Pisco sour

Pisco sour.
A pisco sour is a cocktail typical of South American cuisine. The drink's name is a combination of the word pisco, which is its base liquor, and the term sour, in reference to sour citrus juice and sweetener components. Chile and Peru both claim the pisco sour as their national drink, and each asserts exclusive ownership of both pisco and the cocktail. The Peruvian pisco sour uses Peruvian pisco as the base liquor and adds Key lime (or lemon) juice, syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters. The Chilean version is similar, but uses Chilean pisco and Pica lemon, and excludes the bitters and egg white. The cocktail was invented by Victor Vaughen Morris, an American bartender working in Peru in the early 1920s. In Chile, the invention of the drink is attributed to Elliot Stubb, an English ship steward, at a bar in the port city of Iquique in 1872, although the source for this attributed the invention of the whiskey sour to Stubb, not the pisco sour. The two kinds of pisco and the two variations in the style of preparing the pisco sour are distinct in both production and taste, and the pisco sour has become a significant and oft-debated topic of Latin American popular culture.

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Rock martin

Rock martin.
The rock martin (Ptyonoprogne fuligula) is a small swallow that is resident in central and southern Africa. It breeds in the mountains, and at lower levels in rocky areas and towns. It has mainly brown plumage and white "windows" on the spread tail. Its call is a soft twitter. The sexes are similar in appearance. The martin hunts along cliff faces for flying insects. It breeds under cliff overhangs or on man-made structures using mud pellets to build a bowl or half-bowl nest with a soft lining. The bird is a solitary breeder, but small groups may nest close together in suitable locations. A typical clutch has two to three eggs, which are white with brown and grey blotches. Both adults incubate the eggs for 16–19 days and feed the chicks. Fledging takes another 22–24 days. The small martin is caught in flight by several falcons, such as hobbies, but it faces no major threats. Because of its extensive range and large stable population, it is assessed as a least-concern species on the IUCN Red List. (This article is part of a featured topic: Crag martins.)

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Five Go Down to the Sea?

Five Go Down to the Sea?.
Five Go Down to the Sea? were an Irish post-punk band from Cork, active during 1978 to 1989. Vocalist and lyricist Finbarr Donnelly (pictured), guitarist Ricky Dineen and brothers Philip O'Connell (bass) and Keith O'Connell (drums) formed the band as Nun Attax when they were teenagers. They became known for Donnelly's absurdist lyrics and stage presence, Dineen's angular guitar and bass parts, and a rhythm section influenced by Captain Beefheart. After developing a following in Ireland in the early 1980s, they changed their name to "Five Go Down to the Sea?" and moved to London. They did not find commercial success and split up in 1985. Donnelly and Dineen reformed in 1988 as Beethoven, and released the EP Him Goolie Goolie Man, Dem the following year. Their reformation was short-lived, as Donnelly drowned on 18 June 1989, aged 27. The band's reputation has grown over time and they have influenced later generations of Irish musicians, especially a succession of dryly humorous Cork bands.

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Antiochus X Eusebes

Antiochus X Eusebes.
Antiochus X Eusebes (c. 113 BC – 92 or 88 BC) was a king of Syria during the Hellenistic period. During his lifetime Seleucid Syria was beset by civil wars, interference by Ptolemaic Egypt and incursions by the Parthians. In 95 BC, Seleucus VI killed his own half-uncle Antiochus IX, the father of Antiochus X, who took revenge by defeating Seleucus VI and driving him to his death in 94 BC. Antiochus X did not enjoy a stable reign as he had to fight three of Seleucus VI's brothers, Antiochus XI, Philip I and Demetrius III. Antiochus XI defeated Antiochus X and expelled him in 93 BC from Antioch, the capital. A few months later, Antiochus X regained his position and killed Antiochus XI. The civil war continued but its final outcome is uncertain. Antiochus X married his stepmother Cleopatra Selene, and had several children with her, including a future king, Antiochus XIII. He probably died fighting against the Parthians in 88 BC.