Podcasts about Curmudgeon

rWotD Episode 2996: Astral (band) Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Thursday, 17 July 2025, is Astral (band).Astral is a shoegaze group based in San Francisco, California, United States. Astral was formed by singer-guitarist Dave Han and drummer Shawn in 1999; bassist Amy Rosenoff joined them in 2001. Their vocals are frequently compared to those of The Cure; other influences include My Bloody Valentine and Joy Division. Their music is of an ethereal, melodic nature; this ambient sound is created largely by heavy use of distortion and feedback effects in Han's guitar. Astral are also notable for incorporating improvisation into their live performances. In 2002, Astral released a self-produced EP, "Only Sometimes". In 2003, Astral released an LP, entitled "Orchids". Two songs from that album, "Raining Down" and the title-track instrumental, were preloaded in the Rio Carbon MP3 Players. In 2008 the band released their second album Sleepwalker.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:47 UTC on Thursday, 17 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Astral (band) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kendra.

fWotD Episode 2995: Hurricane Claudette (2003) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 17 July 2025, is Hurricane Claudette (2003).Hurricane Claudette was a moderately strong tropical cyclone that struck South Texas in July 2003. A fairly long-lived July Atlantic hurricane, Claudette was the fourth depression, third tropical storm and first hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Claudette began as a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean. It moved quickly westward, brushing past the Yucatán Peninsula before moving northwestward through the Gulf of Mexico. Claudette remained a tropical storm until just before making landfall in Port O'Connor, Texas, when it quickly strengthened to a strong Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Forecasting of its path and intensity was uncertain throughout its lifetime, resulting in widespread and often unnecessary preparations along its path.Claudette was the first hurricane to make landfall in July in the United States since Hurricane Danny in the 1997 season. The hurricane caused two deaths and moderate damage in Texas, mostly from strong winds, as well as extensive beach erosion. Because of the damage, President George W. Bush declared portions of South Texas a Federal Disaster Area, allowing the affected citizens to apply for aid. Claudette also caused significant rainfall and minor damage in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo as a tropical storm, as well as minor damage on Saint Lucia before developing into a tropical cyclone.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:59 UTC on Thursday, 17 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Hurricane Claudette (2003) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Kendra.

pWotD Episode 2997: Druze Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 197,037 views on Wednesday, 16 July 2025 our article of the day is Druze.The Druze ( DROOZ; Arabic: دَرْزِيّ, darzī or دُرْزِيّ durzī, pl. دُرُوز, durūz), who call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (lit. 'the monotheists' or 'the unitarians'), are an Arab esoteric religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and syncretic religion whose main tenets assert the unity of God, reincarnation, and the eternity of the soul.Although the Druze faith developed from Isma'ilism, Druze do not identify as Muslims. They maintain Arabic language and culture as integral parts of their identity, with Arabic being their primary language. Most Druze religious practices are kept secret, and conversion to their religion is not permitted for outsiders. Interfaith marriages are rare and strongly discouraged. They differentiate between spiritual individuals, known as "uqqāl", who hold the faith's secrets, and secular ones, known as "juhhāl", who focus on worldly matters. Druze believe that, after completing the cycle of rebirth through successive reincarnations, the soul reunites with the Cosmic Mind (al-ʻaql al-kullī).The Epistles of Wisdom is the foundational and central text of the Druze faith. The Druze faith originated in Isma'ilism (a branch of Shia Islam), and has been influenced by a diverse range of traditions, including Christianity, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Pythagoreanism. This has led to the development of a distinct and secretive theology, characterized by an esoteric interpretation of scripture that emphasizes the importance of the mind and truthfulness. Druze beliefs include the concepts of theophany and reincarnation.The Druze hold Shuaib in high regard, believing him to be the same person as the biblical Jethro. They regard Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and the Isma'ili Imam Muhammad ibn Isma'il as prophets. Additionally, Druze tradition honors figures such as Salman the Persian, al-Khidr (whom they identify with Elijah, John the Baptist and Saint George), Job, Luke the Evangelist, and others as "mentors" and "prophets".The Druze faith is one of the major religious groups in the Levant, with between 800,000 and a million adherents. They are primarily located in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with smaller communities in Jordan. They make up 5.5% of Lebanon's population, 3% of Syria's and 1.6% of Israel's. The oldest and most densely populated Druze communities exist in Mount Lebanon and in the south of Syria around Jabal al-Druze (literally the "Mountain of the Druze"). The Druze community played a critically important role in shaping the history of the Levant, where it continues to play a significant political role. As a religious minority, they have often faced persecution from various Muslim regimes, including contemporary Islamic extremism.Several theories about the origins of the Druze have been proposed, with the Arabian hypothesis being the most widely accepted among historians, intellectuals, and religious leaders within the Druze community. This hypothesis significantly influences the Druze's self-perception, cultural identity, and both oral and written traditions. It suggests that the Druze are descended from 12 Arab tribes that migrated to Syria before and during the early Islamic period. This perspective is accepted by the entire Druze communities in Syria and Lebanon, as well as by most Druze in Israel.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:47 UTC on Thursday, 17 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Druze on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ruth.

fWotD Episode 2994: Trinity (nuclear test) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Wednesday, 16 July 2025, is Trinity (nuclear test).Trinity was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 a.m. MWT (11:29:21 GMT) on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test was of an implosion-design plutonium bomb, or "gadget", of the same design as the Fat Man bomb later detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. Concerns about whether the complex Fat Man design would work led to a decision to conduct the first nuclear test. The code name "Trinity" was assigned by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, possibly inspired by the poetry of John Donne.The test, both planned and directed by Kenneth Bainbridge, was conducted in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Socorro, New Mexico, on what was the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range (renamed the White Sands Proving Ground just before the test). The only structures originally in the immediate vicinity were the McDonald Ranch House and its ancillary buildings, which scientists used as a laboratory for testing bomb components. Fears of a fizzle prompted construction of "Jumbo", a steel containment vessel that could contain the plutonium, allowing it to be recovered; but ultimately Jumbo was not used in the test. On May 7, 1945, a rehearsal was conducted, during which 108 short tons (98 t) of high explosive spiked with radioactive isotopes was detonated.Some 425 people were present on the weekend of the Trinity test. In addition to Bainbridge and Oppenheimer, observers included Vannevar Bush, James Chadwick, James B. Conant, Thomas Farrell, Enrico Fermi, Hans Bethe, Richard Feynman, Isidor Isaac Rabi, Leslie Groves, Frank Oppenheimer, Geoffrey Taylor, Richard Tolman, Edward Teller, and John von Neumann. The Trinity bomb released the explosive energy of 25 kilotons of TNT (100 TJ) ± 2 kilotons of TNT (8.4 TJ), and a large cloud of fallout. Thousands of people lived closer to the test than would have been allowed under guidelines adopted for subsequent tests, but no one living near the test was evacuated before or afterward.The test site was declared a National Historic Landmark district in 1965 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:34 UTC on Wednesday, 16 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Trinity (nuclear test) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ruth.

rWotD Episode 2995: Mikhail Bulgakov Museum Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Wednesday, 16 July 2025, is Mikhail Bulgakov Museum.The Mikhail Bulgakov Museum (officially known as Literature-Memorial Museum to Mikhail Bulgakov, commonly called the Bulgakov House or Lystovnychyi House) is a museum in Kyiv, Ukraine, dedicated to Kyiv-born Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov.Commenced in February 1989, and opened on May 15, 1991, for the 100th anniversary of the writer's birth, the museum is located at No.13 on the Andriivskyi Descent and contains an exposition of nearly 2500 pieces that include Bulgakov's belongings, books, postcards, and photos — conveying the life and creativity of the writer and his surroundings. The atmosphere of the house reflects the writer's life — as a secondary school pupil, student of medicine, family doctor, and writer — when Bulgakov wrote The White Guard, The Master and Margarita, and Theatre Love Story.The building was erected in 1888 and designed by architect N. Gardenin, and thoroughly renovated before the opening of the museum. A memorial plaque with Bulgakov's portrait hangs on the front of the building. Bulgakov's 1925 novel The White Guard makes vivid references to the Andriyivskyy Descent, and the current plaque of the address at No.13 displays the street name the writer used in his book (No.13 Andreevsky spusk). Inna Konchakovskaia (1902–85), daughter of the owner (who was a hero of that Bulgakov novel) and niece of composer Witold Maliszewski, preserved this unique house in Kyiv in the hard Soviet times. The museum staff conducts considerable studies and research, publishes unreleased material, and holds book-club meetings.In June 2014, the museum posted the following announcement: "All persons supportive of the military occupation of Ukraine are discouraged from visiting the museum — The Mikhail Bulgakov Museum Administration."Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were calls in Ukraine to close down the museum, since Bulgakov allegedly opposed Ukrainian statehood and can not be considered a Ukrainian writer. Oleksandr Tkachenko, the then culture minister, as well as Liudmyla Gubianuri, the museum director, opposed the calls.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:10 UTC on Wednesday, 16 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Mikhail Bulgakov Museum on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Matthew.

