Wicked: …the original Broadway cast included Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda, as well as Joel Grey, Carole Shelley, Norbert Leo Butz, Michelle Federer, and Christopher Fitzgerald. Although critics were unimpressed by the songs and plot of the show, Menzel’s and Chenoweth’s performances received praise. The show garnered…

Sir Robert Menzies was a statesman who, as prime minister of Australia (1939–41, 1949–66), strengthened military ties with the United States and fostered industrial growth and immigration from Europe. Menzies gave up a highly successful law practice in Victoria to serve in the state legislature

Sir Robert Menzies was a statesman who, as prime minister of Australia (1939–41, 1949–66), strengthened military ties with the United States and fostered industrial growth and immigration from Europe. Menzies gave up a highly successful law practice in Victoria to serve in the state legislature

William Cameron Menzies was an American set designer, one of the most influential in filmmaking, whose work on The Dove (1927) and The Tempest (1928) won the first Academy Award for art direction. His visual style was also evident in the 15 films he directed, Invaders from Mars (1953) being the

Elsa Morante: …novel, Menzogna e sortilegio (1948; House of Liars), recounts the complex history of a southern Italian family through the memory and imagination of a young woman. Morante’s next novel, L’isola di Arturo (1957; Arturo’s Island), examines a boy’s growth from childhood dreams to the painful disillusions of adulthood. This novel,…

Mina, tribe and caste inhabiting Rājasthān and Punjab states in northern India, and Punjab province, Pakistan, who speak Hindi and claim descent from the Rājputs. The Mina are possibly of inner Asiatic origin, and tradition suggests that they migrated to India in the 7th century with the Rājputs,

satellite communication: How satellites work: …orbits: low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary or geosynchronous orbit (GEO). LEO satellites are positioned at an altitude between 160 km and 1,600 km (100 and 1,000 miles) above Earth. MEO satellites operate from 10,000 to 20,000 km (6,300 to 12,500 miles) from Earth. (Satellites do…

Ise-Shima National Park: …for the two rocks called Meotoiwa, or “Wedded Rocks,” which one legend says sheltered the creators of Japan, Izanagi and Izanami.

S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike: …the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP; People’s United Front), a political alliance of four nationalist-socialist parties, which swept the election; he became prime minister on April 12, 1956.

history of medicine: Tropical medicine: …become available, in 1934, was quinacrine (known as mepacrine, Atabrine, or Atebrin). In World War II it amply fulfilled the highest expectations and helped to reduce disease among Allied troops in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Far East. A number of other effective antimalarial drugs subsequently became available.

meperidine, synthetic drug used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is an opioid analgesic, and thus its effects on the body resemble those of opium or morphine, one of opium’s purified constituents. A common trade name for meperidine is Demerol. The drug acts principally on the central

Mephistopheles, familiar spirit of the Devil in late settings of the legend of Faust. It is probable that the name Mephistopheles was invented for the historical Johann Georg Faust (c. 1480–c. 1540) by the anonymous author of the first Faustbuch (1587). A latecomer in the infernal hierarchy,

Alan Alda: …as Paper Lion (1968) and The Mephisto Waltz (1971), he became a star on television in the role of Capt. “Hawkeye” Pierce, a wisecracking but soulful U.S. Army surgeon during the Korean War, in the popular television comedy M*A*S*H. Alda cowrote and directed many of the show’s episodes and won…

Mephistopheles, familiar spirit of the Devil in late settings of the legend of Faust. It is probable that the name Mephistopheles was invented for the historical Johann Georg Faust (c. 1480–c. 1540) by the anonymous author of the first Faustbuch (1587). A latecomer in the infernal hierarchy,

skunk, (family Mephitidae), black-and-white mammal, found primarily in the Western Hemisphere, that uses extremely well-developed scent glands to release a noxious odour in defense. The term skunk, however, refers to more than just the well-known striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). The skunk family

skunk: …eyes, as does the rare hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) of the southwestern United States. In the hooded skunk, stripes are not always present, and white areas on the back are interspersed with black fur, which gives it a gray appearance. The “hood” is the result of long hairs at the…

skunk: The common striped skunk is found from central Canada southward throughout the United States to northern Mexico. Adults grow to be about 47 to 82 cm (about 18 to 32 inches) long and may weigh up to 6.3 kg (13 pounds). Their fur is typically black with…

procaine hydrochloride: …chemically related drugs lidocaine and mepivacaine, which produce prompter, more intense anesthesia.

