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Norwegian Omelette is another name for which dessert? | Baked Alaska History, Whats Cooking America
Photo courtesy of Epicurious.com
1802 – According to some historians, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third president of the United States from 1801-1809, was one of the first to serve ice cream at a state banquet in the White House. He is reported to have served ice cream encased in hot pastry at a White House dinner during his presidency. Although the name came much later, it is likely that this was a dish similar to Baked Alaska.
An article from the LeRoy PennySaver & News called “An 1802 Menu,” by Lynne Belluscio states the following:
A menu of a meal Jefferson offered on February 6, 1802, included “rice soup, round of beef, turkey, mutton, ham, loin of veal, cutlets of mutton, fried eggs, fried beef, and a pie called macaroni.” The desserts included “ice cream very good, crust wholly dried, crumbled into thin flakes; a dish somewhat like a pudding . . .”
Ice cream dishes frequently appeared in visitors’ accounts of meals with Thomas Jefferson. From the web site The Home of Thomas Jefferson, one visitor reportedly commented:
“Among other things, ice-creams were produced in the form of balls of the frozen material inclosed in covers of warm pastry, exhibiting a curious contrast, as if the ice had just been taken from the oven.”
A true Baked Alaska starts with the meringue. A meringue is a “patisserie” made from egg whites and sugar. Patisserie is the French word for various preparations made of pastry and generally baked in the oven.
1720 – The book, Larousse Gastronomique, by Prosper Montagn says the following on the history of meringue:
Historians of cookery say that this little patisserie was invented in 1720 by a Swiss pastry-cook called Gasparini, who practised his art in Mehrinyghen, a small town in the State of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The first meringues made in France were served in Nancy to King Stanislas who, it is said, prized them highly. It was he, no doubt, who gave the recipe for this sweetmeat to Marie Leczinska. Queen Marie-Antoinette had a great liking for meringues. Court lore has it that she made them with her own hands at the Trianon, where she also made vacherins, for which a similar mixture is used. Up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, meringues were shaped in a spoon, as the pastry forcing-bag had not been invented.
1804 – Omellete surprise, which is virtually identical to Baked Alaska is said to have been first invented by an American-born physicist named Benjamin Thompson Rumford (1753-1814), later known as Count Rumford. An American Loyalist in the Revolution in Boston, it is said that he served as a spy and informant for the British Army. He was forced to flee from America to England 1776.
He had an interest in cooking and he invented the fire-grate, a double boiler, an oil lamp, a coffee percolator (drip), and the kitchen range. As a result of his interest in investigating the resistance of beaten egg whites to heat, which is based on the principle that beaten egg white is a poor conductor of heat, a created a dessert that he called “omellete surprise.” In The American Heritage Cookbook, Rumford is quoted as saying:
“Omelette surpirse was the by-product of investigations in 1804 into the resistance of stiffly beaten egg whites to the induction of heat.”
During the Victorian Era (1937-1901), elaborate ice cream desserts made by local dairies and confectioners were the height of refinement, served at the best teas and formal dinners. They prided themselves on fancy ice cream “bombes” (ice cream pressed into molds which produced elegant and elaborate frozen desserts in fancy and festive shapes. These tradition was taken from molded puddings and custards. These were also known as ice cream cakes.
The technique of covering foods with meringue and then baking until the meringue is delicately browned seemed to have been a popular dessert technique during the middle 1850s.
1855 – The cookbook, The Philadelphia Houswife, by Aunt Mary (a pseud for Mary Hodgson) added a few fanciful French desserts as “Apples aux Pommes” and “Baked Alaska Applie Pie:”
Baked Alaska Apple Pie – Do everything as directed in Meringue aux Pommes, but instead of filling the apple centers with marmalade, fill them with vanilla ice cream, and spoon ice cream in the spaces around the apples. Top with the meringue, bake and serve.
1866 – The French food writer, Baron Leon Brise, wrote a column in the French Journal, Liberte, on June 6, 1866 which suggests the creation of the dessert, Baked Alaska, was introduced into France by French Chef Balzac. According to historians, the master-cook, accompanying a visiting Chinese delegation at the Grand Hotel in Paris, taught Balzac how to bake ice cream in a pastry crust in the oven. Following is what Baron Brise wrote:
During the stay of the Chinese Mission in Paris, the master-cooks of the Celestial Empire have exchanged civilities and information with the chefs of the Grand Hotel. The French chef in charge of sweet courses is particularly delighted with this circumstance. He has learnt from his Chinese colleague the method of baking vanilla and ginger ices in the oven. The pasty is baked before the ice protected by the pastry shell can melt. This phenomenon is explained by poor conductibility of certain substances. The gourmets can thus give themselves the double pleasure of biting through piping hot crust and cooling the palate on contact with fragrant ices.
1867 – Charles Ranhofer (1836-1899), the French chef at the famous Delmonico’s restaurant in New York, created a new cake to celebrate the United States purchase of Alaska from the Russians. William H. Seward (1801-1872), a Senator from New York, negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia, and the bill was signed on October 18, 1867. This purchase was known as “Stewart’s Folly” and/or “Stewart’s Icebox.” In Charles Ranhofer’s 1893 cookbook, The Epicurean, he called it an Alaska, Florida, and makes it in individual portions.
Alaska, Florida – Prepare a very fine vanilla-flavored Savoy biscuit paste. Butter some plain molds two and three-quarters inches in diameter by one and a half inches in depth; dip them in fecula or flour, and fill two-thirds full with the paste. Cook turn them out and make an incision all around the bottom; hollow out the cakes and mask the empty space with apricot marmalade. Have some ice cream molds shaped as shown in Fig. 667, fill them half with uncooked banana ice cream, and half with uncooked vanilla ice cream; freeze, unmold and lay them in the hollow of the prepared biscuits; keep in a freezing box or cave. Prepare also a meringue with twelve egg-whites and one pound of sugar. A few moments before serving place each biscuit with its ice on a small lace paper, and cover one after the other with the meringue pushed through a pocket furnished with a channeled socket. beginning at the bottom and diminishing the thickness until the top is reached; color this meringue for two minutes in a hot oven, and when a light golden brown remove and serve at once.
It is possible that what Ranhofer deserves is the credit for popularizing an already known dessert.
1876 – Mary F. Henderson, in her book Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving, published in 1876, calls it “German Steamer Baked Ice-cream.” She shows some familiarity with Delmonico’s restaurant and gives a recipe for their vanilla ice cream. Following is how it is described:
This dish was at least a curiosity, served at the table of one of the German steamers. A flat, round sponge-cake served as a base. A circular mold of very hard frozen icre-cream was placed on this, and then covered with a meringue, or whipped white of egg, sweetened and flavored. The surface was quickly colored with a red-hot salamander, which gave the dish the appearance of being baked. The gentleman who told me about this dish insisted that it was put into the oven and quickly colored, as the egg surrounding the cream was a sufficiently good non-conductor of heat to protect the ice for one or two minutes. However, there is less risk with a salamander.
1880 – George Augustus Henry Sala (1828-1895), British cookbook author and journalist, wrote the following on Baked Alaska after tasting it at Delmonico’s restaurant in New York:
Imagine carrying the employment of ice to such an extent that it culminates in that gastronomical curiosity, a BAKED ICE! The “Alaska” is a BAKED ICE, of which the interior is an ice cream. This latter is surrounded by an exterior of whipped cream, made warm by means of a Salamander. The transition from the hot outside envelope to the frozen inside is painfully sudden, and not likely to be attended with beneficial effect. But the abuse of a good thing is no argument whatever against its use in a moderate and rational manner.
1894 – Agnes Marshall’s 1894 book, Fancy Ices, has a recipe for an ice cream bombe, called “Princesse Marie de Orleans Surprise Bombe,” with a meringue around the outside, seared with a hot salamander, that is similar to a Baked Alaska:
Princess Marie d’Or1eans Surprise Bomb – Prepare and freeze a white coffee ice, and when frozen put it into a plain bomb mould with a pipe, and place the shape into the cave to freeze for two and a half hours; remove the lid and pipe, and fill the hollow space with pieces of fresh sponge cake steeped in Marshall’s Maraschino Syrup; then turn out the ice on to a layer of sponge cake that is placed on the centre of the dish, and by means of a forcing bag with a large rose pipe cover it well in an ornamental style with a stiff meringue mixture prepared as below, and sprinkle it with Marshall’s Icing Sugar. Stand the dish containing the bomb in a tin with water, and place it in a quick hot oven to brown the outside of the meringue, or glaze it with a salamander, and serve it immediately with a pur of peaches (prepared as below) round the base.
Meringue Mixture for Princess Marie D’Orleans Surprise Bomb – Take four large or six small whites of eggs and whip well with a pinch of salt, then add half a pound of castor sugar, stirring it into the egg with a wooden spoon, and use.
1895 – Jean Giroix, French chef at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, is also said to have made the dish popular. He called it omelette la norvienne or Norwegian omelet.
1896 – The name Baked Alaska, seems to have first appeared in print in the The Original Fannie Farmer 1896 Cookbook by Fannie Farmer. Following is how Fannie Farmer describes making a Baked Alaska:
Whites 6 eggs
2 quart brick of ice cream
Thin sheet sponge cake
Make meringue of eggs and sugar as in Meringue I., cover a board with white paper, lay on sponge cake, turn ice cream on cake (which should extend one-half inch beyond cream), cover with meringue, and spread smoothly. Place on oven grate and brown quickly in hot oven. The board, paper, cake, and meringue are poor conductors of heat, and prevent the cream from melting. Slip from paper on ice cream platter.
A Day in the Life of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, The Home of Thomas Jefferson.
An 1802 Menu, by Lynne Belluscio, LeRoy PennySaver & News, January 14, 2002./font>
Baked Alaska and Rumford, The Oxford Companion to Food, ed. Alan Davidson, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Biography: Benjamin Thompson.
Boston Cookery Book, Chapter XXVI, Ices, Ice Creams, and other Frozen Desserts, by Fannie Farmer, Bartleby.com.
Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla: A History of American Ice Cream, by Ann Cooper Funderburg, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, Ohio, 1995.
Delmonico’s: A Century of Splendor, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.
Food Reference Website.
Larousse Gastronomique: The Encyclopedia of Food, Wine & Cookery, by Prosper Montagne, Crown Pubishers, Inc., New York, 1961.
Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving. A Treatise Containing Practical Instructions in Cooking; in the Combination and Serving of Dishes; and in the Fashionable Modes of Entertaining at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, Page 310, by Mary F. Henderson, Harper & Brothers, New York, 1876. – Feeding America: The American Cookbook Project.
Princess Marie d’Or1eans Surprise Bomb, by Ivan Day, Historic Food.
Rare Bits – Unusual Origins of Popular Recipes, by Patricia Bunning Stevens, published by Ohio University Press, 1998.
The American Heritage Cookbook, by the Editors of American Heritage, published by American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., 1964.
The Art of Living in Australia: Together with Three Hundred Australian Cookery Recipes and Accessory Kitchen Information, by Philip E. Muskett and Mrs. H. Wicken, 1909.
The Delectable Past – The Joys of the Table – From Rome to the Renaissance, From Queen Elizabeth I to Mrs. Beeton, The Menus, The Manners – and the Most Delectable Recipes of the Past, Masterfully Re-created for Cooking and Enjoying Today, by Esther B. Aresty, Simon and Schuster, 1964.
The Dictionary of American Food & Drink, by John F. Mariani, Ticknor & Fields, New York, 1983.
The Epicurean, by Charles Ranhofer, Dover Publications, Inc. New York, unabridged and unaltered republication of the work originally published by R. Ranhofer, New York, in 1893.
The Man Huntington Loved to Hate: Loyalist Benjamin Thompson tried to keep the town under his boot.
The President’s Cookbook, by Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks, published by Funk and Wagnallis, 1968.
World Policy Institute, Brilliant Mischief: The French on Anti-Americanism, Volume XX, No 2, Summer 2003.
| Baked Alaska |
What type of creature is a fody? | Culinary Dictionary - B, Food Dictionary, Whats Cooking America
Culinary Dictionary
Linda’s Culinary Dictionary – B
A Dictionary of Cooking, Food, and Beverage Terms
An outstanding and large culinary dictionary and glossary that includes the definitions and history of cooking, food, and beverage terms.
Please click on a letter below to alphabetically search the many food and cooking terms:
baba (BAH-bah) – Baba is called babka in Poland and Babas Au Rhum in France. In French, the word baba meaning, “falling over or dizzy.” These are small cakes made from yeast dough containing raisins or currants. They are baked in cylindrical molds and then soaked with sugar syrup usually flavored with rum (originally they were soaked in a sweet fortified wine). After these cakes were soaked in the wine sauce for a day, the dried fruits would fall out of them.
Baba Au Rhum – In the 18th century, French chef, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826),created a cake that he served with a rum sauce that he called Baba Au Savarin. The dessert became very popular in France, but the people called it Baba Au Rhum and soon dropped the name Savarin.
History: For a history of Baba and Baba Au Rhum, check out Linda Stradley’s History of Cakes .
bacon – Bacon comes from the fatty parts of the pig, especially the sides. The most desirable bacon is cut from the breast of the hog. It is cured with either sugar or salt, which gives it a sweet or salty taste.
History: Bacon has played a prominent role in the history of superstition. It was considered a sacred food by the pagans and was regarded as a symbol of prosperity. It was frequently used as an offering to the Gods, and was believed to have curative properties. If a knife, which caused a wound, was stuck into bacon afterwards, it was supposed to prevent infection.
bagel (BAY-guhl) – Bagel derives from the Yiddish word beygl, which comes from the German word beugel meaning a “bracelet.” Bagels are bread rolls in the shape of a doughnut or an old-fashioned curtain ring. The brown crust is obtained on the rolls by first boiling them in water and then baking them in an oven.
History: According to legend, the world’s first bagel was produced in 1683 as a tribute to Jan Sobieski, King of Poland. The king, a renowned horseman, had just saved the people of Austria from an onslaught by Turkish invaders. In gratitude, a local baker shaped yeast dough into the shape of stirrup to honor him and called it the Austrian word for stirrup, “beugel.” The roll soon became a hit throughout Eastern Europe.
Over time, its shape evolved into a circle with a hole in the center and its named was converted to its modern form, bagel. In the 1880s, hundreds of thousands of Eastern European Jews immigrated to America, bringing with them a love for bagels. In 1927, Polish baker Harry Lender opened the first bagel plant outside New York City in New Haven, Conn. The bagel’s popularity began to spread in the United States.
bagna cauda (BAHN-yah KOW-dah) – Bagna Cauda is an Italian term that means “hot Bath.” It is like a Swiss fondue except that it has a much more boisterous flavor. The original recipe called for walnut oil, but olive oil is now used and is considered the key to a successful sauce. The sauce is made up of anchovy fillets, olive oil, garlic, cream, butter, and vinegar.
baguette(bag-EHT) – Is French for a “rod,” “wand,” or “stick.” Baguette is the name for anything long and skinny, including drumsticks, strips of wood, etc. The baguette is generally known as a French white bread due to its popularity in that country. Baguettes are formed into a long, narrow, cylindrical loaf. It usually has a thin, crisp brown crust and an open-holed, chewy interior.
History: The shape for which it is famous was developed by an Austrian baker and brought to France in the middle of the nineteenth century. At first French bread was all shaped round, but when bakers realized that their crusts were so tasty, they gave the bread more crust by making them long.
bain-marie (bahn mah-REE) – (1) A hot water bath that is used to keep food warm on the top of a stove. It is also to cook custards and baked eggs in the oven without curdling or cracking and also used to hold sauces and to clarify butter. (2) The term is also used for a cooking utensil, which is a fairly large pan (or tray) which is partly filled with water. The food to be cooked is placed in another container in order that the food is not cooked too quickly or harshly.
History: Most authorities think that it was named after Maria Prophetissa. Maria Prophetissa was also known as “Miriam,” “Maria the Jewess” or simply “Maria” and lived during the first century A.D. She is called The Jewess because Zosimos, Egyptian alchemist and historian, called her a Sister of Moses. It is held that Mary Magdalene and the noted first century alchemical author known as Mary the Jewess was one and the same individual. Whoever she was, Mary the Jewess was an accomplished practical alchemist and the inventor of a series of technical devices still in use today, such as the hot ash box for steady heat, the dung box for prolonged heat and the double boiler, still called the “bain-marie” in French and Marienbad in German. Although no complete works by her have been found, enough fragments exist to establish her as a historical fact. Yet her personal information, even her birthplace, remains a mystery.
bake blind – It is the technique used for baking an unfilled pastry shell. The pastry shell is first pricked with a fork to prevent puffing, covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and then weighted with rice or beans. It is then baked for a short period of time, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Baked Alaska – A dessert that consists of a sponge cake that is covered with ice cream, then with a layer of stiffly beaten egg whites, and lastly put in a hot oven to be browned. Also known as omelette la norvienne, Norwegian omelette, omelette surprise, and glace au four.
Baked Apple a la Josephine – The soaked, pruned apples are boiled for 15 minutes. Boiled milk is mixed with rice, salt and sugar are added, and then it is cooled down and divided into four portions. The cores of the apples are removed and are covered with butter and sprinkled with sugar. They are placed in a pre-warmed oven and baked for 20 minutes. The apples are served in the middle of the rice pudding, sprinkled with sugar, and toppled with raspberry syrup.
bakers’ ammonia (ammonium carbonate) – It is also called hartshorn. It is an ammonia compound and not harmful after baking. However, do not eat the raw dough. Your kitchen will stink of ammonia while the cookies bake – but once baked, the cookies will not taste of it. Can be substituted for equal amount of baking powder in any cookies recipe. It is an old-time leavening favored for cookies, such as German Springerle. It is said to give a “fluffiness” of texture baking powder can’t. Its leavening is only activated by heat, not moisture (such as baking powder).
bake stone – A bake stone is a flat, round iron plate, usually with an attached semicircular iron loop, which allows it to be hung over a fire from a crane. It can also be set down directly on hot embers. Before baking ovens, and even after them, this was a common utensil for baking simple quick breads.
baker’s dozen – The “baker’s dozen” refers to providing 13 baked items for the price of 12. This originated as a way to avoid shortchanging the customer. Bakers who shorted (cheated) customers could be punished severely-such as losing a hand to an axe! This allowed that one of the 13 could be lost, eaten, burnt, or ruined in some way, leaving the baker with the original legal dozen. The practice can be seen in the Baker Guild codes of the Worshipful Company of Bakers in London, 12th century.
Baker’s Scale – Baker’s scales are scales used by bakers to measure ingredients by weight, not volume. That is how the master bakers and chefs of the world get great results every time. They are also called Dough Scales. A Baker’s Scale or Kitchen Scale should be an essential tool in every kitchen. Most American kitchens have a set of measuring cups, but do not have a kitchen scale. A scale is more accurate in baking than using measuring cups
baking powder – It is a leavener that consists of a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar, and a moisture absorber (like cornstarch). It has the action of yeast but it acts much more quickly. It is used in batters where there is no acid present. Baking powder acts immediately upon addition of water, therefore a filler (usually cornstarch) is added to absorb the moisture and prevent premature activity. Various baking powders were sold in the first half of the 19th century. Check out the History of Baking Powder .
baking soda – Baking soda, which is the alkaline element bicarbonate of soda, is used solely as a chemical leavener in baking. Because it is not premixed with an acid, as is baking powder, it is used alone in baked goods where other ingredients, which also contain acid, are present (yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, or sour cream). When the baking soda and acid are combined, they neutralize each other, causing carbon dioxide gas bubbles to form. The bubbles make the dough or batter grow bigger, or rise. Baking soda is more volatile than baking powder because it begins to act the minute you moisten it with the wet ingredients. You must put whatever you are baking right in the oven once the baking soda has been activated. See also bicarbonate of soda.
History: Baking soda was previously known as saleratus, a combination of the Latin “sal” (salt) and “aeratus” (aerated). John Dwight of Massachusetts and his brother-in-law, Dr. James A. Church of Connecticut, started the manufacture of bicarbonate of soda in this country in 1846. The first factory was in the kitchen of his home with baking soda put in paper bags by hand. A year later, in 1847, the firm of John Dwight and Company was formed, and subsequently Cow Brand was adopted as a trademark for Dwight’s Saleratus (aerated salt) as it was called. The standard package at that time weighed one pound. The cow was adopted as a trademark because of the use of sour milk with saleratus in baking.
In 1867, James A. Church began marketing sodium bicarbonate as baking soda under the Arm & Hammer label. He formed a partnership known as Church & Company, doing business under that firm name with his sons James A. Church and E. Dwight Church.
baking stone – Also referred to as a pizza stone. Unglazed ceramic, clay, or stone tiles that allows for high temperature and dry heat, which is necessary for crisp crusts when making breads and pizzas. A stone can be placed in the oven (and kept there when not in use) where it retains heat and makes an ideal surface for baking breads. A baking stone is invaluable for getting the “perfect” crust and it can also help your oven to run more efficiently because of its heat retaining properties. They should only be washed with clear, plain water, as these stones are actually molded sand, which is tightly compacted under high pressure. Like sand on the beach, they will suck in any liquid exposed to the surface.
baklava (BAHK-lah-vah) – A popular middle eastern (especially Greece and Turkey) pastry that is made with buttered layers of phyllo dough. How it is traditionally made depends on the region. In some areas, it is made with walnuts; in other areas, it is made with pistachios or almonds. Sometimes dried fruit is added between the layers. Baklava consists of 30 or more sheets of phyllo dough brushed with lots of butter, and layered with finely chopped nuts. After baking, a syrup of honey, rose water and lemon juice (sometimes spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, etc) is poured over the pastry and allowed to soak in. This dessert is known as baglawa in Syrian and Lebanese.
History: Most historians agree that the first people, the Assyrians, in the 8th century B.C. were the first to put together thin layers of bread dough, with chopped nuts in between those layers, added some honey and baked it in their primitive wood burning ovens. This earliest known version of baklava was baked only on special occasions. Baklava was considered a food for the rich until mid-19th century. In Turkey the sheets of pastry for baklava are rolled out so thinly that when held up the person standing behind can be seen as if through a net curtain. In Turkey, to this day one can hear a common expression often used by the poor, or even by the middle class, saying: “I am not rich enough to eat baklava and boerek every day”.
The Greek seamen and merchants traveling east to Mesopotamia soon discovered the delights of Baklava and brought the recipe to Athens. The Greeks’ major contribution to the development of this pastry is the creation of a dough technique that made it possible to roll it as thin as a leaf, compared to the rough, bread-like texture of the Assyrian dough. Phyllo means “layer” or “leaf” in the Greek language.
The Armenians, located on ancient Spice and Silk Routes, integrated for the cinnamon and cloves into the baklava. The Arabs introduced the rose water and cardamom. The taste changed in subtle nuances as the recipe started crossing borders.
balsamic vinegar – Balsamic vinegar is an aged reduction of white sweet grapes (Trebbiano for red and Spergola for white sauvignon) that are boiled to syrup. The grapes are cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame until the water content is reduced by over 50%. The resulting “grape must” is placed into wooden barrels where older balsamic vinegar is added to assist in the acetification. Each year the vinegar is transferred to different wood barrels so that the vinegar can obtain some of the flavors of the different woods. The only approved woods are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, cacia, juniper, and ash. Balsamic vinegar can only be produced in the regions of Modena and Reggio in Italy.
History: The first historical reference to balsamic vinegar dates back to 1046, when a bottle of balsamic vinegar was reportedly given to Emperor Enrico III of Franconia as a gift. In the middle Ages, it was used as a disinfectant. Check out Linda’s article on Balsamic Vinegar .
balti – Balti is an Indian dish, which may have originated in Northwest Pakistan. It is a form of a meat curry, but one that’s cooked quickly (like a stir-fry. The spice mix used to flavor the dish is a combination of seeds (coriander, cardamom, cumin, black mustard, fennel, wild onion, and fenugreek). It can be made as either a masala paste or used dry.
History: The name comes from the cast-iron pot “balti,” in which it was originally both made and served. Now the term “balti” seems to refer to the food, and the pot is called a “karahi.” In some parts of the world, the dish is also called karai, or karah.
bamboo shoot – Young shoots of the bamboo plant. The shoots grown from an underground stock, and they are cut soon after their appearance above the ground. The outer sheaths are removed and the shoots are prepared for the table much in the same manner as asparagus. They are used a lot in Chinese and Japanese cooking.
banana – Bananas are not grown on trees. They are part of the lily family, a cousin of the orchid, and a member of the herb family. With stalks 25 feet high, they are the largest plant on earth without a woody stem. The banana is harvested green, even for local consumption. It is the one fruit, which if left to ripen on the plant, never develops its best flavor. After they are picked, the sugar content increases from 2% to 20%.
History: The banana was probably one of the first plants to be cultivated. The earliest historical reference to the fruit was 327 B.C., when Alexander the Great found them flourishing in India. Traders in the Indian Ocean carried the banana to the eastern coast of Africa, and Chinese traders introduced the banana to the Polynesians before the second century A.D. During Alexander the Great’s life, bananas were called pala in Athens. North America got its first taste of the tropical fruit in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Each banana was wrapped in foil and sold for 10 cents.
Bananas Foster – A dish made of bananas and rum, flamed and served over vanilla ice cream.
History: The original Banana Foster was created in the New Orleans restaurant called Brennan’s in the old French Quarter. In the 1950’s, New Orleans was the major port of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America. Owen Edward Brennan challenged his talented chef, Paul Blang to include bananas in a new culinary creation – Owen’s way of promoting the imported fruit. Simultaneously, Holiday Magazine had asked Owen to provide a new recipe to appear in a feature article on Brennan’s.
In 1951, Chef Paul created Bananas Foster. The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who, as chairman, served with Owen on the New Orleans Crime Commission, a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter. Richard Foster, owner of the Foster Awning Company, was a frequent customer of Brennan’s and a very good friend of Owen.
barbecue – There are several theories on where or how the word “barbecue” originated. (1) One is that it is a derivative of the West Indian term barbacoa, which denotes a method of slow-cooking meat over hot coals. (2) It is also thought that the word barbecue comes from the French phrase “barbe a queue,” meaning “from heat to tail.” (3) Another theory is that the word comes from a 19th century advertisement for a combination whiskey bar, beer, hall, pool establishment and purveyor of roast pig, known as the “Bar-Beer-Cue-Pig”. (4) The final explanation is that the method of roasting meat over powdery coals was picked up from indigenous peoples in the colonial period, and the word barbacoa became barbecue in the lexicon of early settlers.
Barbecuing is a long, slow, indirect, low-heat method that uses smoldering logs, charcoal, or wood chunks to smoke-cook the food (usually some kind of meat). “Indirect” meant that the heat source is located away from the food to be cooked. “Barbecuing” and “grilling” are two different techniques.
History: The earliest example of barbecue is in 1661, when it is used as a verb meaning ‘to cook on a barbecue’. Other early senses include ‘the wooden framework for supporting food’; ‘a whole animal, or a piece of an animal, roasted on a barbecue’; and ‘a social gathering at which food is cooked on a barbecue’.
Barbecuing is primarily a New World phenomenon, originating in the Caribbean and then spreading to the United Sates (the American South in particular). In the Southern United States, barbecue is considered a cherished cultural icon. In other areas of America, the word barbecue is a verb (Northerners barbecue food on the backyard grill). In the South, barbecue is most definitely a noun (a barbecue is a gathering of food aficionados who appreciate the aroma of roasted meant that has been painstakingly smoked for several hours)
During the colonial period, the practice of holding a neighborhood barbecue was well established, but it was in the fifty years before the Civil War that the traditions associated with large barbecues became entrenched. Plantation owners regularly held large and festive barbecues, including “pig pickin’s” for slaves. In the 19th century, barbecue was a feature at church picnic and political rallies as well as at private parties. A barbecue was a popular and relatively inexpensive way to lobby for votes, and the organizers of political rallies would provide barbecue, lemonade, and usually a bit of whiskey. Unlike most food preparation in the South, which is dominated by women, barbecue is a male preserve.
In 1951, George Stephen of Palatine, Illinois invented the kettle grill and revolutionized the art of outdoor cookery throughout the US.
bard – Refers to the practice of surrounding or enveloping meat with pork fat. The fat keeps the meat moist while it cooks.
barley – Barley, as a food, is most commonly identified as pearl barley, which is traditionally used in soups and stews. In the last few years, we have become more creative with barley and have used it in summer salads, casseroles, and side dishes. Barley is also used as a commercial ingredient in prepared foods such as breakfast cereals, soups, pilaf mixes, breads, cookies, crackers, and snack bars. Today it is the world’s fourth largest cereal crop.
History: Barley has held a prominent and long-standing place in the history of food, being the world’s oldest grain, and has been cultivated for about 8,000 years. Babylonians brewed beer from barley around 2500 B.C. Both the ancient Greeks and Hebrews made use of barley in porridge and bread. Barley remained an important bread grain in Europe until the 1500s when wheat breads became popular.
Bartlett pear –
History: The Bartlett pear variety originated in Berkshire, England, in the 17th century, by a schoolmaster named John Stair. Stair sold some of his pear tree cuttings to a horticulturist named Williams, who further developed the variety and renamed it after himself. After pear seedlings crossed the Atlantic with the early colonists, the Williams pear found fame and fortune in 1812 under the tutelage of nurseryman, Enoch Bartlett, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Bartlett, unaware of the pear’s true name, distributed it under his own name. Ever since, the pear has been known as the Bartlett in the United States, but is still referred to as the Williams pear in other parts of the world. Bartlett pear trees eventually came out West in the covered wagons of the 49ers heading for the Great California Gold Rush.
base – Base is a soup reduction paste similar to bouillon, but richer, more flavorful, and less salty. You can find it in the soup section of the super market. It comes in a jar and must be refrigerated after opening.
baste – To spoon, brush or pour drippings or liquid over a food before or during cooking in order to prevent drying, to add flavor, or to glaze it.
batter – The name of many semi-liquid, floury mixtures of flour, water or milk (or both) or some other liquid. It also usually includes sugar and eggs. Batters may be thin or thick (but even when thick, they must be fluid enough to drop from a spoon). When thin, they should pour out like creamy milk.
sponge – A batter to which yeast is added. This batter is so stiff that it does not drop from a spoon, but can be handled.
Basil – Basil – Learn about basil, how to store it, and preserve it.
History: The ancient Greeks believed that only the king should be allowed to cut the basil plants, and he must use a sickle made of pure gold.
Bavarian cream – It is a molded cream that is made from custard sauce or sweetened fruit puree that is bound with gelatin and lightened with whipped cream. Bavarian cream can be served on its own or used as a filling for cold charlottes or molded cakes.
History: Check out History of Cakes .
biscotti (bee-SKAWT-tee) – In Italian, biscotti means, “twice cooked.” The word biscotto is derived from bis (twice) and cotto (cooked). Biscotti is also the generic term for cookies in Italian. The dough is formed into logs and baked until golden brown. The logs are then sliced, and the individual biscotti are baked again to give them their characteristic dryness. The shelf life of biscotti are three to four months without preservatives or additives. Other countries have their version of this cookie – Dutch rusk, French biscotte, and the German zwieback.
History: Early Seaman’s biscuits, also known as hard tack, probably were the first version of biscotti. They were the perfect food for sailors who were at sea for months at a time on long ocean voyages. The biscuits were thoroughly baked to draw out the moisture, becoming a cracker-like food that that was resistant to mold. Biscotti were a favorite of Christopher Columbus who relied on them on his long sea voyage in the 15th century. Historians believe that the first Italian biscotti were first baked in 13th century Tuscany in the in a city called Prato.
biscuit (BISH-kiht) – In England, it is the equivalent of U.S. cookies (small, sweet cakes). In the U.S., a type of non-yeast bread made of flour, milk, and shortening, usually served with breakfast – small, and similar to what much of the world refers to as “scones.”
bisque (bisk) – A bisque is a thick, rich, creamy sauce in the form of a puree. Bisque in French means a “shellfish soup.” The word is a corruption of “biscuit,” as the soup was cooked twice to thicken it. Bisques in the 18th century were made of poultry and game, not with shellfish as they usually are today.
bistro (BEES-troh) – (1) In France, a bistro used to be a bar that also sold wine. S ometimes, they would have one or two tables and the wife of the owner would have made a dish she would sell. Today a bistro is a small neighborhood restaurant with a comforting, predictable menu and reliable daily specials. It functions as a home away from home for many people, drawn by the familiar atmosphere, honest food and consistent prices. (2) Bistro also means a style of cooing (simple home cooking – it is similar to old-fashioned American food). It is a return to the era before fast food, before speed and convenience became more important than flavor and quality, but not quite to the complexity of old school French cooking.
Black pudding – Called “Marag” (Blood Pudding) in Gaelic (it also means a fat, shapeless person!). This is one of the famous blood dishes that Scottish people love. It usually accompanies other fried dishes, such as bacon and eggs. While it might seem shocking to eat blood, do not forget that all meat dishes contain blood and it’s the basis, with fat, of gravy. Blood dishes are popular all over Europe, especially in Transylvania.
blackened – A cooking technique where meat or fish is usually seasoned with a Cajun spice mixture and then cooked in a cast-iron skillet that has been heated almost red-hot. This technique gives the food an extra crispy crust and sears in the juices. It is also guaranteed to set off your smoke detector–unless the battery is dead!
Blackened Redfish – A dish made by searing seasoned redfish fillets in a smoking hot skillet (usually a cast-iron skillet).
History: This cooking technique and popular fish dish was introduced by Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme, causing a worldwide culinary phenomenon in the early to mid-1980s. As the dish’s fame grew in the late 1980s, stiff limits had to be placed on redfish catches to prevent the disappearance of the species from Gulf Coast waters. Chef Paul Prudhomme’s non-traditional “blackened redfish” dish sparked a worldwide Cajun food craze which inspired creative chefs to start “blackening” everything from chicken to veal in order to continue to cash in on the craze.
blanch, blanching – (1) To briefly plunge food into boiling water and then into cold water to stop cooking. (2) Blanching allows you to cook vegetables completely, then cool them quickly for use in dishes like salad, soup, stew, and pasta. Blanching is used to loosen skins of fruits and vegetables or to prepare them for more cooking by another method. (3) To scald shelled nuts until the thin outer skins are sufficiently loosened to remove easily.
Brazil nut – Although referred to, as nuts these are actually the seed of a South American tree that grows in the Amazon jungle. The tree yields 3 to 4 pound pods with thick shells that must be broken open with a machete. Inside are 12 to 20 three-sided Brazil nuts. Their extremely hard shells are dark brown and triangular in shape and can be very hard to break. The kernel is white and has a rich flavor.
bread – Bread is the name given to the oldest, commonest, and cheapest form of human food. Bread is made of the flour or meal of one or more kinds of cereals, which can be obtained from some grasses, seeds, and root stocks other than cereals.
History: Grain cultivation most likely began around 10,000 B.C, and bread was baked on hot stones into loaves of flatbread. Evidence of ovens was found dating back as far as 25,000 B.C. in the Ukraine.
Historians think that the first combination of bread ingredients and yeast happened by accident. Probably when an alcoholic drink or fermented honey was accidentally added to flatbread dough. This more likely happened in a brewery in ancient Egypt where archaeologists have found ruins and drawings of bakeries and breweries. The Egyptians had supplies of mead, beer, and primitive wines.
By the third century B.C., Romans had created ovens made from dried and hardened mud, and by 200 B.C. there were more than 200 bakeries in Rome. Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.) founded the first bakers’ school in Rome. Once a man became a baker, he was not allowed to change work. They taught their sons the trade, passing baking secrets down from generation to generation.
There are many stories of wars being won or lost and favors being granted by the barter of freshly baked bread. French soldiers demanded white bread to give them courage, and Greek women were said to have tucked a piece of bread into their husbands’ clothing as he went off to war. Bakers in local communities celebrated political victories or “saved a country” by introducing a specific shape or type of bread.
breadfruit – Although it is a fruit, it’s light yellow flesh has the starchy consistency of unripe potatoes, which makes it seem more like a vegetable weighing between two to five pounds. As the breadfruit ripens it softens to about the consistency of a mango but without the sweetness. The reason for the name “breadfruit” is that when eaten before it is ripe, breadfruit not only feels like fresh bread, but also tastes like it. Not only are breadfruit trees in the Pacific prized for their fruits but their wood is also highly valuable. In Hawaii, the wood of breadfruit trees was made into fine quality canoes, drums, and surfboards. In Guam and Samoa, the bark was used for making tapa cloth. A starchy staple of the Caribbean and Pacific islands, breadfruit is fried, baked, boiled, and sometimes mixed with coconut milk to make a pudding. It is used like a potato – in stews, whipped, and diced, and in a salad resembling potato salad.
History: Probably native to the Malay Archipelago, breadfruit either drifted on the sea or was carried by early peoples to the Pacific Islands well before written history. The plant has been cultivated there for thousands of years. Breadfruits were traditionally baked with hot stones in pits dug into the ground. The wood of the trees—which grew as high as 60 feet—was also used for canoes, and the bark was made into cloth on Guam and the islands of Samoa. In Hawaii the wood was prized for making drums and surfboards.
In the 1700’s the British began to establish breadfruit crops in the West Indies, as a staple with which to feed the African slaves who worked the huge sugar plantations. During his voyage to Tahiti in 1769, Captain James Cook was introduced to breadfruit when he brought it back to England. King George III was convinced of the necessity of transporting breadfruit from the Pacific to the Caribbean and in 1787 Captain Bligh and his ship HMS Bounty was sent to Tahiti with the mission of delivering the breadfruit trees to the Caribbean. Records indicate that 347 breadfruit trees arrived on the HMS Providence on the fifth of February 1793, and were distributed throughout the island.
bread pudding – A pudding that dates back to earlier times. It originated as a way to use stale bread and avoid throwing it away.
brie cheese (bree) – One of the most popular of imported cheeses, brie has been called the “king of all cheeses.” This cheese is made from whole, skim, or partially skim cow’s milk (the quality varies with the kind of milk used). It is described as creamy, smooth, and very delicate. The natural white rind of the brie cheese is edible; so do not discard it when serving brie as an appetizer.
History: Brie cheese originated in France centuries ago. It is named after La Brie, the province in northern France where it was first made.
brine – Brining is like a marinade as it keeps food moist and tender. Brining or salting is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of meat resulting in a moister product when it is cooked. One of the great things about brining is that there are so few rules. Most brines start with water and salt — traditionally, 3/4 pound of salt per gallon of water, but since we’re not concerned with the brine as a preservative, you can cut back on the salt. Check out Guidelines for Brining Poultry .
broaster, broasted, and broasting – Broaster and broasted are registered trademarks of the Broaster Co. in Beloit, Wisc. that has been broasting chickens since 1954. It is a registered process that builds pressure in the pot, which seals in the natural juices while sealing out almost 100% of the cooking oil. It is not only the process of frying chickens under pressure, but includes a special marinating process. The Broasters and the seasonings are sold only to restaurants and the food trade, so Broasted chicken is available to you only when you dine out.
broccoli – It is a member of the Cruciferae family and is a relative of cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. It has tight clusters of tiny buds that sit on stout, edible stems. It is available year-round. The word broccoli comes from the Italian word “brocco” meaning “arm branch.”
History: Broccoli has been around for more than 2000 years. During the 16th century, the plant was grown in France and Italy. Little was known about broccoli in the United States until the 1920s, when the first commercially grown broccoli was grown in Brooklyn, New York. In 1923, broccoli was first planted in California.
broccolini – A new hybrid vegetable that is sure to make a statement at your dinner table. Technically a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale, this vegetable looks more like a broccoli-asparagus mix. Broccolini comes in bunches of 17-20 stalks and has a shelf life of 2 weeks in the refrigerator from date of purchase. Broccolini is a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and potassium, and has no fat. It can be cooked and eaten the same as broccoli: blanched, steamed, sauteed, poached, roasted, fried or grilled. It is 100% edible, so there’s no need to remove any of the stems, making a wonderful presentation on the plate with its long slender stems.
broccoli rabe – Also known as rapini, broccoli raab, broccoletti di rape, and broccoletto. It is related to the turnip and cabbage families and has very little resemblance to broccoli. It has a thin, leafy, dark green stock with few buds, and has a pungent-bitter flavor. It gives a lift to bland foods and a nice accent to spicy foods. If served alone, blanch in salt water before further cooking to remove some of the bitterness. When choosing broccoli rabe, it should be firm with small stems and few buds. It is best to keep it wrapped and in the vegetable crisper for no more than five days. Broccoli rabe is available all year, but it most plentiful from spring to late fall. It is a great source of vitamins A, C and K, and a good source of potassium and folic acid.
brochette – (1) Small portions of meat, chicken liver, or seafood that is coe on a skewer (usually sauteed or grilled). Food cooked “en brochette” is cooked on a skewer. Also known as kabob, a la broche, or shish ka bob. It is derived from the word “broche,” meaning, “pointed tool.” (2) Brochette is also used by confectioners to thread fruit in before candying them.
broil, broiling – In this method of cooking, the heat source is above the food. In home cooking, an oven is often used for broiling by setting it so that only the top element comes on. Broiling is a high-heat method of cooking in which food is placed on a rack below, and the speed with which it cooks depends on how far away it is from the element. As with grilling, food has to be watched carefully, so it does not overcook.
broth – Broth is a flavorful liquid resulting from the long simmering of meat, vegetables, poultry or fish. The French call if “bouillon.” Also know as “stock.”
brownie, brownies – A chocolate bar cookie. The name comes from the deep-brown color of the cookie.
History: The origins of the chocolate brownies is uncertain but it is felt that it was probably created by accident, the result of a forgetful cook neglecting to add baking powder to chocolate cake batter.Sears, Roebuck catalog in 1897 published the first known recipe for the brownies, and it quickly became very popular (so popular that a brownie mix was even sold in the catalog).
brunch – A combination of the words for breakfast and lunch, and which is neither breakfast nor lunch, which combines some of the features of both and is served mid-morning.
History: Brunch first appeared in England at the end of the 19th century. In August 1896, the word appeared in the magazine called Punch. The magazine reported on a company breakfast by Mr. Guy Beringer of the defunct Hunter’s Weekly about a combined breakfast and lunch that was served after guests returned home from a morning of hunting. The article went on to say “To be fashionable nowadays, we much brunch.” It was not until the 1930s in the United States that the idea of brunch became popular in restaurants and hotels. Customers became know as “pilers.”
brunoise (broo-NWAHZ) – It is a French word used to describe a mixture of vegetables, usually onion, celery, and carrot, which has been very finely diced, then cooked slowly in butter. This classic mixture is used as a base to flavor soups, stews and sauces.
Brunswick stew – This famous stew was originally a game stew and not a domestic meat stew as it is today.
History: According to one story, it began as a squirrel stew created by “Uncle” Jimmy Matthews and named after Brunswick County, Virginia (which was named for Braunschweig in Germany). In 1828, Dr. Creed Haskins, a member of the Virginia state legislature, wanted something special for a political rally he was sponsoring. He persuaded Matthews to part with his recipe. The stew remained, for many years, one of the main attractions at political rallies conducted by both the Whigs and the Democrats. Gradually more vegetables were added and chicken replaced squirrel as the major ingredient.
Virginians insist that the dish was invented in Brunswick County, VA. A county of the same name in North Carolina and some citizens of Brunswick, GA., also lay claim to have originated the stew.
bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah) – Traditional Italian garlic bread. Grilled slices of bread are brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh garlic.
brussels sprouts – They are the buds of a cultivated variety of the common cabbage plant. In appearance, brussel sprouts resemble miniature cabbages, but have a much stronger flavor than their larger cousins.
History: They were cultivated as food in Belgium as early as the 13th century.
History: Learn more about History and Legends of Cobbler, Crisps, Crumble, Brown Betty, Buckle, Grunts, Slumps, Bird’s Nest Pudding, Sonker, & Pandowdy
Buffalo Chicken Wings – They are deep-fried chicken wing serve with a hot sauce, celery stalks, and blue cheese dressing. Because the residents of Buffalo are so enamored with these chicken wings, the city of Buffalo, New York has declared July 19th as the “Official Chicken Wing Day.” The city’s proclamation noted that, because of Mrs. Bellissimo’s kitchen, “thousands of chicken wings are consumed by buffalonians in restaurants and taverns throughout the city each week.”
History: This famous chicken wings were created a the Frank & Teressa’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York on October 30 1962, by owner Teressa Bellissimo. According to the story by the restaurant, her son, Dom Bellissimo, asked Teressa Bellissimo to fix something for his group of hungry friends. To make a long story short, as she was about to put them in the stockpot for soup, she looked at them and said, “It’s a shame to put such beautiful wings in a stock pot.” So she battered and then deep-fried the chicken wings. The rest is history!
bulgogi – Bulgogi is marinated strips of beef cooked over charcoal on a grill. It is the best known and most popular of all Korean foods. Beef is most often identified with bulgogi, but even pork, chicken, lamb, squid, and octopus can be cooked bulgogi style. Foreigners consider it the national dish of Korea. It is often prepared at the table on small grills and accompanied by kimchi, a spicy pickled cabbage. In Korean, the word bul means “fire” and gogi means “meat.” The word is commonly translated as Korean barbecue, thought it literally means “fire meat.”
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In describing which city, author Tom Wolfe said ‘Culture just seems to be in the air, like part of the weather’? | The Met and MOMA Educational Travel | Road Scholar
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At a Glance
Author Tom Wolfe said of New York City: “Culture just seems to be in the air, like part of the weather.” Absorb the art treasures of that culture at three iconic museums: the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection. First, explore the MoMA, often called the most important museum dedicated to modern art in the world today, boasting works by Dalí, Monet, Picasso, van Gogh and Warhol. Discover The Met, a museum that is to New York what the Louvre is to Paris with collections spanning from Ancient Rome and Egypt to the Renaissance and beyond. Step inside the opulent mansion of steel magnate Henry Clay Frick, where today the Frick Collection is housed, showcasing works by El Greco, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Activity Level
Moderately Challenging
Walking five miles over uneven ground, two flights of stairs; standing up to one hour; 3-5 hours of physical activity per day.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 10 to 24 participants.
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Lectures by scholars illuminate the history of art and of the great museums and galleries in New York City.
Explore the serene Frick Collection, housed in the mansion of Pittsburgh steel magnate Henry Clay Frick.
Delight in the masterpieces at the Museum of Modern Art, including Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
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The 1703 ‘Methuen Treaty’ was a military and commercial treaty between Britain and which other European country? | 'Uncommon Knowledge:' Author Tom Wolfe Interviewed
'Uncommon Knowledge:' Author Tom Wolfe Interviewed
7/23/2013 8:00AM
Writer Tom Wolfe sits down with Peter Robinson to discuss his latest work, "Back to Blood," as well as his long career and his daily writing routine. "Uncommon Knowledge" is a production of the Hoover Institution.
Transcript
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... phrase ... would you tell it in the fourth from out of nowhere ... everybody all of them gets back to blogger ... religion is lined with everybody so us to believe in something ... so my people that leaves only our beloved non roster as the Puerto Rican strikeouts ... the race cries the whole world ... all people all people everywhere have but one last thing on their minds back to life ... in all of American letters only one writer could produce that passage ... which comes from his latest novel ... with us today ... Tom will ... on common knowledge ... now ... the the the the ... welcome to uncommon knowledge on Peter Robinson ... a native of Richmond Virginia Tom Wolf received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University ... and a doctorate in American studies from Yale ... Mr. Wolf is the author of classic essays including radical chic ... and more than a dozen books including the non fiction works the Electric Kool aid acid test ... and the right stuff ... and the novels The Bonfire of the vanities a man in full and I am Charlotte Simmons ... Mr. Wolf's latest book ... a novel set in Miami ... back ... to climb ... um this is the point of which are ordinarily safety tests thank you for joining us but since we're in your apartment ... thank you for inviting us and ... it was Susan ... taxable and ... religion design ... back to the ethnic group or tribe is the source of meaning ... this is the sort of bummed ... the sort of question that that the college freshman wishes he could ask the great author ... and here I am with a great author ... he ... does that seem interesting first this notion of fact implied ... or did you say to yourself ... Miami there's a bustling ... oysters town and then begin to sort out the team from the location ... this idea maximize ... he need Goldman's to at least five six ... years ago may mean for the back and then that ... and ... you can see ... you can see right now ... there's so many people who ... essentially have become a fuse ... the lesson the U S and Europe ... incidentally ... and ... they ... don't need he predicted all of this he said the money as his famous ... most famous they've never in my ... life ... got his dad ... which was not a ... was that was not an ... atheist ... manifesto heal me was an atheist ... he was there with a warning ... he's he says ... in an educated well to do people ... talk to you no longer ... believe in God ... and the result is neither the way you think the result is going to be ... found ... he he ... it's it's going to be a good tomorrow's nation ... in which the Europeans will ... sort of ... stumble on steel chronically ... through the twentieth century ... and and ... sentry on the East this is his reign eighteen eighty five ... sentry of warriors that has never been ... been fought before ... the rise of ... bloodthirsty Brotherhood's ... since ... then only and honestly and taking when he can give it everything that use the terms ... a Nazi ... and fascist ... an economist ... and and ... he made this prediction ... he's it'll it'll start happening in one generation ... to generation is ... thirty years ... he was part of a nineteen fifteen ... and the ... door the first or started ... right on time was an incredible ... and benevolent ... 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I think a blue moon was so that in the minors who fits in well ... people in it people are going to simply go off ... the chaotic when you look for something to more than enough ... can I began to get more and more ... technical selling ... people believing in there ... their bloodlines crazy those ... guys ... that just as you CA consulate of contradictions ... let me try ... um going to talk fast ... for about sixty seconds to try to convey some flavor ... of that blood ... this book ... Mr. Camacho is the central character young Cuban police officer ... Mr. engages in heroic exploits he sees a Cuban refugee from falling to his death is the use of drug dealers when you took a fellow cop ... every exploited so mis understood and so twisted ... instead of me being viewed as a hero he's seen as a racist as a traitor to the Cuban people ... and the chief of police yanked him off active duty ... Michael and his girlfriend breaks up with Esther ... first to take up with Norman Lewis ... psychiatry is ... busy sex addiction expert ... and then to tick up with Sergey co wrote off ... a Russian criminal set pieces in the book include the upgrade offer ... that turns into a floating were GMO art sales to frenzied billionaires ... and a criminal investigation into retirement home filled with aggressive old ladies on walkers ... back to blog also includes seventy million dollars in forged paintings and a brutal ... murder ... John O'Sullivan reviewing tractable and in National review quote ... Tom Wolfe long ago declared a preference for great ... team in ... socially panoramic novels ... this preference is probably shared by most readers and that ensures that will be used with distaste ... by most critics clothes quo ... mind you ... the canvas ... reading from the new model and yes yes I Polya novels Bonfire manifold Charlotte Simmons these are ... these are Broyhill like in the distance of activity ... I am ... deep down we believe ... that you ... he chose ... his ... it is in ... line is that life isn't determined by two things ... not just your own psychological makeup ... and your own ... hormone makeup and the rest of it ... but not affected Uganda intersect ... with ... society I think of the individuals ... Merkel ... and society as this week ... I'm in broad plain ... can you going to change ... when you intersects ... the society when you want to ... or not ... and I do think is that ... it's there is no way to understand ... individuals ... who typically today ... today and ... without ... with that and stay in the society around them ... the old ... just don't agree ... I was a lot of knowledge you love ... me when close by the French ... decision of the psychological offer was announced ... for the precious ... the interior one person seated in the room ... write ... a column ... so ... thinking is as you talk and think you put all its great novel the way we live now ... and the emphasis here in your view would be on we if you want an accurate picture capacity ... only the wide angle lens conveys captures the true ... well I mean my ... opinion ... the great period the American now ... is ... in eighteen ninety three home ... win ... 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I'm still all in the interest of ... getting past the film ... the film was sent to Switzerland ... where there were elves to make things ... lah soon turned into three dimensional pieces ... each one sells for more than million ... more than the end of my aunt's going to ... and that and that as it appears impeccable and ... is ... the ... show ... it's ... what are we to make of it ... why is that world ... I wrote a short book about all of this is called the painted word ... I'm ... and I'm trying to trace the social origins ... of ... admiring ... what would owners scheme grotesque ... are totally un talented ... and it started again in France in the eighteen eighties ... I'm ... and it was great ... positive ... the connotation ... to ... admiring ... you ... hard to ... understand ... for Kabel Mal remain volatile in our ammo ... they are not easy ... they are not easy read ... on the fence says no use all and mall the song was popular writers ... in the world and time ... most ... meals ... and you French intellectually and no we don't care about this for plotting ... realism we like essences ... and that's when Rambo and Almaty of the float was due to the side that ... few of your ... cry as I understand things that the ... mom around ... the middle class with me ... aam and doesn't comprehend ... and I'm immeasurably ... superior to them and a scary ride on into how and ... on time ... when I wrote the opinion where the coastal is all they care ... the ... dollar debt so carefully that the critics hold that level that would cause of the reverberations throughout this town and was in effect the ... heart Forum which is most thinks it's a more serious than any other ... in a deal on magazine and content to wear ... this man ... this man Wolf ... aam ... is that ... I hope Lesova bench now ... they didn't want anybody ... to think ... that because you are giving it doesn't mean it then maybe something ... going on ... somebody or is is ... he so all I can just answer ... write ... to him must be something going on ... there were a major ... new is you know there's nothing ... who is looking again soon but I've never seen that when you stop ... and get ... my Singaporean and in all sincerity ... come back to blog ... my delaying a ... who is ... he regarded the turns into an orgy ... we have Norman Lewis the psychiatrist immensely lower than the sex addict sex addiction therapist ... who says to her I'm paraphrasing now which I know is a risky thing to do with you ... what you're going to see if we stay here all night you're going to see people behave as they can ... conditions of complete freedom ... no it's ... building a blog on the blogs ... you'll see animal like behavior and to end this is thrilling ... and Michael a man replies There and you know my delaying a ... fell more than the press something about her ... something about it made her free ... that's in the book now ... Chanos Sullivan's comments ... from the last few common on all of this ... junk also lose come ... MLPs vision of present day America is eerily similar ... to the role of antiquity before Constantine ... where that antiquity was pre Christian the new antiquities post crash ... it's a regional brand of Protestant Christianity no longer influences that the wasp in Meeks ... no longer even pretend to believe ... it is a world of the year superstition ... and constant ... insecurity ... so this boisterous ... exhilarating book ... as a portrait of the apocalypse ... and I'm not in my mind I go along with them on the ... news business confidence and uncertainty ... and I think yes ... and ... it's very striking if you think of ... the mating ... habits ... of ... in this country the people in the eye ... aam ... it ... does ... today ... he is expected ... every level to sign the bottom ... and that ... a boy and girl dating isn't loaded term ... I mean ... having right in there ... right away when a man in need of the secondary ... as far as they can go ... without ... breaking up ... and and ... and ... so they know ... go everywhere in the world via the ... Panama and some quite yet ... it is a given ... we're going to be too keen on around ... that simply change ... from ... the way things were ... immediately after the second one is complete and will go through ... this a fifty ... fifty years ago ... everything was done to ... the mask ... on ... living together ... don't ... get in ... who is mad about ... preschool line ... yes ... aam and he he persuaded her mother to come along on their trips ... as a chaperone said was ok to the chapel ... will the motherless of giddy with excitement that the great tickets ... wonder dog ... but today ... the room and in the ... neck of the whole plot of that one of a booklet with the light of paid sick time ... it's ... in all our brief encounter ... you couldn't have played if if adult River is common to read the the the the whole drama what he could have written down ... so that the constant insecurity comes in ... money and that ... the of the past ... Mr. he is very hard one ... what I wrote to clients on some ... college life ... now ... move and was forty eight ... if the girl in that as they ... used to say come across ... in four dates guide you know ... then the next thing I knew it was ... cool mountain air long after that it was too ... late ... and in the last time I look into it does complicate scenario where the dates ... what more noble style ... and that's one reason the battle was chimpanzees ... haven't gotten very far in the ... the ... the girls always thinking the bottoms of the year of middle and eight ... and it's distracting ... um ... Mr. Camacho again he's the central character ... as best I can because I reckon he's the one character who behaves honorably throughout ... Edward T topping the fourth is that powered the newspaper editors a coward ... um ... religion is dying says Edward G topping to soften yet Mr. ... think of a petition investor thinks to himself ... I always believed that there is a righteous God ... new entitle the final chapter of the book which is about Mr the Knights ... of Hialeah ... so here's the scene ... modeling of his former girlfriend ... she dropped him to take up with the SEC said the sex addiction ... you know quite how to honor those syllables sex addiction experts Norman Lewis ... Keith she ... leads him to take up with ... Sergei Rowley often turns out to be ... a lavish bad guy ... and she he throws are over and then she goes back ... to yesterday in tears and ask for help ... and Tom Wolfe writes of investors' response ... as has been true throughout recorded history ... there is strong man strong enough to shrug off a woman's two years ... to add to that administers pride in his strength and spirit even think it ... valor as protector ... the tears of a woman pleading for the protector ... UK ... he did helper ... but ... what are we to make fan of Mr ... Camacho ... in this world in which values are dissolving ... the character from the place of the center ... important to the extent that you you is the author to your hand and demonstrations sympathies ... he is ... the man of strength ... for Avery Chivalry old fashioned term fate ... and so ... back to blog may contain in gorgeous even still the work of Virginia gentleman ... I ... well I used the time rolled the lead he has ... the greatest exit and it's a great bodybuilding exercise their ... climb ropes and overhead ... you value life without you and has no one is that if any body you might be might be watching ... I it's ... purposely enter ... a picture of the ... what I would consider sterling ... character ... and you look at the reward he gets for his ... he and his honesty and bravery ... he ... because he knew many Marines down from ... the sun ... which ... stranded which she freaking out on top of mass ... that happens to be a Cuban refugee ... and he misses a policeman some of the internet down ... mainly so that people get off the nearby bridge Anmuth ... Friday afternoon ... and ... he is considered ... a ... traitor ... for bringing this ... to anyone that even if he says ... oil is not possible severely only the bullpen and do this ... on the onthe that makes it alright I ... the rain back to the ... Nazi period ... so he's he's frustrated over nor again and this would be ... he's he's true to his ... so this is so ... Charlie Croker and a man in full ... and Mr. Camacho ... you like country ... here we have ... a man who ... loves modern maternity and modernism in some ways you can use to face much of your prose style and the ... Russian author begins with a ... sunny awesome is that right ... you can have days on the up and ... early twentieth century Russian offer so your modernist all kinds of ways but you are heroes ... our manly man man of faith ... and pray for whom the world Stearns and abuses and yet they continue on ... and so Tom Wolfe is saying ... Nietzsche may have been right ... values are dissolving ... but stick with them ... is that right must not add to an audience the ANZ a message ... I did see is somebody who refuses to ... Bach along into one ... and everybody else ... is doing the same was true ... my character Conrad Hensley ... and I'm and thoughtful ... and ... he randomly photos the proposal by Speedos ... in ... his nest in the daily show ... the failings of the people who would do ... that kind of things that ... that he death ... but more and more than anything else it's ... I just love all these people and ... I don't like it and I bought from many suits ... investment bankers and people going wild on markets ... in bugis ... the catch my and I am transfixed ... we this is a ... grow wild ... paved in no small part because a lot of ... conventional values that drive ... how does Tom Wolfe ... do it ... one summer evening this would be a couple of years ago ... on Lumwana Island when you were working ... on ... back to blood ... you and I had dinner ... I did something ... Ricky has ... almost before the words were out of my mouth it was a terrible mistake ... the wrong question to ask a working writer but I pass and I said out of the day's writing to ... your face fell ... and you said it was a struggle ... the rating of never gotten easier for him ... and that the only thing that was different now ... was that these days you could lift your face gays from your desk across to the bookshelf ... and see dozens of books with your name on the blinder ... and senior sales soul ... will ... you've done it before you must be able to do it again ... now you what must've been having me on ... no need to ... it is the heart is work ... and then I ... can think of the most suppose he's coming off ... the ... because I think it has to be ... journalists to clean the snow on the right to consider ... the U ... S to the sound ... reporting ... which is simply ... putting the word to him is is is very tough ... and I find that feeling only works is a quota ... system ... if you just make yourself ... aam found out ... did you tell I used a typewriter ... I ... you still use a typewriter ... and not external today ... I'm I'm back handwriting ... the ... typewriters ... aam ... through so many parts of the canyon again ... can it take to the rhythms in the meeting ... the ethanol he made against it ... the screen in the returns ... antique stores ... to find and replace them with ... put you in the were never tempted by the word processor in a long time and try ... and time again ... I was born too early ... it's one thing is this the will to ... by this that is played him were were content to dominoes touches ... the company or ... my hands don't always like this trying time ... and soon I can count on ... the key ... you ... see my children ... work with ... where the system ... they have their heels of a hands on ... cable ... defenders of flying ... aam across the keyboard ... Telefónica is ... largely touching ... the skis as usual the was a demo look at ... the minimum on looking to see what the witnesses is correct this route ... can it take to do when your when you take a third day of composition what time to get up ... I was always trying to ... be at my desk at night and never am ... but more like ... small and ten ... and ... I ... the fish ... the quarter ... aam ... why didn't ... they reveal ... what your quota ... to triple spaced pages ... kind of ... material ... come back about twelve hundred words ... none of the Holy Michael is and that was ... Dick and Jane E on come ... really as good a desk all times the noble cause and Noble couples I was happy with a hundred words is the recall ... in which you know you work with a fountain pen How ... Illinois a ... high Tuesday trades he is ... mechanical pencil ... they give Blair ... Christie's The from the ... keys maybe I like the ... you mention your quota is ... ten triples spaced ... pages and a twelve hundred words ... but you've gone to reading since you can't find the spare parts for the type regime under a long and so does someone ... could get someone in the House who ... does the typing as you ... know I ran through on ... his it's very nice enough for him somebody ... to do ... the ... typing fines ... and ... CFO stage of the sale I'm not doing this ... the sale was too early ... so how long it would that typically take to finish today's color doesn't vary with ... varied wildly ... if I finish early ... I just think the rest of the awesome ... to see you really do treat yourself you reward yourself ... and it takes you into the mind ... and will work into the night because I suppose is that ... I've got all the material ... ready because in writing and Beaumont is just as much ... reporting well ... let's take back to blog how many trips to Miami ... at least a dozen maybe more ... how ... long is more for months ... on ... her stated different hotel ... by play every single trade ... Krugman Bill Maher and Karl Mueller and he was ... a Kenyan these brand new Number ... loops ... aam ... and as the great plus with the fact that ... John tellin' the chief of police ... in Miami ... that is a good friend of mine he will remain here in New York when he was an inspector Christopher Lee and a ... police officer ... then he was ... moved to Philadelphia where he was the real star ... and he was he was extremely ... helpful he put me on a ... what they call in safe mode ... this was the standout and has trouble on the ... onthe sees ... the safe bowl of a forty five miles on the war ... his main attribute is its unthinkable ... because they try to turn them over and singly and in ... anyway ... and ... that was a plus has just started working away due ... to meet one person ... me to get along with that person ... can get into them new year ... and Soley FM Hialeah ... which is the real little about now ... see what they call a little of the niacin medal of Miami ... and you go to the cafe for signs of sweet cup of cream and coffee ... my ... the look of the Treaty Last kiln and playing checkers announced new minimum amount ... the real little bottom was not very small Hialeah ... which is Tuesday I think is the racetrack is ... restricted ... and the early two thousand ... humans ... living ... in Hialeah and Miami itself is only four hundred ... um slightly into question ... don't you suffer from a particular formalizing for principle that ... to observe something is to change it and to observe something away soon ... is presumably does the Howell how would you stroll ... into Hialeah ... and capture ... what I don't know ... going to ... I do find it ... I knew in time ... and that's enough to ... Houston set off alarm for unlimited calls the sky ... use the repossessing summit ... the ... I went to statistical published in the arm for just a plug in mind the greater Miami ... and ... with a ... dark ... jacket moment I also had a ... and that ... I notice that it was not a single email the whole place ... within the Canadian the people in the ... box office ... and ... based on many aunts and ... sitting there on the anime to watch this show ... and I ... can see we are here ... it all off onto ... a nice too and yes I am ... will people hear about this ... the little worried that you you can't ... get out of watching pornography by saying fondue Research ... globally ... but advantage on and nothing ever happened because he is in the body and spirit of starts you ... getting the names of people arrived on ... the road here and this is the renewed income is the new film notebooks ... this year at the strip club he returned to the Biltmore or whatever hoteliers thing ... and to then sit down and he can just ... kind of stream of conscious is no taking sights sounds how does this by continued and how it ... goes along with a note to me ... in St ... people have ... remember the name of it ... and then ... you called the honey pot and the bully on the the ... um ... I just know that the climate ... can can can can can ... go ... so you and before I go to sleep ... I've tried and tested recording everything chemicals memory DKS ... is a ... very rapid ... and these little details on the good for ... riding on the first least ... to go ... the city said Willows Workman suits ... it ends up being ... just like ... in ... the long pieces of journalism ... well ... does this passage ... this is this is just cold ... exposition setting up a scene this isn't a particularly important passage in the book ... its description ... noone ... knew nine get another identical Miami Dade this this guy a pale blue white hot Dohme ... radiating ferocious heat and blinding light ... down upon all the shoppers on Collins Avenue ... and giving them stomp the shadows on the sidewalk ... now that's very good and stumpy shadows on the side walk you can see that ... here comes ... the additional detail that makes a Tom Wolfe blinding light ... which they can scarcely even notice ... sumac Keilor de Generation defined classes are so dark ... and now we have told people who were tragic people who've been fled to Florida for the sunshine in our living in fear of it ... and I I suppose that's the sort of thing they can only come from ... detail from reporting ... on the TV is an ... also I think you have to have ... the government is trying to switch on the nineteenth of July noticing a pact with Nazi ... one day if I if ... I have to switch on the will to notice ... the little things with mayhem man may not be ... affected in the Samoans ... back to below and to America ... you know in the book ... more than half the population Miami was born outside United States ... and yet ... in the book you've got signs of economic buoyancy everywhere this is a rich ... place by the standards of human history and most of the world of the present ... Miami is a rich plays ... so one on one hand the reader might conclude ... the system seems to work ... and then on the other hand we've got to see ... Sergey are rolling off the bad guy is driving in sunny Isles which I now know thanks to Dr what is the Russian part of town ... and he's describing it among the lane and he says ... I'll do my best with your prose here ... if you cannot speak Russian you cannot buy an easing in those shops ... they are real Russians ... to happen all desire to be American ... he is like being anti Ocho in Miami and walking into a shop ... you cannot speak Spanish ... the cost of you know he has to be easy Americans ... these are ... Russians and Central Americans ... who just don't want to assemble ... the ... one thing tend to live apart from him from far as I can tell the Russians and how much money ... don't mix with anyone ... on ... the same there's a ... human society and build of wealthy people like cruises ... who ... don't ... seem to line up with the ... deal ... wasp or you know we all use ... words like late ... in Miami ... and he is too sensitive ... so it is a vocabulary special Anglo ... that is a I know it is a ... quite person of European ... macro ... and in you could be a Nigerian ... who raised him on raised in London ... and went to Cambridge ... aam ... but you do not qualify as an Anglo if you come true ... so far ... and it's all based on my and ... this is wordy Latino ... started there ... was no way it was never used the new in the world ... until it had been defined these two people ... American plates and the ... my life and whites ... it's ... the it's the most sensitive subjects Tuesday ... his skin color ... it doesn't ... it doesn't worry you you know what to look around Miami and say ... there goes the country ... oh no I mean I think you can add one or two dollars ... from ... stomach ... cancer was saying ... again that the blood in America freedom ... liberty to Central American value ... and here's a scene from back to blonde ... in which might delay a breaks up ... with a sex addiction ... expert ... quoting Michael and I can't believe I'm what you'd do that ... modeling assistant ... and I spent two days trying to persuade myself that this is sexual freedom ... freedom ... oh my God ... CLO down there and boasts of a nasty word as London about ... if I wanna drown myself in a well of excrement its liberty ... so to what extent ... is Tom Wolfe and back to blonde and Jeremiah ... warning readers against permitting liberty to become your license ... and to what extent is Tom Wolfe ... an extremely stylish Ryan jobs reporting one EC ... but the level of profundity ... and yet the active in the the act of writing ... is not meant as any kind of ... morning when does this crime ... it describes documents on ... the ... ground ... handling the ... relationship between ... the ... in this case a nurse and her ... employer ... reaches that level in which it The and that scene he tries to ... cram a whole hour with Emily's wanna do ... humans to flee I'm going to a parking lot ... he ... he's going to do ... something we've never been done ... in the past ... it's it's cool with it employer edge of the total in the fall ... it's it's getting ... beginning to happen ... and in what could happen first ... with a formal Morrow licensing system ... boys and girls not letting him for marriage ... couple ... final question ... you got your start in newspapers going going ... gone ... you ... you forgot your style in magazines ... once again ... the lighting ... industry ... or at least in ... the very dramatically shrinking industry ... what do you say ... to the young man or woman ... listening to this program ... who once this swing for the fences ... just the way Tom Wolfe's swings for the fences and write essays and fiction just as big an exuberant ... as this country ... the phone rings you use you mention if you ... if you read the New Zealand milk ... which is the the the the leader ... yes ... the few things don't look in the bottom ... of the page and so this was paid seventeen from around five pages ... good ... I ... the ... UK it seems to be ... an errand with shorter forms ... I'm going to dominate why ... you know Rawlins don't ... always win ... and running is the eyes and sixty s about a hundred times ... reading the piece like is ... Gonzo ... journalism ... or your cereal ization muffler on ... well I'm trying to ... be ... they can go on forever ... in the wilderness the meeting ... because ... on a conference ... the ... tremendous human scale unseemly drunken ... man who was killed ... and maybe that will ... will will hold true ... but it's ... the it's difficult ... to read things on the screen ... with maximum ... light ... can ... candles are pretty good job ... of calling all that down ... I'm ... not ... me and ... I don't know what the result ... of the lovely view ... these enemy ... is also used to getting news for example ... online immediately ... some reason you get new sons ... and daughters of journalists isn't she so you've never said there would never color over the book ... I don't really advisor career change right now right now nothing like that ... no because ... me ... in time ... talent will out ... Mrs this is in the case of ... he does it may be more ... difficult ... too ... yet with the writing ... five ... people with your name ... but the FT ... I do I suffer from suddenly ... from Reading Peace was on my computer or on non paper ... and I'm ... Ghana match ... twelve paragraphs ... Sunland strong ... some figure of speech or some ... Kristin ... and descriptions ... I will write back to Tennessee Wu wrote this ... list are busy and haven't noticed ... this took out will ... will prevail ... the demand side publishing books in them ... but in ... the body usually Japanese ... enough of books ... granted the ... five hundred a tailwind to lead to ... two hundred fifty eighth ... last question time ... when we talk on this program a few years ago ... I ask you if you thought the twenty first century ... would be another American century you're member Henry Luce is famous as they have to say will worsen the twentieth century was that the American century ... so I said to Tom Wolfe with the twenty first century the American century and Tom Wolfe replied ... the next six centuries will be American century's ... you still feel that way ... I do because is we don't really have any opposition ... I ... mean everybody's worried about ... the Arabs this moment right reasons ... well ... the literacy rate ... is about eight percent ... in those countries you cannot run a modern army ... with people who can read users can go ... aam ... just whom ... much is dependent on ... the ... instructions that are ... in one way or another and friendliness online ... I'm ... you know and away the ... the ... gold so-called well ... as Arab uprising Islamic uprising ... a ... triumph ... of ... I wish because they ... need they made a wrong turn that in life ... they didn't do it for all of ... these things and ... who isn't there was not by ... chance that the ... British ... we're in the first ... home garden in the sciences ... and medicine everything ... it's because they had ... the ... although they kick out the Church of Rome ... thanks to ... these lovelies ... on and he ... Starr was the idea that it's ok to read now ... and here's what he said ... Contiki alright to read to the Dow to cook faster via promised ... last night ... aam and that led to this great ... guy ... opening up and ... will we know the the the the um like mad ... and ... I really think that good ... news ... while most content and they're angry ... but things didn't go all the NRA I don't think it's a religious or ... so they they still have values ... we're experiencing the possible values will still when ... they definitely have that ... Tom Wolfe ... author of ... the blood ... thank you Peter thank you ... my ... pleasure ... for the Hoover institution in The Wall Street Journal on Peter Robinson ... thanks for joining us ... the the the
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The ‘Avesta’ is the book of sacred writings in which religion? | AVESTA -- Zoroastrian Archives
WZSE � Weekly Scripture
"Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed world-religions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind, directly and indirectly, than any other single faith." - Boyce, Zoroastrians, 1979, p. 1.
"Zoroaster was thus the first to teach the doctrines of an individual judgment, Heaven and Hell, the future resurrection of the body, the general Last Judgment, and life everlasting for the reunited soul and body. These doctrines were to become familiar articles of faith to much of mankind, through borrowings by Judaism, Christianity and Islam; yet it is in Zoroastrianism itself that they have their fullest logical coherence....� - Boyce, op. cit. p. 29.
We provide the complete text of the extant Avesta, the most ancient scriptures of Zoroastrianism, as well as many Pahlavi scriptures. It also includes information about the Avestan language, and other useful information for students of Zoroastrian religion. Most of the texts in these archives are extremely rare.
NOTE: Spelling of Zoroastrian technical terms has been normalized in these archives to facilitate searches. FEZANA published a Nawruz prayer book: Hama-Anjuman Prayers for Naurooz In English, Farsi and Gujarati. This is a humble effort to bring all our Zarathushti Groups together in a common prayer environment.
If you need a copy of the book, please contact: Soli P. Dastur at: dastur [at] comcast [dot] net. Donations for printing and postage are encouraged.
Avesta
| Zoroastrianism |
Enero is Spanish for which month of the year? | 1) Avesta as a Sacred Book
1.
The Avesta, or Zend-Avesta, as it is more familiarly, though less accurately called, is the name under which, as a designation, we comprise the bible and prayer-book of the Zoroastrian religion. The Avesta forms to day the Sacred Books of the Parsis or Fire-Worshippers, as they are often termed, a small community living now in India, or still scattered here and there in Persia. The original home of these worshippers and of their holy scriptures was ancient Iran, and the faith they profess was that founded centuries ago by Zoroaster(Zarathushtra), one of the great religious teachers of the East.
2.
The Avesta is, therefore, an important work, preserving as it does, the doctrines of this ancient belief and the customs of the earliest days of Persia. It represents the oldest faith of Iran, as the Vedas do of India. The oldest parts date back to a period of time nearly as remote as the Rig-Veda, though its youngest parts are much later. The religion which the Avesta presents was once one of the greatest; it has, moreover, left ineffaceable traces upon the history of the world. Flourishing more than a thousand years before the Christian era, it became the religion of the great Achaemenian kins, Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes, but its power was weakened by the conquest of Alexander, and many of its sacred books were lost. It revived again during the first centuries of our own era, but was finally broken by the Mohammedans in their victorious invasion. Most of the Zoroastrian worshippers were then compelled through presecution to accept the religion of the Koran; many, however, fed to India for refuge, and took with them what was left of their sacred writings. A few of the faithful remained behind in Persia, and, though presecuted, they continued to practise their religion. It is these two scanty peoples, perhaps 80,000 souls in India and 10,000 in Persia, that have preserved to us the Avesta in the form in which we now have it.
3.
The Designation Avesta, for the scriptures, is adopted from the term Avistak, regularly employed in the Pahlavi of the Sassassanian time. But it is quite uncertain what the exact meaning and derivation of this word may be. Possibly Pahlavi Avistak, like the Sanskrit Veda, may signify 'wisdom, knowledge' the book of knowledge'. Perhaps, however, it means rather 'the original text, the scripture, the law'. The designation 'Zend-Avesta', though introduced by Anquetil du Perron, as described below, is not an accurate title. It arose by mistake from the inversion of the oftrecurring Pahlavi Phrase, Avistak va Zand 'Avesta and Zend', or 'the Law and Commentary'. The term Zand in Pahlavi as the Parsi priests now rightly comprehend it, properly denotes 'understanding, explanation', and refers to the later version and commentary of the Avesta texts, the paraphrase which is written in the pahlavi language. The proper designation for the scriptures, therefore, is Avesta; the term Zend (see below) should be understood as the Pahlavi version and commentary.
2) Allusions to the Avesta: its Discovery and History of research.
1.
Of the religion, manners, and customs of ancient Persia, which the Avesta preserves to us, we had but meagre knowledge until about a century ago. What we did know up to that time was gathered from the more or less scattered and unsatisfactory references of the classic Greek and Latin, from some allusions in Oriental writers, or from the later Persian epic literature. To direct sources, however, we could not then turn. Allusions to the religion of the Magi, the faith of the Avesta, are indeed to be found in the Bible. The wise men from the East who came to worship our Saviour, the babe in Bethlehem, were Magi. Centuries before that date, however, it was Cyrus, a follower of the faith of Zoroaster, whom God called his anointed and his shepherd and who gave orders that the Jews be returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. Darius, moreover, the worshipper of Ormazd, favored the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem as decreed by Cyrus. Allusions to the ancient faith of the Persians are perhaps contained in Ezek.8.16; Isiah 45.77,12.
2.
The classical references of Greek and Roman writers to the teachings of Zoroaster, which we can now study in the Avesta itself, may be said to begin with the account of the Persians given by Herodotus in his history. To this account may be added references and allusions, though often preserved only in fragments, by various other writers, including Plutarch 'On Isis and Osiris', and Pliny, down to Agathias (A.D. 500).
3.
After the Mohammedan conquest of Persia, we have an allusion by the Arabic writer, Mas'udi (A.D. 940), who tells of the Avesta of Zardusht, and its commentary called Zend, together with a Pazand explanation. The Abasta is also mentioned several times by Al-Biruni (about A.D. 1000). The later Mohammedan writer, Shahrastani (A.D. 1150), sketches in outline the creed of the Magi of his day. An interesting reference is found in the Syriac-Arabic Lexicon of Bar-Bahlul (A.D. 963) to an Avastak, a book of Zardusht, as composed in seven tongues, Syriac, Persian, Aramean, Segesteanian(Sistan), Marvian, Greek, and Hebrew. In an earlier Syriac manuscript Commentary on the New Testament (A.D. 852) by Isho'dad, Bishop of Hadatha, near Mosul, mention is made of the Abhasta as having been written by Zardusht in twelve different languages. These latter allusions, though late, are all important, as showing the continuity, during ages, of the tradition of such a work as the Avesta, which contains the teachings of Zoroaster, the prophet of Iran. All these allusions, however, it must be remembered, are by foreigners. No direct Iranian sources had been accessible.
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Who played the title roles in the 1977 film ‘Fun With Dick and Jane’? | Amazon.com: Fun With Dick And Jane: George Segal, Jane Fonda, Ed McMahon, John Dehner: Amazon Digital Services LLC
By Nathan Shepherd on January 12, 2017
Format: DVD|Verified Purchase
I choose this rating because the movie is good. What I like about the movie is that George Segal and Jane Fonda star in this hilarious send-up of upper middle class mores and the price people are willing to pay to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Just as they're putting in a new pool at the house that has sunk them deep into debt, Dick is fired from his high-paying job as an executive. Housewife Jane isn't too worried at first, figuring she'll go to work and they'll just tighten their belts for awhile, but it quickly becomes apparent that Dick's unemployment isn't going to go very far, and she isn't really good at anything besides spending. So when Jane inadvertently gets away with stealing $2,000, the entrepreneurial spirit takes over and the two come up with a new solution: they'll steal the money they need to live on. There's only one thing didn't count on: being a robber is actually hard work! What I dislike about the movie is that I wanted to see more of it. I would recommend this movie to other people.
By Richard Muller on August 11, 2016
Format: DVD|Verified Purchase
There's nothing like an original, especially when it's this well done. Sorry Mr. Carrey, but your remake was close to a dud. Not even the great looks and added comedic talent of Tea Leoni could salvage this from a made-for-direct-to-DVD listing. George Segal and Jane Fonda did a much more convincing job of portraying the set-upon-suburbanites and their zany attempts to reclaim their spot in the Upper Middle Class Echelons. McMahon plays a fine, leacherous, money-grubbing exec who could care less about his help. From "Zlute" to "Barbarella" to "Comes A Horseman" Fonda makes whatever role she's in something you care about. (Okay; "Barbarella" was a stretch...)
