Word of the Day for Thursday, December 1, 2011
altruistic \al-troo-IS-tik\, adjective:
1. Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.
2. Animal Behavior. Of or pertaining to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.
I thought you were an altruistic banker, nothing more, nothing less. A civic-minded altruistic banker.
-- Inman Majors, The Millionaires: A Novel
An altruistic act is an act performed for the welfare of others. It is unselfish, as opposed to an act performed for self, which is selfish.
-- Jack London, The Sea-Wolf
Altruistic was coined in 1830 by philosopher Auguste Comte. It originates in the French word altrui meaning “of or to others” from the Latin word alteri meaning “other.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Project Muse
The Yocum Library Online Databases - Project Muse
Peer-reviewed humanities and social sciences journals, and full text.
Student, to access off line use WebAdvisor name and student ID#
What is Project MUSE
Our Mission:
Project MUSE's mission is to excel in the broad dissemination of high-quality scholarly content. Through innovation and collaborative development, Project MUSE anticipates the needs of and delivers essential resources to all members of the scholarly community.
What is Project MUSE?
Project MUSE is a unique collaboration between libraries and publishers, providing 100% full-text, affordable and user-friendly online access to a comprehensive selection of prestigious humanities and social sciences journals. MUSE's online journal collections support a diverse array of research needs at academic, public, special and school libraries worldwide.
Our journals are heavily indexed and peer-reviewed, with critically acclaimed articles by the most respected scholars in their fields. MUSE is also the sole source of complete, full-text versions of titles from many of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies. Currently, MUSE provides full-text access to current content from over 400 titles representing nearly 100 not-for-profit publishers.
MUSE began in 1993 as a pioneering joint project of the Johns Hopkins University Press and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSEL) at JHU. Grants from the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities allowed MUSE to go live with JHU Press journals in 1995. Journals from other publishers were first incorporated in 2000, with additional publishers joining in each subsequent year.
Today, MUSE is still a not-for-profit collaboration between the participating publishers and MSEL, with the goal of disseminating quality scholarship via a sustainable model that meets the needs of both libraries and publishers. At this time, Project MUSE subscriptions are available only to institutions.
Peer-reviewed humanities and social sciences journals, and full text.
Student, to access off line use WebAdvisor name and student ID#
What is Project MUSE
Our Mission:
Project MUSE's mission is to excel in the broad dissemination of high-quality scholarly content. Through innovation and collaborative development, Project MUSE anticipates the needs of and delivers essential resources to all members of the scholarly community.
What is Project MUSE?
Project MUSE is a unique collaboration between libraries and publishers, providing 100% full-text, affordable and user-friendly online access to a comprehensive selection of prestigious humanities and social sciences journals. MUSE's online journal collections support a diverse array of research needs at academic, public, special and school libraries worldwide.
Our journals are heavily indexed and peer-reviewed, with critically acclaimed articles by the most respected scholars in their fields. MUSE is also the sole source of complete, full-text versions of titles from many of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies. Currently, MUSE provides full-text access to current content from over 400 titles representing nearly 100 not-for-profit publishers.
MUSE began in 1993 as a pioneering joint project of the Johns Hopkins University Press and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSEL) at JHU. Grants from the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities allowed MUSE to go live with JHU Press journals in 1995. Journals from other publishers were first incorporated in 2000, with additional publishers joining in each subsequent year.
Today, MUSE is still a not-for-profit collaboration between the participating publishers and MSEL, with the goal of disseminating quality scholarship via a sustainable model that meets the needs of both libraries and publishers. At this time, Project MUSE subscriptions are available only to institutions.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Word of the Day
Word of the Day for Wednesday, November 30, 2011
churlish \CHUR-lish\, adjective:
1. Boorish or rude.
2. Of a churl; peasantlike.
3. Stingy; mean.
4. Difficult to work or deal with, as soil.
And Ethel, though sometimes sharp and malicious and difficult, wasn't churlish or unpunctual or casual at all.
-- Ruth Rendell, One Across, Two Down
I call it churlish that you would complain of a little time spent in schooling me when the rewards I've earned you come in thick and fast.
-- Karen Miller, A Blight of Mages
Churlish originates in the Old English ceorlisc meaning “peasant, freeman, man without rank.” It had various meanings in early Middle English, including "man of the common people," "a country man," "husbandman," "free peasant." By 1300, it meant "bondman, villain," also "fellow of low birth or rude manners."
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
churlish \CHUR-lish\, adjective:
1. Boorish or rude.
2. Of a churl; peasantlike.
3. Stingy; mean.
4. Difficult to work or deal with, as soil.
And Ethel, though sometimes sharp and malicious and difficult, wasn't churlish or unpunctual or casual at all.
-- Ruth Rendell, One Across, Two Down
I call it churlish that you would complain of a little time spent in schooling me when the rewards I've earned you come in thick and fast.
-- Karen Miller, A Blight of Mages
Churlish originates in the Old English ceorlisc meaning “peasant, freeman, man without rank.” It had various meanings in early Middle English, including "man of the common people," "a country man," "husbandman," "free peasant." By 1300, it meant "bondman, villain," also "fellow of low birth or rude manners."
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Book Review: Cinderella ate my daughter : dispatches from the front lines of the new girlie-girl culture
Cinderella ate my daughter : dispatches from the front lines of the new girlie-girl culture by Peggy OrensteinBook Review: Miriam Stone
The title of this book is misleading. It implies that it might be light reading possibly concerning the pros and cons of the Barbie doll. And it is, and there is a commentary, but this book is so much more.
It is also a well researched and documented piece in which Orenstein attempts to show that commercial advertising is designed to teach young girls that their goal in life is not to achieve academic, artistic, or athletic prowess, but rather a girl should always seek to make herself the fairest in the land, so that when Prince Charming comes along he will pick her and they will live happily ever after.
Children’s marketers use the code “KGOY” for “kids getting older, younger.” There is a full line of make-up for six year olds, there are padded bras for five year olds, It is not uncommon to see nine year olds in the emergency room because of bulimia or anorexia. More and more it is becoming common for fifteen year olds to opt for plastic surgery.