end-plate potential: …a slight depolarization, called a miniature end-plate potential (MEPP). One hundred to 200 quanta, released simultaneously or in rapid series by a nerve impulse, cause multiple MEPPs, which summate, or combine, to produce an EPP. If the EPP depolarizes the cell to a crucial threshold level, it will fully activate…

Meppel, gemeente (municipality), east-central Netherlands. It is situated near the confluence of the Drentshe Hoofd and Hoogeveensche canals and the Reest River, which empty into the Meppelerdiep before it flows into the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel). Meppel is a marketing centre for agricultural

meprobamate, drug used in the treatment of anxiety. A central nervous system depressant, meprobamate acts selectively upon the spinal cord and the higher centres in the brain. Physical dependence may be produced after utilization of high doses for prolonged periods. Possible side effects include

Daniel Bovet: …one of Bovet’s own discoveries, pyrilamine, was produced as a drug.

mer, among the Cheremis and Udmurts (also called Votyaks), a district where people would gather periodically to hold religious festivals and perform sacrifices to nature gods. The word mer is derived from the Russian mir, “village community.” The people within the mer usually were of common origin;

Mer de Glace, one of the longest glaciers in the Alps, extending for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) on the northern side of Mont Blanc near Chamonix, France. Formed by the confluence of the Géant and Leschaux glaciers below the Tacul massif of Mont Blanc, the glacier once descended to within 0.5 mile (0.8 km)

Raj Kapoor: Focus on directing: …and starred in the ambitious Mera Naam Joker (“My Name Is Joker”), playing a clown. Meant to be his magnum opus, the film was a box office debacle and almost bankrupted R.K. Films, although it later gained a cult following. Thereafter Kapoor shifted his focus to directing.

Charlie Hebdo shooting: The response: …suis Ahmed,” in remembrance of Ahmed Merabet, the Muslim police officer executed by the terrorists. Although radical Islam remained a great concern in France—at least 130 people would be killed in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris less than a year after the Charlie Hebdo shooting—such solidarity highlighted the…

horizontally divided red-white national flag. Its width-to-length ratio is 2 to 3.Indonesia’s flag was officially adopted on August 17, 1945, three days after the conclusion of World War II. It remained the national flag when Indonesia won recognition of its independence from the Netherlands in

Meramec River, tributary of the Mississippi River rising in the Ozark Mountains, near Salem in Dent county, southeastern Missouri, U.S. The river winds 207 miles (333 km) generally north, northeast, and southeast through the limestone Meramec Caverns and Meramec State Park (near Sullivan) to enter

Carboniferous Period: Mississippian subsystem: The Meramecan and Chesterian series overlie previous layers. Other well-known Mississippian units in North America include: the Pocono Group and Mauch Chunk Shale of the Appalachian region; Fort Payne Chert of Tennessee and Alabama; the Caney and Goddard shales of the Arbuckle region, Oklahoma; the Stanley…

Merano, city, Trentino–Alto Adige regione, northern Italy. It lies at the foot of the central chain of the Alps, at the confluence of the Passirio and Adige rivers, northwest of the city of Bolzano. Merano, first mentioned in 857, is that part of the Tirol transferred from Austria to Italy in 1918.

Merano, city, Trentino–Alto Adige regione, northern Italy. It lies at the foot of the central chain of the Alps, at the confluence of the Passirio and Adige rivers, northwest of the city of Bolzano. Merano, first mentioned in 857, is that part of the Tirol transferred from Austria to Italy in 1918.

