry and cavalry serving under the Earl of Crawford.[3] The Battle of Alton was the first decisive defeat of Sir Ralph Hopton, leader of Royalist forces in the south, and the event had a significant psychological effect on him as commander.[7] More important to Hopton was the loss of men, however, as he was already short-handed in much-needed infantry. The successful Parliamentarians were able, after their victory, to attack and successfully besiege Arundel, a larger and more formidable Royalist outpost to the south-east of Alton.[2][5]

1812 – The French invasion of Russia comes to an end as the remnants of the Grande Armée are expelled from Russia.[8]
The Grande Armée (pronounced [ɡʁɑ̃d aʁme]; French for ‘Great Army’) was the main military component of the French Imperial Army commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1804 to 1808, it won a series of military victories that allowed the French Empire to exercise unprecedented control over most of Europe. Widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest fighting forces ever assembled, it suffered catastophic losses during the disastrous Peninsular War followed by the invasion of Russia in 1812, after which it never recovered its strategic superiority and ended in total defeat for Napoleonic France by the Peace of Paris in 1815.

Born On This Day

1482 – Frederick II, Elector Palatine (d. 1556)
Frederick II, Count Palatine of the Rhine (9 December 1482 – 26 February 1556), also Frederick the Wise, a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Prince-elector of the Palatinate from 1544 to 1556, and pretender to the Norwegian Throne from 1535 to 1556.

The Kurfürst-Friedrich-Gymnasium in Heidelberg is named after him.

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1452 – Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1531)[21]
Johannes Stöffler (also Stöfler, Stoffler, Stoeffler; 10 December 1452 – 16 February 1531) was a German mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, priest, maker of astronomical instruments and professor at the University of Tübingen.

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1566 – Manuel Cardoso, Portuguese organist and composer (d. 1650)
Manuel Cardoso (baptized 11 December 1566 – 24 November 1650) was a Portuguese composer and organist. With Duarte Lobo and John IV of Portugal, he represented the “golden age” of Portuguese polyphony.

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1685 – Lodovico Giustini, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1743)[33]
Lodovico Giustini (12 December 1685 – 7 February 1743) was an Italian composer and keyboard player of the late Baroque and early Classical eras. He was the first known composer ever to write music for the piano.

1484 – Paul Speratus, German Lutheran (d. 1551)[22]
Paul Speratus (13 December 1484 – 12 August 1551) was a Swabian Catholic priest who became a Protestant preacher, reformer and hymn-writer. In 1523, he helped Martin Luther to create the First Lutheran hymnal, published in 1524 and called Achtliederbuch.[1]

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1546 – Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer and chemist (d. 1601)[22]
Tycho Brahe (/ˈtaɪkoʊ ˈbrɑː(h)i, – ˈbrɑː(hə)/ TY-koh BRAH-(h)ee, -⁠ BRAH(-hə), Danish: [ˈtsʰykʰo ˈpʁɑːə] ⓘ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, Danish: [ˈtsʰyːjə ˈʌtəsn̩ ˈpʁɑːə];[note 1] 14 December 1546 – 24 October 1601), generally called Tycho for short, was a Danish astronomer of the Renaissance, known for his comprehensive and unprecedentedly accurate astronomical observations. He was known during his lifetime as an astronomer, astrologer, and alchemist. He was the last major astronomer before the invention of the telescope. Tycho Brahe has also been described as the greatest pre-telescopic astronomer.[3][4]

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

EarthSky News

This Day in Tech History

This Day In History

Interesting Facts

Word Genius: Word of the Day

Wise Trivia

FYI

James Clear: 3-2-1: On acting with confidence, the different types of age, and the importance of momentum

Wickersham’s Conscience: Return of Bird of the Week: Buff-necked Ibis

The Associated Press: Hundreds of bookstore staffers receive holiday bonuses from author James Patterson

Linda Hitchcock, Brook Trib. Longmire Faces Deadly Alaskan Tundra in Latest From Craig Johnson

By Jeff Haden, Inc.: Here’s What Happened When I Complimented Everyone I Met for an Entire Day If you take on this challenge, here’s some advice: Don’t go to the grocery store.

Shawn Ryan Show: Alan C. Mack – Flying Through Hell: Real Combat Stories from a Night Stalker Pilot | SRS #148

Education and Intelligence are not the same!
Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf is Back! | BRCC #332

Cleared Hot Podcast: Raising Legends, Building Defenders, and Finding Balance

Cleared Hot Podcast: SSS and Genghis Cohen – Dark Desert Defense, Machine Guns, Helicopters, and Strippers

Recipes

Food Talk Daily: Creamy Cauliflower Pasta Bake

Dizzy, Busy and Hungry: One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet

Food Talk Daily Recipe Roundups: 11 Winter Stews For Weeknight Dinners Winter is stew time, and these delicious and easy stews are the best comfort food for weekday family dinners

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

E-book Deals:

The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!

Book Blogs & Websites:

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

EarthSky News

This Day in Tech History

This Day In History

Interesting Facts

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Wise Trivia

FYI December 08, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

757 – The poet Du Fu returns to Chang’an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong’s court, after having escaped the city during the An Lushan Rebellion.[2]
Du Fu (Chinese: 杜甫; Wade–Giles: Tu Fu; 712–770) was a Chinese poet and politician during the Tang dynasty. Together with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai, Du is often considered one of the greatest Chinese poets.[1] His greatest ambition was to serve his country as a successful civil servant, but Du proved unable to make the necessary accommodations. His life, like all of China, was devastated by the An Lushan Rebellion of 755, and his last 15 years were a time of almost constant unrest.

