1807: London's Pall Mall becomes the first street anywhere to be illuminated by gaslight.

He followed the illumination of Pall Mall with a special exhibition on June 4, 1807, in honor of the birthday of King George III, using gaslight to superimpose images against the walls of the buildings along his street.

Blog Central

PITTSBURGH Syria's ambassador to the United States says there will be no Israeli-Palestinian peace deal this year. He also is brushing aside the recent peace summit in Annapolis as "an exercise in public relations."

.

Dances with Wolfe

He has added many insults to that original injury over the years, not least in his invention of 'radical chic' to describe the infatuation of the intelligentsia with the Black Panther movement. Nothing is more likely to raise hackles in New York than a Southern dandy having fun with racial politics, as Wolfe has consistently done since civil rights days. It is, he still argues, the last great taboo and hence a major theme of all of his novels - his next, set in Miami, will look at illegal immigration. Having grown up in segregated Richmond, he knows all about the sensitivities he is addressing. 'It was apartheid [back then],' he says. 'And it was never discussed. I remember visiting New York for a baseball game when I was 17 and going into a drugstore to get a Coca-Cola and there were black people sitting there at other stools.

Barry - We learned a lot

Gareth Barry feels the England players 'learned a lot' during the first get-together with new coach Fabio Capello.

Aston Villa midfielder Barry pinpointed Jermaine Jenas' goal just before half-time as a key moment in overcoming the Euro 2008 co-hosts.

Raccoon meat delights the down-home faithful, amuses the haute curious

John Wilson stepped into the massive refrigerator at his home in northwest Illinois and removed a long plastic bag. Although clouded with ice, there was no hiding its gray and pink contents -- the paws, the limbs, the head.

"This is one of the jumbos," Wilson said, holding the bag up for inspection. "We leave the paws on so people know they're getting a raccoon, not somebody's house cat."

The raccoon hunting and trapping seasons are nearing their close in Illinois. And though it may surprise many who dine on deep dish and Polish sausage, the bandit-masked critter is turning up in kitchens across the state.

Public Intellectuals, Inc.

In looking back, I would like to comment on Emerson, in whose work there is the promise of a compromise between mere academics and mere public intellectuals; in looking forward I would like to suggest that we consider abandoning the academic-public intellectual dichotomy and establish a new category that might be called the "corporate intellectual" — a term more consonant with the values of the new academy as well as with the public-private sector.

In his 1837 address to the Phi Beta Kappa society, “The American Scholar," Emerson envisioned the American scholar as a person who would do whatever possible to communicate ideas to the world, not just to fellow intellectuals. Emerson regarded the American scholar to be a whole person while thinking.

Statewide ban on smoking?

This town doesn't belong to smokers and just so you know, I pay far more taxes per PAY PERIOD ALONE than you do in 6 months by purchasing your cancer sticks. Let's talk about taxes now. How many tax dollars does it take to pay for numerous hospital visits involving respiratory treatments, cardiovascular complications and possible chemotherapy? Do you have health coverage? I certainly hope so because it will definitely take more than 20% of the population at 5 cents on the dollar per pack of smokes to cover the cost of the high number of hospital visits that you will eventually need once the effects of your self destructive habit begin to take over. If you had a brain, I would consider wasting more time typing this message but you and all others with your attitude are a lost cause and should be shot.

Sky Sports is great for 08

The schedule included England's home and away Test and One-Day series, every match from the ICC Cricket World Cup and the inaugural ICC World Twenty20, and over 55 live domestic games from each of the four major trophies with every county featured. Every Test nation was shown, plus women's and Under-19 internationals.

RUGBY UNION: There was also Rugby union every week of the year with 203 live matches from domestic, European and international levels, as well as age-grade and women's matches.

5 Great Autos To Impress Your Date

You know the scene: It's the night of St. Valentine's Day, and our young heroine has a date with that cute guy she met briefly at the bar/supermarket/online. She's invested the entire day to make sure her hair, dress and makeup are just right.