So if Jim Carrey's antics are what makes you laugh, so be it. I just wish he'd have had less funny looks and a MUCH funnier script to work with.
If fun and frolic with two great actors is what you'd prefer, go for the original~! Also, the sight gags are wonderful!
By William Powers on May 29, 2013
Format: Amazon Video|Verified Purchase
A pair of spoiled, rich and clueless characters are thrown for a loop when their world comes crashing down as they find themselves no longer apart of the upper middle class and quickly heading for the poor house.
While trying their hardest to hold onto what little they can, Dick and Jane witness a robbery and soon find themselves turning to a life of crime to just make ends meet.
It's a great visit to the 70's. A time I don't remember much myself because I was only about 7 when the movie came out, but it's not hard to see how anyone would have a crush on Jane Fonda. She is funny, classy and very sexy.
The movie does a great job in getting you to feel for a couple of Spoiled, Rich white folk that really dont deserve your sympathy even if they really didn't do anything wrong other then live life on the hog.
This movie is 1000 times better then the remake. I would say it's a good time, a worth a watch.
By Chloe Stone on April 4, 2014
Format: DVD|Verified Purchase
This is another movie that age has not hurt and still remains very funny today. This movie has been remade and the new version is not good. Sometimes the movie is on and showing it with George Segal and Jane Fonda but when I have turned it on, it is nearly always the newer one and it just isn't very good. I don't think that remakes are ever as good as the original and we don't even watch it because we like the original. I actually had to buy the movie to get the right version and it has never become dated and is always enjoyable.
By Jerry Snyder on November 6, 2002
Format: VHS Tape|Verified Purchase
I bought this recently wondering if the fun would still be there after a few decades. Sometimes things have to be rethought, updated. "Dick and Jane" still works all by itself. We might be conditioned to think of Jane Fonda for her dramatic roles, but she is a superior comedian and does a superb job as Jane.
I consider it one of the top movies of all time -- but many people need weight and heft before they will stake any such claim. If you are one of those, I'm sorry. I will always love this film.
If anyone knows how to campaign for a DVD version, let us know. A few other reviewers have asked for a DVD version, I see.
One reason I wanted to write this review is that I recently saw "The Morning After" and was surprised that my opinion was so different than most reviews I researched. This is a fine look at Jane Fonda's ability by Sidney Lumet. I think a lot of people misunderstand what they are seeing, however. If you don't "get it" you might not appreciate the brilliance of this performance: we don't know who Fonda is portraying for most of the movie. Seeing an actor is most often like receiving a specially prepared gift. The actor's work ususally supplies a lot of "givens" to the developing story. Not the case in "The Morning After." Here, we are challenged rather than coddled to. Only near the end do we find that the character's history includes more than the status of a "ne'er-been" TV walk-on actress.
I was will be thinking about this movie for days and watching it again. And watching "Fun with Dick and Jane" more, too. Both of these films should make you proud of a job well done by Jane Fonda.
By Jimmy Rants on August 3, 2011
Format: DVD|Verified Purchase
This movie is hilarious.
Even though this movie is not new, or anywhere close to being considered a new release, it is very entertaining to say the least, and a must have.
Without giving away any major plot descriptions, this movie is about an executive that lives a very comfortable "high on the hog" lifestyle. Unfortunately, he loses his job unexpectedly that places him, and his wife in a worrisome situation of "What will we do now?"
Buy the movie, kick back, and enjoy a very funny movie, in a different time that reflects a mood that is financially close to today's time period.
| george segal and jane fonda |
Central Park is in which borough of New York City? | Not so much fun for Dick and Jane - World Socialist Web Site
World Socialist Web Site
Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
Not so much fun for Dick and Jane
By Joanne Laurier
21 January 2006
Fun with Dick and Jane, directed by Dean Parisot, screenplay by Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller
Fun with Dick and Jane directed by Dean Parisot is a remake of the 1977 comedy of the same title with Jane Fonda and George Segal. Set in 2000, Parisot’s film stars Jim Carrey as Dick Harper who heads an upwardly mobile family living their dream life in suburban Los Angeles.
That they are living it heavily mortgaged and in debt does not bother Dick or his wife Jane, (Téa Leoni), as Dick is on the corporate fast track. He works for the behemoth Globodyne, a worldwide leader in the consolidation of media properties, run by the legendary mogul Jack McCallister (Alec Baldwin). When McCallister summons Dick to the executive suite, the latter knows his long-time ambition of becoming a vice president is about to be realized.
With his promotion secured, Dick tells Jane to quit her job in order to spend more time with their son who is closer to the Hispanic housekeeper than he is to his parents (they speak to him in English, he responds in Spanish). Six hours into his new position, Dick as VP of communications appears on a CNN-like financial news program only to be confronted by his host as well as consumer advocate Ralph Nader (playing himself) about executive malfeasance in the collapse of Globodyne. At this point, televised graphics show the company stock entering free-fall even as a stuttering, sweating Dick continues to deliver his embarrassing pro-company spiel. Dick has obviously been set up by McCallister and his CFO, Frank Bascom (Richard Jenkins), to be the patsy in a last-ditch effort to conceal Globodyne’s losses from its stock market manipulating shell game.
Having looted whatever assets ever existed in the now worthless company, McCallister leaves with hundreds of millions while his employees face a financial meltdown. In a television news clip, George W. Bush proclaims America to be a wealthy society—an accurate statement as far as the corporate criminals and thieves are concerned.
At first confident that his skills are marketable, Dick soon discovers his job quests leave him standing in line behind hundreds of equally qualified and unemployed executives. The economic plight is widespread; both Dick and Jane are forced to take whatever is available—Dick greeting customers at a giant discount (and cheap labor) mart and Jane doing a humiliating stint as a quasi-Tae Bo instructor.
The Harpers’ downward spiral is fast and unrelenting: the electricity gets shut off, the furniture repossessed, the BMW traded in for a beater, the lawn and bushes reclaimed as status-conscious friends vanish and the family is reduced to obtaining food from a soup kitchen. Sinking even lower, Jane signs up to be a research guinea pig for a Botox-like product and Dick stands on street corners with undocumented Mexican workers seeking day labor. Without identification, he gets hauled in with his compadres by the INS. Dick and Jane’s nightmare is comically rendered by the filmmakers, for the most part successfully.
Shamelessly standing in front of his mega-mansion, Jack McCallister gives interviews to the media, explaining that he too has suffered because of Globodyne’s failure. Every broadcast of McCallister’s smug face and infuriating lies emboldens the Harpers, who finally resort to small-time robberies with escalating imagination and bravado. They are as much trying to recapture their former lifestyle as rebelling against it. Hooking up with former CFO Bascom, now a full-time drunk, the trio plans an audacious caper to rectify McCallister’s criminal injustices.
The movie’s closing credits thank Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom.
The production notes for Fun with Dick and Jane acknowledges corporate criminality as a “resonant theme in the film that was ripe for comic treatment.” It quotes from the October 17, 2004 cover story of the Los Angeles Times Magazine entitled, “The New Executive Class,” in which it describes how corporate pay has increased to astronomical levels while workers’ wages have stagnated. “If ordinary workers’ annual pay had risen at the same rate as CEO pay since 1990, a report by the Institute for Policy Studies points out, they would be making $75,338 today—instead of the $26,899 they are taking home. Adjusted for inflation, that’s only marginally more than what they made in 1980,” states the article.
The filmmakers point out that starting in the 1980s, “mutual funds and institutional investors came into control of large chunks of company stocks and they wanted quick returns. They applied pressure to the corporate boards, who responded by seeking quick fixes from outside talent. These ‘saviors’ were lured by higher and higher compensation as well as the promise of a ‘golden parachute’ should their methods fail.”
Dick and Jane are victims of this corporate greed. Says Parisot: “The ‘little guys’ are the ones who are left with nothing while the upper ranks remain unscathed. Ultimately, it becomes Dick and Jane’s job to stand up for those who have gotten the short end of the deal.”
Actor Alec Baldwin speaks forcefully in the production notes about the modus operandi of corporate types, such as Jack McCallister: “There is something fascinating about a guy who is paid a guaranteed salary of a couple of million dollars—or in his mind, a couple of lousy million—who has an expense account that is so lavish he doesn’t ever spend any of his own money. He also gets an extraordinary stock option package. And then, on top of that, he decides it’s necessary to steal an extra couple of hundred million from the company. They have this artificially inflated lifestyle and it seems all perspective is lost. When I saw that Dennis Kozlowski (former CEO of Tyco International) had a $6,000 umbrella stand, I knew we were going back to Roman times. It was just so vulgar.”
Fun With Dick and Jane is not a subtle work. Much of the comedy succeeds, but not all. There are rough edges and moments of exaggerated comic effort that do not come off. Nonetheless, it is honestly done and possesses a good deal of heart. Taking a look at the 1977 version, with George Segal and Jane Fonda, highlights some of the current film’s strengths and sensibilities. Carrey and Leoni work well together (which is not small feat considering how overwhelming Carrey tends to be), although their performances never reach the depth and subtlety Segal and particularly Fonda bring to their roles.
Notable is the different look and feel of the films, each respectively reflective of its times. The 1977 film is darker (much of it seems to take place at night), more cynical, yet more knowing and intimate, while Parisot’s film is bright and cold, exuding a sense that around every corner lurks catastrophe, despite all the conspicuous wealth. It is obvious in the earlier film that there still exists a social safety net, albeit a limited one, to deal with the impact of a recession. Whereas in 2000, American society is much more indifferent and brutal, with an almost complete absence of social services.
Although in a meager amount, Segal as Dick Harper is able to collect unemployment, which he supplements by working under the table as an awkward extra in the opera Carmen. He and Fonda (as Jane) are able to get money (they are outraged that the interest is 18.5 percent, a typical credit card rate today!) from a loan shark company that advertises: “When it comes to lending money, we are pussycats.” Their financial needs are far smaller. Jane’s parents also come into the picture, although unhelpfully. After some distasteful moralizing, her wealthy, self-satisfied father refuses her a loan, saying: “You tell Dick he’s a lucky man—not every man gets a chance to be tested. I envy him.”
Fast forward to the year 2000. Dick and Jane Harper have far fewer options. Their isolation is far greater from family and institutions. No government assistance, no equity from a property whose value plummeted with the demise of a major employer. Even middle class parents could hardly scrounge up the resources to substantively help with a bankruptcy on the scale of Dick and Jane’s. There is essentially nothing to stop, or even slow, the plunge into destitution—even for a couple who has, according to the filmmakers, “played by the rules and assembled all the things that define a successful American family.”
Further, Segal’s character in the earlier film is an aerospace engineer, a man with a genuine, productive skill who, despite his sterling performance, gets downsized. On the other hand, Parisot’s protagonist is a pitchman for a global consolidator of media properties, a wheeling-and-dealing, parasitical enterprise, that subtracts from rather than adds to society’s wealth.
Whereas Carrey and Leoni’s characters are fully vested in the world of competitively “upgrading” luxury items, Segal and Fonda’s Dick and Jane are more at home as radicals and ‘outlaws.’ The latter couple’s social descent is therefore much less traumatic—perhaps in part it’s even welcomed—than that of their counterparts in the updated film.
This explains something about the easy symbiosis between Carrey’s Harper and the Mexican immigrants. When Dick becomes a day laborer, he melds with the other workers and not simply because of what Carrey—with a personal history of having endured hard times—brings to the table. It does not seem out of place or condescending that he and Jane should involve themselves in helping the deported workers get back into the country. Currently, there is an unprecedented leveling of society under way—an extreme polarization in which there is a tiny super-wealthy elite and then, more or less, everyone else. Significant layers of the middle class who have been dumped like so much garbage by corporate America have overnight become proletarianized.
Segal and Fonda’s Harpers face a more temporary kind of financial crisis and therefore are naturally more aristocratic in relationship to the Hispanic characters, who are cast primarily as comedic color. At one point, Segal’s character says: “I’m not cut out for blue collar crime. I’ve got a white collar mentality—I panic in the face of death.” Another time, he complains: “In these bicentennial years, I am not going to contribute to the destruction of the middle class.”
The class and racial gulf is more a static feature of the 1977 film, although amusingly done. In one scene the Harpers quickly leave a bar they intended to rob when they see it has an all-black clientele. The bartender sarcastically asks: “When did they start busing white robbers into a black neighborhood?”
The Harpers of 1977 get hurt by a corporate boss, Charlie Blanchard (Ed McMahon), who is a crook with a slush fund. The company, Taft Aerospace, faces difficulties because of the winding down of the space program. Blanchard is forced out and presumably the company diversifies. Problem solved. The film ends with Dick replacing Blanchard as the president of the corporation. A cheeky postscript claims that Taft’s board praised Harper for displaying “the imagination and ingenuity that has made American industry what it is today.”
The situation in 2000 (the latter film’s setting) is far more problematic. The Enron-era corruption is vaster in its reach and repercussions. Enron executives created the California energy shortage that bankrupted the state and acutely distressed the most vulnerable sections of the population. Enron’s demise involved not just the loss of jobs, as bad as that was, but the wiping out of pensions and life savings for thousands. It revealed, as well as those bankruptcies that followed, that what was at issue was not one bad apple but a system rotten to the core.
As opposed to the 1977 film, significantly Dick and Jack in the new version concern themselves with all those shafted by McCallister and Globodyne, although their solution is hardly radical (or convincing). This reflects a very different outlook than that which was espoused by those movers and shakers, who, at the onset of the Reagan years, would come to be known as the Me-generation.
Director Parisot reiterates this in the movie’s production notes: “[T]hey [Dick and Jane] realize that the best way to get back what they’ve lost is to avenge all the other people Dick worked with who also lost everything they had while their boss got off scot-free, kept his millions and maintained his lavish lifestyle.”
Parisot and the cast and crew of Fun with Dick and Jane felt a need to weigh in against the political and corporate offensive being conducted against the population. For this, they should be commended.
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Who was voted in as Mayor of London in May 2012? | London Mayor election and local election results 2012: as it happened - Telegraph
London Mayor election and local election results 2012: as it happened
Coverage as it happened of the results of local elections and the London Mayoral race.
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Boris Johnson speaks after his victory, as his rivals Brian Paddick and Ken Livingstone chat in the background Photo: WILL WINTERCROSS
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A member of the electorial count staff carries ballot boxes as he helps to tally votes for the local elections at Olympia conference centre in London Photo: AFP/GETTY
Labour Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone walks to City Hall to await the announcement Photo: GETTY
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London Mayor Boris Johnson with his wife Marina in his office in City Hall as they wait for the results Photo: ANDREW PARSONS
Labour Party leader Ed Miliband is congratulated by supporters in Birmingham Photo: REUTERS/Darren Staples
David Cameron: Election results are unfortunate, but we still made a strong showing. Photo: ITN
Candidates watch as votes are counted at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon Photo: PA
Votes are counted at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon Photo: PA
Counting of votes gets underway at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Bradford Photo: PA
Ballot boxes arrive at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon Photo: PA
Independent candidate Siobhan Benita outside St James Church Hall in New Malden Photo: RICK FINDER
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A woman walks past the Herne Tavern, which is used as a polling station, in south east London. Photo: REUTERS
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Ken Livingstone and his wife Emma arrive at their local polling station in north London with their son Tom Photo: PA
Mother Xavier of The Tyburn Convent entering the Polling station to vote Photo: PAUL GROVER
| Boris Johnson |
Who wrote, produced and directed the 2009 film ‘Avatar’? | About Boris - Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
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About Boris
Mayor of London (since May 2008) MP for Henley-on-Thames (June 2001 - May 2008) Shadow Minister for Higher Education (December 2005 - July 2007) Editor of The Spectator (August 1999 - December 2005) Shadow Minister for the Arts (April 2004 - November 2004) Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party (October 2003 - November 2004) Mr Johnson was born on 19 June 1964 in New York, USA, educated at Eton (King's Scholar), and Balliol College, Oxford (Brackenbury Scholar in Classics). He worked for The Times, The Wolverhampton Express and Star before joining The Daily Telegraph, where he was successively a leader and feature writer, EU Correspondent, and Assistant Editor. In 1997 he was voted "What the Papers Say" Political Commentator of the Year; in 1998 he was mystifyingly designated Pagan Federation of Great Britain National Journalist of the Year; in 2003 he was voted Editors' Editor of the Year; in 2004 he was voted Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards and in December 2005 What the Papers Say Columnist of the Year. He was voted Channel 4 News Award for the person who made the biggest impression on the politics of 2004, 2005. He writes a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph, and has published six books: Friends, Voters, Countrymen; Lend Me Your Ears, Seventy Two Virgins, Dream of Rome, Have I Got Views for You and Life in the Fast Lane: The Johnson Guide to Cars and The Perils of the Pushy Parents, A Cautionary Tale. On May 2nd 2008, Boris was elected Mayor of London by over 1,000,000 Londoners. Mr Johnson is married to Marina and they have two sons and two daughters. More unmoderated information is available here: Wikipedia: Boris Johnson
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What was the maiden name the mother of US astronaut Buzz Aldrin? | Buzz Aldrin - Biography - IMDb
Buzz Aldrin
Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trivia (14) | Personal Quotes (8)
Overview (3)
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini Bio (1)
Buzz Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey, USA as Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. He is known for his work on The Other Side of the Moon (1990), Fly Me to the Moon 3D (2008) and Apollo 11: The Untold Story (2006). He was previously married to Lois Driggs Cannon, Beverly Van Zile and Jean Ann Archer.
Spouse (3)
( 29 December 1954 - 1972) (divorced) (3 children)
Trivia (14)
Astronaut, second man on the moon.
Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon.
Had his first name legally changed to "Buzz" in 1979.
Moonwalker. Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 11, making him the second man to walk on the Moon.
Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Recipient, Technical Achievment Award (1995) "NASA, First live television broadcast from the Moon" (1969).
His Swedish ancestors were blacksmiths who emigrated to America from the province Värmland in Sweden.
Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2007 for his services to enterprise and space (inaugural election). Official induction ceremonies held in May 2008.
In 2007, at age 77, he underwent plastic surgery for a face-lift. Claims that being subjected to countless bouts of G-force as a fighter pilot and astronaut caused his jowls to sag prematurely.
Flew twice for NASA. Once on the first manned lunar expedition Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins and once on Gemini 12 with Jim Lovell , the last Gemini mission. On the historic Apollo 11 mission, the lunar module was Eagle and the command module was Columbia.
Honorary member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
Jokingly credited in Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Buzz Aldrin Show (1970) as actor, writer and makeup artist.
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, California on January 14, 1993.
His nickname "Buzz" originated in childhood. The younger of his two older sisters mispronounced 'brother' as 'buzzer', which was then shortened to 'Buzz'.
Wrote a 2009 memoir "Magnificent Desolation," telling in detail his problems after his return from the moon with divorce, drinking, depression, and despair and checking into rehab in 1975 where he started the long climb back to sobriety and hope.
Personal Quotes (8)
[on joining Neil Armstrong in first walk on the moon, 20 July 1969] Beautiful! Beautiful! Magnificent desolation!
[on why no famous photos were taken of Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 landing on the moon] As the sequence of lunar operations evolved, Neil had the camera most of the time, and the majority of pictures taken on the moon that include an astronaut are of me. It wasn't until we were back on Earth and in the lunar receiving laboratory looking over the pictures that we realized there were few pictures of Neil. My fault, perhaps, but we had never simulated this in our training.
There's a need for accepting responsibility - for a person's life and making choices that are not just ones for immediate short-term comfort. You need to make an investment, and the investment is in health and education.
We can continue to try and clean up the gutters all over the world and spend all of our resources looking at just the dirty spots and trying to make them clean. Or we can lift our eyes up and look into the skies and move forward in an evolutionary way.
I think humans will reach Mars, and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime.
Mars is there, waiting to be reached.
The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year," Aldrin wrote. "As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life.
[on Robin Williams] I regarded Robin Williams as a friend and fellow sufferer. His passing is a great loss. The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year. As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life. Robin Williams RIP.
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| Moon |
Great Leighs Race Course, which opened in 2007, is in which English county? | Buzz Aldrin Biography
Buzz Aldrin Biography
Picture of Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon, in the Apollo 11 mission.
Ask Buzz Aldrin: "What is it like to walk on the planet with the same name as your mother's maiden name?" He might just have an answer. Buzz Aldrin has led a fascinating life, being one of the first people to walk on the surface of the moon, but not the first (that was the Apollo 11 mission commander, Niel Armstrong).
He is a man of passion for what he does and has achieved many things people can only dream about. The man has a sense of humor, too. When being interviewed by Channel7, he was asked how it was decided that Niel Armstrong was the first person to come out of the space craft, "Buzz, did you flip a coin or something?". To which Dr. Aldrin replies, "Well, you know, if you toss a coin up in space, it never returns".
In his 1973 autobiography titled "Return to Earth" Aldrin reflects on his historical life, childhood, his descent into alcoholism and mental illness, and being manipulated by the government. "I was idly discussing books I had read as a youngster when I remembered there had been a period of fascination with science fiction. Then I remembered one story about a voyage to the moon during which a great deal of trouble was encountered and once the moon had been reached the space travelers departed for earth, returning home insane. It had given me nightmares as a youngster, and had secured an odd corner in my psychic life. Ironically, I would end up going on the first voyage to the moon and that corner of my psychic life would come right along me, stirred to frightened life but unable to present itself in my consciousness until the insistent prodding of a psychiatrist unearthed it."
Buzz Aldrin was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in Montclair, New Jersey on January 20, 1930. He is an American pilot and astronaut who was the pilot of the Lunar Module during the first lunar landing mission. Strangely, his mother's name is Marion Moon, she was the daughter of an army chaplain. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, was an aviation pioneer and a student of rocket developer Robert Goddard. Buzz Aldrin graduated from West Point United States Military Academy with honors in 1951, third in his class, with a major in Science.
He flew Sabre jet fighters in 66 combat missions in the Korean Conflict. According to his web-site, he shoot down two Mig-15's during his time as a jet fighter pilot in the Korean War. Later, he was appointed an aide to the dean of faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy. There, he flew F-100's as a flight commander at Bittburg, Germany.
After the Korean Conflict he continued his education, earned a doctorate in astronautics from Cambridge's MIT (Massachussetts Institute of Technology) in Manned Space Rendezvous before joining the NASA astronaut corps in October of 1963. On November 11, 1966, Aldrin flew on the Gemini 12 space mission.
During his career at NASA, Buzz Aldrin had received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the United States, and numerous other awards from a number of other countries.
Apollo 11 Command Module
Buzz Aldrin and Apollo 11
On July 20th, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in the geographical area known as the Sea of Tranquility in a space mission otherwise known as Apollo 11. They were the first two people to walk on the moon. The live broadcast transmitted back to Earth was the largest worldwide event in the history of television.
His efforts and contributions in space research were implemented by NASA in all of the space missions, which includes the first space docking with the Russian Cosmonauts. Buzz Aldrin founded the rocket design company, Starcraft Boosters, Inc., and a non-profit organization the ShareSpace Foundation which focuses on space tourism.
Although his real name is Edwin Eugene Aldrin, (Jr.), he is most known as "Buzz" Aldrin. He got this nickname from his baby sister who called him "buzzer", trying to pronounce the word "brother". In 1988, he legally changed his name to Buzz.
Buzz Aldrin lives with his wife, Lois, in Los Angeles, California.
Books
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In 1973, which horse set new records at the US Kentucky Derby and a new world record at the Belmont Stakes? | Secretariat - Belmont Stakes 1973 - YouTube
Secretariat - Belmont Stakes 1973
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Uploaded on Jan 2, 2007
I think this is one of the most famous and awesome race in U.S. In this race, Secretariat, an outstanding big chestnut horse, wins by 31 length(!!!), making the world 12F record, achieving triple crown.
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| Secretariat |
Which jockey won seven races on Champions Day at Ascot in September 1996? | Belmont Stakes: Watch Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown win | SI.com
Watch Secretariat's 31-length victory at the 1973 Belmont
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SI Wire
Friday June 5th, 2015
As American Pharoah prepares for Saturday's Belmont Stakes, the horse racing world again hopes for the sport's first Triple Crown since 1977. Since the first Triple Crown winner in 1919, there has never been this long a gap between instances of the feat. But horse racing has experienced a Triple Crown drought before, between 1948 and 1973, when seven horses won the Derby and the Preakness but none could capture the Belmont as well.
That crown-less stretch ended with Secretariat, whose victory at the 1973 Belmont has become one of the most famous races of all time.
Secretariat's triumph was no upset. The horse entered the Belmont a 1-10 favorite, having decisively won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. But he fell to fourth place early on, as rival Sham shot out to an early lead, then ran alongside Secretariat for a time. But as Sham slowed down (eventually finishing fifth), Secretariat seemed to gain steam.
Here's how SI's William Nack described what followed, in his 1990 retrospective on Secretariat.
Secretariat ran flat into legend, started running right out of the gate and never stopped, ran poor Sham into defeat around the first turn and down the backstretch and sprinted clear, opening two lengths, four, then five. He dashed to the three-quarter pole in 1:09⅘, the fastest six-furlong clocking in Belmont history. I dropped my head and cursed [jockey Ron] Turcotte: What is he thinking about? Has he lost his mind? The colt raced into the far turn, opening seven lengths past the half-mile pole. The timer flashed his astonishing mile mark: 1:34⅕!
I was seeing it but not believing it. Secretariat was still sprinting. The four horses behind him disappeared. He opened 10. Then 12. Halfway around the turn he was 14 in front ... 15 ... 16 ... 17. Belmont Park began to shake. The whole place was on its feet. Turning for home, Secretariat was 20 in front, having run the mile and a quarter in 1:59 flat, faster than his Derby time.
He came home alone. He opened his lead to 25 ... 26 ... 27 ... 28. As rhythmic as a rocking horse, he never missed a beat. I remember seeing Turcotte look over to the timer, and I looked over, too. It was blinking 2:19, 2:20. The record was 2:26⅗. Turcotte scrubbed on the colt, opening 30 lengths, finally 31. The clock flashed crazily: 2:22 ... 2:23. The place was one long, deafening roar. The colt seemed to dive for the finish, snipping it clean at 2:24.
• SI VAULT: William Nack on how Secretariat took him on an unforgettably exhilarating ride
Secretariat's 31-length victory and 2:24 winning time both remain course records 42 years later.
After Secretariat in 1973, Affirmed and Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown in 1977 and 1978, respectively, but the feat has not been accomplished since.
Watch the full historic 1973 Belmont here.
- Alex Putterman
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In which year was the tax on betting abolished in the Britain? | Abolition of betting tax fuels boom in gambling | The Independent
Abolition of betting tax fuels boom in gambling
Friday 2 December 2005 00:00 BST
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The Independent Online
Betting is likely to treble in the decade, creating a financial bonanza for bookmakers, an academic study shows. University researchers say Labour's abolition of betting tax four years ago has provided the perfect conditions for a gambling boom.
Gambling will soar from £6.9bn in 1999 to £11.8bn in 2009, says the Leisure Industries Research Centre of Sheffield Hallam University. In that time, betting on everything from horse-racing to share prices is expected to rise from £1.6bn billion to £4.3bn.
As restrictions on the number of casinos are relaxed, there will be strong rises in spending on fruit machines, poker, blackjack and roulette. The study will also raise concerns about more gambling addicts. Some have appeared in recent court cases, including Graham Price, a financial consultant who stole £10m from clients and a bank to bet on horses.
The Sheffield Hallam team, who analysed figures from official bodies, made a range of predictions about how Britons will spend their leisure time from now until the end of the decade.
They forecast that alcohol consumption will rise and pub groups will experience sharp rises in share price because of the licensing reforms, which came into force last month. They estimate that 15 per cent more spirits will be drunk.
The academics also said the market for sports equipment and participation will grow by 27 per cent between 2004 and 2009 on the back of the 2006 Football World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics.
Spending at cinemas will rise by 3 per cent a year above inflation to £6.8bn by 2009. And the rising popularity of restaurants will continue, with eating out growing faster than inflation. But spending on reading will decline.
The researchers say gambling has been electrified by the abolition of betting tax in 2001 and the rise of internet and spread betting. Before that, gambling had declined by up to 5 per cent a year between 1999 and 2001. After the abolition of duty - in exchange for a tax on the bookmakers' profits - gambling has risen every year. Last year there was a 12 per cent spike.
The second-biggest sector of gambling, gaming machines, including fruit machines inside and outside casinos, is expected to rise by about 50 per cent in the next four years to £3.3bn. Lotteries, the third biggest sector, will nudge up to £2.5bn.
Money gambled in casinos on traditional games such as roulette or poker will increase by 25 per cent to £878m. The number of casinos in Britain has risen from 114 four years ago to 137 this year. There are applications before the Gambling Commission for 39 more casinos.
Under the new regime, the 2005 Gambling Act, ministers will approve at least one super-casino of 5,000square metres, a further eight medium-size casinos and eight smaller casinos by 2010.
Income from bingo is forecast to rise from £570m last year to £679m by 2009. The only the area predicted to decline, the pools, will slump by about a quarter to £62m a year in 2009.
Themis Kokolakakis, principal research fellow at Sheffield Hallam University, said that the abolition of tax was the turning point. "That is the exact moment when the fortunes of the industry changed," he said. The next year William Hill's profits surged from £32m to £170m, a rise of 527 per cent, he said.
The study suggests alcohol consumption will rise by 6 per cent between 2004 and 2009. Wine and beer will show modest growth but spirits' growth will reflect the rise of cocktails and ready-to-drink products.
Experts say 24-hour drinking will increase bingeing and worsen public order. But the Government believes relaxing the old rules will encourage a more sensible, continental-style drinking culture.
Mr Kokolakakis said: "I expect the share prices are going to increase for the alcohol companies. We may see a huge increase over a year for pub groups such as Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns. They are going to see a lot of dividends from this change. But because they will have greater share valuations and greater profits, they must take some responsibility for some of the social problems."
| two thousand and one |
Famous racehorse Seabiscuit was the grandson of which racehorse? | BBC SPORT | Brown scraps betting duty
Wednesday, 7 March, 2001, 17:21 GMT
Brown scraps betting duty
The changes take place from 1 January 2002
Punters will be able to bet tax-free in the UK without going to a racecourse or doing so off-shore as a result of the Budget.
Chancellor Gordon Brown announced that the current law, in which the government collects a betting duty of 6.75% from bookmakers and is passed on to betting shop punters as a 9% tax, is being scrapped.
Mr Brown gave the news that the industry was waiting for when he said that bookmakers would be taxed on their gross profits at a rate of 15%.
The changes come into effect from 1 January 2002.
This looks like a hollow victory for the punters
Victor Chandler spokesperson
It will the first time since April 1968 that punters will have the privilege of placing a wager without having to contribute to the government's coffers.
The change has been brought in to stem the loss of betting turnover to the offshore market, which already offers tax-free betting.
William Hill chairman John Brown was delighted with the goverment's decision.
"It would be great for everybody - the bookmaking industry, horse racing and greyhound racing, and for employees," he said.
Punters duped
"But most of all it would be great for punters, the majority of whom have never had the opportunity to bet deduction-free."
It is believed that bookmaker Victor Chandler's move to offshore betting sparked the government's action.
A spokesperson for the company stated that despite the change, punters will still not have a "genuine tax-free option" seen in the offshore industry.
"I am delighted that almost two years to the day after we moved our business offshore, the chancellor has decided to abolish the ridiculously high level of betting duty levied in the UK," read the statement.
"Victor Chandler will not close its offshore operation.
"The betting duty cut announced on Wednesday will not stop UK punters betting offshore. The proposed 15% tax on gross profits is simply another 'stealth tax'.
"Regrettably, this looks like a hollow victory for the punters, as they will continue to pay - only this time they won't realise it."
WATCH/LISTEN
| i don't know |
In the Northern Hemisphere on which date do all racehorses celebrate their birthday? | Horses celebrate their birthday - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Horses celebrate their birthday
Updated August 01, 2014 14:50:51
All horses born in the southern hemisphere celebrate their birthday on August 1 as a means of standardising horse-related (mostly sporting) events.
This date is based on the breeding season of horses, so horses born in the northern hemisphere celebrate their birthday on January 1.
To celebrate the occasion, the ABC photo editors have chosen a selection of equine images to share with you.
| January 1 |
In the Southern Hemisphere on which date do all racehorses celebrate their birthday? | Horses' birthday celebrated across the southern hemisphere - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Horses' birthday celebrated across the southern hemisphere
Map: Australia
Carrot cakes are being shared among the equine industry today, as every horse in the southern hemisphere celebrates its birthday.
August 1 marks the standardised birthday for every horse, with northern hemisphere equines celebrating their special day on January 1.
External Link: Horse birthday
The date, based on the equine breeding season, is used to standardise the industry, particularly horse racing, which uses the date to put horses in their age grades for races.
Basil Nolan, from Raheen Studs in Warwick, Queensland, said standardising the age of horses was essential for the racing industry.
"It is a little bit like kids in school. You have to have a single date you can use to make it more uniform," he said.
"Say a horse is born today — the first of August — he or she will race with horses from now until the end of November, December. That puts them all in the same age group.
"It is very important to have restrictive races. You can't just have it willy-nilly."
While he saw the importance of the horses' birthday, Mr Nolan said he was not planning to crack out the party hats.
"We didn't make too many cakes at Raheen [Stud] today," he laughed.
"The horses don't know it is their birthday, as every day is the same to them.
"There would be a few of those things today, but it is just business as usual here."
According to Mr Nolan, August 1 was an important day for the whole industry, falling just before Spring.
"It kicks off the new breeding year," Mr Nolan said.
"The foaling season has started now, and the covering of mares can begin on the first of September."
Former Melbourne Cup winner celebrates 28th birthday
External Link: Happy birthday subzero
Subzero, the thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1992 Melbourne Cup, celebrated his 28th birthday today, an old age for a horse.
"That is a good age to get to for a horse like him, to be 28. They don't get much further than that — maybe to 30," Mr Nolan said.
After his Melbourne Cup win, Subzero retired in 1993 to a job with long-time clerk of the course Graham Sailsbury.
He retired from that role in 2008 after developing arthritis, and now visits primary and secondary schools around Victoria with the program, Subzero Goes To School.
"He did a lot of promotional things. He would have been really well looked after, as all thoroughbreds are," Mr Nolan said.
| i don't know |
The English Grand National Steeplechase is held annually at which race course? | Grand National | British horse race | Britannica.com
British horse race
Alternative Title: Grand National Handicap Steeplechase
Similar Topics
Melbourne Cup
Grand National, also called Grand National Handicap Steeplechase, British horse race held annually over the Aintree course, Liverpool , in late March or early April; it attracts more attention throughout the world than any other steeplechase . The race was instituted in 1839 by William Lynn, a Liverpool innkeeper, and its present name was adopted in 1847.
The Grand National poses difficulties and dangers to challenge the skill and spirit of the hardiest and most daring riders, professional and amateur. The course, an irregular triangle, must be covered twice for a distance of 4 miles 855 yards (about 7,200 metres) and a total of 30 jumps, among which the most spectacularly hazardous are those known as Becher’s Brook and Valentine’s Brook. Large numbers of horses are entered each year and are reduced at successive jumps until only a few are left at the finish. The Grand National is a handicap race, with weights ranging upward to 12 stone 7 pounds (175 pounds). The weights, the distance, and the big jumps demand horses of prodigious strength and stamina and usually of more than normal size. The winners frequently have cold blood (e.g., the heavier draught breeds) mixed with Thoroughbred ancestry, although pure Thoroughbreds have won the Grand National on occasion.
Learn More in these related articles:
| Aintree |
What is the name of the two-wheeled cart pulled by horses in harness races? | Grand National
Grand National
Updated on January 11, 2017
The Grand National is held annually at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, arguably it is the biggest test of horse and jockey in the world. The grueling four and a half mile course has thirty fences, many measuring more than seven foot. with a field of forty runners the race is one of England's biggest sporting spectacle.
Of the forty horses that start the race an average of just 30% will have the stamina to complete the course. On more than one occasion horses have been killed as they tackled the notorious fences. These deaths have led to animal rights campaigners calling for the race to be banned.
The Grand National race is watched by over 500 million people worldwide on television, making it more popular than the NFL Super Bowl and Formula 1 car racing. The race is particulaly popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and the Far East.
2017 Grand National
The schedule is set for the Grand National Horse Race, also known as the National, with the official race date of Saturday 8th April, 2017. The race is an annual event held near Liverpool, England at Aintree Racecourse. This year's field promises to be as strong and entertaining as ever.
The three-day event begins on Thursday, 6th April, 2017, with Opening Day. The first day of the Aintree Festival features the The Aintree Hurdle and the Fox Hunters’ Steeple Chase. Several entertainment events are planned for the kickoff celebration Too.
The festivities continue on Friday 7th April with Ladies Day, which is a traditional event that features fashion and style from the female attendants. Various goody bags and prize giveaways for the ladies are part of the plan during this year's festivities. The focus on the ladies is not the only order of the day, of course. Every day of the championship extravaganza is a race day, as the Melling Steeple Chase is the featured race of the day. This has been a highly challenged event in the past few years and should be the same this year.
The Grand National Horse Race is finally run on Saturday 8th April and is the culmination of the week's schedule. The championship has a storied past among racehorse professionals and within the British culture. It is a specialized race industry that is native to the United Kingdom and enjoyed by everyone up to the Royal Family, who are not only big fans, but are horse owners themselves.
The Grand National Horse Race is an historic event dating back officially to 1839, though there were predecessors to the first official race, and it has been an iconic representation of United Kingdom sports very similar to its professional golf tournaments. The Aintree Racecourse is one of the most difficult courses in the world and provides an excellent course to test the best of the steeple chase racehorse class. The energy infused by the local city of Liverpool, with a population of over 400,000 and a surrounding urban area of over 800,000, will make this year's championship a major success and well worth attending.
Jockeys
Jockey Falls During Steeple Chase
Jockey A.P. McCoy falls during race
Grand National History
The Grand National is one of the oldest horse races in the world, it has been run each year since 1836 (Excluding the years during WW1 and WW2) the first winner of the race was a horse called 'The Duke'.
The international appeal of the race has seen a number of foreign breed horses triumph, most notable Irish horses have been the most successful in recent years, in 1938 the American horse 'Battleship' won the race, it should be no surprise to find out Battleship's father was the awesome racehorse 'Man O'War'. It should be noted that French breed horses have the worst record in the race, just one winner in the last one hundred years.
The race has also featured in a number of movies, the best known being the 1944 movie 'National Velvet' a fictional account of a young girl disguising herself as a male jockey to get a ride in the race, at that time women jockeys were not allowed to enter the National - the part was played by Liz Taylor, who once quipped that her best leading man was a Horse! Today women jockeys are allowed to enter, the best finish by a woman in the race was in 1994 when Rosemary Henderson came 5th.
The English Grand National is considered one of the biggest sporting events in the United Kingdom alongside the F.A. Cup, The All English Tennis Championship (Wimbledon) and the Ashes Test Series. Because of this status the Grand National has been added to the list of government 'Protected Sport Events' these events must be shown on terrestrial T.V. channels and the broadcast rights cannot be sold domestically to Satellite broadcasters like Sky, Setanta Or Cable Channels.
Full List Of Protected Sporting Events In The United Kingdom
The Grand National
The Derby
Olympic Games
It's remarkable to think now that the Grand National could have been omitted from the list. In 1973 the Grand National race was in serious trouble, under-investment at Aintree Grand National course meant that crowd numbers had dwindled to an at time low, and the owners of the course where looking to sell it off the land to a local property developer.
In 1973 the course was sold to the developer Bill Davies, who promised to keep the race running. The first National under Davies ownership saw admission prices to the Aintree course tripled, many in the press speculated that 1973 would be the last running of the great race.
Indeed, without the intervention of English bookmakers 'Ladbrokes' the 1973 race could have been the last. Ladbrokes started a campaign in that year to keep the race running, eventually Ladbrokes took over the running of the race and improved the course and facilities. It is doubtful if the motives for securing the future of the race where entirely altruistic on the part of Ladbrokes, when you consider a quarter of the U.K. population bet on the Grand National annually.
Grand National Legends
As you can imagine as race with a history as long as the Grand Nationals has thrown up more than it's fair share of horse racing legends. Featured below are just a few of the amazing horse's who gone down in racing folklore.
Red Rum
Red Rum or 'Rummy' as he was affectionately known is without doubt or argument the greatest of all Grand National runners. He's historical three wins has never been bettered and even when the handicapper loaded the top weight of twelve stone on Red Rum in the 1974 race he still left the rest of the field trailing in his wake.
Along with his historic three wins, Rummie also finish in second place twice in the National, on those occasions the ground on the day did not suit him. Red Rum's achievements earned him a place as the UK's most loved horse, although Red Rum was actually Irish! His Grand National racing career ended in 1977 (he was entered into the National in '78 and '79 but injury forced him to withdraw) Red Rum continued to enjoy his celebrity status long after his racing career finished, he even appeared on the BBC's Sports Personality Of The Year T.V. show and made personal appearance's at charity events and had the honour of leading out the runners to the parade ground at Aintree on many occasions.
In October 1995 Red Rum died at the age of thirty, a bronze statue has been erected at Aintree in his honour, fittingly Rummie is buried at his favourite place... The finishing post at Aintree!
Foinavon
The exact opposite of Red Rum, Foinavon was the least likey winner in the history of the Grand National. This notoriously laid back horse won the 1967 Grand National after every runner fell!
Foinavon was so laid back that during one race he stopped to graze on a fence. Which may account for the bookmakers quoting him as 100/1 chance on the day of the race! So badly rated was Foinavon that his owner didn't even attend the Grand National and missed out on horse's moment of glory.
We all remember the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, and in 1967 Foinaon proved that slow and steady really does win the race! At the start of the race in '67 many of the fancied horses took off at a tremendous pace, leaving the plucky Foinavon well behind the leading pack.
After the first few fences 'Popham Down' another unfancied horse unseated his rider and continued to run without the jockey on-board. By fence 23 Popham Down was running wildly ahead of the leading pack, just as the pack attempted to jump the fence Popham ran in front of them causing a huge pile up of horses.
Nearly all the runners fell in the ensuing melee, apart from one horse at the very back of the field, Foinavon who's jockey ( John Buckingham) had the advantage of seeing the pile up a long time before reaching it, Buckingham skillfully pulled Foinavon around the carnage and jumped the fence cleanly, Foinavon and Buckingham then began the long run for the finishing post, even with a huge lead in the race Foinavon was nearly caught in the final furlongs by a horse who had fallen, been remounted and continued to run the course. In the end Foinavon had just enough in the tank to complete the most remarkable victory in the National. In honour of the victory fence 23 was renamed 'Foinavon'
You can view the amazing 1967 Grand National below.
Foinavons Victory In 67
Devon Loch
We move from one of the luckiest Grand National winners of all time (Foinavon) to one of the unluckiest losers 'Devon Loch'. The 1956 Grand National saw HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother horse Devon Loch entered into the famous race, the Royal Family have been keen supporters of racing in the U.K. and that's why racing is still known today as the sport of Kings.
Dick Francis, who went on to become a famous Author was the jockey on-board Devon Loch. Dick and Devon put in a near flawless run that day clearing all the 30 fences cleanly, before headed into the final furlongs well ahead of the nearest second placed horse 'E.S.B' ridden by Dave Dick. As Devon Loch approached the finishing post the horse suddenly and without reason appeared to jump into the air and then collapsed in a heap on the turf! E.S.B. flew past Devon Loch and won the '56 National as jockey Dick Francis tried desperately to get the horse back on track.
Many theories have been put forward as to why the horse collapsed in such dramatic fashion, at first it was rumour that Devon Loch had suffered a heart attack. However, the Aintree course vet ruled this out. Dick Francis maintains to this day that the cause of the collapse was the immense noise made by the crowd in the home straight as it became clear to the punters on course that the Queen Mother was going to get her first National winner! It may seem strange to younger generations but the Queen Mother was a hugely loved and respected by the general public and particularly those who shared her passion for horse racing.
You will often hear sports commentators refer to teams or sportsmen 'Doing A Devon Loch' is used as a metaphor used to explain sudden or last minutes failures. The Queen Mother who was at Aintree to witness the events that day reportedly turn to an aid and said "Oh, that's racing". Some years later the Queen Mother met the winning jockey Dave Dick and enquired "What did you think when my horse fell down?" to which Dave Dick replied "I was absolutely delighted, Ma'am," It's goes without saying that he never got a Knighthood!
Bob Champion and Aldaniti
True sporting legends are usually made, not born. A few greats have been destined for fame since birth though. Bob Champion is one of these natural-born legends, but his courage and dedication are the qualities for which he is most admired.
Champion, born in Yorkshire, England in 1948, was surrounded by riders and hunters from the very beginning. His father was an avid huntsman who took young Bob riding frequently. These early experiences instilled in him the love of horses and riding that would eventually carry him to a Grand National championship.
At only 15 years old, Bob Champion won his first horse race. After his initial taste of victory, he continued to race on the National Hunt circuit. His special way with the horses continued to win him races, as well as respect. He also proved to have a special way with women. His tempestuous love affairs were well-known and sometimes amusing to those around him.
Champion tried his luck racing in America and continued to enjoy success. His career eventually took him back to Britain, where he had dreams of winning the Grand National. He raced in the Grand National eight times after returning to Britain, always keeping his eyes on the big prize. However, his career and life took a major detour on the way to fulfilling his dreams.
In 1979, Bob Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In true Champion fashion, Bob refused to believe that his doctors were correct. He stubbornly insisted that there was a mistake in the diagnosis.
The diagnosis wasn't wrong. Doctors gave Champion a maximum of eight months to live, with only a 40 percent chance of survival. Things looked grim, but he was given a second chance. An extremely aggressive program of chemotherapy, if begun immediately, might just beat the odds. Champion agreed to begin the treatment the very same day.
Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer and told that they will most likely die within months would take some time away from work. Not Bob Champion. He returned to training and racing while still in treatment and set his sights on winning the 1980 Grand National.
Unfortunately, Champion's treatment had not been easy on his body. A large-scale infection nearly claimed his life and he was forced to put off his Grand National ambitions temporarily.
Champion was soon recovering from his various hardships and back in training. In 1981, he rode Aldaniti in the Grand National. The two were a perfect pair: both hard-working, stubborn and recovering from serious health problems. Champion's cancer and Aldaniti's three leg injuries caused almost everyone to speculate that the team wouldn't get near the winner's circle.
The two survivors melded on the Aintree Racecourse that April day in 1981. Their victory is one of the most memorable and emotional moments ever to be recorded in horse racing. Coming in four-and-a-half lengths ahead of the competition, Champion and Aldaniti beat the odds and made history.
After his Grand National championship, Bob Champion continued to race and win until 1983. By that time, he had approximately 500 wins to his credit. After leaving racing, he focused his energy on training horses and running the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The charity has raised millions of pounds for cancer research and Champion continues to raise funds for it to this day.
Although Aldaniti died in 1997 and Bob Champion retired from training horses in 1999, they are both legends of the horse racing world. Their legacy is a sense of hope for all those who follow in their paths. They taught us that, even when things look desperate, success is just over the next fence for those who choose to make the jump.
How To Spot A National Winner
Many people think that it's very difficult to pick a Grand National winner. After all, the race is four miles long with over 30 fences and has forty horses competing. Surely this race is more about pure luck than jockey skill or horse ability.
This is the public perception of the race, in fact the seeming unpredictability nature the race is one of the reason it's so popular with the general public. For many people betting on the Grand National is the only time in the year that they wager money on horse racing. Generally the people who bet on this race do not study racing form, have no knowledge about the quality of the horses running and most will bet on a horse whose name means something to them or they will randomly select a horse using the time honoured method of closing their eyes and sticking a pin the newspaper!
People use these methods because the common misconception is that the Grand National is more of a lottery than a horse race. This couldn't be further from the truth! If you take a look at type of horses that actually win the race you start to see a very familiar pattern. Using this pattern of past winners you can discount nearly three quarters of the runners instantly, that's right! Nearly three quarters of the field has absolutely no chance of winning.
You might ask how you can discount so many runners instantly? Well, lets take a look at the record books and see what type of horse's haven't won the Grand National in the last 20 years.
French Horses ~ Only one French horse has won the National for 100 years! Mon Mome in 2009 (100/1)
American Horses ~ No American winner in the last 20 years!
Young Horses ~ No horse younger than 8 has won in the last 20 years!
Weight ~ Only 1 winner carrying more than 11 stone in the last 20 years!
Odds ~ Only 2 winners lower than 10/1 odds in the last 20 years!
So now you know what kind of horses to avoid, lets take a look at the type of horse which have won in the last 20 years.
Irish Horses ~ The Irish take few things in life as seriously as horse racing, so look for Irish owned and breed horses, especially those of J.P. McManus.
Long Distance Experience ~ The National is a massively long run for any horse, only look the runners with experience and wins over 3+ miles
Watch The Weight ~ Horses carrying around between 10 and 11 stone have the best chance of winning
If you apply the above tips to this years runners you will only be left with about 10 horses which fit the bill. If you bet on one of the ten horses each~way, then you will get a return even if it comes in 4th, dramatically increasing you chances of picking a winner.
| i don't know |
Which Australian horse race is marketed as ‘The race that stops a nation’? | The race that stops a nation: Australia’s Melbourne Cup | English Language Blog
The race that stops a nation: Australia’s Melbourne Cup Posted by Gabriele on Nov 5, 2014 in Culture
Australia’s Derby Day, or the Melbourne Cup, is also known as “the race that stops a nation,” because everyone in Australia really does stop to watch this horse race! Horse racing is a very popular spectator sport in Australia and the Melbourne Cup is the biggest of all horse races in the country. In fact in the state where this horse race is run, Victoria, the day of the Melbourne Cup is an official holiday! This race is held every year on the first Tuesday in November.
The Melbourne Cup racing grounds.
Image by Chris Phutully on Flickr.com.
So, you might be asking yourself, what makes this race so special? First of all this race is very old, it has been run continuously for 154 years. The very first race was held in 1861, at the same track where it is held today. Also, this is a very elite horse race. Those that run in this race have to qualify and only the very best of the best do. The Melbourne Cup is a 3,200-meter (2 mile) race, run on turf (or grass). The horses in the race must be 3 years old or older. Another reason this race is such a big deal is that it is considered to be the richest two-mile race in the world. This year’s race collected a record $98 million in bets (bet = a sum of money that is risked on the outcome a race or game). No wonder everyone in Australia stops to watch this race – they all have money on it!
This year, the horse that won The Melbourne Cup is named Protectionist (protagonist = the leading character in a story). He is a 5-year-old horse, who was ridden in the Melbourne Cup by an English jockey (jockey = a person who rides in horse races as a profession), named Ryan Moore. Many people regard Moore as the best jockey in the world, so this was definitely a great horse-jockey pairing.
If you missed seeing this famous Australian horse race live, here is your chance to see it. Of course you can’t make any bets on the race now, since you already know who won, but you can watch to see how this great race unfolded. The horse that is ahead in the beginning “My Ambivalent” finished 17th (out of 22). The horse “Admire Rakti,” who was the favorite to win the race, was in second place most of the time, but ended up losing the race (and very sadly died soon after the end of the race). The winner of the race “Protectionist” is near the middle of the pack (pack = a group of animals) much of the race. Ryan Moore, is the jockey wearing a blue and checkered shirt. See if you can spot him. When there is only 100m left in the race Protectionist pulls away from the pack for the big win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnzlLHKyw1Q
This race is only three and half minutes long, but like I mentioned it makes the whole country of Australia stop. Some people “stop” for the whole day, not going to work, and instead going to race day parties. Parties, drinking, and betting, are a big part of celebrating and having fun on this day in Australia. Apart from the horse racing, the other BIG event of the day is watching the fashion. Women wearing hats to horse races is a tradition in the English-speaking world and the hats worn on Derby Day are considered high fashion. Take a look below at some of the fun and crazy hats that are worn at horse races.
Image by Jaguar MENA on Flickr.com.
Even if you weren’t able to watch this race live, I hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about it and Australian culture.
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About the Author: Gabriele
Hi there! I am one of Transparent Language's ESL bloggers. I am a 32-year-old native English speaker who was born and raised in the United States. I am living in Washington, DC now, but I have lived all over the US and also spent many years living and working abroad. I started teaching English as a second language in 2005 after completing a Master's in Applied Linguists and a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults' (CELTA). Since that time I have taught ESL in the United States at the community college and university level. I have also gone on to pursue my doctorate in psychology and now I also teach courses in psychology. I like to stay connected to ESL learners around the world through Transparent Languages ESL Blog. Please ask questions and leave comments on the blog and I will be sure to answer them.
| Melbourne Cup |
In 1983, who became the first woman to train an English Grand National winner? | Melbourne Cup | State Library of New South Wales
You are here :: Discover Collections › Society, Art & Culture › Day at the races: the horse in Australia › Melbourne Cup navigation ends
Melbourne Cup: 'The race that stops a nation'
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major annual thoroughbred horse race. Billed as 'the race that stops a nation', it is a race for horses aged three-years-old and over, and covers a distance of 3200 metres.
The event has been held by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse in the first week of November since 1861. It is generally regarded as the most prestigious 'two-mile' handicap race in the world. Originally, the trophy was a gold watch, with a purse of 710 pounds. The current trophy (awarded since 1919) is a three handled gold loving cup worth $75,000 at 2005 prices.
Melbourne Cup race card, 1861, by Bell's Life
Printed card A2127
On 7 November 1861, a crowd of 4000 gathered at Flemington to witness the first Melbourne Cup. The Victorian Turf Club announced that the Melbourne Cup was to be a fair contest in which the best horses would be handicapped, ie. weighted down, to make the race more equal. Older horses were given more weight than younger ones and weightings were adjusted according to the horse's previous results.
The hot favourite of the inaugural Melbourne Cup was a local horse, Mormon, with bookies dismissing the chances of a NSW runner called Archer. A fall during the race brought down three horses, killing two and breaking a jockey's arm, but the field kept going. To the delight of the local crowd, Mormon made his dash for the line at the home turn but Archer ran him down to finish first past the post. Archer went on to win the Melbourne Cup twice, taking a lot of money away from Melbourne, refuelling interstate rivalry and adding further excitement to the Melbourne Cup.
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Which English horse race is sometimes referred to as the ‘Blue Ribband’ of the turf? | Project MUSE - ‘Spot the Winner’: Some of the Horses in Ulysses
Some of the Horses in Ulysses
Vivien Igoe (bio)
Of the many sports mentioned in Ulysses, horse racing is the one that is the most prominent. Horses are referred to in ten of the episodes. 1 Four of the horses named in Ulysses ran in the Gold Cup, 2 the third event which was held at Ascot at 3.00 pm on 16 June 1904.
The Ascot Gold Cup race was first run in 1807 and in the British racing calendar it and the Epsom Derby were the two main annual events. The race for entire colts and fillies, aged between three and five years, was over two and a half miles and ‘had a value 1,000 sovereigns in specie in addition, out of which the second shall receive 700 sovereigns and the third 300 sovereigns added to sweepstake of 20 sovereigns each’. 3
The runners in the Gold Cup mentioned in the text included Lord Howard de Walden’s Zinfandel, 4 yrs, 9 st. (M. Cannon), Mr W. Bass’s Sceptre, 5 yrs, 9 st. 1 lb (O. Madden), M.J. de Bremond’s Maximum 11, 5 years, 9 st. 4 lb (G. Stern), and Mr F. Alexander’s Throwaway. The betting was 5 to 4 on Zinfandel, 7 to 4 against Sceptre, 10 to 1 against Maximum 11, and 20 to 1 against Throwaway (off). Of the horses named in Ulysses, Throwaway, Sceptre, and Zinfandel are mentioned the most. 4
T
hrowaway
was born in 1899 and was by Rightaway out of Theale (Plate 5). He was bred by Mr F. Alexander at Everleigh. 5 Between 1901 and 1905, Throwaway ran in races at Chester, Bath, Liverpool, Newcastle, Gosforth Park, Newmarket, Bibury (Salisbury), Manchester, Ascot, and Doncaster.
Trained by Mr Braime and ridden by William Lane (1883–1920), Throwaway, aged five years, 9 st. 4 lb, an outsider, won the Gold Cup race in 1904. Zinfandel came second, Sceptre third, and Maximum 11 finished fourth. A correspondent gives this description of the race:
The race was run in the old-fashioned way, the pace being a crawl for the first two miles, and it was not till rounding the bend for home that the jockeys allowed their horses to stride along. Throwaway [End Page 72] had made the whole of the running up to that point, but when Sceptre challenged at this point, the mare, apparently without any exertion, drew level, and may even have headed the leader, but two furlongs from home the effort was spent, and practically the identical thing happened with Zinfandel, who was pulling his jockey’s arms out one moment, and was a beaten horse the next. In the meantime, Throwaway was struggling on with indomitable gameness, and forging clear once more held his own to the end, and won by a length; while Sceptre succumbed by three parts of a length to Zinfandel for second place.
A more astonishing result could scarcely be conceived, for had the race been a handicap, both Sceptre and Zinfandel would have been set to give the winner at least two stone, whereas here the boot was on the other leg, and Throwaway was actually giving weight to them. Except on the hypothesis that it was a false run race one cannot account for it. His owner, Mr F. Alexander, bred the winner. Braine, who took over Mr Alexander’s horses during the winter when, owing to the Kingsclere Stable being converted in a syndicate, they left. John Porter trained him. Throwaway was ridden by W. Lane. 6
It was an upset that the top-weighted dark horse Throwaway beat Sceptre and Zinfandel.
An account of the race is also given in The Evening Telegraph.
Throwaway set a fair pace to Sceptre, with Maximum 11 last, till fairly in the line for home, when Sceptre slightly headed Throwaway, and Zinfandel took close order with him. Throwaway, however, stayed on, and won cleverly at the finish by a length; three parts of a length divided second and third. Time – 4 mins. 33 2–5 secs. 7
Under the same ownership, Throwaway came third in the 1905 Gold Cup. The winner that year was Lord Howard de Walden’s Zinfandel, and M.J. de Bremond’s Maximum 11 was second. In September 1905 Throwaway ran in the Doncaster Cup. Then a six-year-old, he broke down whilst taking part in the race, and was dismounted. 8 Throwaway appeared on a card in the Everett’s Sporting Series (Plate 6). [End Page 73]
Z
infandel
, the chestnut foaled in 1900, was out of Medora and by the famous Persimmon who won the Ascot Gold cup in 1897. 9 On the death of his first owner Colonel H. McCalmont he passed into the ownership of Lord Howard de Walden and was trained by Major Charles Beatty.
Among Zinfandel’s successes were the Coronation Cup (Plate 7), in which he beat Sceptre and Rock Sand; the Gold Vase at Ascot (first run in 1838); the Ascot Gold Cup; the Alexandra Plate; the Manchester Cup; the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, and the Jockey Club Cup. As a three year old, Zinfandel’s only defeat was in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket, in which he ran second with 8 st. 4, being beaten by an aged horse, Grey Tick, who carried 6 st. 9. He ought to have won the Gold Cup twice, but when he was beaten by Throwaway, Mornington Cannon for once rode an ill-judged race. 10 In a famous race at Longchamps for the Prix du Conseil Municipal, Zinfandel was third. He was a complete failure as a sire.
Zinfandel (5 to 4) ridden by Morny Cannon came second in the 1904 Gold Cup. He was winner of the 1905 Gold Cup and it is rumoured that when he won the race, his owner was seated under a tree in the paddock, perusing the score of an opera (a detail that might have appealed to Joyce). 11
S
ceptre
, one of the greatest fillies in history, was foaled in 1899 (Plate 8). Her sire was the famous Persimmon (1893–1908) who was bred by Edward VII. Her dam was Ornament by Ben Or (1877–1903). Hugh Grosvenor, the first Duke of Westminster bred Sceptre at his Easton Stud in Cheshire. She was in an auction along with other bloodstock following the Duke’s death in the winter of 1899 and was bought by Robert Standish Sievier for 10,000 guineas. As a two-year–old she was trained by Charles Morton in Wantage, which is prime horse racing country. In 1901, she won her first race, the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom. She jarred herself during the race and missed Ascot that year. She won the July Stakes at Newmarket and her final race that season was the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. At this stage Sievier decided to train Sceptre himself and obtained stables in Wiltshire. In the spring, being short of money, he took a gamble and entered Sceptre for the Lincoln. Sievier’s American assistant, in his absence, gave Sceptre a gruelling mile gallop on four successive days. As a result, she lost the Lincoln and the assistant lost his job.
Sceptre won thirteen of her twenty-one starts, including four classic races in 1902. Indeed, only one of the classic races the Derby eluded her. In three of these races Herbert Randall rode her. These included the 2000 Guineas (first run in 1809), which was a distance of one mile for three-year-old colts and fillies at Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket; the 1000 Guineas (first run in [End Page 74] 1814) over one mile at Newmarket for three-year-old fillies; the Oaks (first run in 1779) over one mile four furlongs at Epsom Downs, Surrey for three-year-old fillies and the St Leger (first run in 1776), over one mile six furlongs 127 yards for three-year-old colts and fillies at Doncaster, Yorkshire. In this race Francis Hardy was her jockey. The St Leger is the oldest of the classic races and was named after Lt General Anthony St Leger, of the St Leger family from Doneraile in North Cork. St Leger moved to Yorkshire where, in 1761, he married Margaret Wombwell the co-heiress of the Wombwell estate. He later purchased the Park Hill Estate near Doncaster. 12 He died in Dublin on 19 April 1786 and is buried in St Anne’s Church, Dawson Street. 13
Sievier was a gambler and really pushed Sceptre to take part in a gruelling number of races. After she won the St Leger in 1902, he entered her two days later for the Park Hill Stakes in a state of exhaustion. Being short of money, he put her in the Newmarket December sales, but she failed to make a bid with her reserve price at 24,000 guineas. She was foolishly entered in the Lincoln where she just managed to finish in fifth place. She was sold in very poor condition for £25,000 to William Arthur Hamar Bass (1879–1952), then a young officer in the 10th Hussars. Sceptre’s health gradually improved under the careful attention of Alex Taylor, her new trainer. She won the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot. On 2 June 1904, Sceptre was beaten by Zinfandel in the Coronation Cup held at Epsom.
Sceptre’s starting price in the Gold Cup race was 7 to 4 against. According to a report in The Irish Times rumours were current throughout the afternoon that Sceptre was not to run but these proved devoid of foundation. 14 She looked better than she did at Epsom, but was still not the Sceptre of old. Before the race, Sceptre was sweating profusely in the paddock, but was not on her toes or as excited as in the old days. Ridden by Otto Madden, she finished third behind Throwaway and Zinfandel in the race. Otto Madden (1872–1942) was a champion jockey on four occasions between the years 1898 and 1904.
As a five-year-old, Sceptre was past her peak. As well as the Coronation Cup, she was beaten in the Ascot Gold Cup and Hardwicke Stakes, also held during the Royal Ascot meeting, so she was withdrawn from training. In 1911, when Bass sold his bloodstock, Sceptre was sold for 7,000 guineas to Somerville Tattersall. She was then passed on to John Musker and finally to Lord Ganley who was her last owner. Sceptre, who was a winner of every classic except the Derby, produced eight foals, four of which were winners (Plate 9). Relko was the first descendant of Sceptre in the direct female line to win the Derby in 1963. Sceptre died in February 1926. Perhaps if the Duke of [End Page 75] Westminster had survived, and his horses had remained under the expert care of John Porter at his stable at Kingsclere, Sceptre would have reached even greater heights in her racing career and would not have been over-raced as she had been in some instances. Sceptre is commemorated by the Sceptre Stakes, which is run each September on the second day of Doncaster’s four-day St Leger Festival. It is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. Sceptre, the horse most mentioned in Ulysses, was backed by Boylan and Lenehan to win the Gold Cup in 1904:
SPOT THE WINNER
Lenehan came out of the inner office with Sport’s tissues.
—Who wants a dead cert for the Gold cup? He asked. Sceptre with O. Madden up
(U 7.386–9).
M
aximum
11, a French horse by Chalet out of Urgence was foaled in 1899. Jacques de Bremond owned him and he won the Gold Cup in 1903. Ridden by G. Stern he came fourth in the Gold Cup in 1904. He never really posed a threat in this race as in his two previous races in France before the Gold Cup he was beaten.
In Mr Deasy’s study Stephen observes the portraits of horses:
Framed around the walls images of vanished horses stood in homage, their meek heads poised in air: lord Hastings’ Repulse, the duke of Westminster’s Shotover, the duke of Beaufort’s Ceylon, prix de Paris, 1866. Elfin riders sat them, watchful of a sign. He saw their speeds, backing king’s colours, and shouted with the shouts of vanished crowds
(U 2.300–4).
R
epulse
, by Stockwell, was owned by Lord Hastings (1842–68). She was purchased from a Mr Jackson and won the 1000 Guineas in 1866. She was a certainty for the race but only won by a short head at 2/1 on. She was ridden by Tom Cannon (1846–1917), the father of ‘Morny’ Cannon, and was trained by John Day, Jr. Hastings who placed huge wagers, and lost a fortune in five years through his reckless gambling, not only on the turf, but also at Crockford’s gaming club. Hastings ruined his health with dissolute living and died aged twenty-six on 10 November 1868 at 34 Grosvenor Square in London.
The duke of Westminster owned S
hotover
a filly by Hermit, out of Stray Shot. Trained by John Porter, she won the 2000 Guineas in 1882 and also the [End Page 76] Derby the same year in a time of 2:45. She is among the few fillies to have won the Derby. Tom Cannon, on both occasions, rode the horse. The Derby, inaugurated in 1780, is a flat race for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies, which is run in early June. It is held at Epsom Downs over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and ten yards.
C
eylon
was owned by Henry Charles Fitzroy Somerset, the 8th duke of Beaufort (1824–99), a peer, politician, and soldier. Associated with the Badminton hunt, the duke of Beaufort was a noted sportsman and ‘a gentleman carriage driver’. He organized the Badminton Library, which was a series of sporting books, the publication of which started in 1885. He wrote and edited numerous books on various sporting topics, such as Hunting (1885) and Carriage Driving (1890). The Duke of Beaufort died aged seventy-five on 30 April 1899 at Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, and was buried in the grounds of Badminton House.
Ceylon won the Grand Prix de Paris in 1866 (U 2.302–3 and U 15.3978). This is a famous race for three year-olds that is held each year at the Hippodrome de Longchamps in the Bois de Boulogne, near Paris. In this instance, Ceylon was ridden by Tom Cannon, who won this race on five occasions, on Ceylon (1866), Trent (1874), Thurio (1878), Frontin (1883), and Little Duck (1884). The first race held at Longchamps was in April 1857, and the inaugural of the Grand Prix was held on 31 May 1863 over one mile seven furlongs. It was the first race in France to allow the participation of foreign horses.
In ‘Nestor’, Stephen recalls a further notable race horse:
Fair Rebel! Fair Rebel! Even money the favourite: ten to one the field. Dicers and thimbleriggers we hurried by after the hoofs, the vying caps and jackets and past the meatfaced woman, a butcher’s dame, nuzzling thirstily her clove of orange
(U 2.309–12). 15
R
ebel
, foaled in 1899, was by Circasslan out of Liberty. 16 She was owned and trained by W.P. Cullen, Rathbride Cottage, the Curragh, Co Kildare. She raced on various courses in Ireland starting her career as a two-year-old when she ran in the Lee Plate at the Cork Park meeting in May 1901. 17 Perhaps 1901 was her best year: she came second in the Stewards’ Plate at the Curragh meeting on 27 June, was unplaced in the Drogheda Memorial Plate on 23 July, and won the Seaside Plate at the Baldoyle meeting on 5 August. 18
On 4 June 1902, at the Tipperary meeting, Fair Rebel won the Curragh Plate meeting, passing out Bel Item in the final thirty yards. On entering the [End Page 77] paddock, Fair Rebel was seized with head staggers. The jockey (Buxton) took fright and leaped off the horse. As a result, Mr O’Donnell, the owner of Bel Item, who came second, lodged an objection on the grounds that Buxton dismounted at the wrong place. This was overruled, but subsequently O’Donnell gave notice of appeal. 19 Then, in the Bellewstown meeting, on 2 July 1902, she was beaten by just three parts of a length in the Stewards’ Plate.
In November 1902, as a three-year-old Fair Rebel ran at the Birmingham meeting which was a mile and a half over six hurdles. If horses are not doing well, they are sometimes changed over from flat racing to hurdles as happened in the case of Fair Rebel. In February 1904, she ran in Leicester in the Glen Hurdle Race over two miles.
S
A
mant
was a colt by St Frusquin out of Lady Loverule (U 8.832). Owned by Mr Leopold de Rothschild whose racing colours were blue and gold, he won the Derby in a time of 2:45.4 on 2 June 1904, leading the race from start to finish during a ferocious thunderstorm. Trained by Alfred Hayhoe, he was ridden by Kempton Cannon. He also won the 2000 Guineas in 1904 ridden by the same jockey. Apart from winning the Jockey Club Stakes as a four-year-old, the rest of his career was disappointing. He made little mark as a sire.
S
F
rusquin
was foaled in 1899; his sire was St Simon, his dam Isabel by Plebeian (Plate 10). He was owned and bred by Leopold de Rothschild and trained by Alfred Hayhoe. He won nine out of his eleven starts and was runner-up to Persimmon — another son of St Simon in the Derby. However, he later beat Persimmon in the Princess of Wales’s stakes at Newmarket. Trained by Alfred Hayhoe and ridden by Thomas Loates, in 1896, he won the 2,000 Guineas, worth over £33,000. Shortly after the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, which he won in 1896, he broke down and never raced again.
Saint Frusquin suffered from bouts of rheumatism throughout his life. He was the leading sire in 1903 and 1907, producing St Amant, Rosedrop, Quintessence, Rhodora, and Santa Fina: Nosey Flynn’s musings on St Amant note Saint Frusquin’s prestige: ‘That was a rare bit of horseflesh. Saint Frusquin was her sire’ (U 8.836–7). He died in 1914. 20
S
H
ugo
, foaled in 1899, was by Wisdom out of Manoeuvre (see U 16.1243– 4). Although Ulysses claims that Captain Marshall owned Sir Hugo, he was in fact owned by the third earl of Bradford. Trained T. Wadlow, he won the Derby in 1892 in a time of 2:44. He was ridden by Frederick Allsopp; like Throwaway, Sir Hugo was a dark horse who ‘captured the blue ribband at long odds’ (U 16.1244). The Derby is sometimes referred to as ‘the Blue Riband’ of the turf. [End Page 78]
As a yearling, Bradford put £100 on Sir Hugo to win £10,000 as a three-year-old. He also put more bets on Sir Hugo for the same race to the tune of £8,000. The stake of the race was £6,000. By winning the Derby in 1892, Bradford netted £24,000. The Derby, which is Britain’s richest horse race, can serve as the middle leg of the Triple Crown. It is preceded by the 2000 Guineas and followed by the St Leger.
P
rophesy
: ‘Prophesy who will win the Saint Leger’ (U 15.1840). (The name of the horse is Prophecy and not Prophesy as spelt by Joyce.) Prophecy a bay filly by Knight of St Patrick out of Endor, was foaled in 1870. She started running as a two-year-old at Baldoyle, Co Dublin in May 1872 and won at Down Royal on 17 July the same year. She ran in ninety-three races between 1872 and 1880, winning twenty-nine of them. 21
In 1876, Prophecy was sold to Captain G. Sterling in England and a year later returned to Ireland to run for her original owner Mr Webb. In 1879 she was sold to John Doherty and the same year at Londonderry she won four races in two days. This over-running probably finished her and she never won another race. In August 1879 she was sold to James Harvey and sold again the following year to L. Dunbar.
N
evertell
: ‘I mean, Leopardstown. And Molly won seven shillings on a three year old named Nevertell […]’ (U 15.546–7). The only horse on record named Nevertell was foaled in 1910 by St Primus or Oppressor out of Secret. Nevertell went to stud in 1912. There is no record of Nevertell running at Leopardstown. Ironically, a horse named Never Again won at Leopardstown on 26 December 1912 at 5 to 2. If Molly had placed a bet of two shillings on Never Again she would have got back seven shillings!
| Epsom Derby |
What were the first names of American novelist J D Salinger? | Horse Racing Glossary A to F
A-F . G-P . Q-Z
A
* - Before the late 1970s an asterisk or a star (*) before a horse�s name indicated that the horse was imported from a country outside of North America.
= - An equal sign (=) in front of a horse�s name means that the horse is foreign-bred but has not been imported.
() - A parenthesis after a horse�s name with:
- A country�s abbreviation (IRE, FR, CHI, NZ) indicates what country the horse was foaled in and what stud book they are registered with. For example, (IRE)=Ireland, (FR)=France, (CHI)=Chile, (NZ)=New Zealand; indicates what country the horse was foaled in and what stud book they are registered with.
- A number (46) means the number of days since last raced.
- (d5.g) means size & dam & gelding
- (P) means the horse pulled up in last race.
- An asterisk or a star (*) at the end means the tipster thinks it may have a good chance of winning in the race it's now in.
Abandoned - A race meeting which has been cancelled because a club did not receive sufficient nominations to be able to stage it, or because of bad weather which made racing on the track unsafe. All bets placed on abandoned races are fully refunded.
Acceptor - A runner officially listed to start in a race.
Accumulator - (Also, Parlay) A multiple bet. A single stake is used to generate two or more bets in succession. A kind of 'let-it-ride' bet. Making simultaneous selections on two or more races with the intent of pressing the winnings of the first win on the bet of the following race selected, and so on. All the selections made must win for you to win the accumulator. The punter makes a series of selections each from a different race or event. Every time a selection wins, the stake plus winnings is put onto the next selection. If any selection loses, the whole bet is lost. Accumulators are also known as doubles, trebles, four-folds, five-folds, six-folds, ten-folds, etc. Ten-folds accumulator is a 10 selections bet of 10 events.
Across The Board - (See 'Place') A bet on a horse to win, place or show. Three wagers combined in one. If the horse wins, the player wins all three wagers, if second, two, and if third, one.
Age - All thoroughbreds count January 1 as their birth date.
Ajax - UK slang term for 'Betting Tax'.
All-age Race - A race for two-year-olds and up.
All Out - A horse who is trying to the best of his ability.
Allowances - Reductions in weights to be carried allowed because of certain conditions such as; an apprentice jockey is on a horse, a female horse racing against males, or three-year-olds racing against older horses.
All Weather Racing - Racing that takes place on an artificial surface.
Also Ran - Any selection not finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in a race or event.
Amateur (rider) - on racecards, their names are prefixed by Mr, Mrs, Captain, etc, to indicate their amateur status.
Ante Post - (Also, Futures) Bets placed in advance predicting the outcome of a future event. Ante-post prices are those on major sporting events, usually prior to the day of the event itself. In return for the chance of better odds, punters risk the fact that stakes are not returned if their selection pulls out or is cancelled.
Apprentice - A trainee jockey. An apprentice will usually ride only flat races.
Approximates - The approximate price a horse is quoted at before a race begins. Bookmakers use these approximates as a guide to set their boards.
AQHA - The American Quarter Horse Association. Based in Amarillo, Texas, the AQHA is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The organization was founded in 1940 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Arbitrage - Where a variation in odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win.
ART - Artificial Turf.
Baby Race - A race for two-year-olds.
Back - To bet or wager.
Backed - A 'backed' horse is one on which lots of bets have been placed.
Backed-In - A horse which is backed-in means that bettors have outlaid a lot of money on that horse, with the result being a decrease in the odds offered.
Back Marker - In a standing start event, which is handicapped, the horse who is given the biggest handicap is known as the backmarker.
Backstretch - The straight way on the far side of the track.
Back Straight - The straight length of the track farthest away from the spectators and the winning post.
Backward - A horse that is either too young or not fully fit.
Banker - (Also, Key) Highly expected to win. The strongest in a multiple selection in a parlay or accumulator. In permutation bets the banker is a selection that must win to guarantee any returns.
Bar Price - Refers to the odds of those runners in a race not quoted with a price during early betting shows. The bar price is the minimum odds for any of those selections not quoted.
Barrier - (Also, Tape) A starting device used in steeple chasing consisting of an elastic band stretched across the racetrack which retracts when released.
Barrier Draw - The ballot held by the race club to decide which starting stall each runner will occupy.
Bat - (Also, Stick) A jockey's whip.
Beard (US) - A friend or acquaintance or other contact who is used to placing bets so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the actual bettor. Many top handicappers and persons occupying sensitive positions use this method of wagering.
Bearing In (Out) - Go wide on the turns (Bearing Out), running toward the inside rail (Bearing In). Failing to maintain a straight course, veering to the left or right. Can be caused by injury, fatigue, outside distraction, or poor riding.
Bore Out (Bore In) - Past tense of Bearing Out (In). (See above)
Beeswax - UK slang term for betting tax. Also known as 'Bees' or 'Ajax'.
Bell Lap - In harness racing, the last lap of a race, signified by the ringing of the bell.
Bet - A transaction in which monies are deposited or guaranteed.
Betting Board - A board used by the bookmaker to display the odds of the horses engaged in a race.
Betting Ring - The main area at a racecourse where the bookmakers operate.
Betting Tax - Tax on a Bookmaker's turnover. In the UK this is a 'Duty' levied on every Pound wagered. Common methods of recouping this by the punter are to deduct tax from returns (winnings) or to pay tax with the stake/wager. In the latter case, no tax is deducted from the punter's winnings.
Bettor (US) - Someone who places or has a bet. A 'Punter' in the UK.
Beyer Number - A handicapping tool, popularized by author Andrew Beyer, assigning a numerical value to each race run by a horse based on final time and track condition. This enables different horses running at different racetracks to be objectively compared.
Bismarck - A favourite which the bookmakers do not expect to win.
Black-type - Boldface type (printed in bold). Horses that have won or been placed are printed in boldface in the listing to easily distinguish them from the rest. Designation for a stakes winner or stakes-placed horse in a sales catalogue.
Blanket Finish - When the horses finish so close to the winning line you could theoretically put a single blanket across them.
Blind Bet - A bet made by a racetrack bookmaker on another horse to divert other bookmakers' attention away from his sizeable betting on his/her main horse thus to avoid a shortening of the odds on the main horse.
Blinkers - A cup-shaped device applied over the sides of the horse's head near his eyes to limit his vision. This helps to prevent him from swerving away from distracting objects or other horses on either side of him. Blinker cups come in a variety of sizes and shapes to allow as little or as much vision as the trainer feels is appropriate.
Blow-out - A short, timed workout of about a mile in distance, usually a day before a race, designed to sharpen the speed of a horse (blow him out).
Board - Short for 'Tote Board' on which odds, betting pools and other race information are displayed.
Bold Print (listing of horse printed in bold)- See 'Black-type' above.
Bomb(er) - A winning horse sent off at very high odds.
Book - A bookmaker's tally of amounts bet on each competitor, and odds necessary to assure him of profit. Running a 'book' is the act of quoting odds and accepting bets on an event and the person doing it is called the 'Bookmaker'.
Bookie - (U.K.) Short for bookmaker. The person or shop who accepts bets.
Bookmaker - Person who is licensed to accept bets on the result of an event based on their provision of odds to the customer. (Sportsbook US).
Bottle - UK slang, odds of 2 to 1.
Box - A wagering term denoting a combination bet whereby all possible numeric combinations are covered.
Boxed (in) - To be trapped between other horses.
Bobble - A bad step away from the starting gate, sometimes caused by the ground breaking away from under a horse and causing him to duck his head or go to his knees.
Bolt - Sudden veering from a straight course.
Book - A collection of all the bets taken on fixed odds betting events.
Bookmaker (Bookie) - A person registered and licensed to bet with the public.
Breakage - Those pennies that are left over in pari-mutuel payoffs which are rounded out to a nickel or dime.
Breakdown - When a horse suffers a potentially career-ending injury. The occurrence of injury or lameness in a horse in a race or workout.
Break Maiden - A horse or rider winning the first race of a career.
Breeze (breezing) - Working a horse at moderate speed.
Broken Maiden - A maiden horse that won its first race.
Breeders' Cup - Thoroughbred racing's year-end championship. Known as Breeders' Cup Day, it consists of eight races conducted on one day at a different racetrack each year with purses and awards totalling $13 million. First run in 1984.
Bridge-Jumper (US) - Bettor who specializes in large show bets on odd-on favourites.
Buck (US) - A bet of US$ 100 (also known as a 'dollar bet').