Grimm Brothers fairy tales have been rewritten by Disney to mesh with more “modern” values. Parents are being bombarded in every direction with the “Disney Princesses” a concept that made over a billion dollars for Disney before they did any advertising.
Last April, Disney, along with Target held the first ever “Princess Week.” The idea was to make little girls feel like princesses and feel that all the sparkle of being a princess comes from within. It was a nice try but too abstract for these little girls to understand.
It is hard to think that there is anything wrong with pretending to be a princess especially a Disney Princess. They look good, they smell good, they wait for the prince, they live happily ever after. Eventually girls grow out of the princess phase and that’s it. Orenstein shows us that it is never it. These lovely tales have left imprints on our girls for the rest of their lives.
They retain the message that perfection and appearance are what is important. It is better to look good than to feel or think in a positive way about their actions. When the princess stage is reinforced, girls eventually equate how they look with how they feel; they only feel positive about themselves when they think they are pretty and stylish and thin. This negative concept that they have adopted is encouraged by the massive marketing industry.
For example, if you haven’t seen it, take a look at the very popular television program “Toddlers and Tiaras.” Little girls compete for the tiara and big money prize. Before a toddler can get on stage she must get ready. That means – bleached blonde hair on a lot of these toddlers, additional hairpieces to make a little girl look like a bad version of Dolly Parton. Then there is the fake suntan, fake eyelashes, fake fingernails, a fake set of teeth to cover the spaces where the baby teeth have come out.
Police Officials and a Child Psychologist had a lot to say upon viewing this “Toddlers and Tiaras.” The police officials informed parents and pageant leaders that this program is a welcome call to child molesters. They love to watch little girls walk around in a seductive manner. These little girls do just that, and if a molester takes a liking to a particular girl all he has to do is wait. Each of those little girls has her full name and the city and state in which she resides announced as she parades around the podium.
The psychologist who watched said that when a girl is sexualized this early, she may never be able to identify her sexual role as an adult. Our girls are struggling with self-image, self-worth, self-confidence and all the other self-things they have to conquer. Good role models are hard to find. In trying to be hot and sexy girls are becoming more and more disconnected with any sort of healthy sexuality. Girls are making objects of themselves and as a result are being seen as objects by boys.
Rather than defining who they are based on how they think, what they feel, what they believe, girls are defining themselves based on their physical assets. This kind of thing has been out there for a long, long time. It seems to be escalating. Orenstein doesn’t pretend to know when it begins for each girl. She raises thoughtful questions and she makes the statement that she doesn’t know how any parent of a young daughter could find this anything less than extremely alarming.
As an addendum : The topic of how little girls are sexualized at such an early age is very popular at this time, and I looked for other things I could read before I wrote this review. On Proquest I found over 700 full text articles. The more I read the more I wanted to read.
The author of one article came to the conclusion that from a very young age, girls have to be taught that they can take care of themselves. They must be given the tools to do it and we must give them constant reinforcement that they can handle their lives themselves. We must teach them that imagination is a wonderful thing to have, but it is not real. There is no prince charming and she doesn’t need a prince charming.
Meanwhile, boys aren’t in training to serve girls. Nor are they equipped to battle the dragon that follows the princess around. If a boy and girl like each other it is for the qualities each possess and not for a fairy tale dream that always ends up horribly.
The paperbag princess by Robert Munch is a popular book for parents to read to their daughters. It is in the children’s section of The Yocum Library.
Cinderella ate my daughter by Peggy Orenstein is on the new book shelf. There is so much information in this book, and it is all important. I could only cover a small portion of it..
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day : What is the act of primogeniture and when was it abolished in England? (from The Oxford Companion to British History)
primogeniture. The character of the inheritance custom has a great bearing on the social and political evolution of a country. Primogeniture, inheritance by the eldest son, developed in England after the Norman Conquest and had military implications—that the fief should not be subdivided lest it become incapable of fulfilling its feudal obligation.
primogeniture. The character of the inheritance custom has a great bearing on the social and political evolution of a country. Primogeniture, inheritance by the eldest son, developed in England after the Norman Conquest and had military implications—that the fief should not be subdivided lest it become incapable of fulfilling its feudal obligation.
There were always regions where the custom did not apply— gavelkind was widespread in Kent and in parts of Wales giving partible inheritance, and the custom of borough English in some places gave inheritance to the younger son. One consequence of primogeniture, especially when buttressed by entail , as it was in the 17th and 18th cents., was to encourage the accumulation of large estates and restrict the proliferation of small proprietorships or peasant holdings.
Since it applied also to titles, it meant that the English nobility was a small group contrasting with thousands of impoverished noblemen to be found in many parts of the continent. But the custom had its critics and the plight of younger sons, forced to seek their fortunes because they had poor expectations, is a commonplace of 18th-cent. novels and drama. Primogeniture was abolished by legislation in 1926 in England and in 1964 in Scotland.
J. A. Cannon
How to cite this entry:
J. A. Cannon "primogeniture" The Oxford Companion to British History. Ed John Cannon. Oxford University Press, 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 30 November 2011
J. A. Cannon
How to cite this entry:
J. A. Cannon "primogeniture" The Oxford Companion to British History. Ed John Cannon. Oxford University Press, 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 30 November 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Word of the Day
Word of the Day for Tuesday, November 29, 2011
serry \SER-ee\, verb:
To crowd closely together.
Serry means to crowd and is spelled serry.
-- Mildred Colvin, Missouri Brides
To keep unsettled the questions upon which these united with the Liberation Society, —accustom a powerful contingent to work together with “political Dissenters,”—to serry friends and foes into hostile phalanx, —to accept battle on a week ground where it is only possible to rally half the forces...
-- S. Wellington, The Spectator, Vol. 6
Serry is from the Middle Frenceh serré which was the past participle of serrer meaning “to press tightly together.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
serry \SER-ee\, verb:
To crowd closely together.
Serry means to crowd and is spelled serry.
-- Mildred Colvin, Missouri Brides
To keep unsettled the questions upon which these united with the Liberation Society, —accustom a powerful contingent to work together with “political Dissenters,”—to serry friends and foes into hostile phalanx, —to accept battle on a week ground where it is only possible to rally half the forces...