pWotD Episode 2996: Fourteen Words Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 314,220 views on Tuesday, 15 July 2025 our article of the day is Fourteen Words."The Fourteen Words" (also abbreviated 14 or 1488) is a reference to two slogans originated by the American domestic terrorist David Eden Lane, one of nine founding members of the defunct white supremacist terrorist organization The Order, and are accompanied by Lane's "88 Precepts". The slogans have served as a rallying cry for militant white nationalists internationally.The primary slogan in the Fourteen Words is,We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children, Followed by the secondary slogan,because the beauty of the White Aryan woman must not perish from the Earth.The two slogans were coined prior to Lane being sentenced to 190 years in federal prison for planning and abetting the assassination of the Jewish talk show host Alan Berg, who was murdered by another member of the group in June 1984. They were popularized heavily after Lane's imprisonment. The slogans were publicized through print company 14 Word Press, founded in St. Maries, Idaho, in 1995 by Lane's wife, Katja, to disseminate her husband's writings, along with Ron McVan who later moved his operation to Butte, Montana, after a falling-out with Katja.Lane used the 14-88 numerical coding extensively throughout his spiritual, political, religious, esoteric, and philosophical tracts and notably in his "88 Precepts" manifesto. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, inspiration for the Fourteen Words "are derived from a passage in Adolf Hitler's autobiographical book Mein Kampf". The Fourteen Words have been prominently used by neo-Nazis, white power skinheads and certain white nationalists and the alt-right. "88" is used by some as a shorthand for "Heil Hitler", 'H' being the 8th letter of the alphabet, though Lane viewed Nazism along with America as being part of the "Zionist conspiracy".Lane's ideology was anti-American, white separatist, and insurrectionist; he considered loyalty to the United States to be "racial treason" and upheld the acronym "Our Race Is Our Nation" ("ORION"), viewing the United States as committing genocide against white people and as having been founded as a New World Order to finalize a global Zionist government.Being bitterly opposed to the continued existence of the United States as a political entity, and labeling it the "murderer of the White race", Lane further advocated domestic terrorism as a tool to carve out a "white homeland" in the Northern Mountain States. To that end, Lane issued a declaration called "Moral Authority", published through now-defunct 14 Word Press and shared through the publications of Aryan Nations, World Church of the Creator, and other white separatist groups, in which he referred to the United States as a "Red, White and Blue traveling mass murder machine", while asserting that "true moral authority belongs to those who resist genocide".This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:07 UTC on Wednesday, 16 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Fourteen Words on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Kendra.

fWotD Episode 2993: Manitoba Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 15 July 2025, is Manitoba.Manitoba is a province of Canada at the longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's fifth-most populous province, with a population of 1,342,153 as of 2021. Manitoba has a widely varied landscape, from arctic tundra and the Hudson Bay coastline in the north to dense boreal forest, large freshwater lakes, and prairie grassland in the central and southern regions.Indigenous peoples have inhabited what is now Manitoba for thousands of years. In the early 17th century, English and French fur traders began arriving in the area and establishing settlements. The Kingdom of England secured control of the region in 1673 and created a territory named Rupert's Land, which was placed under the administration of the Hudson's Bay Company. Rupert's Land, which included all of present-day Manitoba, grew and evolved from 1673 until 1869 with significant settlements of Indigenous and Métis people in the Red River Colony. Negotiations for the creation of the province of Manitoba commenced in 1869, but deep disagreements over the right to self-determination led to an armed conflict, known as the Red River Rebellion, between the federal government and the people (particularly Métis) of the Red River Colony. The resolution of the conflict and further negotiations led to Manitoba becoming the fifth province to join Canadian Confederation, when the Parliament of Canada passed the Manitoba Act on 15 July 1870.Manitoba's capital and largest city is Winnipeg, the sixth most populous municipality in Canada. Winnipeg is the seat of government, home to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the Provincial Court. Four of the province's five universities, all four of its professional sports teams, and most of its cultural activities (including Festival du Voyageur and Folklorama) are located in Winnipeg. The city has an international airport as well as train and bus stations; a Canadian Forces base, CFB Winnipeg, operates from the airport and is the regional headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:17 UTC on Tuesday, 15 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Manitoba on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Ivy.

rWotD Episode 2994: Amitabh Bhattacharya Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Tuesday, 15 July 2025, is Amitabh Bhattacharya.Amitabh Bhattacharya (born 16 November 1976) is an Indian lyricist and playback singer who works in Indian films. He began his career in the 2000's as a playback singer, and gained recognition when he wrote lyrics for Amit Trivedi for Dev. D. He has notably worked with music director Pritam, writing the lyrics for his compositions for Barfi! (2012), Cocktail (2012), Agent Vinod (2012), Dhoom 3 (2013), Dilwale (2015), Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), Dangal (2016), Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), Raabta (2017), Kalank (2019), Chhichhore (2019), Love Aaj Kal (2020), Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), Brahmāstra (2022), Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Dunki (2023), Tiger 3 (2023), and Chandu Champion (2024).He has won the National Film Award for the song "Agar Zindagi" from the film I Am. In his song-writing career he has won the highest number of awards, precisely 9, for the song "Channa Mereya" to date. His lyrics have been variously described as "frillfree" and "smartly worded".This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:17 UTC on Tuesday, 15 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Amitabh Bhattacharya on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Danielle.

pWotD Episode 2995: WWE Evolution (2025) Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 306,217 views on Monday, 14 July 2025 our article of the day is WWE Evolution (2025).The 2025 Evolution was a women's professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the second Evolution event and took place on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. This was the first Evolution and the first all-women's professional wrestling event to broadcast on both Netflix and Peacock, and the first Evolution since the inaugural 2018 event seven years prior.Seven matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Naomi defeated Rhea Ripley and defending champion Iyo Sky to win Raw's Women's World Championship; this originally started as a singles match between Sky and Ripley, however, Naomi cashed in her Money in the Bank contract during the match, making it a triple threat match. Two matches prior to this, Naomi had lost a No Holds Barred match to Jade Cargill. In other prominent matches, Tiffany Stratton defeated WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus to retain SmackDown's WWE Women's Championship, and Raw's Stephanie Vaquer won the Evolution Battle Royal.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:46 UTC on Tuesday, 15 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see WWE Evolution (2025) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Joey.

