Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
jocular Definition: (adjective) Characterized by jokes and good humor. Synonyms: jesting, joking Usage: The jocular atmosphere of the mess hall disappeared when the drill sergeant entered the room.

Article of the Day

Composting Compost is a dark, soil-like substance made of decomposed plant material. It is generally used in agriculture to improve soil structure and as a form of fertilizer. A range of methods and tools can be used for composting, but the process can also be as simple as letting a pile of dead plant matter—such as grass clippings or vegetable waste—sit and decompose for a year or more. Even in winter, the interior of the pile will remain hot due to the digestive action of microbes. What is "compost tea"? More...

This Day in History

Abraham Lincoln Delivers His "House Divided" Speech (1858) In 1858, Lincoln was nominated to challenge incumbent Illinois senator Stephen Douglas for his seat. At the state Republican convention, he accepted the nomination with a now-famous speech explaining his view that the US could not exist with both slave and free states—as "a house divided against itself cannot stand." He lost the race but won the presidency two years later. When and by whom had the same biblical reference previously been used to describe the national rift over slavery? More...

Today's Birthday

Joyce Carol Oates (1938) Oates is an American author of over 50 novels and numerous volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. She has won the National Book Award and the O. Henry Award and has been thrice nominated for a Pulitzer. She writes about modern American life and the connection between violence and love. Her characters are mainly ordinary, inarticulate people to whom terrible things happen. Her most famous short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is based on what real-life serial killer? More...

Quotation of the Day
In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme. Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)

Idiom of the Day
nose into (something) — To investigate something; to try to find information about something, especially private, secret, or sensitive matters. More...

Today's Holiday

South Africa Youth Day (2024) Throughout the history of South Africa, black citizens have suffered from segregation and oppression by white leaders. On June 16, 1976, more than 20,000 students from Soweto began a protest march. Police were called to the scene, and violent riots broke out. Approximately 700 people, many of them youths, were killed. June 16 has been set aside as Youth Day across the Republic of South Africa, to commemorate the day the protests began and to honor the youth who lost their lives during the riots. Ceremonies, parades, and historic exhibitions are part of the celebrations across South Africa. More...