-- S. Wellington, The Spectator, Vol. 6
Serry is from the Middle Frenceh serré which was the past participle of serrer meaning “to press tightly together.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day : In US politics what are lame-duck sessions of Congress? (from The Oxford Guide to the United States Government)
"lame-duck sessions of Congress" If the outgoing Congress comes back into session between the November election and the beginning of the new Congress in January, it is called a lame-duck session. The British first used the term lame duck to refer to bankrupt businessmen, and eventually it was extended to defeated politicians. Members of Congress who lose or do not stand for reelection can still attend a postelection session and vote on legislation. But because they have been defeated or are about to retire, they are as hobbled as lame ducks in terms of influence.
Throughout the 19th century, Congress regularly held lame-duck sessions. But reformers believed that lame-duck legislators were less responsive to the public and more susceptible to influence by special interests. Led by Senator George Norris (Republican-Nebraska), reformers proposed the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which in 1933 changed the opening of a new Congress from the first Monday in December in odd-numbered years (13 months after the election) to January 3 (just two months after the election). Since then, Congress has held lame-duck sessions only on rare occasions, to address some important unfinished business. See also Norris, George W.; Sessions of Congress
How to cite this entry:
"lame-duck sessions of Congress" The Oxford Guide to the United States Government. John J. Patrick, Richard M. Pious, and Donald A. Ritchie. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 29 November 2011
"lame-duck sessions of Congress" If the outgoing Congress comes back into session between the November election and the beginning of the new Congress in January, it is called a lame-duck session. The British first used the term lame duck to refer to bankrupt businessmen, and eventually it was extended to defeated politicians. Members of Congress who lose or do not stand for reelection can still attend a postelection session and vote on legislation. But because they have been defeated or are about to retire, they are as hobbled as lame ducks in terms of influence.
Throughout the 19th century, Congress regularly held lame-duck sessions. But reformers believed that lame-duck legislators were less responsive to the public and more susceptible to influence by special interests. Led by Senator George Norris (Republican-Nebraska), reformers proposed the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which in 1933 changed the opening of a new Congress from the first Monday in December in odd-numbered years (13 months after the election) to January 3 (just two months after the election). Since then, Congress has held lame-duck sessions only on rare occasions, to address some important unfinished business. See also Norris, George W.; Sessions of Congress
How to cite this entry:
"lame-duck sessions of Congress" The Oxford Guide to the United States Government. John J. Patrick, Richard M. Pious, and Donald A. Ritchie. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 29 November 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Word of the Day
Word of the Day for Monday, November 28, 2011
panegyrize \PAN-i-juh-rahyz\, verb:
1. To eulogize; to deliver or write a panegyric about.
2. To indulge in panegyric; bestow praises.
I allowed then as how I had been moved to panegyrize Lieutenant Locke.
-- Louis Bayard, The Pale Blue Eye
Judge Story was a profound admirer of Chief Justice Marshall, and could rarely hear his name mentioned without digressing to panegyrize his learning and intellectual power.
-- William Matthews, Hours with Men and Books
From Greek, panegyrize originally meant “belonging to a public assembly” from pan meaning “all” and egyris, “gathering.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
panegyrize \PAN-i-juh-rahyz\, verb:
1. To eulogize; to deliver or write a panegyric about.
2. To indulge in panegyric; bestow praises.
I allowed then as how I had been moved to panegyrize Lieutenant Locke.
-- Louis Bayard, The Pale Blue Eye
Judge Story was a profound admirer of Chief Justice Marshall, and could rarely hear his name mentioned without digressing to panegyrize his learning and intellectual power.
-- William Matthews, Hours with Men and Books
From Greek, panegyrize originally meant “belonging to a public assembly” from pan meaning “all” and egyris, “gathering.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Angel and Password Links
The Yocum Library is Closed November 24th -27th.
The ANGEL direct link http://racc.angellearning.com/ and library questions can go via email to theyocumlibrary@gmail.com
Email theyocumlibrary@gmail.com if you need the passwords for the library databases.
The ANGEL direct link http://racc.angellearning.com/ and library questions can go via email to theyocumlibrary@gmail.com
Email theyocumlibrary@gmail.com if you need the passwords for the library databases.
Word of the Day
Word of the Day for Sunday, November 27, 2011
stertor \STUR-ter\, noun:
A heavy snoring sound.
He was snoring, a wheeze and stertor that animated the papers scattered round him...
-- T.C. Boyle, Riven Rock
The stertor of Meat's breathing came softly, almost soothingly, through the wall.
-- Chad Harbach, The Art of Fielding
Stertor comes from the Latin stret which meant “to snore.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
stertor \STUR-ter\, noun:
A heavy snoring sound.
He was snoring, a wheeze and stertor that animated the papers scattered round him...
-- T.C. Boyle, Riven Rock
The stertor of Meat's breathing came softly, almost soothingly, through the wall.
-- Chad Harbach, The Art of Fielding
Stertor comes from the Latin stret which meant “to snore.”
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day : In which year were South Africa's first multiracial elections held? (from A Dictionary of World History )
South Africa A country occupying most of the southern part of the African continent.
Physical.
The northern part of the country is bounded by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Mozambique. Southward, the Orange Free State region partly surrounds Lesotho, which forms an enclave. In the east are boundaries with Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho. From Cape Agulhas in the extreme south to the Limpopo River in the extreme north-east is a distance of about 1600 km (1000 miles). Two great rivers, the Orange and its tributary the Vaal, traverse the country from the Drakensberg Mountains in the east to the Atlantic in the west, while many shorter rivers run south and east into the Indian Ocean. There are rolling grasslands, or veld, and deserts.
Economy.
The country has a wealth of minerals, including diamonds, gold, platinum, iron ore, lime, uranium, and coal. There are also reserves of natural gas. Gold and other metal products are the chief exports. Industry is highly developed, and includes metal production, chemicals, engineering, and food-processing. Agriculture is vulnerable to droughts; the main crops are cereals, sugar, and fruit, and livestock-raising is also important. There is endemic poverty and high unemployment among Black South Africans who, under the apartheid regime, were deprived of access to social services.
History.
