Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 28, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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prerogative
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining BracketsBrackets ( [ ] ) are similar to parentheses in that they are used to contain information that does not impact the overall grammatical structure of the sentence. What are brackets usually used to indicate within quoted speech? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Ladder of Divine AscentOne of the most widely read books among Eastern Orthodox Christians, The Ladder of Divine Ascent was composed by Christian monk John Climacus around 600 CE and is addressed to members of Christian monastic movements. The work is divided into 30 parts, or "steps,” that describe how to bring one's soul closer to God, as if climbing a ladder. The book discusses virtues, vices, and the means by which to attain the highest degree of religious perfection. What do the 30 steps represent? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.jpg) European Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Discovers California (1542)In 1520, Cabrillo, an explorer in the service of Spain, landed in Mexico and joined in the conquests of Mexico and Guatemala. Some 20 years later, he accompanied an expedition up the west coast of Mexico, assuming its command after the death of its original commander. He then proceeded to explore much of the coast of what is now the state of California, becoming the first European to do so. How far north did he get before complications from a broken bone, possibly gangrene, took his life? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alice Marble (1913)Marble was an American tennis player who began playing at age 15 and rose rapidly in the national tennis rankings after 1931. She won 18 Grand Slam championships: five in singles, six in doubles, and seven in mixed doubles. Her personal life, however, was filled with tragedy and intrigue. Her husband was killed during World War II, just days after Marble had suffered a miscarriage. She attempted suicide but recovered and, in 1945, began spying for US intelligence. What was her mission? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Once conform, once do what other people do because they do it, and a lethargy steals over all the finer nerves and faculties of the soul. She becomes all outer show and inward emptiness; dull, callous, and indifferent.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be rushed off (one's) feet— To be exceptionally busy, especially to an exhausting or exasperating degree; to be made to work very hard and very quickly. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival (2018)The Sugar Cane Festival pays tribute to this important crop in New Iberia, Louisiana. The festival, which began in 1937 and now is participated in by 13 of the 17 sugar-producing parishes of the area, begins on Friday with a Farmers' Day. Highlights of the day are agriculture, homemaking and livestock shows, and a boat parade down Bayou Teche. On Saturday, there's a children's parade and the crowning of Queen Sugar at a ball; on Sunday, the new Queen Sugar and King Sucrose reign over a parade. Other features are a blessing of the crops and a fais-do-do, a dance party. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: problemslife coach - An advisor who helps people with problems, decisions, and goal attainment in daily life. More... empathy, sympathy - Empathy denotes a deep emotional understanding of another's feelings or problems, while sympathy is more general and can apply to small annoyances or setbacks. More... gravity - Comes from Latin gravitas, from gravis, "heavy, important"—and it can apply to situations and problems as well as to people. More... insoluble - Can be applied to problems that cannot be solved as well as substances that will not dissolve in liquids. More... | |
| In the News | |
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Pluto's 'Skyscrapers': What's Responsible for Dwarf Planet's Giant Ice BladePluto's surface hosts blades of ice that soar to the height of skyscrapers — and researchers have narrowed down exactly how the dramatic features form. According to new research, the blades are made mostly of methane ice, and form similarly to (much ... More... | |