Bug Boy - An apprentice rider.
Bull Ring - Small racetrack less than one mile around.
Burkington Bertie - 100/30.
Buy Price - In Spread or Index betting, the higher figure quoted by an Index bookmaker.
Buy the Rack (US) - Purchase every possible daily-double or other combination ticket.
C
Canadian - Also known as a Super Yankee. A Canadian is a combination bet consisting of 26 bets with 5 selections in different events. The combination bet is made up of 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five 4-folds and one 5-fold.
Card - Another term for fixture or race meeting.
Carpet - UK slang for Odds of 3 to 1 (also known as 'Tres' or 'Gimmel').
Caulk - Projection on the bottom of a shoe to give the horse better traction, especially on a wet track.
Century - GBP� 100 (also known as a 'Ton').
Chalk - Wagering favorite in a race. Dates from the days when on-track bookmakers would write current odds on a chalkboard.
Chalk Player - Bettor who wagers on favorites.
Change their Leads - See 'Switch Leads'
Chase - See 'Steeplechase'.
Checked - A horse pulled up by his jockey for an instant because he is cut off or in tight quarters.
Chute - Extension of the backstretch or homestretch to allow a longer straight run.
Claiming - Buying a horse out of race for entered price. The process by which a licensed person may purchase a horse entered in a designated race for a predetermined price. When a horse has been claimed, its new owner assumes title after the starting gate opens although the former owner is entitled to all purse money earned in that particular race.
Claiming Box - Box in which claims are deposited before the race.
Claiming Race - A race in which the horses are entered subject to claim for a specified price. Each horse entered is eligible to be purchased at a set price. Claims must be made before the race and only by licensed owners or their agents who have a horse registered to race at that meeting or who have received a claim certificate from the stewards.
Client (US) - Purchaser of betting information from horseman or other tipster.
Close (US) - Final odds on a horse (e.g. 'closed at 5 to 1'). Confusingly equates to 'Starting Price' in the UK.
Closer - A horse that runs best in the latter part of the race (closing race), coming from off the pace.
Co-Favorites - (also Co Fav) Where three or more competitors share the status as favorite.
Colors (Colours) - Racing silks, the jacket and cap worn by jockeys. Silks can be generic and provided by the track or specific to one owner.
Colt - An ungelded (entire) male horse four-years-old or younger.
Combination Bet - Selecting any number of teams/horses to finish first and second in either order.
Conditional Jockey - Same as 'Apprentice' but also allowed to jump.
Coupled Entry (or entries) or Coupled Horses - When 2 or more horses are entered in a race that belong to the same owner, or when 2 or more horses are entered in a race that are trained by and/or owned by the same person. In the USA, each State has its own rules on coupled entries. The 'coupled entry' represents a single betting interest. For example: Jack owns horse A and horse B. Jack's entry would therefore be 1 and 1a. This is considered a bet on number 1 for betting purposes and you get 2 horses for the price of 1.
Correct Weight - Horses are allocated a weight to carry that is checked before and, for at least the placegetters, after a race. Correct weight must be signaled before bets can be paid out.
Cracking Pace - When the leader or the leaders of a race run at a very quick speed, usually in the early stages of a race.
Cross Fire - When a horse's hind foot strikes the opposite front foot or leg.
Crossing to the Fence - A horse that begins from one of the positions out wider on the track and then moves down to the inside fence, is referred to as crossing to the fence.
Crossing to the Lead - A horse that begins from one of the positions out wider on the track, moves down to the inside fence and then speeds to beat all other horses to the leading position of a race is referred to as crossing to the lead.
Cuppy - A "cuppy" track. A dry and loose racing surface that breaks away under a horse's hooves.
D
Daily Double - Type of wager calling for the selection of winners of two consecutive races, usually the first and second. See 'Late Double'.
Daily Racing Form - A daily newspaper containing racing information including news, past performance data and handicapping.
Daily Triple - A wager where the bettor must select the winner of three consecutive races.
Dam - The mother of a horse.
Dark Day - A day when no racing is scheduled.
Dark Horse - A horse whose chances of success are not known, and whose capabilities have not been made the subject of general comment or of wagers.
Dead Heat - A tie. Two or more horses finishing equal in a race.
Dead Track - Racing surface lacking resiliency.
Death (The) - Also known as the death seat. The position outside the leader, one horse off the rails or fence. The death is considered to be the toughest run in a race because the horse in the 'death position/seat' will have to cover more ground than the inside competitor.
Declaration Of Weights - The publication of weights allocated to each horse nominated for a race by the handicapper.
Declared - In the United States, a horse withdrawn from a stakes race in advance of scratch time. In Europe, a horse confirmed to start in a race.
Deductions - When a horse is scratched from a race after betting on that race has already started, deductions are taken out of the win and place bets at a rate in proportion to the odds of the scratched horse.
Derby - A stakes event for three-year-olds.
Dime (US) - A bet of USD$ 1,000 (also known as a 'dime bet').
Distance - The length of a race: 5 furlongs is the minimum and the 4 1/2 miles of the Grand National the longest. Also, the margin by which a horse wins or is beaten by the horse in front; this ranges from a short head to 'by a distance' (more than 30 lengths); a 'length' is measured from the horse's nose to the start of its tail.
Distanced - Well beaten, finishing a long distance behind the winner.
Dividend - The amount that a winning or placed horse returns for every $1 bet by the bettor.
Dog (US) - The underdog in any betting proposition.
Dog Player (US) - A bettor who mainly wagers on the underdog.
Dogs Up - Or 'The dogs are up', referring to the rubber traffic cones placed at certain distances out from the inner rail when the track is wet, muddy, soft, yielding or heavy, to prevent horses during the workout period from churning the footing along the rail.
Dosage - A mathematical analysis of a horse's pedigree based on sires being placed in one or more of five categories: brilliant, intermediate, classic, solid, professional.
Double - Selecting the winners in two specific races.
Double Carpet - UK slang for Odds of 33 to 1, based on 'Carpet'.
Draw - Refers to a horse's placing in the starting stalls. For flat racing only. Stall numbers are drawn at random.
Drift - (Also, Ease) Odds that 'Lengthen', are said to have drifted, or be 'On The Drift'.
Driving - Strong urging by rider.
Dual Forecast - A tote bet operating in races of 3 or more declared runners in which the punter has to pick the first two to finish in either order.
E
Each Way - UK term for betting on a horse to win and/or 'Place'. An each way bet is when you have the same amount on the horse for a win and for a place. Bookmakers will give you one quarter of the win odds for a place in fields of eight or more and one third of the win odds in fields of six or seven horses.
Each Way Double - Two separate bets of a win double and a place double.
Each Way Single - Two bets. The first is for the selection to win; the second for it to be placed (each way).
Eclipse Award - Thoroughbred racing's year-end awards, honoring the top horses in 11 separate categories.
Enclosure - The area where the Runners gather for viewing before and after the race.
Entry - A horse entered in a race.
Entries - A listing of all horses entered in a race, often including additional information and statistics on each horse (like programs or racecards, but usually with slightly less data).
Equibase (Company) - A partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations to establish and maintain an industry-owned, central database of racing records. Equibase past-performance information is used in track programs across North America.
Equivalent Odds - Mutuel price horses would pay for each $1 bet.
Evenly - Neither gaining nor losing position or distance during a race.
Even Money Bet (or Evens) - A 1:1 bet. A $10 wager wins $10.
Exacta - (Also, Perfecta) A wager that picks the first two finishers in a race in the exact order of finish. (Straight Forecast in the UK.)
Exacta Box - A wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are covered.
Exotic (wager) - Any wager other than win, place or show.
Exposure - The amount of money one actually stands to lose on a game or race.
Extended - Forced to run at top speed.
F
False Favorite - A horse that is a race favorite despite being outclassed by others.
Faltered - A horse that was in contention early in the race but drops back in the late stages.
Fast (track) - Optimum condition for a dirt track that is dry, even, resilient and fast.
Favorite - The most popular horse in a race, which is quoted at the lowest odds because it is deemed to have the best chance of winning the race.
Feature Races - Top races.
Fence - The inside fence is the inside running rail around the race track, while the outside fence is the outside running rail.
Field - 1) All the runners in a race. 2) Some sportsbooks or bookmakers may well group all the outsiders in a competition under the banner headline of 'Field' and put it head to head with the favorite. This is known as favorite vs the field betting and is common in horse and golf betting.
Field Horse - Two or more starters running as a single betting unit, when there are more entrants than positions on the totalisator board can accommodate.
Filly - Female horse four-years-old or younger.
Final Field - The total list of available competitors. The list of horses competing is the final one and there are no more runners to be added.
Fire - A burst of acceleration by a horse in a race. Example: 'The horse did fire (or didn't fire) when asked'.
Firm (track) - A condition of a turf course corresponding to fast on a dirt track. A firm, resilient surface.
First Up - The first run a horse has in a new campaign or preparation.
Fixed Odds - Your dividend is fixed at the odds when you placed your bet.
Fixture - See 'Meeting'.
Flag/Super Robin - A bet consisting of 23 bets on 4 selections in different events (6 Doubles, 4 Trebles, 1 Fourfold, plus 12 single stake cross bets).
Flash (US) - Change of odds information on tote board.
Flat race - Contested on level ground as opposed to a steeplechase.
Flatten Out - When a horse drops his head almost in a straight line with his body, generally from exhaustion.
Float - 1) An equine dental procedure in which sharp points on the teeth are filed down. 2) The instrument with which the above procedure is performed.
Floating - Flat plate or wooden implement dragged over the surface of a wet track to aid in draining water.
Foal - A baby horse, usually refers to either a male or female horse from birth to January 1st of the following year. All racehorses are given the nominal birthday of January 1st. Thus a two-year-old born in June and one born in January of the same year are considered to be of the same age for the purposes of satisfying the conditions of some races re: weight carried. In reality, the January horse may be considered to have a significant advantage in terms of physical development at this early stage in its career.
Fold - When preceded by a number, a fold indicates the number of selections in an accumulator (e.g. 5-Fold = 5 selections).
Forecast - A wager that involves correctly predicting the 1st and 2nd for a particular event. This bet can be straight, reversed or permed. (USA, Perfecta or Exacta).
Form - Statistics of previous performance and comment as to the expected current performance of a runner, useful in deciding which runner to bet on.
Form Player - A bettor who makes selections from past-performance records.
Fresh (Freshened) - A rested horse or a freshened horse.
Front-runner - A horse whose running style is to attempt to get on or near the lead at the start of the race and stay there as long as possible.
Frozen (track) - A condition of a racetrack where any moisture present is frozen.
FTL - FTL stands for 'First Time Lasix'. Lasix is a brand name for "furosemide" or "frusemide". The name 'lasix' is derived from 'lasts six' (hours) - referring to its duration of action. Lasix is used in the treatment of high blood pressure. Lasix acts quickly, usually within 1 hour. In racing, it is used to prevent thoroughbred and standardbred race horses from bleeding through the nose during races.
Full Cover - All the doubles, trebles and accumulators involved in a given number of selections.
Furlong - One-eighth of a mile or 220 yards or 660 feet (approx. 200 meters).
Futures - (Also, Ante Post) Bets placed in advance predicting the outcome of a future event.
A-F . G-P . Q-Z
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18th Century anatomist Anna Manzolini was an expert at making anatomical models from which material? | The evolution of anatomical illustration and wax modelling in Italy from the 16th to early 19th centuries
"Unlike Lelli, who mostly devoted himself to osteology and myology, the Manzolinis preferred to reproduce the organs of sense and of the urogenital and cardiovascular systems. The Bolognese waxworks were initially made over human skeletons but later models were entirely artificial; they were, however, single works modelled by the artist on the basis of an anatomical preparation (Dacome, 2006). The works of Lelli, Manzolini and Morandi can now be seen in the Palazzo Poggi, the original site of the old Institutum that operated from 1711 to 1799 (Simoni, 2005). "
[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Although the contribution to anatomical illustration by Vesalius and his followers has received much attention, less credit has been given to Veslingius and particularly Fabricius. By 1600, Fabricius had amassed more than 300 paintings that together made the Tabulae Pictae, a great atlas of anatomy that was highly admired by his contemporaries. Many of his new observations were incorporated into subsequent books, including those by Casserius, Spighelius, Harvey and Veslingius. Also of importance were the Tabulae by Eustachius (1552), which, although only published in 1714, greatly influenced anatomical wax modelling. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV established a Museum of Anatomy in Bologna, entrusting to Ercole Lelli the creation of several anatomical preparations in wax. Felice Fontana realised that the production of a large number of models by the casting method would make cadaveric specimens superfluous for anatomical teaching and in 1771 he asked the Grand Duke to fund a wax-modelling workshop in Florence as part of the Natural History Museum, later known as La Specola. Fontana engaged Giuseppe Ferrini as his first modeller and then the 19-year-old Clemente Susini who, by his death in 1814, had superintended the production of, or personally made, more than 2000 models. In 1780, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II visited La Specola and ordered a great number of models for his Josephinum museum; these were made by Fontana with the help of Clemente Susini and supervised by the anatomist Paolo Mascagni. It is, however, in Cagliari that some of Susini's greatest waxes are to be found. These were made when he was free of Fontana's influence and were based on dissections made by Francesco Antonio Boi (University of Cagliari). Their distinctive anatomical features include the emphasis given to nerves and the absence of lymphatics in the brain, a mistake made on earlier waxes. The refined technical perfection of the anatomical details demonstrates the closeness of the cooperation between Susini and Boi, whereas the expressiveness of the faces and the harmony of colours make the models of Cagliari masterpieces of figurative art.
Full-text · Article · Nov 2009
| Wax |
How many red stripes are there on the national flag of Thailand? | The Lady Anatomist: The Life and Work of Ana Morandi Manzolini: Amazon.es: Rebecca Messbarger: Libros en idiomas extranjeros
3.0 de un máximo de 5 estrellas Interesting, But Missing the Anti-Semitic Analysis 2 de mayo de 2012
Por Peter P. Fuchs - Publicado en Amazon.com
Formato: Tapa dura
This seems to be quite an interesting book, exploring an interesting corner of history which many may not know much about. If I saw it a a used book sale I would definitely pick it up. Those who have studied the trajectory of Benedict XIV for various reasons are aware of his interesting Enlightenment dalliances. For in the context of the entire career of this man, that is all they could possibly be conceived to be: dalliances. Still, it is an extremely good thing that a Pope, any Pope, is being conceptualized as an Enlightenment Pope. You see that is the tag-line of a Conference that is going on as I write this in St. Louis. And this author, Messbarger, was the stimulator of it it seems, judging from her video on the online video site.. And let me stress, the very fact that an International Conference exists to celebrate the Enlightenment aspects of a Pope is a very laudable thing.
But let me comment on this book and the Conference at once. It seems that International Academic Conferences of various sorts are given to the "missing the forest for the trees" tendency. And that includes the one I have attended. But in this case the results of that tendency might be quite dangerous and potentially invalidating. For this Pope was certainly more in the Enlightenment vein than others around the same time. But the crucial point is not nearly as much as many Prince-Archbishops who were very dedicated to those tendencies. Even Mozart's stolid Archbishop of Salzburg was likely vastly more in the Enlightenment vein, with his busts of Voltaire no less in the Archepiscopal residence, than this Pope could have been.
So hopefully when the videos of the presentations of the Conference are posted online we will find that the presenters have engaged in perspectival scholarship, not tendentious propaganda for a crazy idea. The crazy idea would be that cumulatively this Pope was about bringing the Roman Church into the modern era in dialogue with his times. I stress, as a cumulative matter, there is precious little support for that. Indeed Benedict XIV seems to have revived specifically some of the most benighted and medieval anti-Semitic tropes in various documents. This bears specifically on the contents of this book in fact. For one of the hoary medieval tropes of anti-Semitism was that Jews were rabid kidnappers of live human beings (especially children) and even dead bodies for "witchcraft" purposes. Benedict XIV desire to have a wax cabinet, or anatomy museum, is legibly historically as BOTH an Enlightenment interest AND a desire to create a standard collection so that no more bodies would be needed. Killing two birds with one Papal stone. Thus, his obsession with the Jews could be quietened with a sop in the "scientific" direction. I am giving this book a lower rating because my simple search turns up no reference to the Jewish issue, which is clearly a misprision, given that this obsession touched all of Benedict XIV's other activities. Don't forget -- and I sure hope that the Conference presenters don't forget either! -- that the Roman Church was dogmatically against most palliative medical procedures which would reduce pain based on precise medical knowledge. This is a fact that continued well into their campaign against the evils of anasthesia, which would reduce spiritual suffering. Thus, contextually, the idea that Benedict XIV had an sort of essentially Enlightenment notions, in the sense of a critique of the cruelties of orthodox religion, is a simple contradiction in terms.
I think the Conference is connected with the new Danforth Center for Religion and Politics. I am glad there is such a thing, as Danforth is a mensch, and a very decent human being. But according to their website they are supposed to be "non-ideological". It is hard to conceive of much having to to do with the RC Church these days that fits that rubric. Danforth once said in an interview that the fight against gay rights is pure "cussedness". It is hard to see how "cussedness" could be "non-ideological", since that is what the RC Church has then and now been engaged in in the most unenlightened way. As for the idea of a truly Enlightenment Pope from the 18th Century, the very idea without very heavy qualifications would be the worst form of ideology imaginable. It would certainly besmirch any scholar who proffered it.
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In Januaury 1970, Diana Ross and the Supremes performed their farewell concert together at which Las Vegas hotel? | Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their final concert - Jan 14, 1970 - HISTORY.com
Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their final concert
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Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their final concert
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Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their final concert
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They were the most successful American pop group of the 1960s—a group whose 12 #1 hits in the first full decade of the rock and roll era places them behind only Elvis and the Beatles in terms of chart dominance. They helped define the very sound of the 60s, but like fellow icons the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel, they came apart in the first year of the 70s. The curtain closed for good on Diana Ross and the Supremes on January 14, 1970, at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The farewell concert in Vegas was the final act in a drawn-out breakup that didn’t become official until November 1969, but probably became inevitable in July 1967, when Motown Records chief Berry Gordy gave Diana Ross top billing over the Supremes. That move clearly signaled Gordy’s intention to launch Diana on a solo career—something he may have had in mind from the moment he upgraded her first name from “Diane” and upstaged her fellow Supremes by making Diana the group’s official lead singer.
Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Diane Ross grew up together in Detroit’s Brewster housing project and started out as co-equals in a singing group they called “the Primettes.” It took them several years of toiling within the hit factory Berry Gordy was assembling before the girls made their breakthrough in 1964. Those years included a Gordy-inspired name change for the group; a Gordy-mandated buffing and polishing in Motown’s in-house finishing school; and, eventually, a Gordy-dictated elevation of Diana over her childhood friends, Flo and Mary.
Yet even into early 1964, the group that would become Motown’s greatest commercial success was known as the “No-Hit Supremes” around Hitsville, U.S.A., the company’s Detroit headquarters. It was “Where Did Our Love Go”—a song written by the soon-to-be-legendary team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and rejected by the soon-to-be-eclipsed Marvelettes—that kicked off a run of success that saw the Supremes score an incredible five straight #1 singles in a 10-month span from July 1964 to May 1965. Five more #1s would come before Motown forced Flo Ballard out of the group she created, and two more would come with Cindy Birdsong as Ballard’s replacement before Diana Ross left the Supremes behind
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Josip Broz Tito was elected president of Yugoslavia by the country's Parliament.
1954
Baseball player Joe Dimaggio and actress Marilyn Monroe were married at San Francisco City Hall.
1963
George C. Wallace was sworn in as governor of Alabama with a pledge of "segregation forever."
1969
An explosion ripped through the U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise off Hawaii, killing 25 crew members.
1970
Diana Ross and the Supremes performed their last concert together, at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.
1993
Late-night TV talk show host David Letterman announced he was moving from NBC to CBS.
1994
President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed accords in Moscow to stop aiming missiles at any nation and to dismantle the nuclear arsenal of Ukraine.
1998
Whitewater prosecutors questioned first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House about the gathering of FBI background files on past Republican political appointees.
2000
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2004
Former Enron finance chief Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty to conspiracy as he accepted a 10-year prison sentence.
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President George W. Bush unveiled a plan to send astronauts to the moon, Mars and beyond.
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Army Specialist Charles Graner Jr., the reputed ringleader of a band of rogue guards at the Abu Ghraib prison, was convicted at Fort Hood, Texas, of abusing Iraqi detainees. (He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison.).
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Current Birthdays
LL Cool J turns 42 years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello Rapper-actor LL Cool J ("NCIS: Los Angeles") turns 42 years old today.
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Alliumphobia is the fear of which herb? | Alliumphobia? Hope and Effective Treatment
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What is Alliumphobia? - Fear of garlic
Alliumphobia is the strange kind of phobia in which the sufferers fears from Garlic and its smell. The causes of this uncommon phobia is unknown to the researchers.
Alliumphobia symptoms includes sweatness, shortness of breathing, heavy breathing, anxiety, stress and stomach butterflies when the Garlic or smell of Gralic comes in contact with the affected person.
The treatment of Alliumphobia includes reassuring the affected person about the possible cure for the ailment and gaining their confidence about the issue.
Phobia of different kinds
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Which was the first major battle of the English Civil War, that took place in October 1642? | Garlic Fun Facts | POPSUGAR Food
Garlic Fun Facts
by Katie Sweeney
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Today, April 19, is National Garlic Day. I thought I would take advantage of the holiday and put together a quick little round of fun facts for you all to enjoy. Usually, I only reserve my favorite pieces of worthless knowledge for major holidays like Easter and Christmas, but I thought, hey garlic is in practically everything and is used in most cultures throughout the world. Surely, this potent little vegetable deserves its own fabulous batch of fun facts. For example did you know that garlic is actually considered both a vegetable and an herb? Or that garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years since ancient Greek and Roman times? To see how eating garlic can better your health,
Garlic is believed to ward off heart disease, cancer, colds, and flu. The consumption of garlic lowers blood cholesterol levels. and reduces the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
It was even once used to treat acne, warts, and toothaches.
The psychological term for fear of garlic is alliumphobia.
The origin of National Garlic Day is unknown and it is not recorded in congressional or presidential proclamations.
Garlic is said to fight off evil spirits and keep vampires away.
If your garlic has sprouted, it is still usable although it has lost some of its flavor and health benefits.
The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object.
Garlic is a member of the onion family which also includes leeks and shallots.
Its pungent flavor is due to a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense just after mincing.
The majority of garlic (90%) grown in the United States comes from California.
If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids, an excellent home remedy to get rid of them is to spritz the leaves and blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water.
When picking out garlic at the grocery store, choose firm, tight, heavy dry bulbs.
Garlic has been used to infuse vodka and as an ingredient to make cocktails.
Finally, to tie garlic into Wedding week here on the Sugar Network: at ancient Greek and Roman marriages the brides carried bouquets of garlic and other herbs instead of flowers.
Got a fun fact about garlic? Please add it to the list below!
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In medicine, stomatitis affects which part of the body? | Stomatitis: Types, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Are usually gone in 7 to 10 days
Are sometimes associated with cold or flu -like symptoms
Causes of Stomatitis: Canker Sores and Cold Sores
Canker Sores
Nobody knows what exactly causes canker sores, but many things may contribute to their development, such as certain medications, trauma to the mouth, poor nutrition , stress, bacteria or viruses, lack of sleep , sudden weight loss , and certain foods such as potatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, chocolate , cheese, and nuts.
Canker sores may also be related to a temporarily reduced immune system because of a cold or flu , hormonal changes, or low levels of vitamin B12 or folate. Even biting the inside of the cheek or chewing a sharp piece of food can trigger a canker sore.
Continued
Canker sores may result from a genetic predisposition and are considered an autoimmune disease; they are not contagious.
About 20% people in the U.S. will have canker sores at some point during their lifetime -- women more often than men.
Cold Sores
Cold sores are caused by a virus called herpes simplex type 1. Unlike canker sores, cold sores are contagious from the time the blister ruptures to the time it has completely healed. The initial infection often occurs before adulthood and may be confused with a cold or the flu . Once the person is infected with the virus, it stays in the body, becoming dormant and reactivated by such conditions as stress, fever, trauma, hormonal changes (such as menstruation ), and exposure to sunlight.
When sores reappear, they tend to form in the same location. In addition to spreading to other people, the virus can also spread to another body part of the affected person, such as the eyes or genitals.
Treatment for Common Forms of Stomatitis
Mouth sores generally don't last longer than two weeks, even without treatment. If a cause can be identified, your doctor may be able to treat it. If a cause cannot be identified, the focus of treatment shifts to symptom relief.
The following strategies might help to ease the pain and inflammation of mouth sores:
Avoid hot beverages and foods as well as salty, spicy, and citrus-based foods.
Use pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprofen .
Gargle with cool water or suck on ice pops if you have a mouth burn.
For canker sores, the aim of treatment is to relieve discomfort and guard against infection. Try the following:
Drink more water.
Practice proper dental care .
Apply a topical anesthetic such as lidocaine or xylocaine to the ulcer (not recommended for children under 6).
Use a topical corticosteroid preparation such as triamcinolone dental paste (Kenalog in Orabase 0.1%), which protects a sore inside the lip and on the gums.
Blistex and Campho-Phenique may offer some relief of canker sores and cold sores, especially if applied when the sore first appears.
Continued
| Mouth |
Which English Test Cricket captain retired from professional cricket in August 2012? | Stomatitis facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Stomatitis
Stomatitis
Definition
Stomatitis is an inflammation of the mucous lining of the mouth, which may involve the cheeks, gums, tongue, lips, and roof or floor of the mouth. The word "stomatitis" literally means inflammation of the mouth.
Description
Stomatitis is an inflammation of the lining of any of the soft-tissue structures of the mouth. It is usually a painful condition, associated with redness, swelling, and occasional bleeding from the affected area. The inflammation may be caused by conditions in the mouth itself, such as poor hygiene, from burns from hot food or drinks, or by conditions that affect the entire body, such as medications, allergic reactions, or infections. Children may develop stomatitis at any point in their development, from infancy to adolescence . The two most common types seen in children are herpes stomatitis, which is caused by the herpes simplex virus, and aphthous stomatitis, more often referred to as canker sores .
Transmission
Depending upon its cause, stomatitis may or may not be contagious. Herpes stomatitis is considered contagious. Children may be exposed through kissing, sharing food, or playing in close contact with others who have an active herpes infection, such as a cold sore . Aphthous stomatitis is not contagious.
Demographics
Though stomatitis may occur at any time during a child's growth, different types affect children at different times. Herpes stomatitis can occur anywhere between six months and five years of age but is most common in children one to two years old who have not been exposed to the herpes virus before. Aphthous stomatitis begins in childhood or adolescence, with peak onset in those aged ten to 19 years. Aphthous ulcers may be more common in females than males. Children of higher socioeconomic status may be more affected than those who are from lower socioeconomic groups.
Causes and symptoms
Causes
A number of factors can cause stomatitis. Cheek biting, braces, or jagged teeth may persistently irritate the oral structures. Chronic mouth breathing due to plugged nasal airways may cause dryness of the mouth tissues, which in turn leads to irritation. The cause of herpes stomatitis is the herpes virus type 1 (not to be confused with genital herpes, which is caused by the herpes virus type 2 and is a sexually transmitted disease). The cause of aphthous stomatitis is unknown, although several factors are suspected. There may be an inherited tendency to develop canker sores and there may also be an immune system link. In addition, they may be triggered by emotional stress; nutritional deficiencies of iron, folic acid , or vitamin B12; menstrual periods; food allergies ; or viral infections. They may occur with no identifiable cause.
Symptoms
Stomatitis is characterized by pain or discomfort in the mouth and the presence of open sores or ulcers in the mouth. Herpes stomatitis may cause the following symptoms:
fever , sometimes as high as 101–104°F (38.3–40°C), which may precede the appearance of blisters and ulcers by one or two days
irritability and restlessness
blisters in the mouth, often on the tongue or cheeks or roof of the mouth, which then pop and form ulcers (These ulcers are usually small [about one to five millimeters in diameter], grayish white in the middle, and red around the edges.)
swollen gums, which may be irritated and bleed
pain in the mouth
Aphthous stomatitis may cause the following symptoms:
burning or tingling sensation in the mouth prior to the onset of other symptoms
skin lesions on the mucous membranes of the mouth, which begin as a red spot or bump, then develop into an open ulcer, which is usually small (one to two millimeters to one centimeter in diameter) (The ulcers can be single or break out in clusters. The ulcers are painful, and the center appears white or yellow with a fibrous texture. The border of the sore may be bright red.)
When to call the doctor
Parents should call the doctor if any of the following occur:
inability to drink or swallow
high temperature
fussiness and inability to settle down
symptoms not improved after three days
If the child appears dehydrated, parents should seek immediate medical attention. Signs include dry lips, the absence of tears when crying, a sinking soft spot on an infant's head, and no urination in eight hours or very dark urine. Parents should also seek care if the child is very weak, tired, or difficult to waken.
Diagnosis
Stomatitis is diagnosed by the doctor based primarily upon the appearance of the mouth sores. Both herpes and aphthous stomatitis have lesions that are unique in appearance. Although laboratory studies are seldom performed, the physician may order further blood tests or cultures of the lesions in order to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other causes.
Treatment
The treatment of stomatitis is based upon the problem causing it. For all types, local cleansing and good oral hygiene is fundamental. Sharp-edged foods such as peanuts, tacos, and potato chips should be avoided. A soft-bristled toothbrush should be used, and the teeth and gums should be brushed carefully. If toothbrushing is too painful, the child should rinse out his mouth with plain water after each meal. Local factors, such as sharp teeth or braces, can be addressed by a dentist or orthodontist.
Herpes stomatitis treatment
In herpes stomatitis, the most important part of treatment is for parents to keep their child drinking as normally as possible. Bland fluids such as apple juice, liquid flavored gelatin, or lukewarm broth are easiest to drink. Sucking on a Popsicle or sherbet may be soothing. Citrus juices and spicy or salty foods should be avoided. In the event of severe disease, the doctor may use intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration . Acetaminophen may be used for temperatures over 101°F (38.3°C) and to address pain. Medicines that numb the mouth, like viscous lidocaine or topical anesthetics only last for a brief time and, by numbing the mouth, may cause your child to further injure damaged tissues without knowing it. Antibiotics are of no help in treating herpes stomatitis. However, if the case is particularly severe, the doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication such as acyclovir which, if given at the beginning of the outbreak, may help clear things up faster.
Aphthous stomatitis treatment
Medical treatment is usually not necessary for aphthous stomatitis, unless the ulcers are severe (larger than one centimeter or lasting longer than two weeks). In this case medical evaluation and treatment may be indicated, and topical or oral tetracycline may be given. However, tetracycline is usually not prescribed for children until after all of their permanent teeth have erupted, as it can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming. Avoid hot or spicy foods to minimize discomfort. Mild mouth washes such as salt water or over-the-counter mouthwashes may help. Over-the-counter topical medications applied to the ulcerated area may reduce discomfort and sooth the area. To prevent bacterial infections from developing, parents should encourage their child to brush and floss teeth regularly.
Alternative treatment
Placing a spent tea bag on a canker sore may provide comfort. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a component of some toothpastes, is a potential cause of canker sores. In one study, most recurrent canker sores were eliminated just by avoiding SLS-containing toothpaste for three months.
Nutritional concerns
Some physicians may recommend a variety of dietary measures to treat stomatitis. These may include eating cottage cheese, buttermilk, and yogurt, as well as foods high in B vitamins . Some doctors may recommend supplementation with folic acid, iron, or vitamin B12.
Prognosis
The prognosis for the resolution of stomatitis is based upon the cause of the problem. Many mouth ulcers are benign and resolve without specific treatment. In the case of herpes stomatitis, complete recovery is expected within ten days without any medical intervention. Oral acyclovir may speed up recovery. Most children are minimally inconvenienced by aphthous stomatitis, because attacks are usually infrequent and only last a few days.
Prevention
Stomatitis caused by irritants can be prevented by good oral hygiene, regular dental checkups, and good dietary habits. Because so many adults and children carry the herpes virus, and because they can pass it on even if they have no symptoms, there is no practical way to prevent herpes stomatitis. Parents can, however, discourage their child from kissing, sharing food, or playing in close contact with people who have an active herpes infection.
Canker sores may be minimized by teaching children to avoid trauma, even minor trauma, to the mouth, such as hard toothbrushes and rough foods. If the doctor has determined that the child has a nutritional deficiency, parents can insure that the child is taking the appropriate supplements and eating the recommended foods. Avoiding stressful situations may also be beneficial.
Parental concerns
Most cases of stomatitis in children are benign and resolve within a relatively short period of time. Children with herpes stomatitis may return to school or day care when their fever is gone and the mouth sores are healed. Since aphthous stomatitis is not contagious, there is no need to curtail a child's activities unless they have developed signs of complications, such as infection.
See also Canker sores.
Resources
PERIODICALS
Vander Schaaf, Rachelle. "Cool Relief for Canker Sores." Parenting 17, no. 6 (August 1, 2003): 38.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dental Association. 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60612. Web site: <www.ada.org>.
WEB SITES
"Medical Encyclopedia: Herpetic Stomatitis." Medline Plus January 16, 2004. Available online at <www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/print/ency/article/001383.htm> (accessed October 14, 2004).
Stine, Annie. "Gingivostomatitis (herpes mouth sores)." Babycenter.com 2004. Available online at <www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerills/todthroatprobs/1201460.htm> (accessed October 14, 2004).
Deanna M. Swartout-Corbeil, RN Joseph Knight, PA
KEY TERMS
Aphthous stomatitis —A specific type of stomatitis presenting with shallow, painful ulcers. Also known as canker sores.
Herpes stomatitis —A form of stomatitis caused by the herpes 1 virus, usually seen in young children.
Stomatitis —Inflammation of the mucous lining of any of the structures of the mouth, including the cheeks, gums, tongue, lips, and roof or floor of the mouth.
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Stomatitis
Definition
Inflammation of the mucous lining of any of the structures in the mouth, which may involve the cheeks, gums, tongue, lips, and roof or floor of the mouth. The word "stomatitis" literally means inflammation of the mouth. The inflammation can be caused by conditions in the mouth itself, such as poor oral hygiene, poorly fitted dentures, or from mouth burns from hot food or drinks, or by conditions that affect the entire body, such as medications, allergic reactions, or infections.
Description
Stomatitis is an inflammation of the lining of any of the soft-tissue structures of the mouth. Stomatitis is usually a painful condition, associated with redness, swelling, and occasional bleeding from the affected area. Bad breath (halitosis) may also accompany the condition. Stomatitis affects all age groups, from the infant to the elderly.
Causes and symptoms
A number of factors can cause stomatitis; it is a fairly common problem in the general adult population in North America . Poorly fitted oral appliances, cheek biting, or jagged teeth can persistently irritate the oral structures. Chronic mouth breathing due to plugged nasal airways can cause dryness of the mouth tissues, which in turn leads to irritation. Drinking beverages that are too hot can burn the mouth, leading to irritation and pain. Diseases, such as herpetic infections (the common cold sore), gonorrhea, measles, leukemia, AIDS , and lack of vitamin C can present with oral signs. Other systemic diseases associated with stomatitis include inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Behçet's syndrome, an inflammatory multisystem disorder of unknown cause.
Aphthous stomatitis, also known as recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) or canker sores, is a specific type of stomatitis that presents with shallow, painful ulcers that are usually located on the lips, cheeks, gums, or roof or floor of the mouth. These ulcers can range from pinpoint size to up to 1 in (2.5 cm) or more in diameter. Though the causes of canker sores are unknown, nutritional deficiencies, especially of vitamin B12, folate, or iron is suspected. Generalized or contact stomatitis can result from excessive use of alcohol, spices, hot food, or tobacco products. Sensitivity to mouthwashes, toothpastes, and lipstick can irritate the lining of the mouth. Exposure to heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, or bismuth can cause stomatitis. Thrush, a fungal infection, is a type of stomatitis.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of stomatitis can be difficult. A patient's history may disclose a dietary deficiency, a systemic disease, or contact with materials causing an allergic reaction. A physical examination is done to evaluate the oral lesions and other skin problems. Blood tests may be done to determine if any infection is present. Scrapings of the lining of the mouth may be sent to the laboratory for microscopic evaluation, or cultures of the mouth may be done to determine if an infectious agent may be the cause of the problem.
Treatment
The treatment of stomatitis is based on the problem causing it. Local cleansing and good oral hygiene are fundamental. Sharp-edged foods such as peanuts, tacos, and potato chips should be avoided. A soft-bristled toothbrush should be used, and the teeth and gums should be brushed carefully; the patient should avoid banging the toothbrush into the gums. Local factors, such as ill-fitting dental appliances or sharp teeth, can be corrected by a dentist. An infectious cause can usually be treated with medication. Systemic problems, such as AIDS, leukemia, and anemia are treated by the appropriate medical specialist. Minor mouth burns from hot beverages or hot foods will usually resolve on their own in a week or so. Chronic problems with aphthous stomatitis are treated by first correcting any vitamin B12, iron, or folate deficiencies. If those therapies are unsuccessful, medication can be prescribed which can be applied to each aphthous ulcer with a cotton-tipped applicator. This therapy is successful with a limited number of patients. More recently, low-power treatment with a carbon dioxide laser has been found to relieve the discomfort of recurrent aphthae. Major outbreaks of aphthous stomatitis can be treated with tetracycline antibiotics or corticosteroids. Valacyclovir has been shown to be effective in treating stomatitis caused by herpesviruses.
Patients may also be given topical anesthetics (usually a 2% lidocaine gel) to relieve pain and a protective paste (Orabase) or a coating agent like Kaopectate to protect eroded areas from further irritation from dentures, braces, or teeth.
Alternative treatment
Alternate treatment of stomatitis mainly involves prevention of the problem. Patients with such dental appliances as dentures should visit their dentist on a regular basis. Patients with systemic diseases or chronic medical problems need to ask their health care provider what types of oral problems they can expect from their particular disease. These patients must also contact their medical clinic at the first sign of problems. Common sense needs to be exercised when consuming hot foods or drinks. Use of tobacco products should be discouraged. Alcohol should be used in moderation. Mouthwashes and toothpastes known to the patient to cause problems should be avoided.
Botanical medicine can assist in resolving stomatitis. One herb, calendula (Calendula officinalis ), in tincture form (an alcohol-based herbal extract) and diluted for a mouth rinse, can be quite effective in treating aphthous stomatitis and other manifestations of stomatitis.
More recently, a group of researchers in Brazil have reported that an extract made from the leaves of Trichilia glabra, a plant found in South America , is effective in killing several viruses that cause stomatitis.
Prognosis
The prognosis for the resolution of stomatitis is based on the cause of the problem. Many local factors can be modified, treated, or avoided. Infectious causes of stomatitis can usually be managed with medication, or, if the problem is being caused by a certain drug, by changing the offending agent.
Prevention
Stomatitis caused by local irritants can be prevented by good oral hygiene, regular dental checkups, and good dietary habits. Problems with stomatitis caused by systemic disease can be minimized by good oral hygiene and closely following the medical therapy prescribed by the patient's health care provider.
Resources
BOOKS
Beers, Mark H., MD, and Robert Berkow, MD., editors. "Disorders of the Oral Region." In The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 2004.
PERIODICALS
Cella, M., D. A. Riva, F. C. Coulombie, and S. E. Mersich. "Virucidal Activity Presence in Trichilia glabra Leaves." Revista Argentina de microbiologia 36 (July-September 2004): 136-138.
Miller, C. S., L. L. Cunningham, J. E. Lindroth, and S. A. Avdiushko. "The Efficacy of Valacyclovir in Preventing Recurrent Herpes Simplex Virus Infections Associated with Dental Procedures." Journal of the American Dental Association 135 (September 2004): 1311-1318.
Mirowski, Ginat W., DMD, MD, and Christy L. Nebesio. "Aphthous Stomatitis." eMedicine September 24, 2004. 〈http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic486.htm〉 .
Sciubba, James J., DMD, PhD. "Denture Stomatitis." eMedicine June 11, 2002. 〈http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic642.htm〉 .
Shulman, J. D., M. M. Beach, and F. Rivera-Hidalgo. "The Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Lesions in U.S. Adults: Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994." Journal of the American Dental Association 135 (September 2004): 1279-1286.
Wohlschlaeger, A. "Prevention and Treatment of Mucositis: A Guide for Nurses." Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing 21 (September-October 2004): 281-287.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dental Association. 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. (312) 440-2500. 〈http://www.ada.org〉 .
American Medical Association. 515 N. State St., Chicago, IL 60612. (312) 464-5000. 〈http://www.ama-assn.org〉 .
KEY TERMS
Aphthous stomatitis— A specific type of stomatitis presenting with shallow, painful ulcers. Also known as canker sores.
Stomatitis— Inflammation of the lining of the mouth, gums, or tongue.
Thrush— A form of stomatitis caused by Candida fungi and characterized by cream-colored or bluish patches on the tongue, mouth, or pharynx.
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Which is the youngest book in the New Testament of The Bible? | Facts about the Bible
Facts about the Bible
Facts about the Bible
Facts about the Bible
The following list is not designed to discuss doctrine, or provide in-depth teaching. It is merely a resource center for factual information on the Bible. Many of these questions have been addressed in various locations throughout our website; however, as many people do not have the time to comb through the entire website to find the answers they are looking for, we have compiled the following list.
How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments.
How many books are in the Old Testament?
There are 39 books in the Old Testament.
How many books are in the New Testament?
There are 27 books in the New Testament.
What does "testament" mean?
Testament means "covenant" or "contract."
Who wrote the Bible?
The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.
Which single author contributed the most books to the Old Testament?
Moses. He wrote the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch; the foundation of the Bible.
Which single author contributed the most books to the New Testament?
The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.
When was the Bible written?
It was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).
What is the oldest book in the Old Testament?
Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.
What is the youngest book in the Old Testament?
The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C.
What is the oldest book of the New Testament?
Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D. 45.
What is the youngest book in the New Testament?
The Book of Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written about 95 A.D.
What languages was the Bible written in?
The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
When was the Bible canonized?
The entire New Testament as we know it today, was canonized before the year 375 A.D. The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent of Christ.
What does "canon" mean?
"Canon" is derived front the Greek word "Kanon," signifying a measuring rod. Thus, to have the Bible "canonized" meant that it had been measured by the standard or test of divine inspiration and authority. It became the collection of books or writings accepted by the apostles and leadership of the early Christian church as a basis for Christian belief. It is the standard by which all Christians throughout the ages live and worship.
When was the first translation of the Bible made into English?
1382 A.D., by John Wycliffe.
When was the Bible printed?
The Bible was printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the "type mold" for the printing press. It was the first book ever printed.
What is the oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible now in existence?
The Codex Vaticanus, which dates from the first half of the fourth Century. It is located in the library of the Vatican in Rome. There are older fragments of the Bible that are still preserved however-- the oldest being a tiny scrap of the Gospel of John was found in Egypt, dating back to the beginning of the second century. (It is currently in the Rayland's Library in Manchester, England).
What is the longest book in the Bible?
The book of Psalms.
What is the shortest book in the Bible?
2 John.
What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117
What is the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35
Which book in the Bible does not mention the word "God?"
The book of Esther.
Who was the oldest man that ever lived?
Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).
Who were the two men in the Bible who never died but were caught up to heaven?
Enoch, who walked with God and was no more (Genesis 5:22-24). Elijah, who was caught up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11).
Who does the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)?
Moses (Numbers 12:3).
How many languages has the Bible been translated into?
The Holy Bible has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations, and audio translations (for unwritten languages). (This is an enormous amount of translations. In comparison, Shakespeare, considered by many to be the master writer of the English language, has only been translated into 50 languages.)
Is the Bible still the best-selling book in the world?
Yes, indeed!
| Book of Revelation |
Cheveux is French for which part of the body? | Fast Facts about the Bible | the Old Testament Facts | BibleResources.org
Fast Facts about the Bible
Search Bible Topics: Select a Bible & Enter a Topic or an Exact Phrase in the Search Box below like healing or grace of God etc.
Enter a Bible Word or an Exact Phrase:
Search Bible Verses: Select a Bible & Bible Book & Enter the Chapter & (Optionally) the Verses you want in the boxes below.
Search & Explore 18 Bibles Online:
Fast Facts about the Bible
The following list is a list of facts about the Bible not designed to discuss doctrine, or provide in-depth teaching. It is merely a resource center for factual information on the Bible. Many of these questions have been addressed in various locations throughout our website; however, as many people do not have the time to comb through the entire website to find the answers they are looking for, we have compiled the following list. Please submit further questions (of this sort) to BibleResources . We will not be able to answer you directly, but will continue to develop this site, as we receive additional questions about the Bible. Don’t forget to read our teaching on Bible History, for a more in-depth study.
Universal Truths & Facts About the Bible
The Bible Is Our Standard
1. How many books are in the Bible? The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments.
2. How many books are in the Old Testament? There are 39 books in the Old Testament.
3. How many books are in the New Testament? There are 27 books in the New Testament.
4. What does “testament” mean? Testament means “covenant” or “contract.”
5. Who wrote the Bible? The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.
6. Which single author contributed the most books to the Old Testament? Moses. He wrote the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch; the foundation of the Bible.
7. Which single author contributed the most books to the New Testament? The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.
8. When was the Bible written? It was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).
9. What is the oldest book in the Old Testament? Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.
10. What is the youngest book in the Old Testament? The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C.
11. What is the oldest book of the New Testament? Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D. 45.
12. What is the youngest book in the New Testament? The Book of Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written about 95 A.D.
13. What languages was the Bible written in? The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
14. When was the Bible canonized? The entire New Testament as we know it today, was canonized before the year 375 A.D. The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent of Christ.
15. What does “canon” mean? “Canon” is derived front the Greek word “Kanon,” signifying a measuring rod. Thus, to have the Bible “canonized” meant that it had been measured by the standard or test of divine inspiration and authority. It became the collection of books or writings accepted by the apostles and leadership of the early Christian church as a basis for Christian belief. It is the standard by which all Christians throughout the ages live and worship.
16. When was the first translation of the Bible made into English? 1382 A.D., by John Wycliffe.
17. When was the Bible printed? The Bible was printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the “type mold” for the printing press. It was the first book ever printed.
18. What is the oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible now in existence? The Codex Vaticanus, which dates from the first half of the fourth Century. It is located in the library of the Vatican in Rome. There are older fragments of the Bible that are still preserved however– the oldest being a tiny scrap of the Gospel of John was found in Egypt, dating back to the beginning of the second century. (It is currently in the Rayland’s Library in Manchester, England).
19. What is the longest book in the Bible? The book of Psalms.
20. What is the shortest book in the Bible? 2 John.
21. What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119
22. What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 117
23. What is the longest verse in the Bible? Esther 8:9
24. What is the shortest verse in the Bible? John 11:35
25. Which book in the Bible does not mention the word “God?” The book of Esther.
26. Who was the oldest man that ever lived? Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).
27. Who were the two men in the Bible who never died but were caught up to heaven? Enoch, who walked with God and was no more (Genesis 5:22-24). Elijah, who was caught up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11).
28. Who does the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)? Moses (Numbers 12:3).
29. How many languages has the Bible been translated into? The Holy Bible has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations, and audio translations (for unwritten languages). (This is an enormous amount of translations. In comparison, Shakespeare, considered by many to be the master writer of the English language, has only been translated into 50 languages.)
30. Is the Bible still the best-selling book in the world? Yes, indeed!
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What is the title of English author Jane Austen’s first published novel? | Austen.com | The Works of Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen's first major novel was written in 1798-99, when she was in her early twenties. It is a comic love story set in Bath about a young reader who must learn how to separate fantasy from reality. Miss Austen sold the novel (then entitled Susan) to a publisher in 1803, and the work was advertised but never published. She bought it back many years later, and her brother Henry Austen published the novel as Northanger Abbey after her death in 1817.
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be published. She began to write it sometime around 1797, and she worked on it for many years before its publication in 1811. The title page said that it was written "By a Lady", and only her immediate family knew that Jane Austen was the author. Impetuous Marianne Dashwood tumbles into a fairytale romance that goes sour, and her practical older sister Elinor copes with the family's financial problems while hiding her own frustrated romantic hopes. The book was a success, and it even earned a profit!
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice was first written in the late 1700's, then rewritten in 1811-1812 and finally published in early 1813. It is probably the most-read of all of Jane Austen's novels and is a popular favorite among many. Originally entitled First Impressions, the novel deals with the misjudgments that often occur at the beginning of an acquaintance and how those misjudgments can change as individuals learn more about each other.
Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park was written between February, 1811 and the summer of 1813. It was the third novel Jane Austen had published and it first appeared on May 4, 1814. During her lifetime, it was attributed only to "The author of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice", and the author's identity was unknown beyond her family and friends. It is Jane Austen's most complex novel and deals with many different themes, from the education of children, to the differences between appearances and reality. The version of the novel housed here at Austen.com is slightly annotated.
Lovers' Vows : This is the play that the Bertrams wish to enact in the first volume of Mansfield Park. In addition to the text of the play, a synopsis is provided here, as well as a short analysis explaining some of the objections to the play within the novel and a cast list.
Emma
Emma was written in 1814-1815, and while Jane Austen was writing it, it was suggested to her by a member of the Prince Regents' household that she dedicate it to His Royal Highness. Austen took the suggestion as it was intended--as a command--and Emma was thus dedicated, but the dedication itself is rather slyly worded. Emma deals with a young woman's maturation into adulthood and the trouble she gets herself into along the way. The version of the novel housed here at Austen.com is slightly annotated.
Persuasion
Persuasion was written in 1815-1816, while Jane Austen was suffering from her fatal illness. She was still working on some revisions at the time of her death in 1817. The novel was published posthumously by her brother, Henry Austen. Persuasion is a novel of second chances, expectations of society, and the constancy of love. You can also read the preface which Henry wrote telling the world of his sister's authorship, life, and untimely death: A Biographical Notice of the Author .
Juvenilia
Jane Austen's works from her childhood are full of enthusiasm, humor, and very creative spelling. We do not host the texts of the Juvenilia or her uncompleted works at Austen.com. See the excellent Jane Austen Information Page for the e-text of the major works from her juvenilia, some of Jane Austen's letters, biographical information, and much more.
| Sense and Sensibility |
Who played British television detective Jim Taggart? | The Anonymous Jane Austen | Great Writers Inspire
The Anonymous Jane Austen
Kate O'Connor
Jane Austen (1775-1817) is one of the most famous authors in the western cannon (possibly helped along by a certain well-known Colin-Firth-diving-into-a-pond scene in the BBC Pride and Prejudice television serial adaptation). And our fascination isn't just with her works: it's with the woman herself. There are countless biographies, a museum, websites, and films: Miss Austen Regrets, Becoming Jane, and, I would argue, the 1999 Mansfield Park adaptation, wherein Fanny Price has more in common with her spirited author than with the rather prudish and timid heroine of the novel.
Jane Austen [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons
But the irony of our obsession with Jane Austen the woman is that during her lifetime, her works were all published anonymously. Her first novel to be published, Sense and Sensibility , was simply 'By a Lady'. Her next published novel, Pride and Prejudice , was 'By the Author of Sense and Sensibility.'
Childhood & Education
Jane Austen was born into a family of lower gentry in Hampshire, where her father was Rector of Steventon. 16 December 1775. She had seven siblings: six brothers (five older, one younger), and an older sister, Cassandra. Cassandra and Jane had a relationship not unlike her sister characters Jane and Elizabeth or Elinor and Marianne: that of both best friends and confidantes. In 1801 her father retired and they moved to Bath.
In 1783 (Jane was eight, Cassandra ten), the girls were sent to Oxford to live with their cousin and be tutored by Ann Cawley, widow of a Brasenose principal. When the girls caught typhoid fever, they were brought home. In 1785 they were sent to a boarding school in Reading, Abbey House School, but the family could only finance their attendance for one year. After that, the sisters learned from her father and his impressive library.
In the summer of 1788 the girls visited their father's uncle and patron, Francis Austen. Writings of their cousin Phila survive. Phila thought Cassandra delightful, but Jane 'not at all pretty', 'whimsical & affected', and altogether too noisy. Jane was only twelve.
Early Writing
After her return from boarding school, Jane likely began writing. Among her surviving early works are Love and Friendship , an epistolary novel parodying novels of sensibility, and The History of England, a parody of Oliver Goldsmith's 1764 History of England , dedicated to Cassandra and self-proclaimed to be 'By a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian'. The work is bitingly funny. The opening to her paragraph on Henry VI reads, 'I cannot say much for this Monarch's Sense. Nor would I if I could, for he was a Lancastrian'. Cassandra, an avid artist, painted watercolour illustrations for the book. Most of Jane's other novellas, plays, and sketches depicted confident and clever young women.
Her major influences included the works of Samuel Richardson and Frances Burney . She titled Pride and Prejudice for a quote in Burney’s Cecilia . Click for Professor Kathryn Sutherland's podcast on Jane’s early novel, The Watsons .
Adulthood & Novels
In 1793 and 1795 Jane began work on 'Elinor and Marianne', the book that would become Sense and Sensibility . She may also then have written Lady Susan , which was never published in her lifetime.
In 1794 Cassandra accepted the proposal of one of her father's former tutoring pupils, Thomas Fowle. Fowle became chaplain of a military expedition to the Caribbean, where in 1797 he died of yellow fever.
In October 1796 Jane began writing Pride and Prejudice , originally entitled 'First Impressions'. Jane was twenty-one, the same age as Elizabeth Bennett. She finished in 1797, and though her father offered it to a publisher, it was rejected. Jane returned to 'Elinor and Marianne', now Sense and Sensibility .
According to Cassandra, between 1798 and 1799 Jane wrote Lady Susan , which would be published posthumously as Northanger Abbey , a parody of the Gothic novel containing a heroine the likes of which Jane had read in the works of Ann Radcliffe. Benjamin Crosby & Son accepted Susan: A Novel for publication, but after they refused to publish the work, in 1809 Jane bought back the manuscript and publishing rights. Sometime before that Jane changed the title and the character's name to 'Catherine'.
1801 marked the disruptive move to Bath, the upset of which rather curbed Jane's literary productivity for a while. In November 1802 Jane and Cassandra stayed with their friends Catherine and Aletha Bigg at Manydown Park, north of Basingstoke. A week later Jane accepted the marriage proposal of their younger brother, Harris Bigg-Wither, a man of considerable financial means. The twenty-seven-year-old Jane was unlikely to receive another proposal. The next morning, for reasons unknown, she retracted her acceptance and the girls returned to Bath.
On 21 January 1805, Jane's father died, leaving the three women– Mrs. Austen, Jane, and Cassandra– with an income of only £210 a year. Though the brothers contributed as best they could, the new reduction in financial status was difficult for the Austen women. They stayed with friends, then with Thomas Leigh at Stonewall Abbey, then Steventon Rectory after Jane caught whooping cough. They moved in with her brother Frank in Castle Square, but only in 1809 did they finally find a permanent home in Chawton, Hampshire. And it was there that Jane became a published writer.
Writer of Means
In 1811 Sense and Sensibility was published in three volumes, with Jane herself paying for the cost of publication. It was an instant success, with the full print run of 750 selling out by 1813. In the fall of 1812 Jane sold the rights to Pride and Prejudice for £110, by which point she had begun writing Mansfield Park which was published in 1814, likely with an impressive print run of 1250. The novel made her more money than any other in her lifetime, more than £320. Jane Austen dealt masterfully with many themes, some traditional, some more daring, including love, social class and classism, the financial and social vulnerability of young women, family, and human folly (See a comic take on Austen’s darker themes here). That she did not discuss politics despite the Napoleonic Wars is an interesting indicator of how little the private and public spheres overlapped for women of the period.
Her nephew Edward Austen-Leigh wrote of how impressed he was with her decorum in always hiding her work and the fact that she wrote for publication, since female novelists were still often considered lude and indiscreet, a hangover from the reputations of the likes of Aphra Behn and Eliza Heywood.
In 1816 Jane completed Emma , begun in 1814. Jane and her brother Henry were responsible for negotiating prices for the copyrights of her novels with printer John Murray. Murray overestimated the potential success of Emma and printed to big a run, producing an initial loss and very little profit for Jane during her lifetime. Though Emma is often considered her greatest work and Jane thought Emma her favourite of her heroines, she did write, 'I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will very much like'.
Jane wrote of her intentions to write at least three more novels while at Chawton, wanting to attain financial independence of relatives for herself, her sister, and mother. In 1816 she finished a draft of 'The Elliots', later to be titled Persuasion . However, that year Jane fell ill. Retrospective diagnosis suggest she had Addison's disease or Hodgkin's lymphoma. Though the next year she began writing 'Sandition' she never finished it, and on 18 July 1817, Jane died.
After Jane's death, Cassandra and Henry arranged the publication of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey and with those 1817 publications, Henry wrote a eulogy published alongside the books identifying Jane as the author of all of her novels. Cassandra allegedly destroyed many of Jane's letters and manuscripts that Cassandra thought would reflect poorly on Jane. Nonetheless, many of Jane's witty personal letters remain, which provide a great deal of the bibliographical information included here, and offer a delightful character sketch on the beloved writer. Neither Jane Austen, the creator of the brilliant stories of courtship, nor her sister ever married.
Click for Prof. Kathryn Sutherland’s podcast on Jane Austen's manuscripts and what they reveal about her life and her writing.
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Which London football club is the subject of the novel ‘Fever Pitch’ by Nick Hornby? | Interview: Simon Hattenstone meets Nick Hornby | Books | The Guardian
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For a supposedly feelgood author, Nick Hornby's books aren't half miserable. Take Fever Pitch, his breakthrough memoir. As much as it is about football, it is about a man coping with depression, under-achieving and not belonging. Or High Fidelity, his first novel. Yes, it's the story of a music-obsessed geek, but it's also the story of an emotional illiterate who can't make head nor tail of life. Then there's About A Boy, which features a subplot about a mother trying not to commit suicide, and How To Be Good, which portrays a middle-aged couple striving unsuccessfully to find hope in their relationship.
The thing about all these books is that they are funny and warm and cute, and you don't have to mention the word depression when talking about them. Not so his latest. A Long Way Down is also comic, but there is no masking the subject here. This is depression in spades, or so you'd think. The novel has four narrators, all of them planning to kill themselves on New Year's Eve by jumping off the roof of a high-rise block in north London known as Toppers' House.
"I think there's quite a strong strain of melancholy in there," Hornby says with a grin. Melancholy? That sounds poetic and enriching; isn't this just straight-down-the-line depression? "De-pre-ssion," he says slowly, savouring the syllables. "Yeah. Depression . I think I am naturally depressive." We are eating a breakfast fry-up in a cafe close to his north London home and Arsenal football club. In the background, the coffee machine is making a noise like the beginning of the old Hawkwind song Silver Machine - something he's probably noticed. Hornby is not simply a football nut, he's a music nut and a literature nut. He may be a misery guts, but he's also one of life's enthusiasts.
You could see bits of him in all four narrators - Martin is a C-list celebrity, JJ a failed rock guitarist, Maureen a mother whose life has been blighted because her son is severely disabled, and Jess a wastrel with a successful father. "Yep, yep, yep," he says as I run through the first three characters, then he stops at Jess. "That's funny - I'd never thought about the dad before."
Hornby's history is rather complicated. One potted biography could read: age 48, son of successful businessman Sir Derek Hornby, graduated from Cambridge University, became a literary critic, then bestselling author and friend to the great and good. Another potted biography could read: lower-middle-class son of secretary mother Margaret, drifter, failed teacher, failed journalist, failed screenwriter, achieved surprising success with memoir of a football fanatic and loser. Both biographies would be equally true.
His father, Sir Derek, is a self-made man who ended up as chairman of Rank Xerox. Derek's own father died when he was young; his mother had four children and couldn't afford to bring him up, so she farmed him out to his grandmother. He was a bright lad who benefited from a government scheme to send able boys from poor homes to public school. He met Hornby's mother at their first workplace - he was the office boy, she was the secretary. When Nick was 11, his parents split up. His father, who unbeknown to Nick had begun another family, went to live with them in France and America; Nick remained with his mother, still a secretary in suburban Maidenhead.
It made for a disjointed childhood. "Well, home was extremely normal, but my dad's life was quite exotic really. When I went away to stay with him, it was a different world. I never wanted to be in that world. I was much happier with my mates at home."
I tell him that a friend of mine once visited his father's home, and told me it was the biggest house she had ever been in - it even had a lift. "I was thinking about that house the other day ... It probably wasn't the biggest house your friend's ever been in, but it did have a lift. It was a Nash house in Regent's Park and they are quite narrow and steep. It was a Rank Xerox house - he'd been living abroad and that's where they put him up. Mum's was a little house, nice, Barratt home on a new estate, no need for a lift." He drinks his coffee and orange juice chaser, and lights another cigarette.
This dual identity (and lack of identity) was at the heart of Fever Pitch. He loved life on the Arsenal terraces, but he also realised he didn't truly belong there, what with being a middle-class boy from Berkshire rather than a working-class cockney from down the road. Meanwhile, he found it embarrassing to confess his obsession to some of his posher friends, who equated football with yobbery. By the time he started writing Fever Pitch in his early 30s, he was at his lowest ebb. He had given up teaching English to pursue his brilliant career, but the writing was going nowhere, relationships were going nowhere. He'd begun therapy a year or so earlier, but couldn't settle to anything.
"The weird thing was that Fever Pitch came almost straight out of therapy," he says. "I used to go in on Monday afternoon and there was always this awkward thing at the beginning. Before you start getting into things, you sit there, and there's a long pause and she'd say, 'How was your weekend?' and I never knew what to say, so I'd say the same thing every week, which was, 'Rubbish - got beat two-nil,' and 'All right, beat Tottenham.' After about six months, she said, 'Why d'you make the same stupid joke every Monday?' I'd never thought seriously what it was all about."
He realised that it wasn't really a joke. As a child, he had resented his father not being around, but they eventually forged a new relationship through football (his father took him to Highbury because that's where Nick wanted to go). Now he was an adult, football still shaped his week, his hopes and moods. He began to think of Arsenal as a metaphor for his life: boring, boring Arsenal (as they had been for decades), the chippy underachievers, so hard to love because they played such unattractive football.
Hornby hadn't always felt an outsider. He was pretty happy growing up in Maidenhead - it may have been a soulless, insular place, but he felt confident and able within its confines. Then he went to Cambridge, and it wiped his self-belief. "Studying English was useless, completely useless. It took me years to recover from that. Every time I tried to write, it sounded like a bad university essay." His first book was a cultural critique called Contemporary American Fiction .
Cambridge also did for his confidence socially. He felt that he was surrounded by fellow students stuffed with certainties and an unquestioning sense of entitlement, and he shrank in the face of such bluster. "That took me a long time to recover from. I liked it in terms of I opted out and didn't do any work, but all the people who were getting on really frightened me - you know, joining the societies as soon as they got there, and writing for the Cambridge newspapers."
So Hornby hung out with the losers and dossers and football fans. The trouble was that, deep down, he wanted to be one of the winners; he just didn't know how to go about it. "I didn't have the confidence to compete."
After university, he fantasised about writing for the New Musical Express, but his diffidence held him back. "It was when Julie and Tony [Burchill and Parsons - Hornby seems to be on first-name terms with everybody] were writing for the NME, and the idea of walking in there and saying 'Giz a job', brought me out in a sweat. I applied for a job on Melody Maker once." Melody Maker wasn't as cool as NME? "That's why I thought I stood a chance. I never heard back from them."
He drifted from Cambridge to London and then back to Cambridge, where he taught English at a comprehensive. He says he was a well-intentioned but inept teacher, too keen to please the pupils. "I was too young, there were riots in the class." Even the pupils who liked him didn't think he was cut out for teaching. "It was quite a hippy school, and one of my O-level kids came up at the end of the day and said, 'I've got some really good blow, d'you want to come back afterwards?' and I said, 'I don't think that's really a good idea', and very sort of pityingly. He said, 'I think you're taking the teacher thing a bit too far.' " He giggles at the memory.
After two years, Hornby quit to write screenplays. Again, it didn't work out. He took lots of odd jobs to supplement his non-income from writing. His family began to despair about what would become of him. I remind him that his sister, Gill Hornby, once said they used to wonder whether he would ever own an overcoat, let alone a house. "Well, that's what I'd spent most of my time thinking," he says.
How did his depression express itself? "I was never suicidal or completely black. I've always been able to enjoy aspects of my life ... It was more an utter conviction of failure - therefore what's the point?"
Was he surprised by his eventual success? "Yes. I assumed that people who were successful were on a completely parallel track, and my track just led to doom and disaster. I thought I was going back to teaching and being extremely unhappy about it for the rest of my life." He pauses, and says it wasn't quite as simple as that. There was also something within that told him Fever Pitch could be a great success, that it spoke to people who hadn't really been represented in books before, that it was a bloody good read.
Fever Pitch gave birth to a whole new genre - lads' lit. To be fair, Hornby's writing was laddishness mediated through the anxious soul of the new man. He wasn't simply a bloke revelling in his blokishness, but a bloke who knew it was wrong to make football life's priority, that it was pathetic to admit he'd rather be at a match than at the birth of his first child, that childishness in a grown man was not an attractive quality.
The book also established the trademark Hornby style - fluent, informal, no fancy stuff.
His follow-up, High Fidelity, did for rock what Fever Pitch did for football. He portrayed his protagonist and his manifold inadequacies entirely through his obsession with music. Of course, we read it autobiographically - here was another boy-man who couldn't commit to anything beyond his record collection.
Hornby's books are full of men who can't, or who refuse to, grow up, absent fathers, struggling mothers and self-loathing characters who tell little lies to service their desires. In About A Boy, the character Will joins a single-parent group, and invents a son for himself in the hope of getting off with young single mothers who'd find any man who isn't a total bastard irresistible. His men are hugely flawed but likable. They may not be good people, but they are good enough constantly to question their motives.
In How To Be Good, David, a cynical, acid-mouthed hack, meets the ridiculous guru DJ Goodnews, who shows him a new path. David starts to give away his children's toys, invites the homeless into his house, and becomes more unbearable than he was in the first place. Hornby often satirises well-meaning liberal types not unlike himself.
At times, his books may seem close to the smug, self-contained world of Richard Curtis movies such as Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral: the films of Fever Pitch and About A Boy even employ favourite Curtis actors Hugh Grant and Colin Firth as the leading characters. But when the characters of Hornby and Will are transformed into gorgeous blokes, they lose their point and their appeal.
Towards the end of Fever Pitch, a girlfriend called Virginia emerged. She not only became Hornby's wife, she also became an Arsenal season ticket holder. In 1992, the book was published and became a bestseller. But, as Hornby would have expected, life did not go smoothly. In 1993, his son Danny was born. At around 18 months, he went into a terrible reverse. He lost his speech, never recovered it and was diagnosed as severely autistic. Hornby and Virginia helped start the school TreeHouse for autistic children, but the pressure of bringing up Danny, coupled with his new-found fame wreaked havoc on their relationship. Like so many parents of autistic children, they split up. Danny now divides his time between Hornby and Virginia.
He and Danny are as close as they can be, but he says it is a frustrating relationship. "You feel like a bad parent all the time, because, say, you'll be kicking a ball and maybe he'll kick it back once, but then he'll get bored and go off, and then he'll come back, so you try again, but the second time he won't come back, and you think ..." He trails off. Hornby's pale brown eyes looks as if they've spent a lifetime weeping.
In A Long Way Down, Maureen wonders what her mute, wheelchair-bound son Matty would be like if he had been "normal". The book is at its most poignant when she talks about how she has created a life for him - there are posters of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Patrick Vieira on his wall, because, in her imagination, he supports Arsenal (of course) and has the hots for Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Hornby says this is a dramatisation of his relationship with Danny. While he's never gone to Maureen's lengths, he understands why she does it. "One of the projects with Danny is to move him on, to make things more age-appropriate for him. He watches Pingu all the time, and we'd rather he watched Finding Nemo. People have bought him Arsenal shirts for his birthday, and I think , 'What's the point?' but then I think, 'If I think that, what's the point of anything?' He might as well wear an Arsenal shirt as anything else."
Has he ever felt as desperate about Danny as Maureen does about Matty? "I don't think as desperate ... There have been some incredibly difficult times. It's more that, through Danny, I've met a lot of people, and you're exposed to a world where there are incredibly desperate people. And they feel very let down and under an enormous amount of stress, so it's more Danny serving as an introduction to people like Maureen than Danny providing the material."
Actually, he says of the four suicidal types in the novel, he probably feels closest to the failed pop star, JJ. "The thing that interested me was the fear of never being able to fulfil potential, which was a very big thing in me when I was his age. I identify very strongly with the idea that you're in your early 30s and you've got no idea whether this is going to pay off or not, the writing thing, and if it doesn't, what are you going to do? You've told everybody that is what you're trying, and it feels that you're walking a plank and you've just got to keep going because there's a load of people waving cutlasses at you!" Just talking about it seems to bring him out in a cold sweat.
The strange thing about A Long Way Down is that, despite its subject, it's probably the jolliest novel he has written, almost a romp - a suicide romp. Hornby says it was a kind of technical exercise: "I wanted to write a book that rocked, which was about something extremely downbeat, and I wanted to see if I could take these characters from the dark and to the light without being sentimental or unrealistic. If I wrote a book about depression that was incredibly depressing, why would anybody want to read it?"
Hornby can be surprisingly dogmatic about what makes for good art. He's also consistent. In 31 Songs, his book of essays about songs he loves, he argues that the best music is simple and transparent. He includes Bruce Springsteen's Thunder Road because it reminds him of becoming successful and finding a voice, and Ian Dury's Reasons To Be Cheerful for its Englishness, plus Dylan and the Beatles. The only reason trendy pop groups don't write songs like the Beatles did, he says, is that they can't.
As much as Hornby's prose is praised for its pared-down simplicity, it has been criticised, too, for lacking depth. For all the ennui and misery, most of his books end on an uppish note. "I think one of the reasons the books work is because people identify with that sort of depression, and they also want to be told that there might be some kind of reason to keep going." Is it a commercial decision, then, to end his books with some kind of hope? He laughs and clicks his fingers with delight. "It would be brilliant if it was a commercial decision. No. No, it's about what I want to believe. It's to offer myself consolation."
Hornby says that of all his books How To Be Good was the most praised by critics. "I had a lot of feedback from proper literary people that that was a proper literary book. Probably because it ended miserably." Does he think there's a snobbery about his writing? "Erm ..." A long time passes. "I don't think it's for me to get into that sort of question."
He has done with his bacon, eggs and mushrooms. He asks if I'd like to finish off his sausage. We swap plates. He orders another coffee and orange juice chaser, and rushes for his next cigarette.
Hornby writes a column for an American magazine called the Believer. It has a wonderful format: at the beginning of each column is an inventory - on the left, the books he has bought that month, on the right, the ones he has actually read. In the magazine, co-founded by Weekend storyteller Dave Eggers (one of Hornby's fashionable younger writer friends), critics are not allowed to review books they do not like. Perfect for Hornby.
His columns have just been collated into a revealing compilation called The Polysyllabic Spree. In one column, he says, "Like a lot of writers, I can't really stand my own writing." Does he mean it? He comes to a stop. "Well, I wish I was better than I am," he says eventually. "When you've written a few, you realise that you do what you do, and then you start reading other people and you think, God, I wish I could do that, but I couldn't in a million years."
Who, for instance? "Erm, errr, Dickens." That's ridiculous - there's only one Charles Dickens. Well, it's not simply that he isn't Dickens, he concedes. "No, some contemporaries ... George Saunders - it's just that he has such a weird imagination. He's really, really different. When you're at the beginning of a writing career, you feel that there are possibilities. It's like life itself ... " He seems to be sinking into a depression. "Well, I suppose everybody who writes wants it all: they want to be culty and they want to be literary and they want to be mainstream." How's he doing on the self-loathing front these days? "Yeah, I think I'm doing well on the self-loathing front." OK, how about a Hornbyesque list of the top five things he can't stand about himself. "I don't think I'm prepared to go there ... There are plenty of things that irritate the hell out of me about myself." This is just like the Hornby of Fever Pitch, who would introduce us to his analyst and then politely close the door.
It's almost lunchtime. We've been in the cafe for well over two hours. I tell Hornby that I'd better be getting off. I'm due to give a talk at a school. It's National Book Week and the school had been hoping to find a well-known author but failed, and I'm stepping in at the last minute. "Would it help if I came down with you?" Hornby asks.
Would it help? Not bloody half, I say. I can sense Hornby already analysing his motives. Has he offered because he wants to come, because it would be a good thing to do, because it will create a favourable impression? When I told him earlier I'd yet to meet somebody who dislikes him, he took umbrage - oh God, not that nice Nick Hornby thing again. It's not even true, he says. "I think I am quite nice in public. I think you'd be an idiot not to be." And in private? "I don't think I'm a nightmare in private, but I'm tetchy and unreasonable."
We step on to the street, and pass a young man with a sky-high Afro. "Oh God, I was dreading this," says Hornby. "It was great when it was cool to be bald, but now hair's back in fashion."
We hail a taxi and plan what we'll talk about at the school. I explain that the children have cerebral palsy, are not likely to have heard of him, and we could maybe talk about football. Isn't it depressing, I say, how football is the only language so many men can speak? "Well, there's music. Then you're bilingual, aren't you? I find it more depressing now, because football is such a huge part of popular culture in a way it wasn't when the book came out." What he means is that he hates the way the middle classes have colonised football - and he hates it even more that some people say Fever Pitch is partly to blame.
I ask if he's working on any other projects. He mentions a number of screenplays - an adaptation of a Lynn Barber memoir, a romantic comedy he's been writing for years with Emma Thompson, both of them likely to go into production shortly, and a stalled film script of Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius. At times he talks with enthusiasm about his second career as a screenwriter finally taking off, at times he seems relieved there's something he's still struggling with.
We reach the school. The children take to Hornby. We talk about Arsenal and Leyton Orient and meeting Ian Wright and Thierry Henry and the music of Bob Marley, and how Hornby and Colin Firth in the film of Fever Pitch look like identical twins, except, "He made the mistake of having hair, which I always think is vulgar and rather unfashionable and cheap."
We talk a bit about books. One teacher asks if he thinks it's appropriate for children to study Shakespeare as part of the national curriculum. Hornby's answer is the most belligerent I've heard all day. No, he says. Shakespeare is a wonderful poet, but so many pupils can't begin to understand his language, so what is the point? When he was teaching, he says, another teacher told him to teach Macbeth by getting the children to draw pictures of witches. "I couldn't understand how that was teaching Shakespeare; that was allowing them to draw pictures of witches. I think part of the reason I became the writer I became is because of teaching in a school, and you're always looking for this stuff that is really intelligent but really simple and everyone can understand it. I always thought Of Mice And Men was such a perfect book because there's nothing not to understand, but it's still really clever and moving and complicated, but everybody understands the complication. It doesn't leave anybody out. I think that's what books should be like."
We are back on the sunny street. A Long Way Down - and its surprising jauntiness - is still confusing me. I ask if he thinks his depression has changed over the years. He ums and ahs with a diffidence striking even by Hornby's standards. The thing is, he says, since he started writing this book about suicide, life has taken a considerable turn for the better. In fact, he's never been so relatively undepressed. He's had two sons in the past two years with his film producer partner Amanda Posey (whom he met when they were making the Fever Pitch movie), Danny gets on well with them, he still gets on with Danny's mother, the new book's coming out, and he knows it's tempting fate, but he's not so sure that he's even depressed any more.
"Erm ... the last few years have been good. With the two babies, it's been so uncomplicated in a way it wasn't with Danny. That's been fantastic. Football's been good. I'm really happy in my work. I have a very unmiserable partner. She's done me a lot of good, because she's not unrealistic in her uppishness." He's getting carried away on a tidal wave of optimism. "I wouldn't call it depression now. It's just a sort of strain of English miserablism, where you know everything is crap and everyone who pretends it isn't is kidding themselves. Yeah, this is the best it will ever get."
And he looks at me, terrified, as if he's just sold his soul to the devil
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In mythology, who pulled the thorn from the Lion’s paw? | Fever Pitch (1997) - IMDb
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A romantic comedy about a man, a woman and a football team. Based on Nick Hornby's best selling autobiographical novel, Fever Pitch. English teacher Paul Ashworth believes his long standing obsession with Arsenal serves him well. But then he meets Sarah. Their relationship develops in tandem with Arsenal's roller coaster fortunes in the football league, both leading to a nail biting climax. Written by Anonymous
Life gets complicated when you love one woman and worship eleven men
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Rated R for language | See all certifications »
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4 April 1997 (UK) See more »
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$2,519 (USA) (15 October 1999)
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Did You Know?
Trivia
When Sarah asks Paul to quote Lord Byron , he quotes a famous couplet, "The Assyrians came down like the wolf on the fold; / Their cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold." But he changes "purple and gold" to "black and old gold," the colors of the Wolves football team. See more »
Goofs
The final game of the season at Anfield kicked off at 8:05pm, it was nearly 10pm and dark by the time the match had finished (as you can see from the actual footage of the game) yet when the celebrations are going on back at Highbury it's still light. See more »
Quotes
Sarah Hughes : So you don't get many Micky Thomas moments in real life?
Paul Ashworth : You don't a lot in football either.
A Winner for Nick Hornby and Colin Firth
8 April 2004 | by avabetalon
(New Hampshire, USA) – See all my reviews
Nick Hornby strikes again! I watched this movie for Colin Firth, and enjoyed it as a fan and as a discriminating viewer. The script is excellent, particularly the dialogue (particularly in one delightful restaurant scene). I found the acting and craftsmanship satisfactory - be warned that dialogue can be quiet, so listen hard through the accents. The film is delightfully British, so I highly recommend it for Anglophiles, and as Nick Hornby knows how to do, it is a nice mix of the ludicrous and the thoughtful. The relationship the movie centers around is really interesting to follow. We wonder what makes it tick, but Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell seem comfortable together, so it isn't unbelievable at all. I wasn't expecting "Fever Pitch" to be so good, but I find that I recommend it highly.
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Which British X-Factor judge released a 2012 single entitled ‘Young’? | X Factor: latest news, contestants & results - Telegraph
X Factor: latest news, contestants & results
Congratulations Ben! The latest news, contestants and results from X Factor 2014
Ben Haenow singing his winner's single 'Something I Need' Photo: Dymond/Corbis/Syco/Thames
By Nicole Vassell
LATEST NEWS
And the winner is... BEN HAENOW!
The white van driver from Croydon, south London has done it. Securing a massive 57% of the final vote, Ben became the 11th winner of The X Factor on Sunday night. Understandably, he was over the moon:
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Ben Haenow - Cannot explain how amazing this feels and how grateful I am to everyone who voted! Happiest man alive right now Xx &lt;a href="http://t.co/aeWgZeRcVl" target="_blank"&gt;http://t.co/aeWgZeRcVl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;
Though Fleur East had been the bookies' favourite, it looks as if the gravelly-voiced rocker had the competition wrapped up from pretty early on - the voting breakdown revealed that, since Week 4, he'd steadily been receiving the most votes from the viewing public.
Related Articles
• X Factor 2015: everything you need to know
Ratings
In terms of ratings, the numbers were disappointing : an average of 8.4 million tuned in on Saturday night (14.1 million people tuned in to watch Matt Cardle win in 2010).
Mel B
A mystery illness forced Mel B to miss part one of the final on Saturday. Former judge Tulisa Contostavlos filled in for the Spice Girl and provided a comforting shoulder for Andrea Faustini as he was announced as the 3rd place contestant.
Part two of the final on Sunday night welcomed Mel B back to the panel, but things took a dramatic turn after viewers noticed that she was no longer wearing her wedding ring, as well as some claiming to see scratches on her body and a bruise on her cheek .
Her husband, film producer Stephen Belafonte has spoken out and denies hitting her, deeming the reports "disgusting and "untrue":
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Stephen Belafonte - Idon't usually respond to Twitter msgs but I will respond to comments of hitting my wife which I think are quite disgusting un true!&lt;/noframe&gt;
• When does X Factor 2015 start?
Sister kissers
Remember Blonde Electra? The wacky duo who got eliminated (with less than 1% of the vote) in week one? Well, we saw them once more in Sunday's final in a group performance that featured all of this year's live show finalists.
While on screen, they took a moment to share a passionate kiss.
