Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 30, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unmindful
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Common Modifier MistakesIf we place a modifier too far away from the thing it describes, it can become a "misplaced modifier." We must also make sure that the thing being modified is explicitly stated in the text, otherwise we might be left with a "dangling modifier." What is a "squinting modifier"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 TaklamakanOne of the largest sandy deserts in the world, the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China is approximately 600 miles (965 km) across, with an area of 105,000 square miles (272,000 sq km). It is crossed at its northern and southern edges by two branches of the Silk Road, whose travelers sought to avoid the arid wasteland. Archeological digs in the Taklamakan's sand cover, which is 1,000 feet (300 m) thick in some places, have revealed what 4,000-year-old discoveries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Vioxx Withdrawn from Market Because of Cardiovascular Concerns (2004)Merck's COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx (rofecoxib) was approved for use in the US in 1999 and remained on the market for just five years before being pulled due to concerns that it could raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. By that time, some 80 million people worldwide had taken the drug, primarily to treat osteoarthritis, acute pain, and dysmenorrhea. Before long, the drugmaker found itself facing thousands of lawsuits. How much did it earmark for settlements? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Héctor Lavoe (1946)Lavoe was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. He moved to New York City at age 17 and found fame performing with acts like Orquesta New York and Willie Colón's band. Lavoe recorded many hits, including "Mi Gente," but with success came drug addiction and tragedy. After the deaths of his father, son, and mother-in-law and an HIV diagnosis, Lavoe jumped off a hotel balcony, likely in a suicide attempt. He survived and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. Why were his remains later exhumed? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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salt in the/(one's) wound(s)— An aggravation that makes something unpleasant, difficult, or painful even worse. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Galway Oyster Festival (2018)In Galway, Ireland, the opening of the oyster season is celebrated with parties, music, and an oyster-opening competition. A young woman chosen to preside over the activities as the Pearl presents the first oyster to the mayor, who traditionally stands on Clarenbridge Pier in his scarlet robes waiting to open and taste it. Banquets are held in the evening and local pubs serve oysters by the bucketful, washed down by beer. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: stuffingforcemeat, farce - A highly seasoned mixture containing chopped meat, forcemeat is an alteration of farcemeat, "stuffing," and has a synonym—farce. More... duxelles - A stuffing made from mushrooms, onions, shallots, and parsley, named after the Marquis d'Uxelles, a 17th-century French nobleman. More... excelsior - The curled shavings of soft wood used for packing and stuffing. More... | |
| In the News | |
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Inhaled Toy Triggers 'Traffic Jam' in Lungs 40 Years LaterA 47-year-old British man who was being tested for lung cancer received some good, but unexpected, news: Instead of signs of cancer in the man's lungs, doctors found a tiny Playmobil plastic traffic cone lodged in his airways, according to a new report ... More... | |