On this week's Curmudgeon's Corner Sam goes solo because Ivan is sick. First order of business, an update on Sam's car situation. He bought one. Hear all about it. Then a movie and a book. Then finally, what's going on with this latest Epstein business, and how it is tearing apart MAGA world. Show Details: Recorded 2025-07-12 Length this week 1:52:47 0:00:51 - Car Stuff Sam Got One! Trim Level Anxiety Electric Charging Modern Features 0:42:59 - Media Stuff Movie: Why We Fight (2005) Book: And Another Thing… (2009) 1:06:41 - Epstein Stuff Nothing New? What's in the Files? MAGA Reaction Trump Reaction The Curmudgeon's Corner theme music is generously provided by Ray Lynch. Our intro is The Oh of Pleasure (Amazon MP3 link) Our outro is Celestial Soda Pop (Amazon MP3 link) Both are from the album Deep Breakfast (iTunes link) Please buy his music and support his GoFundMe.

fWotD Episode 2992: William Hanna Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 14 July 2025, is William Hanna.William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician who is best known for co-creating Tom and Jerry and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera.Hanna joined the Harman and Ising animation studio in 1930 and steadily gained skill and prominence while working on cartoons such as Captain and the Kids. In 1937, while working at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Hanna met Barbera. In 1957, they co-founded Hanna-Barbera, which became the most successful television animation studio in the business, creating or producing programs such as The Flintstones, The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs, and Yogi Bear. In 1967, Hanna-Barbera was sold to Taft Broadcasting for $12 million, but Hanna and Barbera remained heads of the company until 1991. At that time, the studio was sold to Turner Broadcasting System, which in turn was merged with Time Warner in 1996; Hanna and Barbera stayed on as advisors.Tom and Jerry won seven Academy Awards, while Hanna and Barbera were nominated for two others and won eight Emmy Awards. Their cartoons have become cultural icons, and their cartoon characters have appeared in other media such as films, books, and toys. Hanna-Barbera's shows had a worldwide audience of over 300 million people in their 1960s heyday, and have been translated into more than 28 languages.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:54 UTC on Monday, 14 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see William Hanna on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Joanna.

rWotD Episode 2993: Luis Veiga da Cunha Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Monday, 14 July 2025, is Luis Veiga da Cunha.Luis Veiga da Cunha (born 1936 in Lisbon), is a Portuguese scientist, Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering of the NOVA University Lisbon. He graduated in Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Lisbon and he holds a PhD degree from the same university. His main professional interests are related to Environment and Natural Resources Policies and Management, with a special emphasis on Water Resources.He worked in Portugal until 1983 in teaching, research and consulting activities. During this period he was involved in numerous research projects and undertook consulting and teaching work in Portugal and in several foreign countries.Between 1971 and 1983 he was Director of the Division of Hydrology and River Hydraulics of the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering, LNEC in Lisbon, where he initiated the development of several new lines of research in the areas of water resources management and planning and of sustainable use of water resources. He was Visiting Professor at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Colorado) for the full academic year 1975-1976.Between 1983 and 1999 Veiga da Cunha lived in Brussels where he served as Administrator of the Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This Division was the executive arm for the programmes initiated by two Committees of the NATO Council: the Science Committee and the Committee on the Challenges of the Modern Society. The programmes of these two committees were originally intended to foster scientific, technological and environmental cooperation between the North American and the European NATO countries. Later, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, they mainly focused on cooperation between NATO countries and the so-called partner countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Among his responsibilities while serving at NATO, he launched and directed various programs in the area of the environment, in particular the Special Programs on “Environmental Security” and “The Science of Global Environmental Change”. Each of these areas developed into a large number of projects and about 60 books have been published based on the results.In 1999 Veiga da Cunha returned to Portugal, as a full Professor at the Nova University of Lisbon. He also became a member of the National Council on Environment and Sustainable Development since 2001 and of the National Water Council since its creation in 1994. From 2001 to 2005 he has served as the Portuguese national delegate to the NATO Science Committee.He was a member of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (1999-2001) and a Lead Author of the chapter on Water Resources of the Third Assessment Report of the IPCC, published in 2001. He was also author and coordinator of the chapter on Water Resources of the Portuguese National Projects SIAM I and SIAM II (Climate Change in Portugal: Scenarios, Impacts and Adaptation Measures, 2001-2006).He was founder and the first President of the Portuguese Water Resources Association (1977–78) and Director of the International Water Resources Association. He was Director of the International Water Resources Association and Chairman of the Committee on River Hydraulics of the International Association on Hydraulic Research. He has been a member of the Editorial Board of Water Policy, the official science and technology journal of the World Water Council. He has also been a member of the Editorial Board of Water International, the journal of the International Water Resources Association. From 2010 to 2013 he was a member and coordinator of the "Gulbenkian Think Thank on Water and the Future of Humanity", an international group of reflection established by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation that gathered eleven distinguished scientists and experts in global water issues. The book "Water and the Future of Humanity" (Springer) was published in 2014, as a result of this work. Veiga da Cunha is a member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering and a member and of the French Water Academy.He is the author of more than one hundred publications, including about 30 books and book chapters on environmental issues and particular on water resources related topics.He was awarded the Portuguese Order of “St. James of the Sword” (Grand-Officer) for scientific and cultural merit, and the French “National Order of Merit” (Grand-Officer). He was Minister of Education of Portugal in 1979-1980.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:24 UTC on Monday, 14 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Luis Veiga da Cunha on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Russell.

pWotD Episode 2994: Carlos Alcaraz Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 865,228 views on Sunday, 13 July 2025 our article of the day is Carlos Alcaraz.Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (Spanish: [ˈkaɾlos alkaˈɾaθ ˈɣaɾfja]; born 5 May 2003) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He has been ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), including as the year-end No. 1 in 2022. Alcaraz has won 21 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including five major titles and seven ATP 1000 titles.Alcaraz began his professional career in 2018 at age 15. He broke into the top 100 of the rankings in May 2021, and ended that year in the top 35 after reaching the US Open quarterfinals. In March 2022, he won his first ATP 1000 title at the Miami Open at the age of 18. Alcaraz won his first major title at the 2022 US Open, becoming the youngest man and the first male teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings, at 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old. Finishing the year as the youngest year-end No. 1 in ATP rankings history, he was named the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year for his performance that season.In 2023, Alcaraz claimed his second major title at Wimbledon, defeating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in an epic final. In 2024, he won his third and fourth major titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, followed by a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. He claimed a fifth major title at the French Open in 2025 in another classic final, overturning a two-set deficit to top seed Jannik Sinner.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 10:07 UTC on Monday, 14 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Carlos Alcaraz on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Raveena.

fWotD Episode 2991: Heartburn Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 13 July 2025, is Heartburn.Heartburn is a burning sensation felt behind the breastbone. It is a symptom that is commonly linked to acid reflux and is often triggered by food, particularly fatty, sugary, spicy, chocolate, citrus, onion-based and tomato-based products. Lying down, bending, lifting, and performing certain exercises can exacerbate heartburn. Causes include acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), damage to the esophageal lining, bile acid, mechanical stimulation to the esophagus, and esophageal hypersensitivity. Heartburn affects 25% of the population at least once a month.Endoscopy and esophageal pH monitoring can be used to evaluate heartburn. Some causes of heartburn, such as GERD, may be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Potential differential diagnoses for heartburn include motility disorders, ulcers, inflammation of the esophagus, and medication side effects. Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and avoiding fatty foods, can improve heartburn. Over-the-counter alginates or antacids can help with mild or occasional heartburn. Heartburn treatment primarily involves antisecretory medications like H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs).This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Sunday, 13 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Heartburn on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ayanda.

rWotD Episode 2992: Emcodec Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Sunday, 13 July 2025, is Emcodec.Trojan. Emcodec. E is a trojan horse that is mis-represented as an audio and video codec for Windows-based PCs. It exists in various variants with names such as Media Codec, Ecodec, Imediacodec, IntCodec, Pcodec, SVideocodec, Video iCodec, QualityCodec, Vcodec, Zip Codec, zCodec, ZCODEC and began to be widely used in spring 2005.When visiting certain web sites, in particular pornographic sites, and attempting to view a video file on the site, the user will be directed to download this software, purportedly in order to allow viewing of the video. Furthermore, a number of websites have been set up to mis-represent this malware as a legitimate codec, inviting the users to download the software, allegedly to allow for the playback of certain audio/video which claims to use the so-called codec.Once executed, the trojan copies a program into the Program Files folder, changes some registry keys and displays a fake EULA for the supposed codec.zCodec reportedly changes the machine's DNS settings, monitors the user's browsing and acts as adware.Some versions of the trojan install malware called Zlob, which in turn may lead to the installation of malicious and fake "security programs" such as SpywareQuake, SpyFalcon, WinFixer or other malware; some variants also install a backdoor into the infected computer.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:03 UTC on Sunday, 13 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Emcodec on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Joanna.