South Africa was occupied by the San (Bushmen) and Khoikhoin (Hottentots) about 10,000 years ago. Bantu-speaking peoples had moved into the area and developed mining industries, trading along the east coast of Africa, by the time European exploration began in the 15th century. A Dutch colony was established in 1652 ; the settlers were at first known as Boers and later as Afrikaners. At first the San and Khoikhoin associated and intermarried with the Boers, but later the Khoikhoin were displaced by the Boers and forced to become labourers on their farms. The San withdrew into mountainous areas. Some Boers known as trekboers, moved inland and encountered the Xhosa people, who had a settled, agricultural society. By the end of the 18th century frontier wars had broken out between the Xhosa and the Boers (the Xhosa Wars ).
Britain established a colony in 1806 and fought with the Bantu-speaking peoples. In the 1830s large numbers of Boers moved northwards in the Great Trek . The Boers refused to form a federation with the British, leading to the Boer Wars . The republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State were defeated by the British and were united with the British colonies of Cape and Natal in 1910 to form the Union of South Africa, a self-governing dominion of the British crown.
Politically dominated by its small White minority, South Africa supported Britain in the two World Wars, its troops fighting on a number of fronts. After 1948 the right-wing Afrikaner-dominated National Party formed a government. It instituted a strict system of apartheid , intensifying discrimination against the disenfranchised non-White majority. This policy entailed brutal repression of dissent (see Sharpeville massacre ).
South Africa became a republic ( 1960 ) and left the Commonwealth ( 1961 ); the African National Congress was banned and its leaders, including Nelson Mandela , imprisoned. Although its economic strength allowed it to dominate the southern half of the continent, the rise of Black nationalism both at home and in the surrounding countries (including the former mandated territory of Namibia ) produced increasing violence and emphasized South Africa's isolation in the diplomatic world.
In 1985 the regime of P. W. Botha began to make some attempts to ease tension by interpreting apartheid in a more liberal fashion. This failed, however, to satisfy either the increasingly militant non-White population or the extremist right-wing groups within the small White élite. In 1986 a state of emergency was proclaimed and several thousands imprisoned without trial. The domestic and international sides of the problem remained inseparable, with South African troops fighting against SWAPO guerrillas in Namibia and Angola, and support by surrounding states for the forces of the outlawed African National Congress producing a series of cross-border incidents.
In 1988 the US Congress voted to support the ‘Front Line’ African states in their demand for international sanctions. President Botha retired in 1989 and his successor President de Klerk began the quest for racial reconciliation. Following the repeal of apartheid legislation in July 1990 sanctions were eased and South Africa re-admitted to international sport. In December 1991 delegations from the government, the National Party, the Democratic Party, the South African Communist Party, ANC, Inkatha, and from the Indian and Coloured communities, joined to form the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).
Its deliberations through 1992 were interrupted by a number of violent racial incidents, and it was fiercely attacked by the neo-fascist Afrikaner Resistance Movement. The government was replaced in 1993 by a multiparty Transitional Executive Council. The country's first multiracial elections were held in 1994 , with the ANC emerging as clear victors. Nelson Mandela became President and de Klerk Deputy President, leading a coalition government of national unity. The same year, South Africa was admitted to the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union ) and rejoined the Commonwealth. In 1996 a permanent multiracial democratic constitution was adopted. De Klerk and the National Party withdrew from the coalition government in order to form the official opposition. Mandela retired in 1999 ; in the same year the ANC won the elections and Thabo Mbeki became President. The ANC increased its majority in the 2004 elections.
Capital: Pretoria (executive); Bloemfontein (judicial); Cape Town (legislative)
Area: 1,123,226 sq km (433,680 sq miles)
Population: 46,888,000 ( 2005 )
Currency: 1 rand = 100 cents
Religions: Christian 83.1%; traditional beliefs 8.4%; Hindu 2.4%; Muslim 2.4%
Ethnic Groups: Zulu 23.8%; Xhosa 17.6%; White 9.6%; Pedi 9.4%; Coloured 8.9%; Tswana 8.2%; Sotho 7.9%; Tsonga 4.4%; Swazi 2.7%; Asian 2.5%
Languages: Afrikaans; English; Zulu; Sotho; Xhosa; Ndebele; Pedi; Swazi; Tsonga; Tswana; Venda (all official)
International Organizations: UN; AU; Commonwealth; SADC; Non-Aligned Movement; WTO
How to cite this entry:
"South Africa" A Dictionary of World History. Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 27 November 2011
South Africa A country occupying most of the southern part of the African continent.
Physical.
The northern part of the country is bounded by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Mozambique. Southward, the Orange Free State region partly surrounds Lesotho, which forms an enclave. In the east are boundaries with Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho. From Cape Agulhas in the extreme south to the Limpopo River in the extreme north-east is a distance of about 1600 km (1000 miles). Two great rivers, the Orange and its tributary the Vaal, traverse the country from the Drakensberg Mountains in the east to the Atlantic in the west, while many shorter rivers run south and east into the Indian Ocean. There are rolling grasslands, or veld, and deserts.
Economy.
The country has a wealth of minerals, including diamonds, gold, platinum, iron ore, lime, uranium, and coal. There are also reserves of natural gas. Gold and other metal products are the chief exports. Industry is highly developed, and includes metal production, chemicals, engineering, and food-processing. Agriculture is vulnerable to droughts; the main crops are cereals, sugar, and fruit, and livestock-raising is also important. There is endemic poverty and high unemployment among Black South Africans who, under the apartheid regime, were deprived of access to social services.
History.
South Africa was occupied by the San (Bushmen) and Khoikhoin (Hottentots) about 10,000 years ago. Bantu-speaking peoples had moved into the area and developed mining industries, trading along the east coast of Africa, by the time European exploration began in the 15th century. A Dutch colony was established in 1652 ; the settlers were at first known as Boers and later as Afrikaners. At first the San and Khoikhoin associated and intermarried with the Boers, but later the Khoikhoin were displaced by the Boers and forced to become labourers on their farms. The San withdrew into mountainous areas. Some Boers known as trekboers, moved inland and encountered the Xhosa people, who had a settled, agricultural society. By the end of the 18th century frontier wars had broken out between the Xhosa and the Boers (the Xhosa Wars ).