Mount Merapi, volcanic mountain peak located near the center of the island of Java, Indonesia. The volcano is about 20 miles (32 km) north of Yogyakarta and somewhat farther south of Semarang. Merapi (“Mountain of Fire”) rises to 9,551 feet (2,911 meters) and has steep slopes with dense vegetation

South Kalimantan: The low-lying Meratus Mountains run in a north-south arc that almost bisects the province; on its southern fringe is the Kusan mountain range. The Meratus range slopes to the east to merge into the flat coastal lowlands and to the west into the swampy basin formed by…

Raoul de Houdenc: …greatest work, the Arthurian romance Méraugis de Portlesguez, was constructed on a single theme, developed through myriad, enveloping allegorical details. Delicate in its psychology and subtle in its expression, the work influenced the courtly tradition. His Songe d’enfer (“Dream of Hell”) may have influenced Dante in writing The Divine Comedy.…

Central Java: Sindoro, Sumbing, and Merbabu. A discontinuous series of plateaus flanks the widely spaced volcanic peaks and merges with the foothills and coastal lowlands (the latter as much as 20 miles [30 km] wide) to the north and south. The major streams include the Bodri and Serang, flowing northward…

John Marbeck was an English composer, organist, and author, known for his setting of the Anglican liturgy. Marbeck apparently spent most of his life at Windsor, where he was organist at St. George’s Chapel. In 1544 he was sentenced to the stake for heresy but was pardoned through the intervention

Ulf Merbold is a German physicist who was the first European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to go into space, as a payload specialist aboard the U.S. Spacelab-1 flight from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, 1983. He was also the first ESA astronaut to fly to the Russian space station Mir, in 1994. Merbold received

merbromin, antiseptic used to prevent infection in small cuts and abrasions. Commonly marketed as Mercurochrome, merbromin was the first of a series of antiseptics that contained mercury, a chemical element that disinfects by disrupting the metabolism of a microorganism. Merbromin stains

Deadpool, is a Marvel Comics antihero. Making his debut in The New Mutants no. 98 in February 1991, Deadpool has since become an American comic book staple, known for his ultraviolence, fourth wall–breaking antics, and consistent (if not insufferable) quips and punch lines. Deadpool is the creation

Marca, port city, southern Somalia, on the Indian Ocean, about 45 miles (70 km) southwest of Mogadishu, the national capital and main port. The town, which was founded by Arab or Persian traders, was in existence by the 10th century. The first Somalis to settle near there arrived in the 13th

Saverio Mercadante was an Italian composer and teacher who was a transitional figure in opera composition between Gaetano Donizetti, Gioacchino Rossini, and Vincenzo Bellini on the one hand and Giuseppe Verdi on the other. He is considered to have been an important reformer of Italian opera.

Saverio Mercadante was an Italian composer and teacher who was a transitional figure in opera composition between Gaetano Donizetti, Gioacchino Rossini, and Vincenzo Bellini on the one hand and Giuseppe Verdi on the other. He is considered to have been an important reformer of Italian opera.

Leon Trotsky: Exile and assassination of Leon Trotsky: Some three months later, however, Ramón Mercader, a Spanish communist who had won the confidence of the Trotsky household, fatally struck him with an ice pick. The Soviet government disclaimed any responsibility, and Mercader was sentenced to the maximum 20-year term under Mexican law.

Mercosur, South American regional economic organization. Mercosur grew out of earlier efforts to integrate the economies of Latin America through the Latin American Free Trade Association (1960) and its successor, the Latin American Integration Association (1980). In 1985 Argentina and Brazil

Mercosur, South American regional economic organization. Mercosur grew out of earlier efforts to integrate the economies of Latin America through the Latin American Free Trade Association (1960) and its successor, the Latin American Integration Association (1980). In 1985 Argentina and Brazil

Central American Common Market (CACM), association of five Central American nations that was formed to facilitate regional economic development through free trade and economic integration. Established by the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration signed by Guatemala, Honduras, El

Mercosur, South American regional economic organization. Mercosur grew out of earlier efforts to integrate the economies of Latin America through the Latin American Free Trade Association (1960) and its successor, the Latin American Integration Association (1980). In 1985 Argentina and Brazil

Mercosur, South American regional economic organization. Mercosur grew out of earlier efforts to integrate the economies of Latin America through the Latin American Free Trade Association (1960) and its successor, the Latin American Integration Association (1980). In 1985 Argentina and Brazil

Panama City: History: …Viejo site in 1674 by Alonso Mercado de Villacorta, a Spanish conquistador. Political and economic decline followed, and in 1751 the city and area became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada and eventually part of Colombia. During the 19th century, Panama was the scene of much disorder. In 1903…