pWotD Episode 2993: Iga Świątek Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 575,861 views on Saturday, 12 July 2025 our article of the day is Iga Świątek.Iga Natalia Świątek (Polish pronunciation: [ˈiɡa naˈtalja ˈɕfjɔntɛk] ; born 31 May 2001) is a Polish professional tennis player. Currently ranked No. 4 in women’s singles by the WTA, she previously held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 125 weeks. Świątek has won 23 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including six major titles: four at the French Open, one at Wimbledon and one at the US Open; Świątek is the only active female tennis player, and eighth woman ever, to have won Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces. She has also won the 2023 WTA Finals and ten WTA 1000 titles. Świątek is the first Pole to win a major singles title.As a junior, Świątek was the 2018 French Open girls' doubles champion alongside Caty McNally and the 2018 Wimbledon girls' singles champion. She began playing regularly on the WTA Tour in 2019, and entered the top 50 at 18 years old after her first Tour final and a fourth-round appearance at the 2019 French Open. In 2020, Świątek won her first major at the French Open in dominant fashion, losing no more than five games in any singles match. She entered the top ten of the WTA rankings for the first time in May 2021.In early 2022, Świątek surged into dominant form with a 37-match winning streak, the longest on the WTA Tour in the 21st century, becoming world No. 1 in the process. With major titles at the French and US Opens, she finished 2022 as the world's best player. She repeated the year-end No. 1 feat in 2023 by defending her French Open title and claiming the WTA Finals, and won the French Open for a third straight edition in 2024. She has claimed the French Open title at four of her seven appearances at the tournament, having never lost a match before the fourth round. She won her first Wimbledon title in 2025, becoming the first player to win every game in a major final since 1988.Świątek has an all-court playing style. She won the WTA Fan Favorite Shot of the Year in 2019 with a drop shot from the baseline, and was voted WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year in 2020. In 2023, she was named L'Équipe Champion of Champions and Polish Sports Personality of the Year and included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2025, Świątek made it to the Madame Tussauds Hot 100 list for her philanthropic act and advocacy.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:18 UTC on Sunday, 13 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Iga Świątek on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Arthur.

rWotD Episode 2991: Jessie Taft Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Saturday, 12 July 2025, is Jessie Taft.J. (Julia) Jessie Taft (June 24, 1882 – June 7, 1960]]) was an American philosopher and an early authority on child placement and therapeutic adoption. Educated at the University of Chicago, she spent the bulk of her professional life at the University of Pennsylvania, where she and Virginia Robinson were the co-founders and innovators of the functional approach to social work. Taft is the author of The Dynamics of Therapy in a Controlled Relationship (1933). She is also remembered for her work as the translator and biographer of Otto Rank, an outcast disciple of Sigmund Freud; in addition, development of the functional approach to social work was greatly inspired by her work with Rank. She and her lifelong companion, Virginia Robinson, adopted and raised two children.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:20 UTC on Saturday, 12 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Jessie Taft on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Aditi.

fWotD Episode 2990: Holkham Hall Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Saturday, 12 July 2025, is Holkham Hall.Holkham Hall ( or ) is an 18th-century country house near the village of Holkham, Norfolk, England, constructed in the Neo-Palladian style for Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (of the fifth creation of the title). The hall was designed by the architect William Kent, with contributions from Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, the Norfolk architect and surveyor, Matthew Brettingham and Thomas Coke himself.Holkham is one of England's finest examples of the Palladian revival style of architecture, and the severity of its design is closer to Andrea Palladio's ideals than many of the other numerous Palladian style houses of the period. The exterior consists of a central block, of two storeys and constructed of brick, and four flanking wings. The interior of the hall is opulent, but by the standards of the day, simply decorated and furnished. Ornament is used with such restraint that it was possible to decorate both private and state rooms in the same style, without oppressing the former. The principal entrance is through the Marble Hall, which is in fact made of pink Derbyshire alabaster; this leads to the piano nobile, or the first floor, and state rooms. The most impressive of these rooms is the Saloon, which has walls lined with red velvet. Each of the major state rooms is symmetrical in its layout and design; in some rooms, false doors are necessary to fully achieve this balanced effect. The four pavilions at each corner of the central block provide space for private, family accommodation, a guest wing, a chapel and the kitchens. The question of who designed Holkham has challenged architectural historians, and contemporaries, almost since the time of the hall's construction. The clerk-of-works, Matthew Brettingham, claimed authorship when he published The Plans, Elevations and Sections, of Holkham in Norfolk in 1761. This claim was immediately challenged by Horace Walpole, who attributed the designs to William Kent. Brettingham's son, Matthew the Younger, acknowledged in a later addition of his father's work that, "the general idea [for Holkham] was first struck out by the Earls of Leicester and Burlington, assisted by Mr. William Kent". Later historians have debated the exact contributions of Burlington, and of Coke himself, with those writing in the early 20th century generally downplaying the roles of both, while those writing later in the 20th and in the 21st centuries have found evidence of greater involvement, at least of Coke. The exact role Brettingham played in the origination, rather than the execution, of the design remains uncertain. The Holkham estate was built up by Sir Edward Coke, a lawyer in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I and VI and the founder of his family's fortune. It remains the ancestral home of the Coke family, who became Earls of Leicester. The house is a Grade I listed building, and its park is listed, also at Grade I, on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:45 UTC on Saturday, 12 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Holkham Hall on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Aditi.

pWotD Episode 2992: .xxx Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 365,142 views on Friday, 11 July 2025 our article of the day is .xxx..xxx (pronounced "dot triple-ecks" or "dot ecks ecks ecks") is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) intended as a voluntary option for pornographic sites on the Internet. The sponsoring organization is the International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR). The registry is operated by ICM Registry LLC. The ICANN Board voted to approve the sTLD on 18 March 2011. It went into operation on 15 April 2011.The TLD entered its sunrise period on 7 September 2011 at 16:00 UTC; the sunrise period ended 28 October 2011. Landrush period lasted from 8 November through 25 November, and general availability commenced on 6 December 2011.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:47 UTC on Saturday, 12 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see .xxx on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Salli.

fWotD Episode 2989: Llullaillaco Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 11 July 2025, is Llullaillaco.Llullaillaco (Spanish pronunciation: [ʎuʎajˈʎako]) is a dormant stratovolcano on the border between Argentina (Salta Province) and Chile (Antofagasta Region). It lies in the Puna de Atacama, a region of tall volcanic peaks on a high plateau close to the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world. Its maximum elevation is most commonly given as 6,723 metres (22,057 ft), making it the second- or third-highest volcano in the world. Despite its height, it is not clear whether the volcano has any glaciers or merely patches of perennial snow and ice. Between 3700 m and 5000 m elevation there is a sparse plant cover, while at lower altitudes the climate is too dry for plants to grow. A species of mouse on Llullaillaco is the highest-living known vertebrate species.The volcano formed during the Pleistocene in two stages, named Llullaillaco I and Llullaillaco II. The oldest rocks are about 1.5 million years old. About 150,000 years ago, the volcano's southeastern flank collapsed, generating a debris avalanche that reached as far as 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the summit. During the last stage, three conspicuous lava flows were emplaced on the summit. The youngest dated rocks are 930 ± 140 years old, but there are reports of activity from the 19th century. There are a number of archaeological sites on the mountain and at its foot; Llullaillaco marks the highest archaeological site in the world. The first recorded ascent was in 1950. In 1999, the mummified remains of three children, known as the Children of Llullaillaco, were found at its summit. They are presumed to have been human sacrifices.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Friday, 11 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Llullaillaco on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ruth.

rWotD Episode 2990: Roman theatre (structure) Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 11 July 2025, is Roman theatre (structure).Roman theatres derive from and are part of the overall evolution of earlier Greek theatres. Much of the architectural influence on the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings. However, Roman theatres have specific differences, such as generally being built upon their own foundations instead of earthen works or a hillside and being completely enclosed on all sides.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:55 UTC on Friday, 11 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Roman theatre (structure) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Matthew.

