Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, October 27, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cogent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the SemicolonSemicolons ( ; ) are used for two main purposes: to separate lengthy or complex items within a list and to connect independent clauses. They are often described as being more powerful than commas, while not quite as a strong as what mark of punctuation? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 RootkitsIf your computer has ever had a virus, you might have encountered a rootkit—a Trojan that keeps itself, other files, registry keys, and network connections hidden from detection. It gives the attacker "root" access to the computer, which means it runs at the lowest level of the machine. Rootkits are often damaging and have gained notoriety as a form of malware—software designed to destroy data, steal information, or aggravate the user. When was the first virus for personal computers discovered? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Turkmenistan Gains Independence from the Soviet Union (1991)Following Turkmenistan's independence, the head of its Communist Party, Saparmurat Niyazov, became president. He developed a totalitarian cult of personality, isolating the Central Asian nation culturally and politically. Citizens were tested on their knowledge of Niyazov's autobiography and spiritual guide book, the Ruhnama—even on driver's license tests. Niyazov's successor later reversed many of his policies, including the decision to rename the months of the calendar after what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Niccolò Paganini (1782)An Italian violinist and composer whose virtuosity is the stuff of legend, Paganini was playing with an orchestra by the age of nine. By the time he reached adulthood, the renowned violinist had also earned a reputation as a shameless womanizer and inveterate gambler. The latter vice once even cost him his prized violin. Nevertheless, he had a profound influence on the evolution of violin technique. Why did the Catholic Church deny him burial in consecrated ground for years following his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is no vice that doth so cover a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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not do a stroke (of work)— To not do any work at all. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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Turkmenistan Independence Day (2025)This national holiday commemorates Turkmenistan's independence from the U.S.S.R. on October 27, 1991. Turkmenistan and other republics were gradually able to establish their own autonomous states due to the relaxation of Soviet rule influenced by the policy of perestroika. When the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, their independence was assured. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wakingexpergefacient, expergefaction, expergefactor - A synonym for awakening is expergefacient; expergefaction is waking up and an alarm clock is an expergefactor. More... dysania - The state of having a hard time waking up and getting out of bed in the morning. More... experrection - Waking up or awakening. More... hypnagogic jerks, hypnopompic jerks - Hypnagogic jerks are the spasms that happen right when you fall asleep; hypnopompic jerks happen right when you are waking up. More... | |