...this Day...

The Pub
144

 

This is the 138th day of the year, with 227 days remaining in 2005.

 

Holidays

Feast day of St Elgiva, St John I, pope, St Eric, king of Sweden, St

Felix of Cantalicio, St Potamon, and Saints Theodotus and Thecusa.

 

Haiti: Flag and University Day.

 

Turkmenistan: Revival and Unity Day.

 

Uruguay: Battle of Las Piedras Day.

 

Events

1642 - Montreal, Canada, was founded.

 

1804 - The French Senate proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte emperor.

 

1898 - In Plessy v. Ferguson, the US Supreme Court ruled that providing "equal

but separate accommodations for the white and colored races" was

constitutional. This decision was not overturned until 1954 in Brown v.

Board of Education of Topeka.

 

1910 - Haley’s comet was first seen from Earth.

 

1917 - Congress passes the Selective Service act, calling up soldiers to fight

World War I.

 

1933 - The Tennessee Valley Authority was created.

 

1951 - The United Nations moved out of its temporary headquarters in Lake

Success, New York, to its permanent home in Manhattan.

 

1980 - Mount St. Helens volcano in southwestern Washington state erupted,

killing 57 and devastating 210 square miles. It had not erupted since

1857, but it had been rumbling for two months prior to this eruption.

 

1994 - Israel’s three decades of occupation in the Gaza Strip ended as Israeli

troops completed their withdrawal and Palestinian authorities took

over.

 

Births

1048 - Omar Khayyam, Persian poet, mathematician, astronomer.

 

1846 - Peter Carl Faberge, Russian goldsmith, designer, jeweler.

 

1872 - Bertrand Russell, English philosopher and logician.

 

1897 - Frank Capra, Academy Award-winning director.

 

1912 - Perry (Pierino) Como, singer, TV entertainer.

 

1919 - Dame Margot Fonteyn, British ballet dancer.

 

http://www.reference.com/thisday/

145

#82

May 18th

 

ALVALADE XXI CAPITAL Of the FINAL EUROPEAN SOCCER OF ALL the DREAMS

Arrived the day of all the dreams for Russians and Portuguese. Sporting and CSKA can inscribe for the first time its name in the list of winners of Goblet the UEFA. It is therefore that Russian and Portuguese adepts (in wide majority) suspiram, if possible, actually. The decision is only the scarce hours of being known and the capacity is depleted

 

 

http://www.record.pt/canal.asp?idCanal=58&f=1

146

#87

May 18

China rejects U.S. currency criticism

Wednesday, May 18, 2005 Posted: 7:05 AM EDT (1105 GMT)

(CNN) – Beijing has rejected U.S. criticism that its currency policy has turned China into a “manipulative trade partner” and that the yuan should quickly be revaluated.

Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai said Wednesday that those charges, made by the U.S. Treasury Department a day earlier, were unfounded.

“I believe they are not reasonable,” Bo told Reuters.

 

China has been pegged the yuan near 8.28 to the dollar since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.

That fixed exchange rate has been the focus of claims by critics in the United States that its prices from exported goods are artificially low.

The low prices, critics say, put unfair pressure on U.S. manufacturers, who cannot compete on the “China price” of goods such as textiles, electronics, and other manufactured goods.http://www.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/05/18/china.yuan/index.html

147

#88

May 19th

The Darth side

[The Episode III]

Christensen explores evil in final ‘Star Wars’ chapter

Bill Muller, The Arizona Republic, May. 19, 2005 12:00 AM

Climbing into a 7-foot-tall Darth Vader costume will change a man, and actor Hayden Christensen was excited to work behind the famous black helmet of the Star Wars baddie.

 

But for the actor, who plays Anakin Skywalker-Darth Vader in Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, that wasn’t the biggest thrill.

“Getting to act behind a mask is a very freeing experience as an actor, and when that face is Darth Vader, it’s very empowering, very beastly,” Christensen says. "It was a lot of fun.

“But what I enjoyed most was getting to look at other people as they were looking at me, and see their reactions, which were out of excitement and awe. . . . There was even a glimmer of fear in a lot of them, or some sort of respectful bow of the head, which was quite funny for me, because they’re people I’m friends with and they know it’s me behind there.”

“This is where you see Anakin undergo change,” Christensen says. "It was what I wanted to do in the last one and for good reason was asked to refrain and therefore got to make that transition entirely in this film, which is essentially what it’s about - Anakin becoming Darth, and a republic becoming an empire.