Britain established a colony in 1806 and fought with the Bantu-speaking peoples. In the 1830s large numbers of Boers moved northwards in the Great Trek . The Boers refused to form a federation with the British, leading to the Boer Wars . The republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State were defeated by the British and were united with the British colonies of Cape and Natal in 1910 to form the Union of South Africa, a self-governing dominion of the British crown.
Politically dominated by its small White minority, South Africa supported Britain in the two World Wars, its troops fighting on a number of fronts. After 1948 the right-wing Afrikaner-dominated National Party formed a government. It instituted a strict system of apartheid , intensifying discrimination against the disenfranchised non-White majority. This policy entailed brutal repression of dissent (see Sharpeville massacre ).
South Africa became a republic ( 1960 ) and left the Commonwealth ( 1961 ); the African National Congress was banned and its leaders, including Nelson Mandela , imprisoned. Although its economic strength allowed it to dominate the southern half of the continent, the rise of Black nationalism both at home and in the surrounding countries (including the former mandated territory of Namibia ) produced increasing violence and emphasized South Africa's isolation in the diplomatic world.
In 1985 the regime of P. W. Botha began to make some attempts to ease tension by interpreting apartheid in a more liberal fashion. This failed, however, to satisfy either the increasingly militant non-White population or the extremist right-wing groups within the small White élite. In 1986 a state of emergency was proclaimed and several thousands imprisoned without trial. The domestic and international sides of the problem remained inseparable, with South African troops fighting against SWAPO guerrillas in Namibia and Angola, and support by surrounding states for the forces of the outlawed African National Congress producing a series of cross-border incidents.
In 1988 the US Congress voted to support the ‘Front Line’ African states in their demand for international sanctions. President Botha retired in 1989 and his successor President de Klerk began the quest for racial reconciliation. Following the repeal of apartheid legislation in July 1990 sanctions were eased and South Africa re-admitted to international sport. In December 1991 delegations from the government, the National Party, the Democratic Party, the South African Communist Party, ANC, Inkatha, and from the Indian and Coloured communities, joined to form the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).
Its deliberations through 1992 were interrupted by a number of violent racial incidents, and it was fiercely attacked by the neo-fascist Afrikaner Resistance Movement. The government was replaced in 1993 by a multiparty Transitional Executive Council. The country's first multiracial elections were held in 1994 , with the ANC emerging as clear victors. Nelson Mandela became President and de Klerk Deputy President, leading a coalition government of national unity. The same year, South Africa was admitted to the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union ) and rejoined the Commonwealth. In 1996 a permanent multiracial democratic constitution was adopted. De Klerk and the National Party withdrew from the coalition government in order to form the official opposition. Mandela retired in 1999 ; in the same year the ANC won the elections and Thabo Mbeki became President. The ANC increased its majority in the 2004 elections.
Capital: Pretoria (executive); Bloemfontein (judicial); Cape Town (legislative)
Area: 1,123,226 sq km (433,680 sq miles)
Population: 46,888,000 ( 2005 )
Currency: 1 rand = 100 cents
Religions: Christian 83.1%; traditional beliefs 8.4%; Hindu 2.4%; Muslim 2.4%
Ethnic Groups: Zulu 23.8%; Xhosa 17.6%; White 9.6%; Pedi 9.4%; Coloured 8.9%; Tswana 8.2%; Sotho 7.9%; Tsonga 4.4%; Swazi 2.7%; Asian 2.5%
Languages: Afrikaans; English; Zulu; Sotho; Xhosa; Ndebele; Pedi; Swazi; Tsonga; Tswana; Venda (all official)
International Organizations: UN; AU; Commonwealth; SADC; Non-Aligned Movement; WTO
How to cite this entry:
"South Africa" A Dictionary of World History. Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 27 November 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Word of the Day
Word of the Day for Saturday, November 26, 2011
procrustean \proh-KRUHS-tee-uhn\, adjective:
1. Tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means.
2. Pertaining to or suggestive of Procrustes.
Soon they were operating a sort of procrustean ferry where the fares were tailored to accommodate the purses of the travelers. Ultimately all pretense was dropped and the immigrants were robbed outright.
-- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian
To force them into the machine would require a Procrustean mutilation of their basic humanity.
-- Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
Procrustean refers to the Greek myth of Procrustes, who was a robber who tortured his victims. According to mythology, he was killed by Theseus.
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
procrustean \proh-KRUHS-tee-uhn\, adjective:
1. Tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means.
2. Pertaining to or suggestive of Procrustes.
Soon they were operating a sort of procrustean ferry where the fares were tailored to accommodate the purses of the travelers. Ultimately all pretense was dropped and the immigrants were robbed outright.
-- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian
To force them into the machine would require a Procrustean mutilation of their basic humanity.
-- Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
Procrustean refers to the Greek myth of Procrustes, who was a robber who tortured his victims. According to mythology, he was killed by Theseus.
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day : In US history who were the Sons of Liberty? (from The Oxford Companion to United States History)
Sons of Liberty. After the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, small groups in each colony—generally artisans or intercolonial merchants, joined by a few attorneys, doctors, and teachers—became convinced that only large crowds prepared to act violently could successfully resist the tax. Together they had the contacts and expertise to organize townspeople against the tax. Leaders in Connecticut dubbed their followers “Sons of Liberty.”
Sons of Liberty. After the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, small groups in each colony—generally artisans or intercolonial merchants, joined by a few attorneys, doctors, and teachers—became convinced that only large crowds prepared to act violently could successfully resist the tax. Together they had the contacts and expertise to organize townspeople against the tax. Leaders in Connecticut dubbed their followers “Sons of Liberty.”
The name spread rapidly, soon coming to stand for everyone who participated in the popular resistance to the Stamp Act. Between August and December 1765, the Sons of Liberty forced stamp distributors to resign, governors to withhold stamped paper, and courts to remain open in defiance of the law. Their efforts prevented enforcement of the act and led to its repeal in March 1766.
British politicians and conservative colonists hoped the Sons of Liberty would disband after repeal. Suspicious of British motives and convinced that liberty was still at risk, however, the Sons remained active, and maintained contact with one another throughout the colonies. While persuading voters to purge conservatives from colonial assemblies and replace them with liberty's friends, they strengthened their own popular base by serving the interests of artisans and small merchants.