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Born On This Day

1418 – Queen Jeonghui, Queen consort of Korea (d. 1483)
Queen Jeonghui (Korean: 정희왕후; Hanja: 貞熹王后; 8 December 1418 – 6 May 1483[a]), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed on the wife and queen of Yi Yu, King Sejo. She was Queen of Joseon from 1455 until her husband’s death in 1468, after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Jaseong (자성왕대비) during the reign of her son, Yi Hwang, King Yejong, She was later honoured as Grand Queen Dowager Jaseong (자성대왕대비) during the reign of her grandson, Yi Hyeol, King Seongjong.

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FYI

By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Don’t Strip-Mine The Sky More thoughts on what Bluesky’s ultimate business model could look like: A modern take on Craigslist, a company that never exploited its users.

Alina Maria VaduvaKirk Chang: The Conversation: A Rising Tide of E-Waste Threatens Our Health, the Environment and the Economy Data centers need to expand to support the AI revolution, but that means even more electronic waste.

Brian VanHooker, MEL Magazine: An Oral History of Big Mouth Billy Bass How the famous singing fish swam to the heights of fame, before being flushed down the drain of the pop culture commode.

The Marginalian by Maria Popova: Midweek pick-me-up: A fearless and largehearted woman’s account of traversing a divided world on a bicycle in the 1960s

By Arianne Cohen, Bloomberg: Meet the Falconer Who Earns $20,000 a Month You do what? A Long Island native traded book publishing for birds and never looked back.

Matt Goff, Sitka Nature Show: #321 – Patrick Webster

Marion Owen

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Today I have 4,000+ subscribers and I’m earning passive income from my channel.
If you’ve ever wanted to share your talents and passions with the world on YouTube, I highly recommend this workshop. It’s happening Monday, Dec 9, at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.
You can register here:
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It’s free. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

The Village People Singer Responds to Donald Trump YMCA Controversy

Recipes

By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Snickerdoodle Toffee Bars

By In The Kitchen With Matt: Classic Gingerbread Cookies

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

E-book Deals:

The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!

Book Blogs & Websites:

FYI December 06-07, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus’: Kyiv, defended by Voivode Dmytro, falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan.[2]
The Mongol Empire invaded and conquered much of Kievan Rus’ in the mid-13th century, sacking numerous cities including the largest: Kiev (50,000 inhabitants) and Chernigov (30,000 inhabitants). The siege of Kiev in 1240 by the Mongols is generally held to mark the end of the state of Kievan Rus’,[1][2] which had already been undergoing fragmentation.[3] Many other principalities and urban centres in the northwest and southwest escaped complete destruction or suffered little to no damage from the Mongol invasion, including Galicia–Volhynia, Pskov, Smolensk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, and probably Rostov and Uglich.[1][4][5][6]

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1732 – The Royal Opera House opens at Covent Garden, London, England.
The Royal Ballet and Opera, formerly the Royal Opera House (ROH), is a historic opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. The first theatre on the site, the Theatre Royal (1732), served primarily as a playhouse for the first hundred years of its history. In 1734, the first ballet was presented. A year later, the first season of operas, by George Frideric Handel, began. Many of his operas and oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premieres there.

Born On This Day

1421 – Henry VI of England (d. 1471)
Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471,[1] and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne upon his father’s death at the age of eight months; he succeeded to the French throne on the death of his maternal grandfather, Charles VI, shortly afterwards.

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903 – Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Persian astronomer and author (d. 986)
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ṣūfī (Persian: عبدالرحمن الصوفی; 7 December 903 – 25 May 986) was a Persian astronomer.[1][2] His work Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib (“The Book of Fixed Stars”), written in 964, included both textual descriptions and illustrations. The Persian polymath Al-Biruni wrote that al-Ṣūfī’s work on the ecliptic was carried out in Shiraz. Al-Ṣūfī lived at the Buyid court in Isfahan.

Jake Wynn – Public Historian: Newspaper headlines across Pennsylvania’s Coal Region announce the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor | December 1941

Jake Wynn – Public Historian: A Pennsylvania teenager remembers learning of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941

FYI

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

EarthSky News

This Day in Tech History

This Day In History

Interesting Facts

Word Genius: Word of the Day

Wise Trivia

Calvin Murray Sinclair CC OM MSC (Ojibway name Mizanay (Mizhana) Gheezhik; January 24, 1951 – November 4, 2024) was a Canadian politician who was a member of the Senate, and a First Nations lawyer who served as chairman of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 2009 to 2015.[4]

Learn more ->

By Falene Nurse, Inverse: How the “Mother of Yoda” Conquered Hollywood — And Why She Disappeared

By Jared Farmer, Smithsonian Magazine: The Science Behind the Oldest Trees on Earth How experts have determined that bristlecone pines, sequoias and baobabs have stood for thousands of years.

Mia McPherson’s On The Wing Photography: It’s Weird Not Seeing California Gulls!