Durango: Mercado Hill, about 700 feet (210 metres) high and consisting of nearly pure hematite iron ore, is adjacent to Durango city. A silver mine near San Dimas has long been renowned for its output. Other mining districts are Mapimí, Cuencamé, Nombre de Dios, Papasquiaro, and…

Charles F. Richter: …size and complemented the older Mercalli scale, which was based on an earthquake’s reported intensity. Richter also mapped out quake-prone areas in the United States, though he disparaged attempts at earthquake prediction. He wrote (with Beno Gutenberg) Seismicity of the Earth and Associated Phenomena (1949) and Elementary Seismology (1958). He…

Milan: City layout: …in the following century; the Piazza Mercanti, the centre of medieval economic activity; and the great Piazza del Duomo, laid out before the cathedral in 1489. Once French emperor Napoleon I made the city the capital of his empire in 1805, he embarked on an ambitious program of city planning,…

mercantile agency, specialized organization engaged in supplying information on the creditworthiness and financial strength of business firms in highly developed economies. The first such agency, the Mercantile Agency, was founded in New York City in 1841 to reduce credit losses. As businesses

urban culture: The mercantile city: Mercantile cities appeared at the geographic margins or at times of dissolution of agrarian empires—for example, in medieval and early modern Europe, after a decentralized feudalism had fully replaced the Roman Empire. This urban type is thus a variant form that appeared, under…

business law, the body of rules, whether by convention, agreement, or national or international legislation, governing the dealings between persons in commercial matters. Business law falls into two distinctive areas: (1) the regulation of commercial entities by the laws of company, partnership,

insurance: Theft insurance: …common burglary policy applies to mercantile open stock. In this type of policy, there is usually a limit applicable on any article of jewelry or any article contained in a showcase where susceptibility to loss is high. In order to prevent underinsurance, the mercantile open stock policy is usually written…

mercantilism, economic theory and practice common in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century that promoted governmental regulation of a nation’s economy for the purpose of augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers. It was the economic counterpart of political absolutism. Its

ship: Shipping in the 19th century: Under mercantilist economic doctrine, colonies were intended as a source of raw materials and as a market for manufactured goods produced in the metropolitan country. Maine, New Hampshire, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were rich in naval stores and timber for inexpensive hulls, masts, and spars.…

Alps: Physiography: …the crystalline peaks of the Mercantour Massif, and the glacier-covered dome of Mont Blanc, which at 15,771 feet (4,807 metres) is the highest peak in the Alps. Rivers from these ranges flow west into the Rhône and east into the Po.

thiol, any of a class of organic chemical compounds similar to the alcohols and phenols but containing a sulfur atom in place of the oxygen atom. Thiols are among the odorous principles in the scent of skunks and of freshly chopped onions; their presence in petroleum and natural gas is

organosulfur compound: Reactions: …silver, or copper), thiols form mercaptides (metal thiolates), which are insoluble in water but are frequently soluble in organic solvents. The formation of a black precipitate of lead mercaptide (or lead sulfide, PbS) upon the addition of lead salts to liquid petroleum products is the basis for the so-called doctor…

chemical compound: Thiols: …SH group is commonly termed mercapto, as in 2-mercaptoethanol.

organosulfur compound: Thiols: …as a substituent, as in mercaptoacetic acid, HSCH2COOH. A third naming system uses the prefix thio- in front of the name of the corresponding oxygen compound, as, for example, thiophenol (C6H5SH), also called benzenethiol. A number of thiols are found in nature, such as cysteine and glutathione. In addition, 2-butenethiol…

accelerator: …until it was displaced by mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) about 1925. Compounds related to MBT have proved especially useful in vulcanizing synthetic rubbers.

malathion, broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide and acaricide (used to kill ticks and mites). Considerably less toxic to humans than parathion, malathion is suited for the control of household and garden insects and is important in the control of mosquitoes, boll weevils, fruit flies, and

Madikeri, town, southern Karnataka state, southern India. It lies in the Western Ghats, at an elevation of 3,800 feet (1,160 metres), on the national highway from Mysuru (Mysore; northwest) to Mangaluru (Mangalore; east). In 1681 Mudda Raja selected the central but not easily accessible site for

