Monday, June 8, 2009

Spotlight
At a time when we worry about global warming, pollution of our planet, the diminishing number of many species of animals, birds and fish, and the dwindling untouched areas, it is appropriate to think about the world's oceans — the benefits we derive from them and how we can protect them and keep them clean. The world's oceans regulate the climate and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. They help feed us and medicate us. We spend untold hours contemplating the waves, relaxing and being inspired by them. We celebrate the oceans today on World Ocean Day. Aquariums, zoos, museums, schools, and environmental organizations will be sponsoring events and activities designed to teach us how to protect and conserve the World Ocean.

Quote
"How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when it is quite clearly Ocean." — Arthur C. Clarke

Question of the Day
If there is an Arctic Ocean at the top of the earth why isn't there an Antarctic Ocean at the bottom?
The waters surrounding Antarctica have had many names over the years. Some referred to the body of water as the Antarctic Ocean. As of the year 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided that the waters surrounding Antarctica would be known officially as the Southern Ocean.

The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica to the 60 degree South line of Latitude. What is now the Southern Ocean was previously the southernmost portions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The Southern Ocean incorporates the Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies.

Word of the day
jejune

1. Not interesting; dull: "and there pour forth jejune words and useless empty phrases" (Anthony Trollope).
2. Lacking maturity; childish: surprised by their jejune responses to our problems.
3. Lacking in nutrition: a jejune diet.

(© Houghton Mifflin Company)

Today's History

• Muhammad: the founder of Islam, PBUH, died in Medina, shortly after delivering his Farewell Sermon (632)
• desegregation: the US Supreme Court ruled that restaurants in Washington, DC, could not refuse black patrons (1953)
• Scott O'Grady: US Air Force pilot was rescued by Marines; he had avoided capture for six days after being shot down over Bosnia (1995)
• PHP: scripting language was publicly released by Danish-Greenlandic programmer Rasmus Lerdorf (1995)

Today's Birthdays

Kanye West

• Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959): iconic architect
• Francis Crick (1916-2004): co-discoverer of DNA's double-helix structure; Nobel laureate Robert Aumann (79) shares this birth date
• Jerry Stiller (82): comedian/actor; also, stars Joan Rivers (76), Bernie Casey (70), Sonia Braga and Kathy Baker (both 59), Griffin Dunne (54), Keenan Ivory Wayans (51), Julianna Margulies (43), Kelli Williams (39) and Mark Feuerstein (38)
• Sara Paretsky (62): author, V.I. Warshawski detective stories; also, writers Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) and Dan Futterman (42)
• Tim Berners-Lee (54): guy who wove the World Wide Web
• Scott Adams (52): cartoonist, Dilbert; plus, artist Leroy Neiman (82)
• Kanye West (32): Grammy-winning rapper; also, musicians Robert Schumann (1810-1856), Nancy Sinatra (69), Chuck Negron (67) and Boz Scaggs (65)