pWotD Episode 2991: Amanda Anisimova Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 777,447 views on Thursday, 10 July 2025 our article of the day is Amanda Anisimova.Amanda Kay Victoria Anisimova ( AN-ihss-ih-MOH-və; born August 31, 2001) is an American professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles WTA ranking of world No. 12, achieved on 30 June 2025. Anisimova has won three WTA Tour titles, including one WTA 1000 event, the 2025 Qatar Ladies Open.As a junior, Anisimova was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world, and won the 2017 US Open girls' singles title. On the WTA Tour, she rose to prominence at the 2018 Indian Wells Open when she scored her first top-10 victory at age 16, against Petra Kvitová. She won her first career title at the Copa Colsanitas in April 2019 at age 17.Anisimova's breakthrough at the majors came in 2019 at the Australian Open where she reached the fourth round by defeating No. 11 Aryna Sabalenka, one of the leading contenders for the title. At the French Open, she upset Simona Halep, the defending champion and world No. 3, to become the youngest semifinalist at the tournament in over a decade. The next time she reached the fourth round of a major was at the 2022 Australian Open, when she defeated the defending champion, Naomi Osaka. That year, she reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:03 UTC on Friday, 11 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Amanda Anisimova on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Joey.

fWotD Episode 2988: Spyridon Marinatos Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 10 July 2025, is Spyridon Marinatos.Spyridon Marinatos (Greek: Σπυρίδων Μαρινάτος; 17 November [O. S. 4 November] 1901 – 1 October 1974) was a Greek archaeologist who specialised in the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations of the Aegean Bronze Age. He is best known for the excavation of the Minoan site of Akrotiri on Thera, which he conducted between 1967 and 1974. He received several honours in Greece and abroad, and was considered one of the most important Greek archaeologists of his day.A native of Kephallonia, Marinatos was educated at the University of Athens, the Friedrich Wilhelms University of Berlin, and the University of Halle. His early teachers included noted archaeologists such as Panagiotis Kavvadias, Christos Tsountas and Georg Karo. He joined the Greek Archaeological Service in 1919, and spent much of his early career on the island of Crete, where he excavated several Minoan sites, served as director of the Heraklion Museum, and formulated his theory that the collapse of Neopalatial Minoan society had been the result of the eruption of the volcanic island of Thera around 1600 BCE.In the 1940s and 1950s, Marinatos surveyed and excavated widely in the region of Messenia in south-west Greece, collaborating with Carl Blegen, who was engaged in the simultaneous excavation of the Palace of Nestor at Pylos. He also discovered the battlefield of Thermopylae and excavated the Mycenaean cemeteries at Tsepi and Vranas near Marathon in Attica.Marinatos served three times as head of the Greek Archaeological Service, first between 1937 and 1939, secondly between 1955 and 1958, and finally under the military junta which ruled Greece between 1967 and 1974. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the junta; in the late 1930s, he had been close to the quasi-fascist dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, under whom he initiated legislation to restrict the roles of women in Greek archaeology. His leadership of the Archaeological Service has been criticised for its cronyism and for promoting the pursuit of grand discoveries at the expense of good scholarship. Marinatos died while excavating at Akrotiri in 1974, and is buried at the site.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Thursday, 10 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Spyridon Marinatos on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Olivia.

rWotD Episode 2989: 1972 California 500 Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Thursday, 10 July 2025, is 1972 California 500.The 1972 California 500, the third running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 3, 1972. The event was race number 8 of 10 in the 1972 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Roger McCluskey, his first 500-mile Indy Car victory. In qualifying, Jerry Grant became the first IndyCar driver to ever break to 200 mile per hour barrier.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:48 UTC on Thursday, 10 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see 1972 California 500 on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Justin.

pWotD Episode 2990: Belinda Bencic Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 172,311 views on Wednesday, 9 July 2025 our article of the day is Belinda Bencic.Belinda Bencic (pronounced [ˈbelinda ˈbentʃitʃ]; born 10 March 1997) is a Swiss professional tennis player. She has a career-high ranking of world No. 4 which she achieved in February 2020. Bencic has won nine career singles titles, including a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and two doubles titles on the WTA Tour.A former junior world No. 1, Bencic won two junior major singles titles in 2013 at the French Open and Wimbledon. On the professional tour, she made her top 100 debut shortly after turning 17. Her breakthrough came at the 2014 US Open, where she became the youngest quarterfinalist since Martina Hingis in 1997. Bencic won her first two WTA Tour titles in 2015, including the Canadian Open where she defeated four of the top six players in the world. She then made her top-ten debut the following year aged 18.From 2016 through 2018, Bencic struggled with a variety of injuries, dropping outside the top 300 in the rankings. She then posted her best season to date in 2019: winning her second Premier-5 title at the Dubai Championships, reaching her first major semifinal at the US Open, qualifying for her first WTA Finals (where she reached the semifinals), and finishing the year inside the top 10 for the first time, which helped her win the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award. In 2021, Bencic won her biggest career title by claiming the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, also winning silver in the women's doubles. Following a maternity leave starting in September 2023, Bencic returned to the tour in 2024.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:01 UTC on Thursday, 10 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Belinda Bencic on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Matthew.

fWotD Episode 2987: Goblin shark Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Wednesday, 9 July 2025, is Goblin shark.The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a rare species of deep-sea shark. Sometimes called a "living fossil", it is the only extant representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, a lineage some 125 million years old. This pink-skinned animal has a distinctive profile with an elongated, flat snout, and highly protrusible jaws containing prominent nail-like teeth. It is usually between 3 and 4 m (10 and 13 ft) long when mature, though it can grow considerably larger such as one captured in 2000 that is thought to have measured 6 m (20 ft). Goblin sharks are benthopelagic creatures that inhabit upper continental slopes, submarine canyons, and seamounts throughout the world at depths greater than 100 m (330 ft), with adults found deeper than juveniles. Some researchers believed that these sharks could also dive to depths of up to 1,300 m (4,270 ft), for short periods of time. However, footage captured in 2024 suggests that their range could be deeper than previously thought, with a confirmed sighting of an adult swimming at 2,000 m (6,560 ft).Various anatomical features of the goblin shark, such as its flabby body and small fins, suggest that it is sluggish in nature. This species hunts for teleost fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans near the sea floor and in the middle of the water column. Its long snout is covered with ampullae of Lorenzini that sense minute electric fields produced by nearby prey, which it can snatch up by rapidly extending its jaws. Small numbers of goblin sharks are unintentionally caught by deepwater fisheries. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as Least Concern, despite its rarity, citing its wide distribution and low incidence of capture.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:39 UTC on Wednesday, 9 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Goblin shark on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Matthew.

rWotD Episode 2988: Elvira Saadi Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Wednesday, 9 July 2025, is Elvira Saadi.Elvira Fuadovna Saadi (born January 2, 1952) is a retired gymnast from the former Soviet Union and a former elite gymnastics coach in Canada.As a member of the Soviet Union's women's gymnastics team, Saadi shared in the team gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. She placed 8th in the all-around at the 1972 Olympics and 7th all-around at the 1976 Olympics.Saadi won the all-around, balance beam and floor exercise at the 1973 USSR national championships. That year, she tied for first on vault at the 1973 World University Games, where she also placed 3rd in the all-around.At the 1974 World Championships, she earned a share of the USSR team gold, placed fourth in the all-around and captured the bronze medal on floor exercise.Following the 1976 Olympics, Saadi accepted a coaching position at the Moscow Dynamo Club, where she was the coach of Soviet gymnast Tatiana Groshkova, who placed third all-around in the 1989 U. S. S. R. gymnastics championships and placed first all-around at the 1990 Trophee Massilia.Saadi was born in Tashkent, U. S. S. R. She relocated to Canada in 1991 to become a coach at the Canadian gym Cambridge Kips, where she trained Canadian Olympians Yvonne Tousek and Crystal Gilmore.In June 2011, Saadi announced plans to open her own club, Dynamo Gymnastics. The new club begun operations on the premises of Revolution Gymnastics in Waterloo, where several top young gymnasts who left Cambridge Kips with Saadi trained. Dynamo Gymnastics opened in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada in 2011. Saadi opened the new club together with the parents of one of the up-and-coming gymnasts, Victoria Moors, who left Cambridge Kips with Saadi. Along with Victoria Moors was Madeline Gardiner. Both Gardiner and Moors went on to qualify for the Canadian London 2012 Olympic team. Moors competed as part of Team Canada and helped to earn Canada 5th place overall in the team final, the best ranking of any Canadian Women's Artistic Gymnastics team to date at the Olympics. Gardiner was an alternate on the team but did not compete. Moors was also the youngest Canadian Olympian competing at the age of 15. Victoria went on to briefly hold the record for a Canadian Women's Artistic Gymnast at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2013, placing 10th for Canada. The previous best ranking for a Canadian was 14th. (That 10th-place ranking has since been beaten at the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships by Halifax's Ellie Black (Moors' teammate at the London Olympics). Victoria also has two eponymous skills, one a dismount from the uneven bars and the other a laid-out double-twisting double somersault on floor which is the hardest ranking floor skill to date. Victoria retired at the age of 18 in the spring of 2015. Victoria's sister Brooklyn Moors, also coached by Saadi, is a member of the Canadian national team and represented Canada at the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.On November 20, 2023, Saadi was permanently banned by Gymnastics Canada from working with gymnasts due to physical and verbal abuse. She appealed the ban, but on June 24, 2024, the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada denied her appeal.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:20 UTC on Wednesday, 9 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Elvira Saadi on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Kendra.