Edinburgh: The Old Town: …for that purpose, faces the Mercat Cross (Market Cross), the hub of the old city. Before James VI left Scotland and its capital to claim the throne of England as James I in 1603, the Mercat Cross was, in a very real sense, the centre of the kingdom of Scotland.…

Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. It is often described as a cylindrical projection, but it must be derived mathematically. The meridians are equally spaced parallel vertical lines, and the parallels of latitude are parallel horizontal straight

Gerardus Mercator was a Flemish cartographer whose most important innovation was a map, embodying what was later known as the Mercator projection, on which parallels and meridians are rendered as straight lines spaced so as to produce at any point an accurate ratio of latitude to longitude. He also

False Decretals: …and sometimes the Collection of Isidore Mercator because they usually begin with the words Isidorus Mercator, servus Christi lectori salutem (“Isidore the merchant, a servant of Christ, salutes the reader”)—purports to be a collection of decrees of councils and decretals of popes (written replies on questions of ecclesiastical discipline) from…

Robert Rauschenberg: …Rauschenberg became associated with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, first as a designer of costumes and sets and later as a technical director. He also produced theatrical pieces in collaboration with composer John Cage.

La Argentina was a dancer who originated the Neoclassical style of Spanish dancing and helped establish the Spanish dance as a theatrical art. She studied ballet with her parents, both of whom were professional dancers of Spanish birth. At the age of 11 she became premiere danseuse at the Madrid

Merced, city, seat (1872) of Merced county, central California, U.S. It is situated on Bear Creek in the San Joaquin Valley, about 55 miles (90 km) northwest of Fresno. It was founded in 1872 by the Central Pacific Railroad and was named for the Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Spanish: “Our Lady of

Mercedarian, member of a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. Peter Nolasco in Spain in 1218 for the purpose of ransoming Christians who had been taken captive by the Moors during the Crusades. Founded as the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the Ransom of Captives, it was originally a

Cerro Mercedario, Andean mountain peak in San Juan provincia (province), western Argentina, near the Chilean border. It rises to 22,211 feet (6,770

Mercedes, city, east-central San Luis provincia (province), west-central Argentina. It is located on the Quinto River in a semiarid transition area between the Pampa (east) and the San Luis Mountains (northwest). It was founded in 1856 as Fort (Fuerte) Constitucional, and the surrounding lands were

Mercedes, city, southwestern Uruguay, on the Negro River. The city, which was founded in 1781, is noted for its colonial architecture, beaches, a river promenade, and summertime regattas and tennis tournaments. Although much of the city’s income derives from tourism, it functions as an

Henry II was the king of Castile from 1369, founder of the house of Trastámara, which lasted until 1504. The illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile, Henry rebelled against his younger half brother, Peter I (Peter the Cruel), invaded Castile with French aid in 1366, and was crowned king at

Karl Benz: …to form Daimler-Benz, maker of Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a brand soon synonymous with luxury. Benz had left the firm about 1906 to organize C. Benz Söhne in Ladenburg with his sons, Eugen and Richard. (The firm’s name reflected Benz’s sometime spelling of his first name as Carl.)

Mercedes-Benz Group is an international automotive company and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cars and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). Its vehicle brands include Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Maybach (ultra-luxury automobiles), Mercedes-AMG (high-performance vehicles), Mercedes-EQ (electric

Stuttgart: The Mercedes-Benz Museum is in the suburb of Untertürkheim, and the Porsche Museum is in the suburb of Zuffenhausen. The suburbs of Bad Cannstatt and Berg are health centres with many mineral springs, from which are exported bottled mineral water, and the famous Cannstatter Folk Festival…

Roman republican calendar: …27 or 28 days, called Mercedonius, kept the calendar in step with the seasons. The confusion was compounded by political maneuvers. The Pontifex Maximus and the College of Pontiffs had the authority to alter the calendar, and they sometimes did so to reduce or extend the term of a particular…

clam: …or hard-shell clam, and the southern quahog (M. campechiensis) belong to the family of venus clams (Veneridae). M. mercenaria is about 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 inches) long. The dingy white shell, which is thick and rounded and has prominent concentric lines, is found in the intertidal zone…

clam: The northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria), also known as the cherrystone clam, littleneck clam, or hard-shell clam, and the southern quahog (M. campechiensis) belong to the family of venus clams (Veneridae). M. mercenaria is about 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 inches) long. The dingy white…

