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A fathom is 6 feet, the length of rope a man can extend from open arm to open arm. The rope was lowered into the sea to measure depth. A cable length is the length of a ship’s cable, about 600 feet. A nautical mile is 10 cable lengths, or 6,076 feet. 1 nautical mile = 1.1508 miles A knot is the measure of speed on water. One knot is 1 nautical mile per hour....

Unwelcome Visitors Spread as in Horror Movie The potential danger of microbes in space was made clear during a recent mission of the Russian space program, Mir. According to space.com, a film kept growing across the window, reducing visibility. After returning to Earth, officials were disturbed to discover a host of bacteria and fungi covering the porthole. Even worse, the organisms had corroded the window even though it was made of quartz glass inserted in a titanium frame encased in enamel—previously thought able to withstand almost anything....

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) lived and worked during the Renaissance period. He was born near Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany, Italy. The Renaissance period began in Italy in the 14th century and spread to the rest of Europe. The period, which ended in the 17th century, marked a transition from ancient to modern times and many advances in art, architecture, and scholarship. Leonardo da Vinci was best known as an artist, but he also studied metallurgy, anatomy, mathematics, architecture, and botany, designed bridges, and worked on engineering projects....

Raise the flag briskly. Lower it ceremoniously. Never allow the flag to touch the ground or floor. Do not fly the flag in bad weather, unless it is an all-weather flag. The flag can only be flown at night if properly illuminated. Otherwise, it should only be flown from sunrise to sunset. The flag should always be allowed to fall free. The flag should never be used to carry, store, or deliver anything....

It is almost as if poison ivy or bug bites make our skin think that something constantly there irritating our skin. It is best to prevent these reactions. So watch out for poison ivy and use the bug spray your mom bought you for summer camp.

128 lbs (58 kg): 1. Alireza Dabir, IRN def. 2. Yevgen Buslovych, UKR (3-0); 3. Terry Brands, USA def. Damir Zakhartdinov, UZB (3-2). 139 lbs (63 kg): 1. Mourad Oumakhanov, RUS def. 2. Serafim Barzakov, BUL (3-2); 3. Jang Jae Sung, S. Kor def. Mohammad Talaei, IRN (12-2). 152 lbs (69 kg): 1. Daniel Igali, CAN def. 2. Arsen Gitinov, RUS (7-4); 3. Lincoln McIlravy, USA def. Sergei Demchenko, BLR (3-1)....

Ahmadou Ahidjo, president of the United Republic of Cameroon (1960–82)Pietro Badoglio, governor of Tripolitania (Libya) (1929–33)Italo Balbo, governor-general of Libya (1933–40)Hastings Kamuzu Banda, African political leader, president of Malawi (1966–94)Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, president of Tunisia (1987–2011)Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian Prime Minister (1962–63), president (1962–65)Jean Bedel Bokassa, president of Central African Republic (1966–79)Houari Boumedienne, president and prime minister of Algeria (1965–78)Ketchwayo Cetshwayo, king of the Zulus (1872–79)David Dacko, president of the Central African Republic (1960–66, 1979–81)Moktar Ould Daddah, president of Mauritania (1961–78)José Eduardo Dos Santos, Angolan president (1979–)Félix Éboué, commissioner-General of French Congo and French Equatorial Africa (1941–44)Gnassingbé Eyadéma, president of Togo (1967–)Yakubu Gowon, Nigerian head of state (1966–75)Rodolfo Graziani, Marchese Di Neghelli, governor of Cyrenaica, Libya (1930–34), Governor-General (1940–41)Teshafi Teezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold, prime minister of Ethiopia (1961–74)Félix Houphouët-Boigny, African political leader, president (1960–93) of Côte d’Ivoire....