By Open Culture: The BBC Creates Step-by-Step Instructions for Knitting the Iconic Dr. Who Scarf: A Document from the Early 1980s

Wickersham’s Conscience: Return of Bird of the Week: Black-faced Ibis

Wickersham’s Conscience: Notes on Oscitation

Wickersham’s Conscience: Congressman Simpson and the Greater Sage Grouse

Cleared Hot Podcast: Phonies, Pain, and Finding Emotional Strength

Colion Noir: Canada Is Banning & Confiscating Citizens Guns To Send To Ukraine

Joe Rogan Experience #2238 – John McPhee

Recipes

Simply Recipes: The 4-Ingredient Side Dish That Wows My Guests Every Time

Taste of Home: Confetti Kielbasa Skillet

Homemade on a Weeknight: Chocolate Christmas Crack

By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Eggnog Spritz Cookies

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

E-book Deals:

The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!

Book Blogs & Websites:

FYI December 04-05, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1259 – Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels.[4]
The 1259 Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of Abbeville, was a peace treaty agreed between King Louis IX of France and King Henry III of England on 4 December 1259, briefly ending a century-long conflict between the Capetian and Plantagenet dynasties.

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1033 – The Jordan Rift Valley earthquake destroys multiple cities across the Levant, triggers a tsunami and kills many.[3]
An earthquake struck the Jordan Rift Valley on December 5, AD 1033 and caused extreme devastation in the Levant region. It was part of a sequence of four strong earthquakes in the region between 1033 and 1035. Scholars have estimated the moment magnitude to be greater than 7.0 Mw  and evaluated the Modified Mercalli intensity to X (Extreme). It triggered a tsunami along the Mediterranean coast, causing damage and fatalities. At least 70,000 people were killed in the disaster.

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Born On This Day

1506 – Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Chiche (d. 1558)
Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Chiche KG (4 December 1506 – 28 June 1558) was an English courtier during the reign of Edward VI. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard between 1550 and 1551 before his appointment as Lord Chamberlain of the Household. He was placed under house arrest for his support of Lady Jane Grey as Edward’s successor.

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1470 – Willibald Pirckheimer, German lawyer and author (d. 1530)
Willibald Pirckheimer (5 December 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissance lawyer, author and Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Nuremberg in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a member of the governing City Council for two periods. One of the most important cultural patrons of Germany in his own right,[1] he was the closest friend of the artist Albrecht Dürer,[2] who made a number of portraits of him, and a close friend of the great humanist and theologian Erasmus.

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James Clear: 3-2-1: How to learn faster, what you put into the world, and the value of numerous attempts

Kindle Freebie!
Boo Walker, An Echo in Time: A Novel

A woman delves into a centuries-old murder to find the truth behind her self-destructive behavior in a powerful novel about love, loss, and healing by the bestselling author of An Unfinished Story and The Stars Don’t Lie.

Unable to catch a break in life or love as she approaches thirty, Charli Thurman sees red lights at every crossroads. And given the Thurman family’s tumultuous history, she knows things will only get worse, unless she can break the cycle and figure out where—and when—it all went wrong.

Charli is skeptical when her best friend introduces her to a “soul reader” who specializes in generational trauma. But during family constellation therapy with the guru, Charli experiences an inexplicable memory of terrible violence. Whatever happened in the past, it created an imbalance that’s still in the Thurman blood.

When Charli’s research leads her to Winchester, England, she meets a charming pub owner named Noah, whose own family history is similarly twisted. As the mystery deepens around a damaged inheritance and a tragic death, Charli is resolved to find the truth—and create the fresh start she has been hoping for her whole life.

By Andromeda Romano-Lax: Can you laugh and be scared at the same time? Suspense with a side of standup: interview with Brent Butt, comedian and Canadian author of the bestseller, HUGE

By Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science: Why are ‘driverless’ cars still hitting things? Real ‘autonomous’ vehicles rely on a diverse array of sensors capable of ‘superhuman’ object detection. It’s not perfect.

Melinda Wenner Moyer, Slate: Think Again Before Letting Your Kid on a Trampoline Parents have no idea how dangerous they are. Here’s what you need to know.

By Travis Bradberry, Inc: 15 Qualities You Need to Develop Mental Toughness Mental toughness is a huge indicator of success. Here’s how to know if you’ve got it.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) discusses energy policy and Iran – December 4, 2024

Black Rifle Coffee Podcast: Jeff Kirkham – Green Beret, DEA Agent, Author, and More | BRCC #331

Jack Carr USA: James Stavridis is a retired U.S. Navy Admiral and New York Times bestselling author: WAR, A History Still in the Making

Recipes

New York Times Cooking: Cauliflower Parmesan

Taco Bell: Creamy Chicken Fajitas

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

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FYI December 01-03, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1821 – José Núñez de Cáceres wins the independence of the Dominican Republic from Spain and names the new territory the Republic of Spanish Haiti.[6]
José Núñez de Cáceres y Albor (March 14, 1772 – September 11, 1846[1]) was a Dominican revolutionary and writer. He is known for being the leader of the first Dominican independence movement against Spain in 1821. His revolutionary activities preceded the Dominican War of Independence.