In every imperial crisis between 1766 and 1774, the Sons of Liberty called forth crowds to bully British officials and American sympathizers, confident that colonial governments could not respond effectively. In the process, they deepened estrangement between the colonists and their British governors and taught the people that government should rest on popular consent. The collapse of royal authority in 1774–1775 and its swift replacement by local committees and provincial congresses reflected a decade's work by the Sons of Liberty.
See also Adams, Samuel; Boston Tea Party; Colonial Era; Republicanism; Revolution and Constitution, Era of; Revolutionary War.
Bibliography
Pauline Maier , From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765–1776, 1972.
Edward Countryman , A People in Revolution: The American Revolution and Political Society in New York, 1760–1790, 1981.
John L. Bullion
How to cite this entry:
John L. Bullion "Sons of Liberty." The Oxford Companion to United States History. Paul S. Boyer, ed. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 26 November 2011
British politicians and conservative colonists hoped the Sons of Liberty would disband after repeal. Suspicious of British motives and convinced that liberty was still at risk, however, the Sons remained active, and maintained contact with one another throughout the colonies. While persuading voters to purge conservatives from colonial assemblies and replace them with liberty's friends, they strengthened their own popular base by serving the interests of artisans and small merchants.
In every imperial crisis between 1766 and 1774, the Sons of Liberty called forth crowds to bully British officials and American sympathizers, confident that colonial governments could not respond effectively. In the process, they deepened estrangement between the colonists and their British governors and taught the people that government should rest on popular consent. The collapse of royal authority in 1774–1775 and its swift replacement by local committees and provincial congresses reflected a decade's work by the Sons of Liberty.
See also Adams, Samuel; Boston Tea Party; Colonial Era; Republicanism; Revolution and Constitution, Era of; Revolutionary War.
Bibliography
Pauline Maier , From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765–1776, 1972.
Edward Countryman , A People in Revolution: The American Revolution and Political Society in New York, 1760–1790, 1981.
John L. Bullion
How to cite this entry:
John L. Bullion "Sons of Liberty." The Oxford Companion to United States History. Paul S. Boyer, ed. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 26 November 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Ask Here PA
"While the library will be closed on November 24th-27th, you can still get live help from a librarian by visiting our website and clicking on the Chat with a Librarian/Ask Here PA link."
Word of the Day
Word of the Day for Friday, November 25, 2011
dipsomania \dip-suh-MEY-nee-uh\, noun:
An irresistible, typically periodic craving for alcoholic drink.
During his last years he'd become a regular drinking companion of Roosevelt's younger brother, Elliot, whose life was also ended by dipsomania some years later.
-- Caleb Carr, The Alienist
What exactly has Mr. Waugh in mind, one would like to know, in making the perhaps too charming young man a dipsomania? Is it no more than that, being himself an unsatisfactory Roman Catholic, Sebastian lacked the will to resist drink?
-- Martin Stannard, Evelyn Waugh: The Critical Heritage
Dipsomania literally means crazy thirst from the Greek dips (thirst) and mania (crazy).
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
dipsomania \dip-suh-MEY-nee-uh\, noun:
An irresistible, typically periodic craving for alcoholic drink.
During his last years he'd become a regular drinking companion of Roosevelt's younger brother, Elliot, whose life was also ended by dipsomania some years later.
-- Caleb Carr, The Alienist
What exactly has Mr. Waugh in mind, one would like to know, in making the perhaps too charming young man a dipsomania? Is it no more than that, being himself an unsatisfactory Roman Catholic, Sebastian lacked the will to resist drink?
-- Martin Stannard, Evelyn Waugh: The Critical Heritage
Dipsomania literally means crazy thirst from the Greek dips (thirst) and mania (crazy).
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
Angel and Password Links
The Yocum Library is Closed November 24th -27th.
The ANGEL direct link http://racc.angellearning.com/ and library questions can go via email to theyocumlibrary@gmail.com
Email theyocumlibrary@gmail.com if you need the passwords for the library databases.
The ANGEL direct link http://racc.angellearning.com/ and library questions can go via email to theyocumlibrary@gmail.com
Email theyocumlibrary@gmail.com if you need the passwords for the library databases.
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day : In Scotland, in which year was the last execution for witchcraft? (from The Oxford Companion to Scottish History)
witch‐hunts took place in Scotland between about 1550 and 1700, during the general European persecution of witches of that era. People had believed in witches long before then. Magic and the supernatural were part of everyday peasant life; some people had supernatural powers, for good or ill. Those who were thought to cast malicious spells on their neighbours were shunned or conciliated, or counter‐magic was employed against their sorcery.
witch‐hunts took place in Scotland between about 1550 and 1700, during the general European persecution of witches of that era. People had believed in witches long before then. Magic and the supernatural were part of everyday peasant life; some people had supernatural powers, for good or ill. Those who were thought to cast malicious spells on their neighbours were shunned or conciliated, or counter‐magic was employed against their sorcery.
No more was needed or expected. Witchcraft occasionally became criminal when high politics was involved. The earliest known executions of Scottish witches took place in 1479 when John, earl of Mar, was accused of employing their sorcery against his brother, King James III (1460–88); this was an isolated incident.
The peasants did not ask where witches' powers came from. But when late medieval Continental theologians started to ponder the links between village sorcery and Christian heresy, this was the first question they asked. Their answer—that witches' powers came from the Devil—led to the spread of elaborate demonological scholarship. King James VI (1567–1625) made a notable Scottish contribution to it with his book Daemonologie (1597).
This new intellectual model saw village witchcraft as heretical and diabolical, rather than (as earlier medieval scholars had believed) superstitious and ignorant. Witches were now seen as an underground sect of Devil‐worshippers, the mirror image of Christians worshipping God. They sold their souls to the Devil in a rite known as the demonic pact—the equivalent of baptism—and worshipped him in witches' sabbaths—the equivalent of church services.
The peasants did not ask where witches' powers came from. But when late medieval Continental theologians started to ponder the links between village sorcery and Christian heresy, this was the first question they asked. Their answer—that witches' powers came from the Devil—led to the spread of elaborate demonological scholarship. King James VI (1567–1625) made a notable Scottish contribution to it with his book Daemonologie (1597).