"And I definitely enjoyed the work more so because of it. I had a lot of fun going to the dark side."http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articl…istensen19.html

148

#89

May 19th

 

French take constitution debate to the Circus

With just ten days to go before France votes on the EU Constitution, the opposition Socialist party, split but officially backing the treaty, got a boost from foreign guest stars at a rally in Paris. European Socialist and Green politicians joined them in the Cirque d’Hiver. Spain’s Josep Borrel got much applause and some laughter for his…

 

 

http://www.euronews.net/create_html.php?ln…ge=accueil_info

149

#90

May 19th

 

**Spanish Senate backs EU Constitution **Spain’s parliament has given final approval to the European Union Constitution. There were jubilant scenes in the Senate after a massive 225-6 vote in favour of the charter. The green light from the upper house comes three months after Spain became the first country to back the constitution by referendum.That vote was not legally binding but…

 

 

 

http://www.euronews.net/create_html.php?ln…ge=accueil_info

150

#91

May 19th

 

RUSSIANS WIN SPORTING IN ALVALADE (3-1)

CSKA MOSCOVO CONQUEST GOBLET the UEFA the CSKA beat the Sporting in Alvalade for 3-1 and conquered Goblet the UEFA. The lions had been for the interval to be successful, thanks to great golo of Rog?rio, but the Moscovite counterattack decided the meeting during the second part. Aleksei Berezoutski, Zhirkov and V?gner Love had marked the tentos that had guaranteed the first European trophy for one equip Russian

151

#92

May 19th

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA DIES: May 19, 1935

T.E. Lawrence, known to the world as Lawrence of Arabia, dies as a retired Royal Air Force mechanic living under an assumed name. The legendary war hero, author, and archaeological scholar succumbed to injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident six days before.

152

#93

May 19th

Louisiana’s frozen ark

By Matthew Wells ; BBC News, Louisiana

The electronic metal gates closed ominously behind us as we entered the exotic world of the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, just outside New Orleans.

…

Our young guide, Erin Sarrat, who is assistant curator for the precious animals and birds here, explained the extraordinary relationships between the three animals prowling around in front of us: “Jazz was a cat who was created by in vitro fertilisation.”

“He was born from a domestic cat, but he’s an African wildcat - interspecies embryo transfer - the first ever for that kind of technology.”

…They are three genetically identical creatures, developed from one small batch of cells.

…

This is partly for safety’s sake, but also to protect the many rare and endangered animals which shelter here. For a humble bird like the Mississippi sandhill crane - whose numbers have fallen to under 200 in the wild - the centre provides a refuge where a new generation can be reared through artificial insemination, and then put back in their natural habitat nearby.

Among the species they have suspended in cell form are gorillas, Sumatran tigers and the mountain bongo antelope.

..“We’re working through science to save species for the next generation. More and more zoos are involved. There are partnerships all over the world to save these species and put them back in their habitat.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4547533.stm

153

This is the 139th day of the year, with 226 days remaining in 2005.

 

Holidays

Feast day of St Dunstan, St Pudentiana, St Peter Celestine, Saints

Calocerus and Parthenius, St Ivo of Kermartin, St Crispin of Viterbo,

and St Peter Morrone.

 

Turkey: Youth and Sports Day.

 

Events

1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier set sail for North America.

 

1588 - The Spanish Armada set sail from Lisbon on a mission to secure control

of the English Channel and transport a Spanish invasion army to Britain

from the Netherlands.

 

1602 - Martha’s Vineyard was first sighted by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold.

 

1643 - The Confederation of New England was formed by Connecticut, New Haven,

Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay.

 

1649 - England was declared a Commonwealth.

 

1749 - King George II of England granted the Ohio Company a charter of several

hundred thousand acres of land on the Ohio River, thereby promoting

westward settlement by colonists from Virginia. This directly

challenged the French claim to Ohio and was a direct cause of the

outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1754.

 

1780 - Midday near-total darkness struck New England. No scientific

explanation was ever verified.

 

1846 - The first steamship arrived in Hawaii.

 

1884 - The Ringling Brothers Circus first performed.

 

1898 - Postcards were first authorized by the US Post Office.

 

1900 - The world’s longest railroad tunnel, the 12-mile-long Simplon Tunnel

linking Switzerland to Italy through the Alps, opened.

 

1906 - The Federated Boys’ Clubs, forerunner of the Boys’ Clubs of America,

were organized.

 

1914 - The Greyhound Bus Company was founded.

 

1935 - The National Football League adopts an annual college draft to begin in

 

1958 - The United States and Canada formally established the North American

Air Defense Command.

 

1967 - The Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the United States and Britain

banning nuclear weapons from outer space.

 

1996 - A large asteroid came within 281,000 miles of the Earth.

 

Births

1890 - Ho Chi Minh (Nguyen That Thanh), North Vietnamese leader, founder of

Indochina Community Party.

 

1895 - Johns Hopkins, merchant and philanthropist.

 

1925 - Malcolm X (Malcolm Little), black nationalist and civil rights

activist.

