Saint of the Day May 12: Sts. Nereus & Achilleus

Saint of the Day

Sts. Nereus & Achilleus

So often we hear people or even ourselves excuse an action by saying “I was only following orders.” But for Nereus and Achilleus this excuse could not stand in the face of the cross. … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

Sts. Nereus & Achilleus St. Diomma St. Dionysius St. Dominic de la Calzada St. Epiphanius of Salamis St. Etheihard St. Flavia Domitilla

Bl. Francis Patrizzi St. Leopold Mandic St. Modoaldus St. Nereus and Achilleus St. Pancras St. Philip of Agirone St. Richrudis

today’s holiday: Boston Pops

Boston Pops

Henry Lee Higginson, who established the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1881, believed that in the summer, “concerts of a lighter kind of music” should be presented. People began to refer fondly to these summer concerts as “the Pops,” a name which became official in 1900. The Boston Pops tailors its programs around American music and musicians, medleys of popular songs, and familiar movements of classical works. Outside of its official concert season at Symphony Hall, where it performs through May and June, the Pops also tours the United States. More… Discuss

just a thought: Is one thing to do for your country but another to do for a very few self-selected ones who identify with it!

Just a Thought: Is one thing to do for your country but another to do for a very few self-selected ones who identify with it!

QUOTATION: John F. Kennedy

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Discuss

 

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: Florence Nightingale (1820)

Florence Nightingale (1820)

Though Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing, she had limited formal nursing training. She became superintendent of a small London hospital in 1853. The next year, she organized a unit of 38 female nurses for service in the Crimean War, and her efforts made her legendary. With the testimonial fund collected for her war services, she established the Nightingale School and Home for training nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London. Why was she called “The Lady with the Lamp”? More… Discuss

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THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: Luna 5 Crashes on the Moon (1965)

Luna 5 Crashes on the Moon (1965)

Luna 5 was an unmanned Soviet space probe launched for lunar investigation. On May 10, the spacecraft began spinning around its axis due to a problem in a gyroscope in the guidance system unit. A subsequent attempt to fire the main engine failed because of a ground control error, and Luna 5 impacted the lunar surface. Though it failed to soft-land—Luna 9 would do so a year later—Luna 5 was the second Soviet lunar probe to land on the moon. What was the first? More… Discuss

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Blood from Young Improves Memory in Old

Transfusing the blood plasma of young mice into older mice allowed them to perform better on tests of memory than their peers, suggesting that some factor or factors in the blood of the young can reverse certain aging processes. Researchers are now trying to identify which factors accomplish this and whether similar benefits would be seen in human trials. More… Discuss

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Article: Les Misérables (1958)

Les Misérables

Les Misérables is a novel by Victor Hugo that focuses on the life of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict struggling to redeem himself. It examines the nature of good and evil, delving into French history, politics, moral philosophy, law, and the nature of love. Published in 1862, the novel helped make Hugo the most successful writer of his day. Now, more than 150 years later, the book and its many adaptations continue to resonate with the public. What did critics first think of it? More… Discuss
[youtube.com/watch?v=9h4PFAhr6so]
Arrested for a petty crime, Jean Valjean spends 20 years in prison. After his release, he is still pursued by Inspector Javert. An adaptation of the French historical novel by Victor Hugo which was first published in 1862 and is considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century. Public domain film.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: There are several lesson guides and lesson plans for this film that are available for free on the Internet. Three of these are made available by eNotes http://www.enotes.com/les-miserables, Learning to Give http://learningtogive.org/lessons/uni… , and Teacher Vision http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lite…

Registered DCMP members can also access this title for free at the following URL: http://www.dcmp.org/Catalog/TitleDeta…

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word: aegis

aegis 

Definition:	(noun) Protection.
Synonyms:	auspices
Usage:	Bandits dare not approach me on the roads, as I am under the imperial aegis. Discuss.