Blonde Electra (PHOTO: ITV)
Oh yes - did I forget to mention that they're sisters? Either there was something funny in the air, or someone was looking for an extra 15 minutes of fame.
14.12.14
12.12.14 - The final song choices revealed
The final three (l-r): Fleur East, Ben Haenow and Andrea Faustini (PHOTO: Dymond/Corbis/Syco/Thames)
It's final time! There are only 48(ish) hours left until the winner of X Factor 2014 is crowned, and the last three standing are a pretty strong bunch. Right now, Fleur East is the favourite (and rightly so), but it's still possible that rocker Ben Haenow and belter Andrea Faustini could emerge victorious, making the song choices all the more important.
Each finalist will sing a song of their choice, followed by their song of the series. However, one act will be eliminated at the end of Saturday's show, meaning only two will get to perform the winner's single on Sunday.
Here's the list in full:
Andrea Faustini
Final choice: Feeling Good (originally by Nina Simone)
Song of the series: Earth Song (originally by Michael Jackson)
Winner's Single: I Didn’t Know My Own Strength (originally by Whitney Houston)
** Andrea's winner's single is a song we've heard before - remember when he reduced Cheryl and Mel B to teary puddles at boot camp? How very strange...plus, each of the original singers of his chosen tunes are sadly looking down from the diva stage in the sky. Either the producers have got some very special tricks up their sleeves, or his mystery guest collaborator will be someone quite random.
Fleur East
Final choice: Can’t Hold Us (originally by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis)
Song of the series: Uptown Funk (originally by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars)
Winner's Single: Something I Need (originally by One Republic)
** Fleur's performance of Uptown Funk last week was arguably the song of the series outright, so it's no surprise that she'll be singing it again on Saturday. However, as great as it was, will seeing it two weeks in a row turn out to be a case of too much of a good thing?
Ben Haenow
Final choice: Demons (originally by Imagine Dragons)
Song of the series: Man in the Mirror (by Michael Jackson)
Winner's Single: Something I Need (originally by One Republic)
** Ben's choices are solid. Though not particularly memorable, he'll probably sound great - which is pretty true to his entire run this series.
Especially for this weekend, our reviewer Isabel Mohan will be bringing you instant commentary in her live blog - here
08.12.2014
Over the weekend, four contestants were whittled down to three as Lauren Platt became the latest contestant to leave the X Factor live rounds.
In Saturday night 's semi-final round, the acts sang twice: first came a Christmas record, followed by a record that represented their future as artists. Lauren plumped for boyband classics, with East 17's Stay Another Day and One Direction's Story of My Life. Though both were dependably nice, they seemingly weren't enough to excite the viewers into voting.
She landed in the bottom two alongside Andrea Faustini on Sunday and all judges bar Cheryl chose to send her home.
In other important news:
Fleur hits Number One with performance
There was one moment in particular that stood out from the weekend's shows - and of course, it was Fleur East's cracking show of Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars's new track.
It's always risky to take on a song that the audience don't know very well - but this gamble completely paid off, as she gave, what many would argue, the performance of a winner.
The judges were on their feet afterward, with Simon looking pleased as punch that his last-minute to change Fleur's song paid off.
"You just made the show exciting!" exclaimed Louis Walsh, who can be seen up on his feet a couple of times during the song, giving it his all.
Clearly the judges were the only ones impressed, as so many people rushed to download her performance that it shot to number one on the iTunes charts, ahead of pop heavyweight Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris. Currently sitting at number six, this looks like a good indication of Fleur's future star power.
Ratings
Unfortunately, the main show hit a series low for viewers on Saturday, pulling in 7.29m (in comparison to Strictly's 9.68m and I'm a Celebrity's 7.99m). According to overnights.tv, only the two Friday editions rated lower.
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: UK TV Ratings - Last night's &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;q=%23XFactor" target="_blank"&gt;#XFactor&lt;/a&gt; audience of 7.29m was its lowest Saturday rating of the series. Only the two Friday editions have rated lower.&lt;/noframe&gt;
On Sunday however, things looked brighter with numbers of 8.34m tuning in for the results show - 390,000 up from last week.
Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé
The Frozen/Wicked megastar was joined on stage by mums' favourite Michael Bublé for a cutesy rendition of Baby It's Cold Outside on Sunday night. They appeared to be having so much fun that Idina ended up missing a couple of lines - was this the reason that Mel B and Cheryl didn't give them the expected standing ovation?
04.12.2014 - Winner's single for children's charity
The semi-finalists are in a festive mood. (l-r) Andrea Faustini, Fleur East, Ben Haenow, Lauren Platt (PHOTO: Dymond/Corbis/Syco/Thames)
Reports from the X Factor camp have revealed that 2014’s winner’s single be in aid of children’s charity Together for Short Lives.
100% of the proceeds made from sales of the song will be donated to help children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
Semi-finalists Fleur East, Andrea Faustini, Ben Haenow and Lauren Platt visited Shooting Star Chase House in Hampton today to spend time with children who benefit from the charity’s work.
Though there’s no word on what the song is yet, the final two contestants will perform it on the final (Sunday 14th December). This single will be available to download immediately after the show.
2013’s winner, Sam Bailey, scooped the Christmas Number One with her version of Demi Lovato’s Skyscraper – proceeds were split between Great Ormond Street and Together for Short Lives.
01.12.2014 - Stereo Kicks kicked out
Stereo Kicks were eliminated on Sunday's show. (PHOTO: Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
Poor old Stereo Kicks - just when we were beginning to remember (some of) their names, they've been booted out of the X Factor competition.
After Saturday 's jukebox show, in which the five acts performed songs chosen by the public and music stars, they found themselves in Sunday 's bottom two, along with 17-year-old Lauren Platt.
The boy band seemed ironically lacklustre in their performance of Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up, while Lauren fought harder for her place, singing I Know Where I've Been from the musical Hairspray. Still, it was a more-balanced show of talent than last week's battle between one-time favourite Andrea Faustini and
the sorely-missed
Stevi Ritchie.
Mentors Louis and Cheryl chose to save their own acts (Stereo Kicks and Lauren respectively), and Mel B surprisingly voted to send Lauren home after being unimpressed with Stereo Kicks's vocals on Saturday.
Simon equalised the vote, forcing Dermot to reveal that Stereo Kicks had received the lowest number of votes from the public, leaving Louis without an act for the semi-final.
Ratings
- Saturday night: 7.68m (down 60k), Strictly Come Dancing: 9.63m (up 460k)
- Sunday night: 7.95m - (down 10k), Strictly Come Dancing: 9.94m
28.11.2014 - Jukebox double on Saturday's show
(l-r) The final five: Andrea Faustini, Stereo Kicks, Lauren Platt, Fleur East, Ben Haenow. (PHOTO: ITV)
Things are getting serious - not only is this weekend the quarter-final stage, but for the first time this series the acts will be singing two songs on Saturday night.
With the theme being "jukebox", the contestants have had their songs picked by the viewers at home (via the X Factor app) and by a range of UK pop artists.
Take a look at what they they'll be singing below.
Chosen by the public:
Andrea – Hero by Mariah Carey
Ben – Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
Fleur – If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys
Lauren – Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia
Stereo Kicks – Run by Snow Patrol
Chosen by music artists:
Andrea – Chandelier by Sia, chosen by Sam Smith
Ben - Come Together by The Beatles, chosen by One Direction
Fleur - A Fool In Love by Tina Turner, chosen by Emeli Sandé
Lauren - Clarity by Zedd, chosen by Little Mix
Stereo Kicks - Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, chosen by Tulisa Contostavlos
24.11.2014 - Sayonara Stevi
(l-r) Host Dermot O'Leary with contestants Andrea Faustini and Stevi Ritchie. (PHOTO: Dymond/ Corbis/ Syco/ Thames)
Sunday night 's edition of The X Factor was genuinely shocking for most, as long-running bookies' favourite Andrea Faustini found himself in the bottom two.
So far this season, the beardy, big-voiced Italian has been widely considered the standout contestant and a shoo-in for the grand final. However this could be working against him, as although he is consistently praised by the judges, viewers may be taking his popularity for granted. Is this a case of too much of a good thing?
Fortunately for Andrea, he was up against Essex call centre worker Stevi Ritchie - though seemingly nice enough, his vocal talents are limited and the joke-y element to his extravagant performances was wearing thin. Cheryl, Mel and Louis voted to save Andrea, meaning the end of Stevi's X Factor adventure.
Also on the scrapheap this weekend were Only The Young, eliminated after Saturday 's flash vote.
Only The Young were eliminated after their performance of Elton John's Something About The Way You Look Tonight (PHOTO: Dymond/ Corbis/ Syco/ Thames)
Ratings
- Saturday: 7.74m (down 50k from last week)
- Sunday: 7.96m (down 390k from last week)
In other important news:
Fleur's family affair
For her rendition of Whitney Houston's I'm Every Woman, Overs' contestant Fleur brought her mum and sister on stage to celebrate with her - and it was a lovely moment.
Yet, a certain Britain's Got Talent judge was upset at his lack of invite to the stage:
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: David Walliams - I am really upset &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/FleurEast" target="_blank"&gt;@FleurEast&lt;/a&gt; didn't ask me to come on stage with her for 'I'm Every Woman'. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;q=%23xfactor" target="_blank"&gt;#xfactor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;
Week on week, Fleur is becoming increasingly popular, with polished performances and bags of personality. Could she be the X Factor's winner?
Take That's comeback
Former judge Gary Barlow returned to the show with a more condensed version of Take That than we're used to.
Following Jason Orange 's departure from the group in September, only Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald remain. The man-band sang their new single 'These Days', complete with choreography - and our X Factor reviewer Isabel Mohan deemed it an embarrassment: "Jason Orange might not have contributed a huge amount to the man-band’s output vocally, but at least he helped them look like a proper group. As a trio, Gary, Howard and Mark just look a bit pathetic."
Oh dear.
Take That, now a three-piece, performing on The X Factor (PHOTO: Dymond/ Corbis/ Syco/ Thames)
21.11.2014
The final 7. (PHOTO: ITV)
Uh oh - another weekend, another double elimination.
With only three weeks left and seven acts still standing, X Factor bosses have decided that two acts must go after this weekend's shows. Along with the sing-offs as usual on Sunday, the competition will be saying goodbye to one unfortunate act on Saturday night, after singing the hits of divas Whitney Houston and Elton John (one of the strangest themes, ever.)
Will Stevi survive to sing another day? Will Mel B and Cheryl be left actless?
Here's this weekend's song list in full:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - I Have Nothing
Girls
Lauren Platt - How Will I Know?
Groups
Only The Young - Something About The Way You Look Tonight
Stereo Kicks - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Overs
Ben Haenow - I Will Always Love You
Fleur East - I'm Every Woman
Stevi Ritchie - I'm Still Standing
20.11.2014
Jake of the Jungle
From X Factor to the jungle: Jake Quickenden has joined I'm a Celebrity... (PHOTO: ITV)
From the X Factor stage to the Australian jungle - 2014 contestant Jake Quickenden is the latest famous face taking part in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
Alongside former Conservative MP Edwina Currie, Jake has entered the camp after the departures of TOWIE girl Gemma Collins and Coronation Street actor Craig Charles , despite only leaving the X Factor weeks ago.
The 26-year-old gym buff was eliminated in Week 3 (Movie Week) after a run of average vocal performances landed him in the bottom two and judges Cheryl, Louis and Simon voting to axe him over group Only The Young.
Following in the steps of 2012 contestant Rylan Clark, Jake is using the buzz surrounding his X Factor stint to dive into reality television (Rylan appeared in Celebrity Big Brother mere months after leaving The X Factor).
Presumably, jungle bosses are hoping for a "jungle fumble" between Jake and Irish model Nadia Forde, as although Jake had a girlfriend during the X Factor, he is newly single.
Speaking to Metro, he said: “We broke up about a month ago…I wouldn’t say I am going into the jungle for love, but everyone loves a holiday romance, don’t they!”
17.11.2014
Stevi survives - and Jay James is out
Who'da thought it? Although he's widely considered to be 2014's novelty contestant (à la Wagner , Jedward , Johnny Robinson ), Stevi Ritchie managed to survive being in Sunday 's bottom two, meaning the end of the road for Welsh crooner Jay James.
Jay James received the fewest number of votes from the public and was eliminated (PHOTO: SYCO/ Corbis/ Dymond)
After hearing Stevi sing Queen's Somebody To Love and Jay's version of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know, the judges couldn't reach a majority verdict - Simon and Louis opted to save Jay, while Mel B and Cheryl saved Stevi. Taking it to deadlock, Dermot revealed that Jay James had received the fewest amount of votes and would be leaving the competition.
However, there are seemingly no hard feelings - on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning, Jay waxed lyrical on how good of a guy Stevi is, and said that he was "happy to go out against the best man in the competition."
Along with Stevi, the Overs' category is now left rocker Ben Haenow and soulful diva Fleur East.
Ratings
In terms of ratings, Saturday's show saw 7.79m tune in, down 210,000 viewers from last week while Strictly Come Dancing's audience grew by nearly 1 million (910k viewers) to reach 10.28m.
On Sunday, 8.35m watched Jay James leave the X Factor, while 10.03m saw Judy Murray mosey off the Blackpool dancefloor.
In other important news:
Lauren copied Diana Vickers' performance of Smile...and no-one said anything
Lauren Platt singing 'Smile' by Nat King Cole (PHOTO: SYCO/ Dymond/ Corbis)
Last girl standing Lauren Platt gave a beautiful performance of Smile, a Nat King Cole classic. It was pared back, gentle and had her sitting on a swing for the whole song. Wonder how mentor Cheryl came up with that idea...
Band Aid 30
Sir Bob Geldof visited the X Factor studio on Sunday night to introduce the first play of charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' Featuring British music heavyweights such as One Direction, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and, of course, Bono, this fourth incarnation of the 1984 track will raise money for the Ebola Outbreak Appeal .
14.11.2014
This week, The X Factor dusts off their brass instruments for the annual(ish) Big Band themed week.
However, reports from the X Factor camp tell that a certain boyband has made a last-minute decision to change their song choice.
Stereo Kicks tweeted earlier today: "so guys.. we've made a massive decision to change our song after a chat with Louis. we hope 1 day is enough to learn a brand new song!!"
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Stereo Kicks - so guys.. we've made a massive decision to change our song after a chat with Louis. we hope 1 day is enough to learn a brand new song!!ð&amp;Yuml;¬ð&amp;Yuml;º&lt;/noframe&gt;
Funny - with eight members, you'd think that Stereo Kicks would be most comfortable with BIG BAND week...
10.11.2014 - Paul Akister's out
Paul Akister received the lowest amount of votes and was the latest contestant sent home
LOUIS. Why do you insist on ruining poor Paul Akister's chances at stardom?
For the second year in a row, a decision from Louis Walsh has ended Paul Akister's X Factor career. (Click here full recaps of Saturday and Sunday 's episodes.) After the public vote, the
dishwater-esque
pub singer found himself in the bottom two on Sunday night, alongside squeaky voiced ex-Navy soldier Jay James.
Both gave some of their finest vocal performances so far: Jay's version of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven was sincere, while Paul Akister's rendition of Emeli Sandé's Clown reduced his mentor Mel B to tears.
While Mel and Simon unsurprisingly voted to save their own acts, Cheryl supported Paul while Louis "Deadlock" Walsh backed Jay, purely to let the public vote decide who was going home. Alas, Paul was the weekend's least popular hopeful and was sent packing.
Though we won't be missing much in terms of personality, there's no denying that the competition's lost one of the best vocalists this year. Here's Paul's final performance:
05.11.2014
Harry's on-stage wardrobe malfunction
Clearly, X Factor takes Harry's Styles and fashion choices very seriously.
Last Sunday, while pre-recording this week's "live" X Factor performance, One Direction were forced to sing their new single twice - because the first time, Harry's shirt wasn't quite right.
Reports reveal that audience members were treated to two renditions of "Steal My Girl" as after watching the first performance, producers decided that Harry would look better in a black shirt, rather than his original white one.
Until you can see the performance for yourselves on Sunday evening, here's the music video to tide you over - and we're pleased to report, all five boys look absolutely fine.
03.11.2014
The Xpress update - scorned contestants and ratings information
Last weekend was X Factor's annual Halloween-themed show - and it was a suitably frightful affair with two singers getting shown the stage door. As always, Isabel Mohan has written lovely reviews of both Saturday and Sunday night's programmes, but here's a quick recap:
Hit the road, Jack
Jack Walton was eliminated on Saturday night, after receiving the fewest amount of votes from the public. His performance of Bleeding Love by X Factor alumni Leona Lewis was shaky, so this didn't come as much of a surprise.
However, it doesn't seem as if he's that heartbroken - he's spoken out against his time on the competition, saying that he wasn't a fan of his song choices, or the way his mentor Mel B advised him.
Instead, he found more confidence in advice from One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, stating: “I’ve got massive support from [Louis], he’s been a massive help throughout the competition telling me what I should sing. I wish I had listened to him a little bit more. He’s been so involved. I trusted his judgment more than Mel B."
When asked whether he'd be watching the show next week, Jack responded: “I don’t want to watch it. It doesn’t really interest me anyway. I’ve never watched it before. I’ll only watch it to see how my mates are doing, but I’ll be gigging. And at one of my gigs you won’t be seeing stuff like what I did on the show.” Well, alright then.
Jack Walton was eliminated after his performance of Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love
Lola's time to go
On Sunday night, it was someone else's turn to face the music - and this someone happened to be 20-year-old fishmonger Lola Saunders. The wildcard choice for the girls' category, she found herself in the bottom two with big boyband Stereo Kicks, despite her performance of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy being her strongest yet.
Lola Saunders was eliminated on Sunday night, losing out to Stereo Kicks
Ratings
On Saturday:
- X Factor's audience peaked at 8.70m, settling at an average of 7.45m, down 50,000 viewers on last week.
- Strictly on BBC One had an average of 9.79m viewers, up 270.000 from last week
On Sunday:
- The X Factor Results Show was watched by 7.82m, 60,000 less than last week
- Strictly Come Dancing's Results Show gained an extra 180,000 viewers, for an average of 9.72m
In other important news:
Andrea Faustini got painted gold
For his Fright Night performance of the oh-so-terrifying Relight My Fire, Andrea Faustini got transformed into a gold devil, complete with mini-horns. Cheryl was dismayed, while Simon collapsed into fits of giggles.
Andrea Faustini singing Relight My Fire by Take That
Stevi sang properly - and wasn't that bad
Stevi Ritchie fulfilled his life's dream and gave an impassioned performance of Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera - and much to many's surprise, he wasn't that bad! Take a listen for yourself:
Cheryl
mimed
performed her new single
Mrs Fernandez-Versini stepped out from behind the judges' table to show the contestants how it's done, performng her new single I Don't Care. Unfortunately, it was marred with controversy as many viewers believed she was lip-synching, rather than singing live - #miming was a UK trend on Twitter. Oh Chez, that's not fair - but does she care? Probably not.
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini performs her new song 'I Don't Care'
31.10.2014
THE HALLOWEEN X FACTOR CURSE CONTINUES.
Simon Cowell has added an extra element of spook to this weekend's Fright Night proceedings - no, he's not going to be dressing up as a sexy cat, he's decided that TWO unlucky acts will be leaving the competition, with one getting the boot at the end of Saturday's show.
Speaking to the contestants this morning, Simon said: “There’s going to be another double elimination again this weekend, and the difference is this week is there is going to be a twist...on Saturday, the person with the lowest vote is going to leave the show. No Sing Off, just whoever is in the bottom is out.
"There are no second chances. This is how important the conversation is now and how important the performance is on Saturday and Sunday. We decided to do this because I think you all need a bit of a wake up call."
Eek - Saturday's show will be a Thriller Night indeed...(sorry.) Here's the contestants' song list:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - Relight My Fire (by Take That)
Jack Walton - Bleeding Love (by Leona Lewis)
Paul Akister - Bat Out Of Hell (by Meatloaf)
Girls
Lauren Platt - Dark Horse (by Katy Perry)
Lola Saunders - Crazy (by Gnarls Barkley)
Groups
Only The Young - The Monster Mash (by Bobby Pickett)
Stereo Kicks - Everybody (by Backstreet Boys)
Overs
Ben Haenow - Highway to Hell (by AC/DC)
Fleur East - Thriller (by Michael Jackson)
Jay James - Mad World (by Tears For Fears)
Stevi Ritchie - Music of The Night (from Phantom of The Opera)
30.10.2014
Is there a Halloween curse on The X Factor?
A starry-eyed pumpkin. (PHOTO: Alamy)
Some scary news for Cowell and co - apparently, Halloween-themed X Factor is the worst theme of all. *witch cackles*
Research from Ladbrokes Bingo shows that out of a choice of 10 frequently-used show themes, including Disco, Love and Christmas, Halloween was voted the worst - the theme voters liked best was Era Songs (e.g. 80s night from two weeks ago).
This can't be good news for Saturday's "Fright Night" show (nice try X Factor, we know you mean Halloween). Not only is the theme unpopular, but the recent ratings haven't been positive either - on last Saturday's Movie Night (voted the 4th best theme), ratings were the live shows' lowest so far, with 7.5m tuning in. Meanwhile, over on BBC One, Strictly saw an additional 360,000 viewers, hitting a high of 9.52m.
Plus, The X Factor may only be screening only on Sunday nights next year - reports indicate that due to ITV's broadcasting of the 2015 Rugby World Cup on Saturday evenings, the live performance show and results show may both be confined to Sunday evenings.
In all, there seems to be a Halloween week curse on our beloved singing contest. But there have been good things emerging from this time of year in the past - remember Little Mix's performance of ET back in 2011? This was one of their best performances - perhaps one of the best in X Factor history...
27.10.2014
Bye bye Jake
Sunday night was Mel B's turn to feel the wrath of public scorn (or, actually, indifference) as her beloved boy, Jake Quickenden, was eliminated from the competition.
During the movie themed performance show on Saturday , the 26-year-old gym buff sang one of Dirty Dancing's lesser-known classics She's Like the Wind (by Patrick Swayze) to lukewarm reviews. Having never been his greatest fan, Simon seemed to have sealed the nail in Jake's X Factor coffin, saying: "The problem is it’s unlikely you’ll last another week. You’ve got to get better at singing."
Jake Quickenden is the first of the boys' category to be eliminated (PHOTO: Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
Baby ABBA/Only the Young FINALLY sung an ABBA song, The Winner Takes It All. It wasn't too impressive, but Louis got teary-eyed regardless - and it was enough for Cheryl and Simon to jump on board and send Jake packing.
His mentor Mel B was visible upset by the outcome, professing how much of a hard worker Jake was and reportedly storming out of the studio soon after. Seems she's not so Scary after all...
Not so Scary? Mel B sheds a tear (PHOTO: Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
24.10.2014
Lauren lets it go
On Saturday night, X Factor goes to the movies with the remaining 10 contestants all singing song featured in films.
Lauren Platt, week 2 (PHOTO: Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
After "doing a Louis" and losing half her category last week , will Cheryl succeed here? Likely - Lauren Platt, who has been impressing thus far, will be singing Let It Go from smash-hit Disney film Frozen while wildcard Lola Saunders will sing When You Believe from underappreciated animation The Prince of Egypt.
Meanwhile, Andrea Faustini will continue his journey through the diva catalogue with Beyoncé's empowering tear-jerker Listen, from Dreamgirls - but will his spotlight get stolen by Ben Haenow's rendition of wedding-first-dance classic, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing?
The song list in full:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - Listen by Beyoncé (from Dreamgirls)
Jack Walton - Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor (from Rocky)
Jake Quickenden - She's Like The Wind by Patrick Swayze (from Dirty Dancing)
Paul Akister - Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding (from The Commitments)
Girls
Lauren Platt - Let It Go by Demi Lovato (from Frozen)
Lola Saunders - When You Believe by Mariah Carey (from The Prince Of Egypt)
Groups
Only The Young - Boom Clap by Charli XCX (from The Fault In Our Stars )
Stereo Kicks
Let It Be/Hey Jude (Medley) by The Beatles (from Across The Universe)
Overs
Ben Haenow - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (from Armageddon)
Fleur East - Lady Marmalade by Pink, Mya, Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim (from Moulin Rouge)
Jay James - Skyfall by Adele (from Skyfall)
Stevi Ritchie - Footloose by Kenny Loggins (from Footloose)
20.10.2014
Gone Girls: Chloe Jasmine and Stephanie Nala are out
Cheryl's probably in need of a good hug - she's had a rough weekend. First Simon calls her Kermit on Saturday, then she loses half of her category in one fell swoop on Sunday. (Read Isabel Mohan's reviews of Saturday and Sunday nights for an in-depth recap.)
Soft-voiced Stephanie Nala escaped elimination last week, but after her rendition of Blondie's Call Me didn't inspire enough people to call her number, she was sent packing first. She left graciously, saying how grateful she was to have had the opportunity and how much fun she's had.
In a more surprising turn of events, eight-piece boy band Stereo Kicks and polarising warbler Chloe Jasmine were forced to sing for their places in the competition.
After hearing Chloe Jasmine's slightly manic version of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Louis, Mel B and Simon voted to give the boy band a second chance.
17.10.2014
80s week: contestants' songs revealed
Grab your boomboxes, legwarmers and flourescent headbands - this weekend, X Factor goes back to the Eighties, with all 12 remaining acts performing nothing but classics from that decade.
Last week, 17-year-old Lauren Platt stunned with an ethereal rendition of Pharrell's Happy - wonder if she'll be adding the same effect to Irene Cara's What A Feeling?
Ex-Naval officer and, according to Louis Walsh, "young Kevin Costner" Jay James will take on I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, while tabloid frequenter Chloe Jasmine will sing Fame...how very tongue-in-cheek.
Stevi Richie performing last week (ITV/SYCO/Thames TV)
Overs' Wildcard Stevi Richie is set to perform modern-day viral hit Never Gonna Give You Up. It's no secret that he's more of an, erm, "dancer" than a singer, so we can expect some moves that'll make Rick Astley very proud indeed.
Here's the full list of Saturday's songs:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - One Moment In Time (Whitney Houston)
Jack Walton - Straight Up (Paula Abdul)
Jake Quickenden - Total Eclipse Of The Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
Paul Akister - If You Don't Know Me By Now (Simply Red)
Girls
Chloe Jasmine - Fame (Irene Cara)
Lauren Platt - What A Feeling (Irene Cara)
Lola Saunders - Imagine (John Lennon)
Stephanie Nala - Call Me (Blondie)
Groups
Only The Young - Come On Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners)
Stereo Kicks - Boys Of Summer (Don Henley)
Overs
Ben Haenow - Jealous Guy (Donny Hathoway)
Fleur East - It's A Shame (Monie Love)
Jay James - I'm Gonna Be - 500 Miles (The Proclaimers)
Stevi Ritchie - Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)
13.10.2014
Game over for Overload
Poor old Overload - or should we say, Overload Generation? Either way, it hardly matters as they were one of two acts booted out of The X Factor on Sunday night . After a nerve-riddled performance of Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl, Simon named them Volkswagen Beetles in comparison to One Direction's Ferraris. Ouch.
Weird and wacky sisters Blonde Electra (formerly named Blonde Electric - maybe changing your name is a bad omen?) were the first to go, receiving the least amount of votes from the public.
Blonde Electric performing Kids in America (PHOTO: SYCO/Thames TV/ITV)
This makes an X Factor first - never before has a judge lost two of their acts in the first live show of the series. Will
ABBA-reloaded
polished boy-girl-boy-girl four-piece Only the Young or super-sized boy band Stereo Kicks manage to turn the Groups' fate around?
However, as flashy and exciting as the first live shows were, in terms of ratings (provided by overnights.tv ), rival show Strictly Come Dancing once again came out on top overall:
* On Saturday night, The X Factor was viewed by 7.66m, while 8.65m tuned into Strictly
* During the clash between the shows on Saturday (7.30-8.35pm), Strictly's results show averaged 9.04m while X Factor drew in a total of 6.92m
* Yet, more people were interested in who'd be leaving X Factor, drawing in 8.79m viewers on Sunday night, edging out Strictly's 8.49m views
09.10.2014
Overload - the groups' wildcard?
According to "a source" at Mail Online, boyband Overload have been spotted leaving the contestants' house in North London, making it pretty likely that they've been chosen as the groups category's wildcard act.
Overload at the arena auditions (PHOTO: SYCO/Thames TV/ITV)
Despite already having a large fan following online, the group were surprisingly left behind at boot camp and weren't invited to Louis' Judges' Houses stage in Bermuda - but it hardly matters now, as this discovery implies that they've sailed straight through to the live finals.
This comes just days after Lola Saunders was spotted in a scene from the finalists-only house on an episode of The Xtra Factor, indicating her as a wildcard for Cheryl's girls' category.
Oh X Factor - not doing too well at this whole "mystery wildcard" business, are we?
07.10.2014
Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams to perform
This weekend, not only will we get to see the 12 (soon to be 16) finalists perform live for the first time, but Sunday night will treat us to performances from artists more used to huge audiences.
Seven-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift and triple platinum singer/producer/hat extraordinaire Pharrell Williams were today confirmed as X Factor's special performers for Sunday's results show.
While Swift will be performing her new single Shake It Off from her 'first non-country album', Pharrell will perform Gust of Wind from his GIRL album. Who's betting there'll be a sneak chorus of Happy thrown in before he leaves the stage?
X Factor Live Tour 2015 tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am. Get them here
06.10.2014
Lola Saunders - the girls' wildcard?
Oh hey, Lola Saunders! What are you doing in the contestants' house? Didn't you get eliminated from the competition already?
Maybe not - judging by this still from Sunday night's Xtra Factor, it seems as if the fishmonger from Tyneside has been given a second chance. Circled in yellow, we're guessing the show editors didn't mean for us to catch her slipping by, as the judges' wildcards should have been kept under wraps until this weekend's live shows.
The Telegraph's Isabel Mohan predicted this just last night, as despite some shaky performances she's seemed like a favourite from the very start.
Here's the one that supposedly ended her X Factor career:
06.10.2014
What a weekend - Tulisa came back, Mel cried again, Cheryl DIDN'T cry, we saw Simon's toes and, most importantly we have our 12 finalists at last.
Once again, we were treated to three X Factor shows on Friday , Saturday and Sunday for the ever-glamorous Judges' Houses portion of the show. It seems as if this is a favourite stage for many, as it attracted more viewers than last week's Boot Camp challenges. In summary:
* Friday's episode was watched by an average of 6.01 million viewers - the highest share of the night
* Yet, Saturday's episode attracted an average of over 7 million viewers (7.34) while Strictly Come Dancing 's bumper live episode drew in nearly 10 million (9.99m)
* Sunday drew in 8.49 million on ITV, with over 300k more tuning in on ITV+1; 8.84 million said goodbye to Gregg Wallace on Strictly's first elimination show
Though Strictly's numbers are still above the X Factor's, the fight's not over yet - the real proof will come with the start of X Factor's live shows this Saturday and Sunday night, as the shows will be on more of an even keel. All 12 of the acts will take to the stage for the first time, and we'll also discover who the mystery wildcard contestants are. How Xciting...
The final 12 acts (PIC SOURCE: The X Factor official Twitter page)
01.10.2014
Seems like Simon's not always the bad guy after all - after hearing the complaints of thousands onlline, he's pulled scenes from the upcoming Judges' Houses episodes that feature trained dolphins.
Previewed on sister show The Xtra Factor on Sunday night, we saw the final six boys attending dolphin shows and swimming with dolphins while abroad with mentor Mel B.
(l-r) Jake Quickenden, Jack Walton, Paul Akister, Danny Dearden, Jordan Morris and Andrea Faustini
Over 7000 people signed a petition to get the scenes cut, and last night Simon tweeted that the footage will no longer be shown:
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Simon Cowell - I should have kept Janet. My mistake.&lt;/noframe&gt;
26.09.2014
My, oh my.
This weekend's triple whammy of X Factor gave the most dramatic moments of the series: Friday night saw Cheryl get a torrent of audience abuse for some scatty decision making while Mel B was straight to the point with her choices on Saturday night - plainly telling 19-year-old Ben Quinlan to get off the stage when he tried to appeal Mel's decision. And finally, Sunday night's episode was the craziest of them all, with cuts, bring-backs and sing-offs galore. Oh - and, of course, plenty of tears shed, mostly belonging to the teenage girls heartbroken over boyband Overload's elimination .
Last night, after ousting Dublin songwriter Janet Grogan, Simon clearly had some regrets, tweeting: "I should have kept Janet. My mistake."
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Simon Cowell - I should have kept Janet. My mistake.&lt;/noframe&gt;
26.09.2014
For one unlucky act, it's a shocking "no, pet" from Cheryl...
In a clip shown on Good Morning Britain earlier today, the nation's Geordie princess was shown sending home one of her acts ahead of this weekend's brutal Six-Chair Challenge. If you don't like spoilers, stop reading NOW and instead, enjoy this vintage picture of a young Miss Tweedy:
Jazzy model Chloe-Jasmine Whichello was shown to be booted from her seat, as Cheryl (evidently the Girls' mentor) swapped her for another Chloe - O'Gorman, a 17-year-old student from Wirral. But does Cheryl end up regretting her decision?
Judging by this teaser clip for tonight's show, she's certainly having second thoughts about something...
25.09.2014
And the winner of the most tweeted about series on UK TV…. is…The X Factor!
Twitter’s new research has placed the 11-year-old singing competition at the top of its charts, revealing that it generated 9.4m tweets from June 2013 to May 2014. Compared to the 5.3 million tweets picked up from Celebrity Big Brother, the second-most tweeted about show, Simon Cowell’s pop juggernaut is still very much a hot topic.
As reported by The Guardian, the increase in TV executives looking towards social media as a way to get the public excited has resulted in 11% of shows having a hike in ratings.
So far in this series, #XFactor or an X Factor-related topic has trended every night the show has broadcast.
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: sara cox - SHES SO COMPLETELY GORGEOUS I LOVE HER! &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;q=%23XFactor" target="_blank"&gt;#XFactor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Lauren Laverne - Why has nobody mentioned that that young girl's husband appears to be the guy from Freakpower?? &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;q=%23XFactor" target="_blank"&gt;#XFactor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;
22.09.2014
Did you enjoy Saturday and Sunday's episodes of X Factor? It was the last of the arena auditions, and according to the Telegraph's Isabel Mohan, the hopefuls ranged from the "utterly grating to a gravelly great" . Plus, Mel B was back to her usual outspoken (let's be frank - gobby) self , and it was great.
Ones to watch included shoe-shop assistant Kerianne Covell - watch her performance of Carrie Underwood's I Know You Won't and try not to get goosebumps...
18.09.2014
X Factor rival axed
Rising Star was dubbed as the 'new X Factor' (PHOTO: Keshet)
It seems as if there’s only room for one singing competition on ITV – new show Rising Star has been axed before it has even made it to the screen.
Following its success in Israel, ITV announced in November 2013 that it would be airing a UK version of the show, taking the January scheduling space left vacant by Dancing on Ice.
Hailed as “a singing competition like no other”, its selling point was the fact that viewers would vote for their preferred choice in real time via a smartphone app – something that Channel 4 experimented with in August with Alan Carr’s The Singer Takes it All .
However, following a lukewarm reception in USA and Germany, the show was pushed to March (to avoid clashing with BBC's The Voice) before being scrapped altogether.
An ITV spokesperson said: “Rising Star is an innovative show and we have enjoyed working on the format with the team.
“However, as a commercial broadcaster, we always need to be as confident as possible about the potential ratings of any new programme format that we have acquired and we have therefore taken the decision not to proceed with plans to broadcast the series on ITV."
15.09.2014
The Xpress Update: awkward lap-dances, the new One Direction and more
Evening all! We’re back with another weekend catch-up on the singing competition that we hate to love, love to hate, or flat out adore, The X Factor! *cue theme tune*
This weekend saw a move from the room auditions to this year’s hopefuls giving it a go on Wembley Arena, in front of an audience of nearly 5,000 fans, instructed by Simon to “be as badly-behaved as you want”.
Being one of the more recent additions to the proceedings, the post-room arena auditions are sometimes hit and miss – our very own Isabel Moran gave Sunday night’s show two stars , despite giving the room auditions FIVE last week.
But, nevertheless, Simon Cowell’s (first) baby topped the TV ratings this weekend, scoring 8.4m on Saturday and 7.8 million viewers on Sunday.
Though divisive, The X Factor this weekend gave a great deal of unmissable moments, five of which you can catch-up with right now:
Cheryl and Mel B give Simon a special dance
In one of the more creepy/saucy moments of the show so far, Cheryl and Mel were so moved by Paul Akister’s soulful delivery of Let’s Get It On that they just had to show it, jumping up to give Simon a personal dance – Something Kinda Ooh, if you will. Understandably, he didn’t look too upset about the situation.
Andrea Faustini tried a little tenderness
The pug-loving student from Rome returned and had the audience up on their feet with his version of Otis Redding’s Try a Little Tenderness . His quirky, lovable personality combined with a genuinely strong voice makes it very likely that we’ll be seeing more of him in the next few weeks. Molto bene!
Jay James takes on Coldplay
This guy definitely knows what works for him – on Sunday, he won over the judges (plus thousands at Wembley, plus millions at home?) again with Coldplay’s anthemic tearjerker Fix You . Mel B described what he has as “it” – that little something special that might take him all the way.
ONE DIRECTION CAME BACK
No…wait…sorry, it’s Overload.
This year’s 1D – and I don’t just say this because they’re a five-piece boy band. They legitimately look like carbon copies of the original – sang their own song, No, No, No, and it went down a treat – it even had a clappy bit in the middle! Cute, cheerful and judging by the fact that they were trending on both Saturday and Sunday nights, they already have a devoted online following. You can practically see the pound signs glimmering in Simon Cowell’s eyes…
The greatest love of all: Amy + Cheryl
Now, this was unexpected – comeback kid and Cheryl's favourite Amy Connelly was ousted from the competition on Saturday night, after a slightly shaky, but passable performance of Whitney Houston classic, Greatest Love of All.
Amy made it to Judges Homes in 2008, but Cheryl didn’t think she was strong enough for the live shows, despite having a soft spot for her. Surely many expected her to at least reach the Judges Homes once more, but Amy’s X Factor journey was cut short at Wembley.
10.10.2014
Can we call you L-Patz?
Here’s a snippet of X Factor news to sink your fangs into – Robert Pattinson’s older sister was one of Sunday’s auditionees. 31-year-old Lizzy sang Bonnie Raitt’s country-infused Feels Like Home for the judges and progressed to the next round. Simon was convinced he’d seen her before, but the personal assistant made no reference to her relation to the Twilight heartthrob, cheekily responding: “maybe in your dreams?”
09.10.2014
The Xpress catch-up: room auditions week two
This weekend’s X Factor offerings were chock-full of talent – from cutie American soldiers to heart-broken pub singers. Isabel Mohan did great reviews on both Saturday and Sunday’s shows, but if you’re short on time, here’s this week’s Xpress catch-up, filling you in on the five most memorable moments:
Monica Michael
Grab your tissues for this one – the 24-year-old youth-worker’s teary audition saw her singing her own song, Pretty Little Sister , dedicated to – you’ve guessed it – her pretty little sister, aged 16. Though it had the potential to be cringe-worthy, Monica’s vocal performance was soulful and genuine.
Kerianne Covell
Having taken an unauthorised day off from her job at a shoe shop, Kerianne risked unemployment for a shot at singing stardom. Thankfully, she blew the judges away with Adele’s One and Only and made it through to the next round – plus, Simon gave her manager a call to help her keep her job for the short term. Win!
Jake Quickenden
Remember this one? He got all the way to Nicole Scherzinger’s judges homes stage in 2012, but unfortunately missed out on a place in the finals. After starting with a strange, bouncy version of John Legend's All of Me , he made it through with Say Something by A Great Big World.
Michael Rice
This softly-spoken chip shop worker took on the late, great Whitney Houston’s I Look to You – and all four judges were left open-mouthed. Only 16 years old, his voice was soulful and strong - who's betting the Sam Smith comparisons will start rolling in soon?
Raign
A definite contender for this year’s Marmite Contestant role, the 31-year-old songwriter got off on the wrong foot with the judges, boasting about her friend who worked at Marc Jacobs and her pop success overseas. It seemed as if her X Factor journey had come to a quick end after her performance of Zedd's Clarity fell flat, but Simon was won over when she sang her own ditty, Don't Let Me Go. Cheryl, however, was still unmoved, describing Raign as "my idea of hell". Raign better keep her fingers crossed that Cheryl doesn't get the Overs category...
08.09.2014
Strictly 1, The X Factor 0
Oh dear – after round one of The X Factor’s many scheduling clashes with Strictly, Cowell and co have come up short. Last night’s Strictly launch was watched by 8.4 million viewers, approximately 600,000 more than The X Factor’s fourth batch of room auditions (7.8 million).
However, Simon took the close defeat on the chin, tweeting this:
&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Simon Cowell - So the numbers are in. Strictly peak 9.4. X Factor peak 9.2. Round one to them. Such a shame they were both on at the same time!&lt;/noframe&gt;
Attaboy, Simon - better luck next time!
02.09.2014
Would baby Eric Cowell pass the X Factor test?
Bryony Gordon doesn't think so. After Simon stated that changing nappies is a choice that a parent can make , Bryony compiled a list of other "helpful" tips that Simon may impart upon new fathers - including the fact that crying babies do not sound good.
02.09.2014
Simon Cowell: the world's most unlikely rapper
To promote the return of The X Factor this weekend, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh dropped into Capital FM's breakfast show to give an exclusive performance of Tinie Tempah's rap featured in Cheryl's former number-one single, Crazy Stupid Love. If you had the (mis)fortune of missing it, it's available on SoundCloud in all its awkward glory.
01.09.2014
The Xpress catch-up: room auditions week one
In case you missed it, here are five of the most memorable moments from this weekend’s episodes:
Jay James
This ex-Naval officer won the hearts of the judges with an emotional performance of Say Something, A Great Big World’s hit with Christina Aguilera.
Kitten and the Hip
In Sunday's "quieter" audition episode this weekend, we met this short-lived act: they went into the audition room as a duo and left as solo artists, as the judges saw more potential in one half of the group. (Guess which.)
Look out for the extremely awkward moment when the 28-year-old “Kitten” Scarlett Quinn revealed that she and Ashley Slater (aka “the Hip”), aged 53, were husband and wife, to have an unfiltered Louis Walsh respond with “Oh! I thought you were father and daughter!”
Oh, Louis. Never change.
“Where are you from?” asks Mel B.
“I’m from England, “ says Chloe.
After quite a bizarre beginning, 23-year-old Chloe-Jasmine impressed with her rendition of the standard, Black Coffee. If she looks a little familiar, you’ve probably seen her on Sky Living’s The Face , where she tried her hand at modelling under the wing of Naomi Campbell.
Andrea Faustini
One of the more surprising auditions, Andrea came all the way from Italy, armed with a miniature Scary Spice figurine and a belting voice. He shocked the judges with his performance of the Jackson 5’s Who’s Lovin’ You.
Linzi Martin
Sunday’s episode ended with 34-year-old Linzi. A former protégé of Simon Cowell’s, having been in Nineties girlband Girl Thing, she sang a nerve-ridden version of Jackson 5’s I’ll Be There. Needless to say, it was difficult for the judges to decide her fate.
01.09.2014
Highest ratings in two years
The X Factor returned over the weekend (hooray!) with its highest ratings since 2012 - probably due to the reunion of squabbling pair Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.
Both having been absent from the judging panel for three years, a peak audience of 10.6 million tuned in to see their love/hate friendship unfold on Saturday, which our very own Serena Davies described as "brilliantly entertaining" . Another possible attraction was former Spice Girl Mel B's debut as a permanent judge, following previous guest appearances and a stint on Australia's Got Talent. It seems as if reality TV can't get enough of the Spice Girls , as they've all had a go at judging in some form or another. Maybe Mel will bring one of the Spices to assist her at the judges' home stage...
29.08.2014
Cowell is ruffled by Strictly scheduling clash
| Tulisa |
The Hawaiian phrase ‘Aloha kakahiaka’ translates to what in English? | X Factor 2012: James Arthur is crowned winner | Daily Mail Online
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James Arthur is celebrating on Monday after being crowned the winner of X Factor 2012.
The 24-year-old put in the performance of his life in front of 10,000 screaming fans in Manchester to beat Jahmene Douglas to the coveted title.
The Middlesborough-born singer earned a standing ovation from the judges and brought the house down with his incredible rendition of Shontelle hit Impossible, which is now odds-on to be the Christmas No.1 single and has already topped the iTunes charts.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO...
Winner: James Arthur didn't know what to say as Dermot O'Leary revealed that he had won the X Factor 2012
After gaining 54 per cent of the public vote and being crowned the winner, James struggled to speak as he was interviewed by Dermot O'Leary.
He could only manage: 'Thank you, thank you so much. Have I really won? Wow. I don't know what to say.'
Runner-up Jahmene, who was also mentored by winning judge Nicole Scherzinger, was gallant in his defeat, and praised the show's victor, telling Dermot: 'It's such a blessing to even share a stage with such a talent, he's my idol.'
Warm embrace: After James was revealed as the winner he was seen locked in an embrace with Jahmene
Big hug: Nicole was seen hugging and kissing James very proud of her contestant
But appearing on Daybreak on Monday morning, James admitted he didn't hear the final name being announced.
He said: 'It is starting to sink in, I was overwhelmed. That is why my reaction was so still. I couldn't believe it. I actually thought Dermot said Jahmene.'
James added that he is keen to release his debut album 'as quickly as possible', and has already written some tracks.
He said: 'I'm just going to work hard and get my album out as quickly as possible and not wait around. I've got a lot of material to go so now as soon as I get back into the studio I'll be ready.'
So proud: Nicole was seen beaming with pride as she held hands with Jahmene who said that James was his 'idol'
Blown away: James couldn't believe he had won and was seen looking stunned as Dermot showed him his single
As the vote was announced on Sunday night's show, James looked stunned, before pulling in his competitor Jahmene for an emotional embrace.
Before performing his winner's single one more time, James told Dermot he is thrilled that the proceeds of the record are going to charity Together for Short Lives.
Upcoming release: James' first single Impossible
He said: 'I'm so pleased it's going to a good cause, thank you so much to everyone who voted for me - I'm so thankful.'
When the single was released at midnight, it shot straight to the top of the iTunes charts - overtaking will.i.am and Britney Spears's Scream & Shout.
In addition, the original track by Shontelle has reentered the charts at number 13.
The X Factor victory then belted out the track, before being joined on stage by the majority of the rest of the show finalists, who hugged and jumped on James as they congratulated him.
Another person to congratulate James on his victory was Simon Cowell, who wrote on Twitter: 'Congratulations James on winning X factor uk. You deserved this.'
Before the winner was announced, James and Jahmene had treated viewers and the judges to two incredible performances.
Former Asda worker Jahmene took to the stage first with his heartfelt rendition of Robbie Williams' Angels - a performance which left the panel gushing.
Massive celebration: As glitter reigned down onto the stage the other contestants ran out to greet him
Get in! Fans in The Victoria pub in Saltburn where James used to play were seen celebrating
Tulisa told Jahmene that he sounded 'amazing', adding: 'I'm really happy you picked that song.'
Meanwhile, Louis Walsh tipped Jahmene to win the show, telling him: 'You are an incredible role model.'
Gary Barlow also acknowledged Jahmene's tough start in life, saying: 'You have been battling with your past and fighting for your future you have done it with such dignity and grace.
'Congratulations another stunning night for you.'
But Jahmene's mentor Nicole struggled to control her emotions following the performance, breaking down as she listened to him sing.
VIDEO: James performs the stunning winners' single Impossible
Following the song, Nicole told Jahmene: 'You just bring spirit and hope to this song when you sing I just feel safe. Your my role model you are like a beacon of light. I love you sweetie..'
James was next to take to the stage, performing his unique version of Marvin Gaye's Let's Get it On.
And the ladies' man couldn't resist a flirt with mentor Nicole during the peformance, holding her hand before moving on for a kiss with Tulisa.
After the rendition, Louis told him: 'You're original, you are real, you are honest.'
Tense moment: The trio were stood looking extremely nervous before the result was announced
So sweet: James was seen kissing Jahmene on the head on the Xtra Factor
Tulisa made a cringy comparison when she told James: 'I am going to say something to you now, James, which I know you will understand... I get you.
'You are the same as me. We come from the same place. You deserve to win as an artist.'
Gary, who has previously backed James to win the show, said that he didn't need changing as an artist and he was 'ready right now' to release music.
Big hit: Jahmene was seeing hitting huge notes as he performed his first track
One more time: James was seen performing his new single to end the show
He told him: 'I'm ready to download your album right away.'
And James' mentor Nicole, who added that she was 'humbled' and 'so blessed' to have worked with him, told the singer: 'I felt like I was seeing the future, like next year when you are on tour.'
The second performance from the two finalists saw them belt out their individual winner's singles, with Jahmene kicking things off with his version of The Beatles' classic Let It Be.
Number one: Jahmene performed Robbie Williams' hit track Angels before singing The Beatles' Let It Be
Moved to tears: Nicole was seen crying following Jahmene's performance
Can't keep it together: Nicole was seen weeping as Jahmene was singing
The panel were clearly moved by the emotional performance with Louis telling Jahmene he had 'so much soul', while Gary complimented his 'unbelievable voice'.
Poking fun at Nicole's now infamous made-up phrases, Tulisa then said: 'That was a jahmazing shasmoment'.
After performing the track, Jahmene was shown footage of his family talking about him, which left him in floods of tears.
He's got it: James sang Marvin Gaye's hit Let's Get it On
What a charmer: James Arthur was seen serenading his mentour during his first performance on Sunday night
Big night: As James sang images of when he first auditioned from the show were seen, showing just how far he has come
His mother was seen saying: 'You have brought a lot of happiness to the family', before adding: 'You're just an angel'.
James was up next with his version of Shontelle's Impossible - his winner's single.
After the performance, Gary told James he was proud of him for not changing throughout the competition, telling him: 'Please take one bit of advice never let anybody tell you what to do. You know best.'
A blessing: Jahmene was seen welling up as his mother praised him
And reinforcing Gary's comments, Nicole said: 'You better get ready your life is never going to be the same after this.'
Ahead of the show Take Me Out Contestant and model Chanelle McCleary claimed that she was in a relationship with James and the pair plan to go public now the show has finished, according to reports.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror she said: 'All my girlfriends are jealous.They all love him and who can blame them. He’s a babe and the most genuine guy I’ve met.'
VIDEO: We are both winners. James pays tribute to Jahmene during winners interview
So proud: James' mother said she was so pleased with how well he had done
He inspires us: The singer's sisters also had nothing but praise for their big brother
The star-studded X Factor final saw plenty of quality acts take to the stage including former contestants One Direction.
The boyband, who came third on the 2010 show, performed their new single Kiss You and told Dermot they understood what the finalists were going through.
Emile Sandé and Rihanna also took to the stage to perform at the Manchester Central arena.
They're back: Most of the contestants who appeared on the live shows returned to the stage for the final show. Lucy Spraggan and Christopher Maloney were no-shows
Dressed to impress: The judges had pulled out all the stops when it came to their wardrobe
Most of the finalists who made it through to the live shows were also present to perform All I Want Is Christmas.
Christopher Maloney who was kicked off the show on Saturday night was a no-show.
The 34-year-old singer is said to have riled bosses with his 'abusive' attitude towards his fellow contestants during rehearsals, before 'storming out' and returning to Liverpool.
Showing them how it's done: Rihanna performed a mash up of some of her best songs
An X Factor spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Chris decided he no longer wanted to be part of The X Factor Final and has gone back to Liverpool.'
The Liverpudlian wannabe was allegedly angered when he realised he had only been given one line in the group medley, and 'stormed off' to his nearby hotel.
Belting it out: Emile Sandé was seen performing her latest song during the star-studded live final show
Making a return: One Direction who took third place in the show in 2010 performed their new track Kiss You
They like the X Factor too: Manchester United and Manchester City were seen watching the show
X FACTOR 2012, VOTING FIGURES WEEK BY WEEK
WEEK 1
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Which was the first country to win the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship? | History : RBS 6 Nations
Last Season
6 Nations History
Played annually, the format of the Championship is simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss and unlike most other rugby union competitions the bonus point system is not used.
Victory in every game results in a 'Grand Slam' and back-to-back Grand Slams have been won on five occasions. Wales achieved the first one in 1908 and 1909, England have done it three times in 1913 and 1914, 1923 and 1924 and 1991 and 1992 while France did it in 1997 and 1998. England hold the record for the number of Grand Slams won with 12, followed by Wales with 11, France with nine, Scotland with three and Ireland with two.
Victory by any Home Nation over the other three Home Nations constitutes as a 'Triple Crown'. The Triple Crown has twice been won on four consecutive occasions, once by Wales between 1976 and 1979 and once by England between 1995 and 1998. England hold the record for the number of Triple Crowns won with 23, followed by Wales with 20 and Scotland and Ireland both with ten.
Although this achievement has long been a feature of the tournament, it was not until 2006 that a physical trophy, commissioned by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was awarded. Meanwhile, the last-placed nation at the end of the tournament is said to have won a purely figurative Wooden Spoon.
Several individual competitions take place under the umbrella of the Six Nations tournament. The oldest is the Calcutta Cup, which has been running since 1879 and is contested annually between England and Scotland.
The Millennium Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the game between England and Ireland with the first presented in 1989, and in the same year, the Centenary Quaich was contested between Ireland and Scotland for the first time.
Since 2007, France and Italy have also contested for their own silverware - the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy. It was created to honour the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who helped unify Italy and was also a French military general.
Up to World War I
In 1871, England and Scotland played the first rugby union international with the latter coming out on top.
After 12 years of occasional friendly matches between the teams, the inaugural Home International Championship, comprising England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales was played in 1883. England won the first series, along with a Triple Crown, and up until 1893 when Wales won and 1894 when Ireland won only them and Scotland had been crowned champions.
Wales' triumphs in 1908 and 1909, although won during the Home Nations era, were the first Grand Slams as they defeated France in both seasons.
France officially joined in 1910, having played in four tournaments up to that point, with the Championship now referred to as the Five Nations. England won the first Championship of the new era while Wales followed up winning the first ever Grand Slam by winning the first Grand Slam of the Five Nations a year later. The competition was suspended during World War I before France were ejected from the tournament in 1931, which reverted back to being the Home Nations from 1932 through to 1939.
Post War
Proceedings were halted again during World War II and resumed in 1947 as the Five Nations with France welcomed backed into the fold.
France won their first shared title seven years later in 1954 and their first outright title in 1959 and by the 1970s the Five Nations had become the pre-eminent series in Northern hemisphere rugby union. Matches became all-ticket affairs, gaining huge popularity and a large television audience, however in 1972 the tournament was not finished after Scotland and Wales refused to travel to Dublin to play Ireland.
The season after was unique for a five-way tie, with every nation having won and lost two games. The 1970s marked the golden age for Welsh rugby as they won three Grand Slams and one Triple Crown during the decade, an achievement the modern team could yet surpass having won Grand Slams in 2005, 2008 and 2012.
There was no tangible reward for winning the Five Nations Championship until 1993 when a trophy was presented for the first time to the winners - who were France. Prior to 1994 teams that finished equal on points shared the Championship but from then on ties were broken by considering the points differences between the teams.
Professional Era
Wales were the second team to get their hands on Five Nations silverware followed by England, while Scotland's first success came in 1999.
Scotland were the last team to lift the Five Nations trophy as Italy joined the following year in 2000 and the tournament became known as the Six Nations. England won the first Six Nations competition in 2000 before repeating the trick in 2001, while Wales are the current holders having denied England the Grand Slam in 2013.
In 2005 Wales became the first team ever to win a Grand Slam by playing more games away than at home - a feat repeated by Ireland in 2009.
A year later France pipped Ireland on points' difference however the latter did receive the Triple Crown in trophy format for the first time ever. Italy collected the Wooden Spoon that year but achieved a historic feat by earning their maiden point away from home after drawing with Wales.
In 2007 with four teams having a mathematical chance of lifting the trophy France retained their crown on points' difference again. Italy made further history by winning their first away match against Scotland in Edinburgh and also by picking up two victories for the first time after beating Wales in Rome. Scotland replaced Italy in settling for the Wooden Spoon while Ireland won the Triple Crown for the second straight occasion and third time in four years.
Wales ended France's run in 2008, winning the Grand Slam for the first time since 2005 after a remarkable opening against England. Trailing by 13 points Wales came from behind to win 26-19, thanks mainly to Mike Phillips' 70th-minute try, and dispatched Scotland 30-15, Italy 47-8, France 29-12 and Ireland 16-12. Wales wing Shane Williams was named the RBS Player of the Championship after scoring six tries while England, World Cup finalists in 2007, were forced to settle for second.
Professional Era Continued
Ireland took a leaf out of Wales' book a year later ending a 61-year Grand Slam drought in a 2009 tournament in stark contrast to the 2008 one. Whereas the excitement in 2008 came at the start of the tournament it wasn't until the end when the 2009 Championship came alive. Wales hosted Ireland in Cardiff with a Triple Crown on the line as well as knowing a 13-point win would be enough to retain their title.
Drama ensued as with Ireland leading 17-15 at the death Welsh stand-off Stephen Jones missed a 50-metre penalty from halfway.
England finished second as a result in their first tournament under Martin Johnson while France and Wales contested the first ever game played on a Friday night.
The 2010 Six Nations belonged to France as they won the Grand Slam for the first time since 2004. Les Bleus were rarely troubled, opening up with an 18-9 win over Scotland before defeating Ireland 33-10, Wales 26-20 and Italy 46-20. France had already won the Championship going into their final game with England after Ireland lost their second game of the tournament to Scotland hours earlier. But despite being pushed by England, who scored the only try of the game, France came out on top 12-10 at the Stade de France to win the Grand Slam.
Ireland's 23-20 loss to Scotland in the final game of the campaign not only denied Ireland the Triple Crown but saw Italy receive the dreaded Wooden Spoon for the third year running.
England ended a run of eight years without a title as they wrapped up the 2011 RBS 6 Nations title. Winger Chris Ashton was the spearhead, racking up six tries including four at home to Italy in a thumping 59-13 success. The Azzurri did however make history with a first championship win over France, stunning Les Bleus 22-21 in Rome.
A controversial Mike Phillips try handed Wales a narrow 19-13 win over Ireland, but the Irish took their frustration out on England, denying them a Grand Slam with a convincing 24-8 win on the final weekend. And despite securing that historic victory over the French, Italy again had to settle for the Wooden Spoon after a 21-8 defeat in Scotland in their final match.
Last Season
The 2015 RBS 6 Nations will live long in the memory, not least because of a nerve-jangling final day that began with four teams still in the hunt for the title.
It all began in Cardiff six weeks earlier, when England and Wales set the tone for a thrilling Championship.
A second-half comeback - kick-started by Jonathan Joseph, who would go on to shine throughout the competition - earned England a 21-16 triumph and a measure of revenge for their chastening defeat on the same turf two years earlier.
Ireland and France also began with victories before facing one another in round two, when Jonathan Sexton kicked the men in green to victory.
England, meanwhile, made it two from two as a pair of Joseph tries helped see off Italy and Scotland ran Wales close at BT Murrayfield in a 26-23 defeat.
There was more heartbreak on home soil for Scotland, who lost 22-19 to Italy, in round three as Wales picked up a second win in as many games, at France's expense.
But the biggest clash of the weekend was at the Aviva Stadium, where Robbie Henshaw's try ensured England tasted defeat for the first time in 2015.
Ireland soon saw their unbeaten record slip, however, with a 23-16 defeat in Wales while England beat Scotland and France shut Italy out for a 29-0.
That left Ireland, England and Wales on six points with France on four and, with all three round-five clashes taking place on the same day, a nail-biting finale was on the cards.
Wales were first up and they struck an ominous blow, not just moving to eight points but also boosting their points difference with a 61-20 triumph in Italy, George North grabbing a hat-trick.
With a 20-point gap to bridge, Ireland did enough in Scotland - Paul O'Connell among the tries in his final RBS 6 Nations game as Joe Schmidt's side won 40-10.
Attentions then turned to Twickenham, where England needed to beat France by 26 points or more to deny Ireland back-to-back Championships.
A high-octane encounter kept everyone entertained, with 12 tries in total, but a 55-35 win was not enough for the Red Rose and celebrations began in the Scottish capital.
| England |
Who was the first person to report seeing craters on the moon using a telescope? | Six Nations 2015: England, Wales & Ireland chase title on final day - BBC Sport
BBC Sport
Six Nations 2015: England, Wales & Ireland chase title on final day
20 Mar 2015
From the section Rugby Union
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Six Nations 2015 finale who needs what?
Saturday's Six Nations finale
Italy v Wales (12:30 GMT); Scotland v Ireland (14:30 GMT); England v France (17:00 GMT); Coverage: Live on BBC television, HD, Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra, BBC Sport website, mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV.
Wales wing Liam Williams plans to keep his "body in the oven" and his "head in the freezer" as he prepares for a mouth-watering finale to this season's Six Nations.
With four countries - Wales, Ireland, England and France - all in with a chance of finishing as champions, the 23-year-old says it will be important to stay calm in the heat of battle.
"Flashpoints happen in every game and you just have to do your best and make sure you don't give away penalties, or whatever," said Williams.
The Welsh take on Italy in the first of three crunch games on Saturday.
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Six Nations 2015: The best moments so far
That match in Rome is followed by Scotland's contest with Ireland at Murrayfield, then England's clash with France at Twickenham.
Dylan Hartley agrees with Williams that it will be vital to stay composed and says the England dressing room will be "quite calm" before kick-off.
"Gone are the days of head-banging and punching holes in walls," said the Northampton hooker.
After six weeks, 15 games and 1,200 minutes of bone-crunching action, the Six Nations could be decided in the very last minute.
The permutations are almost endless.
Even France can win, should Wales and Ireland lose and Les Bleus beat England by eight points or more.
To give you an idea of what might happen on a gripping final day, BBC Sport has asked a host of famous rugby names for their verdicts.
Pundits in brief:
Who's going to win the three games on Saturday?
Ex-Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies: Wales, Ireland, England
Ex- Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol: Wales, Ireland, England
Ex-England centre Jeremy Guscott: Wales, Scotland, England
Who's going to win the title?
JD: England
JG: England
How is Saturday going to pan out?
JD: "Wales need to set a target of at least 10 points to put pressure on Ireland and England, but Stuart Lancaster's men must be favourites because of home advantage."
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Game of Thrones: Who will wear the Six Nations 2015 crown?
AN: "I have a funny feeling that Wales could rack up a big score against Italy, especially as the Italians are without captain and superstar Sergio Parisse. This will heap pressure on Ireland and England, who I think will both win their games but not by much. So Wales win the Six Nations."
JG: "Wales are disrupted by injuries and I don't believe they will score enough points against Italy. Although Ireland will fancy their chances to score a good number of points against Scotland, the Scots will not want to be embarrassed at home and will play hard, showing plenty of pride. England's home record is decent and they're good enough to beat a poor French side by a good margin to lift the title."
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Italy v Wales (12:30 GMT):
JG: "I am intrigued to see how Wales turn round from the Ireland game in the space of a week. The physical effort they put in was of a different scale to anything else we have seen. It was super-human. They will be battered, bruised and mentally drained, despite winning. That will be difficult to recover from in seven days, but they are coming off a high and they know if they score enough points they could win the championship."
Ex-Italy lock Carlo Del Fava: "Italy have a monumental task. Wales are coming to Rome to score points, as England did last year when Stuart Lancaster's men won 52-11. It is going to be a battle and extremely difficult, there is no getting away from that, but it is not an impossible task to keep this Welsh team at bay."
JD: "Wales haven't got great strength-in-depth in the front row and they're fielding two new props in Rome, so it will be a big test for the front five. Bbut Wales should go to Rome and get a result."
Ex-England coach Andy Robinson: "You have got to build the score to start with and kick your goals. Wales have to break Italy's spirit and then run in the tries in the last 20 minutes."
Ex-Wales wing Shane Williams: "I would love to be able to say I am very confident Wales can put 50-60 points on Italy, but that's not going to be case and it is going to be difficult. I can see Wales winning comfortably, but I think the ball is in England's court at the moment."
Scotland v Ireland (14:30 GMT):
Ex-Ireland hooker Keith Wood: "I always hated Murrayfield, it was a horrible place to go. But I think the Irish lads will be confident they can go out and do it. I don't think Scotland have that same level of strength that Wales showed, but they will be fearful, too. Although Scotland are without a win and are bottom, they have been close without quite getting there this year. Ireland have to be focused because Scotland will have their day soon - and it could be this week."
AN: "Scotland may have lost all four of their games so far, but I think they will click at some point. They will take some confidence from the last 20 minutes of the first half in the loss against England last weekend. They defended well, really dug in and showed a lot of character there. I have backed Scotland in every game so far and they have lost the lot so I am changing tactics by backing Ireland and hoping I am wrong again!"
KW: "Ireland are pretty much a team in transition. They had a horrible injury list at the start of the Six Nations, they put a conservative game-plan in place to get over the first couple of hurdles, and they retained that against England, but they just didn't enact it against Wales.
"They just have to cut loose a bit against Scotland. It depends what happens beforehand but they need to win, first and foremost, and then rack up the points to set a target for England."
Ex-Ireland prop Paul Wallace: "Scotland are a good team but maybe they don't have that self-belief yet."
England v France (17:00 GMT):
JG: "I think England are less favoured now to win the Six Nations, given the France scoreline when they nilled Italy last weekend. But I would back England at home against anybody. If they find the intensity and accuracy they did in the second half against Wales on the opening weekend, I don't think the French will be able to handle it."
AR: "France are not going to do it. They are in a shocking place at the moment and I think England will blow them away in the last 15 minutes."
JD: "France tend to have one performance in them somewhere, but England have to start favourites."
Ex-England scrum-half Matt Dawson: "It is going be an emotional rollercoaster for the England guys and I don't see how you cannot know the results throughout the day. I think England will need to win the game against France by 10-12 points."
Ex-England fly-half Paul Grayson: "Scotland are staring at the Wooden Spoon, so they'll be up for it, which means it will be hard for Ireland. That could play into England's hands. Scotland helping England? Marvellous."
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In which year did British monarch Queen Victoria celebrate her Diamond Jubilee? | Queen Victoria and Britain's first Diamond Jubilee - BBC News
BBC News
Queen Victoria and Britain's first Diamond Jubilee
By Andy Sully BBC News
22 May 2012
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Image caption The Queen's Jubilee procession was accompanied by a considerable display of imperial might
As the nation prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II, we look at the last time we had a Diamond Jubilee - Queen Victoria's in 1897.
While Victoria - like the present Queen - enjoyed her special year at a time when the monarchy was widely held in high esteem, there were profound differences in the way things were done then.
In 1887, Victoria had been feted on her Golden Jubilee with huge nationwide festivities, which included several modern-style royal walkabouts.
The Diamond Jubilee (the first time the term had been used in the context of a 60th anniversary) saw an older, less robust Queen take something of a backseat in the lavish "Festival of the British Empire" proposed by Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain.
Historian Prof Walter Arnstein said the whole idea of staging large public celebrations was still a novel concept to the British public of the day.
"Britons hadn't seen themselves as very good at such things. It was the sort of thing that people in Napoleonic France or Russia had been associated with.
"Queen Victoria herself didn't much care for the idea. She thought it was not altogether appropriate and had to be talked into it.
"She enjoyed it in retrospect, but beforehand had made things quite difficult for [prime minister] Lord Salisbury at the planning stage."
In 1897, it could be argued, the British Empire was at a high watermark. Victoria sat at the head of a realm of 450 million souls, stretched across every continent.
Since 1870, Britain had added Zanzibar, Fiji, Cyprus, Bechuanaland, Somaliland, Kenya, the New Hebrides, Rhodesia and Uganda to its fast-expanding colonies.
The crowds were quite indescribable and their enthusiasm truly marvellous and deeply touching
Queen Victoria talking about her Jubilee parade
General Kitchener was well advanced in his successful campaign to re-establish what in effect amounted to British control of Sudan, and the embarrassing military defeats of the Boer War (1899-1902) had not yet deflated imperial prestige.
However, Britain's economic rivals were biting at her economic heels. The United States had already overtaken Britain in terms of industrial output and Germany was not far behind.
As an industrialist, Joseph Chamberlain promoted the importance of "opening up" the world to British goods. At a time when trade barriers were being put up all over Europe, a peaceful, growing empire seemed the best guarantor of that.
So it was that Tuesday, 22 June - Jubilee Day - came to be celebrated not just throughout Britain but across the globe.
'Deeply touching'
The day was declared a bank holiday in India as well as in Britain and Ireland. Among the many civic works erected, there were memorial fountains in the Seychelles as well as Manchester and municipal clock-towers in Penang, Malaysia, and Christchurch, New Zealand, as well as in Maidenhead and Chester.
Image caption Victoria was at the head of an empire that ruled a quarter of the world's population
The highlight of the day itself - a generally bright day in an appalling year for British weather - was a procession along six miles of London streets of the extended Royal Family and the leaders of the self-governing dominions and Indian states.
The British Army and Royal Navy had their best and brightest on show - and the parade was accompanied by colonial forces from Canada, India, Africa and the Antipodes, all in their best dress uniforms.
The diminutive Queen, dressed in her habitual mourning black (as well as Albert, she had lost two children and six grandchildren by 1897) was confined to her state coach by painful arthritis.
Her parade from Buckingham Palace, via Mansion House, past Parliament and then across Westminster Bridge before recrossing the Thames for a service at St Paul's Cathedral, was watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators, huddled beneath bunting and banners - one of which declared Victoria "Queen of earthly Queens".
The 78-year-old monarch recorded: "No-one ever, I believe, has met with such an ovation as was given to me, passing through those six miles of streets... The crowds were quite indescribable and their enthusiasm truly marvellous and deeply touching.
"The cheering was quite deafening and every face seemed to be filled with joy."
Free ale and tobacco
The celebrations had been the subject of tense negotiations between the officials of the Royal Household who said they were anxious to avoid "the expenses incurred to the Privy Purse" of the Golden Jubilee. In the end, the costs were split.
Image caption Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain was an enthusiastic imperialist
Prof Arnstein says: "In 1897, Queen Victoria said, in effect: 'If you want a big affair, then get the government to foot the bill.'"
But it wasn't just the high and mighty who celebrated. The spirit of Victorian philanthropy was kept alive and well with street feasts laid on for 400,000 of London's poorest residents and 100,000 of Manchester's. Tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton sponsored the London event, which included free bottles of ale and pipe tobacco.
The parties went on into the evening, with a chain of beacons lit across Britain; a series of civic festivities in the newly-created Jubilee cities of Nottingham, Bradford and Hull; fireworks displays; and the son et lumiere illumination of St Paul's for the first time. By order of the government, and to much disgust from the Temperance Movement, pubs remained open until 02:30.
It is not recorded whether Victoria - who was known as Drina within royal circles - enjoyed the following day as much, which included a meeting with 10,000 schoolchildren on a rainy Constitution Hill followed by a civic reception in Slough.
All the celebrations were very much focused on the empire, its success, its expansiveness and its seeming invincibility.
Historian and writer Juliet Gardiner says: "The year could be seen as the apogee of British power... once the Boer War started it was clear that we were a bit friendless in Europe."
There were of course dissenters. James Connolly, the Edinburgh-born Irish nationalist, called the Jubilee a "feast of flunkeyism" and wrote: "Join your voice with ours in protesting against the base assumption that we owe to this empire any other debt than that of hatred of all its plundering institutions."
But in mainland Great Britain - and in many of the colonies, such opinions were rare.
Ms Gardiner adds: "Queen Victoria was held in great reverence by the nation. People simply couldn't imagine life without her on the throne.
"Before her reign, the monarchy had been pretty unpopular overall. She could be said to have re-established the people's support for the monarchy."
| 1897 |
American millionaire Leonard Jerome was the grandfather of which British Prime Minister? | Queens Jubilee | Britroyals
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
June 2013 - The 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, nearly eighteen months after she succeeded her father, King George VI.
The 60th anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation was marked with a service of celebration at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 4th June 2013 at 11am. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and other Members of the Royal Family attended the service. Foreign dignitaries from the Commonwealth and other nations were among those joining the Royal Family as guests
In addition to the main service, Westminster Abbey hosted a series of special events to celebrate the anniversary. Westminster Abbey is the nation’s coronation church. 38 coronations have been held in the Abbey since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066. Edward I (1272-1307) ordered the construction of the Coronation Chair. Since the fourteenth century almost every monarch has been crowned in this chair. The exceptions are Edward V and Edward VIII, who were not crowned, and Mary II who was crowned as joint monarch alongside her husband William III in a replica chair (now in the Abbey’s museum) made for the occasion.
Other celebrations included a four-day festival at Buckingham Palace Gardens in July.
Coronation Festival
The Coronation Festival, which took place over four days 11 -14 July 2013 in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace, celebrated the 60th anniversary of The Queen's Coronation. This unique event, hosted by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, brought together over 200 companies who hold Royal Warrants of Appointment. Promoting the very best of UK plc, the Festival will celebrate innovation, excellence and industry through trade and craft.
The Festival was open to members of the public who purchased a ticket for the daytime event; giving visitors the opportunity to explore the Gardens and buy, sample and experience the wide range of products and services from the exhibitors. There was also a Gala evening of entertainment - a celebration of music and dance over the past 60 years
Coronation Exhibition - Buckingham Palace
Saturday, 27 July 2013 to Sunday, 29 September 2013
The summer marked the 60th anniversary of one of the most momentous occasions in 20th-century British history – the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To mark the anniversary of the event, a major exhibition for the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace brought together for the first time since Coronation Day, a spectacular array of dress, uniform and robes worn by the principal royal party. Works of art, paintings and objects used on the day were also on display to recreate the atmosphere of that extraordinary occasion.
Portraits of a Monarch - Windsor Castle
Friday, 23 November 2012 to Sunday, 09 June 2013
Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most depicted women in the world. She has sat to numerous artists, from Cecil Beaton and Pietro Annigoni to Lucian Freud. Her portrait likeness, so widely circulated, has also inspired artists such as Andy Warhol, whose screenprint portraits of Her Majesty have been recently acquired for the Royal Collection and are displayed for the first time at Windsor Castle.
Portraits of The Queen are made for a number of official purposes, ranging from photographs distributed at the time of a State Visit, to those that mark a particular anniversary. Portraits bearing a clear and recognisable image of the sovereign are required for use on coins, banknotes and stamps. Many of the works on display were created with one of these purposes in mind.
This exhibition presented a selection of official, commissioned and formal portraits of The Queen, gathered here from the different Royal residences.
Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond (60th) Jubilee Celebrations
2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. She became Queen when her father, King George VI , died on 6th February, 1952. Princess Elizabeth was 25 years old and she and her husband Prince Philip were on safari in Kenya when news of her father's death reached her. She returned home as Queen Elizabeth II.
Her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953.
She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977, Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002, and 2012 marked the Diamond 60th Jubilee of her reign.
The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who celebrated the 60th year of her reign in 1897. Kings and Queens by length of reign .
To mark this historic occasion special events took place during 2012 throughout the UK and the Commonwealth Realms (countries in which she is Head of State), and in many Commonwealth Nations.
Visits around the UK
The Queen, accompanied by her husband The Duke of Edinburgh, marked the Diamond Jubilee with visits and engagements throughout the United Kingdom.The programme included:
29th March 2012: North London
26th - 27th April Wales
1st - 2nd May: South West England
15th May: South London
16th - 17th May: North West England
2nd - 5th June: Central Weekend
13th - 14th June: East Midlands and East Anglia
25th June and 25th July: South East England
2nd - 6th July: Scotland (Holyrood Week)
11th - 12th July: West Midlands
18th - 19th July: North East England
On 27th July The Queen opened the London 2012 Olympic Games. Even James Bond was invited.
Diamond Jubilee Week - 2nd to 5th June 2012
Official celebrations for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee took place in a special Diamond Jubilee week between Saturday 2nd June and Tuesday 5th June 2012.
Saturday 2nd June: The Queen attended the Epsom Derby. She is a keen horse racing fan and has been attending the Epsom Derby for eight decades.
Sunday 3rd June: The Big Jubilee Lunch. People shared lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Monday 4th June: A televised Diamond Jubilee Concert held at Buckingham Palace, with tickets available to UK residents by public ballot.
Monday 4th June: 2,012 beacons were lit by communities and individuals throughout the United Kingdom, as well as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth.
Tuesday 5th June: A Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession. The service took place at St Paul’s Cathedral, with a formal carriage procession by The Queen.
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant took place on Sunday 3rd June 2012. The Pageant was one of the main celebrations being held to mark the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
1,000 boats, from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world, sailed down the River Thames. The Queen led the flotilla in the Royal Barge reviving a tradition that dates back over 400 years. Despite pouring rain the organisers created a piece of theatre on the water, incorporating music, fireworks and special effects.
The Royal Barge decorated in red and gold and featuring The Queen’s cipher and a crown carried The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, along with other members of the Royal Family. The Prince of Wales was Patron of the Pageant.
Commonwealth Day 12th March 2012
Her Majesty The Queen attended Commonwealth Day Observance in Westminster Abbey to celebrate Her Diamond Jubilee and 60 years as Head of the Commonwealth. It was attended by the Prime Minister, High Commissioners and over 1,000 UK school children.
Visits to the Realms and Commonwealth countries
Members of the Royal Family traveled overseas representing the Queen throughout the Diamond Jubilee year, visited every Realm as well as visits to Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. These visits included:
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles and Camilla) visited: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea
The Prince of Wales: Channel Islands, Isle of Man
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Catherine): Malaysia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. The tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu last had a royal visit in 1982 when the Queen and her husband Prince Philip were carried shoulder high by islanders into the capital Funafuti.
Prince Harry: Belize, Jamaica, and The Bahamas
The Duke of York (Prince Andrew): India
The Earl and Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward and Sophie) : Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
The Princess Royal (Princess Anne): Mozambique, Zambia
The Duke of Gloucester (The Queen's cousin): British Virgin Islands, Malta
The Duke of Kent: (The Queen's cousin): Falkland Islands, Uganda.
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Emblem
A national competition to design an “official emblem” for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee 2012 attracted over 35,000 entries from school children aged between 6 and 14. The overall winner of the competition, which was supported by Buckingham Palace and promoted through the BBC’s Blue Peter Programme, was 10 year old Katherine Dewar from Chester.
Katherine, along with the winners and runners up from each age category, was invited to meet the Queen at a special reception at Buckingham Palace.
Blue Peter, commenting on the The BBC Blue Peter website said: “We’ve never had a competition like this! This is only the second ever Diamond Jubilee, and a child has never designed an official Jubilee emblem before".
Commemorative coins and stamps, as well as teaching materials linked the 60th anniversary, will be available.
Time Capsule
The Royal Commonwealth Society organised a special Jubilee Time Capsule, a digital archive of The Queen’s reign. Contributors were invited to use photos, words or videos and talk about anything they wanted.
Exhibitions
There were special Royal Collection exhibitions at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse and a touring exhibition to five UK venues marking Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee
To mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the National Portrait Gallery staged a touring exhibition bringing together sixty of the most remarkable and resonant images of Elizabeth II. This was the first National Portrait Gallery exhibition to tour to British venues before being shown in London, opening in Edinburgh in June, Belfast in October and Cardiff and London in February 2012.
The National Maritime Museum held a Royal River, Power, Pageantry and & The Thames exhibition.
| i don't know |
Which line on the London Underground rail system has the longest distance between two stations? | On the North Curve between Rickmansworth and Croxley Green, Metropolitan Line
Longest tunnel
17.3 miles from Morden to East Finchley via Bank (Northern Line)
Longest distance between 2 stations
6.26 kms
Chalfont & Latimer to Chesham (Metropolitan) - 3.89 miles
Shortest distance between 2 stations
0.25 km
Leicester Square to Covent Garden (Piccadilly) - 0.16 miles
Longest single journey on 1 train
54.5 kms
34.1 miles between West Ruislip and Epping, Central Line.
Average depth of tube lines
24 metres
| Metropolitan line |
Which bird has the poetic name ‘Halycon’? | London Underground Statistics
London Underground Statistics
"Lies, dammed lies and statistics" - Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)
General Data
The biggest, longest, smallest, shortest, deepest and other stats. on London Underground are all here.