pWotD Episode 2989: Superman (2025 film) Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 276,620 views on Tuesday, 8 July 2025 our article of the day is Superman (2025 film).Superman is a 2025 American superhero film based on the eponymous character from DC Comics. Written and directed by James Gunn, it is the first film in the DC Universe (DCU) produced by DC Studios and the second reboot of the Superman film series. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. The film follows Superman's journey to reconcile his alien heritage with his adoptive human family.Development on a sequel to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Man of Steel (2013) began by October 2014, with Henry Cavill set to reprise his role as Superman. Plans changed after the troubled production of Justice League (2017) and the Man of Steel sequel was no longer moving forward by May 2020. Gunn began work on a new Superman film around August 2022. In October, he became co-CEO of DC Studios with producer Peter Safran and they began work on a new DC Universe. Gunn was revealed to be writing the film in December. The title Superman: Legacy was announced the next month, Gunn was confirmed to be directing in March 2023, and Corenswet and Brosnahan were cast that June. The subtitle was dropped by the end of February 2024, when filming began in Svalbard, Norway. Production primarily took place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with location filming around Georgia and Ohio. Filming wrapped in July. The film takes inspiration from the comic book All-Star Superman (2005–2008) by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, among others.Superman premiered at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 7, 2025, and is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on July 11. It is the first film of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. It has received positive reviews from critics.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:40 UTC on Wednesday, 9 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Superman (2025 film) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Matthew.

rWotD Episode 2987: Cardiff University Students' Union Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Tuesday, 8 July 2025, is Cardiff University Students' Union.Cardiff Students' Union (CSU, Welsh:Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd) is the Students' Union for Cardiff University and is located in Cardiff, Wales.Cardiff Students' Union supports over 200 student societies and 60 sports clubs with more than 10,000 members.The Students' Union is also the recognised voice of students at Cardiff University, joining students in campaigning about the issues important to them. The trading subsidiary of CUSU, Cardiff Union Services Limited, manages a purpose-built facility in the centre of Cardiff and operates cafes, shops, bars and events that help fund CUSU's charitable activities. CUSU is based on Park Place and at the Heath Park campus, employing over 100 permanent staff and 300 student staff.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:42 UTC on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Cardiff University Students' Union on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kevin.

fWotD Episode 2986: Edgar, King of England Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 8 July 2025, is Edgar, King of England.Edgar (or Eadgar; c. 944 – 8 July 975), known sometimes as Edgar the Peacemaker or the Peaceable, was King of the English from 959 until his death in 975. He became king of all England on his brother Eadwig's death. He was the younger son of King Edmund I and his first wife, Ælfgifu. A detailed account of Edgar's reign is not possible, because only a few events were recorded by chroniclers and monastic writers, who were more interested in recording the activities of the leaders of the church.Edgar mainly followed the political policies of his predecessors, but there were major changes in the religious sphere. The English Benedictine Reform, which he strongly supported, became a dominant religious and social force. It is seen by historians as a major achievement, and it was accompanied by a literary and artistic flowering, mainly associated with Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester. Monasteries aggressively acquired estates from lay landowners with Edgar's assistance, leading to disorder when he died and former owners sought to recover their lost property, sometimes by force. Edgar's major administrative reform was the introduction of a standardised coinage in the early 970s to replace the previous decentralised system. He also issued legislative codes which mainly concentrated on improving procedures for enforcement of the law.England had suffered from Viking invasions for over a century when Edgar came to power, but there were none during his reign, which fell in a lull in attacks between the mid-950s and the early 980s. After his death the throne was disputed between the supporters of his two surviving sons; the elder one, Edward the Martyr, was chosen with the support of Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Three years later Edward was murdered and succeeded by his younger half-brother, Æthelred the Unready. Later chroniclers presented Edgar's reign as a golden age when England was free from external attacks and internal disorder, especially compared with Æthelred's disastrous rule. Modern historians see Edgar's reign as the pinnacle of Anglo-Saxon culture, but they disagree about his political legacy, and some see the disorders following his death as a natural reaction to his overbearing control.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:10 UTC on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Edgar, King of England on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm long-form Danielle.

pWotD Episode 2988: McDonald's Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 396,342 views on Monday, 7 July 2025 our article of the day is McDonald's.McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea.Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 as a hamburger stand, and soon franchised the company. The logo, the Golden Arches, was introduced in 1953. In 1955, the businessman Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent and bought the company in 1961. In the years since, it has expanded internationally. Today, McDonald's has over 50,000 restaurant locations worldwide, with around a quarter in the US.Other than food sales, McDonald's generates income through its ownership of 70% of restaurant buildings and 45% of the underlying land (which it leases to its franchisees). In 2018, McDonald's was the world's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees, behind Walmart, the majority of whom work in the restaurant's franchises.McDonald's bestselling licensed items are their French fries and Big Mac hamburgers; other fare includes cheeseburgers, chicken, fish, fruit, and salads. McDonald's has been subject to criticism for its foods nutrition, animal welfare and low worker wages.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:54 UTC on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see McDonald's on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Matthew.

In this episode, I go over a list of 12 Origin Theories of Freemasonry and ask the Curmudgeon Supreme how much he knows about any of these theories. This list was found in a book called the Royal Masonic Cyclopedia.Has he ever heard of any of these?Does he have a favorite?Will any of these pique his curiosity?Will his giant head blow up from too many theories?What are these twelve theories, and do any of these have any merit? Follow me on Instagram @masonicmuscleTikTok @Masonicmsucle357Write to me at Masonicmsucle357@gmail.com

Wisdom From an Old Curmudgeon (Tommy Moore) by Matt Rawle

rWotD Episode 2986: Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Monday, 7 July 2025, is Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi.The Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi (lit. 'History of Sher Shah') is a historical work dated 1580 CE which was compiled by Abbas Khan Sarwani, a waqia-navis under Mughal emperor Akbar, detailing the rule of Sher Shah Suri, founder of the Sur Empire. The work was commissioned by Akbar to provide detailed documentation about Sher Shah's administration - Akbar's father Humayun had been defeated by Sher Shah.Abbas wrote the Tarik-i Sher Shahi using his own local Indo-Afghan cultural style, not in the style and language of standard Persian.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:54 UTC on Monday, 7 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ayanda.

fWotD Episode 2985: Weird Faith Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 7 July 2025, is Weird Faith.Weird Faith is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Madi Diaz, released on February 9, 2024, by Anti-. The album followed her fifth studio album, History of a Feeling, and tours with Angel Olsen, Waxahatchee, and Harry Styles. It was written in Nashville and upstate New York, recorded in the latter by Diaz and Sam Cohen, and produced by Diaz, Cohen, and Konrad Snyder.Weird Faith has been described as an indie rock, indie folk, and indie pop album. The album features sparse, acoustic arrangements that highlight Diaz's lyrics and vocals, and it addresses themes of love, trust, and intimacy. Critics positively reviewed the album, particularly praising Diaz's emotional songwriting. It was featured on several year-end lists and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:31 UTC on Monday, 7 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Weird Faith on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Danielle.