This new intellectual model saw village witchcraft as heretical and diabolical, rather than (as earlier medieval scholars had believed) superstitious and ignorant. Witches were now seen as an underground sect of Devil‐worshippers, the mirror image of Christians worshipping God. They sold their souls to the Devil in a rite known as the demonic pact—the equivalent of baptism—and worshipped him in witches' sabbaths—the equivalent of church services.
Sixteenth‐century demonologists elaborated these ideas with material from witches' confessions, and circulated them throughout Europe. Scots ascribed particular importance to the ‘Devil's mark’ on the witch's body, which James VI argued was essential to the demonic pact. Suspects’ bodies could be pricked with pins until an insensitive spot was found. Female witches were also assumed to have sex with the Devil, and fears of witchcraft were linked to fears of deviant female sexuality.
While peasants thought only of individual witches who harmed their neighbours, the elite thought of a conspiracy against God and society. It was those who feared this conspiracy who led witch‐hunts. Scottish witch‐hunters were mainly local lairds and kirk sessions: leaders of local society and local representatives of the godly state. There was most witch‐hunting in the core areas of the state, like Fife and Lothian; hardly any in the Highlands, where there were hardly any state institutions.
Witchcraft became a statutory crime in 1563, in a Protestant package of measures against biblical offences. Witch‐hunting should be seen in the context of godly discipline by kirk sessions (see church institutions: 3). It was often a kirk session that first discovered and interrogated a witch, turning the case over to the criminal courts once sufficient evidence had been gathered. The best evidence was the witch's confession, usually obtained not by physical torture (with a few headline‐hitting exceptions, mostly in 1590–1) but by ‘waking’ the witch. Sleep deprivation for about three days leads to hallucinations; some confessions included exotic detail.
There were up to 2,000 executions for witchcraft, plus another 2,000 or so formal accusations that did not end in execution. Per head of population, this execution rate was about four times the European average, probably because of the intensity of Scottish enforcement of godliness. More than half of all Scottish witch‐hunting took place in brief periods of national panic: 1590–1, 1597, 1628–30, 1649–50, and 1661–2. Other years saw a trickle of individual cases; the panics produced a flood. In panic periods, 82 per cent of the cases where the outcome is known ended with executions; in non‐panic periods, it was only 50 per cent.
While peasants thought only of individual witches who harmed their neighbours, the elite thought of a conspiracy against God and society. It was those who feared this conspiracy who led witch‐hunts. Scottish witch‐hunters were mainly local lairds and kirk sessions: leaders of local society and local representatives of the godly state. There was most witch‐hunting in the core areas of the state, like Fife and Lothian; hardly any in the Highlands, where there were hardly any state institutions.
Witchcraft became a statutory crime in 1563, in a Protestant package of measures against biblical offences. Witch‐hunting should be seen in the context of godly discipline by kirk sessions (see church institutions: 3). It was often a kirk session that first discovered and interrogated a witch, turning the case over to the criminal courts once sufficient evidence had been gathered. The best evidence was the witch's confession, usually obtained not by physical torture (with a few headline‐hitting exceptions, mostly in 1590–1) but by ‘waking’ the witch. Sleep deprivation for about three days leads to hallucinations; some confessions included exotic detail.
There were up to 2,000 executions for witchcraft, plus another 2,000 or so formal accusations that did not end in execution. Per head of population, this execution rate was about four times the European average, probably because of the intensity of Scottish enforcement of godliness. More than half of all Scottish witch‐hunting took place in brief periods of national panic: 1590–1, 1597, 1628–30, 1649–50, and 1661–2. Other years saw a trickle of individual cases; the panics produced a flood. In panic periods, 82 per cent of the cases where the outcome is known ended with executions; in non‐panic periods, it was only 50 per cent.
The supply of witches was readily increased by asking the initial suspects (those denounced by their neighbours) to name their accomplices. When the authorities were most frightened by witchcraft, they were most willing to see it as a conspiracy. About half of all Scottish witches had a neighbourhood reputation for witchcraft before their arrest; the remainder seem to have been blameless until they were named by a witch under interrogation, and then hauled in and interrogated until they in turn confessed.
The witches themselves were mostly women (85 per cent). Most were older women, while some younger women were accused because their mothers were witches. Male witches were mostly husbands of witches, or were folk healers (see traditional healing). Folk healers as such were not targeted (it is untrue that witch‐hunting was prompted by a jealous medical profession) (see medicine and the origins of the medical profession), but might be denounced if they were thought to have misused their powers. Witches were mostly settled members of their communities, not vagrants or beggars; it took years to build up a reputation for witchcraft among one's neighbours.
The witches themselves were mostly women (85 per cent). Most were older women, while some younger women were accused because their mothers were witches. Male witches were mostly husbands of witches, or were folk healers (see traditional healing). Folk healers as such were not targeted (it is untrue that witch‐hunting was prompted by a jealous medical profession) (see medicine and the origins of the medical profession), but might be denounced if they were thought to have misused their powers. Witches were mostly settled members of their communities, not vagrants or beggars; it took years to build up a reputation for witchcraft among one's neighbours.
A few poorer women even sought respect by encouraging this process, cursing anyone who crossed them. Malevolent curses, followed by misfortune to the victim, provided regular confirmation of peasant witch‐beliefs. It was once argued that witches were a pagan cult surviving from pre‐Christian times, but this theory has been wholly discredited. It was neighbourhood quarrels that initially prompted and validated witch‐hunting, while the state's determination to enforce godliness on the peasants directed the process.
In the late 17th century, witch‐hunting declined all over Europe. Belief in witchcraft largely continued, but it ceased to be central to the belief‐system of the elite. The Scottish godly state declined as religious pluralism arose. Adopting a new rationalist empiricism, courts hesitated to accept evidence of witchcraft. Witch‐pricking largely ceased after 1662, when some prickers were exposed as frauds; this removed an important source of evidence.
In the late 17th century, witch‐hunting declined all over Europe. Belief in witchcraft largely continued, but it ceased to be central to the belief‐system of the elite. The Scottish godly state declined as religious pluralism arose. Adopting a new rationalist empiricism, courts hesitated to accept evidence of witchcraft. Witch‐pricking largely ceased after 1662, when some prickers were exposed as frauds; this removed an important source of evidence.