Item
All lines - 171 kms in tunnels (40%)
Sub-surface lines¹
Average - some working days record over 3 million.
Number of floodgates
5 sub-surface and 7 tube
Stations served
On the North Curve between Rickmansworth and Croxley Green, Metropolitan Line
Longest tunnel
17.3 miles from Morden to East Finchley via Bank (Northern Line)
Longest distance between 2 stations
6.26 kms
Chalfont & Latimer to Chesham (Metropolitan) - 3.89 miles
Shortest distance between 2 stations
0.25 km
Leicester Square to Covent Garden (Piccadilly) - 0.16 miles
Longest single journey on 1 train
54.5 kms
34.1 miles between West Ruislip and Epping, Central Line.
Average depth of tube lines
24 metres
| i don't know |
How many spaces does a standard ‘Connect Four’ game have? | Connect Four - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Connect Four
Jump to: navigation , search
For other reading until then, Sterling Publishing and Hasbro are supposed to release a book soon by James Allen entitled, The Complete Book of Connect Four. In addition, refer to the Additional Resources section .
Wikipedia has related information at Connect four
Contents
Theory[ edit ]
The board has 42 spaces: 7 columns (vertical lines) and 6 rows (horizontal lines). When all 42 spaces are empty, it is the first player's (Red) turn to move. It is Red's turn again when there are 40 empty spaces, and again when there are 38 empty spaces. There is a pattern: when the number of empty spaces is even, it is Red's turn to move. Conversely, when there are an odd number of empty spaces, it's Black's turn.
Often there are certain spaces that both players want to occupy and don't want the opponent to occupy. These shall be referred to as "critical" spaces. A wise player will never move under a critical space, but instead wait for the opponent to do so. If both players play this way, no critical space will be playable until one player is forced to move under it due to having no other options (this situation is known as "zugzwang"). Who gets to occupy critical spaces depends, of course, on whose turn it will be when the only playable spaces are those directly below the critical spaces. This depends on the number of empty spaces remaining on the board when the only playable spaces are those directly below the critical spaces. Whether or not that number is even or odd can be predicted based on how many spaces are above the above the critical spaces (whether the critical spaces are on even rows or odd rows*), and how many critical spaces there are. *Note: "odd rows" refers to the 3rd and 5th row up, and excludes the bottom row because its spaces are always playable.
A critical space on an even row has an even number of empty spaces above it. For instance, the 2nd row has four rows above it, therefore any space on the 2nd row has 4 spaces above it. A critical space on an odd row has an odd number of empty spaces above it.
If the only critical space is even (on an even row), the number of empty spaces remaining when a player is forced to move underneath the empty space is even. For example, if the critical space is on the 2nd row, there will be 6 empty spaces remaining (one full column) when the move underneath the critical space is forced. An even number of empty spaces means it is Red's turn, therefore Red must move under the critical space and Black will occupy the critical space.
If there are multiple critical spaces and all of them are even, the number of empty spaces remaining when Zugzwang occurs is: (even #) + (even #) = (even #) and therefore it will be Red's turn when Zugzwang occurs and Black will occupy the critical spaces.
If the only critical space is odd (on an odd row), there will an odd # of empty spaces when Zugzwang occurs. Therefore it will be Black's turn, and therefore Red will get the critical space.
If there are 2 critical spaces and both are odd, the sum of empty spaces when Zugzwang occurs will be: (odd #) + (odd #) = (even #) and therefore it will be Red's turn to move, allowing Black to occupy whichever critical space Red move under. If Black's occupation of that critical space does not end the game, the game will continue until another zugzwang occurs. In that situation, there will be one critical space on an odd row, which is the same situation as previously described. Red will therefore occupy the 2nd critical space. The following generalization can be made: For any even # of odd-row critical spaces, Black will get the 1st, 3rd, etc., and Red will get the 2nd, 4th, etc.
If there are 3 critical spaces and all 3 are odd, the sum of empty spaces when Zugzwang occurs is: (odd #) + (odd #) + (odd #) = (odd #) resulting in Black's turn and therefore Red's occupation of whichever critical space Black chooses to give Red. If Red's occupation of that critical space does not end the game, the game will continue until the previous situation occurs. So another generalization can be made: For any odd # of odd-row critical spaces, Red will get the 1st, 3rd, etc., and Black will get the 2nd, 4th, etc. (Note that each generalization is implied by each other)
If there are 2 critical spaces, one being odd and the other being even, the following will result from Zugzwang: (odd #) + (even #) = (odd #) and therefore Red will get the first (decided by Black) critical space. Thus only odd-row critical spaces influence the result; even-row critical spaces have no affect because even #'s do not change the evenness/oddness of the sum of the empty spaces remaining.
Theory-based strategy for 7x6 board[ edit ]
Expert players attempt to create a long-term attack that one's opponent will be forced to move under late in the game when the board is nearly filled. There is a rule of thumb that can be used to tell which kinds of attacks are good long-term attacks (leading to victory), and which attacks the opponent will get to block. Red needs one more unshared attack on an odd row than Black in order to win, or and odd number of shared odd-row attacks. Black needs either an even-row attack or a combination of odd-row attacks. If Black is to win via odd-row attacks, Black needs 2 odd-row attacks, each on a different column, and Red must have no odd-row attack on any column separate from Black's 2 columns, and no even threat below either of Black's odd-row attacks. A draw results if Red has an odd-row attack in a separate column from Black's odd-row threats (separate attacks like these will hereby be referred to as “unshared” as earlier). When Black wins, it is usually by an attack on an even row because those attacks are easier to obtain.
If both players play flawlessly, Red wins. Therefore, in short, Red's strategy is to play offense and seek an odd-row attack while preventing Black's odd threats (and even threats below his own odd threats). Black's strategy is primarily to defend Red's odd-row attacks and then to obtain (usually) an even-row attack. The major reason Black is on defense is that if Red has an odd-row attack and Black has an even-row attack, Red wins. Black should be content to earn a draw against Red, because it often means Black outplayed Red since Red has the advantage.
Tactics[ edit ]
Strategy for any board size, 2D or 3D[ edit ]
Note: Any board size’ strategy can be derived using the method of the "Theory" section. The same generalizations cannot always be made, but using the same method, one will arrive at the correct new generalizations and understand why the bullet-rules below are true.
For a list of win/loss results for 2D boards, see John Tromp's webpage *
*While expert players on LittleGolem believe 8x8 to be a second player win, no proof is known.
Note:
Even Height[ edit ]
With these boards, everything is the same is in 7x6 since 7x6 falls in this category. The only difference between 7x6 and other board sizes of this category is the win/loss results, depending on the board size. The strategy section above is summarized below:
For Red to win:
1 more unshared odd-row attack than Black, or
the same # of unshared odd-row attacks as Black, plus an odd # of shared ones, or
an odd # of odd-row attacks (whether shared or unshared), if Black has no unshared ones
For Black to win:
an even-row attack, if Red has no odd-row attacks, or
two more unshared odd-row attacks than red, or
the same # of unshared odd-row attacks as Red, plus an even # of shared ones, or
one more unshared odd-row attack than Red, plus any # of shared ones, or
one unshared odd-row attack plus any number of shared ones, if Red has no unshared ones, or
an even # of odd-row attacks (whether shared or unshared), if Red has no unshared ones
Even domain, odd height[ edit ]
Red: 1 more unshared even-row attack than Black to win, or odd # of shared even-row attacks.
Black: odd-row attack or even # of even-row attacks (2 more unshared than Red, or the same # of shared) to win.
If Red and Black have the same # of unshared even-row attacks, the game is drawn.
If Red has 1 even-row attack and Black has 1 odd-row attack, Red wins.
Remark: The even rows in these types of boards are like 7x6's odd rows.
Note: the situation described in the "Tactics" section applies to (even)by(odd) boards if one reads the section replacing "odd" with "even" and vice versa. ("Red" and "Black" stay the same)
Odd domain[ edit ]
Red: odd-row attack or even # of even-row attacks (2 more unshared than Black, or the same # of shared) to win.
Black: 1 more unshared even-row attack than Red to win, or odd # of shared even-row attacks.
If Red and Black have the same # of unshared even-row attacks, the game is drawn.
If Black has 1 even-row attack and Red has 1 odd-row attack, Black wins.
Remark: The even rows in odd-area boards are like 7x6's odd rows, and Red in odd-area boards is like Black in 7x6 (but the win/loss results vary with size).
Note: the situation described in the "Tactics" section applies to (odd)by(odd) boards if one reads the section replacing "Red" with "Black" and vice versa, and replacing "odd" with "even" and vice versa.
Theory and strategy for selected variants[ edit ]
The theory of the following variants is, as you will see, derived using the same principles as used for regular Connect Four and its board size variations.
2-way gravity (aka "Connect Four Flip")[ edit ]
Section forthcoming: expected to be complete within two weeks.
Edge (4-way/6-way) gravity[ edit ]
Click for explanation of the game rules (on a 2D board). (referred to as "Stack 4x4")
Red moves when the number of empty spaces = even. There are two types of long-term 3-piece attacks: "even zugzwang value" and "odd zugzwang value", whose meanings will be explained. Furthermore, there are 2 ways to make attacks: orthogonally (horizontally or vertically) or diagonally.
An orthogonal attack can create up to 2 critical spaces. If it only forms one, the zugzwang situation will be such that one player will be forced to move to one of 4 spaces--2 spaces in the column where the critical space lies and 2 spaces in the row where it lies. Spaces like these---which, when filled, allow the critical space to be occupied on the next turn---will hereby be referred to as "zugzwang spaces". So orthogonals with one end and discontinuous (unconnected/gapped) form 4 zugzwang spaces and 1 critical space, which means when Zugzwang occurs, 5 empty spaces remain. This sum will be referred to as a "zugzwang value" for convenience. Single critical space orthogonals, as shown, have a zugzwang value of 5--or more importantly, an odd zugzwang value.
An orthogonal can form 2 critical spaces by one of two ways: an open-ended connected line (being at least 3 spaces from either perpendicular edge of the board or 2 spaces from any legal move in the extension of the line), or a discontinuous line with two gaps. In both cases, there are 6 zugzwang spaces. Its zugzwang value (ZV from now on) is 8, hence is even. Note, however, that once the 1st critical space is occupied by one player, the 2nd one is immediately playable by the other. Therefore in some situations, an open-ended orthogonal attack can be thought of as forming 1 critical space with 4 zugzwang spaces, and thus having an odd ZV (the "one" critical space could be on either side of the line, depending on which one the opponent chooses).
Diagonals, whether continuous or not, form 4 zugzwang spaces for each critical space they create. A discontinuous diagonal forms 1 critical space and therefore has an odd ZV (five). A continuous, open-ended diagonal has a ZV of: (2 critical spaces) + 4 + 4 = 10, which is of course even. Notice that this is a combination of 2 odd-ZV attacks. A closed-ended diagonal, for example, has only 1 critical space and 4 zugzwang spaces, and therefore has a ZV of 5 which is odd.
For 3D, box-shaped boards with 6-way gravity, the only thing that changes is that 2 more zugzwang spaces are created by each kind of attack. Adding an even # to another # does not change the evenness/oddness of it. Therefore, the evenness/oddness of the ZV's will be the same, and each player will need the same attacks as in 4-way-gravity.
From these facts, the following conclusions can be drawn.
Boards with even domain[ edit ]
Red needs 1 more unshared odd-ZV attack than Black to win, or an odd # of shared odd-ZV attacks.
Any attack will accomplish this.
Black needs an even-ZV attack to win or an even # of odd-ZV attacks (2 more unshared than Red, or the same # of shared).
A 2 critical space orthogonal, a 2-critical-space diagonal, or 2 of any other type of attack will achieve this.
If Red and Black each have 1 unshared odd-ZV attack, and Black has no even-ZV attacks, the game is drawn.
If Red has an odd-ZV attack and Black has an even-ZV attack, Red wins.
Note: shared attacks are probably rare situations in the edge-gravity variant, but they are possible.
Boards with odd domain[ edit ]
Red needs an even-ZV attack to win or an even # of odd-ZV attacks (2 more unshared than Black, or the same # of shared).
A 2 critical space orthogonal, a 2-critical-space diagonal, or 2 of any other type of attack will achieve this.
Black needs 1 more unshared odd-ZV attack than Red to win, or an odd # of shared odd-ZV attacks.
Any attack will accomplish this.
If Red and Black each have 1 unshared odd-ZV attack, and Red has no even-ZV attacks, the game is drawn.
If Red has an even-ZV attack and Black has an odd-ZV attack, Black wins.
(In other words, what a color needs for boards with odd domain is the opposite of what that color needs for boards of even domain.)
Zero gravity, surface-sticking[ edit ]
Two-move turns[ edit ]
Stacking (downward gravity)[ edit ]
Rules: Red's 1st turn is one move. Then every turn after that (including Black's first turn) is 2 moves. Other than that, same rules as standard Connect Four.
In this variant, which rows each player needs depends not on whether they are even or odd, but on which player moves last (and on the board dimensions).
Who moves first depends only on how many turns it takes to fill the entire board. If the # of turns is even, then each player has the same # of turns and therefore Black moves last. If the # of turns is odd, Red gets 1 more turn than Black and therefore Red moves last.
For boards with even domain, the last move is the first and only move of the last turn. On boards with odd domain, the last move is the 2nd move of the last turn. This is important because it determines which zugzwang-values each player needs.
Consider, for example, the 8x8 board. Red moves last and takes the top row; he moves when there is 1 space left. Before that, Black moves and takes the 6th and 7th row; she moves when there are 2 and 3 spaces left. The alternation continues and the following list can be generated:
Red moves when there are: 1, 4,5, 8,9, 12,13, 16,17, 20,21... spaces left.
If the board were instead 9x9, Red moves last and takes rows 8 and 9, thus moving when there are 1 and 2 spaces left. This will change the list to:
Red moves when there are: 1,2, 5,6, 9,10, 13,14, 17,18, 21,22... spaces left.
To see why this is important, consider some attacks. It has been demonstrated that on an 8x8 board, a 6th-row attack is good for Black. It has a ZV of 5 (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th row are empty when Zugzwang occurs) and notice from the list that Red moves when there are 5 empty spaces left. One 6th-row attack would therefore be useless for Red. But what if Red had two 6th-row attacks? The combined ZV would be 10, and notice from the list that Black moves when there are 10 empty spaces left. On Red's turn there would be 9 empty spaces left, and Red would move twice in one column and make Connect Four with one of the 6th-row attacks, so two -6th row attacks are good for Red in 8x8. The complete strategy for the 2-move-turn variant can be solved using this method.
The strategy will now be categorized by board dimensions. But note that the bottom 2 rows are never included in the list of strategic attacks since they are always immediately playable. Strategic rules of thumb only apply to critical spaces that will not be filled until immediately after Zugzwang.
1
{\displaystyle (area/2)+1}
Alternate: if the area is a multiple of 4 (meaning, if area/4 = an integer), Red moves last. If not a multiple of 4, Black moves last.
Last turn consists of 1 move.
Last mover moves when # of empty spaces = (any multiple of 4 + 0 or 1) = {1, 4,5, 8,9, 12,13, 16,17, 20,21, 24,25...}
2nd-to-last mover moves when # of empty spaces = the combination of the sets {2,3} and {any multiple of 4 + (2 or 3)} = {2,3, 6,7, 10,11, 14,15, 18,19, 22,23...}
Even height[ edit ]
Last mover can win with:
any even row being the top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the top row (note: 4 rows down from the top = 5 rows down, 8 rows down from the top = 9 rows down, and so on).
1 more unshared good odd row than 2nd-to-last mover---good being a multiple of 2 odd rows down from the top row (meaning, the 4th row down or any multiple of 4 rows down from the 4th row down)---or an odd # of shared ones. (If equal # of unshared ones, a draw results.)
the combinations of bad attacks listed 2 paragraphs below which result in "+"
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
any odd row being the 2nd-to-top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the 2nd-to-top row
1 more unshared good even row than last-mover---good being the 3rd-to-top row or a multiple of 2 even rows down from the 3rd-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones. (If equal # of unshared ones, a draw results.)
an odd # (>1) of bad even rows (3 more unshared than last-mover, or the same # of shared).
the combinations of bad attacks listed in the paragraph below which result in "-"
The following situations are solved by adding the ZV's of each attack together and knowing which player benefits from the new ZV that results.
Good even-row attack for last-mover (which will be referred to as "+even") + bad even-row attack for last-mover ("-even", aka "good even-row attack for 2nd-to-last mover) = good for 2nd-to-last mover. Summarized: (+even) + (-even) = -
(-even) + (-even) = + equivalent to (+odd)
(+odd) + (+odd) = - equivalent to (-odd)
(+even) + (+odd) = -
(+odd) + (-odd) = +
(+odd) + (-even) = +
(For the situations above where the 1st attack is + and the 2nd is -, the same results apply whether the last-mover has both of the mentioned attacks (1 good and one bad) or whether the last-mover has the first attack and the 2nd-to-last mover has the second attack (meaning, each player has 1 good attack). For the situations with 2 good attacks or 2 bad attacks, the result assumes that the corresponding player has both of the attacks.)
~~~Result for 7x6 board: Black wins.
Odd height[ edit ]
Last mover can win with:
any odd row being the top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the top row.
1 more unshared good even row than 2nd-to-last mover---good being the 2nd-to-top row or a multiple of 2 even rows down from the 2nd-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones. (If equal # of unshared ones, a draw results.)
the combinations of bad attacks listed 2 paragraphs below which result in "+"
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
any even row being the 2nd-to-top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the 2nd-to-top row.
1 more unshared good odd row than last-mover---good being the 3rd-to-top row or a multiple of 2 odd rows down from the 3rd-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones.
an odd # (>1) of bad odd rows (3 more unshared than last-mover, or the same # of shared).
the combinations of bad attacks listed in the paragraph below which result in "-"
Other notable situations:
Last turn consists of 2 moves.
Last mover moves when # of empty spaces = 1,2, (any multiple of 4 + 1 or 2)
2nd-to-last mover moves when # of empty spaces = 3,4, (any multiple of 4 - 0 or 1)
Last mover can win with:
any even row being the 2nd-to-top row or any even row a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the 2nd-to-top row
1 more unshared good odd row than 2nd-to-last mover---good being the top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the top row---or an odd # of shared ones.
an odd # (>1) of bad odd rows (3 more unshared than 2nd-to-last mover, or the same # of shared).
the combinations of bad attacks listed 2 paragraphs below which result in "+"
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
any odd row being the 3rd-to-top row or any odd row a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the 3rd-to-top row.
1 more unshared good even row than last mover---good being the 4th-to-top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the 4th-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones.
the combinations of bad attacks listed in the paragraph below which result in "-"
Other notable situations:
Four-way/6-way gravity[ edit ]
This (non-existent, but possible) variation is a combination of the 4-way/6-way gravity variant and the 2-move turn variant.
Who moves last is relevant. The same 2 (4 condensed to 2) formulas apply for figuring out the # of turns as with the regular 2-move-turn variant:
Even domain: # of turns = (#spaces/2)+1
Odd domain: # of turns = (#spaces+1)/2
Critical spaces in this variant have higher ZV's than those in 1-move-turn edge gravity. There are three different base ZV's that can be created: 9, 14, and 16.
ZV's of 9 are created by any attack that creates just one critical space. ZV's of 18 are created by open-ended connected diagonals, and 2-critical-space discontinuous diagonals whose 2 critical spaces are separated by 2 diagonal spaces.
ZV's of 14 are created by 2-critical-space orthogonals.
ZV's of 16 are created by 2-critical-space diagonals whose 2 critical spaces are separated by only 1 diagonal space.
The kinds of attacks needed for each player are equivalent to those needed in the regular 2-move-turn variant in the corresponding board sizes.
By "equivalent attacks" the following is meant. Consider two situations: a connected single-ended orthogonal attack on an 8x8 board with 4-way gravity, and a 4th-row attack on an 8x8 board with downward gravity. Both situations have a zugzwang-value of 7, and therefore are equivalent. So on an 8x8 board, the last mover (who would benefit from a 4th-row attack in the regular 2-move variant) would benefit from a connected single-ended orthogonal attack in 4-way gravity 2-move-turn.
In similar fashion (using the principle of equivalence) one derives the following rules:
Last mover can win with:
2, 3, or [(2 or 3) + (multiple of 4)] of 9-ZV attacks
An odd # of 14-ZV attacks
A good attack plus a bad attack.
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
1 or [(0 or 1) + (multiple of 4)] of 9-ZV attacks
An even # of 14-ZV attacks
A 16-ZV attack
Diagonal stacking[ edit ]
Rules: a piece can be placed diagonally above another piece. The bottom row is always playable.
There is only one type of long-term diagonal attack that can be made: a connected one pointed downward (meaning the critical space is below it). This has a ZV of 3 (resulting from the critical space and the 2 zugzwang-spaces below it).
Single orthogonals, whether connected or gapped, have a ZV of 3. Doubles have a ZV of 6.
In short, all critical spaces have 2 zugzwang-spaces.
Since the turns consist of only one move each, the strategy can be understood in more than one way. One could think in terms of last-mover and 2nd-to-last mover (as with 2-move-turn variants), or simply in terms of Red and Black and the evenness/oddness of the # of empty spaces left (as with regular Connect Four). The latter approach will be taken and the strategic rules are:
| forty two |
Brownsea Island is off the coast of which English county? | Connect Four - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Connect Four
Jump to: navigation , search
For other reading until then, Sterling Publishing and Hasbro are supposed to release a book soon by James Allen entitled, The Complete Book of Connect Four. In addition, refer to the Additional Resources section .
Wikipedia has related information at Connect four
Contents
Theory[ edit ]
The board has 42 spaces: 7 columns (vertical lines) and 6 rows (horizontal lines). When all 42 spaces are empty, it is the first player's (Red) turn to move. It is Red's turn again when there are 40 empty spaces, and again when there are 38 empty spaces. There is a pattern: when the number of empty spaces is even, it is Red's turn to move. Conversely, when there are an odd number of empty spaces, it's Black's turn.
Often there are certain spaces that both players want to occupy and don't want the opponent to occupy. These shall be referred to as "critical" spaces. A wise player will never move under a critical space, but instead wait for the opponent to do so. If both players play this way, no critical space will be playable until one player is forced to move under it due to having no other options (this situation is known as "zugzwang"). Who gets to occupy critical spaces depends, of course, on whose turn it will be when the only playable spaces are those directly below the critical spaces. This depends on the number of empty spaces remaining on the board when the only playable spaces are those directly below the critical spaces. Whether or not that number is even or odd can be predicted based on how many spaces are above the above the critical spaces (whether the critical spaces are on even rows or odd rows*), and how many critical spaces there are. *Note: "odd rows" refers to the 3rd and 5th row up, and excludes the bottom row because its spaces are always playable.
A critical space on an even row has an even number of empty spaces above it. For instance, the 2nd row has four rows above it, therefore any space on the 2nd row has 4 spaces above it. A critical space on an odd row has an odd number of empty spaces above it.
If the only critical space is even (on an even row), the number of empty spaces remaining when a player is forced to move underneath the empty space is even. For example, if the critical space is on the 2nd row, there will be 6 empty spaces remaining (one full column) when the move underneath the critical space is forced. An even number of empty spaces means it is Red's turn, therefore Red must move under the critical space and Black will occupy the critical space.
If there are multiple critical spaces and all of them are even, the number of empty spaces remaining when Zugzwang occurs is: (even #) + (even #) = (even #) and therefore it will be Red's turn when Zugzwang occurs and Black will occupy the critical spaces.
If the only critical space is odd (on an odd row), there will an odd # of empty spaces when Zugzwang occurs. Therefore it will be Black's turn, and therefore Red will get the critical space.
If there are 2 critical spaces and both are odd, the sum of empty spaces when Zugzwang occurs will be: (odd #) + (odd #) = (even #) and therefore it will be Red's turn to move, allowing Black to occupy whichever critical space Red move under. If Black's occupation of that critical space does not end the game, the game will continue until another zugzwang occurs. In that situation, there will be one critical space on an odd row, which is the same situation as previously described. Red will therefore occupy the 2nd critical space. The following generalization can be made: For any even # of odd-row critical spaces, Black will get the 1st, 3rd, etc., and Red will get the 2nd, 4th, etc.
If there are 3 critical spaces and all 3 are odd, the sum of empty spaces when Zugzwang occurs is: (odd #) + (odd #) + (odd #) = (odd #) resulting in Black's turn and therefore Red's occupation of whichever critical space Black chooses to give Red. If Red's occupation of that critical space does not end the game, the game will continue until the previous situation occurs. So another generalization can be made: For any odd # of odd-row critical spaces, Red will get the 1st, 3rd, etc., and Black will get the 2nd, 4th, etc. (Note that each generalization is implied by each other)
If there are 2 critical spaces, one being odd and the other being even, the following will result from Zugzwang: (odd #) + (even #) = (odd #) and therefore Red will get the first (decided by Black) critical space. Thus only odd-row critical spaces influence the result; even-row critical spaces have no affect because even #'s do not change the evenness/oddness of the sum of the empty spaces remaining.
Theory-based strategy for 7x6 board[ edit ]
Expert players attempt to create a long-term attack that one's opponent will be forced to move under late in the game when the board is nearly filled. There is a rule of thumb that can be used to tell which kinds of attacks are good long-term attacks (leading to victory), and which attacks the opponent will get to block. Red needs one more unshared attack on an odd row than Black in order to win, or and odd number of shared odd-row attacks. Black needs either an even-row attack or a combination of odd-row attacks. If Black is to win via odd-row attacks, Black needs 2 odd-row attacks, each on a different column, and Red must have no odd-row attack on any column separate from Black's 2 columns, and no even threat below either of Black's odd-row attacks. A draw results if Red has an odd-row attack in a separate column from Black's odd-row threats (separate attacks like these will hereby be referred to as “unshared” as earlier). When Black wins, it is usually by an attack on an even row because those attacks are easier to obtain.
If both players play flawlessly, Red wins. Therefore, in short, Red's strategy is to play offense and seek an odd-row attack while preventing Black's odd threats (and even threats below his own odd threats). Black's strategy is primarily to defend Red's odd-row attacks and then to obtain (usually) an even-row attack. The major reason Black is on defense is that if Red has an odd-row attack and Black has an even-row attack, Red wins. Black should be content to earn a draw against Red, because it often means Black outplayed Red since Red has the advantage.
Tactics[ edit ]
Strategy for any board size, 2D or 3D[ edit ]
Note: Any board size’ strategy can be derived using the method of the "Theory" section. The same generalizations cannot always be made, but using the same method, one will arrive at the correct new generalizations and understand why the bullet-rules below are true.
For a list of win/loss results for 2D boards, see John Tromp's webpage *
*While expert players on LittleGolem believe 8x8 to be a second player win, no proof is known.
Note:
Even Height[ edit ]
With these boards, everything is the same is in 7x6 since 7x6 falls in this category. The only difference between 7x6 and other board sizes of this category is the win/loss results, depending on the board size. The strategy section above is summarized below:
For Red to win:
1 more unshared odd-row attack than Black, or
the same # of unshared odd-row attacks as Black, plus an odd # of shared ones, or
an odd # of odd-row attacks (whether shared or unshared), if Black has no unshared ones
For Black to win:
an even-row attack, if Red has no odd-row attacks, or
two more unshared odd-row attacks than red, or
the same # of unshared odd-row attacks as Red, plus an even # of shared ones, or
one more unshared odd-row attack than Red, plus any # of shared ones, or
one unshared odd-row attack plus any number of shared ones, if Red has no unshared ones, or
an even # of odd-row attacks (whether shared or unshared), if Red has no unshared ones
Even domain, odd height[ edit ]
Red: 1 more unshared even-row attack than Black to win, or odd # of shared even-row attacks.
Black: odd-row attack or even # of even-row attacks (2 more unshared than Red, or the same # of shared) to win.
If Red and Black have the same # of unshared even-row attacks, the game is drawn.
If Red has 1 even-row attack and Black has 1 odd-row attack, Red wins.
Remark: The even rows in these types of boards are like 7x6's odd rows.
Note: the situation described in the "Tactics" section applies to (even)by(odd) boards if one reads the section replacing "odd" with "even" and vice versa. ("Red" and "Black" stay the same)
Odd domain[ edit ]
Red: odd-row attack or even # of even-row attacks (2 more unshared than Black, or the same # of shared) to win.
Black: 1 more unshared even-row attack than Red to win, or odd # of shared even-row attacks.
If Red and Black have the same # of unshared even-row attacks, the game is drawn.
If Black has 1 even-row attack and Red has 1 odd-row attack, Black wins.
Remark: The even rows in odd-area boards are like 7x6's odd rows, and Red in odd-area boards is like Black in 7x6 (but the win/loss results vary with size).
Note: the situation described in the "Tactics" section applies to (odd)by(odd) boards if one reads the section replacing "Red" with "Black" and vice versa, and replacing "odd" with "even" and vice versa.
Theory and strategy for selected variants[ edit ]
The theory of the following variants is, as you will see, derived using the same principles as used for regular Connect Four and its board size variations.
2-way gravity (aka "Connect Four Flip")[ edit ]
Section forthcoming: expected to be complete within two weeks.
Edge (4-way/6-way) gravity[ edit ]
Click for explanation of the game rules (on a 2D board). (referred to as "Stack 4x4")
Red moves when the number of empty spaces = even. There are two types of long-term 3-piece attacks: "even zugzwang value" and "odd zugzwang value", whose meanings will be explained. Furthermore, there are 2 ways to make attacks: orthogonally (horizontally or vertically) or diagonally.
An orthogonal attack can create up to 2 critical spaces. If it only forms one, the zugzwang situation will be such that one player will be forced to move to one of 4 spaces--2 spaces in the column where the critical space lies and 2 spaces in the row where it lies. Spaces like these---which, when filled, allow the critical space to be occupied on the next turn---will hereby be referred to as "zugzwang spaces". So orthogonals with one end and discontinuous (unconnected/gapped) form 4 zugzwang spaces and 1 critical space, which means when Zugzwang occurs, 5 empty spaces remain. This sum will be referred to as a "zugzwang value" for convenience. Single critical space orthogonals, as shown, have a zugzwang value of 5--or more importantly, an odd zugzwang value.
An orthogonal can form 2 critical spaces by one of two ways: an open-ended connected line (being at least 3 spaces from either perpendicular edge of the board or 2 spaces from any legal move in the extension of the line), or a discontinuous line with two gaps. In both cases, there are 6 zugzwang spaces. Its zugzwang value (ZV from now on) is 8, hence is even. Note, however, that once the 1st critical space is occupied by one player, the 2nd one is immediately playable by the other. Therefore in some situations, an open-ended orthogonal attack can be thought of as forming 1 critical space with 4 zugzwang spaces, and thus having an odd ZV (the "one" critical space could be on either side of the line, depending on which one the opponent chooses).
Diagonals, whether continuous or not, form 4 zugzwang spaces for each critical space they create. A discontinuous diagonal forms 1 critical space and therefore has an odd ZV (five). A continuous, open-ended diagonal has a ZV of: (2 critical spaces) + 4 + 4 = 10, which is of course even. Notice that this is a combination of 2 odd-ZV attacks. A closed-ended diagonal, for example, has only 1 critical space and 4 zugzwang spaces, and therefore has a ZV of 5 which is odd.
For 3D, box-shaped boards with 6-way gravity, the only thing that changes is that 2 more zugzwang spaces are created by each kind of attack. Adding an even # to another # does not change the evenness/oddness of it. Therefore, the evenness/oddness of the ZV's will be the same, and each player will need the same attacks as in 4-way-gravity.
From these facts, the following conclusions can be drawn.
Boards with even domain[ edit ]
Red needs 1 more unshared odd-ZV attack than Black to win, or an odd # of shared odd-ZV attacks.
Any attack will accomplish this.
Black needs an even-ZV attack to win or an even # of odd-ZV attacks (2 more unshared than Red, or the same # of shared).
A 2 critical space orthogonal, a 2-critical-space diagonal, or 2 of any other type of attack will achieve this.
If Red and Black each have 1 unshared odd-ZV attack, and Black has no even-ZV attacks, the game is drawn.
If Red has an odd-ZV attack and Black has an even-ZV attack, Red wins.
Note: shared attacks are probably rare situations in the edge-gravity variant, but they are possible.
Boards with odd domain[ edit ]
Red needs an even-ZV attack to win or an even # of odd-ZV attacks (2 more unshared than Black, or the same # of shared).
A 2 critical space orthogonal, a 2-critical-space diagonal, or 2 of any other type of attack will achieve this.
Black needs 1 more unshared odd-ZV attack than Red to win, or an odd # of shared odd-ZV attacks.
Any attack will accomplish this.
If Red and Black each have 1 unshared odd-ZV attack, and Red has no even-ZV attacks, the game is drawn.
If Red has an even-ZV attack and Black has an odd-ZV attack, Black wins.
(In other words, what a color needs for boards with odd domain is the opposite of what that color needs for boards of even domain.)
Zero gravity, surface-sticking[ edit ]
Two-move turns[ edit ]
Stacking (downward gravity)[ edit ]
Rules: Red's 1st turn is one move. Then every turn after that (including Black's first turn) is 2 moves. Other than that, same rules as standard Connect Four.
In this variant, which rows each player needs depends not on whether they are even or odd, but on which player moves last (and on the board dimensions).
Who moves first depends only on how many turns it takes to fill the entire board. If the # of turns is even, then each player has the same # of turns and therefore Black moves last. If the # of turns is odd, Red gets 1 more turn than Black and therefore Red moves last.
For boards with even domain, the last move is the first and only move of the last turn. On boards with odd domain, the last move is the 2nd move of the last turn. This is important because it determines which zugzwang-values each player needs.
Consider, for example, the 8x8 board. Red moves last and takes the top row; he moves when there is 1 space left. Before that, Black moves and takes the 6th and 7th row; she moves when there are 2 and 3 spaces left. The alternation continues and the following list can be generated:
Red moves when there are: 1, 4,5, 8,9, 12,13, 16,17, 20,21... spaces left.
If the board were instead 9x9, Red moves last and takes rows 8 and 9, thus moving when there are 1 and 2 spaces left. This will change the list to:
Red moves when there are: 1,2, 5,6, 9,10, 13,14, 17,18, 21,22... spaces left.
To see why this is important, consider some attacks. It has been demonstrated that on an 8x8 board, a 6th-row attack is good for Black. It has a ZV of 5 (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th row are empty when Zugzwang occurs) and notice from the list that Red moves when there are 5 empty spaces left. One 6th-row attack would therefore be useless for Red. But what if Red had two 6th-row attacks? The combined ZV would be 10, and notice from the list that Black moves when there are 10 empty spaces left. On Red's turn there would be 9 empty spaces left, and Red would move twice in one column and make Connect Four with one of the 6th-row attacks, so two -6th row attacks are good for Red in 8x8. The complete strategy for the 2-move-turn variant can be solved using this method.
The strategy will now be categorized by board dimensions. But note that the bottom 2 rows are never included in the list of strategic attacks since they are always immediately playable. Strategic rules of thumb only apply to critical spaces that will not be filled until immediately after Zugzwang.
1
{\displaystyle (area/2)+1}
Alternate: if the area is a multiple of 4 (meaning, if area/4 = an integer), Red moves last. If not a multiple of 4, Black moves last.
Last turn consists of 1 move.
Last mover moves when # of empty spaces = (any multiple of 4 + 0 or 1) = {1, 4,5, 8,9, 12,13, 16,17, 20,21, 24,25...}
2nd-to-last mover moves when # of empty spaces = the combination of the sets {2,3} and {any multiple of 4 + (2 or 3)} = {2,3, 6,7, 10,11, 14,15, 18,19, 22,23...}
Even height[ edit ]
Last mover can win with:
any even row being the top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the top row (note: 4 rows down from the top = 5 rows down, 8 rows down from the top = 9 rows down, and so on).
1 more unshared good odd row than 2nd-to-last mover---good being a multiple of 2 odd rows down from the top row (meaning, the 4th row down or any multiple of 4 rows down from the 4th row down)---or an odd # of shared ones. (If equal # of unshared ones, a draw results.)
the combinations of bad attacks listed 2 paragraphs below which result in "+"
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
any odd row being the 2nd-to-top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the 2nd-to-top row
1 more unshared good even row than last-mover---good being the 3rd-to-top row or a multiple of 2 even rows down from the 3rd-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones. (If equal # of unshared ones, a draw results.)
an odd # (>1) of bad even rows (3 more unshared than last-mover, or the same # of shared).
the combinations of bad attacks listed in the paragraph below which result in "-"
The following situations are solved by adding the ZV's of each attack together and knowing which player benefits from the new ZV that results.
Good even-row attack for last-mover (which will be referred to as "+even") + bad even-row attack for last-mover ("-even", aka "good even-row attack for 2nd-to-last mover) = good for 2nd-to-last mover. Summarized: (+even) + (-even) = -
(-even) + (-even) = + equivalent to (+odd)
(+odd) + (+odd) = - equivalent to (-odd)
(+even) + (+odd) = -
(+odd) + (-odd) = +
(+odd) + (-even) = +
(For the situations above where the 1st attack is + and the 2nd is -, the same results apply whether the last-mover has both of the mentioned attacks (1 good and one bad) or whether the last-mover has the first attack and the 2nd-to-last mover has the second attack (meaning, each player has 1 good attack). For the situations with 2 good attacks or 2 bad attacks, the result assumes that the corresponding player has both of the attacks.)
~~~Result for 7x6 board: Black wins.
Odd height[ edit ]
Last mover can win with:
any odd row being the top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the top row.
1 more unshared good even row than 2nd-to-last mover---good being the 2nd-to-top row or a multiple of 2 even rows down from the 2nd-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones. (If equal # of unshared ones, a draw results.)
the combinations of bad attacks listed 2 paragraphs below which result in "+"
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
any even row being the 2nd-to-top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the 2nd-to-top row.
1 more unshared good odd row than last-mover---good being the 3rd-to-top row or a multiple of 2 odd rows down from the 3rd-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones.
an odd # (>1) of bad odd rows (3 more unshared than last-mover, or the same # of shared).
the combinations of bad attacks listed in the paragraph below which result in "-"
Other notable situations:
Last turn consists of 2 moves.
Last mover moves when # of empty spaces = 1,2, (any multiple of 4 + 1 or 2)
2nd-to-last mover moves when # of empty spaces = 3,4, (any multiple of 4 - 0 or 1)
Last mover can win with:
any even row being the 2nd-to-top row or any even row a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the 2nd-to-top row
1 more unshared good odd row than 2nd-to-last mover---good being the top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the top row---or an odd # of shared ones.
an odd # (>1) of bad odd rows (3 more unshared than 2nd-to-last mover, or the same # of shared).
the combinations of bad attacks listed 2 paragraphs below which result in "+"
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
any odd row being the 3rd-to-top row or any odd row a multiple of 4 rows (2 odd rows) down from the 3rd-to-top row.
1 more unshared good even row than last mover---good being the 4th-to-top row or a multiple of 4 rows (2 even rows) down from the 4th-to-top row---or an odd # of shared ones.
the combinations of bad attacks listed in the paragraph below which result in "-"
Other notable situations:
Four-way/6-way gravity[ edit ]
This (non-existent, but possible) variation is a combination of the 4-way/6-way gravity variant and the 2-move turn variant.
Who moves last is relevant. The same 2 (4 condensed to 2) formulas apply for figuring out the # of turns as with the regular 2-move-turn variant:
Even domain: # of turns = (#spaces/2)+1
Odd domain: # of turns = (#spaces+1)/2
Critical spaces in this variant have higher ZV's than those in 1-move-turn edge gravity. There are three different base ZV's that can be created: 9, 14, and 16.
ZV's of 9 are created by any attack that creates just one critical space. ZV's of 18 are created by open-ended connected diagonals, and 2-critical-space discontinuous diagonals whose 2 critical spaces are separated by 2 diagonal spaces.
ZV's of 14 are created by 2-critical-space orthogonals.
ZV's of 16 are created by 2-critical-space diagonals whose 2 critical spaces are separated by only 1 diagonal space.
The kinds of attacks needed for each player are equivalent to those needed in the regular 2-move-turn variant in the corresponding board sizes.
By "equivalent attacks" the following is meant. Consider two situations: a connected single-ended orthogonal attack on an 8x8 board with 4-way gravity, and a 4th-row attack on an 8x8 board with downward gravity. Both situations have a zugzwang-value of 7, and therefore are equivalent. So on an 8x8 board, the last mover (who would benefit from a 4th-row attack in the regular 2-move variant) would benefit from a connected single-ended orthogonal attack in 4-way gravity 2-move-turn.
In similar fashion (using the principle of equivalence) one derives the following rules:
Last mover can win with:
2, 3, or [(2 or 3) + (multiple of 4)] of 9-ZV attacks
An odd # of 14-ZV attacks
A good attack plus a bad attack.
2nd-to-last mover can win with:
1 or [(0 or 1) + (multiple of 4)] of 9-ZV attacks
An even # of 14-ZV attacks
A 16-ZV attack
Diagonal stacking[ edit ]
Rules: a piece can be placed diagonally above another piece. The bottom row is always playable.
There is only one type of long-term diagonal attack that can be made: a connected one pointed downward (meaning the critical space is below it). This has a ZV of 3 (resulting from the critical space and the 2 zugzwang-spaces below it).
Single orthogonals, whether connected or gapped, have a ZV of 3. Doubles have a ZV of 6.
In short, all critical spaces have 2 zugzwang-spaces.
Since the turns consist of only one move each, the strategy can be understood in more than one way. One could think in terms of last-mover and 2nd-to-last mover (as with 2-move-turn variants), or simply in terms of Red and Black and the evenness/oddness of the # of empty spaces left (as with regular Connect Four). The latter approach will be taken and the strategic rules are:
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What is the title of the Millais painting used to advertise Pears Soap? | Bubbles | John Everett Millais | V&A Search the Collections
Download PDF version
This is a presentation plate of a reproduction of a painting of his grandson by Sir John Everett Millais (1829–1896). Thomas J. Barratt (1842-1914) of A. & F. Pears bought the painting by Millais in 1886. He then reproduced it as a print, which became known as ‘Bubbles’. Barratt devised a series of expensive and original publicity schemes for Pears, the most famous of which was the adaptation of this painting as an advertisement for Pears Soap, with the addition of a bar of Pears Soap in the lower right corner. He also promoted art through the pages of Pears Annual (published 1890-1921, and price six pence until 1915). Presentation plates such as this one were given away as a separate package with the Pears Annual. 'Artistic’ advertising such as this appeared in the UK in the 1880s initially characterised by the use of reproductions of works of art. T. J. Barratt was particularly keen to use the work of Royal Academicians, in order to add kudos and respectability to his product and so target middle-income customers.
.
Physical description
Chromolithographed presentation print after the painting 'A Child's World' by Sir John Everett Millais, featuring a young child playing with bubbles.
Place of Origin
John Everett Millais, born 1829 - died 1896 (artist)
A. & F. Pears Ltd. (publisher)
Materials and Techniques
Chromolithograph on paper
Marks and inscriptions
'BUBBLES. / From the Original Painting by the late Sir John E. Millais Bt. President of the Royal Academy / in the possession of Messrs. Pears.'
'JM 1886'
Height: 94.8 cm, Width: 63.8 cm
Object history note
The original painting was entitlerd 'A Child's World' and the model was Sir John Everett Millais' grandson.
(Information from Terry Parker, a collector/dealer and expert on Pears advertising, via Archivist at Unilever). "'Bubbles' was exhibited at Tooth & Sons Gallery, 5 and 6 Haymarket, London, Spring 1886 no. 118. Sir Ingram, head of the Illustrated London News bought it from there to reproduce as one of four presentation plates given away with the Illustrated London News, Christmas 1886.
Thomas Barrat saw the painting in his office and immediately decided to buy it. Ingram agreed as long as they could still reproduce it in ILN Christmas edition 1886, which obviously pre-dates A&F Pears presentation prints given away with the 1897 Annual. (The ILN version is smaller I believe and inferior print quality). Terry has come across one earlier A&F print which may have been a trial run, dated 1894. All of these were without the soap bar. The image was so successful that it was later used in dozens of different formats from postcards and showcards to billboard posters, with the addition of the bar of soap and A&F Pear logo."
Descriptive line
'Bubbles'. Chromolithographed presentation print after the painting 'A Child's World' by Sir John Everett Millais (1886), featuring a young child playing with bubbles. Issued by A.& F. Pears Ltd., manufacturers of Pears' soap, Great Britain, post-1896.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Labels and date
Millais' paintings of children were some of the most reproduced images of the 19th century. A. & F. Pears produced this print to advertise soap. The fact that both subject matter and artist were popular with middle class viewers lent kudos and respectability to the product []
Materials
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El Prat Airport serves which European city? | Bubbles (painting) - The Full Wiki
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bubbles
Lady Lever Art Gallery , Port Sunlight
Bubbles, originally entitled A Child's World, is a painting by Sir John Everett Millais that became famous when it was used over many generations in advertisements for Pears soap . During Millais's lifetime it led to widespread debate about the relationship between art and advertising.
The painting was one of many child pictures for which Millais had become well known in his later years. It was modelled by his five year old grandson William Milbourne James and was based on 17th century Dutch precursors in the tradition of vanitas imagery, which commented upon the transience of life. These sometimes depicted young boys blowing bubbles, typically set against skulls and other signs of death. [1]
The painting portrays a young golden-haired boy looking up at a bubble, symbolising the beauty and fragility of life. On one side of him is a young plant growing in a pot, and on the other is a fallen broken pot, emblematic of death. He is spot-lit against a gloomy background.
Still Life with Young Boy blowing Bubbles by Gerrit Dou , a vanitas still-life of the kind that served as a model for Millais's painting.
The painting was first exhibited in 1886 under the title A Child's World in Grosvenor Gallery in London, and was acquired by Sir William Ingram of the Illustrated London News . The painting was reproduced and presented in the magazine as a colour plate, where it was seen by Thomas J. Barratt , managing director of A&F Pears. Barratt purchased the original painting from Ingram for £2,200 which gave him exclusive copyright on the picture. Millais' permission was sought in order to alter the picture by the addition of a bar of Pears Soap, so that it could be used for the purposes of advertising. At the time Millais was one of the most popular artists in Britain and he was initially apprehensive the prospect of his work and his grandson, being the subject of commercial exploitation. However when he was shown the proofs of the proposed advertisements he grew to appreciate the idea, which portrayed the soap as if the child had used it to make the bubbles. [2] Following the success of this advertisement Millais was attacked in print by the novelist Marie Corelli who accused him in her novel The Sorrows of Satan of prostituting his talent to sell soap. Millais wrote to her pointing out that he had sold the copyright of the painting and so was unable to stop the company from altering it in reproduction. Millais's son later claimed that he had tried to stop the advertisement being made, but had been advised that he had no legal power to do so. Corelli retracted her comments in a later edition of the book.
The advertisement became so well known that William Milbourne James , who later rose to the rank of Admiral in the British navy, was known as "Bubbles" for the rest of his life.
Since A&F Pears was acquired by Lever Brothers , the painting has been in their ownership. It was lent to the Royal Academy , but was transferred to the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight in 2006. [1]
References
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Which US film director and actor said he wanted to ‘Achieve immortality through not dying’? | The Big Apple: “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work”
Entry from January 31, 2016
“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work”
New York-born comedian, actor and film director Woody Allen has achieved immortality through his work, but he said that he didn’t want that:
“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve it through not dying.”
The Woody Allen quote has been cited in print since at least 1975.
Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Königsberg on December 1, 1935) is an American film director, writer, musician, actor and comedian.
Qoutes
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. I don’t want to live on in the hearts of my countrymen; I want to live on in my apartment.
. The Illustrated Woody Allen Reader (1993)
. The joke about immortality also appears in On Being Funny (1975)
. In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine from April 9, 1987, Allen said “Someone once asked me if my dream was to live on in the hearts of people, and I said I would prefer to live on in my apartment.”
29 June 1975, News Journal (Mansfield, OH), “For Woody Allen Fans Only,” pg. 2-F, col. 2:
He is a student of philosophy who is preoccupied with death. He is not joking when he says, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die, I just don’t want to be there when it happens,” or “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.”
4 October 1975, Los Angeles (CA) Times, “Woody Allen: The Devious Approach to Theology” by John Dart, pg. 19, col. 1:
Even local congregations may be discovering the metaphysical mettle of the comic theologian. All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena inserted in its July 27 church bulletin:
“Theological though for this week: ‘I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.’—Woody Allen.”
Google Books The Yale Book of Quotations
By Fred R. Shapiro
New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
2006
Woody Allen (Allen Stewart Konigsberg)
U.S. comedian and filmmaker, 1935-
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. . . . I want to achieve it through not dying.
Eric Lax, Woody Allen and His Comedy (1975)
| Woody Allen |
Dorothea Jordan was the mistress of which future British monarch? | Woody Allen - Wikiquote
Woody Allen
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People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net and for a split second it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck it goes forward and you win. Or maybe it doesn't and you lose.
Quotes[ edit ]
To you I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the Loyal Opposition.
Can we actually "know" the universe? My God, it's hard enough finding your way around in Chinatown.
Marriage? That's for life! It's like cement!
What's New, Pussycat? (1965).
I took a course in speed reading, learning to read straight down the middle of the page, and I was able to go through War and Peace in 20 minutes. It’s about Russia
Attributed to Allen by Herb Caen in Reader's Digest , October 1967. For additional citations see this entry from Quote Investigator .
I think crime pays. The hours are good, you meet a lot of interesting people, you travel a lot.
Allen: That's quite a lovely Jackson Pollock , isn't it?
Woman: Yes, it is.
Allen: What does it say to you?
Woman: It restates the negativeness of the universe. The hideous lonely emptiness of existence. Nothingness. The predicament of man forced to live in a barren, godless eternity like a tiny flame flickering in an immense void with nothing but waste, horror, and degradation, forming a useless, bleak straitjacket in a black, absurd cosmos.
Allen: What are you doing Saturday night?
Woman: Committing suicide.
Play It Again, Sam (1972).
On bisexuality: It immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night.
The earliest source located is here , in the sidebar "Quotations According to Woody Allen" which appeared alongside the New York Times article "Everything You Wanted to Know About Woody Allen at 40" by Mel Gussow, 1 December 1975, page 33. Full text also available in Lakeland Ledger, 25 December 1975 on google news.
Unsourced variant: "Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night."
Love is the answer. But while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions.
Also found in "Quotations According to Woody Allen" from the New York Times, 1 December 1975.
There have been times when I've thought of suicide but with my luck it'd probably be a temporary solution.
Also found in "Quotations According to Woody Allen" from the New York Times, 1 December 1975.
The difference between sex and death is, with death you can do it alone and nobody's going to make fun of you.
Also found in "Quotations According to Woody Allen" from the New York Times, 1 December 1975.
To you I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the Loyal Opposition.
It figures you’ve got to hate yourself if you’ve got any integrity at all.
Quoted by Douglas Brode in Woody Allen – His Films and Career (1985).
Maybe the poets are right. Maybe love is the only answer.
Some guy hit my car fender the other day, and I said unto him, "Be fruitful and multiply." But not in those words.
The Woody Allen Companion (1993) edited by StephenJ. Spignesi, Ch. 7.
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. I don't want to live on in the hearts of my countrymen; I want to live on in my apartment.
The Illustrated Woody Allen Reader (1993)
The joke about immortality also appears in On Being Funny (1975)
In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine from April 9, 1987, Allen said "Someone once asked me if my dream was to live on in the hearts of people, and I said I would prefer to live on in my apartment."
How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter?
As quoted in Love, Sex, Death & The Meaning of Life : The Films of Woody Allen (2001) by Foster Hirsch, p. 50.
We're worth a lot of dough. Whatever you see is antiques. This thing here. This is from — I don't remember exactly. I think it's the Renaissance or the Magna Carta or something. But that's where it's from.
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001).
As a filmmaker, I'm not interested in 9/11 [...] it's too small, history overwhelms it. The history of the world is like: He kills me, I kill him, only with different cosmetics and different castings. So in 2001, some fanatics killed some Americans, and now some Americans are killing some Iraqis. And in my childhood, some Nazis killed Jews. And now, some Jewish people and some Palestinians are killing each other. Political questions, if you go back thousands of years, are ephemeral, not important. History is the same thing over and over again.
Interview in Der Spiegel , 2005-06-20 (as quoted by the New York Post ) [1]
I have no apprehension whatsoever. I've been through this so many times. And I found that one way or the other, your life doesn't change at all. Which is sad, in a way. Because the people love your film... nothing great happens. And people hate your film... nothing terrible happens. Many years ago, I would... I would... a film of mine would open, and it would get great reviews, and I would go down and look at the movie theater. There'd be a line around the block. And when a film is reviled, you open a film and people say "Oh, it's the stupidest thing, it's the worst movie." You think: oh, nobody's going to ever speak to you again. But, it doesn't happen. Nobody cares. You know, they read it and they say "Oh, they hated your film." You care, at the time. But they don't. Nobody else cares. They're not interested. They've got their own lives, and their own problems, and their own shadows on their lungs, and their x-rays. And, you know, they've got their own stuff they're dealing with.... So, I'm just never nervous about it.
September 2007 interview, promoting Cassandra's Dreams .
I made the statement years ago which is often quoted that 80 percent of life is showing up. People used to always say to me that they wanted to write a play, they wanted to write a movie, they wanted to write a novel, and the couple of people that did it were 80 percent of the way to having something happen. All the other people struck out without ever getting that pack. They couldn’t do it, that’s why they don’t accomplish a thing, they don’t do the thing, so once you do it, if you actually write your film script, or write your novel, you are more than half way towards something good happening. So that I was say [sic] my biggest life lesson that has worked. All others have failed me.
New York Times interview (2010) .
This is my perspective and has always been my perspective on life: I have a very grim, pessimistic view of it. I always have, since I was a little boy. It hasn’t gotten worse with age or anything. I do feel that it’s a grim, painful, nightmarish, meaningless experience, and that the only way that you can be happy is if you tell yourself some lies and deceive yourself.
My relationship with death remains the same - I'm strongly against it,
All I can do is wait for it,
Ibid.
You start to think, when you’re younger, how important everything is and how things have to go right—your job, your career, your life, your choices, and all of that. Then, after a while, you start to realise that – I’m talking the big picture here – eventually you die, and eventually the sun burns out and the earth is gone, and eventually all the stars and all the planets in the entire universe go, disappear, and nothing is left at all. Nothing – Shakespeare and Beethoven and Michelangelo gone. And you think to yourself that there’s a lot of noise and sound and fury – and where’s it going? It’s not going any place… Now, you can’t actually live your life like that, because if you do you just sit there and – why do anything? Why get up in the morning and do anything? So I think it’s the job of the artist to try and figure out why, given this terrible fact, you want to go on living.
Interview with France 24 (2010) .
The film studios learned to our dismay but to their pleasure that if they spent $200 million making a film they could make half a billion on it. So they were not interested anymore in quality films… They can’t afford to be that risky at those prices. Consequently you’re getting a lot of remakes, sequels, dopey comedies full of toilet jokes…
I don't believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear.
"Conversations with Helmholtz"
My Philosophy[ edit ]
Can we actually "know" the universe? My God, it's hard enough finding your way around in Chinatown.
It is impossible to experience one's own death objectively and still carry a tune.
Eternal nothingness is O.K. if you're dressed for it.
Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends.
Main article: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
Is sex dirty? Only if it's done right.
They called me mad... But it was I - yes I - who discovered the link between excessive masturbation and entry into politics!
When it comes to sex there are certain things that should always be left unknown, and with my luck, they probably will be.
Main article: Sleeper (1973 film)
My brain: it's my second favorite organ.
Oh, he was probably a member of the National Rifle Association . It was a group that helped criminals get guns so they could shoot citizens. It was a public service.
I'm not really the heroic type. I was beat up by Quakers.
Sex and death. Two things that come but once in my lifetime, but at least after death you're not nauseous.
Love and Death (1975)[ edit ]
To be happy is to love, to be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness — I hope you're getting this down.
Main article: Love and Death
To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But, then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love, to be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness — I hope you're getting this down.
Human beings are divided into mind and body. The mind embraces all the nobler aspirations, like poetry and philosophy, but the body has all the fun.
The important thing, I think, is not to be bitter. You know, if it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil. I think that the worst you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever.
"Sex without love is an empty experience. But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best."
If I don't kill him he'll make war all through Europe. But murder... the most foul of all crimes. What would Socrates say? All those Greeks were homosexuals. Boy, they must have had some wild parties. I bet they all took a house together in Crete for the summer. A: Socrates is a man. B: All men are mortal. C: All men are Socrates. That means all men are homosexuals. Heh... I'm not a homosexual. Once, some cossacks whistled at me. I happen to have the kind of body that excites both persuasions. You know, some men are heterosexual and some men are bisexual and some men don't think about sex at all, you know... they become lawyers.
I was walking through the woods, thinking about Christ. If He was a carpenter, I wondered what He charged for bookshelves.
In addition to our summer and winter estate, he owned a valuable piece of land. True, it was a small piece, but he carried it with him wherever he went.
And so I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Actually, make that "I run through the valley of the shadow of death" - in order to get OUT of the valley of the shadow of death more quickly, you see.
We have to take our possessions and flee. I'm very good at that. I was the men's freestyle fleeing champion two years in a row.
If it turns out that there IS a God, I don't think that he's evil. I think that the worst you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever.
Without Feathers (1975)[ edit ]
What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream? Or what's worse, what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?
As the poet said, "Only God can make a tree"— probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on.
"The Early Essays".
Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.
"The Early Essays".
The chief problem about death, incidentally, is the fear that there may be no afterlife — a depressing thought, particularly for those who have bothered to shave. Also, there is the fear that there is an afterlife but no one will know where it's being held. On the plus side, death is one of the few things that can be done just as easily lying down.
"The Early Essays".
What a wonderful thing, to be conscious! I wonder what the people in New Jersey do.
"No Kaddish for Weinstein".
Thought: Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.
"Selections from the Allen Notebooks".
What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
"Selections from the Allen Notebooks".
If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank.
"Selections from the Allen Notebooks".
It's not that I'm afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens.
The lion and the calf shall lie down together but the calf won't get much sleep.
"Scrolls".
What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream? Or what's worse, what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?
from the play "God".
Rabbi Raditz of Poland was a very short rabbi with a long beard, who was said to have inspired many pogroms with his sense of humor. One of his disciples asked, "Who did God like better, Moses or Abraham ?"
"Abraham," the Zaddik said.
"But Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land," said the disciple.
"All right, so Moses," the Zaddik answered.
"Hassidic Tales, with A Guide to Their Interpretation by the Noted Scholar"
I heard that Commentary and Dissent had merged and formed Dysentery.
I can't get with any religion that advertises in Popular Mechanics.
I had dated a woman briefly in the Eisenhower administration, and it was ironic to me, because I was trying to do to her what Eisenhower had been doing to the country for the last 8 years.
It is impossible to travel faster than light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off.
"The UFO Menace".
Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought — particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things.
"The UFO Menace".
More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.
"My Speech to the Graduates"
My Apology[ edit ]
Woody Allen as Socrates...
Of all the famous men who ever lived, the one I would most like to have been was Socrates . Not just because he was a great thinker, because I have been known to have some reasonably profound insights myself, although mine invariably revolve around a Swedish airline stewardess and some handcuffs.
Death is a state of non-being. That which is not, does not exist. Therefore death does not exist. Only truth exists. Truth and beauty. Each is interchangeable, but are aspects of themselves. Er, what specifically did they say they had in mind for me?
Hey listen — I've proved a lot of things. That's how I pay my rent. Theories and little observations. A puckish remark now and then. Occasional maxims. It beats picking olives, but let's not get carried away.
Agathon: But all that talk about death being the same as sleep.
Socrates: Yes, the difference is that when you're dead and somebody yells, "Everybody up, it's morning," it's very hard to find your slippers.
Deconstructing Harry (1997)[ edit ]
Harry: Between the Pope and air conditioning, I'd choose air conditioning.
Harry: You think the President of the United States wants to fuck every woman he meets?... Well, bad example.
Harry: The most beautiful words in the English language aren't "I love you" but "it's benign."
Harry: Every hooker I ever speak to tells me that it beats the hell out of waitressing. Waitressing's gotta be the worst fucking job in the world.
Cookie: What are you sad about?
Harry: I'm spiritually bankrupt. I'm empty.
Cookie: What do you mean?
Harry: I'm frightened. I got no soul, you know what I mean? Let me put it this way: when I was younger it was less scary waiting for Lefty than it is waiting for Godot .
Cookie: You lost me!
Harry: You know that the universe is coming apart? You know about that? You know what a black hole is?
Cookie: Yeah. That's how I make my living.
Burt: Do you care even about the Holocaust or do you think it never happened?
Harry: Not only do I know that we lost six million, but the scary thing is that records are made to be broken.
Harry: No, I don't think you're paranoid. I think you're the opposite of paranoid. I think you walk around with the insane delusion that people like you.
Harry: Tradition is the illusion of permanence.
Harry: (On being called a self-hating Jew) Hey, I may hate myself, but not because I'm Jewish.
Doris: You have no values. With you it's all nihilism, cynicism, sarcasm, and orgasm.
Harry: Hey, in France I could run for office with that slogan, and win!
The Devil: You want me to turn the air-conditioning on?
Harry: You have air-conditioning in Hell?
The Devil: Sure, it fucks up the ozone layer!
Harry: All people know the same truth. Our lives consist of how we choose to distort it.
Standup Comic (1999)[ edit ]
A CD compilation of Allen comedy routines from 1964-1968
A lot of things have happened in my private life recently that I thought we could review tonight.
I feel sex is a beautiful thing between two people. Between five, it's fantastic.
A fast word about oral contraception. I was involved in an extremely good example of oral contraception two weeks ago. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said "no."
Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats.
I was in analysis. I was suicidal. As a matter of fact, I would have killed myself, but I was in analysis with a strict Freudian and if you kill yourself they make you pay for the sessions you miss.
I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.
I tended to place my wife under a pedestal.
I'm not a drinker — my body will not tolerate spirits. I had two Martinis on New Year's Eve and I tried to hijack an elevator and fly it to Cuba.
When I was kidnapped, my parents snapped into action. They rented out my room.
Mere Anarchy (2007)[ edit ]
How could I not have known that there are little things the size of " Planck length " in the universe, which are a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a centimeter?
How could I not have known that there are little things the size of " Planck length " in the universe, which are a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a centimeter? Imagine if you dropped one in a dark theater how hard it would be to find.
And how does gravity work? And if it were to cease suddenly, would certain restaurants still require a jacket?
With that, he scribbled in an additional ninety thousand dollars on the estimate, which had waxed to the girth of the Talmud while rivaling it in possible interpretations.
I have also reviewed my own financial obligations, which have puffed up recently like a hammered thumb.
She quarreled with the nanny and accused her of brushing Misha's teeth sideways rather than up and down.
As we know, for centuries Rome regarded the Open Hot Turkey Sandwich as the height of licentiousness.
I was supremely confident my flair for atmosphere and characterization would sparkle alongside the numbing mulch ground out by studio hacks. Certainly the space atop my mantel might be better festooned by a gold statuette than by the plastic dipping bird that now bobbed there ad infinitum.
Bidnick gorges himself on Viagra, but the dosage makes him hallucinate and causes him to imagine he is Pliny the Elder .
To a man standing on the shore, time passes quicker than to a man on a boat — especially if the man on the boat is with his wife.
Attributed[ edit ]
I have learned one thing. As Woody says, "Showing up is 80 percent of life." Sometimes it’s easier to hide home in bed. I’ve done both. - 1977 August 21, New York Times, Section 2: Arts and Leisure, He’s Woody Allen’s Not-So-Silent Partner by Susan Braudy, Page 11 (ProQuest Page 83), New York.
Woody Allen later wrote in a letter: "My observation was that once a person actually completed a play or a novel, he was well on his way to getting it produced or published, as opposed to a vast majority of people who tell me their ambition is to write, but who strike out on the very first level and indeed never write the play or book. In the midst of the conversation, as I’m now trying to recall, I did say that 80 percent of success is showing up." - 1989 August 13, New York Times, On Language: The Elysian Fields by William Safire.
Others[ edit ]
“I WANTED nothing more than to be a foreign filmmaker, but of course I was from Brooklyn, which was not a foreign country. Through a happy accident I wound up being a foreign filmmaker because I couldn’t raise money any other way.”
As quoted in the New York Times, That’s Amore: Italy as Muse: Woody Allen on Italian Movies and ‘To Rome With Love’ , June 15, 2012.
"You know, the whole American culture is going down the drain, you can't turn on a television set and see anything, or walk in the street and not find garbage, or neighborhoods that were formerly beautiful now have McDonald's in them, and it's all a part of an enormous degeneration of culture in the United States. People that exist in that culture are forced to make moral decisions all the time about their lives, their occupations, their love-lives, and they make decisions that are commensurate with what's happening to them in this culture, and it's too bad that that's happening because that's what Manhattan is about, that New York used to be such a great city, so wonderful, and it has to fight every day for its survival against the encroachment of all this terrible ugliness that is gradually overcoming all the big cities in America.
This ugliness comes from a culture that has no spiritual center, a culture that has money and education, but no sense of being at peace with the world, no sense of purpose in life. They don't know what they're doing, or why they're here. They have no religious center, they have no philosophical center, and so they act, they do what's expedient at the moment. They have no long view of society. They only have the view of quick money, and kill the pain of the moment, and so instead of dealing with the real problems that exist, that are complicated, they sweep them under the rug by turning on the television set, or taking cocaine, or doing many things that enable them to escape confrontation with the unpleasant realities of the world."
Allen, Woody. Interview with France Roche . "Woody Allen, ou L'Anhedoniste; le Plus Drole du Monde." France 2 , New York . 1979.
Quotes about Allen[ edit ]
In this land of unlimited opportunity, a place where, to paraphrase Woody Allen, any man or woman can realize greatness as a patient or as a doctor, we have only one commercial American filmmaker who consistently speaks with his own voice. That is Woody Allen, gag writer, musician, humorist, philosopher, playwright, stand-up comic, film star, film writer and film director.
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What was the the first name of 17th Century artist van Dyck? | Anthony van Dyck | artist | 1599 - 1641 | National Gallery, London
Anthony van Dyck
After Anthony van Dyck, Portrait of the Artist , about 1750-1825 (Detail)
Van Dyck was the most important Flemish painter of the 17th century after Rubens , whose works influenced the young Van Dyck. He also studied and was profoundly influenced by the work of Italian artists, above all, Titian .
Van Dyck was an extremely successful portraitist and painter of religious and mythological pictures in Antwerp and Italy. He was also an accomplished draughtsman and etcher. However, he is now best remembered for his elegant representations of Charles I and his court.
Van Dyck was born in Antwerp. A precocious artist, his first independent works date from 1615-16, when he would have been about 17. In 1621 he was in the service of James I of England, but left to visit Italy, where he remained until 1627. His aristocratic rendering of Genoese patricians, like the so-called 'Balbi Children' , were very well received in that city. After a second period in the Netherlands, greater success awaited Van Dyck when he settled at the English court in 1632. His authoritative and flattering representations of Charles I and his family set a new standard for English portraiture to which members of the court were keen to aspire.
Related paintings
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A splat is a single thin, flat piece of wood, often ornamental, which forms part of which piece of furniture? | Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print | The Art Institute of Chicago
Exhibitions > Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print
Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print
March 5, 2016–August 7, 2016
Galleries 124–127
In the last decade of his life, acclaimed painter Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) began a printmaking project that would change the conventions of portraiture: the Iconography. This art history–changing series of over 100 portrait prints radically depicted artists on par with the most significant monarchs, diplomats, and scholars of the day. Presenting several etchings from the Iconography—on view for the first time in nearly 90 years—together with works by various artists from the 16th through the 20th century, this exhibition examines Van Dyck’s lasting influence on the evolution of the portrait print and its significance as a distinct genre.
Though already celebrated internationally for his work as a painter, Van Dyck contributed directly to the Iconography series, producing 15 etchings with his own hands. In many other cases, printmaking specialists and collaborators such as Lucas Vorsterman (1595–1675) and Paulus Pontius (1603–58) realized prints for the series based on Van Dyck’s drawn or painted designs. The Art Institute of Chicago is fortunate to own all of the etchings that Van Dyck made along with several prints from the series designed by the artist and produced by his hired printmakers. Despite the significance of these etchings to Van Dyck’s career and their importance to the history of portraiture—and indeed to the history of printmaking—these works have not been exhibited publicly at the Art Institute since they first entered the collection in 1929, and their impact on the broader field of the portrait print has not yet been fully examined.
Comprising approximately 140 works, including selected subjects from Van Dyck’s Iconography, this exhibition features prints from five centuries. The earliest works, by artists such as Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) and Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617), precede Van Dyck’s career, while portraits by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–69) and Jan Lievens (1607–74), artists who followed Van Dyck, demonstrate his immediate influence. Continuing to follow Van Dyck’s impact on the genre are works by artists such as Francisco de Goya (1746–1828), Edgar Degas (1834–1917), Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945), and Chuck Close (born 1940). Adding to the presentation is a gallery that explores the political role of the portrait print as well as one devoted to portraits created in various media during the 17th century—drawings, painted miniatures, wax and marble sculptures, and paintings of an intimate scale—all highlighting the unique qualities of the portrait print.
Catalogue
A full-color publication of 112 pages accompanies this exhibition.
Purchase Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print and experience the exhibition through its accompanying catalogue. All purchases support the many fine programs of the museum.
Sponsors
Support for Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print is generously provided by Alan Templeton and Prince Charitable Trusts.
The colloquium has been sponsored by the Allan McNab Endowed Fund.
The Art Institute of Chicago
NOW OPEN—Rodney McMillian: a great society Our latest exhibition in the Modern Wing represents the last decade of the artist’s work in video. Grappling with the complexities of class, race, and place in America, Rodney McMillian employs elements of performance, public speaking, oral history—and his interest in the science fiction genre—to expose the social and psychological consequences of economic inequality, endemic racism, and the failed promise of freedom and prosperity for all of its citizens. While McMillian's work engages the often stark realities of history and contemporary culture, it is motivated by the potential for alternative realities and future transformation. See Rodney McMillian: a great society on view in the Modern Wing through March 26. LEARN MORE—http://bit.ly/2j5vCCO
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‘Spud’ is slang for which vegetable? | What does spud mean? spud Definition. Meaning of spud. OnlineSlangDictionary.com
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What is the fruit of a rose bush called? | Spud Synonyms, Spud Antonyms | Thesaurus.com
No hostile forms with axe or spud now visit these solitudes.
Not so much of your courting, Spud, replied Doggie cheerfully.
He stooped and swung the chunky body of Spud across his shoulder as easily as he would have lifted a child.
I be writin to my own lawful mizzus, replied Spud Appleyard.
Spud was a hero of "Mons," having had safely survived up to the present and so we had quite a lot to talk about.
The kerosene-can with its spud on the spout was a household sign.
Again he caught a glimpse of the boy's arm amid all that spud and foam.
He folded Spud in his arms and followed the two men to the door.
She walked up and down with her spud for another half-hour before she could come to any conclusion.
"Yellah," Spud had said, but the description was no longer apt.
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Tom Church’s statue ‘Freedom’, in Stirling, Scotland, was inspired by which 1995 film? | Sculptor Tom Church’s Braveheart
Sculptor Tom Church’s Braveheart
By Gill Davies
Inspired by the film Braveheart, Brechin stone mason Tom Church talks revealingly about his statue of one of Scotland's national heroes, William Wallace. The statue, in the guise of Braveheart star Mel Gibson, has been returned to the sculptor after a rather eventful ten years at the Wallace Monument in Stirling.
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Sculptor Tom Church’s Braveheart
Brechin stone mason Tom Church talks about his statue of Scottish hero William Wallace. BBC World Affairs Correspondent Allan Little describes some of the key moments from his career and answer questions about what it is like to report the world in an age of conflict. Bill Boyd reads his poem Hogmanay, written in the style of Robert Burns.
Elsewhere on bbc.co.uk
| Braveheart |
Caroline, John and Patrick were the children of which US President? | 1000+ images about * Braveheart * on Pinterest | Statue of, Stirling and Braveheart quotes
Braveheart, just traced my children's/husbands' family directly back to William Wallace's brother John; so "Braverheart" was Uncle Bill!
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Late actor Larry Hagman played which character in the US television series ‘Dallas’? | Larry Hagman - Biography - IMDb
Larry Hagman
Biography
Showing all 186 items
Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (5) | Trivia (143) | Personal Quotes (30) | Salary (1)
Overview (5)
23 November 2012 , Dallas, Texas, USA (complications from myelodysplastic syndrome due to throat cancer treatments)
Birth Name
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Mini Bio (1)
The son of a legendary actress ( Mary Martin ) and a district attorney, Larry Martin Hagman was born on September 21, 1931 in Fort Worth, Texas. After his parents' divorce, he moved to Los Angeles, California to live with his grandmother. When he was 12, his grandmother died and he moved back to his mother's place, who had remarried and was launching a Broadway career. After attending Bard College in New York State, he decided to follow his mother's acting road. His first stage tryout was with the Margo Jones Theatre-in-the-Round in Dallas, Texas. He then appeared in the New York City Center production of "Taming the Shrew", followed by a year in regional theater. In his early-to-mid twenties, Larry moved to England as a member of the cast of his mother's stage show, "South Pacific", and was a member of the cast for five years. After that, he enrolled in the United States Air Force, where he produced and directed several series for members of the service.
After completing his service in the Air Force, Larry returned to New York City for a series of Broadway and off-Broadway plays, esp. "Once Around the Block", "Career", "Comes a Day", "A Priest in the House", "The Beauty Part", "The Warm Peninsula", "The Nervous Set" among many others. He began his television career in 1961 with a number of guest appearances on shows as "The ALCOA Hour". He was later chosen to be in the popular daytime soap opera The Edge of Night (1956), in which he starred for two years. But that was his start, he later went on to become the friendliest television star in the NBC sitcom I Dream of Jeannie (1965), in which he played the amiable astronaut Anthony Nelson. In the series, his life was endangered by this gorgeous blonde bombshell genie played by Barbara Eden . The series ran for five years and after that, he continued his success in The Good Life (1971) and Here We Go Again (1973), as well as a number of guest-starring roles on many series. He was also with Lauren Bacall in the television version of the hit Broadway musical Applause (1973).
In 1977, the soap opera Dallas (1978) came aboard and Larry's career was secured. He credits "Superchick" for convincing him to do the show. This program of an excessively rich Texas family, was one of the best, beloved, most-watched shows of all time as he portrayed the role of the evil yet perverted millionaire J.R. Ewing, the man who loved to be hated. The series ran for an amazing 14 1/2 seasons and the "Who shot J.R.?" episode remains the second highly-rated television show in the history of the satellite. Since his name was familiar with Texas, it was suiting that he hosted "Lone Star" (1985), an eight-part documentary series related to the history of Texas, for the Public Television Stations. That aired while celebrating the 150th anniversary of Texas as an independent republic. In the spring of 1987, Kari-Lorimar released "Larry Hagman--Stop Smoking for Life". Proceeds from this home video were donated to the American Cancer Society.
In July 1995, he needed a liver transplant in order for him to regain his life back after years of strong drinking that led to cirrhosis. He went over to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for this where he spent seven weeks in the hospital, and an operation took 16 hours but saved his life. In July 1996, one year after he had a new liver, he served as the National Spokesperson for the 1996 U.S. Transplant Games presented by the National Kidney Foundation and, on November 2, he later received the Award for his efforts in escalating public awareness of the concept of organ donation. He continued to serve as an advocate of organ donation and transplantation until his death. In November 1996, he starred in Dallas: J.R. Returns (1996), a 2-hour movie in which the ratings were a huge success for CBS, as well as in the network's drama series Orleans (1997) when his role of Judge Luther Charbonnet gave him some of the best reviews of his 36-year-career.
When he was feeling better than he had for so many years, he completed his two movie projects: The Third Twin (1997), a four-hour miniseries based on the author's best-selling novel, that aired on CBS, and Mike Nichols 's Primary Colors (1998), a film based on the best-selling book by a journalist, Joe Klein . Starring in that film were John Travolta , Emma Thompson , Billy Bob Thornton , Kathy Bates and Adrian Lester . Larry played Governor Picker, an antipolitics politician who stands a grave danger crisis to the governor's bid for office. Primary Colors was his second presidential film having also appeared in Oliver Stone 's Nixon (1995). Following these movies, his second Dallas reunion movie, Dallas: War of the Ewings (1998), aired on CBS. He also served as executive producer.
Away from films, Larry was actively involved in a series of civic and philanthropic events. An adamant non-smoker, he served as the chairperson of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout", from 1981 to 1992. Larry Hagman died at age 81 on November 23, 2012 at Medical City Dallas Hospital in Dallas, Texas from complications of throat cancer.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
Spouse (1)
( 18 December 1954 - 23 November 2012) (his death) (2 children)
Trade Mark (5)
The role of JR Ewing on Dallas (1978).
Trivia (143)
Broke his collar bone when he was a child.
Loved motorcycles and owned a Harley.
Offered to pay for drug rehab for Robert Downey Jr. in 1996, after Downey asked to borrow $100,000 from him.
Had a ring made from the gallstones that were removed during his liver transplant.
Served in the United States Air Force.
He met his wife while he was stationed in England, UK.
He refused to speak one day a week, simply as a test of his self discipline.
Father of: Preston Hagman and Heidi Hagman , who appeared in the "All in the Family" spinoff, Archie Bunker's Place (1979).
[1995] Had a liver transplant.
Earned a reported $75,000 to $100,000 an episode for Dallas (1978) in 1980.
Required autograph seekers to sing a song for him or tell him a joke before giving his autograph. He said that he did it so he got something back from his fans.
Attended Bard College in Anandale-on-the-Hudson, New York for one year
He produced and directed shows for servicemen while he was stationed in the United States Air Force.
Was once Chairman of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.
Enjoyed hunting, skiing, backpacking, fishing, sailing, collected canes, hats and flags, collecting art, golfing, drinking and touring in his personally designed custom motorhome.
Was a huge supporter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Used to live next door to Burgess Meredith in the early 1980s.
Was a vegetarian.
Was a longtime friend of the late Carroll O'Connor , and spoke at O'Connor's funeral on 26 June 2001. O'Connor gave Hagman's daughter, Heidi Hagman , a part in Archie Bunker's Place (1979) in the early 1980s.
His Ojai, California ranch is called Heaven.
Daughter, Kristina Mary Heidi Hagman , born 17 February 1958.
Son, Preston Hagman , born 2 May 1962.
Bridget Fonda 's godfather.
His wife is from Sweden, and they owned a house in her old hometown Sundsvall, that they visited every year.
Turned down the starring role on the short-lived sitcom The Waverly Wonders (1978) in favor of Dallas (1978).
Granddaughters: Rebecca, Nora, Tara, Kaya, and Noel.
The Malibu house in which he used to live is now owned by the singer Sting .
Was best friends with legendary Who drummer Keith Moon whom he met on the set of the movie Stardust (1974).
Son of Mary Martin .
Made his stage debut as a Seabee in the London production of "South Pacific", which starred his mother. In 1989, Mary Martin would recall, "Larry could really sing, too. Still can, but he doesn't like to". Another Seabee, also making his stage debut in the production, was Sean Connery .
Was one of the few players on Dallas (1978) to stay on for the entire series.
Holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive appearances by a leading actor in an hour-long prime time dramatic series, for his 357 appearances on Dallas (1978).
The only actor to appear in all 357 episodes of Dallas (1978).
Was good friends with Donna Mills . She starred with him as his wife in a short-lived 1971 sitcom, just 9 years before she starred with him again on, Knots Landing (1979).
Was an avid fan of The Sopranos (1999).
Bore a striking resemblance to professional wrestling announcer Jim Ross . Ross is often simply referred to as "J.R.".
Best remembered by the public for his starring roles as J.R. Ewing in Dallas (1978) and as Major Tony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie (1965).
Attended the Dublin Races in 2008.
Lived in Ojai, California.
His mother called him Lukey when he was a child.
Spent much of his childhood in Weatherford, Texas.
