Alain (pseud. for Emile Auguste Chartier, 1868-1951): French philosopher, columnist; wrote papers on politics and ethics for newspapers and reviews; best known for thousands of aphoristic essays, called 'propos', which he contributed to his own weekly 'Libres Propos' and other journals; expressing pacifism and distrust of official power; other works: Systeme des beaux arts (1920), Histoire de mes pensees (1936), Alain on Happiness (1973); teacher of Simone Weil (1909-1943, French philosopher and activist) and Andre Maurois (1885–1967, French biographer, novelist, essayist, and critic).

Do not confuse 'Alain' with Alain Chartier (c.1392 - c.1430), the French poet and political writer. Margaret of Scotland is said to have kissed his lips while he was sleeping in her palace, to honour, she said "the mouth which elicited so many virtuous words". This famous story is depicted in the painting by Victorian painter Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922).

Other Links:
Alain by Thierry Leterre
Textes d'Alain (in French)
Weggefaehrten (in German)

Snippets:
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Koinonia: term of the New Testament meaning 'fellowship' (the spirit of generous sharing as contrasted with the spirit of selfish getting), somtimes also used in the sense of 'communion'.
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Geography: Andaman and Nicobar Islands: group of 572 islands (only 38 inhabited) located in the Bay of Bengal, 92-94 degrees E, 6-14 degrees N; capital: Port Blair; Indian government. More info from the Annual Report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
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Book: Bluenose, Queen of the Grand Banks by Feenie Ziner. Illustrations by Zeke Ziner. Chilton Book Company, Philadelphia. First Ed. 1970. The story of the 143-feet salt banker 'Bluenose', her skipper Agnus Walters, and the Nova Scotian's fishing town of Lunenburg. This book preserves a piece of history that otherwise would probably have vanished with the schooner when it struck a reef off the coast of Haiti. It also goes into detail about the fishing business and the races. Great read!
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Video of Bluenose vs. Gertrude L. Thebaud by W.R. MacAskill (1887-1956), one of Nova Scotia's best-known photographers.
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Word: forecastle = fo'c'sle: 1.) the forward part of the upper deck of a ship 2.) the crew's quarters usually in a ship's bow
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Music: Abra Moore: ... somewhere between the stylings of Edie Brickell and Rickie Lee Jones; CDs: Swing (1995), Strangest Places (1997), Everything Changed (March 23, 2004)
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