pWotD Episode 2987: Cameron Norrie Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 396,002 views on Sunday, 6 July 2025 our article of the day is Cameron Norrie.Cameron Norrie (; born 23 August 1995) is a British professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 8 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he achieved in September 2022. He also has a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 117, attained in June 2022. Norrie has won five ATP Tour singles titles, including an ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2021 Indian Wells Masters, and one doubles title. He has reached one Grand Slam semifinal, at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, in addition to one fourth-round appearance at each of the three other majors. Between October 2021 and June 2024, he held the title of British No. 1 in men's singles.Born in South Africa in 1995, Norrie moved to New Zealand with his family at the age of three and made his junior tennis debut in 2009. In 2013, he began representing Great Britain in pursuit of better funding. Norrie finished his junior career ranked as high as No. 10 in the world. In 2014, Norrie began playing collegiate tennis at Texas Christian University (TCU) and in his final year in 2017, he became the school's first-ever player to finish the season ranked No. 1 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).Shortly after turning professional in 2017, Norrie made his top 200 debut in July after winning his first ATP Challenger title in Binghamton and ended the year with three Challenger titles from four finals. The following season, in May 2018, Norrie broke into the top 100 after reaching his first semifinal on the ATP Tour at the Lyon Open. In January 2019, Norrie achieved his first ATP final in Auckland, which also moved him into the top 70. In 2021, Norrie contended in six ATP finals, including his first at the ATP 500 and ATP Masters 1000 levels, won two titles, and sealed his top 20 debut following his victory in Indian Wells. He continued his momentum into the 2022 season, encapsulated by his rise into the top 10 after claiming two additional ATP titles from four finals and reaching his maiden major semifinal at Wimbledon.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:54 UTC on Monday, 7 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Cameron Norrie on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joanna.

This week on Curmudgeon's Corner, Sam and Ivan deviate from the usual, and actually spend the majority of the show on personal stories. First up, Ivan explains why he was unable to make it to Seattle for a meetup after all. Second up, Sam explains his adventures with car trouble and car repair. They do hit a bit of the OBBB and some random things at the end as almost an afterthought. :-) Show Details: Recorded 2025-06-28 Length this week 2:04:30 0:00:32 - The Stories Meetup Fail Automotive Fail 1:12:42 - The Rest OBBB Passes AI Run Business The Curmudgeon's Corner theme music is generously provided by Ray Lynch. Our intro is The Oh of Pleasure (Amazon MP3 link) Our outro is Celestial Soda Pop (Amazon MP3 link) Both are from the album Deep Breakfast (iTunes link) Please buy his music and support his GoFundMe.

rWotD Episode 2985: Barbara Tropp Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Sunday, 6 July 2025, is Barbara Tropp.Barbara Tropp (1948 – October 26, 2001) was an American orientalist, chef, restaurateur, and food writer. During her career, she operated China Moon restaurant in San Francisco and wrote cookbooks that popularized Chinese cuisine in America. China Moon's accompanying cookbook is credited with being one of the first fusion cuisine cookbooks. She was the 1989 recipient of the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America James Beard Award. Tropp was called "the Julia Child of Chinese cooking."This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:50 UTC on Sunday, 6 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Barbara Tropp on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Arthur.

fWotD Episode 2984: Wintjiya Napaltjarri Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 6 July 2025, is Wintjiya Napaltjarri.Wintjiya Napaltjarri (also spelt Wentjiya, Wintjia or Wentja, c. 1923–1934 – 2014), also known as Wintjia Napaltjarri No. 1, was a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. She was the sister of artist Tjunkiya Napaltjarri; both were wives of Toba Tjakamarra, with whom Wintjiya had five children.Wintjiya's involvement in contemporary Indigenous Australian art began in 1994 at Haasts Bluff, when she participated in a group painting project and in the creation of batik fabrics. She has also been a printmaker, using drypoint etching. Her paintings typically use an iconography that represents the eggs of the flying ant (waturnuma) and hair-string skirts (nyimparra). Her palette generally involves strong red or black against a white background.A finalist in the 2007 and 2008 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Wintjiya's work is held in several of Australia's public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria. Her work is also held in the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:03 UTC on Sunday, 6 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Wintjiya Napaltjarri on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Nicole.

pWotD Episode 2986: Julian McMahon Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 1,498,104 views on Saturday, 5 July 2025 our article of the day is Julian McMahon.Julian Dana William McMahon (27 July 1968 – 2 July 2025) was an Australian–American actor. He was the only son of Sir William McMahon, a former Prime Minister of Australia. He was best known for his roles as Ben Lucini in Home and Away, Detective John Grant in Profiler, Cole Turner in Charmed, Dr. Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck, Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four duology, Jonah in Runaways, and Jess LaCroix in FBI: Most Wanted. For his performance in Nip/Tuck, McMahon was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama Series.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:45 UTC on Sunday, 6 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Julian McMahon on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Amy.

fWotD Episode 2983: Siege of Breteuil Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Saturday, 5 July 2025, is Siege of Breteuil.The siege of Breteuil was the investment (surrounding) of the Norman town of Breteuil, held by partisans of Charles II, King of Navarre, by French forces between April and about 20 August 1356. It was interrupted on 5 July when a small English army commanded by Henry, Earl of Lancaster, relieved and resupplied the town. The French king, John II, attempted to bring Lancaster to battle with the much larger French royal army, but Lancaster avoided this. John then renewed the siege of Breteuil.The French force attracted praise for its splendour and the high status of many of its participants, but it made little progress as the town was well-garrisoned and had been left by Lancaster with food for a year. John attempted to mine under the walls, to no avail. Meanwhile, Edward the Black Prince, the son and heir of the English king, assembled an Anglo-Gascon army at Bergerac in south-west France. On 4 August this marched into French-held territory, devastating the countryside as it went. At some point in August an unusually large mobile siege tower was pushed up to the walls of Breteuil and an assault launched. The defenders set fire to the tower and repulsed the attack, inflicting many casualties. Taking Breteuil became a matter of prestige for John and he refused to take the army south to face the Black Prince. Eventually, some time around 20 August, John gave the garrison of Breteuil free passage to the Cotentin in north-west Normandy and a huge bribe to persuade them to vacate Breteuil. All available French forces were then concentrated at Chartres to oppose the Black Prince. John and his army pursued the Black Prince's force, cut off their retreat and forced it to battle at Poitiers. The French were defeated with heavy casualties and John was captured.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Saturday, 5 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Siege of Breteuil on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Amy.

rWotD Episode 2984: Pulsação Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Saturday, 5 July 2025, is Pulsação.Pulsação is the first compilation album by the Portuguese pop singer Susana Félix. It was released on November 19, 2007. It includes "Mais Olhos (Que Barriga)" and "Um Lugar Enacantado", the two first singles from Felix's debut album Um Pouco mais. The rest of the songs are taken from the other two albums, Rosa e Vermelho and Índigo.All the songs are written by Susana Félix. The album was produced by Susana Félix and Renato Jr., as were the previous albums Um Pouco Mais, Rosa e Vermelho and Índigo.Two new songs, "(Bem) Na minha mão" and "Amanhecer (Sempre Mais Uma Vez)", were written and recorded for this album and released as singles.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:24 UTC on Saturday, 5 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Pulsação on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kevin.