Just before his future Dallas (1978) co-star, Patrick Duffy was born, Hagman would frequently visit Duffy's parents' home, as a teenager. Years later, he suggested to Patrick, he audition for a role on Dallas (1978), and didn't know who Hagman was at the time.
He was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in March 2009 in Austin, Texas.
Remained good friends with Patrick Duffy , during and after Dallas (1978).
Friends with: Shirley Jones , David Cassidy , Bea Arthur , Florence Henderson , Barbara Eden , David Jacobs , Michael Filerman , Jamie Farr , Wink Martindale , Anne Francis , Karl Malden , Michael Douglas , Buddy Ebsen , Lee Meriwether , Victor French , Michael Landon , Melissa Gilbert , Carroll O'Connor , Michele Lee , Donna Mills , Joan Van Ark , Susan Sullivan , Linda Evans , Lorenzo Lamas , Jim Davis , Barbara Bel Geddes , Howard Keel , Linda Gray , Patrick Duffy , Kevin Dobson , Randolph Mantooth , Mary Crosby , Quinn Martin , Regis Philbin , Robert Conrad , Larry Manetti , Jackie Cooper , Brian Keith , Adam West , James Drury , Doug McClure , Clu Gulager , Denny Miller , Robert Young , Dick Van Dyke , Dick Van Patten , George Kennedy , Harold Gould , Shelley Berman , Richard Donner , Dick Sargent , Richard Mulligan , Lloyd Bridges , Richard Dawson , Peter Fonda , Tom Brokaw , Mickey Rooney , Joan Collins and Bill Daily .
Out of the original cast members of Dallas (1978), he was the only one that is originally from the state of Texas. Susan Howard , who later joined the cast as Donna Culver, is also from Texas.
His ex- Dallas (1978) co-star, Charlene Tilton , was the only member of the cast to attend his 70th birthday party in 2001.
According to Dallas (1978) co-star, Linda Gray , she said in an interview Hagman reconciled with his mother, after the loss of his stepfather.
At his wife's suggestion, he auditioned for the lead role of J.R. Ewing in Dallas (1978). Fortunately, he won the role.
Was diagnosed with Stage 2 throat cancer in June 2011, was cancer free for nearly the entire year in 2012, until he died.
Dated Joan Collins while in England.
Was a Democrat.
Each and every year, he always bestowed his ex- Dallas (1978) co-star Cathy Podewell flowers on the day of her birthday.
His idol when he was very young was Jim Davis , who in turn played his TV father on Dallas (1978), until Davis's death in 1981. Had the portrait of his idol, hanging in his house until the day he died. He and the rest of his Dallas (1978) co-stars, attended the funeral of his idol, Jim Davis , on 1 May 1981.
Before he was a successful actor, he was digging ditches and bailing hay in his hometown of Weatherford, Texas.
Successfully talked Patrick Duffy into returning to Dallas (1978) for the show's tenth season.
Always refused to talk about his role on I Dream of Jeannie (1965) until 2001.
Was reunited with I Dream of Jeannie (1965) series' lead, Barbara Eden , for the final season of Dallas (1978).
Did not get along with his stepfather at all, before Richard Halliday 's death in 1973.
His future Dallas (1978) co-star, Charlene Tilton , was said to be a childhood television hero before she co-starred with him in the series.
His mother, Mary Martin , died on November 3, 1990, just 1 month before her 77th birthday.
Was a spokesperson of American Cancer Society of the 1980s, who encouraged people to quit smoking.
With the encouragement of Dallas (1978) co-star, Patrick Duffy , he quit smoking and drinking after over 45 years. Hagman began drinking as a teenager.
Of Swedish descent by his grandparents, as is his wife.
Lived in the same area of his ex- Dallas (1978) co-star, Steve Kanaly .
Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
In high school, he fell in love with the stage in particular with the warm reception he got for his comedic roles.
Graduated from Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Texas in 1949.
When Barbara Bel Geddes took a medical leave on Dallas (1978), at the end of the eighth season, at one point, he suggested his real-life mother ( Mary Martin ) in replacing Bel Geddes' as Miss Ellie.
Due to health reasons, he quit drinking, smoking, and eating meat and dairy products.
As of 2012, his wife Maj Axelsson has advanced Alzheimer's disease and lives in a rented flat near his house. She is attended to by five live-in nurses.
He played the same character (J.R. Ewing) in three different series: Dallas (1978), Knots Landing (1979) and Dallas (2012).
Alongside Norman Lloyd , William Daniels , Ernest Borgnine , Mickey Rooney , Betty White , Angela Lansbury , Dick Van Dyke , Christopher Lee , Edward Asner , Marla Gibbs , William Shatner , Adam West , Florence Henderson , Shirley Jones and Alan Alda , Hagman was one of the few actors in Hollywood who lived into their 80s and/or 90s without ever either retiring from acting or having stopped getting work.
His final guest-starring role was on Desperate Housewives (2004).
Larry Hagman passed away on November 23, 2012. This was just 1 month before he would've celebrated his 58th Wedding Anniversary to Maj Axelsson .
According to ex- Dallas (1978) co-star, Charlene Tilton , after his death, she said in an interview, while she was a teenager, she lived with her single mother, before Hagman came in to become her surrogate father, while starring in Dallas (1978), who taught her how to behave professionally.
Always asked Sidney Sheldon questions about the difficulty in scripts for I Dream of Jeannie (1965).
Had screen tested for the role of Maj. Anthony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie (1965). He even beat out Robert Conrad for a co-starring role, opposite Barbara Eden as her master.
Just before his death, he reprised his role as JR Ewing in Dallas (2012).
Before he was a successful actor, he worked for oil field-equipment maker Antelope Tool Company and witnessed the eldest son of the company founder win a battle to succeed him, one summer.
When I Dream of Jeannie (1965) began, a crisis cropped up right away: Series star Barbara Eden was pregnant. This forced the quick filming of 10 episodes. Problems developed immediately between him, who was determined to make the show, the best it could be, and director Gene Nelson , who insisted that they follow the script to the letter. Each man wanted the other fired. Due to NBC's preference, Larry prevailed.
Had originally wanted to be a cowboy.
During the last 3 seasons of Dallas (1978), when he became the co-executive producer of the show, he went to England and had Holland and Holland gave him a shotgun.
Owned 5 Toyota Prius Hybrids.
The reason he wanted to stay on Dallas (1978) is because he wanted to work with Barbara Bel Geddes , who starred as his mother.
Played Barbara Bel Geddes 's son in Dallas (1978), in real-life, Hagman was 9 years Bel Geddes's junior.
His father, Ben Hagman, had a massive stroke and was in a coma, who died on July 15, 1965.
Did not reprise his role in 2 I Dream of Jeannie (1965) reunion movies, because he was busy starring in Dallas (1978), and was taking a vacation with his family.
His son Preston Hagman was named after his grandfather and great-grandfather, Preston, who died when his father was only 7.
His grandfather, Preston Martin, had died in 1938, when young Larry was only 7.
His mother Mary Martin had died on the day she got married, 60 years ago in 1990.
When his mother Mary Martin was diagnosed with cancer in 1989, Martin was a Kennedy Center Honoree that year. At the awards show, Hagman gave a funny and poignant tribute to his mother, who was in the audience.
His children Preston Hagman and Heidi Hagman both appeared on various episodes of Dallas (1978).
He said his favorite show to date was Dallas (1978).
Upon his death he was cremated; his ashes were scattered at the Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas.
His show Dallas (1978) was filmed at Southfork Ranch, the same place that is located in real-life.
At the beginning of the second season of the revised Dallas (2012) series, he reduced his appearances because he needed to undergo chemotherapy.
He appeared on Live! with Kelly (1988) five times.
His Dallas (1978) co-star, Ken Kercheval , said Hagman's character, JR Ewing was the total opposite of Hagman, in real-life.
Had guest-starred on the second episode of Dallas (1978)'s spin-off series Knots Landing (1979), as JR Ewing.
Met Donna Mills on The Good Life (1971), where the two remained best friends for 41 years until Hagman's death in 2012.
His ex- Dallas (1978) co-star and friend Joan Van Ark attended his 80th birthday party in 2011, despite not being a regular castmember.
His parents were Mary Martin , who was a popular Broadway actress and Benjamin Hagman, a lawyer.
A cowboy buff.
His parents were divorced when he was only 5 years old.
While temporarily moving back to Connecticut with his mother and stepfather, Hagman continued drinking heavily again, therefore, Mary Martin had no choice other than to kick him out of the house much due to the fact that Hagman was suffering from alcohol poisoning.
Was reunited with ex- I Dream of Jeannie (1965) co-star, Barbara Eden on both series: A Howling in the Woods (1971) and Dallas (1978).
His family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1938, when young Larry was only 7.
Began his career appearing in Broadway plays and musicals in 1950.
Had worked with Joan Van Ark in episodes of two different series: Dallas (1978) and its spin-off Knots Landing (1979).
In order for Hagman to get the role of Maj. Anthony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie (1965), he did the voice-over in Russian for the show The Rogues (1964). He was also convinced to get the role when Gig Young was unavailable, hence, Hagman won the role.
Was also a solar power enthusiast.
Before he was a successful actor, he met and used to work with a young unfamiliar actor Carroll O'Connor , who was working as an assistant stage manager for the Broadway play 'God and Kate Murphy,' in which Hagman starred.
Before he was a successful actor, he used to dance with Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, on the opening night of South Pacific at the Savoy in London, England.
His show Dallas (1978) was canceled at the end of the fourteenth season because of low ratings.
He was not David Jacobs 's first choice to audition for the male lead role of J.R. Ewing on Dallas (1978), when Robert Foxworth had been offered the role. Knowing he would not play a character that was absolutely unsympathetic, Hagman immediately came in and won the role.
Met a young, unfamiliar actor Patrick Duffy in the movie, Hurricane (1974), before Hagman co-starred with him on Dallas (1978), opposite Hagman as his younger brother.
Was raised largely by his maternal grandmother while his mother became a famous stage actress.
Just before his death, his Dallas (1978) co-star, Linda Gray , played host to him at his 81st birthday luncheon at a restaurant in Dallas, Texas.
On I Dream of Jeannie (1965), he played an astronaut who was a member of the United States Air Force, in real-life, Hagman served in the United States Air Force.
Used to live in the same area as Michael Landon .
Was close friends with Hunter von Leer .
His character J.R. Ewing was so hated that Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu allowed ''Dallas'' to be one of the few series shown in his country and paid Hagman to show his image throughout the country as he saw his character as epitomizing the very worst of American capitalism and hoped it would turn people against the idea.
Was known to throw parties for the cast and crew at his home whenever tensions ran high on set.
Once stated that (before Dallas (1978)) young viewers often confused him with Dick York (or Dick Sargent ) and DeForest Kelley .
When he wanted to audition for one of the male lead roles as J.R. Ewing in Dallas (1978), his character from I Dream of Jeannie (1965) nearly prevented him from accepting it, because he might've been typecasted, but David Jacobs didn't mind him doing a soap opera.
His Dallas (1978) co-stars, Patrick Duffy and Sasha Mitchell co-starred on the popular 1990s sitcom, Step by Step (1991), also produced by Lorimar (now Warner Bros. Television).
Next to his Dallas (1978) co-star, Linda Gray , his favorite actress from that same serial was Deborah Rennard .
Carcinoma ran in his family.
On an episode of Dallas (1978), his character read the letter from his late TV father, in real-life, he lost his own father, years before the series started.
On Dallas (1978), his character drank heavily, in real-life, he also drank heavily, which led him to receiving a liver transplant in 1995, though it didn't damage the organ, when it weakened his immune system.
After Dallas (1978) and until Barbara Bel Geddes 's death, he did not keep in touch with her.
Was a longtime friend of Richard Dawson . He used to play Frisbee at Hagman's house in Malibu, where he was living at the time.
Before his future Dallas (1978) co-star, Charlene Tilton , co-starred opposite Hagman in the series, as a little girl, she used to visit Hagman's dear friend, Richard Dawson off- the set of Hogan's Heroes (1965), where Dawson used to give her gum and candy, all the while, he took her around and watch him rehearse.
Maj Axelsson Hagman of Los Angeles, California, died May 31st, 2016. The loving wife of Actor Larry Hagman, she was known as an amazing hostess and mainstay of the family. Born in May, 1928 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, she was the eldest of four sisters. Her father, who had a car dealership in Sweden, told his daughter to "reach for the stars in order to get to the treetops" and Maj followed his advice moving to London and becoming an accomplished dress designer. In London she met the love of her life, a young serviceman named Larry Hagman, who had recently performed in the cast of the Broadway import musical "South Pacific," with his mother, the acclaimed New York musical theater star Mary Martin. Mag moved to New York City as a military bride and supported her husband Larry by designing and sewing costumes for night club singers while Larry worked in the New York theater. When Larry landed a starring role in the early 1960s on Hollywood's "I Dream of Jeannie," Mag turned her considerable talents to supporting Larry's ascending career while continuing to design clothes, build extraordinary homes and even custom-design Jacuzzis. Mag later shared in the joys and successes of Larry Hagman's success as "JR Ewing" on the popular hit television series "Dallas" that ran from the late 1970s through the 1980s. The couple supported philanthropic causes from the Dallas and Ojai Symphonies to organ donations and solar energy. The couple traveled the world together over five and a half decades of their marriage until Larry passed away in 2012. In the end, she surpassed the treetops and touched the stars. Maj and Larry are survived to their two children and five grandchildren.
His widow, Maj Axelsson was 3 yrs. his senior.
He was most widely known to be a social butterfly.
Her ex- Dallas (1978) co-star, Victoria Principal , used to live not too far from him. Before the series began, they were actually lifelong friends.
Personal Quotes (30)
[Who said in February 2002, when appearing on the BBC's Shooting Stars]: I've been on some loony shows in my time, but this one takes the cake.
I made money. Enough so I don't have to work again. But I'd like to, I really would. But I'd want to do something interesting like Santa Claus - or God.
Barbara Eden is the most beautiful girl in the world.
I spent five years in England, I went over there with my mother in the show South Pacific and I just love it. I go back there three or four times a year. I joined the American airforce because the Korean war was going on at one time and I got my call up papers and I was supposed to report back to the United States and get my ass shot off in Korea which I didn't think was a smart idea and not only that I couldn't understand what the war was all about, I guess a lot of people could at that time but I still can't even more than I can the Vietnam war, so anyhow I enlisted in the American airforce and I was stationed in London for four years which was pretty good because I never gave up my civilian apartment in St Johns Wood. I got married, met a Swedish girl there, we've been married 46 years now.
[on the infamous "Who Shot J.R?" episode]: "Before that fateful shot rang out, I was merely bemused by the success of the character. Villainy could be fun, and that's how I played it. And if it worked. I mean I couldn't go down to the corner to pick up my copy of the Sunday New York Times without running into some nubile creature with "J.R. for President" emblazoned across her chest. Now a higher, shriller note had been added. People who once merely wanted J.R.'s autograph demanded to know who shot him as if it were their birthright, and were angry and upset when I told them, truthfully, that I didn't know.
I was born with success. Lucky for me I am able to handle it. Also, I damn well deserve it!
People I meet really want me to be J.R., so it's hard to disappoint them.
[About co-star Linda Gray after her real-life divorce]: Maj and I kind of adopted her. She was here at the house nearly every day. We'd call her first thing in the morning to make sure she was alright, we'd make sure she had dinner every night.
[Referring to his choice of final resting place for his ashes] I want to be spread over a field and have marijuana and wheat planted and harvest it in a couple of years and then have a big marijuana cake, enough for 200 or 300 people. People eat a little of Larry.
I'm stronger now than when I started this whole rigamarole. I know I have a nice 36-year-old liver in the body of a 66-year-old man and I feel wonderful.
[In 1998]: We recycle everything else - tires, glass, paper, you name it. Why not recycle our bodies?
[About his lifelong friendship with Carroll O'Connor ]: Carroll is really my mentor. He knows more [show business] than any other actor I know.
[In 1965]: I'm the kind of guy who says I am $15 overdrawn at the bank when I have $700 in the account. That's how pessimistic I am. With that in mind, I want to say that I don't know how I Dream of Jeannie can fail.
The time is ripe for a bad guy, and I'm it.
[In 1980]: I've been married 26 years and it lasts because I take my wife with me, wherever I go.
They say it's no worse than standing in front of a TV set. That's what they said about asbestos and World War II radiation experiments.
[If he were to leave Dallas (1978), then Robert Culp would take over his role which would've not upset Hagman]: I'm almost 50. I simply would have gone on to something else. As you get older, you think of things you would like to do. As of now, I've got my toy.
Naw, I asked Walter Cronkite to be vice president. Everybody loves Walter, a lot of people don't like Mr. Nixon and a lot of people don't like Don.
[Who said in 1983 upon meeting with Joan Collins for the first time]: She was the most beautiful women.
[In 1971]: I grew up in a family that had servants, including butlers - I've been around servants all my life - and somehow we got the proper procedures straightened out without calling in an expert.
[on his role of I Dream of Jeannie (1965) that was finally cancelled]: But it spelled trouble. It was hard on me. It hit me like a bang.
[on his popularity while playing the fifty-something brother/villain J.R. Ewing on Dallas (1978)]: Everybody knows a J.R. They have a boss, an uncle, a daddy, a florist who is just like him. And not just in America either. J.R. is all over the world, set aside from others in that he has been trained to succeed at any cost.
[Upon his introduction to marijuana by Jack Nicholson , as a safer alternative to his heavy drinking]: I liked it because it was fun, it made me feel good, and I never had a hangover!
[When he landed the part on I Dream of Jeannie (1965)]: They did the first season in black and white to save $500 a show. I came out; I was out of work. I had done 'The Edge of Night' in New York.
[Who said in 2011 about his stage 2 throat cancer diagnosis]: As J. R. I could get away with anything - bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer. I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer. I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series. I could not think of a better place to be than working on a show I love, with people I love.
If you do your research on hot springs all over the world, they're usually places of peace. People, even in warring nations and so forth, they'll go and live in peace together around the hot springs, which were always considered medicinal. I firmly believe in water therapy.
[on his book]: I didn't put anything in that I thought I was going to hurt someone or compromise them in anyway, not that I had too many things in my life.
[In 1981]: A year later, when they say they didn't say what they said, I play back the tape.
[From playing the woman's master to playing a dastardly, charming villain]: I was in 'Jeannie' for sometime and I made the transition to a bad guy from a rather bumbling idiot. And I hope that this will be a slightly different edge. At my age, I suppose it's about the last one I'll have an opportunity to do. So, I'm going to have a lot of fun with this.
[In 1989]: By God, you're right, I had not thought of that. It never occurred to me.
Salary (1)
| J. R. Ewing |
‘The Rumble in the ‘what’ took place between boxers George Foreman and Muhammad Ali on 30th October 1974? | Larry Hagman obituary | Television & radio | The Guardian
Larry Hagman obituary
Actor renowned as the machiavellian oilman JR Ewing in Dallas
Larry Hagman as JR Ewing in Dallas. Photograph: Rex Features/Everett Collection
Saturday 24 November 2012 09.32 EST
First published on Saturday 24 November 2012 09.32 EST
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On 21 November 1980, 83 million people in the US and 24 million in the UK watched the TV show Dallas to see who had shot the villainous JR Ewing. While working late at the office, the boss of Ewing Oil was suddenly fired on by an unseen assailant. Who shot JR, and would he survive?
Any character who had ever come into contact with the oleaginous Texas oilman had good reason to do away with him, but there was no way he could really have been killed off. If JR had died, then the series would have died, because JR was Dallas – and Larry Hagman, who has died aged 81 after suffering from throat cancer , was JR.
Other actors were at times replaced in their roles, but Hagman was irreplaceable. Nevertheless, just in case, Hagman quickly renegotiated his contract with Lorimar Studios just after the episode in which he was shot, securing an annual salary of around $1m. JR thus survived the attempt on his life, and continued his scheming ways for another 10 seasons.
One should not underestimate Hagman's achievement in becoming the man the whole world loved to hate, the focal character of this progressively preposterous soap opera. With his bug eyes, smarmy grin and dicey hairpiece, Hagman generated a certain lethal charm as he went about betraying trusts and manipulating innocent people. He was Machiavelli in a Stetson, the evil face of capitalism – though, according to Hagman, "JR has lost Ewing Oil more than $16m."
Hagman, nominated twice for an Emmy award, though he never won, was the only member of the cast to be in all 357 episodes of Dallas from 1978 to 1991. Ironically, nothing in his previous acting career had indicated Hagman was other than a competent light-comedy actor whose fame would be strictly limited, despite being the son of Mary Martin , known as the "first lady of the Broadway musical".
Born in Fort Worth, Texas , he was brought up for a while by his grandmother after his parents divorced when he was five; he was then shunted between his mother and his district attorney father, Benjamin Hagman, and was moved around various private schools and psychotherapists.
At the age of 20, Hagman moved to London as a member of the chorus of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, which starred his mother as Nellie Forbush, the role she created on Broadway. Hagman and Sean Connery, a year older, were among the shirtless sailors who sang There Is Nothing Like a Dame.
After a year at Drury Lane, Hagman joined the US air force. Four years later he resumed his acting career in earnest, getting roles on television and in films. Hagman made little impression in his first Hollywood movies, as servicemen in Joshua Logan's Ensign Pulver (1964) and in Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way (1965). However, he was very good playing weak men in two Sidney Lumet films: as the US president's nervous Russian interpreter in the nuclear scare story Fail-Safe (1964), and as Joanna Pettet's playwright husband with a penchant for wine and women in The Group (1966).
In Harry and Tonto (1974), he was the selfish, whining son of retired teacher Art Carney. He hammed it up as an incompetent, gung-ho American colonel in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and as a caricatured Hollywood studio executive in Blake Edwards's S.O.B. (1981).
But it was television that was the foundation of his career. Hagman had scores of TV appearances. His first real success came in I Dream of Jeannie (1965-70), in which he played a befuddled bachelor astronaut who finds himself master of a glamorous, 2,000-year-old genie (Barbara Eden). Continuing to display a deft light touch, Hagman went on to appear in other mildly amusing sitcoms.
Then came the long-running Dallas, which Variety initially called "a limited series with a limited future". Robert Foxworth was originally cast as JR, but he wanted the role softened too much for the producer's taste, and Hagman was the perspicacious second choice.
Hagman differed from JR in most aspects, being amiable and modest, though his liking for practical jokes and dressing up in different guises, such as an English bobby or French foreign legionnaire, gained him the nickname "Wacky Larry" and "The Mad Monk of Malibu". He was, like JR, a heavy drinker, which led to his developing cirrhosis of the liver; he had a transplant that saved his life. Thereafter, Hagman was active in several organisations that advocated organ donation and transplantation . A passionate non-smoker, he also served as the chairperson of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout, from 1981 to 1992.
In 1996, Hagman reprised his infamous alter ego in a TV special called JR Returns, in which the dysfunctional Ewing family is reunited. Then, acting against type, he showed his range as a benevolent judge in Orleans (1997). Among Hagman's few later feature films was Mike Nichols's Primary Colors (1998), in which Hagman was convincing as a populist, plain-speaking Florida governor. Hagman himself, a member of the Peace and Freedom party, once described fellow Texan George Bush as "a sad figure, not too well educated, who doesn't get out of America much. He's leading the country towards fascism."
In recent years, Hagman became a prominent campaigner for alternative energy, transforming his California home into one of the world's biggest solar-powered estates. He revelled in the paradox of TV's most famous oil man driving an electric car, and his disgust with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill led him to agree to star as JR in a SolarWorld TV advert , in which he parodied vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's use of the phrase "Drill, baby, drill" with the pro-solar slogan "Shine, baby, shine".
Though he appeared in a couple of 2011 episodes of Desperate Housewives, Hagman largely retired from acting. Nonetheless, earlier this year he joined co-stars Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy in a new 10-episode season of Dallas, adding a further generation to the troubled family and its business.
Hagman married his wife, Maj Axelsson, in 1954. She survives him, as do their son and daughter.
• Larry Martin Hagman, actor, born 21 September 1931; died 23 November 2012
Actor who found fame as the machiavellian Texan oilman in US soap dies in Dallas hospital after battle against throat cancer
Published: 24 Nov 2012
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Which late actor narrated the British children’s television programme ‘Willo the Wisp’? | Willo the Wisp (TV Series 1981– ) - IMDb
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A series of 5 minute cartoons about a group of inhabitants of a forest. Willo the Wisp is a sprite formed from gas who narrates each story. Other characters included Evil Edna (a witch ... See full summary »
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The Flumps (TV Series 1976)
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Storyline
A series of 5 minute cartoons about a group of inhabitants of a forest. Willo the Wisp is a sprite formed from gas who narrates each story. Other characters included Evil Edna (a witch shaped like a TV), Mavis (a rather overweight fairy), The Moog, The Argonauts (strange alien things that flew around in a mushroom), etc. Written by Richard Marsden <[email protected]>
14 September 1981 (UK) See more »
Also Known As:
Willo das Waldlicht See more »
Company Credits
Did You Know?
Trivia
The Willo The Wisp character, voiced by Kenneth Williams, was created by Nick Spargo for an animated short film called "Supernatural Gas" in 1975. Spargo wanted to develop the character further, and, in September 1981, the "Willo The Wisp" TV series made its debut on BBC 1 in the UK. This established the setting of Doyley Woods, and the other characters - Mavis Cruet the fairy, Carwash the cat, Evil Edna - the witch who was also a television set, and so on. The series was revived in 2005. See more »
Quotes
Grizelda The Witch : [Grizelda walks in with a well on her body] If I hear anybody laugh, one wise crack, one snicker out of any of you and I'll turn you into a toad.
[Arthur starts to snicker and laugh out loud to the point where Grizelda zaps him and turns him into a toad]
(England) – See all my reviews
I was sixteen when the series originally aired in the autumn of 1981, but it was one of those shows, although apparently aimed at young children, which held wide appeal. I particularly liked the characters of the Wisp, Mavis, Carwash and Evil Edna. In fact, even at my somewhat advanced age, I was a bit scared of Edna! The events in Doyley Woods were avidly followed by many of my friends and family - age range from about six to eighty-three! Kenneth Williams was excellent - his range of voices revealed a side to his talents I never knew existed - each one made the individual characters live.
Willo The Wisp is a show which now evokes powerful memories of its debut year for me - 1981, the year when Rubik's Cube was king, CB radio was made legal (in the UK), and Space Invaders were everywhere. Happy memories - wonderful show! If only Mavis Cruet could wave her magic wand and make me sixteen again!
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On which part of the body would a shako be worn? | _Black_Acrylic: Willo the Wisp
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Willo the Wisp
A series of 5 minute cartoons about a group of inhabitants of a forest. Willo the Wisp is a sprite formed from gas who narrates each story. Other characters included Evil Edna (a witch shaped like a TV), Mavis (a rather overweight fairy), The Moog, The Argonauts (strange alien things that flew around in a mushroom), etc.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121044/plotsummary
Willo the Wisp is a British cartoon series originally produced in 1981.
In the first series, Kenneth Williams provided voices for all of the characters, which included these main characters:
Willo the Wisp, the narrator. A blue floating ghost-like creature, Willo had a long pointed nose which caricatured that of Williams. The name refers to the ghostly light will-o'-the-wisp from folklore.
Arthur the caterpillar (as a gruff cockney).
Mavis Cruet, a plump clumsy fairy with erratic magical powers.
Evil Edna, a witch in the form of a walking, talking television set who could zap people with her aerials.
Carwash, a snooty bespectacled cat with a character based on Noël Coward.
The Moog, a supposed "dog" who is unable to think for himself.
Twit, a small bird.
The series was written and directed by Nick Spargo and produced by Nicholas Cartoon Films in association with the BBC and Tellytales Enterprises. The character of Willo the Wisp originated in an educational animation created by Nick Spargo for British Gas plc in 1975 and the stories were set in Doyley Woods, a small beech wood in Oxfordshire, near the director's home. Each of the original 26 episodes lasted approximately 5 minutes and were broadcast at 5:35pm on BBC1, a tradition as short cartoons were always shown between the end of the main children's BBC drama or sitcom for that afternoon, and the BBC Evening news at 5:40pm.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1980/tv2.shtml
Of the U.K. cartoons, my favorite was Willo the Wisp, with Kenneth Williams doing all the voices and the late Nick Spargo writing and directing. I still like that one. British TV cartoons had their ups and downs, but at their best they had a trippy absurdity that U.S. kids' cartoons weren't allowed to have at the time, and they could even fit in a little bit of political and social commentary: "Evil Edna," the most popular and famous character, was both a parody of Margaret Thatcher and a warning of the dangers of letting TV control your life.
http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/anybody-remember-willo-wisp.html
Debuting in a 1975 animated special for British Gas - Super Natural Gas, obviously - the Willo The Wisp character soon made it to the 5.35pm slot in his own animated show, of which twenty-six episodes were produced. Ah...a time before Neighbours, when children's television extended all the way to the news but, like that later show, Willo The Wisp attracted a mix of kids and adults within its audience. Where one group was doubtless attracted by the bright colours, funny little stories and the mostly sweet characters, adults would have noted Kenneth Williams' arch and witty narration and would have tuned in to hear a distinctly adult tone within a children's animated show. Even in 1981, with his best years, such as those when he was a regular in the Carry On films, behind him, Williams could still attract an audience who realised that, like Peter Cook, he was always best when simply being himself.
And so it proves in Willo The Wisp, with the waspish Williams providing a pointed narration, via a character animated to bear a remarkable similarity to the actor, as well as the voices for the cast. His Arthur is a down-to-earth little caterpillar who is at his happiest when munching on a blade of grass but whose search for an easy life is foiled both by his own inability to metamorphose into a moth as well as the desperate schemes of those around him, such as Mavis the fairy, the Moog, the Beast and Carwash the cat. Hence, an episode such as The Flight Of Mavis, features Arthur reaping the benefits of the summer harvest whilst, beside him, poor little Mavis starves herself until she is light enough to take to the sky. Until, that is, Evil Edna intervenes and the appearance of a Fairy Cake Tree spells an end to Mavis' airborne adventure.
Of course, watching it now, one cannot help but be struck by Evil Edna, the TV-shaped witch, who is, with the exception of one episode, never anything less than mean to her co-habitants in Doyley Wood. Were it any more obvious, each episode would have been accompanied by a warning on the dangers of television and, as such, Willo The Wisp harks back to a time when watching too much television was only considered slightly less hazardous than a return of the Black Death and so this, alongside the BBC's Why Don't You..., asked of the view why they continued to do something as dull as watch television. Indeed, the role of Evil Edna the television set is to spoil the enjoyment of the more innocent pastimes enjoyed by the other creatures in Doyley Wood. It all looks to be rather quaint now, given that many parents would dearly love for their children to be sat inside watching television in preference to being at risk from the paedophiles that the News Of The World suggest live on every street in the land but watching it is a happy little experience, immeasurably helped by the jaunty theme tune that opens and closes each episode.
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A gormandizer is a person who does what to excess? | How Excess Weight Affects Your Health: Understanding the Increased Risks to Your Health
How Excess Weight Affects Your Health
Understanding the Increased Risks to Your Health
Excess pounds do more than increase your weight—they increase your risk of major health problems. People who are overweight or obese are more likely to have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and depression. Fortunately, losing weight can reduce your risk of developing some of these problems.
Weight and your health
If you’re carrying many extra pounds, you face a higher-than-average risk of a whopping 50 different health problems. These health conditions include the nation’s leading causes of death—heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers—as well as less common ailments such as gout and gallstones. Perhaps even more compelling is the strong link between excess weight and depression, because this common mood disorder can have a profound, negative impact on your daily life.
A Harvard study that combined data from more than 50,000 men (participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study) and more than 120,000 women (from the Nurses’ Health Study) revealed some sobering statistics about weight and health.
The volunteers provided their height and weight, as well as details on their diets, health habits, and medical histories. Researchers tracked the volunteers over more than 10 years. They noted the occurrence of illnesses and compared those developments with each subject’s body mass index (BMI)—an estimate of an individual’s relative body fat calculated from his or her height and weight).
Obesity increased the risk of diabetes 20 times and substantially boosted the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and gallstones. Among people who were overweight or obese, there was a direct relationship between BMI and risk: the higher the BMI, the higher the likelihood of disease.
Excess Weight Causes Many Health Problems
Weight and depression
Do people gain weight because they’re depressed, or do they become depressed because they’re overweight? A review of 15 studies found evidence that both scenarios are likely true. The study, published in 2010 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that obese people have a 55% higher risk of developing depression over time compared with people of normal weight. Here are some reasons why obesity may increase risk of depression:
Both conditions appear to stem (at least in part) from alterations in brain chemistry and function in response to stress.
Psychological factors are also plausible. In our culture, thin equals beautiful, and being overweight can lower self-esteem, a known trigger for depression.
Odd eating patterns and eating disorders, as well as the physical discomfort of being obese, are known to foster depression.
The study also found that depressed people have a 58% higher risk of becoming obese. Here are some reasons why depression may lead to obesity:
Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol (common in people with depression) may alter substances in fat cells that make fat accumulation, especially in the belly, more likely, according to one theory.
People who feel depressed often feel too blue to eat properly and exercise regularly, making them more prone to gain weight.
Some medications used to treat depression cause weight gain.
Sleep apnea: Why snoring can be serious
If you snore loudly and temporarily stop breathing many times during the night, waking suddenly with a snort or choke, you probably have sleep apnea, a common disorder that’s more prevalent with overweight and obesity.
Your bedmate will probably notice these symptoms, while you may not. People with sleep apnea don’t realize they’ve been awakened because they don’t become fully conscious, but these awakenings can disrupt sleep. Not only does sleep apnea often lead to daytime sleepiness, it also increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
Weight, heart disease, and stroke
Some of the most common problems seen in people who carry excess weight, such as high blood pressure and unhealthy levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, tend to occur together. Both can lead to concurrent health problems—namely, heart disease and stroke.
High blood pressure is about six times more common in people who are obese than in those who are lean. According to the American Heart Association, 22 pounds of excess weight boosts systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) by an average of 3 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (the second number) by an average of 2.3 mm Hg, which translates to a 24% increase in stroke risk.
A 2007 study in Archives of Internal Medicine examined the connection between weight and heart disease by pooling results from 21 different studies involving more than 300,000 people. The study found:
Being overweight boosted the risk of heart disease by 32%
Obesity increased the risk by 81%
Although the adverse effects of overweight on blood pressure and cholesterol levels could account for 45% of the increased heart disease risk, even modest amounts of excess weight can increase the odds of heart disease independent of those well-known risks, the authors concluded.
Compared with people of normal weight, overweight people face a 22% higher risk of stroke. For those who are obese, the increased risk rises to 64%, according to a 2010 report in the journal Stroke, which pooled results from 25 studies involving more than two million people.
Weight and diabetes
Overweight and obesity are so closely linked to diabetes, experts have coined the term “diabesity” to describe the phenomenon. About 90% of people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) are overweight or obese. The incidence of diabetes rose dramatically—by nearly 65%—from 1996 to 2006.
A high blood sugar level, the hallmark of diabetes, is one of the features of metabolic syndrome. If untreated or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to a number of grave health problems, including kidney failure, blindness, and foot or leg amputations. Diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
Do you have metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that occur together, also increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. One of the key features is abdominal obesity. If you have that problem, you’re more likely to have the other characteristics.
You have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of these five traits:
Big waist. A waist circumference more than 35 inches in women or 40 inches in men.
High triglycerides. A fasting blood triglyceride level of 150 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL) or higher.
Low HDL. An HDL (“good”) cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women.
High blood pressure. A systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading) of 130 mm Hg or higher, or diastolic (the lower number) of 85 mm Hg or higher.
High blood sugar. A fasting blood sugar level of 100 mg/dL or higher.
(Note: You are considered to have one of the above traits if you receive treatment for it, even if your numbers are normal with this treatment.)
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Weight and cancer
Some experts believe that obesity ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death, after cigarette smoking.
A study by the American Cancer Society, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, followed more than 900,000 people for 16 years. The study showed a link between excess body weight and many different cancers. Some of the findings:
Among people ages 50 and older, overweight and obesity may account for 14% of all cancer deaths in men and 20% of all cancer deaths in women.
In both men and women, higher BMIs were associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer of the esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, or kidney.
In men, excess weight also increased the risk of dying from stomach or prostate cancer.
In women, deaths from cancer of the breast, uterus, cervix, or ovary were elevated in women with higher BMIs.
A 2008 review article in The Lancet reached similar conclusions. Part of the problem may lie in the fact that people who are very overweight are less likely to have cancer screening tests such as Pap smears and mammograms.
A report in The International Journal of Obesity showed that the larger the woman, the more likely she was to delay getting a pelvic exam, largely because of negative experiences with doctors and their office staff. In men, screening tests such as prostate exams may be physically difficult if people are very overweight, particularly if they tend to store fat in their hips, buttocks, or thighs.
Weight and lifespan
Being overweight or obese can make just getting around a challenge. Compared with people at a healthy weight, those carrying extra pounds have a harder time walking a quarter-mile, lifting 10 pounds, and rising from an armless chair. The burden of these problems appears to be greater than in years past, probably because people are now obese for a greater portion of their lives, experts speculate.
And because excess weight plays a role in so many common and deadly diseases, overweight and obesity can cut years off your life. A New England Journal of Medicine study that followed more than half a million 50- to 71-year-olds for a decade found an increase of 20% to 40% in death rates among people who were overweight at midlife. Among obese people, the death rate was two to three times as high.
A 2010 study in the same journal, which pooled findings from 19 studies that followed nearly 1.5 million white adults 19 to 84 years old for a similar period of time, found that the risk of death increased along with body size, ranging from 44% higher for those who were mildly obese to 250% higher for those with a BMI of 40 to 50.
Lose weight, feel better
Losing excess weight can make you feel better both physically and emotionally and can help you live a longer, healthier life. Especially encouraging is the fact that you don’t have to lose a tremendous amount of weight to become healthier. Even a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting weight can lead to significant health benefits. Some examples:
People with high blood pressure who lost a modest 10 pounds over six months reduced their systolic blood pressure by 2.8 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by 2.5 mm Hg. These reductions in blood pressure were equivalent to the reductions brought about by treatment with some blood pressure medications.
Weight loss is so effective that many people with high blood pressure can stop taking blood pressure medicine after they lose weight, for as long as they are able to keep it off.
In a study of people who were at risk for type 2 diabetes, those who lost just 7% of their weight and exercised about 30 minutes a day cut their risk of diabetes by nearly 60%.
Adapted with permission from Lose Weight and Keep It Off , a special health report published by Harvard Health Publications.
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If something is ‘preocular’ it is situated in front of which part of the body? | When Should I Worry About Passing Too Much Gas?
When Should I Worry About Passing Too Much Gas?
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By Julie Wilkinson, BSN, RN - Reviewed by a board-certified physician.
Updated September 01, 2016
Thanks to urban slang, there are over dozens of ways to say "pass gas" including flatulence , fart, toot, break wind, and the all-time most colorful phrase, "cut the cheese". Regardless of what name you give your emissions, most healthy people release gas throughout the day – the average is between 14 and 23 times per day.
Excessive flatulence has two harmless causes: Eating foods that make you pass gas and swallowing air.
However, excessive gas and bloating can be one of the signs of colon cancer .
How Much is Too Much?
Your doctor might encourage you to count the number of times you pass gas daily, as well as start a food and drink journal to try to find the root cause of the excess gas. Anything over 23 toots per day is considered more than is normal, but still may not warrant concern or panic.
Does the Smell Mean Anything?
Actually, the smell of your gas depends on the food that you eat and is a result of the gasses made in your small intestine and colon during digestion. A foul smell doesn't mean anything, per say, except for the possible embarrassment when passing gas happens at an inopportune time.
The general consensus is that animal proteins, such as eggs or meat, cause more foul-smelling gas, whereas soluble fiber (like that found in fruits and vegetables) can cause gas, but it won't smell as bad.
Gas Making Conditions
Although excessive flatulence is one of the symptoms of colon cancer , that is usually not the culprit in otherwise healthy adults.
The majority of adults may simply be more cognizant of passing gas, eat foods that cause it, or they may subconsciously be doing things that add to their gas, such as chewing gum or using straws to drink.
Some other causes for excess gas include:
Irritable bowel syndrome
Whole grains
What Can I Do About It?
Most importantly, if your gas, bloating and flatulence are uncomfortable or concern you, you need to discuss these symptoms with your doctor. They can help discern if the cause is something serious, such as cancer, especially if it is paired with other symptoms of the disease, like weight loss , rectal bleeding or a change in bowel habits.
If your doctor gives you the green light that you're disease-free and sends you home with a new prescription for anti-gas medications, such as simethicone, there are some things you can do to help with the flatulence including:
Slowly introduce more insoluble fiber into your diet (think bran and edible vegetable peels).
Limit your consumption of carbohydrates, such as pasta or corn.
Drink plenty of fresh water daily.
Do not use straws when you drink.
Exercise daily, if it’s safe for you to do so.
Stop chewing gum.
Slow down and enjoy each meal – don't gulp it down.
Although some of these things primarily cause burping or releasing gas through your mouth, if the air makes it past your stomach it will be released sooner or later as a toot.
Sources:
American Cancer Society website. Colorectal Cancer . Updated January 2016.
National Institute of Health. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Gas in the Digestive Tract. Updated July 2016.
Walker, A. & Vaughn, J.A. Help! I Can't Stop Farting! Ohio State University Student Health Services. 2009.
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Scottish playwright Sharman Macdonald is the mother of which famous English actress? | Sharman Macdonald (Dramatist) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News
Sharman Macdonald
Female
Born Feb 8, 1951
Sharman Macdonald is a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and former actress. She is the mother of the film actress Keira Knightley.
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View newly released photos of Sharman Macdonald.
Keira Knightley Gets Married! Details Of Her Low Key French Wedding Here
Ok Magazine - May 04, 2013
' \n Keira Knightley practically skipped out of the town hall in Mazan, France where she and James Righton got married on Saturday, May 4. \n The happy couple, who got engaged a year ago, exchanged vows in front of around a dozen guests, including Keira\'s mother, <mark>Sharman MacDonald</mark>, and James\' father, Nicholas, and brother, Bill. \n In keeping with the low-key tone of the day, Keira wore a Chanel jacket over her strapless white tulle dress, and she adorned her hair with a deli...
This Is Where We Got To When You Came In, Bush Theatre The Arts Desk
Google News - Sep 18, 2011
'Stephen Poliakoff, <mark>Sharman Macdonald</mark>, Jonathan Harvey amongst many others made their stage-writing entrance within its modest portals. Forgive me while I get a little bit slushy here. Memories are flooding in. The Bush has seen innumerable world'
Complicated Romance In The Edge Of Love Gulfnews.Com
Google News - Sep 16, 2011
'The plot Written by Keira's playwright mother, <mark>Sharman Macdonald</mark>, the film is loosely based on David Thomas's book, Dylan Thomas: A Farm, Two Mansions and a Bungalow, about the liaisons and complicated love life of the famous'
Celebrity Of The Day: 'a Dangerous Method' Star Keira Knightley Globe And Mail
Google News - Sep 11, 2011
'The daughter of actor Will Knightley and playwright <mark>Sharman Macdonald</mark>, Knightley sees herself as a child of the theatre, and she looked forward to wrapping her tongue around the script's complex dialogue. (She's currently working on her next project,'
Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Sharman Macdonald.
CHILDHOOD
1951 Birth Born on February 8, 1951.
TWENTIES
1972 21 Years Old Macdonald was born in Glasgow, and educated at the University of Edinburgh, from which she graduated in 1972. … Read More
She credits fellow Scot Ian Charleson with supporting and encouraging her to follow her theatrical aspirations, and she later contributed a chapter to the 1990 book, For Ian Charleson: A Tribute. Macdonald moved to London after university, and worked as an actress with the 7:84 Theatre Company and at the Royal Court Theatre. Although her acting career included 7 years of television work, she eventually left it, due in large part to stage fright. Read Less
THIRTIES
1984 33 Years Old While working as an actress, Macdonald wrote her first play, When I Was a Girl, I Used to Scream and Shout; it was first performed at the Bush Theatre in 1984, and won her the Evening Standard Award for most promising playwright. … Read More
Some of the themes in Scream and Shout were inspired by games that her son, Caleb, played with his friends. Of this, Macdonald has said that "it's the result of a bet, this writing life. I was desperate for a second child. Desperate never to act again. Most of all desperate to stop eating lentils, French bread and tomatoes. We were broke, Will and me. We had one child. My hormones were screaming at me to have another. So. Will bet me a child for the sale of a script". Read Less
FORTIES
1991 40 Years Old Her other work includes The Brave, commissioned by the Bush Theatre; When We Were Women, first performed at the Cottesloe Theatre; All Things Nice, commissioned by the English Stage Company and first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1991; The Winter Guest, which was made into a film, in 1997, directed by Alan Rickman; The Girl With Red Hair (2005), which had its first reading in August 2003; and Windfall a film adaptation of Penny Vincenzi's best-selling novel PiVotal Pictures.
FIFTIES
2006 55 Years Old She has written two plays for the National Theatre's Shell Connections programme; After Juliet (in which Macdonald's daughter starred as a young girl), and 2006's Broken Hallelujah. … Read More
Macdonald's resume also includes the novels The Beast (1986) and Night Night (1988), the radio plays (for the BBC) such as Sea Urchins and Gladly My Cross Eyed Bear (1999), the libretto to Hey Persephone!, performed at Aldeburgh with music by Deirdre Gribbin, and Lu Lah, Lu Lah (2010) commissioned for a young all-female cast and performed at the Cheltenham Ladies' College in Cheltenham.<br /><br /> Macdonald is married to the actor Will Knightley. They have two children, Caleb and Keira Knightley. Read Less
Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharman_Macdonald .
| Keira Knightley |
Who wrote the 1890 play ‘Hedda Gabler’? | VisitScotland highlights celebrities with Scottish roots - Holyrood Partnership : Holyrood Partnership
VisitScotland highlights celebrities with Scottish roots
VisitScotland highlights celebrities with Scottish roots
Blog
Edinburgh PR agency digs out the genealogy surprises of famous people with proud Scottish heritage
VisitScotland has released their list of the world’s most famous “wannabe Scots” – each of whom can lay claim to having Caledonian heritage.
The list was drawn up to highlight the growing popularity of Scottish geneology and its role in the Homecoming Scotland 2009 tourism drive.
Americans:
Barack Obama
American President Barack Obama is reported to be of Scottish ancestry and has received invitations from First Minister Alex Salmond and Scottish Minister Jim Murphy to return home to celebrate Homecoming 2009.
Barack Obama made history when he was voted in as the first black president of the United States of America in November 2008. Democrat Obama will take over from Republican George W Bush later this month (Jan 20 2009).
A maternal ancestor of Obama’s, Edward FitzRandolph, is said to have emigrated to America in the 17th century. He is also said to be descended from William the Lion, who ruled Scotland between 1165 and 1214.
Donald Trump
The world’s most famous businessman Donald Trump’s mother Mary Anne MacLeod hails from Stornoway. She was born in 1912 to fisherman and crofter William and his wife Catherine.
The man behind the hit show ‘The Apprentice’ is proud of his Scottish heritage. His Scottish ties inspired him to look at the country for a multi-million pound golf resort.
The billionaire tycoon was recently given permission, after controversy through the planning stages, to build Trump International Golf Links on the Menie Estate, Balmedie, Aberdeenshire. It is said the 1400-acre site will feature two championship-calibre golf course, a five-star hotel, as well as hundreds of homes.
Reese Witherspoon
Hollywood starlet Reese Witherspoon’s family descend from East Lothian.
Born Laura-Jean Reese Witherspoon, the Legally Blonde actress has become one of the world’s best-paid and highly-coveted movie stars in recent years.
Reese is a descendant of Scottish-born John Witherspoon, a signatory on the United States Declaration of Independence. John was born in Gifford, Yester, East Lothian in 1723 and emigrated to the United States in 1768. He was the only clergyman and college principal to sign the declaration.
The megastar featured in a Scottish Executive backed internet magazine in 2006 to boost Scotland’s popularity.
Jennifer Aniston
Friends beauty Jennifer Aniston’s mother Nancy Dow is of Scottish descent.
Jennifer became famous in the early 1990s as Rachel Green in the hit sitcom. She has since starred in romantic comedies such as The Break-Up, Along Came Polly and Marley and Me.
Nancy, an actress herself, was born in New York City to an Italian mother and Scottish father Gordon McLean Dow.
Jennifer and her mother became estranged for nearly a decade after Nancy talked about her famous daughter on a TV show and later wrote a book about their relationship. In 2005, after Jennifer’s divorce from Brad Pitt the pair reconciled.
Elvis Presley
The King of Rock and Roll famously only ever once touched Scottish land in a flight transfer at Prestwick Airport in 1960 as he flew from the United States to Germany to take part in military service.
But the most famous musician of all-time is perhaps less well-known for his Scottish roots. A historian found that his family tree leads back to the Aberdeenshire village of Lonmay, near Fraserburgh.
Andrew Presley, whose parents married in Lonmay in 1713 according to records, emigrated to the United States of America in 1745 with roots linking him to Elvis’ parents, who married in 1933 and later gave birth to the world’s most famous musician.
Johnny Cash
Legendary country and western singer and song-writer Johnny Cash’s family descended from Scotland.
The Cash clan arrived in the New World from Scotland during the 17th century, after mariner William Cash sailed the Atlantic and settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1612. But the singer’s Scottish roots go back further and can be traced to Ada of Warenne, the sister of Malcolm IV.
Church records show that Malcolm IV’s niece was a Cash, whose husband, the Earl of Fife, was awarded a large estate by the king who ruled Scotland between 1153 and 1165.
Johnny Cash once said Scotland was his ‘ancestral home’ on TV.
Jay Leno
Acclaimed American talk-show host Jay Leno’s mother is of Scottish descent. He was born in 1950 and named James Douglas Muir Leno.
The comedian’s mother Catherine Muir was a filmmaker was born and spent the early years of her life in Greenock before emigrating to the United States at the age of 11. She married Jay’s Italian father Angelo Leno and the pair brought up Jay in Massachusetts.
Jay Leno has hosted The Tonight Show for over 20 years. It was recently announced he will host his last show in May but is in talks to remain with the network NBC.
Eminem
One of the world’s most infamous rappers can trace both sides of his family back to Scotland. Eminem’s – real name Marshall Mathers III – Scottish roots were revealed in 2003.
The hip hop star first hit the big time in 1999 with the Slim Shady LP and vowed to retire in 2005 after four solo albums, although he has recently made a comeback.
A Highland film company traced his family tree for a documentary Eminem’s Celtic Connections. On his father’s side researchers found a Peter Mathers who married a Scottish woman and an Edinburgh woman named Ailsa McAllister, born in 1847, on his mother’s side of the family.
The surname Mathers is also linked with the Scottish Barclay clan.
John Wayne
The film star John Wayne hailed from Scottish roots – with both his mother and father being descendants of Scotland.
Born Marion Robert Morrison in 1907 to Clyde Leonard Morrison and Mary Alberta Brown, John Wayne became the ultimate American icon starring in over 200 movies and is widely regarded as the most famed cowboy of all time.
He died in 1979 after winning Academy and Golden Globe awards for epitomising rugged masculinity and becoming an enduring American icon. A 2007 Harris Poll placed Wayne third among America’s favorite film stars, the only deceased star on the list and the only to appear every year.
Gwen Stefani
Singer and fashion designer Gwen Stefani has more in common with rocker husband Gavin Rossdale than first meets the eye – the pair can both trace their roots to Scotland.
Gwen’s mother, Patti Flynn, is of Scottish and Irish descent. She was born in California and her father Dennis is Italian. Londoner Gavin is said to be half-Scottish and half-Russian.
Gwen Stefani was part of 90s chart-topping band No Doubt and has went on to have a successful singing solo career, as well as being responsible for designing the L.A.M.B. clothing line and products. She has two sons.
Eric McCormack
Will and Grace star Eric McCormack is of Scottish ancestry.
In 2006, the hugely popular TV star launched a search to trace his Scottish roots, wearing a kilt to the Edinburgh Television Festival. The 45-year-old believes his family initially came from Ireland but headed to Scotland around the time of the potato famine and that the McCormack family was part of the bigger Buchanan clan.
Eric played gay lawyer Will in the hit show which followed the lives of him and his best friend, interior designer Grace. He has also appeared in movies and on the stage, as well as recording music and owning a production company.
Kiefer Sutherland
Hollywood hellraiser Kiefer Sutherland was born in London and raised in Canada by parents of Scottish descent.
Kiefer, who is best known for playing Jack Bauer in the hit series 24 and has appeared in over 70 films, has visited his homeland several times and has been spotted partying in some of Edinburgh’s hottest nightspots.
He has Scottish ancestry from both parents, Golden Globe award-winning actor Donald Sutherland, who recently featured in hit US show Dirty Sexy Money, and actress Shirley Douglas. He is the grandson of Canadian politician Tommy Douglas. The family’s Scottish roots are said to trace back to Shetland.
Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell is a well-known TV and film actress, having leading roles in films such as Scream and The Craft and starring in hit 90s sitcom Party of Five.
Neve’s father, drama teacher Gerry Campbell, emigrated to Canada aged 11 with his parents from the East End of Glasgow.
She performed in a Scottish dance troupe as a child and attended Burns Suppers.
Neve has claimed to have seen the ghost of her dead grandmother and attributes her belief in the supernatural to her Scottish heritage; she also credits her pragmatic approach to work and life to her family’s roots.
Mike Myers
Comedy actor Mike Myers has used his Scottish roots to help create some of his most famous characters.
Cartoon ogre Shrek was originally intended to have Mike’s natural Candian accent but the movie star decided to switch as he believed Scottish people had a great attribute of being able to switch very easily between love and anger – like the character. He also played a Scot baddie in Austin Powers and a Scottish father in So I Married an Axe Murderer.
Mike’s parents emigrated to Canada from Liverpool and he claims to be of English, Scottish and Irish ancestry.
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is one of Canada’s most celebrated singers, songwriters and painters with a career spanning five decades.
Joni was born Roberta Joan Anderson to a Norwegian father Bill Anderson and Myrtle McKee, who is of Scottish and Irish heritage. Her mother was a teacher and her father was an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Her work is highly respected both by critics and fellow musicians. Rolling Stone magazine called her “one of the greatest songwriters ever”. She is most famous for her 1970s hit Big Yellow Taxi and was featured on the soundtrack of the 2003 hit film Love Actually.
Australians:
Heath Ledger
Late Australian movie star Heath Ledger was half Scottish on his mother Sally’s side and his father Kim has Irish ancestry.
His mother is said to descend from the Clan Campbell.
The movie star died in New York in 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. He portrayed The Joker in his final film Batman: The Dark Knight in a role that has seen him receive several posthumous awards. He is also famed for his roles as a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, a bad boy in 10 Things I Hate About You and a valiant knight in A Knight’s Tale.
Dame Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba was a legendary opera soprano who died in 1931. Her father was a Scottish building contractor.
She was one of the country’s most famous sopranos and the first Australian to gain international recognition. Today she appears on the Australian $100 bill.
She was originally named Helen Porter Mitchell. Her father David emigrated to Australia in 1852. The stonemason was responsible for some of Melbourne’s most famed buildings including a church and a college.
Nellie established herself as the prima donna at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. She married and had one son.
Kimberley Davies
Australian soap star Kimberley is most famous for her role as Annalise on hit show Neighbours.
The actress is of Scottish descent. Kimberley was born in Victoria in 1973.
The 35-year-old appeared on UK reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2005 and appears in the Daz washing powder soap adverts. She has also starred in hit US sitcom Ally McBeal and soap Pacific Palisades.
She is married to Jason Harvey and has two children. The family moved to Los Angeles for nine years but has now returned to Australia.
Eddie McGuire
Eddie McGuire is a well-known Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian Rules Football.
Eddie is the son of a Glaswegian coal miner and an Irish farm girl who emigrated to Melbourne in 1958.
He has hosted the Australian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, the AFL Footy Show, Nine Network game show 1 vs 100 and he is the president of the Collingwood Football Club.
His television high point has been said to be hosting the 2003 Logie Awards, an Australia TV annual awards show and he went on to host the ceremony in 2004 and 2005.
Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne is an Australian Golden Globe-nominated actress. Rose was born in 1979 and is of Irish and Scottish descent.
She has starred in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and has been the face of Max Factor make-up. The 29-year-old was named in the Most Beautiful People list in 2007 in Who Magazine.
Early in her career she appeared on popular Australian soaps Heartbreak High and Echo Point.
The 29-year-old was born in Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Her parents are Jane, a primary school administrator, and Robin Byrne, a semi-retired statistician and market researcher
Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe is best known off screen for his hell-raising behaviour.
The actor is of Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Norwegian and Maori ancestry.
He was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1964 and moved to Australia with his family at an early age. His parents were on-set caterers and his grandfather a cinematographer.
Russell Crowe has appeared in several box office smashes including Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind. Russell is a co-owner of National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabbitohs. He is married to Australian singer and actress Danielle Spencer and the couple has two sons Charlie and Tennyson.
Lucie Silvas
Pop sensation Lucie Silvas was born in London in 1977 but moved to Auckland, New Zealand aged two and moved back to England aged 13.
Lucie’s mother Isabella is Scottish and is an opera singer.
She landed a record deal in 2000 and later became a songwriter for the likes of Gareth Gates and Liberty X. Lucie has released two solo albums – What You’re Made Of and The Same Side. She has also sang with Ronan Keating in a show to celebrate the works of Elton John.
The family moved to New Zealand after her father found a dream home for sale near a golf course.
Frankie Stevens
Frankie Stevens, born Francis Donald McKechnie Stevenson, is a New Zealand entertainer currently best known as a judge on all three seasons of New Zealand Idol.
He is of mixed Scottish and Maori descent.
At the age of 16 he joined Peter Nelson and the Castaways and went solo in 1969. In 1970 he moved to London and entered Opportunity Knocks six times in a row, sang at the Palladium and the Albert Hall and represented Great Britain in several singing contests.
He went on to tour with the likes of Sammy Davis Jnr and Olivia Newton-John before starring in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Kate Sheppard
Katherine Wilson Sheppard was the most prominent member of the New Zealand’s women’s suffrage movement and remains the country’s most famous suffragette.
New Zealand was the first country to introduce universal suffrage so Kate’s work had a considerable impact on other movements throughout the world.
She was born in Liverpool in the 1840s to Scottish parents. She was taken to Christchurch in 1869 by her mother and she married a few years later and had a son Douglas. She died in 1934 and today she appears on the country’s $10 bill and there is a memorial exists for her in Christchurch.
Helen Clark
It has been claimed that New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Helen Clark ancestors hailed from Shetland. Helen was the 37th New Zealand Prime Minister and served in three successive terms from 1999 to 2008. She led the Labour Party until it lost the 2008 General Election. She is now the party’s foreign affairs spokeswoman and MP for Mount Albert which she has been since 1981.
Forbes Magazine ranked her as the 20th most powerfulwoman in the world in 2006. She was the second female Prime Minister of New Zealand and the first to have won an office at election.
Europeans:
Sarah Connor
German singer Sarah Terenzi, known as Sarah Connor, is one of the country’s biggest pop stars.
Her mother Soraya Gray was a model of Scottish and German heritage and her father Michael Lewe was an American advertising manager.
She has released eight albums since 2001 and has had five number one singles. She became the first act to ever have four consecutive chart-topping hits on the German Media Control singles chart.
Sarah was married to American Marc Terenzi of boy band Natural until November 2008 and the couple has two children. The couple had a reality show on German television ‘Sarah and Marc in Love’.
Keira Knightley
Classic English rose Keira Knightley is actually of Scottish descent. Her mother, award-winning playwright and former actress Sharman Macdonald is from Glasgow.
Sharman wrote the 2008 hit Edge of Love which starred her daughter and debuted at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Keira found fame in the 2002 British comedy Bend It Like Beckham. Since then she has appeared in hit films including Hollywood blockbuster series Pirates of the Caribbean alongside Orlando Bloom and Jonny Depp, Christmas favourite Love Actually, and several period films including playing Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.
Keira has been hired as the face of many luxury brands including Asprey and Chanel.
Colin Jackson
Welsh sprinter Colin Jackson is of Jamaican, Native American and Scottish ancestry.
His great-grandfather Duncan Campbell was part of a large Scottish community that settled in Jamaica and he fathered a child with his housemaid Albertina Wallace. At the time it was not unusual for men to have children with their staff and she was given his house to raise the child.
Colin is now a sports commentator after retiring from competing in 2003. He held the men’s 100m hurdles world record from 1993 to 2006 and was voted BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year three times.
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg was a 19th Century Norwegian composer and pianist who composed during the Romantic period.
He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A Minor, his incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt and his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces. Edvard drew his inspiration from Norwegian folk music.
After the Battle of Culloden his great-grandfather travelled extensively and settled in Norway around 1770. The original spelling of the family’s surname was Greig.
An arrangement of part of the Piano Concerto made iconic television comedy in the 1971 Morecambe and Wise Show, conducted by Andre Previn.
Douglas Murray
Douglas Murray is a Swedish ice hockey player who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks in America’s National Hockey League.
His paternal ancestors hail from Scotland and his mother gave all her children British names – Charles, Ted and Roseanna.
Douglas recently renewed his contract with the Sharks for four years at an estimated cost of $10 million. The 28-year-old has served as an alternate captain on the team. He has been a pro ice hockey player since 2003.
Douglas is co-founder of and managing partner of Uber Dispensing Company. The company produces the UberTap, a hands-free three-sprout keg tap invented by Murray and several university friends.
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Who plays alcoholic John Hancock in the 2008 film ‘Hancock’? | Hancock (film) | Hancock Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Gross revenue
$624,386,746
Hancock is a Template:Fy American action-comedy superhero film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith , Jason Bateman , and Charlize Theron . It tells the story of a vigilante superhero, John Hancock, played by Smith, from Los Angeles whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of dollars. Eventually one person he saves, Ray Embrey, played by Bateman, makes it his mission to change Hancock's public image for the better.
The story was originally written by Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years and had various directors attached, including Tony Scott , Michael Mann , Jonathan Mostow , and Gabriele Muccino before going into production in 2007. Hancock was filmed in Los Angeles with a production budget of $150 million.
The film was widely released on July 2, 2008 in the United States and the United Kingdom by Columbia Pictures . Hancock received mixed reviews from film critics. To date, Hancock has grossed $624,386,746 in theaters worldwide.
Contents
Edit
John Hancock is a drunkard with superhuman powers, including supersonic flight, invulnerability, immortality, and super-strength. Although he uses his powers to rescue people and stop criminals, his activities inadvertently cause millions of dollars in property damage due to his constant intoxication and cynical attitude. As a result, he is routinely jeered by the public and is considered a nuisance by the LAPD . Hancock frequently ignores court subpoenas and lawsuits from the city of Los Angeles to address the property damage he has caused.
When public relations spokesperson Ray Embrey departs from an unsuccessful meeting pitching his All-Heart logo for corporations that want to be seen as charitable, he becomes trapped on railroad tracks facing collision with an oncoming freight train. Hancock saves Ray's life at the cost of derailing the train and damaging other cars. Hancock is jeered by other drivers for causing more destruction, but Ray steps in and thanks Hancock for saving his life. Ray offers to improve Hancock's public image, and Hancock grudgingly accepts. Ray convinces Hancock to turn himself in for his outstanding subpoenas so they can show Los Angeles how much the city really needs Hancock when they miss him fighting crime and saving lives. When the crime rate does rise following his incarceration, Hancock is contacted by the Chief of Police to help stop a violent bank robbery. With a new costume from Ray, Hancock is released from jail and makes a triumphant return by rescuing a wounded police officer, and foiling the robbers led by Red Parker.
Hancock is applauded for handling the bank robbery and becomes popular once more, as Ray had predicted. He goes out to dinner with Ray and his wife Mary, with whom he reveals his apparent immortality and his amnesia from 80 years ago. After Hancock tucks a drunken Ray in bed, he discovers that Mary also has superhuman powers. He threatens to expose her unless she explains their origins. Mary eventually tells him that they have lived for 3,000 years with their powers, having been called gods and angels in their time. She also explains that they are the last of their kind and are meant to be paired. Mary does not tell Hancock the entire truth, and Hancock departs to tell Ray about the conversation. The exchange results in a battle between Hancock and Mary that takes them to downtown Los Angeles, causing significant destruction to the area. Ray, downtown in a business meeting, sees and recognizes his wife using abilities like Hancock's.
Hancock meets Ray and Mary back at their house. Mary explains that Hancock is technically her husband, explaining that they were built in twos, and that they are drawn to each other over time and great distances. When later intervening in a liquor store robbery, Hancock is shot and wounded. Visiting him at the hospital, Mary explains that when a pair of immortals get close to each other physically, they begin to lose their powers. She also tells him that she and Hancock have been attacked as a couple many times throughout history, most recently being in an alley in Miami 80 years ago. His skull was fractured during the attack, causing amnesia. To save his life at the time, Mary deserted him, allowing him to recover from his injuries.
After her explanation, the hospital is raided by the bank robber Red Parker and two other criminals that Hancock had encountered when imprisoned. Mary is shot trying to defend Hancock who, in turn, eliminates the two henchmen, but is further wounded in the process. When Red attempts to finish Hancock off, Ray comes to the rescue and stops the bank robber with a fire axe. With Mary dying, Hancock uses the last of his strength to flee from the hospital so that their parting would allow them both to heal with their powers. Hancock relocates to New York City , and works as a superhero there. In gratitude to Ray, Hancock paints Ray's All-Heart logo on the moon, giving worldwide advertisement to his cause.
Cast
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Will Smith as John Hancock, an alcoholic superhero. [1] Smith described the character, "Hancock is not your average superhero. Every day he wakes up mad at the world. He doesn't remember what happened to him and there's no one to help him find the answers." [2] Hancock is invulnerable, immortal, possesses superhuman strength , and can fly at supersonic speeds. [3] To give a realistic appearance of superhero flight, Smith was often suspended by wires 60 feet above the ground and propelled at 40–50 miles per hour. [4]
Jason Bateman as Ray Embrey, a corporate public relations consultant whose life Hancock saves. Bateman said, "My character sees life through rose-colored glasses so he doesn't understand how people can't see the positive side of Hancock. I like being the everyman. I like being the tour guide, the one who tethers whatever absurdity might be in a film and helps make that tangible to the audience." [5]
Charlize Theron as Mary Embrey, Ray's wife. Theron described Mary, "She makes this conscious decision to live in suburbia and be this soccer mum to her stepson and be the perfect wife—she lives in this bubble. But when people do that it usually means they are hiding some characteristic inside themselves that scares them. That is Mary's case. She knows who she is and what she is capable of. I find it very complex when I get to play women like that." [6]
Eddie Marsan as Kenneth "Red" Parker, Jr., a bank robber. Having previously filmed the low-budget Happy-Go-Lucky , Marsan found the transition to the big-budget Hancock to be a shock. Said Marsan, "I went from being in a car with Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky to blowing up a bank in downtown LA." [7]
Production
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Template:Quote box Vincent Ngo wrote the spec script Tonight, He Comes in 1996. The draft, about a troubled 12-year-old and a fallen superhero, was initially picked up by director Tony Scott as a potential project. [8] Producer Akiva Goldsman came across the script, which he had considered a favorite, [9] and encouraged Richard Saperstein, then president of development and production at Artisan Entertainment , to acquire it in 2002. [8] Michael Mann was initially attached to direct Tonight, He Comes, but he instead opted to direct Miami Vice . [9] Eventually, Artisan placed the project in turnaround , and it was acquired by Goldsman. [10]
Vince Gilligan and John August rewrote Ngo's script, [11] and Jonathan Mostow was attached to direct the film. Under Mostow's supervision, a 10-page treatment was written to be pitched to actor Will Smith to portray the lead role in the film. Neither Mostow nor Smith was yet committed to make the project an active priority at the time. Several studios pursued the opportunity to finance the film, and Columbia Pictures succeeded in acquiring the prospect in February 2005. A second draft was scripted by Gilligan following the finalization of the deal with Columbia. The film was initially slated for a holiday 2006 release. [10]
In November 2005, Mostow and Smith committed to Tonight, He Comes, with production slated to begin in Los Angeles in summer 2006. [9] Smith had set up a pay or play contract to film I Am Legend under Warner Bros. after completion of Tonight, He Comes. [12] Mostow eventually departed from the project due to creative differences. [13] Italian director Gabriele Muccino filled Mostow's vacancy in May 2006. Since Muccino was busy editing The Pursuit of Happyness starring Smith, which Muccino had directed, Smith switched projects to film I Am Legend first for its December 2007 release, and then film Tonight, He Comes afterward. [14] Later in the month, Muccino left the project because of an incompatibility with filming the story. Since Muccino was preparing The Pursuit of Happyness, the studio had delayed the production start for Tonight, He Comes to summer 2007, enabling Warner Bros. to begin production of I Am Legend with Smith. [13]
Filming
File:Hollywood boulevard from kodak theatre.jpg
In October 2006, Peter Berg was attached to direct Tonight, He Comes with production slated to begin in May 2007 in Los Angeles, the story's setting. [15] Berg had been midway through filming The Kingdom when he heard about the film and called Michael Mann, who had become one of its producers. [16] The new director compared the original script's tone to Leaving Las Vegas (1995), calling it "a scathing character study of this suicidal alcoholic superhero". The director explained the rewrite, "We thought the idea was cool, but we did want to lighten it up. We all did." [17] Before filming began, Tonight, He Comes was retitled John Hancock, [1] and it was eventually shortened to Hancock. [18]
Filming began on Hancock on July 3, 2007 in Los Angeles, [19] having a production budget of $150 million. [11] Locations like Hollywood Boulevard were designed to look damaged, having rubble, overturned vehicles, and fires. [20] Smith's character is also an alcoholic, so for scenes in liquor stores, the art department designed fake labels such as Pap Smear Vodka for the bottles because "brown-bag brands" like Thunderbird and Night Train refused to lend their names. [21] Reshoots were filmed in Times Square in May 2008, the late date resulting in the cancellation of the film's original world premiere in Australia on June 10, 2008. [2]
Visual effects
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Hancock was Peter Berg's first film with visual effects as critical cinematic elements. [16] He considered the computer-generated fight his least favorite part of the film, citing limited control in making the scene successful. According to the director, "Once the fight starts, you're very limited and you're at the mercy of your effects guys... unless they're really technically oriented... it's definitely the time we have the least amount of control as directors." He and other filmmakers worked to cut down on the fight scene, believing that the film's success would come from the character study of Smith's character, John Hancock, similar to Robert Downey Jr. 's acclaimed portrayal of Tony Stark in the previous May's superhero release, Iron Man . [17]
Visual effects supervisor Carey Villegas described Peter Berg's photography as "very high energy", to which the visual effects crew had difficulty adapting. Though the crew had estimated developing 300 visual effects shot at its initial bid, the final tally was approximately 525 shots. An unexpected shot was a scene in which Hancock shoves a prisoner's head up another's behind, and filmmakers initially attempted to film it conventionally, using sleight of hand techniques with cameras. Finding that doing so did not capture "the vulgarity of the gag", the crew was enlisted to use computer-generated effects. Visual effects were also applied in conjunction with the film's choreography, incorporating palm trees, twisters, and debris in the computer-generated fight scene and combining visual effects with a crane shot to portray Hancock's derailment of a freight train. [22]
Release
Edit
The New York Times noted that Hancock Template:'s original story and controversial subject matter present a stark contrast to "a summerful of sequels and animated sure shots" and represent a gamble for "an increasingly corporate entertainment industry". Hancock had been reviewed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) twice, and both times received an R rating instead of the makers' preferred PG-13 rating to target broader audiences. [11]
The MPAA questioned elements including Smith's character drinking in front of a 17-year-old and the character flying under the influence of alcohol. Scenes that were removed to garner a PG-13 rating from the MPAA included a scene of statutory rape , [11] two of three uses of the word " fuck " (the MPAA only permitted one use for the PG-13 rating), and intense shots of needles going into arms. The MPAA allowed scenes of Hancock shoving a prisoner's head up another's behind and of Hancock having explosive ejaculation during sexual intercourse , though Berg chose to save the latter scene for the DVD, explaining, "It just wasn't that funny. Never was. You'd put it in front of an audience and there'd be two, maybe three people laughing. There was no way to do that and then regain even a modicum of emotional integrity." The director kept the scene with the prisoners since a Las Vegas test screening was overwhelmingly successful: "At the end of the day, I couldn't ignore an audience when they're laughing that hard." [23] With such elements, studio executives only became comfortable with Hancock when the marketing approach focused on action and humor. Berg noted, "The ad campaign for this movie is much friendlier than the film." [11] The MPAA ultimately gave the film a PG-13 rating, citing "some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and language". [3]
Hancock was originally titled Tonight, He Comes and later changed to John Hancock before settling on its final title. Prior to the film's release, marketing consultants attempted to persuade Sony Pictures to again change the title Hancock because it was too vague for audiences, suggesting alternatives like Heroes Never Die, Unlikely Hero, and Less Than Hero. Despite the advice, Sony stayed with Hancock and anticipated marketing on the popularity of the film's star, Will Smith. [24]
Theatrical run
Edit
Hancock had its world premiere as the opener at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival on June 19, 2008. [25] To avoid copyright infringement, organizers took "unprecedented" steps to prevent illegal reproduction of the film. [26]
For the film, Sony created a digital camera package (DCP) having 4K resolution, containing four times more information than the typical DCP that possessed 2K resolution. Projectors for the higher-resolution package have been installed in 200 theaters in the United States with two dozen in evaluation. The impact of the package has been debated, with one argument being that the difference is not noticeable and the counter-argument being that the higher resolution has future value. [27]
Prior to the film's opening five-day weekend in the United States and Canada, predictions for its weekend performance ranged from as low as $70 million to as high as $125 million. [28] [29] According to CinemaScore , Hancock was given a B+ grade by audiences. [30] The film was shown in advance screenings on July 1, 2008 in 3,680 theaters in the United States and Canada, grossing $6.8 million. The film was widely released on July 2, 2008, expanding to 3,965 theaters. [31] At the conclusion of the five-day weekend, Hancock took top placement at the box office in the United States and Canada, grossing an estimated $103.8 million. [32] The film had the third-biggest opening 4th of July weekend after Transformers and Spider-Man 2 . Hancock was Will Smith's fifth film to open on a 4th of July weekend and was his most successful opening to date. The film was also Smith's eighth film in a row to take top placement in the American and Canadian box office and the twelfth film in Smith's career to lead the box office. [33] [34] Hancock was also Peter Berg 's strongest opening of his directing career to date. [35]
Outside of the United States and Canada, Hancock grossed $78.3 million in its opening weekend, drawing from 5,444 screenings across 50 markets, ranking it the third highest international opening of 2008 after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man . [36] Hancock averaged $14,382 per screen. It placed on top in 47 of the 50 markets in which it opened; [37] its strongest openings were the United Kingdom with $19.3 million, Germany with $12.4 million, South Korea with $8.5 million, Australia with $7.3 million, and China with $5.5 million. The Chinese opening was the fourth-biggest opening to date for the country. Other international performances included $3.4 million in Brazil and $3.1 million in Taiwan. [36] In Hong Kong, the film opened in first place with $1.3 million, averaging $37,300 across the 35 venues. [38] The film's overall gross for its opening five-day weekend worldwide is $185.6 million. [37]
In the following weekend of July 11, 2008, Hancock fell to second place in the United States and Canada behind Hellboy II: The Golden Army , grossing an estimated $33 million, a "modest" 47% drop in revenue. [39] The film's recorded American and Canadian attendance was higher than the Smith feature Men in Black II in both films' second weekend, but it was significantly less than attendance records for Smith's other films, Independence Day and Men in Black through the same point. [40] Overseas, Hancock expanded to 8,125 screens across 67 markets, ranking first at the box office again in 30 markets. The film's top opening grosses for the weekend included $11.4 million in Russia (589 screens), $9.9 million in France (739 screens), $4.6 million in Mexico (783 screens), $2.2 million in India (429 screens), $1.7 million in the Netherlands (90 screens), $1.3 million in Belgium (69 screens), and $1 million in the Ukraine (81 screens). In territories playing Hancock for a second weekend, the United Kingdom dropped 45% to total $33.4 million to date, Germany 37% to total $24.2 million to date, South Korea 38% to total $14.7 million to date, and Australia 47% to total $14.4 million to date. [41] For the second weekend, with the 67 markets, Hancock accumulated an estimated $71.4 million in the international box office, only a $7.2 million drop from the previous weekend in territories outside the United States and Canada. [42]
In Hancock's third weekend of July 18, the film took top placement in the international box office a third time, grossing an estimated $44.8 million from 8,286 screens across 71 territories. The film had beaten out The Dark Knight , which premiered that weekend in 20 foreign markets. Hancock had tracked 32% internationally ahead of its performance in the United States and Canada. It had opened in four new markets for the weekend, ranking first in Spain with $8.6 million from 562 sites and first in Norway with $1 million from 60 sites. Hancock also kept top placement in France, estimating $4.4 million from 741 screens for a total of $16.8 million to date. [43]
The film experienced a late resurgence in the international box office on the weekend of September 12, grossing $10.6 million from 1,425 screens in 31 markets. Making up most of the amount was $8 million from the film's premiere in Italy on 678 screens. [44] Hancock has grossed $227,946,274 in the United States and Canada and $396,440,472 in other territories for a worldwide total of $624,386,746. [45]
Home media
Edit
Hancock was part of Sony 's experiment in providing content to consumers who own a BRAVIA television equipped with an Internet connection. The film's release over the Internet took place after its theatrical run and before its release on DVD. According to Sony executives, distributing Hancock is an opportunity to showcase BRAVIA, though the method has been perceived as an "obvious threat" to cable companies' video on demand . [46] The film was available to BRAVIA owners from October 28, 2008 to November 10, 2008. [47]
The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on November 25, 2008. [48] The single-disc DVD provides a theatrical cut (93 minutes) and an unrated cut (102 minutes) as well as five featurettes and two documentaries. The double-disc DVD includes these features, a digital copy of the film, and two additional making-of extras. The Blu-ray disc includes these, an on-set visual diary, and a picture-in-picture track. [49] George Lang of The Oklahoman described the unrated cut as "a rare instance when deleted scenes enhance the final product". [50] Christopher Monfette of IGN thought that the Blu-ray disc was a "beautiful" transfer, the audio was well-balanced, and the featurettes were well-supplied. [51]
In the week ending November 30, Hancock placed first on three video charts: the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, Home Media Magazine's video rental chart, and Nielsen's Blu-ray Disc chart. With the year's Black Friday shopping day on November 28, Hancock was the top seller in the Blu-ray format. [52]
Critical reception
Edit
Hancock received mixed reviews from film critics. [53] Rotten Tomatoes reported that 40% of critics gave the film positive reviews based upon a sample of 208, with an average score of 5.4 out of 10. [54] At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 49 based on 37 reviews. [53] Some critics reported that the film was a jumble of ideas that, despite starting well, did not fully deliver the edgy satire the subject matter promised, with a general consensus forming that it suffered from a weak story and poor execution. [29] [54] Todd McCarthy of Variety felt that the film's premise was undermined by the execution. McCarthy believed the concept ensured the film was "amusing and plausible" for its first half, but that the second half was full of illogical story developments and missed opportunities. [55] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter said that the opening established the premise well, but that the film came undone when it began to alternate between comedy and tragedy, and introduced a backstory for Hancock that did not make sense. He said it rewrote its own internal logic in order to pander to its audience. [56] Stephen Hunter in The Washington Post said it had begun with promise, but that the change in tone partway through was so abrupt that the film did not recover. [57] Jim Schembri of The Age called the change in direction "an absolute killer story twist", [58] and David Denby of The New Yorker said it lifted the film to a new level by supplementing the jokes with sexual tension and emotional power. [59]
Jim Schembri reported that Berg's direction helped to sell Hancock's "well-drawn" backstory, [58] Todd McCarthy said the gritty visual approach adopted by Berg did not mesh well with the "vulgar goofiness" of certain scenes, [55] and Stephen Farber said that Berg's frantic direction compounded the storytelling errors. [56] Stephen Hunter said that Berg had not understood that the shifting tone and plot twists were meant to be humorous, and that he had played straight what was supposed to be a dark comedy and subversive satire. [57] David Denby said Berg's style—especially his use of close-ups—was intended to showcase "genuine actors at work", [59] while Manohla Dargis of The New York Times insisted Berg had taken Hancock to heart and brought gravity to the film. [60]
David Denby described Smith's performance as contrasting with his performances in his other films. He said, "For the first time in his life, Will Smith doesn’t flirt with the audience... he stays in character as a self-hating lonely guy." [59] Stephen Hunter argued that Smith and his co-stars had misunderstood the material in the same manner as Berg. He added that the examination of Smith's character came across at first as an examination of "phenomenally gifted" black sporting superstars who were "marginalized", "dehumanized" and exploited as a product by society. [57] Manohla Dargis was struck by Theron's performance, saying that she enabled Smith to deepen the film's emotional complexity. [60] Todd McCarthy said that Smith's "attitude-laden quips" helped to carry the film's superior first half, and that all three leads performed capably, but he said no opportunity was offered for the supporting characters to register. [55] Roger Ebert writing in the Chicago Sun Times praised the three leads, saying that Smith avoided playing Hancock "as a goofball" and instead portrayed him as a more subtle and serious character. [61] Stephen Farber said that Hancock was a good showcase for the leads, affirming that Smith shone in a film that was only sporadically worthy of his performance. [56]
Jim Schembri concluded that the film was "refreshing, savvy, fun and fast". He said it managed to mix comedy and action successfully, and that the drama came across as surprisingly genuine. [58] Stephen Farber believed that the extended development of the film had reduced its quality, but that the visual effects were "stellar" and showed wit. [56] McCarthy praised the effects, but said the film was "both overwrought and severely undernourished." [55] Roger Ebert observed the film was "a lot of fun", [61] and Manohla Dargis admitted that it was "unexpectedly satisfying". She said that while it faltered and felt rushed towards its end, it had an emotional complexity and "raggedness" that spoke with sincerity about essential human vulnerabilities. [60] Stephen Hunter concluded that Hancock was ultimately "indigestible". [57]
Hancock won the award for "Best Summer Action/Adventure Movie" at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards . [62]
Sequel
Edit
Director Peter Berg said prior to Hancock Template:'s release that if the film pulls in as much business as predicted, a sequel, Hancock 2, would likely follow. [16] After the film's release on DVD and Blu-ray, actor Will Smith said that there was ongoing discussion about a possible sequel, "The ideas aren't [...] developed, but we are building out an entire world; I think people are going to be very surprised at the new world of Hancock." [63] In August 2009, Columbia Pictures hired screenwriters Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara to write the sequel, and the studio plans to bring back the producing team from the original film. [64] Charlize Theron confirmed that she would reprise her role, and Berg said to expect a third actor to star as another god with powers like Smith's and Theron's characters. [65]
| Will Smith |
‘Alcea rosea’ is the Latin name for which common garden flower? | HANCOCK
HANCOCK
�
2008, PG-13, 92 mins.