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1766 – Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech.
The Freedom of the Press Act (Swedish: Tryckfrihetsförordningen) is one of four Fundamental Laws of the Realm (Swedish: rikets grundlagar) and thus forms part of the Swedish Constitution.[1] The Act regulates matters regarding freedom of press and principle of public access to official records. The Freedom of the Press Act as well as the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (Swedish: Yttrandefrihetsgrundlagen) is one of the two “basic media acts” in Sweden. The Freedom of the Press Act is derived from the Freedom of the Press Act of 1766; the legislation is regarded as the world’s first law supporting the freedom of the press and freedom of information.[2]

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1799 – War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Wiesloch: Austrian Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray defeats the French at Wiesloch.[3]
The Battle of Wiesloch (German: Schlacht bei Wiesloch) occurred on 3 December 1799, during the War of the Second Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars.[1] Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Count Sztáray de Nagy-Mihaly commanded the far right wing protecting the main Austrian army in Swabia, under the command of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. With the victory at Wiesloch (on 3 December), Sztáray’s force drove the French from the right bank of the Rhine and relieved the fortress at Philippsburg.

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Born On This Day

1415 – Jan Długosz, Polish historian (d. 1480)[42]
Jan Długosz (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈdwuɡɔʂ]; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland’s first historian.[1][2]

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1599 – Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, Scottish nobleman (d. 1663)
Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, 3rd Lord Bruce of Kinloss (2 December 1599 – 21 December 1663), of Houghton House in the parish of Maulden in Bedfordshire, was a Scottish nobleman.

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1447 – Bayezid II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1512)
Bayezid II (Ottoman Turkish: بايزيد ثانى, romanized: Bāyezīd-i s̱ānī; Turkish: II. Bayezid; 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, Bayezid consolidated the Ottoman Empire, thwarted a pro-Safavid rebellion and finally abdicated his throne to his son, Selim I. Bayezid evacuated Sephardi Jews from Spain following the fall of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and the proclamation of the Alhambra Decree and resettled them throughout Ottoman lands, especially in Salonica.

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FYI

Thomas Eugene Kurtz (February 22, 1928 – November 12, 2024) was an American computer scientist and educator. A Dartmouth professor of mathematics, he and colleague John G. Kemeny are best known for co-developing the BASIC programming language and the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System in 1963 and 1964. These innovations made computing more accessible by simplifying programming for non-experts and allowing multiple users to share a single computer, transforming how computers were used in education and research.

For his role in creating BASIC, the IEEE honored Kurtz in 1991 with the Computer Pioneer Award,[2] and in 1994, he was inducted as a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery.[3]

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Wickersham’s Conscience: R.I.P. Thomas E. Kurtz (1928-2024)

Wickersham’s Conscience: Return of Bird of the Week: Green Ibis

Wickersham’s Conscience: Geology Notes: Mt. Jefferson

Lawhimsy: Affirmation Mondays 356 ~ Never think of pain or danger or enemies a moment longer than is necessary to fight them….

RollingStone True Crime: Unraveling the 50-Year Mystery of the Body in the Basement The Scene was the hottest club in New York City. After it closed, a teenage girl’s remains were discovered inside, leaving authorities with a puzzle to solve — and revealing just how easy it used to be to disappear

By MessyNessy 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 720): This Roman glass work from 300 AD, survived intact; The charm of old ticket windows on the London Underground; No unbelievably this is not AI, it’s the Plitvice lakes in Croatia; A vast index of Quilts and their patterns; Retail Nostalgia; Entering the Age of Aquarius with Raquel Welch and more ->

LifeHacker: How to Use Fabric Gift Wrap (and Why You Should)

Michael Dexter Hankins: LIFE STORIES

Jake Wynn – Public Historian: A Thanksgiving Night bar-room murder in a Schuylkill County patch town | November 1868

Jack Carr USA: Craig Whitlock Inside The Biggest US Navy Security Breach: The Rise of Fat Leonard

Cleared Hot Podcast: Dan Brunner – The Rise of Tren de Aragua

Ideas

By mrdebos: Tiered Display Stand From a Cardboard Box

By rocket radhi: Tie Dye Pattern

Recipes

Taste of Home: 20 Diabetic-Friendly Oatmeal Recipes

Simply Recipes: The 15-Minute Soup I Make for Instant Comfort

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

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FYI November 24-30, 2024

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On This Day

1227 – Gąsawa massacre: At an assembly of Piast dukes at Gąsawa, Polish Prince Leszek the White, Duke Henry the Bearded and others are attacked by assassins while bathing.[4]
The Gąsawa massacre (Polish: Zbrodnia gąsawska, lit. ’Gąsawa crime’) was an attack on the night of 23 / 24 November 1227 during a council of Polish Piast dukes which was being held near the village of Gąsawa in Kuyavia, Poland. The High Duke of Poland, Leszek the White, was assassinated, and Duke Henry the Bearded of Silesia was gravely wounded.[1][2]

At the time of the attack some of the victims were bathing in preparation for retiring for the night, and so the event is also known in Polish historiography as the Gąsawa bloodbath (Polish: krwawa łaźnia w Gąsawie).[3]

1120 – The White Ship sinks in the English Channel, drowning William Adelin, son and heir of Henry I of England.[2]
The White Ship (French: la Blanche-Nef; Medieval Latin: Candida navis) was a vessel transporting many nobles, including the heir to the English throne, that sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur during a trip from France to England on 25 November 1120.[1] Only one of approximately 300 people aboard, a butcher from Rouen, survived.[2]

1865 – Battle of Papudo: A Spanish navy schooner is defeated by a Chilean corvette north of Valparaíso, Chile.
The Naval Battle of Papudo was a naval engagement fought between Spanish and Chilean forces on November 26, 1865, during the Chincha Islands War. It was fought 55 miles north of Valparaiso, Chile, near the coastal town of Papudo.