 

http://www.reference.com/thisday/

154

#94

May 20th

 

First for Britain as embryo cloned

Scientists at Newcastle University in the UK have, for the first time in the country, succeeded in cloning a human embryo. It is a crucial and controversial step in research into the use of embryonic stem cells to treat diseases. Meanwhile, the South Korean scientists who carried out the world’s first embryonic cloning last year say they had had…

 

 

 

http://www.euronews.net/create_html.php?ln…ge=accueil_info

155

#95

May 20th

 

Belgium latest to approve EU constitution

The Belgian parliament has approved the adoption of the EU constitution, one month after the country’s Senate. The vote was carried by a large majority, 118 for, 18 against, with one abstention. The treaty still needs to be ratified by Belgium’s five regional assemblies.However the process of ratification has not been so overwhelmingly…

 

 

 

http://www.euronews.net/create_html.php?ln…ge=accueil_info

 

156

#96

May 20th

 

 

Germany’s CDU on course to win SPD heartland

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats look set to lose control of one of their main strongholds in a regional election on Sunday. Polls are predicting victory for the opposition Christian Democrats in the vote in the state of North Rhine Westphalia. That would be a very troubling outcome for the government with a general election…

 

 

 

http://www.euronews.net/create_html.php?ln…ge=accueil_info

157

#97

May 20th

 

Got pink eye yesterday…and the condition is slight improve… sight…

[pink eye: symptom that there is bleeding in sclera or white eye]

158

#98

May 20th

British tabloid publishes photo of Saddam in underwear

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Some Iraqis say they’re upset with photos showing an imprisoned Saddam Hussein wearing only underwear. Others say it’s what he deserves – at the very least.

 

The photos were published today in a British tabloid, “The Sun.” And Arab satellite networks have been televising the images to the people in Iraq.

 

One businessman in Baghdad calls the images an “insult” to Iraq’s former president. And he says, “Saddam is from the past now, so what is the reason for this?”

 

One Kurdish resident was less sympathetic, noting that Saddam’s regime was bloody and carried out mass killings.

 

The Sun says it got the photos from “U.S. military sources.”

 

But the U.S. military says the pictures violate military guidelines “and possibly Geneva Convention guidelines for the humane treatment of detained individuals.”

http://www.newschannel5.tv/OtherNews.jspx?newsId=1031

159

#99

May 20th

Arsenal v Man Utd

Rio Ferdinand has warned Arsenal that Manchester United will not take a backward step in the quest for FA Cup glory.

The build-up to Saturday’s Millennium Stadium crunch has been littered with allegations and accusations which have done nothing to suggest there will be a temporary ceasefire in the long-standing feud between the Premiership’s heavyweights.

This season alone, Old Trafford played host to the infamous ‘Pizzagate’ affair, while at Highbury opposing skippers Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane exchanged angry words before the teams had even entered the field.

…

Jose Antonio Reyes is set to start in the absence of Thierry Henry with an Achilles injury.

However, Arsene Wenger must decide whether to partner Reyes with Dennis Bergkamp or Robin van Persie up front, or start the Spaniard on the wing.

…

http://www.football365.com/matches_stats/m…ry_152957.shtml

160

For Arsenal…or For Man Utd ..??

161

#100

May 21th

E3 expo marks new dawn for games

Alfred Hermida, Technology editor, BBC News website, in Los Angeles

The E3 games expo in Los Angeles has wrapped up with fans tantalised by the prospect of new consoles from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

…

The next-generation consoles promise high-definition cinematic images in real time and the computing power to deliver sophisticated and complex gameplay.

Microsoft is going to be the early frontrunner, as it plans to release its Xbox 360 across the world in November. …Sony’s PlayStation 3 will come a few months later, in the spring of 2006, though details of where it will be available are not known. …Instead, Nintendo surprised by many by revealing a sleek new version of its best-selling handheld GameBoy, called GameBoy Micro.

…

But it was not all about home consoles. Across the convention centre, people hunched over small devices, trying out the latest games for Sony’s PSP or Nintendo’s DS.

The PSP only launched recently in the US and will not reach European shores until September.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4568593.stm

162

#101

May 22th

Mannnn…It’s Arsenal…and I hate watching penalty…

163

#102

May 22th

Scientists Say Sunshine May Prevent Cancer

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer

Sat May 21, 8:47 PM ET

Scientists are excited about a vitamin again. But unlike fads that sizzled and fizzled, the evidence this time is strong and keeps growing. If it bears out, it will challenge one of medicine’s most fundamental beliefs: that people need to coat themselves with sunscreen whenever they’re in the sun. Doing that may actually contribute to far more cancer deaths than it prevents, some researchers think.

 

The vitamin is D, nicknamed the “sunshine vitamin” because the skin makes it from ultraviolet rays. Sunscreen blocks its production, but dermatologists and health agencies have long preached that such lotions are needed to prevent skin cancer. Now some scientists are questioning that advice. The reason is that vitamin D increasingly seems important for preventing and even treating many types of cancer.

So the thinking is this: Even if too much sun leads to skin cancer, which is rarely deadly, too little sun may be worse.

No one is suggesting that people fry on a beach. But many scientists believe that “safe sun” ? 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen ? is not only possible but helpful to health…

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/sunshine___cancer