John Hancock: Will Smith / Mary Embrey Charlize Theron / Ray Embrey Jason Bateman / Aaron Embrey Jae Head / Red Eddie Marsan / Man Mountain David Mattey
Directed by Peter Berg / Written by Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan
I will find it next-to-impossible to discuss my overt criticisms of 'HANCOCK' without revealing many of the would-be surprising twists and turns in the film's plot. Please consider this full-length review one with massive spoilers.
HANCOCK may be the only super hero film that I can ever recall watching that has the following exchange: Just after saving someone�s life, a innocent bystander walks up to the hero and states, �Your breath smells like alcohol� to which the hero matter-of-factly retorts, �That�s cause I�ve been drinkin�, bitch!�
Welcome to HANCOCK, this summer�s first super hero film not based on any known source material. As played by Will Smith (coming off his very stellar performance in last fall�s surprisingly decent I AM LEGEND ), John Hancock (just like one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence) may be the most atypical hero of all time. Instead adorning a skintight leotard and a cape � not to mention having a secret identity � Hancock is a smelly, dirty, unshaven, foul mouthed, misogynistic, and raunchy hobo. He is also the only super hero to have a bottle of whiskey in one hand while he battles evildoers with the other (question: is drunk flying against any law if you�re the one that is physically flying?). He�s got super speed and super strength that can only be matched by his super foul booze breath and his genuinely vulgar and impolite attitude. He also seems indestructible, but his weakness is the bottle.
Hancock lives a life as a recluse, a skid row bum that ekes out his days passing out at buss stops. Occasionally, and when the situation compels him to do so, he will come to grips with his calling and stop any type of bad guys that perpetrate crime�but often with some disastrous effects. An early sequence in HANCOCK shows the inebriated hero stopping a batch of crooks by perusing their getaway car along a busy freeway. Unfortunately, Hancock is so dang smashed that he flies right through freeway signs, which destroys cars bellow, and then he deposits the evildoers' car where it certainly should not be left (all in all: the city estimates the property damage in the millions). Yes, Hancock does save the day on occasion, but he also manages to leave a considerable amount of avoidable collateral damage in the process. Of course, he takes it all in stride. After all�who in the hell would stop a chronic alcoholic that is as strong as the Man of Steel?
Okay, the most fitting thing I will say about HANCOCK is that it�s an utter mess of a film. Yet, this film�s premise is not the problem with it: The character of Hancock has balls, but the film that surrounds has none. This is one of those regrettably watered down, would-be R-rated films that seems outright neutered by the marginalization of the PG-13 rating. It�s simply one of the most obvious attempts a studio taking a character and subject matter that wants to soar up, up, and away to pleasingly coarse and scatological heights of politically incorrect debauchery and instead tames it down to reach the broadest possible audience demographic. On those terms, HANCOCK is totally disingenuous to itself.
Even worse is the fact that this film has a really great and nifty premise and goes nowhere with it fast. The opening moments of the film do, if fact, have a nice balancing act of alternating between large-scale comic book spectacle and satiric laughs. The whole concept of a self-loathing super-hero that�s more addicted to Jack Daniels than saving lives is intriguing enough, but HANCOCK soon spirals way out of control with what has to be one of the most telegraphed plot �twists� I�ve seen in a film this year, not to mention that when the story provides a horrendously handled change in tone and gives the entire history and origin of Hancock, the entire universe that this film sets up implodes on itself. That�s a bona fide disgrace, seeing as Smith and his co-stars give thanklessly respectable performances here.
The story itself, as stated, has a hopeful beginning. Hancock has a life-changing day when he manages to come to the rescue of Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman, whose carved out one good supporting performance after another, and does so again here) who he later finds out is in the field of public relations. Ray�s heart is in his dream project, the �All-Heart� charity, which has a foundation that�s so flimsy that most corporate big wigs want to have nothing to do with. Okay, so Ray�s PR mission is really flaky at best, but he is a good man and sees real potential in Hancock to radically depart from his nightmarish image as a no-good menace to one of an adored and esteemed super hero. Ray, in consideration for his life being saved, makes it his mission to make Hancock the media super-darling he rightfully should be. Ray�s loving wife, Mary (Charlize Theron, who has never been more agreeably sexy in a film) seems a lot more guarded about dealing with Hancock. When Ray brings the hero home, she gives him many distrusting stares.
Nonetheless, Ray has what he thinks is a foolproof plan, but one that does not initially sit well with Hancock. Ray wants him to actually turn himself in to police and do time in prison. Why? Well, maybe by serving a sentence in jail might garner up some serious PR points, not to mention respect from those that feel Hancock owes the city something back. Of course, no correctional facility could ever hold Hancock, but that�s not the point. Ray hopes that the public will revere Hancock more if he allows himself to succumb to a jail sentence. Also, Ray feels that the crime rate will rise so much while Hancock is in prison that the public will do anything to get him back on the streets.
The logic here sounds right, but Hancock has a mighty tough time adjusting to prison life (one of the film�s funniest and most shocking scenes has him literally backing up his words about shoving one belligerent inmates head up another one�s�you know). While Hancock serves his time, Ray coaches him on super hero etiquette (like, saying �good job� to the police that are trying to get control of things before he takes control, and to hold back on his landings so he doesn�t cause costly craters in the streets). Finally, there is the obligatory costume, which Hancock begrudgingly decides to wear, although he would much rather wear cargo shorts, a tank top, and sunglasses.
The film�s story (originally attributed to a 1996 spec script named �Tonight, He Comes� by Vincent Ngo) has some real fun with these early moments, but just after Hancock is released from prison and starts to become a real hero, the film takes a categorical nosedive. The first major problem the plot has is its rigid, almost inane, predictability, especially the way it slavishly adheres to Roger Ebert�s �Law of Economy of Characters� (which states that "any apparently unnecessary or extraneous major character is undoubtedly the villain"). Perhaps the central problem is with the casting of multiple Oscar nominee and winner Charlize Theron as the unassuming wife. Her marquee as an A-list actress is so large that we know with alarming certainty that Mary will undoubtedly not just play second fiddle as a loyal wife persona in the background. From the very first minute she appears and gives Hancock one of several beyond-obvious suspicious glances, you know that she will play a prominent role later. When Mary inevitably reveals that � gasp! � she too is an all-powerful super hero, there is not one head in the theatre that did not displeasurably shake with a �saw that coming from a mile away� demeanor.
Even more awkward and confusing as hell is how the story provides exposition as to how she and Hancock relate to one another, which only exasperates the film as one consisting of wildly incongruent tonal shifts. Early in the film Hancock recalls how he awoke 80 years ago without much memory of what occurred before that, which leads one to wonder why anyone in the media for the last eight decades has not caught on to the fact that this very public hero has not aged a day during that period?
This is only the beginning of HANCOCK�S frustratingly ill-mannered attempts at laying down the rules for its world. We later learn from Mary that she and Hancock are actually immortals and are nearly 3000 years old. Okay. Fine. But then she offers up a rationale as to why there are no other members of their ancient race around anymore. It seems that this race dies out because of a weakness which causes its members to lose their powers when � get this � they are very close to one another. Members of this race were created in pairs, and are inevitably drawn to one another. In short, Hancock and Mary are a �pair.�
Huh?
I simply don�t understand. Why would an ancient race create beings where their disastrous Achilles' heel was�close proximity to one another? This race has to be one of the stupidest of the last 3000 years, seeing as only morons would have created pairs of super men and women that would idiotically make themselves mortal if they occupied the same small space. The further problem with this rationale for Hancock�s existence is that it never is able to hold itself up to flimsy scrutiny later and eventually contradicts itself. Why, for starters, does Hancock not get weak in early scenes with Mary (when he and the audience does not know her heritage), but later in the film (when we learn everything) he becomes nearly mortal in her presence? I have no problem when films establish little rules by which their characters occupy for the sake of narrative, but when their arbitrarily abort them for the convenience of the story, its unforgivable. The purpose, I guess, of this is to make Hancock very weak at a key moment in the film while being pounded by bad guys to drum up the tension. Then, the film conveniently gives him his strength back, just when he needs it.
HANCOCK was directed by the usually very competent Peter Berg (who last made one of the most underrated action thrillers of 2007 in THE KINGDOM , not to mention one of the better sports films of the last few years in FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS ). In anything, his aesthetic choices in HANCOCK are at least interesting: He shoots things in a laid back, fly-on-the-wall, v�rit� style, which provides a nice stark contrast to the typical sheen and polish of most summer comic books films. He is also adept at marrying million dollar visual effects and convincingly integrating them into the live action. The performances by Smith and especially Bateman are solid. Yet, it seems that all the players behind the scenes lacked the foresight to notice that HANCOCK is woefully inconsistent, lazily conventional, and has a story with faulty logic that implodes on itself in the last hour. As an action comedy, the film gets a few chuckles and the action set pieces are first rate, but there is no pardoning HANCOCK for its cheap, game-changing plot twists and lame execution of its premise, so much so that it becomes disappointingly nonsensical. As a result, the film infuriatingly perplexed me more than it did joyously entertain, which certainly is kryptonite to any successful summer, super hero action film.
| i don't know |
‘The Valley of the ‘what’ is a 1966 novel by US author Jacqueline Susann? | Valley of the Dolls:A Novel by Jacqueline Susann (1966, Hardback) | eBay
Valley of the Dolls:A Novel by Jacqueline Susann (1966, Hardback)
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| Doll |
Jess Wright, Chloe Sims, Lauren Pope and James Argent all appear in which British Television reality show? | Jacqueline Susann's "My Book Is Not Dirty" Essay | InStyle.com
Jacqueline Susann's "My Book Is Not Dirty" Essay
"My Book Is Not Dirty": Valley of the Dolls Author Jacqueline Susann Reacts to Critics in 1966
Jacqueline Susann Archive Collection
BY: InStyle Staff
Fifty years ago, Jacqueline Susann published Valley of the Dolls, a book about power, money, celebrity, and drug addiction that would go on to be hailed as one of the most pioneering and iconic moments of the 1960s, as well as the cinematic vehicle that would propel Patty Duke and Sharon Tate to big-screen stardom. But back then, Dolls—which has sold more than 31 million copies to date—was deemed "trashy," "tawdry," and, according to a 1966 issue of Time magazine, "the dirty book of the month." In response, Susann wrote this never-before-seen essay, "My Book Is Not Dirty," which feels just as prescient as her novel does today. Read it in full below, and pick up the 50th anniversary edition of Valley of the Dolls on July 4 (available for pre-order, $19; amazon.com ).
Jacqueline Susann Archive Collection
So many people seem unable to differentiate between the words shocking and dirty. Truth is often shocking. It is not dirty. Life is shocking at times ... it is not dirty.
People often confuse the words savage and dirty. Violent and dirty. To me, something in print is dirty only if it is used for prurient reasons ... if it is inserted without necessity to develop a character or plot.
There is nothing in Valley of the Dolls that is dirty. There are plenty of savage chapters. There is violence and sometimes shock. But the world of show business is one of the toughest arenas of combat. Every star is a gladiator of the moment. Do you realize that every picture you see, every Broadway show, every actor or actress who scores represents ten thousand performers who tried for the same part and lost out? And then let us examine the chosen few. No Oscar is permanent. It’s always, “What have you done lately?” There is no normal boy-girl relationship between two performers; both are fighting to come off best. There is no time for second best in show business. A man works his way up to becoming president of a bank. He has it made. A lawyer works his way to the top and has big law offices. He has it made. A star makes it big in a picture. He or she has it made ... for that picture. That season. Two bad pictures and good-by Charlie. A new gladiator is brought into the arena. The King is Dead. Long live the New King.
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It’s a business where each candle on a birthday cake becomes a nail in the coffin to a female star. We live in an age of youth. We live in a world where a woman is “over the hill” at thirty, the world of movies.
Sounds pretty savage ... pretty shocking. It’s true. And I write about it in Valley of the Dolls. It’s all of those things: savage, shocking, unfair, but not dirty!
Jacqueline Susann Archive Collection
If it’s like this, you might say, then why do so many young girls make the trek to California with high hopes? They come every year, young beauties filled with pear-shaped vowels they’ve learned from their local drama teachers. Half of them wind up as topless waitresses. Half of them wind up in the Valley of the Dolls.
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It’s the occupational hazard of show business. A scuba diver knows he might run into a shark and lose a leg. But every day there are more and more scuba divers. A sky diver knows that one day his parachute may not open, but we have sky divers. And a professional football player knows he may break his back, his legs, lose his teeth, and even suffer brain damage. Yet each year, beautiful young men, fight to attain this honor.
Maybe everything that has a chance to hit the summit carries its own hazard. Maybe it’s worth taking the chance to reach the top of Mount Everest. Ninety-nine percent of the world weighs the chances and decides on the middle road. Thank God. We need mothers and teachers and useful wonderful citizens. They make up our true civilization. But what of that one percent? The smiling boy who becomes President and gets demolished with an impossible long shot bullet in Texas? The President who is in office and is open to remarks about every coming and going of his family, who must show his gallstone operation to the world to keep the stock market in line. A heart attack scare would start a panic. A gallbladder...fine...on we go. The movie star is made “instant royalty” and then open to instant insult by the fans who claim her.
If one writes about war, about battles, one cannot merely write about the bright uniforms, the roll of the drums, the victories. There is mud and slime and amputation and gangrene. Ugly ... shocking ... but truth.
And I wrote Valley of the Dolls—what it’s like for a woman to reach the top of Mount Everest in show business. All women do not find the Valley of the Dolls up there. All presidents are not assassinated. But we have lost a few.
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Sure, Valley of the Dolls is a novel. That makes it fiction. But good fiction has the ring of truth. And truth is not always tied up in pretty packages. My gladiators in Valley of the Dolls are human, not supermen or women. They have their failings, their weaknesses, and some of them get crushed in combat, or bruised, and I show the gore of the inside battles. That’s how it is. That’s how I see it. Rough, yes. Savage, you bet. But not dirty ...
| i don't know |
Bryndza cheese is made from the milk of which animal? | Bryndza - Cheese.com
Find over 1750 specialty cheeses from 74 countries in the world's greatest cheese resource
Creative Commons / Dezidor
Bryndza
Bryndza is a sheep's milk cheese popular in several mountainous countries of Eastern Europe, especially in Podhale region of Poland and Slovakia. The name Bryndza comes from Wallachian, the Romanian word for cheese.
There are three types of Bryndza, each prepared differently thus giving the cheese a characteristic texture, taste and colour. Both Slovenská bryndza and Bryndza Podhalańska have been registered in the EU as a PDO cheese in 2008 and 2006, respectively. There is one more variety of Bryndza that contains only sheep's milk and is called liptovská or ovčia bryndza.
While the Slovak variety must have 50% sheep's milk to account for protected designation, the Polish variety of Bryndza contains 60% sheep's milk. In contrast, 100% sheep's milk is used to make liptovská or ovčia bryndza, the least produced variety of Bryndza.
The texture, flavour and colour of Bryndza are dependent on how it is made or prepared. Generally, the cheese is quite salty and crumbly if standard salt is used but some producers add saline solution to make it salty, which then changes the texture to soft and spreadable. It is white to gray in colour, tangy to taste and slightly moist. The flavour graph starts from being slightly mild to going strong and then fading with a salty finish. Bryndza is the main ingredient in bryndzové halušky, the national favorite of Slovakia.
| Sheep |
In the British army, which rank is between Lieutenant and Major? | Feta - Cheese.com
Find over 1750 specialty cheeses from 74 countries in the world's greatest cheese resource
Feta
Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses. In fact, Feta occupies 70% stake in Greek cheese consumption. The cheese is protected by EU legislations and only those cheeses manufactured in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese and Lesvos can be called ‘feta’. Similar cheeses produced elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea, outside the EU, are often called ‘white cheese’.
To create traditional feta, 30 percent goat's milk is mixed with sheep's milk of animals grazing on pastures in the specific appellation of origin regions. Now-a-days, many stores sell goat and cow’s milk feta as well. The firmness, texture and flavour differ from region to region, but in general, cheese from Macedonia and Thrace is mild, softer and creamier, less salty with fewer holes. Feta made in Thessaly and Central Greece has a more intense, robust flavour. Peloponnese feta is dryer in texture, full flavoured and more open. Local environment, animal breeds, cultures all have an impact on the texture, flavour and aroma of feta.
On the whole, Feta is a pickled curd cheese that has a salty and tangy taste enhanced by the brine solution. The texture depends on the age which can be extremely creamy, or crumbly dry. Upon maturation of 2 months, feta is sold in blocks submerged in brine. The cheese can be used a table cheese or melted on a traditional Greek salad, spanakopita, pizza or pie. It tastes delicious with olive oil, roasted red peppers and nuts. If required, it can be washed under water to remove the extra saltiness. The salty flavour of Feta pairs well with beer, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.
Made from pasteurized or unpasteurized goat 's and sheep 's milk
Country of origin: Greece
Region: Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese and Lesvos
Family: Feta
Fat content (in dry matter): 16%
Fat content: 21 g/100g
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Euchre, Pinochle and Skat are all games played with what? | skatgame.net - about the game of skat
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The purpose of this website is to promote the game of Skat world-wide by providing links to English-speaking Skat resources that are updated frequently. If you have relevant information about Skat to share don't hesitate to add it to the wiki .
Skat
Skat (the A is long, like in "Ah!") is Germany's traditional card game for 3 or 4 players. Combining elements of Bridge, Hearts, Euchre, Pinochle, and Poker many say it is the most exciting card game in the world!
Here is what Joseph Wergin in his book on Skat and Sheepshead says about the game:
"Skat is, undoubtedly, the best of all card games as it combines in a remarkable way the elements of both chance and skill. Although upon first exposure it may seem difficult, it is actually quite simple when the component parts are analyzed separately. Skat attracts dedicated card players because it requires them to utilize the full range of their cardplaying ability. Card addicts who have mastered the ordinary games will be delighted to discover the new challenges offered by this unique game."
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| Card |
The Gordon Bennett Cup, first awarded in 1906, is a prize in which sport? | Card Games/List - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Card Games/List
The object of a trick-taking game is to take (or avoid taking) tricks, or groups of cards played simultaneously or in turn.
400 – a Lebanese game similar to Spades
500 – based on Euchre
Bezique – classical game based on Piquet, similar to two-handed Pinochle
Bourre – gambling game, related to Spades and Euchre
Cắt Tê – Vietnamese game focused on the last trick, related to the domino game Tien Gow
Clabber – similar to Euchre and Hearts
Contract bridge – related to Whist
Court Piece – An Asian game similar to Contract Bridge
Doppelkopf – popular game in Germany, related to Schafkopf
Écarté – classical two-player game, related to Euchre
Gong Zhu (also known as Chase the Pig) – a Chinese version of Hearts
Hearts – whist variant, objective is to avoid certain cards
Hokm – Iranian version of Whist, similar to Spades
Jass games - has the distinguishing feature that Jack and Nine of the trump suit are the highest trumps.
Kaiser – four-handed game played in Canada
Mighty – five-handed game similar to Hearts, Rook and Nap
Napoleon (or Nap) – trick-taking game with auction, based on whist, variable number of players
Nines – three-handed whist variant
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On a standard dartboard, what number lies between 8 and 14? | The Dartboard Sequence
The Dartboard Sequence
The arrangement of the numbers around the circumference of a standard dart board is as shown below 20 1 18 4 13 6 10 15 2 17 3 19 7 16 8 11 14 9 12 5 Oddly enough, no one seems to know for sure how this particular arrangement was selected. It evidently dates back at least 100 years. Some say the pattern was devised by a carpenter named Brian Gamlin in 1896, while others attribute it to someone named Thomas William Buckle in 1913, but both of these attributions are relatively recent, and neither can be traced back to a contemporary source. Also, although it's clear that the numbers are ordered to mix the large and small together, and possibly to separate numerically close values as far as possible (e.g., 20 is far from 19), no one seems to know of any simple criterion that uniquely singles out this particular arrangement as the best possible in any quantitative sense. It may be just an accident of history that this particular arrangement has been adopted as the standard dart board format. It's interesting to consider various possible criteria for choosing a circular arrangement of the first n positive integers. In order to get as "flat" a distribution as possible, we might try to minimize the sum of the squares of each k consecutive terms. For example, setting k = 3, the standard dard board sequence gives (20+1+18)^2 + (1+18+4)^2 + (18+4+13)^2 + ... + (5+20+1)^2 = 20478 Apparently the standard board layout described above is called the "London" dart board, and there is another, less common, version called the "Manchester" dart board, which has the sequence 20 1 16 6 17 8 12 9 14 5 19 2 15 3 18 7 11 10 13 4 for which the sum of squares of each set of three consecutive numbers is 20454, just slightly less than the London arrangement. In contrast, if we were to arrange the numbers by just inter-weaving the largest and smallest numbers like this 20 1 19 2 18 3 17 4 16 5 15 6 14 7 13 8 12 9 11 10 the resulting sum of squares of each 3 consecutive elements is 20510, so the standard dart boards are, in this sense, more flat distributions. Needless to say, all of these arrangements are much more flat than the natural monotonic sequence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 which has a sum of 24350. By the way, note that if the sum of the squares of every sum of three consecutive numbers for a given arrangement is S, then we can form another arrangement with the same sum simply by taking the "21-complement", i.e., subtracting each number from 21. For example, the complement of the standard London arrangement is 1 20 3 17 8 15 11 6 19 4 18 2 14 5 13 10 7 12 9 16 which has the same sum (20478) as the London arrangement. This works because if we begin with an arrangement a,b,c,d,... having the sum S = (a+b+c)^2 + (b+c+d)^2 + (c+d+e)^2 + ... and replace each of the numbers a,b,c,... with 21-a, 21-b, 21-c,... respectively, the sum S' of this complementary arrangement is S' = [(21-a)+(21-b)+(21-c)]^2 + [(21-b)+(21-c)+(21-d)]^2 + ... = [63-(a+b+c)]^2 + [63-(b+c+d)]^2 + ... = S + 20(63)^2 - 2(63)[(a+b+c)+(b+c+d)+...] Each of the numbers from 1 to 20 appears three times in the summation inside the square brackets in the last term, so that summation equals 630, and hence S' = S. (The same identity applies to the N+1 complement for sums of squares of every sum of k consecutive terms of a circular arrangement of the first N integers.) How would we go about finding the circular arrangement of the integers 1 to 20 that gives the smallest sum of squares of every sum of three consecutive numbers? One possible approach would be to begin with the monotonic arrangement and then check each possible transposition of two numbers to see which one gives the lowest result. Then make that change and repeat the process, at each stage always choosing the transposition that gives the steepest reduction in the sum. This "greedy algorithm" produces arrangements with the following sums (of squares of each 3 consecutive terms around the cycle): 24350 21650 20678 20454 20230 20110 19990 19970 19950 19946 19938 19936 19930 19926 19918 Once it reaches the arrangement with the sum 19918, no further transposition of two numbers gives any reduction in the sum. Of course, this doesn't imply that 19918 is the minimum possible sum, it simply means that it is a "local" minimum. We might try to make our search algorithm more robust by considering all possible permutations of THREE numbers at each stage. (This includes permutations of two, since some of the permutations of three numbers leave one of the numbers fixed.) Applying the greedy algorithm to permutations of any three numbers gives dartboard arrangements with the sums 24350 21542 20362 20098 19978 19954 19942 19930 Once we reach 19930, no further permutation of three numbers gives any reduction in the sum. Interestingly, this doesn't even produce as low a result as the simple transpositions, and it illustrates the fact that a local minimum need not be a global minimum. By applying permutations of three elements, the algorithm is too greedy and enters a region of the configuration space that cannot be extended by such permutations, whereas the transpositions follow a less-steep path that leads them ultimately to a lower level. Expanding our algorithm to examine all permutations of FOUR numbers, we get a sequence of dartboard arrangements with the following sums: 24350 20678 20190 19974 19932 19918 19910 19908 19902 19900 19896 19894 Thus we arrive at the lowest sum we've seen so far, but of course this is still just a local minimum, with no guarantee that it is the lowest possible sum. Expanding our algorithm to take the best of all the permutations of FIVE number at each stage, we get the sequence of dartboard arrangements 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 6 2 19 4 5 16 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 3 17 18 1 20 1 2 19 9 5 18 7 8 16 10 11 12 4 14 15 3 17 13 1 20 10 2 19 9 5 18 7 8 16 6 11 15 4 14 13 3 17 12 1 20 These arrangements have the sums 24350, 20406, 19992, and 19874 respectively. By applying various combinations of these algorithms to various initial arrangements, we can often arrive at the ultimate sum 19874, but never to any lower sum. However, there appear to be three distinct arrangements with this sum (up to rotations and reflections). Each of them has 1 adjacent to 20, so to compare the arrangements directly we will rotate and reflect them if necessary so that they begin with 20 and 1. With this convention, the three minimal sequences, labeled (a), (b), and (c), are (a) 20 1 11 19 2 12 16 3 14 13 5 15 10 6 17 7 8 18 4 9 (b) 20 1 11 18 2 13 15 4 14 12 5 16 9 7 17 6 8 19 3 10 (c) 20 1 12 17 3 13 14 4 15 11 6 16 8 7 18 5 9 19 2 10 The differences between the (a) and (b) sequences, and between the (c) and (b) sequences, are shown below: 0 0 0 1 0 -1 1 -1 0 1 0 -1 1 -1 0 1 0 -1 1 -1 0 0 1 -1 1 0 -1 0 1 -1 1 0 -1 0 1 -1 1 0 -1 0 Interestingly, if we reverse the order of the lower differences and then rotate two places to the right, the result is exactly the negative of the upper differences. This is because the (a) and (c) arrangements are the 21-complements of each other (as defined above). The (b) arrangement is "self-dual", i.e., it is its own complement. We also note that (a) and (b) differ by the transpositions (3,4) (6,7) (9,10) (12,13) (15,16) (18,19) whereas (b) and (c) differ by the transpositions (3,2) (6,5) (9,8) (12,11) (15,14) (18,17) Thus the three minimal sequences differ from each other by permutations of six numbers, and no permutations of just five or fewer numbers can transform one of these to the others using the greedy algorithm, if we require the sum to drop or remain constant on each permutation. But if we allow permutations of six numbers it becomes possible to oscillate between these three arrangements in steps with constant sums. This is an interesting example of "symmetry breaking". At lower "energies" (permutations of fewer terms) every sequence of arrangements progresses to one of several different possible stable limiting arrangements, but at higher "energies" (permutations of more terms) these asymptotic arrangements can transform into each other, so the sequence can oscillate between them. (Of course, if we allow permutations of all 20 terms at once, then any arrangement can be transformed to any other in a single step.) Despite the extensive numerical evidence, and the apparently unique symmetry of the (a), (b), and (c) arrangements, one could still question whether our search algorithm based on permutations of five elements is guaranteed to find the global minimum. To prove that the three arrangements (a),(b),(c) presented above are indeed the absolute minimal solutions, note that the sum of the sums of three consecutive elements must be 630, which is three times the sum of the integers from 1 to 20. If we didn't require integer values, the minimal solution would be given by uniformly distributing this, so each sum of three consecutive terms would be 31.5, but since we require integer values, this is ruled out. We could consider arrangements such that every sum of three consecutive terms is either 31 or 32, but it's easy to see that this cannot lead to an acceptable solution. Notice that the two consecutive 3-sums for the four elements n1,n2,n3,n4 are n1+n2+n3 and n2+n3+n4, so if the two 3-sums are equal, it follows that n4=n1, and hence this is not an acceptable solution (the 20 elements are distinct). Similarly we can show that two 3-sums can't alternate more than twice. Hence the flattest possible arrangements that are not ruled out by these simple considerations must have more than two distinct values for the 3-sums Indeed the solutions with 19874 consist of the 3-sum values 30, 31, 32, and 33 with valences 6,4,4,6 respectively. These 3-sums for the (a), (b) and (c) arrangements are as shown below (a) 32 31 32 33 30 31 33 30 32 33 30 31 33 30 32 33 30 31 33 30 (b) 32 30 31 33 30 32 33 30 31 33 30 32 33 30 31 33 30 32 33 31 (c) 33 30 32 33 30 31 33 30 32 33 30 31 33 30 32 33 30 31 32 31 By examining each sequence of the values 30, 31, 32, and 33, checking to see which ones correspond to 3-sums of the integers 1 to 20, we find that indeed the only viable sequences are those corresponding to the arrangements (a), (b), and (c). Thus these are the circular arrangements of the integers 1 through 20 such that the sum of squares of every 3 consecutive terms has the smallest possible value, namely 19874. (If we evaluate the sum of squares of every three consecutive elements of these 3-sum sequences we find that they yield 178614, 178618, and 178614 respectively.) The (a), (b), and (c) sequences each consist of three interleaved arithmetic progressions. If we designate the position of each number by the integers modulo 20, then the positions of the values are as shown in the table below. positions modulo 20 values (a) (b) (c) 3k+1 -3k-3 6k 6k k = 0 to 6 3k+2 6k 6k+3 -3k-3 k = 0 to 6 3k+3 6k+3 -3k-3 6k+3 k = 0 to 5 By the way, to find the arrangement that maximizes (rather than minimizes) the sum, it's fairly intuitive that we would cluster the largest numbers together as tightly as possible. This leads to the arrangement 20 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 which has the sum 25406. Indeed this is the highest sum I've found using the greedy algorithm with permutations of 2, 3, 4, and 5 elements (selecting the highest rather than the lowest at each stage), although it's interesting that there are many initial arrangements from which this algorithm does not lead to this global maximum. In general if H(n,k) and L(n,k) are the highest and lowest sums of squares of every k consecutive elements in a circular arrangement of the first n positive integers, are the values of H(n,k) and L(n,k) well known and/or easily computed? Another possible way of "optimizing" the arrangement of the numbers 1 through 20 on a dart board would be to minimize the sum of the squares of every sum of TWO (rather than three) consecutive numbers. In general, I think the minimum sum of squares of every sum of two consecutive numbers in a cyclical arrangement of the integers 1 through N is S_min(N) = N^3 + 2N^2 + 2N - j where j is 1 if N is odd, and j is 2 if N is even. For the particular case N=20 this formula gives a minimum sum of 8838. For even N the minimum arrangement has the odd and even numbers restricted to separate halfs of the cycle, as illustrated below for N=20 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 19 17 15 13 11 12 14 16 18 20 For odd N the minimum arrangement is very simple, as shown below for N=19. 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 This raises some interesting questions. Given any circular arrangement of the integers 0 through n-1, let S denote the sum of squares of every sum of two contiguous numbers, and let v(n) denote the number of distinct values of S for all n! possible arrangements. Following is a table of the number of distinct values of v(n) n v(n) ----- --------- 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 3 5 8 6 21 7 43 8 69 9 102 10 145 Hugh Montgomery, A. M. Odlyzko, and Bjorn Poonen developed a very nice approach to this problem, showing that the general term with n>6 is given by / (n^3 - 16n + 27)/6 if n is odd v(n) = ( \ (n^3 - 16n + 30)/6 if n is even A whole family of interesting sequences can be produced by generalizing the definition as follows: Given any circular arrangement of the integers 0 through n-1, let S denote the sum of the qth powers of every sum of k contiguous numbers. Then let v(q,k,n) denote the number of distinct values of S for all possible arrangements. With this nomenclature, the previous sequence is denoted as v(2,2,n). Of course, we have v(1,k,n) = 1 for all k and n, because the sum of the 1st powers is independent of the arrangement. We also have v(q,1,n) = 1 because the sum of any fixed power of the individual numbers is also independent of the arrangement. Also, for fixed values of q and n, the function v is PERIODIC in k. Another generalization is to add some constant integer j to each of the numbers 0 to n-1. Thus, the general function has four indices, v(q,k,j,n). Notice that v is independent of j for q<3, but for larger values of q, j becomes significant. Can v(q,k,j,n) be expressed in closed form as a function of the indices? Which other integer sequences are contained in this family? Which continuous functions (e.g., sin(x), cos(x), exp(x), etc) can be approximated by sequences of this form?
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The ‘Wolf Moon’ is the name of the full moon which occurs during which month of the year? | Standard Normal Distribution
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Standard Normal Distribution
The standard normal distribution is a special case of the normal distribution . It is the distribution that occurs when a normal random variable has a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one.
Standard Score (aka, z Score)
The normal random variable of a standard normal distribution is called a standard score or a z-score. Every normal random variable X can be transformed into a z score via the following equation:
z = (X - μ) / σ
where X is a normal random variable, μ is the mean of X, and σ is the standard deviation of X.
Standard Normal Distribution Table
A standard normal distribution table shows a cumulative probability associated with a particular z-score. Table rows show the whole number and tenths place of the z-score. Table columns show the hundredths place. The cumulative probability (often from minus infinity to the z-score) appears in the cell of the table.
For example, a section of the standard normal table is reproduced below. To find the cumulative probability of a z-score equal to -1.31, cross-reference the row of the table containing -1.3 with the column containing 0.01. The table shows that the probability that a standard normal random variable will be less than -1.31 is 0.0951; that is, P(Z < -1.31) = 0.0951.
z
0.9990
0.9990
Of course, you may not be interested in the probability that a standard normal random variable falls between minus infinity and a given value. You may want to know the probability that it lies between a given value and plus infinity. Or you may want to know the probability that a standard normal random variable lies between two given values. These probabilities are easy to compute from a normal distribution table. Here's how.
Find P(Z > a). The probability that a standard normal random variable (z) is greater than a given value (a) is easy to find. The table shows the P(Z < a). The P(Z > a) = 1 - P(Z < a).
Suppose, for example, that we want to know the probability that a z-score will be greater than 3.00. From the table (see above), we find that P(Z < 3.00) = 0.9987. Therefore, P(Z > 3.00) = 1 - P(Z < 3.00) = 1 - 0.9987 = 0.0013.
Find P(a < Z < b). The probability that a standard normal random variables lies between two values is also easy to find. The P(a < Z < b) = P(Z < b) - P(Z < a).
For example, suppose we want to know the probability that a z-score will be greater than -1.40 and less than -1.20. From the table (see above), we find that P(Z < -1.20) = 0.1151; and P(Z < -1.40) = 0.0808. Therefore, P(-1.40 < Z < -1.20) = P(Z < -1.20) - P(Z < -1.40) = 0.1151 - 0.0808 = 0.0343.
In school or on the Advanced Placement Statistics Exam, you may be called upon to use or interpret standard normal distribution tables. Standard normal tables are commonly found in appendices of most statistics texts.
The Normal Distribution as a Model for Measurements
Often, phenomena in the real world follow a normal (or near-normal) distribution. This allows researchers to use the normal distribution as a model for assessing probabilities associated with real-world phenomena. Typically, the analysis involves two steps.
Transform raw data. Usually, the raw data are not in the form of z-scores. They need to be transformed into z-scores, using the transformation equation presented earlier: z = (X - μ) / σ.
Find probability. Once the data have been transformed into z-scores, you can use standard normal distribution tables, online calculators (e.g., Stat Trek's free normal distribution calculator ), or handheld graphing calculators to find probabilities associated with the z-scores.
The problem in the next section demonstrates the use of the normal distribution as a model for measurement.
Test Your Understanding
Problem 1
Molly earned a score of 940 on a national achievement test. The mean test score was 850 with a standard deviation of 100. What proportion of students had a higher score than Molly? (Assume that test scores are normally distributed.)
(A) 0.10
(E) 0.90
Solution
The correct answer is B. As part of the solution to this problem, we assume that test scores are normally distributed. In this way, we use the normal distribution as a model for measurement. Given an assumption of normality, the solution involves three steps.
First, we transform Molly's test score into a z-score , using the z-score transformation equation.
z = (X - μ) / σ = (940 - 850) / 100 = 0.90
Then, using an online calculator (e.g., Stat Trek's free normal distribution calculator ), a handheld graphing calculator , or the standard normal distribution table, we find the cumulative probability associated with the z-score. In this case, we find P(Z < 0.90) = 0.8159.
Therefore, the P(Z > 0.90) = 1 - P(Z < 0.90) = 1 - 0.8159 = 0.1841.
Thus, we estimate that 18.41 percent of the students tested had a higher score than Molly.
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In which century was the office of Black Rod created for the House of Lords in England? | Black Rod | English official | Britannica.com
English official
Alternative Title: Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
Similar Topics
chief
Black Rod, in full Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, an office of the British House of Lords (the upper house in Parliament), instituted in 1350. Its holder is appointed by royal letters patent, and his title is derived from his staff of office, an ebony stick surmounted with a gold lion. He is a personal attendant of the sovereign in the upper house and there functions as a sergeant at arms; his most prominent duty is the summoning of the members of the House of Commons (the lower house) to the upper house to hear a speech from the throne or the royal assent given to bills. On such occasions the House of Commons closes its doors at the Black Rod’s approach, whereupon he must knock three times before being admitted. The origin of this curious ceremony dates from the indignation of the lower house at the famous attempt of Charles I to arrest John Hampden , John Pym , and three other members of the House of Commons in 1642. Black Rod is ex officio an officer of the Order of the Garter .
Learn More in these related articles:
House of Lords
the upper chamber of Great Britain ’s bicameral legislature. Originated in the 11th century, when the Anglo-Saxon kings consulted witans (councils) composed of religious leaders and the monarch’s ministers, it emerged as a distinct element of Parliament in the 13th and 14th centuries....
House of Commons (British government)
popularly elected legislative body of the bicameral British Parliament. Although it is technically the lower house, the House of Commons is predominant over the House of Lords, and the name “Parliament” is often used to refer to the House of Commons alone.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter
English order of knighthood founded by King Edward III in 1348, ranked as the highest British civil and military honour obtainable. Because the earliest records of the order were destroyed by fire, it is difficult for historians to be certain of its original purposes, the significance of its...
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Date Published: April 12, 2002
URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Rod
Access Date: January 02, 2017
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| 14th century |
The name of which animal derives from the Native American word for ‘He who kills with one leap’? | Black Rod | English official | Britannica.com
English official
Alternative Title: Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
Similar Topics
chief
Black Rod, in full Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, an office of the British House of Lords (the upper house in Parliament), instituted in 1350. Its holder is appointed by royal letters patent, and his title is derived from his staff of office, an ebony stick surmounted with a gold lion. He is a personal attendant of the sovereign in the upper house and there functions as a sergeant at arms; his most prominent duty is the summoning of the members of the House of Commons (the lower house) to the upper house to hear a speech from the throne or the royal assent given to bills. On such occasions the House of Commons closes its doors at the Black Rod’s approach, whereupon he must knock three times before being admitted. The origin of this curious ceremony dates from the indignation of the lower house at the famous attempt of Charles I to arrest John Hampden , John Pym , and three other members of the House of Commons in 1642. Black Rod is ex officio an officer of the Order of the Garter .
Learn More in these related articles:
House of Lords
the upper chamber of Great Britain ’s bicameral legislature. Originated in the 11th century, when the Anglo-Saxon kings consulted witans (councils) composed of religious leaders and the monarch’s ministers, it emerged as a distinct element of Parliament in the 13th and 14th centuries....
House of Commons (British government)
popularly elected legislative body of the bicameral British Parliament. Although it is technically the lower house, the House of Commons is predominant over the House of Lords, and the name “Parliament” is often used to refer to the House of Commons alone.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter
English order of knighthood founded by King Edward III in 1348, ranked as the highest British civil and military honour obtainable. Because the earliest records of the order were destroyed by fire, it is difficult for historians to be certain of its original purposes, the significance of its...
Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback.
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Tips For Editing
We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind.
Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience.
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At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.)
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Thank You for Your Contribution!
Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article.
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Date Published: April 12, 2002
URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Rod
Access Date: January 02, 2017
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Who wrote the 1932 novel ‘Tobacco Road’? | Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre | New Georgia Encyclopedia
Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre
Original entry by
Edwin T. Arnold , Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina,
07/16/2002
Last edited by NGE Staff on 05/16/2016
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The Film
Although Erskine Caldwell wrote more than sixty books, twenty-five novels among them, he is best known for two works of long fiction, Tobacco Road (1932) and God's Little Acre (1933). Tobacco Road was named one of the Modern Library's 100 best novels of the twentieth century, and God's Little Acre remains Caldwell's single most popular work, having sold more than 10 million copies. Along with the less well-known Journeyman (1935), these books make up a serio-comic trilogy of Georgia life in the first half of the twentieth century. They detail the ruination of the land, the growth of textile mills , and the abiding influence of fundamentalist religion in the South. These books thus present a radical contrast to the traditionally genteel and romantic views of the region, popularized most notably by Margaret Mitchell in Gone With the Wind (1936).
Tobacco Road
Erskine Caldwell
by Charles Scribner and Sons in 1932, was Caldwell's third novel. It was inspired by the terrible poverty he witnessed as a young man growing up in the small east Georgia town of Wrens. His father, Ira Sylvester Caldwell, who was pastor of the local Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, was also an amateur sociologist and often took his son with him to observe some of the more destitute members of the rural community. Erskine Caldwell's sympathy for these people and his outrage at the conditions in which they lived were real, and his novel was meant to be a work of social protest. But he also refused to sentimentalize their poverty or to cast his characters as inherently noble in their sufferings, as so many other protest works did.
The novel's Lester family, headed by the shiftless patriarch Jeeter, both appall and intrigue readers with their gross sexuality, casual violence, selfishness, and overall lack of decency. Living as squatters on barren land that had once belonged to their more prosperous ancestors, the Lesters have come to represent in the American public's mind the degradation inherent in extreme poverty. That Caldwell also portrays them as often-comic figures further complicates the reader's response. Tobacco Road is a call to action, but it offers no easy answers and thus has generated intense debate both in and out of the South. Many southerners denounced the novel as exaggerated and needlessly cruel and even pornographic, an affront to the gentility of the region. Northern critics, however, tended to read the book as a serious indictment of a failed economic system in need of correction. Caldwell later explained that the book was not meant to represent the entire South, but for many this work confirmed demeaning southern stereotypes.
The Play and Film
The stage version of Tobacco Road was written by Jack Kirkland and opened on December 4, 1933, at the Masque Theatre in New York City. Caldwell had little to do with the play version and initially felt it would fail. First reviews were mixed, and after a month of sporadic attendance, the play moved to the 48th Street Theater, where it slowly became a word-of-mouth success. With Henry Hull as the first of five actors who would play Jeeter Lester, Tobacco Road ran for more than seven years, through 3,182 performances. When it closed on May 31, 1941, it had become the longest-running play in the history of the Broadway stage up to that time.
Road shows took the play to cities throughout the nation and later into foreign countries. In 1934 Chicago mayor Edward F. Kelly declared the play obscene and closed it down. The producers sued, and in a major court case, the play was allowed to continue. This was the first of numerous attempts to censor the show, which was often taken to court or banned during its many runs. Caldwell tirelessly defended the play and the book and, in the process, became a leading advocate for artistic freedom and First Amendment rights.
In 1940 Darryl F. Zanuck and Twentieth Century Fox, which had just produced John Ford's classic film version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, bought the screen rights to Tobacco Road. Ford and screenwriter Nunnally Johnson (a Georgia native) attempted to preserve the caustic comedy and social protest of the book and play, but the studio overruled them on central issues, specifically the tragic ending. The result was a sentimental burlesque that Caldwell himself disavowed. Starring Charley Grapewin, repeating his stage role as Jeeter Lester, the film was released in 1941. It enjoyed initial success but is now considered one of Ford's lesser movies, a poor relative of his great work in The Grapes of Wrath.
God's Little Acre
The Novel
God's Little Acre was published by Viking Press in 1933, one year after the publication of Tobacco Road. In it, Caldwell shifts his sights to the industrialized South. Influenced in part by the textile mill strikes in Gastonia, North Carolina, he considered this work to be a "proletarian" novel dealing with the plight of workers deprived of union protection. It was intended to support these mill hands, or "lintheads," as they were sometimes called. Will Thompson, who leads the strike, represents both the inherent power and the frustration of the working class. When Thompson is killed by guards as he attempts to reopen the mill shut down by its ruthless owners, his death becomes a rallying cry; and his corpse is borne through the streets, but the mills remain closed.
The book also examines the misuse of the land and other natural resources. Ty Ty Walden, who (unlike Jeeter Lester) still owns his farm, spends his time digging for gold instead of farming the rich soil . His delusion and the tragedy it brings to his family again illustrate the waste Caldwell saw in southern attitudes toward the land.
Like Tobacco Road, God's Little Acre contains scenes of explicit sexuality. In April 1933 the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice took Caldwell and Viking Press to court for dissemination of pornography. More than sixty authors, editors, and literary critics rallied in support of the book, and Judge Benjamin Greenspan of the New York Magistrates Court ruled in its favor. The court case is still considered a major decision in the establishment of artists' First Amendment rights in freedom of expression. The book became a worldwide best-seller and remains today one of the most popular novels ever published.
The Film
In 1958 director Anthony Mann and screenwriter Phillip Yordan, in collaboration with Caldwell, made the film version of God's Little Acre, starring Robert Ryan as Ty Ty Walden and Aldo Ray as Will Thompson. The film, like the book, was considered scandalous and became one of the top-grossing movies for that year. Truer to its source than John Ford's Tobacco Road had been, God's Little Acre remains the best representation of Caldwell on film.
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| Erskine Caldwell |
In which year was drug testing first introduced in the Summer Olympic Games? | Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre | New Georgia Encyclopedia
Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre
Original entry by
Edwin T. Arnold , Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina,
07/16/2002
Last edited by NGE Staff on 05/16/2016
Explore This Article
The Film
Although Erskine Caldwell wrote more than sixty books, twenty-five novels among them, he is best known for two works of long fiction, Tobacco Road (1932) and God's Little Acre (1933). Tobacco Road was named one of the Modern Library's 100 best novels of the twentieth century, and God's Little Acre remains Caldwell's single most popular work, having sold more than 10 million copies. Along with the less well-known Journeyman (1935), these books make up a serio-comic trilogy of Georgia life in the first half of the twentieth century. They detail the ruination of the land, the growth of textile mills , and the abiding influence of fundamentalist religion in the South. These books thus present a radical contrast to the traditionally genteel and romantic views of the region, popularized most notably by Margaret Mitchell in Gone With the Wind (1936).
Tobacco Road
The Novel
Tobacco Road, published
by Charles Scribner and Sons in 1932, was Caldwell's third novel. It was inspired by the terrible poverty he witnessed as a young man growing up in the small east Georgia town of Wrens. His father, Ira Sylvester Caldwell, who was pastor of the local Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, was also an amateur sociologist and often took his son with him to observe some of the more destitute members of the rural community. Erskine Caldwell's sympathy for these people and his outrage at the conditions in which they lived were real, and his novel was meant to be a work of social protest. But he also refused to sentimentalize their poverty or to cast his characters as inherently noble in their sufferings, as so many other protest works did.
The novel's Lester family, headed by the shiftless patriarch Jeeter, both appall and intrigue readers with their gross sexuality, casual violence, selfishness, and overall lack of decency. Living as squatters on barren land that had once belonged to their more prosperous ancestors, the Lesters have come to represent in the American public's mind the degradation inherent in extreme poverty. That Caldwell also portrays them as often-comic figures further complicates the reader's response. Tobacco Road is a call to action, but it offers no easy answers and thus has generated intense debate both in and out of the South. Many southerners denounced the novel as exaggerated and needlessly cruel and even pornographic, an affront to the gentility of the region. Northern critics, however, tended to read the book as a serious indictment of a failed economic system in need of correction. Caldwell later explained that the book was not meant to represent the entire South, but for many this work confirmed demeaning southern stereotypes.
The Play and Film
The stage version of Tobacco Road was written by Jack Kirkland and opened on December 4, 1933, at the Masque Theatre in New York City. Caldwell had little to do with the play version and initially felt it would fail. First reviews were mixed, and after a month of sporadic attendance, the play moved to the 48th Street Theater, where it slowly became a word-of-mouth success. With Henry Hull as the first of five actors who would play Jeeter Lester, Tobacco Road ran for more than seven years, through 3,182 performances. When it closed on May 31, 1941, it had become the longest-running play in the history of the Broadway stage up to that time.
Road shows took the play to cities throughout the nation and later into foreign countries. In 1934 Chicago mayor Edward F. Kelly declared the play obscene and closed it down. The producers sued, and in a major court case, the play was allowed to continue. This was the first of numerous attempts to censor the show, which was often taken to court or banned during its many runs. Caldwell tirelessly defended the play and the book and, in the process, became a leading advocate for artistic freedom and First Amendment rights.
In 1940 Darryl F. Zanuck and Twentieth Century Fox, which had just produced John Ford's classic film version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, bought the screen rights to Tobacco Road. Ford and screenwriter Nunnally Johnson (a Georgia native) attempted to preserve the caustic comedy and social protest of the book and play, but the studio overruled them on central issues, specifically the tragic ending. The result was a sentimental burlesque that Caldwell himself disavowed. Starring Charley Grapewin, repeating his stage role as Jeeter Lester, the film was released in 1941. It enjoyed initial success but is now considered one of Ford's lesser movies, a poor relative of his great work in The Grapes of Wrath.
God's Little Acre
The Novel
God's Little Acre was published by Viking Press in 1933, one year after the publication of Tobacco Road. In it, Caldwell shifts his sights to the industrialized South. Influenced in part by the textile mill strikes in Gastonia, North Carolina, he considered this work to be a "proletarian" novel dealing with the plight of workers deprived of union protection. It was intended to support these mill hands, or "lintheads," as they were sometimes called. Will Thompson, who leads the strike, represents both the inherent power and the frustration of the working class. When Thompson is killed by guards as he attempts to reopen the mill shut down by its ruthless owners, his death becomes a rallying cry; and his corpse is borne through the streets, but the mills remain closed.
The book also examines the misuse of the land and other natural resources. Ty Ty Walden, who (unlike Jeeter Lester) still owns his farm, spends his time digging for gold instead of farming the rich soil . His delusion and the tragedy it brings to his family again illustrate the waste Caldwell saw in southern attitudes toward the land.
Like Tobacco Road, God's Little Acre contains scenes of explicit sexuality. In April 1933 the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice took Caldwell and Viking Press to court for dissemination of pornography. More than sixty authors, editors, and literary critics rallied in support of the book, and Judge Benjamin Greenspan of the New York Magistrates Court ruled in its favor. The court case is still considered a major decision in the establishment of artists' First Amendment rights in freedom of expression. The book became a worldwide best-seller and remains today one of the most popular novels ever published.
The Film
In 1958 director Anthony Mann and screenwriter Phillip Yordan, in collaboration with Caldwell, made the film version of God's Little Acre, starring Robert Ryan as Ty Ty Walden and Aldo Ray as Will Thompson. The film, like the book, was considered scandalous and became one of the top-grossing movies for that year. Truer to its source than John Ford's Tobacco Road had been, God's Little Acre remains the best representation of Caldwell on film.
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Who became British Prime Minister on November 1990? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 22 | 1990: Thatcher quits as prime minister
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1990: Thatcher quits as prime minister
Margaret Thatcher is to stand down as prime minister after her Cabinet refused to back her in a second round of leadership elections.
She will remain in office until a successor is elected, but will not continue to fight Michael Heseltine for the Conservative Party leadership.
The former secretary of state for the environment threw down the gauntlet after a string of serious disputes over Britain's involvement in the European Union.
The prime minister said pressure from colleagues had forced her to conclude that party unity and the prospect of victory in the next general election would be better served if she stepped down.
Once again Margaret Thatcher has put her country's and party's interests before personal considerations
Conservative Party Chairman Kenneth Baker
Downing Street issued a statement at 0930 GMT after Mrs Thatcher had informed her Cabinet and the Queen of her intention.
By 1200 GMT, Chancellor John Major and Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd had announced they would now stand against Mr Heseltine in the next stage of the leadership contest.
The decision comes less than 24 hours after the Iron Lady had vowed to "fight on and fight to win" after winning the first round - but not with the required majority.
Tory Party Chairman Kenneth Baker said it was a typically brave and selfless decision from the prime minister.
"Once again Margaret Thatcher has put her country's and party's interests before personal considerations," he said.
And there were tributes to Mrs Thatcher from both sides of the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions.
Labour leader Neil Kinnock said the prime minister's decision showed she amounted to more than those who had recently turned against her.
But the outgoing Tory leader refused a request from Mr Kinnock to hold a general election so the British people could make their own choice about her successor.
| John Major |
Which country is the only one to hold a Grand Slam Tennis Tournament on clay courts? | Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
▼ Primary Sources ▼
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Roberts, the daughter of a grocer, Alfred Roberts, was born in Grantham , Lincolnshire , on 13th October, 1925. She was educated at the Kesteven & Grantham Girls' School , and at 17 she won a place to study chemistry at Somerville College , where she was tutored by the future Nobel prizewinner Dorothy Hodgkin .
After graduating in 1947 from Oxford University she worked as a research chemist. Later she studied law and eventually became a barrister. A member of the Conservative Party , Thatcher was adopted as the parliamentary candidate for Dartford . In the 1950 General Election she argued: "We are going into one of the biggest battles this country has ever known - a battle between two ways of life, one which leads inevitably to slavery and the other to freedom. Our opponents like to try and make you believe that Conservatism is a privilege of the few. But Conservatism conserves all that is great and best in our national heritage. What is one of the first tenets of Conservatism? It is that of national unity. We say one nation, not one class against another. You cannot build a great nation or a brotherhood of man by spreading envy or hatred."
On 13th December, 1951 she married Denis Thatcher , a successful businessman. In 1953, their twins, Mark and Carol, were born. She was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1954 and was elected to represent the safe-seat of Finchley in October 1959. Two years later she joined the government of Harold Macmillan as joint parliamentary secretary for Pensions and National Insurance.
The Conservative Party was defeated in the 1964 General Election and Harold Wilson became the new prime minister. Edward Heath , the new leader of the Conservatives, appointed her as Opposition Spokesman on Pensions and National Insurance. She later held opposition posts on Housing (October 1965), Treasury (April 1966), Fuel and Power (October 1967), Transport (November, 1968) and Education (October, 1969).
Following the Conservative victory in the 1970 General Election , Thatcher became Secretary of State for Education and Science. In October 1970 she created great controversy by bringing an end to free school milk for children over seven and increasing school meal charges. However, she did allow the previous government's plan to establish the Open University to go ahead. She explained in her autobiography, The Path to Power (1995): "I thought that it was an inexpensive way of giving wider access to higher education, because I thought that trainee teachers in particular would benefit from it, because I was alert to the opportunities offered by technology to bring the best teaching to schoolchildren and students, and above all because it gave people a second chance in life. In any case, the university was due to take its first students that autumn, and cancellation would have been both expensive and a blow to many hopes. On condition that I agreed to reduce the immediate intake of students and find other savings, my Cabinet colleagues allowed the Open University to go ahead."
Edward Heath , the prime minister, came into conflict with the trade unions over his attempts to impose a prices and incomes policy. His attempts to legislate against unofficial strikes led to industrial disputes. In 1973 a miners' work-to-rule led to regular power cuts and the imposition of a three day week. Heath called a general election in 1974 on the issue of "who rules". He failed to get a majority and Harold Wilson and the Labour Party were returned to power.
In January 1975 Thatcher challenged Edward Heath for the leadership of the Conservative Party . She explained: "I felt sorry for Ted Heath personally. He had his music and a small circle of friends, but politics was his life.... Nonetheless, I had no doubt that Ted now ought to go. He had lost three elections out of four. He himself could not change and he was too defensive of his own past record to see that a fundamental change of policies was needed." On 4th February Thatcher defeated Heath by 130 votes to 119 and became the first woman leader of a major political party. Heath took the defeat badly and refused to serve in Thatcher's shadow cabinet.
Her election was welcomed by The Daily Telegraph : "What kind of leadership Mrs Thatcher will provide remains to be seen. But one thing is clear enough at this stage. Mrs Thatcher is a bonny fighter. She believes in the ethic of hard work and big rewards for success. She has risen from humble origins by effort and ability and courage. She owes nothing to inherited wealth or privilege. She ought not to suffer, therefore, from that fatal and characteristic twentieth-century Tory defect of guilt about wealth. All too often this has meant that the Tories have felt themselves to be at a moral disadvantage in the defence of capitalism against socialism. This is one reason why Britain has travelled so far down the collectivist road. What Mrs Thatcher ought to be able to offer is the missing moral dimension to the Tory attack on socialism. If she does so, her accession to the leadership could mark a sea-change in the whole character of the party political debate in this country."
James Callaghan replaced Harold Wilson as prime minister on 16th March 1976. Thatcher gradually adopted a more right-wing political programme placing considerable emphasis on the market economy. In January 1978 she was condemned for making a speech where she claimed that people feared being "swamped" by immigrants.
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In 1978 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Healey , controversially began imposing tight monetary controls. This included deep cuts in public spending on education and health. Critics claimed that this laid the foundations of what became known as monetarism. In 1978 these public spending cuts led to a wave of strikes (winter of discontent) and the Labour Party was easily defeated in the 1979 General Election .
Thatcher now became the first woman in Britain to become prime minister. Thatcher's government continued the monetarist policies introduced by Denis Healey . As Anne Perkins has pointed out: "Although monetarism had already been forced upon the preceding Labour government by the International Monetary Fund, under Thatcher it was presented as a crusade... In the first budget of the administration, VAT was nearly doubled to 15% while personal taxes were slashed – the top rate of income tax from 83% to 60%, and the standard rate from 33% to 30%. Over the next 10 years, the standard rate came down to 25%, and the top rate to 40%."
Inflation was reduced but unemployment doubled between 1979 and 1980. In 1981, Sir Geoffrey Howe , the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced further public spending cuts. Larry Elliott has argued: "To her detractors, Thatcher is the prime minister who wiped out more than 15% of Britain's industrial base with her dogmatic monetarism, squandered the once-in-a-lifetime windfall of North Sea oil on unemployment pay and tax cuts, and made the UK the unbalanced, unequal country it is today." During this period public opinion polls suggested that Thatcher was the most unpopular prime minister in British history.
Thatcher's government also raised money by a programme of privatization. This included the denationalization of British Telecom , British Airways , Rolls Royce and British Steel . The political commentator, Anne Perkins , has suggested: "Privatisation, which came to be a fundamental of the Thatcherite mission, was only hinted at in 1979, and in the depression of the early 1980s caution prevailed. When the ailing nationalised motor manufacturer British Leyland ran into trouble in early 1980, Joseph, then Thatcher's industry minister, bailed it out like a Heathite. Nonetheless, in 1980-81 more than £400m was raised from selling shares in companies such as Ferranti and Cable and Wireless. Later came North Sea oil (Britoil) and British Ports, and from late 1984 the major sales of British Telecom, British Gas and British Airways, culminating at the end of the decade in water and electricity. By this time these sales were raising more than £5bn a year."
On 2nd April 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands . The following day the United Nations passed resolution 502 demanding that Argentina withdrew from the Falklands. On 5th April the British Navy left Portsmouth for the Falklands. Britain declared a 200 mile exclusion zone around the Falklands and on 2nd May 1982 the Argentinean battleship General Belgrano was sunk. Two days later HMS Sheffield was hit by an exocet missile .
British troops landed on the Falkland Islands at San Carlos on 21st May. Fighting continued until Port Stanley was captured and Argentina surrendered on 14th June 1982. Thatcher's personal popularity was greatly boosted by the successful outcome of the war and the Conservative Party won the 1983 General Election with a majority of 144.
Thatcher gave support to any right-wing military dictatorship that kept the left from power. This included figures such as Augusto Pinochet . Thatcher also refused to criticise Apartheid in South Africa and described Nelson Mandela as a "terrorist". Michael White pointed out this was a sign that she had underestimated the changes that were taking place in the world: "A further sign of Thatcher losing her grip came when, as a frequent defender of the apartheid regime in South Africa, she dismissed Nelson Mandela as a 'terrorist' not long before he emerged from prison to become the hero of the peaceful transition to majority rule."
Thatcher developed a close relationship with President Ronald Reagan . They both agreed to take a firm stance with the Soviet Union . This resulted in her being dubbed the Iron Lady. However, Thatcher was furious in November 1983 when the United States invaded the British dependency of Grenada without prior consultation.
Thatcher's government continued its policy of reducing the power of the trade unions . Sympathy strikes and the closed shop was banned. Union leaders had to ballot members on strike action and unions were responsible for the actions of its members. The government took a firm stand against industrial disputes and the miners' strike that began in 1984 lasted for 12 months without success. This was followed by mass closures of mines and ultimately privatisation.
As Seumas Milne has pointed out: "The 1984-5 strike, the decisive social and economic confrontation of Britain's postwar era, is how we got where we are today. A generation on, it is now even clearer than it was at the time why the year-long struggle over the country's energy supply took place, and what interests were really at stake... It was about using the battering ram of state power to break the single greatest obstacle to the transformation of the economy in the interests of corporate privilege and wealth that Margaret Thatcher was determined to carry out. The offensive ushered in the full-blown neoliberal model that has failed to deliver for the majority, generated inequality and insecurity on a huge scale, and imploded with such disastrous consequences five-and-a-half years ago. For the miners, the strike was a defensive battle for jobs and communities. But it also raised the alternative of a different kind of Britain, rooted in solidarity and collective action. The crippling of the country's most powerful union opened the way for the systematic deregulation of the labour market – and the zero-hours contracts, falling real wages, payday loans and food banks we are living with today."
Hugo Young has argued: "I think by far her greatest virtue, in retrospect, is how little she cared if people liked her. She wanted to win, but did not put much faith in the quick smile.... This is a style whose absence is much missed. It accounted for a large part of the mark Thatcher left on Britain. Her unforgettable presence, but also her policy achievements. Mobilising society, by rule of law, against the trade union bosses was undoubtedly an achievement. For the most part, it has not been undone. Selling public housing to the tenants who occupied it was another, on top of the denationalisation of industries and utilities once thought to be ineluctably and for ever in the hands of the state. Neither shift of ownership and power would have happened without a leader prepared to take risks with her life. Each now seems banal. In the prime Thatcher years they required a severity of will to carry through that would now, if called on, be wrapped in so many cycles of deluding spin as to persuade us it hadn't really happened."
Others were much more critical of Margaret Thatcher. Andy McSmith has suggested: "This outsider's mentality made her admired - worshipped, almost - by members of the Conservative Party and its core supporters.... But to a very large minority of Britons - if not the majority - she was an increasingly unappealing embodiment of unfeeling middle-class self-righteousness. While it was her hostility to her fellow Europeans that most damaged her relations with senior Cabinet colleagues, what turned the public against her was the apparent glee with which she rode roughshod over sections of society, such as the miners and the unemployed."
At the funeral of Konstantin Chernenko on 13th March 1985, Thatcher met the new leader Mikhail Gorbachev . Thatcher's views on the Soviet Union changed after Gorbachev announced his new policy of Perestroika (Restructuring). This heralded a series of liberalizing economic, political and cultural reforms which had the aim of making the Soviet economy more efficient. Gorbachev also introduced policies with the intention of establishing a market economy by encouraging the private ownership of Soviet industry and agriculture.
At a meeting on 13th November 1985, Thatcher rejected the idea of entering the European Exchange Rate Mechanism . However, the following month she attended the Luxembourg European Council and during the meeting Thatcher agreed to sign the Single European Act . In April 1986 Thatcher was widely criticized for giving permission for US bombers to take off from Britain to bomb Libya following a series of Libyan inspired terrorist attacks.
Thatcher was returned to power for a third time when she won the 1987 General Election with a majority of 102 seats. The following year she became Britain's longest serving prime minister for over a hundred years. However, her popularity was severely damaged when the Community Charge (Poll Tax) was introduced in Scotland in April 1989 (the rest of Britain was to follow a year later). The new tax was extremely unpopular and led to public demonstrations.
In 1989 Anthony Gilberthorpe , a party activist, sent Margaret Thatcher a 40-page dossier accusing government ministers of being part of Tory paedophile ring . He claimed that in 1983 was given money to recruit young boys for sex parties. Gilberthorpe claims he named Keith Joseph , Rhodes Boyson , Peter Morrison , Michael Havers and at least one MP still serving today. He told the Mail on Sunday : “I outlined exactly what I had witnessed and informed her I intended to expose it.... I made it very clear to Mrs Thatcher most trusted ministers had been at these parties with boys who were between 15 and 16.... I also told her of the amount of illegal drugs like cocaine that were consumed."
Thatcher passed the dossier onto William Hague who invited Gilberthorpe to a meeting in a private room in the House of Lords tearoom. Gilberthorpe said: “I have no idea why William Hague was chosen to deal with my allegations... He introduced a high ranking civil servant who was also there." The civil servant then said "What you’ve said is extremely libelous and slanderous. This meeting is finished". Gilberthorpe added that “Mr Hague hardly said anything. I was ushered out and that was that. I was angry. I thought I’d hit a brick wall and there seemed no other place to go.”
In November 1990 Thatcher was challenged as leader of the Conservative Party . She won the first round of the contest but the majority is not enough to prevent a second round. On 28th November, 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister and was replaced by John Major . The Daily Telegraph , who supported her throughout her premiership commented: "Margaret Thatcher was the only British prime minister to leave behind a set of ideas about the role of the state which other leaders and nations strove to copy and apply. Monetarism, privatisation, deregulation, small government, lower taxes and free trade - all these features of the modern globalised economy were crucially promoted as a result of the policy prescriptions she employed to reverse Britain’s economic decline."
Thatcher left the House of Commons in March 1992. Soon afterwards she entered the House of Lords as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven.
Margaret Thatcher died at the Ritz Hotel in London on 8th April 2013.
Primary Sources
(1) Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power (1995)
The command economy required in wartime conditions had habituated many people to an essentially socialist mentality. Within the Armed Forces it was common knowledge that left-wing intellectuals had exerted a powerful influence through the Army Education Corps, which as Nigel Birch observed was "the only regiment with a general election among its battle honours". At home, broadcasters like J.B. Priestley gave a comfortable yet idealistic gloss to social progress in a left-wing direction. It is also true that Conservatives, with Churchill in the lead, were so preoccupied with the urgent imperatives of war that much domestic policy, and in particular the drawing-up of the agenda for peace, fell largely to the socialists in the Coalition Government. Churchill himself would have liked to continue the National Government at least until Japan had been beaten and, in the light of the fast-growing threat from the Soviet Union, perhaps beyond then. But the Labour Party had other thoughts and understandably wished to come into its own collectivist inheritance.
In I945 therefore, we Conservatives found ourselves confronting two serious and, as it turned out, insuperable problems. First, the Labour Party had us fighting on their ground and were always able to outbid us. Churchill had been talking about post-war "reconstruction" for some two years, and as part of that programme Rab Butler's Education Act was on the Statute Book. Further, our manifesto committed us to the so-called 'full employment' policy of the 1944 Employment White Paper, a massive house-building programme, most of the proposals for National Insurance benefits made by the great Liberal social reformer Lord Beveridge and a comprehensive National Health Service. Moreover, we were not able effectively to take the credit (so far as this was in any case appropriate to the Conservative Party) for victory, let alone to castigate Labour for its irresponsibility and extremism, because Attlee and his colleagues had worked cheek by jowl with the Conservatives in government since 1940. In any event, the war effort had involved the whole population.
I vividly remember sitting in the student common room in Somerville listening to Churchill's famous (or notorious) election broadcast to the effect that socialism would require "some sort of Gestapo" to enforce it, and thinking, "He's gone too far." However logically unassailable the connection between socialism and coercion was, in our present circumstances the line would not be credible. I knew from political argument on similar lines at an election meeting in Oxford what the riposte would be: "Who's run the country when Mr Churchill's been away? Mr Attlee." And such, I found, was the reaction now.
(2) Margaret Thatcher, speech during the 1950 General Election.
We are going into one of the biggest battles this country has ever known - a battle between two ways of life, one which leads inevitably to slavery and the other to freedom. Our opponents like to try and make you believe that Conservatism is a privilege of the few. But Conservatism conserves all that is great and best in our national heritage. What is one of the first tenets of Conservatism? It is that of national unity. We say one nation, not one class against another. You cannot build a great nation or a brotherhood of man by spreading envy or hatred.
Our policy is not built on envy or hatred, but on liberty for the individual man or woman. It is not our policy to suppress success: our policy is to encourage it and encourage energy and initiative. In 1940 it was not the cry of nationalization that made this country rise up and fight totalitarianism. It was the cry for freedom and liberty.
(3) Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power (1995)
Reggie Maudling was thought to have the better chance. Although his performance as Chancellor of the Exchequer had incurred serious and in some ways justified criticism, there was no doubting Reggie's experience, brilliant intellect and command of the House. His main weakness, which grew more evident in later years, was a certain laziness - something which is a frequent temptation to those who know that they are naturally and effortlessly cleverer than those around them.
Ted had a very different character. He too had a very well organized mind. He was methodical, forceful and, at least on the one question which mattered to him above all others - Europe - a man of unyielding determination. As Shadow Chancellor he had the opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities in attacking the 1965 Finance Bill, which in those days was taken on the floor of the House. Ted was regarded as being somewhat to the right of Reggie (Maudling), but they were both essentially centrists in Party terms. Something could be made of the different approaches they took to Europe, with Reggie regarding EFTA more favourably and Ted convinced that membership of the EEC was essential. But their attitudes to specific policies hardly affected the question of which to support.
(4) Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power (1995)
I was hailed in a modest way as the saviour of the Open University. In Opposition both lain Macleod and Edward Boyle, who thought that there were educational priorities more deserving of Government help, had committed themselves in public against it. And although its abolition was not in the manifesto, many people expected it to perish. But I was genuinely attracted to the concept of a "University of the Airwaves", as it was often called, because I thought that it was an inexpensive way of giving wider access to higher education, because I thought that trainee teachers in particular would benefit from it, because I was alert to the opportunities offered by technology to bring the best teaching to schoolchildren and students, and above all because it gave people a second chance in life. In any case, the university was due to take its first students that autumn, and cancellation would have been both expensive and a blow to many hopes. On condition that I agreed to reduce the immediate intake of students and find other savings, my Cabinet colleagues allowed the Open University to go ahead.
(5) Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power (1995)
I felt sorry for Ted Heath personally. He had his music and a small circle of friends, but politics was his life. That year, moreover, he had suffered a series of personal blows. His yacht, Morning Cloud, had sunk and his godson had been among those lost. The election defeat was a further blow.
Nonetheless, I had no doubt that Ted now ought to go. He had lost three elections out of four. He himself could not change and he was too defensive of his own past record to see that a fundamental change of policies was needed.
I arranged to see Ted on Monday 25 November. He was at his desk in his room at the House. I need not have worried about hurting his feelings. I went in and said: 'I must tell you that I have decided to stand for the leadership.' He looked at me coldly, turned his back, shrugged his shoulders and said: "If you must." I slipped out of the room.
(6) Margaret Thatcher, article in the Daily Telegraph (30th January, 1975)
I was attacked (as Education Secretary) for fighting a rear-guard action in defence of "middle-class interests". The same accusation is levelled at me now, when I am leading Conservative opposition to the socialist Capital Transfer Tax proposals. Well, if "middle-class values" include the encouragement of variety and individual choice, the provision of fair incentives and rewards for skill and hard work, the maintenance of effective barriers against the excessive power of the state and a belief in the wide distribution of individual private property, then they are certainly what I am trying to defend ... If a Tory does not believe that private property is one of the main bulwarks of individual freedom, then he had better become a socialist and have done with it. Indeed one of the reasons for our electoral failure is that people believe too many Conservatives have become socialists already. Britain's progress towards socialism has been an alternation of two steps forward with half a step back. And why should anyone support a party that seems to have the courage of no convictions?
(7) Editorial in the Daily Telegraph (5th Febuary, 1975)
What kind of leadership Mrs Thatcher will provide remains to be seen. But one thing is clear enough at this stage. Mrs Thatcher is a bonny fighter. She believes in the ethic of hard work and big rewards for success. She has risen from humble origins by effort and ability and courage. She owes nothing to inherited wealth or privilege. She ought not to suffer, therefore, from that fatal and characteristic twentieth-century Tory defect of guilt about wealth. All too often this has meant that the Tories have felt themselves to be at a moral disadvantage in the defence of capitalism against socialism. This is one reason why Britain has travelled so far down the collectivist road. What Mrs Thatcher ought to be able to offer is the missing moral dimension to the Tory attack on socialism. If she does so, her accession to the leadership could mark a sea-change in the whole character of the party political debate in this country.
(8) Mikhail Gorbachev , Memoirs (1995)
Mrs Thatcher is a confident and, I would say, a self-confident woman, the gentle charm and feminine facade disguising a rather tough and pragmatic politician. His nickname the 'Iron Lady' is very apt. I told Mrs Thatcher: "I know you are a person of staunch beliefs, someone who adheres to certain principles and values. This commands respect. But please consider that next to you is a person of your own ilk. And I can assure you that I am not under instructions from the Politburo to persuade you to join the Communist Party."
After that statement she burst into a hearty laugh, and the stiff, polite and somewhat acerbic conversation flowed naturally into more interesting talk, which continued after lunch. The subject turned to disarmament problems. We started by using our prepared notes, but eventually I put mine aside while Mrs Thatcher stuffed hers into her handbag. I unfolded a large diagram representing all nuclear arsenals, grouped into a thousand little squares.
"Each of these squares," I told Mrs Thatcher, "suffices to eradicate all life on earth. Consequently, the available nuclear arsenals have a capacity to wipe out all life a thousand times."
Her reaction was very eloquent and emotional. I believe she was quite sincere. Anyway, this conversation was a turning point towards a major political dialogue between our countries.
(9) Hugo Young , Margaret Thatcher (2003)
I think by far her greatest virtue, in retrospect, is how little she cared if people liked her. She wanted to win, but did not put much faith in the quick smile. She needed followers, as long as they went in her frequently unpopular directions. This is a political style, an aesthetic even, that has disappeared from view. The machinery of modern political management – polls, consulting, focus groups – is deployed mainly to discover what will make a party and politician better liked, or worse, disliked. Though the Thatcher years could also be called the Saatchi years, reaching a new level of presentational sophistication in the annals of British politics, they weren't about getting the leader liked. Respected, viewed with awe, a conviction politician, but if liking came into it, that was an accident.
This is a style whose absence is much missed. It accounted for a large part of the mark Thatcher left on Britain. Her unforgettable presence, but also her policy achievements. Mobilising society, by rule of law, against the trade union bosses was undoubtedly an achievement. For the most part, it has not been undone. Selling public housing to the tenants who occupied it was another, on top of the denationalisation of industries and utilities once thought to be ineluctably and for ever in the hands of the state. Neither shift of ownership and power would have happened without a leader prepared to take risks with her life. Each now seems banal. In the prime Thatcher years they required a severity of will to carry through that would now, if called on, be wrapped in so many cycles of deluding spin as to persuade us it hadn't really happened.
These developments set a benchmark. They married the personality and belief to action. Britain was battered out of the somnolent conservatism, across a wide front of economic policies and priorities, that had held back progress and, arguably, prosperity. This is what we mean by the Thatcher revolution, imposing on Britain, for better or for worse, some of the liberalisation that the major continental economies know, 20 years later, they still need. I think on balance, it was for the better, and so, plainly did Thatcher's chief successor, Tony Blair. If a leader's record is to be measured by the willingness of the other side to decide it cannot turn back the clock, then Thatcher bulks big in history.
But this didn't come without a price. Still plumbing for the essence, we have to examine other bits of residue. Much of any leader's record is unremarkable dross, and Thatcher was no exception. But keeping the show on the road is what all of them must first attend to, because there's nobody else to do it. Under this heading, Thatcher left a dark legacy that, like her successes, has still not disappeared behind the historical horizon. Three aspects of it never completely leave my head.
The first is what changed in the temper of Britain and the British. What happened at the hands of this woman's indifference to sentiment and good sense in the early 1980s brought unnecessary calamity to the lives of several million people who lost their jobs. It led to riots that nobody needed. More insidiously, it fathered a mood of tolerated harshness. Materialistic individualism was blessed as a virtue, the driver of national success. Everything was justified as long as it made money – and this, too, is still with us.
Thatcherism failed to destroy the welfare state. The lady was too shrewd to try that, and barely succeeded in reducing the share of the national income taken by the public sector. But the sense of community evaporated. There turned out to be no such thing as society, at least in the sense we used to understand it. Whether pushing each other off the road, barging past social rivals, beating up rival soccer fans, or idolising wealth as the only measure of virtue, Brits became more unpleasant to be with. This regrettable transformation was blessed by a leader who probably did not know it was happening because she didn't care if it happened or not. But it did, and the consequences seem impossible to reverse.
Second, it's now easier to see the scale of the setback she inflicted on Britain's idea of its own future. Nations need to know the big picture of where they belong and, coinciding with the Thatcher appearance at the top, clarity had apparently broken through the clouds of historic ambivalence.
(10) Michael White , Margaret Thatcher (8th April, 2013)
She was also lucky in her opponents. The miners' leader, Arthur Scargill, was a vain and often foolish strategist. So was General Leopoldo Galtieri, the Argentinian president who launched his Falklands invasion in the winter.
Jacques Delors, the fierce French socialist whom she came to see as embodying the ambitions of Brussels – "the Belgian empire" in Thatcher-speak – to destroy British sovereignty, was also a good whipping boy.
Most important was her good luck with events in domestic politics, whichhelped Thatcher, deeply unpopular as recession and inflation worsened in 1981, survive early challenges. Michael Foot succeeded the wily Callaghan as Labour leader, triggering the breakaway from Labour of the "Gang of Four" who formed the SDP. Its leader, Roy Jenkins, won the Hillhead byelection promising to "break the mould'' of British politics, just days before the Falklands crisis broke it in quite a different fashion.
Thatcher emerged from the recapture of Port Stanley and the 1983 election with a majority of 144, Labour almost beaten into third place in the popular vote but well ahead of the SDP-Liberal alliance in seats. Neil Kinnock succeeded Foot and began the long modernisation that culminated in Tony Blair's three victories of 1997-2005.