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511 – King Clovis I dies at Lutetia and is buried in the Abbey of St Genevieve.
Clovis (Latin: Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: *Hlōdowig; c. 466 – 27 November 511)[1] was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Franks under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single king, and ensuring that the kingship was passed down to his heirs.[2] He is considered to have been the founder of the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled the Frankish kingdom for the next two centuries. Clovis is important in the historiography of France as “the first king of what would become France.”[3]

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520 – After 38 days, an expedition under the command of Ferdinand Magellan completes the first passage through the Strait of Magellan and enters the Pacific Ocean.[5]
The Strait of Magellan (Spanish: Estrecho de Magallanes), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The strait is approximately 570 km (310 nmi; 350 mi) long and 2 km (1.1 nmi; 1.2 mi) wide at its narrowest point. In 1520, the Spanish expedition of the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, after whom the strait is named, became the first Europeans to discover it.

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528 – Antioch suffers its second major earthquake in two years, killing thousands and destroying its remaining edifice.[1]
The 528 Antioch earthquake was the second major earthquake to affect the city in a span of two years. The shock occurring on 29 November, estimated at Ms 7.1, was viewed by its residents as the end of a series of disasters that had plagued Antioch. It killed at least 4,870 people and razed the remaining buildings that did not collapse in the earthquake of 526, and newly constructed ones.

1718 – Great Northern War: King Charles XII of Sweden dies during a siege of the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway.[3]
The siege of Fredriksten (Norwegian: Beleiringen av Fredriksten festning) was an attack on the Norwegian fortress of Fredriksten in the city of Fredrikshald (now Halden) by King Charles XII of Sweden. While inspecting his troops’ lines, Charles XII was killed by a projectile. The Swedes broke off the siege, and the Norwegians held the fortress.[2] Along with the Treaty of Nystad three years later, the death of Charles XII marked the end of the imperial era in Sweden, and the beginning of the Age of Liberty (Swedish: Frihetstiden) in that country.[3][

Born On This Day

1427 – John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English nobleman (d. 1473)
John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire KG, KB (24 November 1427[1][unreliable source] – 8 May 1473) was an English nobleman, the youngest son of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham. In 1461 he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Bath.

1467 – Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre, Knight of Henry VIII of England (d. 1525)
Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre of Gilsland, KG (25 November 1467 – 24 October 1525) was the son of Humphrey Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre of Gilsland and Mabel Parr, daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal by his wife, Alice Tunstall (daughter of Sir Thomas Tunstall, of Thurland Castle and cousin to Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall who served Henry VIII and all of his children). Mabel was the first of the Parr family to marry into the peerage but she was surpassed by her great niece, Catherine Parr, who became the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII.[1]

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This Day In History

Interesting Facts

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Wise Trivia

1401 – Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (d. 1418)
Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (probably 26 November 1401 – 25 November 1418) was an English nobleman who died aged 17 at the Siege of Rouen in France during the Hundred Years’ War, fighting for the Lancastrian cause. As he died unmarried without issue his heir became his younger brother John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, 3rd Earl of Somerset.

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1380 – King Ferdinand I of Aragon (d. 1416)
Ferdinand I (Spanish: Fernando I; 27 November 1380 – 2 April 1416 in Igualada, Òdena) named Ferdinand of Antequera and also the Just (or the Honest) was king of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia and (nominal) Corsica and king of Sicily, duke (nominal) of Athens and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdanya (1412–1416). He was also regent of Castile (1406–1416). He was the first Castillian ruler of the Crown of Aragon.

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1470 – Wen Zhengming, artist during the Ming dynasty (d. 1559)
Wen Zhengming (28 November 1470[3] – 28 March 1559[4]), born Wen Bi, was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet during the Ming dynasty. He was regarded as one of the Four Masters of Ming painting.[5]

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1338 – Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Belgian-English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1368)[49]
Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence,[1][2] (Norman: Leonell Duc de Clarence; 29 November 1338 – 17 October 1368[3][4]), was an English prince, Earl of Ulster jure uxoris from 1347, Duke of Clarence from 1362, Guardian of England in 1345–46, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1361–66, Knight of the Garter from 1361, second surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was named after his birthplace, at Antwerp in the Duchy of Brabant.[5]

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1364 – John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, Scottish soldier (d. 1390)
John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, 2nd Baron Maltravers jure matris, also called John de Arundel (30 November 1364 – 14 August 1390), of Buckland, Surrey, was the son and heir of John FitzAlan, 1st Baron Arundel by his wife Eleanor Maltravers, the grand-daughter and eventual heiress of John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers.

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FYI

James Clear: 3-2-1: On loving your fate, how to handle pressure, and the value of being proactive yet positive

Condolences
Bruce Redman Oct 3, 1943 – Nov 17, 2024

Condolences
David Dean Reineke April 03, 1957 – Nov 5, 2024

Condolences and Interesting!
Ray Bane Jul 14, 1936 – Nov 1, 2024

By Jim Robins, New York Times: On the Wings of War Scientists study the flight of hummingbirds to design robots for drone warfare.

