Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for October 7, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for October 7, 2020 is Cape Feare.
"Cape Feare" is the second episode in the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Originally aired on the Fox network on October 7, 1993, it features the return of guest star Kelsey Grammer (pictured) as Sideshow Bob, who tries to kill Bart Simpson after getting out of jail. "Cape Feare" is a spoof of the 1962 film Cape Fear and its 1991 remake, which in turn are based on John D. MacDonald's 1957 novel The Executioners. The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Rich Moore. The production crew added several scenes after finding it difficult to fill the half-hour slot. In one sequence, Sideshow Bob is hit in the face repeatedly by rakes that he steps on; this scene has been cited as one of the show's most memorable moments. Cast member Hank Azaria called this episode his favorite in the series. The musical score earned composer Alf Clausen an Emmy Award nomination.

Monday, October 5, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for October 6, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for October 6, 2020 is Banksia petiolaris.
Banksia petiolaris is a species of flowering plant of the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia, where it is found in sandy soils in the south coastal regions from Munglinup east to Israelite Bay. It was first described by the botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1864. B. petiolaris grows as a prostrate shrub, with horizontal stems and thick, leathery upright leaves. The leaves can be viable for up to 13 years—the longest-lived of any flowering plant recorded. Yellow cylindrical flower spikes (pictured), up to 16 cm (6 1⁄4 in) high, appear in spring. As the spikes age, they turn grey and develop up to 20 woody seed pods each, known as follicles. Insects such as bees, wasps and ants pollinate the flowers. B. petiolaris regenerates by seed after bushfire. The species adapts readily to cultivation, growing in well-drained sandy soils in sunny locations. It is suitable for rockeries and as a groundcover.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for October 5, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for October 5, 2020 is SMS Dresden (1907).
SMS Dresden was a German light cruiser, armed with ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/40 guns and two torpedo tubes, launched in October 1907. Dresden visited the United States in 1909 during the Hudson–Fulton Celebration, before serving in the High Seas Fleet. In 1913, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Division, then sent to the Caribbean. At the onset of World War I, Dresden operated as a commerce raider in South American waters in the Atlantic, then moved to the Pacific Ocean and joined the German East Asia Squadron. Dresden saw action in the Battle of Coronel in November 1914, and at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December, where she was the only German warship to elude the British. In March 1915, when she was almost out of coal and her engines were worn out, her captain attempted to have the ship interned by Chile at Robinson Crusoe Island. British cruisers violated Chilean neutrality and opened fire on the ship in the Battle of Más a Tierra and the Germans scuttled Dresden.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for October 4, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for October 4, 2020 is Joseph A. Lopez.
Joseph A. Lopez (October 4, 1779 – October 5, 1841) was a Mexican Catholic priest who became a prominent ally of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. As a priest in Peribán, he tried to arrest the first leader of the Mexican War of Independence, Miguel Hidalgo. Unsuccessful, he fled and became acquainted with Ana María Huarte, the wife of the future emperor of Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide. As a result, he was sent to Madrid to act as Iturbide's attorney and political informant, before returning to Mexico as chaplain and educator of the imperial family. He fled with the exiled family to Europe in 1823, and then returned to Mexico. Following Iturbide's execution in 1824, Lopez fled with the family to Washington, D.C., where he became chaplain to the Georgetown Visitation Monastery, and became a Jesuit. In 1840, Lopez was named the acting president of Georgetown University, becoming the first Latin American president of a university in the United States. He soon fell ill and was sent to St. Inigoes, Maryland, where he died.