Sceptical lawyers carefully agreed (at least publicly) that witchcraft could exist in theory; they simply could not accept the evidence for it in particular cases. Traditional witch‐hunters found this frustratingly hard to argue against. Witchcraft prosecutions now tended to end in acquittal, so there was little point in continuing with them. There were no mass panics after 1662, and hardly any cases at all after 1700. The last execution was in 1727. The 1563 witchcraft statute was repealed in 1736. Witch‐hunting faded quietly away (see also calendar and seasonal customs; women: 1).
Julian Goodare
How to cite this entry:
Julian Goodare "witch‐hunts" The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Michael Lynch. Oxford University Press, 2007. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 25 November 2011
Julian Goodare
How to cite this entry:
Julian Goodare "witch‐hunts" The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Michael Lynch. Oxford University Press, 2007. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 25 November 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Poem - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day : Which animals are members of the mustelid family? (from The Encyclopedia of Mammals)
Weasels, Mink, and Polecats Polecat (Mustela putorius) © Corel
The least weasel has been described as “the Nemesis of Nature's little people.” This identification with the ancient Greek goddess of retribution seems appropriate, since the whole group of lithe, sleek-bodied carnivores, of which it is the smallest member, are formidable hunters. They often track animals to their burrows and take on prey substantially bigger than themselves.
The mustelids may be small and much persecuted by man, but they are awe-inspiring predators with the potential to alter the entire ecology of a region. All are fiercely carnivorous and extremely strong for their size – a weasel is easily capable of running at speed carrying a load of meat more than half its own weight, which no lion could do.
Mousetraps with Teeth
Form and Function
While most mustelids weigh less than 2kg (4.4lb), the wolverine is ten times that weight. Many species exhibit pronounced differences in size between males and females. Knowledge of the group is very uneven. The three northern hemisphere weasel species (the least weasel, the ermine or stoat, and the long-tailed weasel) are known in some detail, but at the other end of the scale there is no reliable information at all about some of the tropical species. Yet, as a group, they are among the most common and widespread carnivores in the world.
The northern weasels have long, slim bodies and short legs, a flat-topped, sharp-faced, almost triangular head, and short, rounded ears. All mustelid species have the habit of sitting up on their haunches for a better view than they can get from on all fours.
Mink have small ears and long, bushy tails. The coat provides important insulation against low water temperatures because, like otters, the animals have little subcutaneous fat. The fur has two components: long guard hairs each surrounded by 9–24 underfur hairs that are one-third or half the length.
Weasels, Mink, and Polecats Polecat (Mustela putorius) © Corel
The least weasel has been described as “the Nemesis of Nature's little people.” This identification with the ancient Greek goddess of retribution seems appropriate, since the whole group of lithe, sleek-bodied carnivores, of which it is the smallest member, are formidable hunters. They often track animals to their burrows and take on prey substantially bigger than themselves.
The mustelids may be small and much persecuted by man, but they are awe-inspiring predators with the potential to alter the entire ecology of a region. All are fiercely carnivorous and extremely strong for their size – a weasel is easily capable of running at speed carrying a load of meat more than half its own weight, which no lion could do.
Mousetraps with Teeth
Form and Function
While most mustelids weigh less than 2kg (4.4lb), the wolverine is ten times that weight. Many species exhibit pronounced differences in size between males and females. Knowledge of the group is very uneven. The three northern hemisphere weasel species (the least weasel, the ermine or stoat, and the long-tailed weasel) are known in some detail, but at the other end of the scale there is no reliable information at all about some of the tropical species. Yet, as a group, they are among the most common and widespread carnivores in the world.
The northern weasels have long, slim bodies and short legs, a flat-topped, sharp-faced, almost triangular head, and short, rounded ears. All mustelid species have the habit of sitting up on their haunches for a better view than they can get from on all fours.
Mink have small ears and long, bushy tails. The coat provides important insulation against low water temperatures because, like otters, the animals have little subcutaneous fat. The fur has two components: long guard hairs each surrounded by 9–24 underfur hairs that are one-third or half the length.
There are two molts each year: the thick, dark winter coat is shed in April, to be replaced by a much flatter and browner summer coat. The summer molt occurs in August or September, and the winter coat is in its prime condition by late November. Northern subspecies have darker fur than southern forms.
The European mink may be very similar in appearance to the American mink, but it is not closely related. DNA analysis has shown that the two species are as far apart from each other as it is possible to be while both remaining within the single subfamily Mustelinae, and they do not interbreed. European mink do, however, interbreed with the European polecat.
Prolific Killers
Diet
All mustelids are terrestrial hunters. They will take whatever small rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, lizards, and frogs are locally available. Most eat nothing but meat, and their teeth are highly adapted to killing and cutting up prey. They do not feed indiscriminately; members of each species choose different items from the menu on offer. What is more, they are strategic killers. The marbled polecat uses different techniques to dispatch different types of prey: a bite to the head or neck for large prey, but to the thorax for small. Fleeing prey are bitten dorsally, while those turning to defend themselves get bitten in the throat. Only one polecat, the rare black-footed ferret of the western prairies of the USA, is a true specialist, depending entirely on prairie dogs.
More. http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-11-24
The European mink may be very similar in appearance to the American mink, but it is not closely related. DNA analysis has shown that the two species are as far apart from each other as it is possible to be while both remaining within the single subfamily Mustelinae, and they do not interbreed. European mink do, however, interbreed with the European polecat.
Prolific Killers
Diet
All mustelids are terrestrial hunters. They will take whatever small rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, lizards, and frogs are locally available. Most eat nothing but meat, and their teeth are highly adapted to killing and cutting up prey. They do not feed indiscriminately; members of each species choose different items from the menu on offer. What is more, they are strategic killers. The marbled polecat uses different techniques to dispatch different types of prey: a bite to the head or neck for large prey, but to the thorax for small. Fleeing prey are bitten dorsally, while those turning to defend themselves get bitten in the throat. Only one polecat, the rare black-footed ferret of the western prairies of the USA, is a true specialist, depending entirely on prairie dogs.
More. http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-11-24
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