Hamilcar Barca: …is known as the “Mercenaries’ War” (or “Truceless War”). Hamilcar raised an army of 10,000 with Rome’s cooperation and battled the rebels for four years before recapturing his provinces in north Africa. Seizing upon Carthage’s weakness, Rome took the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, and, when an enraged Hamilcar…

mercenary, hired professional soldier who fights for any state or nation without regard to political interests or issues. From the earliest days of organized warfare until the development of political standing armies in the mid-17th century, governments frequently supplemented their military forces

Mercer, county, northwestern Pennsylvania, U.S., bordered by Ohio to the west and located midway between the cities of Erie and Pittsburgh. It consists of rolling hills on the Allegheny Plateau. The principal waterways are the Shenango and Little Shenango rivers, Shenango River Lake, and Lake

Mercer, county, west-central New Jersey, U.S., bordered by Pennsylvania to the west (the Delaware River constituting the boundary) and by the Millstone River to the northeast and east. Lowlands of the south and east rise to a hilly piedmont region in the north and west. Oak and hickory are the

Martins Ferry, city, Belmont county, eastern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Ohio River (there bridged to Wheeling, W.Va.), about 60 miles (100 km) west of Pittsburgh, Pa. Squatters in the 1770s and ’80s formed settlements (Hoglin’s, or Mercer’s, Town and Norristown) on the site. In 1795 Absalom

David Mercer was a playwright who established his reputation on the London stage in the mid-1960s with plays that examine the decay he saw in English society. Mercer left school at the age of 14 and became a medical laboratory technician. He eventually joined the Royal Navy and, after his discharge

mercerization: …was discovered in 1844 by John Mercer, an English calico printer, who received a patent for it in 1850.

Johnny Mercer was an American lyricist, vocalist, and composer who contributed to many Broadway musical productions and Hollywood films. Educated in Virginia, Mercer arrived in New York City in the late 1920s and acted in bit parts until his collaboration with Everett Miller on “Out of Breath and

Johnny Mercer was an American lyricist, vocalist, and composer who contributed to many Broadway musical productions and Hollywood films. Educated in Virginia, Mercer arrived in New York City in the late 1920s and acted in bit parts until his collaboration with Everett Miller on “Out of Breath and

Joseph Mercer was a distinguished British football (soccer) player (1931–54) and manager. Mercer overcame spindly legs and bad knees to become an outstanding left-half with Everton (1931–46), the champions of England’s Football League in 1939. That year he was selected to play for England, and,

Eleanor Roosevelt: …affair with her social secretary, Lucy Mercer. It was one of the most traumatic events in her life, as she later told Joseph Lash, her friend and biographer. Mindful of his political career and fearing the loss of his mother’s financial support, Franklin Roosevelt refused his wife’s offer of a…

Steve Bannon: Association with Trump: …the wall for Bannon when Rebekah Mercer—daughter of hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, the longtime financial patron of Bannon’s political projects and part owner of Breitbart—distanced herself from Bannon’s “recent actions and statements.” By January 9 Bannon had been compelled to relinquish his position at Breitbart, and he lost his…

Rick Mercer is a Canadian satirist, comedian, actor, and writer whose insightful lampooning of Canadian politics made him a national icon. Mercer grew up in an exurb of St. John’s in a middle-class family that loved to discuss politics. While in high school (which he departed one credit short of

Rick Mercer is a Canadian satirist, comedian, actor, and writer whose insightful lampooning of Canadian politics made him a national icon. Mercer grew up in an exurb of St. John’s in a middle-class family that loved to discuss politics. While in high school (which he departed one credit short of

mercerization, in textiles, a chemical treatment applied to cotton fibres or fabrics to permanently impart a greater affinity for dyes and various chemical finishes. Mercerizing also gives cotton cloth increased tensile strength, greater absorptive properties, and, usually, a high degree of lustre,