By Tyler Rogoway, The War Zone: These Images Of An F-22 Raptor’s Crumbling Radar Absorbent Skin Are Fascinating The photos are a reminder of just how much work goes into keeping the F-22’s skin ready for combat and the amazing science behind its stealthy design.

By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Corporate Casserole Pondering Thanksgiving through an exceedingly corporate lens. Some of the holiday’s most important elements were brought to you by marketing and lobbying.

By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Power User Vs. Strong POV The just-released elementary OS 8 is interesting, but it has a problem—its impressive but prescriptive interface paradigm has to live in an ecosystem of power users. Who blinks first?

Jesse Aronstein, Ieee: The Forgotten Story of How IBM Invented the Automated Fab Fifty years ago, a brash middle manager had a vision: a chip in a day

Mia McPherson’s On The Wing Photography: Male Pileated Woodpecker Up A Tree

Rare Historical Photos: Early Expeditions to Antarctica: Rare Photos from the 1900s-1920s

Shawn Ryan Clips: Saddest Moment with a Cop: “I Wanted Someone to Hear the Gunshot and Find Me Before the Birds Do”

Complete interview:
Blake Cook – America’s Scapegoats: The 365-Day Service That Never Stops | SRS #146

Cleared Hot Podcast: Andy Vs. Michael – A Thanksgiving Special

Ideas

By JennyT131313: Boiled Lolly Solar L.E.D. Light Outdoor Decoration

Recipes

Simply Recipes: The 3-Ingredient Chicken I Make Once a Week

Taste of Home: 85 Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

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FYI November 21-23, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1894 – Port Arthur, China, falls to the Japanese, a decisive victory of the First Sino-Japanese War; Japanese troops are accused of massacring the remaining inhabitants.
The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Korea.[2] After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the ports of Lüshunkou (Port Arthur) and Weihaiwei, the Qing government sued for peace in February 1895 and signed the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki two months later, ending the war.

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1855 – In Birmingham, England, Albert, Prince Consort lays the foundation stone of the Birmingham and Midland Institute.[8]
The Birmingham and Midland Institute (popularly known as the Midland Institute) (grid reference SP066870), is an institution concerned with the promotion of education and learning in Birmingham, England. It is now based on Margaret Street in Birmingham city centre. It was founded in 1854 as a pioneer of adult scientific and technical education (General Industrial, Commercial and Music); and today continues to offer arts and science lectures, exhibitions and concerts. It is a registered charity. There is limited free access to the public, with further facilities available on a subscription basis.

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1499 – Seven days after being convicted of treason, Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the throne of England, is hanged for attempting to escape from the Tower of London; his supporter John Atwater is executed with him.[2]
Perkin Warbeck (c. 1474 – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called “Princes in the Tower”. Richard, were he alive, would have been the rightful claimant to the throne, assuming that his elder brother Edward V was dead and that he was legitimate—a point that had been previously contested by his uncle, King Richard III.

Born On This Day

1692 – Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni, Italian poet and academic (d. 1768)
Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni (21 November 1692 – 20 December 1768) was an Italian poet and librettist. As a poet Frugoni was one of the best of the school of the Arcadian Academy, and his lyrics and pastorals had great facility and elegance. His collected works were published at Parma in 10 volumes in 1799,[1] and a more complete edition appeared at Lucca in the same year in 15 volumes.[2]

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1515 – Mary of Guise, Queen of Scots (d. 1560)[39]
Mary of Guise (French: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. As the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, she was a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that marked mid-16th-century Scotland, ruling the kingdom as queen regent on behalf of her daughter from 1554 until her death in 1560.

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1190 – Pope Clement IV (d. 1268)[26]
Pope Clement IV (Latin: Clemens IV; c. 23 November 1190 – 29 November 1268), born Gui Foucois (Latin: Guido Falcodius; French: Guy de Foulques or Guy Foulques)[1] and also known as Guy le Gros (French for “Guy the Fat”; Italian: Guido il Grosso), was bishop of Le Puy (1257–1260), archbishop of Narbonne (1259–1261), cardinal of Sabina (1261–1265), and head of the Catholic Church from 5 February 1265 until his death. His election as pope occurred at a conclave held at Perugia that lasted four months while cardinals argued over whether to call in Charles I of Anjou, the youngest brother of Louis IX of France, to carry on the papal war against the Hohenstaufens. Pope Clement was a patron of Thomas Aquinas and of Roger Bacon, encouraging Bacon in the writing of his Opus Majus, which included important treatises on optics and the scientific method.

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

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Interesting Facts

Word Genius: Word of the Day

Wise Trivia

FYI

James Clear: 3-2-1: The power of limiting your options, the value of eagerness, and what we undervalue

Craig Medred: Saving brains

Fireside Books: Haruki Murakami’s ‘The City and Its Uncertain Walls’; Richard Schoch’s ‘How Sondheim Can Change Your Life’

By Open Culture: How to Potty Train Your Cat: A Handy Manual by Jazz Musician Charles Mingus

By Colin Marshall, Open Culture: An Introduction to the Astonishing Book of Kells, the Iconic Illuminated Manuscript

By Josh Jones, Open Culture: Discover the CIA’s Simple Sabotage Field Manual: A Timeless Guide to Subverting Any Organization with “Purposeful Stupidity” (1944)

By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Not Ready For The Camera Why hasn’t video completely killed text-based social media, despite social platforms clearly favoring it? Simple: By its very nature, it excludes voices from the discussion.