fWotD Episode 2982: George Washington Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 4 July 2025, is George Washington.George Washington (February 22, 1732 [O. S. February 11, 1731] – December 14, 1799) was a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War against the British Empire. He is commonly known as the Father of the Nation for his role in bringing about American independence.Born in the Colony of Virginia, Washington became the commander of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War (1754–1763). He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, and opposed the perceived oppression of the American colonists by the British Crown. When the American Revolutionary War against the British began in 1775, Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. He directed a poorly organized and equipped force against disciplined British troops. Washington and his army achieved an early victory at the Siege of Boston in March 1776 but were forced to retreat from New York City in November. Washington crossed the Delaware River and won the battles of Trenton in late 1776 and Princeton in early 1777, then lost the battles of Brandywine and Germantown later that year. He faced criticism of his command, low troop morale, and a lack of provisions for his forces as the war continued. Ultimately Washington led a combined French and American force to a decisive victory over the British at Yorktown in 1781. In the resulting Treaty of Paris in 1783, the British acknowledged the sovereign independence of the United States. Washington then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted the current Constitution of the United States.Washington was unanimously elected the first U. S. president by the Electoral College in 1788 and 1792. He implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in the fierce rivalry that emerged within his cabinet between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. During the French Revolution, he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while supporting the Jay Treaty with Britain. Washington set enduring precedents for the office of president, including republicanism, a peaceful transfer of power, the use of the title "Mr. President", and the two-term tradition. His 1796 farewell address became a preeminent statement on republicanism: Washington wrote about the importance of national unity and the dangers that regionalism, partisanship, and foreign influence pose to it. As a planter of tobacco and wheat at Mount Vernon, Washington owned many slaves. He began opposing slavery near the end of his life, and provided in his will for the eventual manumission of his slaves.Washington's image is an icon of American culture and he has been extensively memorialized; his namesakes include the national capital and the State of Washington. In both popular and scholarly polls, he is consistently considered one of the greatest presidents in American history.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:46 UTC on Friday, 4 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see George Washington on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Olivia.

rWotD Episode 2983: Amanikhatashan Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 4 July 2025, is Amanikhatashan.Amanikhatashan was a queen regnant of the Kingdom of Kush, probably ruling in the middle 2nd century CE. Amanikhatashan is known only from her tomb in Meroë, designated as Beg. N 18.The objects found in Amanikhatashan's tomb place her as reigning at some point in the first or second centuries CE. The artwork in the tomb is stylistically close to the artwork in the tomb Beg. N 16, which suggests that Amanikhatashan reigned close to the ruler buried in that tomb. Beg. N 16 may have belonged to King Amanikhareqerem and dates to the end of the 1st century CE. Assuming a mid-2nd century CE reign, Amanikhatashan is conventionally (speculatively) placed as the successor of Amanitenmemide and the predecessor of Tarekeniwal.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:38 UTC on Friday, 4 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Amanikhatashan on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joey.

fWotD Episode 2981: Happy Feet (penguin) Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 3 July 2025, is Happy Feet (penguin).Happy Feet was an emperor penguin who, in June 2011, arrived at Peka Peka Beach in the Kāpiti Coast District of New Zealand's North Island after travelling about 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) from Antarctica. He was one of the northernmost emperor penguins ever recorded outside of captivity, and the second emperor penguin to be found in New Zealand. After arriving, he ingested sand on the beach, mistaking it for snow, and filled his proventriculus with it. He soon became lethargic, dehydrated and overheated and was transported to Wellington Zoo, where he was given a 50 per cent chance of survival. Most of the sand was removed, and he was kept at the zoo for 10 weeks to recover.Happy Feet was released in the Southern Ocean on 4 September 2011, about 78 kilometres (48 mi) north of Campbell Island, at the 51st parallel. He was fitted with a satellite transmitter to track his location, but the device ceased transmission on 9 September, possibly due to the transmitter falling off or him being preyed upon.Happy Feet's arrival and recovery was reported on by more than 600 media outlets worldwide. The event raised the public's awareness of wildlife, and for some time received more media attention than New Zealand prime minister John Key. Named after the 2006 film Happy Feet, which features emperor penguins, he was one of Time's runner-ups for the 2011 Animal of the Year. He was the subject of a children's book written by Christine Wilton, who first sighted the penguin at the beach, and another children's book published by Penguin Books in late 2011.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:53 UTC on Thursday, 3 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Happy Feet (penguin) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Salli.

rWotD Episode 2982: FC Sportist Svoge Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Thursday, 3 July 2025, is FC Sportist Svoge.FC Sportist (Bulgarian: ФК Спортист) is a Bulgarian football club based in Svoge, which currently competes in the Second League, the second tier of Bulgarian football, following promotion from the Third League.The club was founded in 1924 and their home ground is the Stadion Chavdar Tsvetkov, which has a seating capacity of 3,500 spectators. The club's biggest success is promotion to the Bulgarian top division in 2009, although they were relegated at the end of the 2009-10 season. The club plays home games in blue and white kits.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:13 UTC on Thursday, 3 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see FC Sportist Svoge on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm long-form Ruth.

rWotD Episode 2981: Chan Ho Park Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Wednesday, 2 July 2025, is Chan Ho Park.Chan Ho Park (Korean: 박찬호; Hanja: 朴贊浩; Korean pronunciation: [pɐk̚.tɕʰɐn.ɦo]; born June 30, 1973) is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher. Park was the first South Korean-born player in MLB history, and the first South Korean player to be named an MLB All-Star. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. As of 2023, he has the most career wins of any Asia-born pitcher in history (124), having passed Hideo Nomo for that distinction in 2010. During his playing days, Park stood 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, weighing 210 pounds (95 kg).This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:58 UTC on Wednesday, 2 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Chan Ho Park on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm long-form Gregory.

What to do when a member of your community is an apex punisher. A letter writer from a close-knit community seeks advice for how to tell a cranky coworker they're office kryptonite, and the boys go traipsing into the Riff Weeds because Producer Ron is still out of town. What grew with the Wu, y'all, let's get into it. CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR THIS WEEK'S WINNER⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Poll opens at 10:00am Mountain Time—anyone can vote!) LINKS: Follow us for show dates and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adam Cayton-Holland⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ben Roy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew Orvedahl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grawlix⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support this podcast on Patreon to get ad-free episodes, bonus videos, exclusive merch, birthday shout-outs and more.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  UPCOMING SHOWS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠See the Grawlix live at the Bug Theatre on Saturday, July 26th with Django Gold and Britt Boyd!⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠See Adam performing in Petaluma, Sacramento and Oakland, California on July 10th-12th⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠See Ben performing at the Realto Theater in Casper, Wyoming on July 11th-12th⁠⁠ ⁠⁠See Adam peforming at the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival in Tuscon on August 8th!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Check out Andrew's new tabletop roleplaying games!⁠⁠⁠ Got a question? Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠question@advicefight.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Curmudgeon's Corner, Ivan and Sam discuss Iran again, negative economic signs, the New York Mayor's race and the implications thereof, and a bit about SCOTUS. Also Ivan wants to know if you would take a gamble and just sleep for the next 3-4 years to skip forward, and of course some movies. Show Details: Recorded 2025-06-28 Length this week 2:04:30 0:00:00 - Future Sam 0:03:33 - But First Meetup! Cryosleep Bet Movie: Psycho (1960) Movie: Under Siege (1992) 0:45:46 - But Second Fordow Obliteration? Trump Peace Prize? Economic Downturn 1:17:05 - But Third NYC Mayor Race Unapologetic Approach Weak Dem Leadership 1:44:28 - But Fourth SCOTUS Meetup! Alarm The Curmudgeon's Corner theme music is generously provided by Ray Lynch. Our intro is The Oh of Pleasure (Amazon MP3 link) Our outro is Celestial Soda Pop (Amazon MP3 link) Both are from the album Deep Breakfast (iTunes link) Please buy his music and support his GoFundMe.

In our last episode, we read the Cook Manuscript of 1450.In this episode, The Curmudgeon Supreme and I share our observations on the Cook Manuscript of 1450. Why does it seem like this masonic manuscript is far more interesting than Anderson's 1723 Constitutions of the Free-Masons?Why are the Liberal Arts and Sciences taking such a prominent role in a document held by illiterate stone masons?Where did these stone masons get all of these stories?When was the original manuscript written/Who wrote it?And why is the Curmudgeon breathing so hard into the mic.....Again? These are all mysteries we must unravel.Let's continue to explore this together.