Earth Data NASA: Celebrate GIS Day 2024 To celebrate GIS Day, take a peek at these illuminating examples of NASA Earth Science leveraging Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to understand our home planet.

Perfect for winter….
By Maki Yazawa, The Wirecutter: We Regret to Inform You That the Perpetually Sold-Out Ninja Slushi Lives Up to the Hype

Thanksgiving History | Best of Jake Wynn – Public Historian

Wickersham’s Conscience: Return of Bird of the Week: Andean Cock of the Rock

JELLY ROLL VISITS PENDLETON JUVENILE

JackCarrUSA: Revealing The Truth Behind Donald Trump’s Victory in the 2024 Election

Cleared Hot Podcast: Moral Dilemmas, Problem Employees, Big Career Changes

Cleared Hot Podcast: Vaughn Stumpf – Concern or Hope for the Future?

Black Rifle Coffee Podcast: Former Green Beret and National Bestseller Mike Glover | BRCC #329

Joe Rogan Experience #2230 – Evan Hafer

Recipes

by ScrappyGeek.com: Zucchini Salad

Our Crafty Mom: 23 Simple And Delicious Leftover Turkey Recipes You Will Love!

By Kayla Hoang, Simply Recipes: My Favorite Chocolate Cake Is a One-Bowl Wonder

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

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FYI November 14-20, 2024

Filed under FYI

On This Day

1914 – The Joensuu City Hall, designed by Eliel Saarinen, was inaugurated in Joensuu, Finland.[7]
The Joensuu City Hall (Finnish: Joensuun kaupungintalo) is a brick building in the center of Joensuu, Finland, designed by Eliel Saarinen and completed in 1914, combining styles of Romantic Nationalism and late Art Nouveau. It serves as a center of culture and governance for the city. It houses the city’s central administration, the city theater (the easternmost professional theater in the European Union) and a restaurant. The city hall is located on the banks of the Pielinen River on the Rantakatu street.[1] After its completion on November 14, 1914, the new city hall corresponded quite closely to Saarinen’s drawings, especially from its facades. The facade statues were designed by sculptor Johannes Haapasalo.[1]

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1315 – Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy: The Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft ambushes the army of Leopold I in the Battle of Morgarten.[2]
The Battle of Morgarten took place on 15 November 1315, when troops of Schwyz, supported by their allies of Uri and Unterwalden, ambushed an Austrian army under the command of Leopold I, Duke of Austria on the shores of Lake Ägeri, in the territory of Schwyz.

1532 – Francisco Pizarro and his men capture Inca Emperor Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca.
The Battle of Cajamarca, also spelled Cajamalca[4][5] (though many contemporary scholars prefer to call it the Massacre of Cajamarca),[6][7][8] was the ambush and seizure of the Incan ruler Atahualpa by a small Spanish force led by Francisco Pizarro, on November 16, 1532. The Spanish killed thousands of Atahualpa’s counselors, commanders, and unarmed attendants in the great plaza of Cajamarca, and caused his armed host outside the town to flee. The capture of Atahualpa marked the opening stage of the conquest of the pre-Columbian civilization of Peru.[9]

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1405 – Sharif ul-Hāshim establishes the Sultanate of Sulu.
The Sultanate of Sulu (Tausug: Kasultanan sin Sūg; Malay: Kesultanan Suluk; Filipino: Kasultanan ng Sulu) was a Sunni Muslim state[note 1] that ruled the Sulu Archipelago, coastal areas of Zamboanga City and certain portions of Palawan in the today’s Philippines, alongside parts of present-day Sabah and North Kalimantan in north-eastern Borneo.

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1095 – The Council of Clermont begins: called by Pope Urban II, it led to the First Crusade to the Holy Land.[3]
The Council of Clermont was a mixed synod of ecclesiastics and laymen of the Catholic Church, called by Pope Urban II and held from 17 to 27 November 1095 at Clermont, Auvergne, at the time part of the Duchy of Aquitaine.[1][2]

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1802 – The Garinagu arrive at British Honduras (present-day Belize).
The Garifuna people (/ˌɡɑːriːˈfuːnə/ GAR-ee-FOO-nə[3][4] or Spanish pronunciation: [ɡa’ɾifuna]; pl. Garínagu[5] in Garifuna)[a] are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creole.

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1739 – Start of the Battle of Porto Bello between British and Spanish forces during the War of Jenkins’ Ear.
The Battle of Porto Bello, or the Battle of Portobello, was a 1739 battle between a British naval force aiming to capture the settlement of Portobelo in Panama, and its Spanish defenders. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, in the early stages of the war sometimes known as the War of Jenkins’ Ear. It resulted in a popularly acclaimed British victory.

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Born On This Day

1449 – Sidonie of Poděbrady, daughter of King of Bohemia (d. 1510)
Sidonie of Poděbrady (Czech: Zdenka z Poděbrad; 11 November 1449 – 1 February 1510) was a duchess consort of Saxony, as the wife of Albert III.[1][2] She was a daughter of George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia, and his first wife Kunigunde of Sternberg.[3][4] She was the twin sister of Catherine of Poděbrady, wife of Matthias Corvinus of Hungary.

1397 – Nicholas V, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1455)
Pope Nicholas V (Latin: Nicholaus V; Italian: Niccolò V; 15 November 1397 – 24 March 1455),[1] born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death, in March 1455.[2] Pope Eugene IV made him a cardinal in 1446 after successful trips to Italy and Germany, and when Eugene died the next year, Parentucelli was elected in his place. He took his name Nicholas in memory of his obligations to Niccolò Albergati.

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1466 – Francesco Cattani da Diacceto, Florentine philosopher (d. 1522)
Francesco Cattani da Diacceto (16 November 1466 – 10 April 1522) was a Florentine Neoplatonist philosopher of the Italian Renaissance.

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1412 – Zanobi Strozzi, Italian painter (d. 1468)[14]
Zanobi di Benedetto di Caroccio degli Strozzi (17 November 1412 – 6 December 1468), normally referred to more simply as Zanobi Strozzi, was an Italian Renaissance painter and manuscript illuminator active in Florence and nearby Fiesole. He was closely associated with Fra Angelico, probably as his pupil, as told by Vasari.[1] He is the same painter as the Master of the Buckingham Palace Madonna.[2] Most of his surviving works are manuscript illuminations but a number of panel paintings have also been attributed to him, including seven altarpieces and six panels with the Virgin and Child,[3] along with some designs for metalwork.

NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day

EarthSky News

This Day in Tech History

This Day In History

Interesting Facts

Word Genius: Word of the Day

Wise Trivia

By MessyNessy, 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 719): A last look at an almost-forgotten Parisian apartment before it became a Museum Café at the Musée Bourdelle in Paris; The Violin. “A stack of hundred-year-old photos lead to the discovery of a family treasure hiding in plain sight.”; Engineers discover a 132-Year-Old Message in a Bottle in a Scottish Lighthouse; Tapestries in the basement of a Hospital for Nervous and Psychologically Ill people, created by a patient; The Real Wizard of Oz; Just a Ford Mustang on top of the Empire State Building; Words of Wisdom from Anthony Bourdain and more ->

1522 – Lamoral, Count of Egmont (d. 1568)
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (18 November 1522 – 5 June 1568) was a general and statesman in the Spanish Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years’ War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.[1]

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1503 – Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma (d. 1547)[17]
Pier Luigi Farnese (19 November 1503 – 10 September 1547) was the first Duke of Castro from 1537 to 1545 and the first Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1545 to 1547. He was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (who later became Pope Paul III). He became a soldier and participated in the sack of Rome in 1527.

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1602 – Otto von Guericke, German physicist and politician (d. 1686)
Otto von Guericke (UK: /ˈɡɛərɪkə/ GAIR-ik-ə,[1] US: /ˈɡ(w)ɛərɪkə, -ki/ G(W)AIR-ik-ə, -⁠ee,[2] German: [ˈɔtoː fɔn ˈɡeːʁɪkə] ⓘ; spelled Gericke until 1666;[3] 30 November [O.S. 20 November] 1602 – 21 May [O.S. 11 May] 1686) was a German scientist, inventor, mathematician and physicist. His pioneering scientific work, the development of experimental methods and repeatable demonstrations on the physics of the vacuum, atmospheric pressure, electrostatic repulsion, his advocacy for the reality of “action at a distance” and of “absolute space” were noteworthy contributions for the advancement of the Scientific Revolution.[4]

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FYI

By MessyNessy, 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 718): This Historic 1913 Library For Sale in New Hampshire; A Follow up on the Utterly Insane Ghost City of Fake French Chateaux; Meet the sole occupants of a remote railway town waiting for visitors who might never arrive; This excellent Etsy shop of sarcastic embroidered pillows and more ->

Ridiculous Anchorage! Seriously, you have that kind of money are you going to buy “off the rack”?

Zillow: $15,000,000 3400 E 112th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99516

The Marginalian by Maria Popova: Leonard Cohen on the antidote to anger and the meaning of resistance, Doris Lessing on breaking the prisons we have chosen to live in, loving words

By Open Culture: Bambi Meets Godzilla: #38 on the List of The 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time (1969)

By Colin Marshall, Open Culture: Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments for Living Virtuously (1930)

By David Courtney, Texas Monthly: Meet David Zychek, the Greatest Guitar Player You’ve Never Heard Of The Waco-bred rock and roller, who Ted Nugent compared to Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, gets a posthumous moment in the spotlight in a new documentary.

Ginger Gaetz sings National Anthem

Congressman Morgan Luttrell, DAMA: Our Nation’s Hallowed Grounds

Cleared Hot Podcast: How To Rebuild

Recipes

By Coco Morante, Simply Recipes: The $8.99 Ace Hardware Find I Buy Every Year for Thanksgiving

By Megan Scott, Simply Recipes: The Ramen Salad My Mom Makes Every Thanksgiving

By Myo Quinn, Simply Recipes: I Tried Giada De Laurentiis’ Viral Sheet Pan Lasagna—My Family Can’t Get Enough

By Michaels Test Kitchen: Fluffy GLUTEN FREE Chocolate Sheet Cake

Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.

DamnDelicious

2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024
Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]
Nagi
Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024
This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]
Nagi

Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024
Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 23 December 23, 2024
Picture of the day Carved wooden bench, furniture, textile crafts, lanterns and suspended mobile sculptures, at the wooden Heuan Chan heritage house, stilt building with wooden ceiling, Luang Prabang, Laos.

E-book Deals:

The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!

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