But Kinnock was never comfortable dealing with an aggressive older woman and lacked both her experience and her command of detail. Thatcher held him at bay, crucially so when he failed to land the killer blow that might have ended her premiership in the 1986 Commons debate over Westland. That followed Michael Heseltine's resignation as defence secretary over the fate of a Yeovil-based helicopter company: should it be merged into Europe or US partnership? Thatcher was mixed up in leaks and skulduggery, but escaped, damaged but still in charge...
All the while, Thatcher's nemesis was creeping up on her in the shape of the poll tax. The "community charge" represented her ambitious plan to replace unpopular household rates with a headcount tax that even council tenants would pay: it would dampen their enthusiasm for services paid for by others, she reasoned.
Ideologues, by now firmly in the ascendant, encouraged her to pilot the scheme in Scotland, which had stubbornly resisted both her analysis and English nationalist tone, then to introduce it in one fell swoop south of the border.
More unpopular even than water privatisation, the poll tax prompted riots in Trafalgar Square. There had been riots before in Brixton and Liverpool, triggered by unemployment and deprivation in the early 80s, but the rioters now were expressing doubts shared by mainstream voters.
A further sign of Thatcher losing her grip came when, as a frequent defender of the apartheid regime in South Africa, she dismissed Nelson Mandela as a "terrorist'' not long before he emerged from prison to become the hero of the peaceful transition to majority rule.
(11) Larry Elliott , Did Margaret Thatcher transform Britain's economy for better or worse? (8th April, 2013)
Reversing Britain's long-term economic decline. That was the daunting task Margaret Thatcher set herself when she arrived in Downing Street in May 1979 at the end of a traumatic decade that had seen a three-day week, inflation topping 25%, a bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the winter of discontent.
She gave it her best shot. The last remnants of the postwar consensus were swept away in the ensuing decade – a period that saw the crushing of the trade unions, the Big Bang in the City, council house sales, the privatisation of large chunks of industry, the encouragement of inward investment, tax cuts, attempts to roll back the state, a deep manufacturing recession, a boom in North Sea oil production, and support for the creation of a single market in Europe.
As far as her supporters are concerned, this radical transformation worked. Britain ceased to be the sick man of Europe and entered the 1990s with its reputation enhanced. The economy had become more productive, more competitive and more profitable. Deep-seated and long overdue reforms of the 1980s paved the way for the long 16-year boom between 1992 and 2008.
To her detractors, Thatcher is the prime minister who wiped out more than 15% of Britain's industrial base with her dogmatic monetarism, squandered the once-in-a-lifetime windfall of North Sea oil on unemployment pay and tax cuts, and made the UK the unbalanced, unequal country it is today.
The truth lies somewhere between these extremes. Thatcher came to power when the economy was approaching a moment of truth after three decades of poor performance relative to other western countries. Had Jim Callaghan won the 1979 election, he too would have faced the challenge of how to modernise an economy beset by high inflation, weak management and poor industrial relations.
Indeed, many of the policy innovations associated with Thatcher had already been pioneered by her predecessor. Full employment had been ditched in 1976, while Labour had introduced monetary targets and cash limits for Whitehall departments while Denis Healey was at the Treasury.
Nor, contrary to myth, did Thatcherism emerge fully formed in May 1979. Privatisation did not feature in the Conservative election campaign, while the tougher approach to trade union reform had only really become evident since the winter of discontent, and even then was a gradual process.
That said, by the mid-1980s it was clear that the Conservative government's economic policy was based on a handful of core principles. Firstly, control of inflation rather than the pursuit of full employment was the centrepiece of macro economic strategy. The government's job was to keep inflation low, not to boost growth through demand management.
Secondly, the balance of power in industrial relations was shifted decisively in favour of employers. Three separate pieces of legislation between 1980 and 1984 attacked the closed shop, toughened up the laws on picketing and imposed secret strike ballots. Symbolically, the key moment was the defeat of the miners after the year-long pit strike in March 1985.
Thirdly, industrial policy was all but abandoned. The state retained control of some nationalised industries – the railways, for example – but BT, British Airways, British Steel, British Gas and the British Airports Authority were among the big companies sold off. Thatcher did not believe in "picking winners"; instead she preferred to rely on market forces to ensure the survival of the fittest. To the extent that there was an industrial strategy, it was to sell Britain as a destination for Japanese car companies and to shift the focus of the economy away from manufacturing towards financial services.
Fourthly, policy was aimed at those who, according to the prime minister, wanted to get on in life. There were big tax cuts for those on the highest incomes, driven by the belief that this would encourage entrepreneurship. But there were also cuts for basic-rate taxpayers: the 1988 budget, for example, cut the top rate of tax from 60% to 40% and the standard rate from 27% to 25%. Council house sales and advertising campaigns that encouraged the public to buy shares in privatised companies were meant to broaden the appeal of capitalism.
Narrowly judged, the Thatcher economic revolution was a success. Britain's relative decline came to an end, although that was more due to slowdowns in countries such as France and Germany than an acceleration in UK productivity growth. The number of days lost through strikes tumbled. Nissan's arrival in the north-east showed that Britain was no longer the west's industrial pariah.
On the other hand, growth has been depressed because weak trade unions can no longer ensure wage increases keep pace with inflation. The government's welfare bill has been swollen by tax credits and housing benefit caused by the labour market reforms and council house sales of the 1980s. Britain's record on innovation and investment have been extremely poor, while the hollowing out of manufacturing left the economy over-dependent on the de-regulated City. Oil helped Thatcher paper over the cracks, but Britain's age-old problem – finding a way to pay its way in the world – remains. The last time the UK ran a trade surplus was the year of the Falklands war.
(12) The Daily Telegraph (8th April, 2013)
Even more than the government’s trade union reforms, victory in this strike finally broke the back of militant trade unionism and established Britain’s reputation as a safe place in which to invest. Margaret Thatcher’s own steely resolve was again demonstrated by her conduct in the wake of the IRA bomb attack on the 1984 Brighton party conference: hours after the outrage she appeared on the platform to declare: “All attempts to destroy democracy will fail.”
Soon, though, her own position, and indeed her own integrity, were questioned as a result of the upheavals resulting from intra-Cabinet warfare surrounding the future of the Westland helicopter company. The loss of two Cabinet Ministers - Michael Heseltine and Leon Brittan — and doubts about the veracity of Mrs Thatcher’s own accounts of events constituted a blow which many imagined that she would not survive.
The anti-Americanism upon which Heseltine had drawn in his campaign over Westland was also fuelled by widespread political opposition to Britain’s support for America’s raids on Libya in the spring of 1986. Thatcher had needed much persuading by the Reagan administration that the action was required (the raids would be carried out by American F-111s based in the UK). Indeed, Thatcher’s support for Reagan throughout their partnership was never unqualified: she had, for example, disapproved of American policy in Lebanon, and had sharply disagreed with Reagan’s invasion of Grenada. But in public she now robustly defended her old friend’s decision. Although unpopular ar home, her loyalty to the United States at this juncture secured her a unique standing in Washington for as long as Reagan was President.
In fact, from about this time the Prime Minister’s position began to improve domestically as well. The economy was growing; meanwhile, Neil Kinnock was proving an erratic and unconvincing Leader of the Opposition. Above all, by her “discovery” of the future Soviet Leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, with whom she formed a close personal empathy and political friendship, Mrs Thatcher had ensured for herself a unique position on the world stage. Gorbachev, she had claimed in December 1984, was someone with whom the West could “do business”, and her other political friend, Reagan, was prepared to take her word for it. In March 1987 Thatcher made a triumphant five-day tour of the USSR.
That June’s general election was not, however, Thatcher’s finest hour. She was often tetchy (partly the result of toothache) and she became involved in a dispute about private health insurance at the expense of other, less prickly, issues. Some of the radical reforms in the manifesto turned out to have been insufficiently refined. This led to a disagreement with Kenneth Baker, the Education Secretary, over the details of the new Grant Maintained (GM) Schools. It would also later lead to the disaster of the community charge or poll tax - devised as an ambitious replacement for local authority rates. But the Conservatives and Thatcher were, for the present, untouchable. The party was returned with a healthy majority of 102.
(13) Andy McSmith , The Independent (8th April, 2013)
There has been no other leader quite like Margaret Thatcher in post-war Britain. No other post-war Prime Minister has been so admired, or so reviled. She was the first woman to lead a major political party in Britain, the longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, and almost the only Prime Minister whose name is synonymous with an ideology. "Thatcherism" remained in political diction when the holder of that name was an elderly frail, lonely widow.
She was never much loved, though she would have liked to have been. She believed that she had a direct line to the British people, or at least the section of it from which she sprang: the hardworking, law-abiding, self-denying lower middle class. Although she dominated her party and the government machine, her self-image was of an outsider battling with an inert establishment. Evening visitors to the flat above Downing Street would sometimes find her and her husband, Denis, watching the news, and grumbling about the state of the nation, wanting something done.
This outsider's mentality made her admired - worshipped, almost - by members of the Conservative Party and its core supporters. Others felt grudging respect for her immense willpower. Even the satirists who thrived during the Thatcher years unwittingly enhanced the very reputation that they were mocking. One famous Spitting Image sketch showed Thatcher settling down to dinner with a collection of half-witted Cabinet ministers. Approached by the waiter, she ordered raw steak. "And what about the vegetables?" she is asked, to which she replied: "They'll have the same." Jokes such as this only reinforced her image as a strong leader. She was also lucky in the choice of enemies that fate threw in her path - the Kremlin, Argentina's General Galtieri, and the miners' leader, Arthur Scargill, all unwittingly helped her from success to success.
But to a very large minority of Britons - if not the majority - she was an increasingly unappealing embodiment of unfeeling middle-class self-righteousness. While it was her hostility to her fellow Europeans that most damaged her relations with senior Cabinet colleagues, what turned the public against her was the apparent glee with which she rode roughshod over sections of society, such as the miners and the unemployed.
(14) Gavin Evans, The Mail and Guardian (19th April, 2013)
For then United States president Ronald Reagan and his assistant secretary of state, Chester Crocker, combating communism was paramount. Underpinning "constructive engagement" was the conviction that, when it came to a choice between apartheid and democracy, the devil they knew was preferable. Thatcher reached the same conclusion from a different angle, perhaps because her South African roots ran deeper. Her curmudgeonly husband, Denis, had an uncle who was a Durban businessperson, a factor the prompted his extensive South African investments.
In 1972 they sent their son, Mark, to Johannesburg for a year's work experience, and two years later they went on a tour of the country. One of their hosts was Botha, who pronounced himself highly impressed with Mrs Thatcher. There is no record of the Thatchers expressing moral misgivings about the apartheid they witnessed, but how much of this blinkered response was a product of racism?
Bob Carr, Australia's foreign minister, said he was astonished by Thatcher's racial outbursts when she visited in the 1990s. He said she warned him against Asian immigration, saying: "You'll end up like Fiji, where the Indian migrants have taken over."
Back in the 1970s, her views on South Africa were being moulded by the racist attitudes of her friend Laurens van der Post. In addition to being a Jungian mystic, a teller of tall tales about himself and a man who fathered a child with a 14-year-old, he believed in innate racial characteristics. Mandela's Xhosas were treacherous; Mangosuthu Buthelezi's Zulus were noble savages. Thatcher therefore did her best to champion the latter's cause.
It is said in her favour that although she might have lacked moral repugnance for apartheid she opposed it because it represented a barrier to a free market. This was also her argument for so resolutely opposing sanctions and disinvestment. Even when Britain was forced to follow the minimalist Commonwealth sanctions programme, she stressed that she had warded off a more stringent stance.
In 1984, Thatcher became the first British prime minister in 23 years to host an apartheid head of state. Three years later, she declared: "The ANC is a typical terrorist organisation." Her stance fostered a toxic ethos within her party. Thatcher's most loyal Cabinet colleague, Norman Tebbit, called Mandela a "terrorist". South Africa hosted regular apartheid-sponsored visits from Tory MPs, and Young Conservative leaders wore "Hang Nelson Mandela" badges.
(15) Seumas Milne , The Guardian (12th March, 2014)
As a rule, the most effective trade unionists have to die before the mainstream media and politicians will say anything decent about them. That's certainly what has happened to the rail and seafarers' leader Bob Crow.
Instead of the industrial dinosaur, political throwback and strike-happy hypocrite demonised for more than a decade, it now turns out that Crow was in fact a modern and effective workplace champion. The scourge of the London commuter didn't just drive up rail workers' living standards, we are told, but fought successfully for low-paid contract cleaners into the bargain.
Part of that is about not speaking ill of someone cut off in their prime, of course. But it also reflects establishment awareness of the chord that an authentic workers' leader strikes with a public living the reality of the race to the bottom in pay and conditions – and a public life purged of working-class figures and populated by plastic political and corporate professionals.
As it happened, Crow died on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the start of the miners' strike. It is doubtful that even death will win Arthur Scargill the national treasure treatment currently being given to Crow, given the scale of his vilification and the extent of the challenge he represented to political and economic power from the 1970s to the 1990s.
But the 1984-5 strike, the decisive social and economic confrontation of Britain's postwar era, is how we got where we are today. A generation on, it is now even clearer than it was at the time why the year-long struggle over the country's energy supply took place, and what interests were really at stake.
The Thatcher government's war on the miners – her chancellor Nigel Lawson described preparations for the strike as "like re-arming to face the threat of Hitler" – wasn't just about class revenge for the Tories' humiliating defeats at the hands of the miners in the early 1970s. It was about using the battering ram of state power to break the single greatest obstacle to the transformation of the economy in the interests of corporate privilege and wealth that Margaret Thatcher was determined to carry out. The offensive ushered in the full-blown neoliberal model that has failed to deliver for the majority, generated inequality and insecurity on a huge scale, and imploded with such disastrous consequences five-and-a-half years ago.
For the miners, the strike was a defensive battle for jobs and communities. But it also raised the alternative of a different kind of Britain, rooted in solidarity and collective action. The crippling of the country's most powerful union opened the way for the systematic deregulation of the labour market – and the zero-hours contracts, falling real wages, payday loans and food banks we are living with today.
Every couple of years, evidence emerges to underline the unparalleled nature of the state onslaught and ruthless rule-breaking to overcome resistance in the mining communities, bought at a cost of £37bn in today's prices.
In January, newly released cabinet papers confirmed that, just as Scargill had warned at the time, there was indeed a secret hit list to close 75 collieries with the loss of 75,000 jobs when the strike began. Thatcher lied about it and planned to send thousands of troops into the coalfields, as her government faced imminent defeat.
In media and establishment mythology, of course, it was the insurrectionary incompetence of the miners' leadership that led to the breakneck destruction of the mining communities, rather than the government that ordered it. That is abject nonsense.
There was simply no option of a gentle rundown of the industry in 1984, with or without a national ballot, as the treatment of pits that worked during the strike demonstrated. The only choice was between the certainty of mass closures and the chance of halting the assault.
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Jamaica Inn is in which English county? | Jamaica Inn : Daphne du Maurier : 9781844080397
Daphne du Maurier
Classics
Review quote
Daphne du Maurier has no equal Sunday Telegraph A true classic Amazon.com Jamaica Inn is perhaps the most accomplished historical romance ever written Good Book Guide Jamaica Inn is a first-rate page-turner. The Times A dark tale. A brilliant thriller Daily Express show more
About Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907-89) was born in London, the daughter of the famous actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of George du Maurier, the author and artist. In 1931 her first novel, The Loving Spirit, was published. A biography of her father and three other novels followed, but it was the novel Rebecca that launched her into the literary stratosphere and made her one of the most popular authors of her day. In 1932, du Maurier married Major Frederick Browning, with whom she had three children. Many of du Maurier's bestselling novels and short stories were adapted into award-winning films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now. In 1969 du Maurier was awarded a DBE. She lived most of her life in Cornwall, the setting for many of her books. show more
Review Text
Thrillingly exciting, beautifully written, passionate but never sentimental, Jamaica Inn is perhaps the most accomplished historical romance (in the proper sense of the word) ever written. It is set in early 19th-century Cornwall, at a time when the forces of order are gradually beginning to curb the reckless lawlessness of this wild region. After the death of her mother, Mary Yellan decides to leave her peaceful home in South Cornwall and travel up country to live with her Aunt Patience, who is married to Joss Merlyn, the landlord of the Jamaica Inn. The inn is a wretched place, solitary on the desolate moors between Bodmin and Launceston and shunned by those who pass it, but even more shocking to Mary is the state of her aunt, once a merry pleasure-loving woman but now wasted away by the brutality of her husband. As she tries to make a life for herself in the face of her aunt's pathetic fear and her uncle's contempt and viciousness, Mary begins to realize that Jamaica Inn is the centre of a criminal network stretching the length and breadth of the county, and that she must choose between protecting her aunt and destroying her uncle's evil trade. The story is a gripping one, made much more so by du Maurier's powerful evocation of the landscape it is set in. The bleakness of the moors mirrors Mary's loneliness and the cruelty of Joss Merlyn and his kind, but there is also a wild beauty to them, and an entrancement that begins to take hold of Mary in the same way as her growing attraction to Joss's arrogant horse-thief brother Jem. Natural forces dominate everything, from the harsh wind that sweeps across the tors to the unwilling desire Mary feels for Jem. As the narrative builds to its terrifying conclusion, du Maurier refuses to allow us a conventional happy ending - the imperatives of nature are too strong, and Mary must obey them like the generations before her. (Kirkus UK) show more
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What is a female hedgehog called? | Bodmin Moor Pubs & Accommodation | North Cornwall Hotel | Jamaica Inn
Jamaica Inn
Cornwall's most famous smugglers inn
Welcome to Jamaica Inn, high up on wild and beautiful Bodmin Moor and made world-famous by Daphne du Maurier's tale of smugglers, rogues and pirates. A new BBC drama of Jamaica Inn was broadcast at Easter 2014.
This historic coaching house has welcomed weary travellers crossing Bodmin Moor for nearly 300 years. Full of legend, mystery, romance and even, according to folklore, the odd friendly spirit, the Inn continues to welcome guests to its 20 en suite bedrooms, award-winning restaurant , ‘olde worlde’ bars with great local ales and wines, its souvenir shop and the fascinating Smugglers’ Museum where tales of wreckers, murderers and villains are brought wonderfully to life!
The Inn is easily reached being just beside the A30 at Bolventor, midway between Launceston and Bodmin. It is the perfect base for exploring the moor and, being close to the Cornwall and Devon border, it is also a great base for visiting almost anywhere in either county and still be back in time for dinner.
Click around this website and find out lots more.
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What breed of dog is known as a ‘Sausage dog’? | Dachshund Dog Breed Information, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts - Dogtime
Dog Breed Group: Hound Dogs
Height: 8 inches to 9 inches tall at the shoulder
Weight: 16 to 32 pounds
Life Span: 12 to 15 years
Don't let the Dachshund fool you. He might be, as legendary literary critic and humorous journalist H. L. Mencken said, "half a dog high and a dog and a half long," but this small, drop-eared dog is tough enough to take on a badger. In fact, that's what he was bred to do and how he got his name (Dachs meaning badger; hund meaning dog).
Dachshunds (pronounced DAKS hund — never dash-hound) come in three varieties: smooth (shorthaired), wirehaired and longhaired. In the United States, Dachshunds are either miniature (11 pounds and under as an adult) or standard (usually between 16 and 32 pounds as an adult). If your Dachshund weighs between 11 and 16 pounds, he's called a tweenie. Other countries have a wider variance in the sizes. For example, in Germany, the official birthplace of the Dachshund breed, Dachshunds are identified as Standard, Miniature, or Kaninchenteckel, based on a chest measurement taken at the age of fifteen months.
No matter what their size, Dachshunds are a delightful addition to any family, which is why they have ranked near the top of most popular dogs lists since the 1950s. Their cute appearance and lively disposition have inspired many affectionate nicknames for the breed, including wiener dog, hot dog, sausage dog, Doxie, Dashie, and (especially in Germany) Teckels, Dachels, or Dachsels
You can't help but smile when you look at a confident Dachshund, proudly carrying his long, muscular body on short legs, his elongated head held high with a bold, intelligent look in his eyes. Because of their almost comical appearance, Dachshunds have long been a favorite subject of cartoonists and toy makers. But their cute appearance was developed for far more serious and practical reasons. Their short legs enable them to dig and maneuver through tunnels to corner and even fight badgers and other animals, while their large chests give them plenty of "heart" for the fight. Dachshunds are brave, but they can be somewhat stubborn, and have an independent spirit, especially when hunting.
At home, the Dachshund's playful nature comes out. He loves to be close to you and "help" you do things like tie your shoes. Because of his intelligence, he often has his own ideas about what the rules are when it comes to playtime-and those rules may not be the same as yours or even other breeds of dogs. Dachshunds are known for being lively and enjoy chasing other small animals, birds, and toys. The breed standard — a written description of how the Dachshund should look and act — probably describes their personality best, saying "the Dachshund is clever, lively, and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault."
Dachshunds have soulful eyes and complex facial expressions. Their lungs are large for a dog this size and they have a barrel-like chest. Because of these things, Dachshunds have a loud, deep bark that sounds as though it comes from a much larger dog. And they do like to bark, which is something you might consider if you have neighbors who could be annoyed rather than amused by the antics of your brave little Dachshund.
Dachshunds often bond closely with a single person. They may even become jealous of their owner's attention and can, if not properly trained and socialized, become snappy.
Smooth Dachshunds are the most popular variety in the United States. Their coats are short and shiny and need little grooming. They do, however, need a sweater in the winter if you live in an area with cold weather. Common colors are red, cream, black and tan, black and cream, chocolate and tan, blue and tan, and Isabella (fawn) and tan. Dachshunds also can have patterns in their coats, such as dapple (a mottled coat pattern), brindle, sable, and piebald.
Longhaired Dachshunds have sleek, slightly wavy hair and can be the same colors as the Smooth Dachshund. They should be brushed every day to prevent mats from forming, especially around their elbows and ears. Many believe that the Longhaired Dachshund has a more docile temperament than the Smooth or Wirehair.
Wirehaired Dachshunds have wiry, short, thick, rough coats with bushy eyebrows and a beard. Like Smooth Dachshunds, they often are mischievous. They won't need a sweater in the winter, but they do need to be brushed regularly to prevent mats from forming. Their coat colors can be the same as the Smooth Dachshund, but the most popular colors in the United States are wild boar (a mixture of black, brown, and gray), black and tan, and various shades of red.
Dachshunds often have been seen as a symbol of Germany. Because of this association, Dachshunds lost popularity in the United States during World War I and World War II. Their appeal was too great for this to resist, however, and they quickly made a comeback in popularity. Because of the association with Germany, a Dachshund named Waldi was chosen to be the first official mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Dachshunds are a good choice for apartment dwellers and people who don't have a backyard. They are popular with urban dwellers because of their small size and ease of care. They generally are active indoors and also enjoy going on walks. Just be careful not to let them get too fat or allow them to injure their backs by jumping off furniture. Also, be sure to support their backs when you are holding them. Because of their long backs, they are susceptible to slipped or ruptured (herniated) disks in their backs, which can result in partial or full paralysis.
Although they originally were bred to hunt ferocious badgers and other animals, today's Dachshunds are ideal family companions. Additionally, many people show them in conformation, obedience, agility, field trials, and earthdog trials. They are also hard-working and well-appreciated therapy dogs. Some people enter their Dachshunds in Dachshund races, such as the Wiener Nationals. Although these races are popular, the Dachshund Club of America opposes "wiener racing" because many Greyhound tracks use the events to draw large crowds and because the DCA worries that such races could injure Dachshunds' backs.
Because they are such a popular breed, many people breed Dachshunds to make money rather than out of a love for the breed and a desire to breed healthy, even-tempered dogs. Be careful to obtain your Dachshund from a reputable breeder who screens his or her breeding animals for both temperament and health problems.
The Dachshund is a versatile companion. With his variety of sizes, colors, coat types, and personalities, there's a Dachshund to suit almost anyone.
Highlights
Dachshunds can be stubborn and difficult to housebreak. Crate-training is recommended.
Dachshunds are intelligent dogs with an independent nature and playful spirit. Because of this, they can be mischievous. Be patient, firm, and consistent when training them.
Because they were bred for hunting, they can exhibit some behaviors that are related to that. They were designed to dig into badger burrows, and that instinct may lead them to dig up your dahlias instead. They were bred to be tenacious in the hunt, and this instinct may lead them to be relentless in pestering you for a treat. They were bred to not only hunt but kill their prey; in your household, the "prey" most likely will be your Dachshund's toys and he will effectively "kill" them one after the other.
Dachshunds have loud, deep barks for a dog their size - and they do like to bark!
If you don't watch out, your Dachshund can become fat and lazy, which will put more strain on his fragile back. Be sure to monitor your Dachshund's food intake and keep him at a healthy weight.
Dachshunds are prone to having slipped disks in their backs, which can lead to partial or full paralysis. Don't let them jump from high places, and when you hold them, support their backs.
Your Dachshund will probably be a one-person dog. By nature, he can be suspicious of strangers, so it's important to socialize him when he is a puppy.
To get a healthy dog, never buy a puppy from an irresponsible breeder, puppy mill, or pet store.
History
The Dachshund was created in Germany where he was known as the badger dog, dachs meaning badger and hund meaning dog. Illustrations of dogs resembling Dachshunds date to the 15th century, and documents from the 16th century mention the "earth dog," "badger creeper," and "dachsel." Badger wasn't the Dachshund's only prey. He was also used on den animals such as foxes, and packs of Dachshunds trailed wild boar. Those early Dachshunds varied greatly in size. The dogs used on badgers and boar weighed 30 to 35 pounds. Dachshunds used to hunt foxes and deer weighed 16 to 22 pounds, and smaller 12-pound Dachshunds hunted hares and weasels. For a brief time in the early 20th century, 5-pound Dachshunds were used to bolt cottontail rabbits.
Known as the Teckel in Germany, the breed was refined over the course of many years by German foresters in the 18th and 19th centuries. They wanted to develop a fearless, elongated dog that could dig into badger burrows, and then go into the burrows to fight the badger to the death if necessary. The Smooths were the original type, created through crosses with the Braque, a small French pointing breed, and the Pinscher, a small terrier-type ratter. French Basset Hounds may also have played a role in the Dachshund's development. The long-coated Dachshunds were probably created through crosses with various spaniels and the wirehairs through crosses with terriers.
Carefully sculpted through years of breeding, today the Dachshund is the only AKC-recognized breed that hunts both above and below ground. Their short, powerful legs enabled Dachshunds to go deep into narrow tunnels to pursue their prey. Their long, sturdy tails, extending straight from the spine, provided hunters with a "handle" to pull the Dachshund out of the burrow. The Dachshund's unusually large and paddle-shaped paws were perfect for efficient digging. The Smooth Dachshund's loose skin wouldn't tear as the dog traversed into tight burrows. Their deep chest with ample lung capacity gave them the stamina to hunt, and their long noses enabled them to be good scent hounds. Even their deep, loud bark had a reason - so the hunter to locate his dog after it had gone into a burrow.
And of course, they had to be bold and tenacious. Although the original German Dachshunds were larger than the Dachshunds we know today, you can still see the fearlessness for which the breed was developed in even the smallest varieties. Give your Dachshund a squeaky toy and he'll likely "kill" it by destroying the squeaker as quickly as possible. Remember, these dogs were bred not only to hunt prey, but kill it as well.
In the 1800s, Dachshunds started being bred more as pets than as hunters, especially in Great Britain. They were favorites in royal courts all over Europe, including that of Queen Victoria, who was especially fond of the breed. Due to this trend, their size was gradually reduced by about 10 pounds. Eventually, an even smaller version - the miniature dachshund - was bred.
A breed standard was written in 1879, and the German Dachshund Club was founded nine years later, in 1888. By 1885, Dachshunds had made it to America, and 11 were registered with the American Kennel Club that year. The first one was named Dash. The Dachshund Club of America was founded 10 years later, in 1895.
The breed became very popular in the early 1900s, and in 1913 and 1914, they were among the 10 most popular entries in the Westminster Kennel Club Show. During World War I, however, the breed fell on hard times in the U.S. and England because they were closely associated with Germany. Dachshund owners sometimes were called traitors and their dogs stoned. After World War I, some U.S. breeders imported some Dachshunds from Germany and the breed started to become popular once again. The breed faced a similar fate during World War II, but not nearly so severely as during World War I.
In the 1950s, Dachshunds became one of the most popular family dogs in the U.S. again, a status they have enjoyed ever since. While Dachshunds rarely are used as hunting dogs in the U.S. or Great Britain, in other parts of Europe, especially France, they still are considered hunting dogs. Today the Dachshund ranks sixth among the 155 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.
Size
Dachshunds are bred and shown in two sizes: Standard and Miniature. Standard Dachshunds of all varieties (Smooth, Wirehair, and Longhair) usually weigh between 16 and 32 pounds. Miniature Dachshunds of all varieties weigh 11 pounds and under at maturity. Dachshunds that weigh between 11 and 16 pounds are called Tweenies. While this isn't an official classification, Tweenies are not penalized in the show ring. Some people who breed exceptionally small Dachshunds advertise them as Toy Dachshunds, but this is purely a marketing term, not a recognized designation.
Personality
The Dachshund is described as clever, lively, and courageous to the point of rashness. He's bred for perseverance, which is another way of saying that he can be stubborn. Dachshunds have a reputation for being entertaining and fearless, but what they want most is to cuddle with their people. For many Dachshund people, this characteristic outweighs having to deal with the breed's insistence on having his own way. The Dachshund personality can also vary with coat type. Because the wirehaired Dachshunds have terrier in their background, they can be mischievous troublemakers. Longhairs are calm and quiet, and Smooths have a personality that lies somewhere in between. Some Mini Dachshunds can be nervous or shy, but this isn't correct for the breed. Avoid puppies that show these characteristics.
Temperament is affected by a number of factors, including heredity, training, and socialization. Puppies with nice temperaments are curious and playful, willing to approach people and be held by them. Choose the middle-of-the-road puppy, not the one who's beating up his littermates or the one who's hiding in the corner. Always meet at least one of the parents-usually the mother is the one who's available-to ensure that they have nice temperaments that you're comfortable with. Meeting siblings or other relatives of the parents is also helpful for evaluating what a puppy will be like when he grows up.
Like every dog, Dachshunds need early socialization-exposure to many different people, sights, sounds, and experiences-when they're young. Socialization helps ensure that your Dachshund puppy grows up to be a well-rounded dog. Enrolling him in a puppy kindergarten class is a great start. Inviting visitors over regularly, and taking him to busy parks, stores that allow dogs, and on leisurely strolls to meet neighbors will also help him polish his social skills.
Health
Not all Bouviers will get any or all of these diseases, but it's important to be aware of them if you're considering this breed.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD): Dachshunds are especially prone to having back problems. This may be due to genetics, moving the wrong way, or falling or jumping on or off furniture. Symptoms of a problem include an inability to raise up on the rear legs, paralysis, and sometimes loss of bowel and bladder control. It's important to always support your Dachshund's back and rear when holding him. Treatment may consist of anything from crate confinement with anti-inflammatory medications to surgery to remove the discs that are causing the problem or even confining the dog to a doggie wheelchair. Some owners have found that they can help ward off problems by taking their Dachshunds to chiropractors, acupuncturists, or rehabilitation therapists who have experience working with dogs.
Epilepsy: Dachshunds are prone to having epileptic seizes. In dogs that are affected, it's thought that the condition is either genetic or brought about as the result of a fall or a hard blow to the head. If your Dachshund has seizures, take him to your vet to determine what treatment is appropriate. In many cases, epilepsy can be controlled with medication.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA): This is a degenerative eye disorder that eventually causes blindness from the loss of photoreceptors at the back of the eye. PRA is detectable years before the dog shows any signs of blindness. Fortunately, dogs can use their other senses to compensate for blindness, and a blind dog can live a full and happy life. Just don't make it a habit to move the furniture around. Reputable breeders have their dogs' eyes certified annually by a veterinary ophthalmologist and do not breed dogs with this disease. A DNA test for PRA is available for miniature longhaired Dachshunds.
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) Also called Bloat or Torsion: This is a life-threatening condition that most often affects large dogs, but because of their deep chests, it also can affect Dachshunds. GDV occurs when the stomach is distended with gas or air and then twists (torsion). The dog is unable to belch or vomit to rid itself of the excess air in its stomach, and the normal return of blood to the heart is impeded. Blood pressure drops and the dog goes into shock. This is a medical emergency. Without immediate medical attention, the dog can die. Suspect bloat if your dog has a distended abdomen, is salivating excessively and retching without throwing up. He also may be restless, depressed, lethargic, and weak with a rapid heart rate. It's important to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. There is some indication that a tendency toward GDV is inherited.
Cushings Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism): This condition occurs when the body produces too much of a hormone called cortisol. It can be due to an imbalance in the pituitary gland or in the adrenal gland, or it can occur when a dog has too much cortisol from other conditions. The most common signs are excess urination and excess drinking. If your Dachshund exhibits these signs, take him to the veterinarian. There are treatments to help with this disease from the removal of a gland to medications.
Canine Diabetes Mellitus (DM): Diabetes is occasionally seen in Dachshunds, particularly if they're overweight. Diabetes can be treated with diet and daily insulin injections. Signs include excessive urination and thirst and weight loss despite a ravenous appetite
Deafness: Hearing loss isn't common in the breed, but it can occur in double dapple Dachshunds. Ask if the puppy and its parents were BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) tested for hearing loss. This is not available in all areas but is available at most large specialty practices and teaching hospitals at veterinary schools. It can be done any time after the puppy is five weeks old.
If you're buying a puppy, find a good breeder who will show you health clearances for both your puppy's parents. Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for and cleared of a particular condition.
In Dachshunds, you should expect to see a health clearance from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF), certifying that the eyes are normal.
Health clearances are not issued to dogs younger than 2 years of age. That's because some health problems don't appear until a dog reaches full maturity. For this reason, it's often recommended that dogs not be bred until they are two or three years old.
Care
Dachshunds have a lot of stamina and energy. They love to take a walk or play outdoors with other dogs, and they like to hunt and dig. They are also active inside the house and can do well in small living quarters so long as they get a moderate amount of daily exercise. Two half-mile walks a day (about 10 minutes each) is about right. Occasionally, when time is short, a game of fetch will meet their need for activity.
They're not suited to living outdoors or in a kennel but should live in the home. Dachshunds can injure their backs jumping on and off furniture, so get a ramp or steps and teach them to use it if they want up on the sofa or bed. When you hold a Dachshund, always be careful to support his rear and his chest.
Dachshunds can learn quickly if properly motivated. Use positive reinforcements such as food rewards or a favorite toy to hold their attention, and keep training sessions short. The Dachshund will quickly become bored if made to repeat the same exercise over and over, so make obedience practice fun and interesting.
Housetraining can sometimes be a problem with this breed. A Dachshund may not see the need for eliminating outside. Patience and consistency are musts. Crate training helps as well.
Beyond housetraining, crate training is a kind way to ensure that your Dachshund doesn't get into things he shouldn't. Like every dog, Dachshunds can be destructive as puppies. Crate training at a young age will also help your Dachshund accept confinement if he ever needs to be boarded or hospitalized. Never stick your Dachshund in a crate all day long, however. It's not a jail, and he shouldn't spend more than a few hours at a time in it except when he's sleeping at night. Dachshunds are people dogs, and they aren't meant to spend their lives locked up in a crate or kennel.
The Dachshund excels as a watchdog, but he can be noisy. Minis, in particular, can be yappy. Keep this in mind if your Dachshund will be living in an apartment or condo community.
Feeding
Recommended daily amount: 1/2 to 1 1/2 cups of high-quality dry food a day
Note: How much your adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don't all need the same amount of food. It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. The quality of dog food you buy also makes a difference — the better the dog food, the further it will go toward nourishing your dog and the less of it you'll need to shake into your dog's bowl.
For more on feeding your Dachshund, see our guidelines for buying the right food , feeding your puppy , and feeding your adult dog .
Coat Color And Grooming
The Smooth Dachshund's coat is short and shiny. Single-colored Smooth Dachshunds often are red or cream, perhaps with some black hairs. Two-colored Smooth Dachshunds usually are black, chocolate, wild boar (grizzled), gray (blue) or Isabella (fawn) with tan or cream markings. Dappled Dachshunds have a dappled (merle) pattern in their coats, with light and dark colored areas in even distribution (neither the light nor the dark predominates). Whereas dark eyes are required and little or no white hair on the chest is acceptable for solid- and parti-colored Dachshunds, partially or wholly blue eyes and a large amount of white hair on the chest both acceptable for the dappled Dachshunds. Other color patterns are brindle, in which there are dark stripes all over the body, and sable, where there is an overall dark overlay of hair.
Wirehaired Dachshunds have a very different coat from the Smooth Dachshunds. They have short, thick, hard hair on the topcoat with a softer undercoat. The hard topcoat hair is found everywhere on the body except for the jaw, eyebrows, and ears. While all the colors found in the Smooth Dachshund are acceptable for the Wirehair, the most common color is wild boar.
Longhaired Dachshunds have glistening, slightly wavy long hair which gives them an elegant appearance. They come in the same colors found in Smooth Dachshunds.
Light-colored Dachshunds usually sport light gray, light hazel, green or blue eyes, rather than the various shades of brown. They can also have eyes of two different colors; in rare cases, such as the double-dapple coloration (in which varying amounts of white coloring occur over the body in addition to the dapple pattern), Dachshunds can have a blue and a brown eye.
Dachshunds are a low-maintenance breed. They shed, but not excessively. Unless they've rolled in something that smells bad, they generally don't need to be bathed often and are free of doggie odor. Smooths can be wiped with a damp cloth between baths to keep them clean. If you live in a location that is cold in the winter, your Smooth Dachshund may need a sweater when he goes outside.
Wirehaired Dachshunds require regular brushing, and they'll need to have their coats "stripped" two to three times a year to look their best. Ask the breeder from whom you got your Wirehaired Dachshund or your groomer to show you how to do this.
Longhaired Dachshunds must be brushed regularly to prevent mats from forming. They need to be bathed more often than the Smooth Dachshund, and you must blow-dry them afterward for their coat to look good.
For all varieties and sizes of Dachshunds, you need to pay special attention to their droopy ears, which can be a breeding ground for fungus, bacteria, and mites. Moisten a cotton ball with an ear cleaner recommended by your veterinarian and wipe the ears out weekly. Don't go any deeper than the first knuckle on your finger and never stick a cotton swab into your dog's ear.
Other grooming needs include nail care and dental hygiene. Trim your Dachshund's nails once or twice a month. If you can hear them clicking on the floor, they're too long. The earlier you introduce your Dachshund to nail trimming the less stressful the experience is.
Brush the teeth at least two or three times a week — daily is better — to remove tartar and bacteria. Start when your puppy is young so he'll be used to it.
As you groom, check for sores, rashes, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, in the ears, nose, mouth, and eyes, and on the feet. Ears should smell good, without too much wax or gunk inside, and eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge. Your careful weekly exam will help you spot potential health problems early.
Children And Other Pets
Dachshunds are good with children in their own family if introduced to them early. They may not be as fond of your children's friends, so supervise playtime.
With his long back, the Dachshund can be easily injured if he's not handled properly. Make it a rule that young children can only hold or pet the Dachshund if they're sitting on the floor. Always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he's sleeping or eating or to try to take the dog's food away. No dog should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
Dachshunds get along well with other pets, especially if they're introduced to them in puppyhood. With their bold, domineering personalities, they may well be top dog.
Rescue Groups
Dachshunds are often acquired without any clear understanding of what goes into owning one, and these dogs often end up in the care of rescue groups, in need of adoption or fostering. If you're interested in adopting an Dachshund, a rescue group is a good place to start.
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Who was the first centrefold in the December 1953 issue of Playboy magazine? | Dachshund Dog Breed Information and Pictures
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Description
There are three varieties of Dachshund: the shorthaired, the wirehaired, and the longhaired. With each of these varieties there are three sizes. (See Height and Weight.) The Dachshund's body is longer than it is tall, muscular with short legs. It has an elongated head and a slight, convex skull that is arched with protruding eyebrows. The muzzle is long. The jaw is robust with non-pendent lips. The teeth should meet in a scissors bite. The almond-shaped eyes are dark red or brown-black. The mobile ears hang long on its cheeks. The body has a strong protruding sternum and a moderately retracted abdomen. The tail is carried in line with its back. The short-haired Dachshund's coat should be shiny, sleek and uniform.
Dachshunds have a wide color variety. They are as follows.
Solid colors are: black, red (from strawberry blond to deep auburn), chocolate (brown), isabella (tan or fawn), cream (blond with no trace of red, from golden blond to platinum (the lighter the better) and blue (gray). In the wirehaired variety, cream is referred to as wheaten.
Bicolor Dachshunds may be black and tan, black and creme, chocolate and tan, chocolate and creme, blue and tan, or blue and creme. In these combinations, the former color is the base color, and the tan or creme appears on the face and points. Sable is a red base coat with a black overlay. In the wirehaired variety, there is also wild boar, unique in that the hair shaft itself is bicolor red and black.
Patterns and tricolors:
Brindle: brindles should be striped over the entire body and may be seen on any of the above colors.
Dapple: the dappling is presented as patches of lighter color on a darker base color. This can result in a tricolored Dachshund. Example: black with tan points and silver dappling. If the dappling occurs in the eye, one or both eyes may be blue. Double dapples only occur when both sire and dam are dappled, and results in adding large areas of white to the dapple pattern. There have been genetic defects attributed to double dapple breeding.
Piebald: piebalds can be bicolored or tricolored. They have a white body with patches of one or two solid colors, as in red on white, or black and tan on white. The patches may range from a few spots to covering over 50 percent of the body. There may be ticking throughout the white areas, or they may be solid white.
In the event of cross breeding patterns, as in dapple to piebald or brindle to piebald, the solid patches display the dapple or brindle pattern. Registry depends on the kennel club the dog is registered with, but in the case of only one pattern being registered, the dog should be registered as piebald.
Temperament
The Dachshund is curious, clever, lively, affectionate, proud, brave and amusing. Devoted to its family, it can be slightly difficult to train and housebreak , but not impossible. Dachshunds travel well. This little dog needs an owner who understands how to be his pack leader or he will take over the house, and begin to try and tell the owner what to do. If the dog is allowed to take over, many behavior problems will arise, such as, but not limited to, guarding furniture , separation anxiety , guarding food, toys or other objects, snapping, biting and obsessive barking. It will become unpredictable with children and adults they do not know. If it gets really bad, it may become unpredictable with its owner. They are usually recommended for older, considerate children, simply because most owners do not display proper pack leadership to small dogs, causing moderate to severe protectiveness, a behavior that can change if the humans start being their pack leader. If they do get the proper leadership, they can get along well with children. This breed has an instinct to dig. They are generally okay with other pets; however, once again, without proper leadership from their humans , they can be jealous, irritable, obstinate and very quick to bite, sometimes refusing to be handled. If you allow your little dog to take over your house, the dog will try his hardest to keep all of his humans in line—a weight which should not be placed on any dog's shoulders, especially one as sweet as a little dog like the Dachshund. These negative traits are not Dachshund traits, they are small dog syndrome traits. Meaning, most owners treat their small dogs like babies, rather than giving them leadership, As well as rules they need to follow along with limits they are, and are not allowed to do, which all dogs instinctually crave. Dachshunds that have human leadership along with a daily pack walk are wonderful family companions with excellent temperaments.
Height, Weight
There are three varieties of Dachshund, the shorthaired, the wirehaired, and the longhaired. According to AKC standard, there are two sizes, Standard and Miniature. Unlike the AKC, Europe also recognizes the Toy variety called a kaninchen, which is the German word for rabbit.
Standard: Height 8 - 11 inches (20 - 27cm); Weight - over 11 pounds (4.9 kg) at the age of 12 months.
Miniature: Height up to 5 - 7 inches (13 - 18 cm); Weight 11 pounds (4.9 kg) or less at the age of 12 months.
Toy: Height up to 12 inches (30 cm); Weight 8 pounds (3.5 kg) at age 12 months.
Note: The unofficial terms such as tweenie, dwarf, toy, teacup or micro-mini Dachshund are not AKC-recognized size variations, however some breeders are using these terms and breeding for a smaller dog. Other unofficial nicknames people have labeled this breed are Wiener Dog, Little Hot Dog, Hotdog Dog and Sausage Dog.
The nickname "tweenie" is often used unofficially when the size falls between the miniature and standard.
Health Problems
Prone to spinal disc problems (Dachshund paralysis), urinary tract problems, heart disease and diabetes. Prone to mast cell tumors . Dachshunds have a tendency to become overweight and lazy. This is a serious health risk, putting added strain on the back.
Living Conditions
Good for apartment living. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard.
Exercise
These are active dogs with surprising stamina; they need to be walked daily . They will also enjoy sessions of play in the park or other safe, open areas. Be careful, however, when pedestrians are about because Dachshunds are more likely to be stepped on than more visible dogs. They should be discouraged from jumping, as they are prone to spinal damage.
Life Expectancy
About 4 to 8 puppies
Grooming
Longhaired require daily combing and brushings; wirehaired need professional trimming twice a year, and short-haired require regular rubdown with a damp cloth. This breed is an average shedder.
Origin
The Dachshund originated in Germany in the early 1600s. Bred to hunt small game such as badger and rabbit, the Dachshund has shortened legs to hunt and follow these animals to ground inside the burrows where they could fight the prey to the death. "Dachs" is the word for badger. Smaller Dachshunds where bred to hunt hare and stoat. Dachshunds have many "terrier" characteristics. They are versatile and courageous dogs and have been known to take on foxes and otters too. The breed’s population dwindled during World War l, but dogs were imported from Germany to the USA and the gene pool once again increased. The Dachshund was recognized by the AKC in 1885.
Group
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
FCI = Fédération Cynologique Internationalez
KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain
NAPR = North American Purebred Registry, Inc.
NKC = National Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel Club
Also for the standard variety the ANKC, CKC, APRI, ACR
MISSING—"This is Buddy, my 14-pound, almost two-year-old silver dapple tweenie Dachshund and on the 16th of April 2010 while we were out of town, some friends were dog-sitting him for us. They took him out for a morning walk; he slipped out of his collar and took off. He is still missing, if you have seen him email me at [email protected] and title the email Buddy. He was lost in Salmon Creek in Vancouver, WA, but he could be anywhere. It was very strange that he would do this. He has NEVER tried to slip out of his collar in the past; I guess he is just that loyal to us."
Turbo the dapple Dachshund at 2 years old—"His name fits him. He's hyper but at the same time he's very lovely."
Bentley the Mini Dachshund at 9 months old—"Bentley was given to me by a friend of mine, who owns his mama and daddy and he's been a delight! He's deaf , but if you're not told, you'd never know it! He knows hand signals/signs though, so he knows all of the things a hearing dog knows. He's super smart and he has blue eyes, but one is sky blue and the other is 1/2 sky blue and 1/2 REALLY DARK blue. Wherever I am you'll find Bentley right behind me, even in the bathroom. He cries the entire time I take a shower , don't ask me why! lol Bentley is my beautiful boy."
Bentley the Mini Dachshund at 9 months old
Photo courtesy of R and R Kennels
"Scrappy (behind) is a 7-year-old male standard Dachshund and Moxie (in front) is a 9-month-old female miniature silver dapple Dachshund."
"Russell is a one-year-old red wirehaired Dachshund. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy who loves everyone, he always finds a way into your lap so he can lick your face and cuddle with you for hours. He was an anniversary gift for my mother, as this was always her dream dog. He’s just the sweetest little guy!"
Dexter the smooth Dachshund
Smooth miniature Dachshund puppies at 10 weeks
Oreo is a beautiful, active, silly, longhaired, piebald mini Dachshund.
"This is Avery, the longhaired miniature Dachshund at about 5 months old. She is an English cream piebald dapple Dachshund and is the epitome of the breed. She loves to hunt, dig and bark and her favorite pastime is chasing birds and rodents in the yard. Though she may seem like a "prissy dog," she definitely knows how to get dirty! She is a stubborn little girl , but absolutely loves to cuddle up on the couch under a blanket with me."
"Oscar is a five-year-old rescue Dachshund from Hearts United for Animals, a no-kill shelter in southeast Nebraska. He's been with us for almost a year now. He is one spoiled baby! He is a black and tan "Tweenie," (between a standard and mini). He was adopted with his "sister" Dollie. They came from the same home and were put out by their former owners at a garage sale with a sign "Free to a Good Home." We urge support of no-kill shelters and support abolishment of puppy mills!"
"My dog is a dapple mini Dachshund, shown here at 5 months old. Buddy is a very laid back kind of guy because I take him for walks every day, which he really likes. Buddy is so smart; I taught him sit, lie down, roll over, shake, speak, play dead, and circle (that is where he will run in a circle). He also can sit and lie down at a distance. I want to get him his CGC (Canine Good Citizen). It is so funny watching him play with a chocolate Lab that I walk. We have to be careful when they play because of the size difference. Buddy is so submissive around other dogs; he will walk up to another dog and plop down on his back. I have raised him Cesar's Way from day one and I want to be a Dog Whisperer. Buddy is definitely a balanced canine. I have all of the Dog Whisperer seasons on DVD and read all of his books. I am a big fan and my dog has been balanced from day one. I am a dog walker right now and I walk every dog Cesar's Way and so Buddy gets to be in a pack of dogs."
Gretta the Dachshund at 20 months old
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US singer Tony Christie sang ‘Is This the Way to – ‘where’ in 1971? | Tony Christie on Apple Music
To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music.
Biography
British balladeer Tony Christie proved the continued commercial viability of traditional pop in a post-psychedelic world, scoring a series of easy listening hits that spanned the 1970s. Born Anthony Fitzgerald in South Yorkshire, England, on April 25, 1943, at 18 he joined the popular local group the Counterbeats, later fronting his own combo, Tony Christie & the Trackers. After mounting a solo career, he cut his debut single, "Life's Too Good to Waste," in 1966, followed a year later by "Turn Around." Upon signing to MCA in 1969, Christie teamed with the songwriting and production tandem of Mitch Murray and Peter Callender. Although their first collaboration, "God Is on My Side," went nowhere, the 1971 LP Las Vegas proved the singer's breakthrough, generating the Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield-penned smash "Is This the Way to Amarillo?" (a number one hit in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain), "I Did What I Did for Maria," and "Don't Go Down to Reno." Christie remained a constant of the European charts for much of the decade via subsequent hits including "Avenues and Alleyways" (the theme to the television series The Protectors) and "The Queen of Mardi Gras," selling more than ten million records during the Me Decade. He also hosted his own BBC variety series, and in 1976 played the role of Magaldi during recording sessions for Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita. In 1979 Christie paired with producer Graham Sacher for the blockbuster "Sweet September," but his stardom waned during the decade to follow. He nevertheless maintained a demanding international tour schedule, and remained a regular presence on television as well. Upon teaming with producer Jack White, who previously masterminded hits for Engelbert Humperdinck and Baywatch heartthrob David Hasselhoff, Christie scored a massive comeback hit with 1990's "Kiss in the Night." However, he again spent a number of years on the cabaret circuit before enjoying a new wave of popularity and credibility via the 1999 single "Walk Like a Panther," written for him by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. The single earned Christie his first appearance on Top of the Pops in a quarter century, and his newfound hipster cachet was further solidified when the smash comedy series Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights employed "Is This the Way to Amarillo?" as its theme song. In the spring of 2005, the single was re-released to raise funds for the charity Comic Relief, and spent seven weeks atop the U.K. pop charts. After cutting the theme for Kay's spinoff series Max and Paddy, Christie closed out the year with a tongue-in-cheek big-band cover of Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody," which fell shy of the British Top 40. Numerous collections and one-off singles followed, with the full-length Made in Sheffield (produced by longtime fans Richard Hawley and Colin Elliot) arriving in 2008. Released in 2011, Now’s the Time, Christie's 19th studio album, found the singer exploring his Northern soul roots with producer Richard Barrett. ~ Jason Ankeny
Top Albums
| Amarillo, Texas |
During which month of the year are the US Presidential elections held? | Singer Tony Christie on way to Hinckley's Concordia - Hinckley Times
Singer Tony Christie on way to Hinckley's Concordia
His Golden Anniversary tour will stop off at the Stockwell Head venue for one night
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He famously doesn’t know the way to Amarillo - so let’s hope Tony Christie sets his sat nav properly for directions to Hinckley this autumn.
Because on September 17 the Concordia Theatre will host a night with the UK chart-topping musician.
His Golden Anniversary tour will stop off at the Stockwell Head venue for one night where he will perform his classics as well as performing songs with special guest Ranagri from his hit album, The Great Irish Songbook.
A spokesman said: “Fans can expect to hear the well loved tracks from Christie as he looks back on the years that brought him to stardom.
“Many fans will also eagerly await the song that we all know and love, the charity single Is This the Way to Amarillo that put him in the spotlight.
“As well as the classics, Christie will showcase some of his new tracks, a mix of Irish music he grew up listening to.
“With his new style mixed with the public’s’ favourites, the night promises to be unforgettable.
“An opportunity not to miss, it is expected to be a night of exceptional music by one of the most legendary voices of our time.”
Tickets are now available online at www.concordiatheatre.co.uk
Alternatively contact Hinckley 615005, visit the box office on weekdays 10.30am to 12.30pm, Wednesdays from 7pm to 8pm, and Saturdays from 10am to noon.
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What is the name of a Telly Tubby and an Italian river? | Urban Dictionary: teletubbies
teletubbies
Four uh... things that live in Teletubbyland, a beautiful astro-turf consisting of green trees, gossipy flowers, and large, brown rabbits. The four teletubbies' names are Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po. They all live in futuristic domehouse with a vacuum cleaner named Noo-Noo, and all of the tubby custard and tubby toast they could ever want.
Tinky-Winky: Tinky-Winky is a male teletubby and is purple in color. He is the largest of all of them. He has an upside-down triangle antenna on his head and carries around a cute little red clutch purse. Tinky-Winky may or may not be homosexual. His song goes 'Tinkle Winkle, Tinky-Winky, Woo woo woo woo woo...'
Dipsy: Dipsy is a male teletubby and is lime green in color. He is second largest of them all. His antenna is straight (like a dipstick... get it?) and he normally wears a rad cow-spotted top hat. He hates cute shit. His song goes 'bum tre bum bum tre bum'
Laa-Laa: Laa-Laa is a female teletubby and is yellow in color. She is second smallest of them all. Her antenna is curly and plays with an orange ball she has absolutely no control over. She is a total girly-girl and a total chatter box. She is always giggling and never sad. Her song goes 'la la la la la la la la'
Po: Po is a female teletubby and is red in color. She is smallest of them all. Her antenna is a circle and likes taking ride on a scooter. Po is shy and may or may not be a communist. Her song goes 'po po po po po po po'
Noo-Noo: Noo-Noo is a genderless vacuum cleaner with a mind of its own. Noo-Noo is normally found in the tubby's house cleaning up after them.
The Sun: The sun is just that... a sun. The only catch? The sun has a baby's face! The baby sun likes to look down on the teletubbies and laugh at them.
Teletubbies are the most fucked up Children's show TV characters ever.
teletubbies
Baby gorillas, whom, because of their small and morbidly obese build, became perfect subjects for a top secret experiment dubbed, "teletubbies".
Kidnapped from their native habitat, they were strapped down hooting and screaming onto operation tables. Their stomachs were removed and replaced with a crude malfunctioning television set, which recieved its signals from a implanted attenna on the top of its head. Because the attenna's reciever must be outside of the body, a hole is drilled through the baby gorilla's brain, making a pathway to stick the electrical equipment through. Unfortunately, this only resulted in having the entire cast of teletubbies having the combined intelligence of tupperware .
To feed the disillusioned apes, a special diet consisting of purified ethanol (tubby toast), and lead paint oatmeal (tubby custard) to keep the seditious thoughts of the infants surpressed. A fake sun watches over them with a ensuringly peaceful baby's face on it to keep the tubbies close to their safety dome. When a tubby escapes, the sun makes a blood-curdling cry, calling upon the dome janitor, a robot vacuum cleaner named "snoo snoo" to hunt down and kill the escapee by devouring it with it's mighty vacuum, grinding the hapless tubby and using it's remains as fertilizer for the vast lush gardens surrounding the dome.
Occasionally when the time is just right, the tubbies may be able to recieve radio waves with their broken attennas, allowing them to eavesdrop on their human overseers, yet baffled by the simplest tasks we can do, such as showering or cooking an egg.
"Once upon a time in teletubby land, teletubbies... come to play!"
| Po |
What was the most common password used online in 2012? | The Three Ships | Teletubbies Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Happy Birthday! (DVD)
Synopsis
The magical event starts with The Magic Windmill spinning. The Teletubbies then arrive and group up quickly at a place in Teletubbyland. The Baby Sun starts to giggle and laugh, being so excited. The Teletubbies then hear a ship's horn echoing in the background. They then venture off to the destination of the Magical Event silently. A puddle appears and it magically grows bigger and bigger, filling Teletubbyland with water and turning it into a deep ocean (though some parts of land remain unflooded). The Teletubbies then sit down on an island and are very excited about what they're going to see. Jolly music starts playing in the background and the same ship's horn is heard, along with the sound of splashing water. Three black dots appear on the horizon and gradually get bigger, with the horn still heard. A tune that sounds like "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In On Christmas Day" starts playing. The black dots are revealed to be three cartoon animated ships similar to the RMS Queen Mary that blows their horns numerous times and sail very close to the screen but then turn to port (left) and the Teletubbies see the rest of the ships. The ships are then shown sailing in different positions across the ocean (behind, from the sides and in front). After a few laps of the ocean, they turn to starboard (right) and then back to port, before sailing away and blowing a farewell horn. The ships sail across the ocean and out of the background, with the jolly music coming to an end. The ocean remains for a few seconds before the water starts to shrink turning into puddles with the dry land being revealed again. The island the Teletubbies were sitting on to watch the ships turns back into a tiny hill again and once all the water has vanished a gargling plug hole sound is heard. The Magic Windmill stops spinning or moved on to the next segment.
Trivia
There is a picture of a flower on the flags of the Three Ships.
Playing In The Rain and The Helicopter are the only two episodes that have the Baby Sun scene deleted when the Teletubbies go to watch the Three Ships.
In Cafe Chocolate, the Teletubbies don't giggle when they are sitting on the island and looking at the water. However, in all other episodes, they do giggle when sitting on the island.
In The Helicopter , a fade effect is used after the Magical Event. The fade transitions to the Magic Windmill about to stop spinning.
Some people found it strange and scary of the ships appearance
In Making Bread the Sun Baby Giggled for Tubby Bye-Bye.
In Paddling by the Sea, the Magic Windmill stops spinning and goes to the next segment, or dance.
If you look closely at the scene where the water fills up and/or drains, you can clearly see that it's just a picture, as the clouds and trees do not move at all.
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What colour shirts did the Italian Fascists wear under the leadership of Benito Mussolini? | National youth groups : Italian fascists
Italian Fascist Youth Group
Figure 1.--This Italian boy wears the uniform of the Italian youth movement. Note the long shorts and high sockings. This suggests the photograph was taken during the winter, probably in the late 1920s or early 30s.
The 20th Century has seen the rise of two basic types of boys uniformed youth groups. The Scouts have been the most important. Totalitarian political movements in the 1920s, however, sought to cretate their own scout-like groups that they could use to indoctrinate virtually all young Italians in the principles of Fascism. When fascist and communist parties seized power, they often forced competing youth groups like the Scouts to close.
Background
Benito Muscolini's Italian Fascists seized power in 1924??. They established a comprehensive youth movement for all ages from 8 years old on. I know little about this group or what the Fascist policy was toward Scouting groups. Hopefully Italian visitors to HBC will eventually provide us some insights.
Internationalism
Unlike the Scouts, the Italian Fascist youth movement had no international orientation. One element of Fascist ideology was ravid nationalism and intolerance toward other national and racial groups. There were, however, some Italian groups like the Balilla prganized outside of Italy. They were organized among Italians living in other countries and the nembershipmwas strictly limited to children of Italian ancestry. We know of no organized effort to develop contacts with youth groups in other countries, even Fasist youth groups. This included the period before and after the War. Granted our information is very limited and we do not yet have any definitive information on this. The major issue here is the relationship with the Hitler Youth. We do note photographs of Hitler Youth and Ballial boys together. We are uncertain, however, just what these images represent.
Fascism in Italy
Fascism first developed in Italy during the period of economic dislocaion and social unrest which followed World War I. The Fascists coined the term Totalitarian and while Musollini may have expired toward that goal, he never created a truly totalitarian state, but rather a personal dictatorship and authoritarian state. Unlike other political movements, Fascism does not appear to have develoed out of any clearly discernable 19th century tradition. THe Fascists first appear after World War I in 1919 and led by Mussolini managed to seized power in 1922-25. The poltical orientation of Italian Fascism was initially on the Socialist left, but with a strong nationalistic strain. From the beginning the Fascists believd in using violence to achieve thir goals, but their were also elements of idealism and anti-materialism at least in the ideology. Fascists supported Italian colonialism, but initially supported Communist ideals such as opposition to imperialism and racism. Mussolini as il Duce shifted the party to the right in a series of practical and profitable compromises with the country's important institutions. Italian Fascists invented the term "totalitarian" for Fascist Italy, hoever, Mussolini never carried out a comprehensive Fascist revolution. Rather he ruled as an authoritarian leader in a state that some limited pluralist features. After Mussolini's elevation to power, Fascism began its development of a authoritarian form of social organization. Within a few years, representative democracy in Italy had been replaced by a centralized autocracy which at its apex was the absolute dictatorship of Mussolini in whom were concentrated all the principal functions of Government. Directly under him was the Grand Council of Fascism, constituting the political general staff of the regime and of the Fascist Party. The Fascist Party was legally identified with the state, and all other parties were outlawed.
Figure 2.--The Italian Balilla and Vanguards underwent military training at a very young age. One wonders, given the performance of the Italian army about the effectiveness of the training.
Activities
Children and youth in Fascist Italy were raised with religious, military, para-military and academic training. Children were expected to be off the street and persuing their studies. Schol was conducted 6 days a week and there was religious and para-military training on the weekends. The children were taught to respect God, country, King and Queen, Il Duce, his parents, and all authority, especially the police. We have very limited information on Balilla activities at this time. Certainly available photographs suggest that the organization placed great emphasis on drill and inspection. Many images show the boiys lined up or marching in uniforms. We also see them participating in parades, although we rarely know what the occassion was. We also note sport and athletic activities in what looks to be a summer camp environment. Para-military traing was also coducted at camps. These camps were held dyring tghe summer and school vacations. At this point our assessment of Balilla activities is entirely based on available photographs. We have been unable to find any literature yet describing Balilla activities. As the organization included boys through age 18, there must have been a wide range of activities based on the different ages. Para-military training was an important part of the program. There were also activities associated with the different specialized sections.
Name
The Fascist Youth organization was founded only a few months after Mussolini's march on Rome (October 1922). The initial organization was for boys 8 to 14 years of age. They were named the "Balilla" after a heroic young boy of that name. During the Austrian occupation of Genoa during 1746. The boy incited a riot against the Austrian soldiers by throwing the first stone at an artillery piece. This led to a city-wide riot that drove the Austrians out of the city. Mussolini saw the boy's courage was the perfect image for Italian youth. As the Fascist Youth organization developed, the Balilla became the name of certain age groups. The precise name of the Fascist Youth organization as a whole was the "Gioventu Italiana Del'Littorio"which meant The Fascists Youth of the Lictors. The Lictor was bundle of rods with the protruding axe blade, carried in ancient Rome by the Magistrates to demonstrate their power of life and death in the courts.
Figure 3.--The Italians boys are kitted up with field gear and rifles. I'm not sure what kind of weapons they were, but presumably there were live fire practices even with boys of this age.
Fascist Youth and Social Policies
Competition with Scouting
Italian Scouting
The first activities of the Boy Scouts in Italy took place in Rome in 1912, under the sponsorship of the Lazio Track & Field Society. This original effort led to the formation of the GEI (Boy Scouts of Italy--Giovani Esploratori Italiani), which was officially founded in Rome on June 30, 1913 by Carlo Colombo. The GEI soon spread to all parts of the nation. In the beginning it embodied all Italian Boy Scouts, including those who had previously joined a Scout-like organization adherents to the REI. It had been inspired by Baden Powell's English organization and in 1910 had brought the first Scout uniform to Italy. In 1914 a number of groups for girls came into being that went on to form the Italian National Union of Girl Guides (UNGEI). On May 5, 1915, the GEI came under the highest government patronage. Chief patron of the GEI was the head of state (formerly the King of Italy). Other patrons included deputies of the Ministry of Education, the Office of Foreign Affairs, the Home Office and the War Office (now the Ministry of Defense). On December 21, 1916 the GEI was acknowledged for its educational role on behalf of the nation's youth and became officially a national institution. From the earliest years, the members of Italy's Scouting and Guide organizations rendered distinguished service in times of local or national calamity, and received many citations for valor.
Scouting supressed
In spite of this, in 1927, all Scout and Guide units in the country were invited to close under pressure from the Fascist regime, which substituted its own youth program, the "national Balilla organization" (only in italian) (a poor imitation of Scouting). Translation of the last document before the dissolution. To my good Italian scouts of Rovereto! The time has come to set aside your work as duty-bound volunteers - and to leave it behind!!! In the name of Italy - today the same as yesterday--carry out your duty to submit unconditionally to the laws of the land - and tomorrow even more then yesterday, it will be necessary for you to watch out for yourselves - if you are to stay on the shining path of honour and unbroken faith as good Scouts of Italy. May you always be guided by the solemn promise that you have made to "LOVE GOD - PARENTS - COUNTRY". Rovereto, the 7th of April 1927. Commissioner G.E.I. - Diego Costa Even so, the spirit of Scouting was not completely extinguished. In many villages and cities, groups were secretly formed, whose members wished to remain faithful to Baden Powell's original movement. This time in our history became known as the "Silent Jungle".
Figure 4.--Italian Baillil group participating in full dress uniform at a Fascist rally.
Mussolini si riprometteva di conseguire monopolio politico-educativo delle masse giovanili oltre che "fascistizzando" la scuola (intervento su professori, programmi e libri di testo), costituendo appositi enti che formassero i giovani in senso fascista parallelamente alla scuola: l'Opera Nazionale Balilla (da 0 a 18 anni) e i GUF (dai 19 in poi). Tutte le organizzazioni giovanili concorrenti vennero soppresse. Nel 1928 Mussolini soppresse anche gli Scout di matrice cattolica.
Gender
Italian Fascists also had an organization for girls called the "Fascio Femminile". It also included children to age 18, but was divided into only 3 groups ratherv than the five groups for the boys. We know very little about the girl's section of the Balilla. Almost all available images show boys and girls separate. The only exception we note are very small groups such as units in foreign countries. The Fascists like the NAZIs had little respect for women. Their appropriate role was to have babies and stay home and look after the children. Thus the program for the girls must have been very different than the program for the boys. We have very little actual information on the girl's program.
Fascist Youth Organization
The Italian Fasist Party began training a a war-like spirit very early in an Italian's boy's life. From the age 8 years to 18 years. Italian boys were expected to belong to the various youth organisations:
Figli della Lupa: The Figli della Lupa or Children of the Wolf. This sound like British Wolf Cubs, but the mythology was based on Rmulus and Remus who were infants cast out, but suckled and rased by a she wolf. They went on of course to found Rome, one killing the other. This was Fascist youth group for very young boys to age 8. We have no information on the actual program.
Balilla : While only one section of the Fasvist Youth organization, the Balilla is often used to refervton the organizationn as a whokle. The Balilla was named after a Genoese boy-hero who started a revolt against the Austrians in the 18th century. The boy through a rock at an Austrian soldier and the resulting uprising freed Genoa from foreign rule. The Austrians controlled much of northern Italy into the late 19th century. Itlalian unification and independence in the 19th Century required a war with Austria. The Balilla was for boys 8-11 years old.
Balilla Musketeers: This was for boys age 11-14 years of age.
Vanguard: The Vanguard was for boys 14-16 years old.
Vanguard Musketeers: The Vanguard Musketeers was for boys 16-17 years old. At age 18 the boys entered the military.
Young Fascists: The Young Fascists were for younger boys that went on to university. We have also note a group called the Fascisti Universitari. I am not sure what the differences between these groups were.
Figure 5.--Another scene at a Fascist rally with the Balillia boys in full dress uniform.
Specialized Divisions
There were several specialized sections that the boys could choose, wgen they reach the Vanguard level at age 14 and continued to age 18 when they entered the military.
Pre-Avieri
The Pre-Avieri was the pre-Air Men. The training and instruction provided prepared the boys for the air force.
Pre-Marinari
The "Pre-Marinari" were the pre-Sailors and prepared the boys for naval service.
Reparti Alpini
There was also an alpine training course, "Reparti Alpini".
Other special divisions
There were other specialized divisions, but we have no further details at this time.
Membership
The Fascist Youth organization covered children from age 1 to age 18. Although membership in these groups were not strictly compulsory, anyone wanting a career in the Civil Service or the hierarchy, or even useful business contacts, was wise to have been a member of all of them. Younger children of course enjoyed the uniforms and parades for their own sake.
Effectiveness
We wonder about the effectiveness of the Balilla. The Italian Fascists seized power a decade before the NAZIs in Germany. The Balilla was thus the sole youth movement for Italian youth for a much longer period than the Hitler Youth in Germany. The Balilla was designed like the Hitler Youth to create a young generation firmly committed to Fascist rule and Mussolini/Hitler's leadership. Both groups had summer camps that promoted para-military activities. Even so, the Italian commitment to and readiness for war were far below the level achieved in Germany. The Hitler Youth boys delivered youths to the military with a widec range of useful military skills as well as military discipline. Hitler Youth boys fought with great intensity oin the War. The Hitler Youth Division in Normandy was a noted example of this. The Balilla appears to have failed to achieve little to enthuse Italian boys with a martial spirit. Italian army failed repeatedly in operations against the French, Greeks, British, and Americans, often facing numerically uinferior forces. We are not entirely sure why these two youth movements have such different records. We do note that the Baillal, unlike the Hitler Youth, did not seek to destroy the influence of the Church and family.
Leadership
One of the characteristics of the Hitler Youth was youth leadership. I know kess about the Balilla, but presume the ame must ahve also veen the case. Boys were taught to both follow and lead. The opportunity to lead other boys. The Balilla youth leaders were supervised by adult leaders who made sure that the youth leaders conformed with the Fascist Party NAZI Party program. We have very limited information about who these adult leaders were and how they were selected. Nor do we have a good idea yet as to just how they interacted with the youth leaders. We have begun to collect information on the question of leadership and will archive that information here. We note Italian youth leaders wearing two different uniforms. We do not know the difference between the two uniforms at this time.
Race
One of the elements commonly associated with Fascism is a concern with race. This of course took its most toxic form with the NAZIs who pursued the biological concept of race with unparaleled ferocity. This is not, however, how Fascism began in Italy. We have not yet found much information on this, but at first Jews were members of the Fascist Party and we believe that Jewish children could join the Balilla. This needs to be confirmed. Perhaps some readers will have some information here. And in Italy's African colonies, we see Balilla groups with blacks as full members, carrying rifles along side the Italian boys. Thhe attitudes toward race, at least Jews, began to change with the rise of Hitker and the NAZIs in Germany, especially as Mussolini and Hitler began to move closer together politically (1935), eventually forging the lRome-Berlin Axis . The turning point on Jewish policies was under pressure from Hitler, the issuance of Anti-Semetic Race Laws (1938). The trend toward anti-Semtism and racial concerns was a naturl evoliution, albeit speed up increasing NAZI influence. The core of Fascism was xenephonic natiionalism. And as European states were commonly built around a core ethnic group, it is only natural that race would take on increasing importance. This inevitably put minority groups at risk, especially the Jews for which strong ahnti-Semetic attitudes existed even begfore the rise of Fascism.
Uniform
We have begun to develop some basic information on the uniforms worn by the Italian Fascist youth organization. We have some information on both the dififferent levels and on specific garments. The uniform for the Fascist youth were similar to most other uniformed groups. The most destinctive garment was the fez worn with a tassle. The uniform for the younger levels was almost identical. The older boys wore a different uniform. Italian children had to join the Fascist Balilla after Mussolini seized control of Italy. The Scouts were banned and the only youth group permitted was the Bailla. As with the Scouts, parents were expected to purchase the uniforms and equipment. Italy was a poor country, especially in the South, and we believe that not all children participated. Here we are not yet sure, but we have seen some authors reporting that subtantial numbers of children did not participate, we think mostly children from low-income families. We see Balilla officials passing out uniforms and clothing to some of the children at camps.
Levels
We have little information so far the uniforms worn by the members of Italian Fascist youth groups. We do not understand, for example, what the uniform differences were for the various levels. The Figli della Lupa and Balilla wore basically the same uniform. The units for the older boys were different. There are quite a few available images on the younger levels, but fewer on the older boys. We have limited information on changes over time. The garments worn by the Italian Fascist youth groups were quite similar to those worn by other youth groups. The boys were best known of course for their black shirts, based on the Fascist black shirt thugs that were the inspiration for the NAZI brown-shirted Stormtroopers. The one destinctive part of their uniform was there cap which looked some like a fez. I'm not sure hust what the style was based on.
Garments
The garments worn by the Italian Fascist youth groups were quite similar to those worn by other youth groups. The boys were best known of course for their black shirts, based on the Fascist black shirt thugs that were the inspiration for the NAZI brown-shirted Stormtroopers. The one destinctive part of their uniform was there cap which looked some like a fez. I'm not sure hust what the style was based on. Mussolini's Fascists lasted in Italy much longer than the NAZIs in Germany. Thus the youth movement operated over a longer period than the Hitler Youth. There were some changes in the uniform over time, although the basic style was fairly constant. We have very limited information on changes over time. Another problem is we are not precisely sure about colors because most availabloe images are black and white.
Purchasing the unifom
Italian children had to join the Fascist Balilla after Mussolini seized control of Italy. The Scouts were banned and the only youth group permitted was the Bailla. As with the Scouts, parents were expected to purchase the uniforms and equipment. Italy was a poor country, especially in the South, and we believe that not all children participated. Here we are not yet sure, but we have seen some authors reporting that subtantial numbers of children did not participate, we think mostly children from low-income families. We see Balilla officials passing out uniforms and clothing to some of the children at camps. The Fascist youth organization Balilla had several changes throughout its history. So also the ceremonies changed over time. I am attaching an image a Facist from a propaganda movie taken at a Balilla camp in the suburbs of Rome (July 1931). Renato Ricci, chief of the Balilla organization, is putting new clothing on a group of children from poor families attending the camp. We do not know if the Bailla alsoorovided uniforms to the children participating in regular Bailla units and activities.
School
We notice many images of children wearing their Balilla uniforms at school. We are nit yet sure about the relationship between the Fascist youth uniforms and schools. The Hitler Youth movement was not organized around the schools. The Communist Young Pioneer Movement in the Soviet Union was organized around the schools. We are not yet sure about the Balilla, but the number of images with school children wearing the uniform suggests that there was a close association. A good examole is the Ozzano Monferrato School in 1938-39. The image, however, shows only some of the children wearing their Balilla uniforms.
World War II
We have been unable at this time to find much informatiin as the role oplayed by the Bailla on the Italian home front during World War II. We suspect that thy played some of the roles we have noted Boy Sciouts playing in Allied countries, but can not yet confirm that. Hopefully readers will be able to provide some information on this. We do know that from the inception of the Fascist state that the Bailla was used to prepare boys for war. The Italian Balilla, however, seems to have been far less effective than the Hitler Youth in preparing boys for war. The Italian Army was unprepared for war in terms of equipment. But the Italian soldier was even less well prepared for War. The average Italian soldier had few greivances with the British and even less with the Americans. The Balilla did not perpetuate the either the nationalist ardor, racial hatred, or greivance that the Hitler Youth so successfully impanted in German youth. One part of the Balilla program was military training , but unlike the Hitler Youth failed to iclcated martail ardor in Italian youth. And unlike the HJ, after Allies armies landed (September 1943), there was no desire of young Italians to resist the Allies to preserve the Fascist state. The fighting was done almost entirely done by the Germans.
Military Service
Boys at age 18, either entered the specialized military section they had prepared for or were drafted into the army. Some also entered the Black Shirts (The Militia).
Art
We do not have much information on Italian art depicting the Balilla. We do note one sculpturer, Alberto Uno (1870-1956).
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Pepe le Pew is what type of cartoon animal? | Benito Mussolini :: Italy History Biography
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With brutal charisma and pounding fists, Benito Mussolini called upon the myth of a new roman empire. He made himself its Caesar. Mussolini became the Father of Fascism and seized power by a combination of terror and persuasion. He held Italy firmly in his grasp by crushing his enemies while still promising glory.
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born in Predappio on July 29, 1883. Son of a socialist blacksmith, he grew up to be a self-proclaimed "anti-patriot" like his father. He hadn't taken to school and rebelled against most things. He had gotten expelled from his first school, which was a catholic school ran my monks, though he did better in his second. He went on to become a qualified school teacher, even though he wasn't interested in teaching. Benito Mussolini had a passion for politics.
In June 1902, Mussolini went to Switzerland and got involved with some Italian socialists and got a job as a brick layer and joined the trade union. When he had suggested the very revolutionary idea for a general strike, he got expelled from Switzerland in 1903. He then went to an area called Trentino, which was ruled by the Austrians. The authorities soon labeled him as a trouble-maker; he encouraged the trade unions and attacked the Catholic Church. He was then expelled from Trentino in 1909.
Throughout Mussolini's life, he had made his rise to power, many accomplishments, and in the end he had made a huge effect on his country.
After being wounded in the trenches during World War I, he was sent home because of an injury only to become editor of his own newspaper. It was called Il Popolo d'Italia or The People of Italy. This represented his changing of his pacifist views, he used his paper to spread his new ideas and gain support. Mussolini also organized a pro-war group called Fasci d'Azione Rivoluzionaria. After the war he joined a different group called the Arditi Association, which was a military assembly composed of WWI veterans. Both of the associations contributed to the beginning of fascism. In 1919, Mussolini founded the Fasci de Combattimento, which was the skeletal structure for what was to become the political movement of Fascism. This attracted the attention of the lower-middle class with its nationalistic, anti-liberal ideas.
During the 1920's the Black Shirt Militia was formed by Mussolini due to his disgust with the corruption of the liberal and later socialist Italian government.
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Originally, they were reformers but then their methods became harsher and they used violence, intimidation, and murder. One of their typical techniques was to force-feed they're opponents castor oil, which was often laced with petrol. Another method was to force them to swallow live frogs! Mussolini slowly began to back away from the Arditi Association as his Fascist movement became more powerful. In 1921 he was elected to parliament and the National Fascist party was organized. When his Fascists were sent to march on Rome they were permitted to enter the city and King Victor Emmanuel III called on him to form a cabinet. This helped him gradually transform the government into a dictatorship. He soon got the official title of head of the government. His ambition to restore greatness found expression in pretentious slogans and speeches in the creation of monumental buildings which helped his encouragement of extreme nationalist groups.
Mussolini accomplished many things during WW II on the Axis side. He started taking over Italy when he was dubbed Dictator. This was when he first was addressed as Il Duce, which means "the leader." Since he had all the power of Italy, he began to take over and make all of the decisions. Mussolini started building roads, kept rivers from over-flowing, increased over production and ran the trains on time. He also extended his control over other countries. He invaded Ethiopia in 1935 and took over Albania in 1939. Not only was Benito Mussolini the leader of Italy, he was also the youngest dictator of Italy.
Mussolini's main role during WW II was being the leader of Italy. As earlier stated, he had tried taking over Ethiopia and seized Albania. Later on, the axis powers took over countries such as: Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Poland, Romania, and many more. Mussolini soon became known as Hitler's right hand man, and this helped him become very popular. Through his accomplishments, he pushed Hitler to make his own Fascist party. They became known as the Nazis. The axis power created a Rome-Berlin alliance of totalitarianism. As the axis power had every say in what people did, German, Italy, and Japan felt as though they could do anything. Mussolini had been a huge part with the axis powers during WW II.
Once the Allies had occupied the southern part of Italy in 1943, the King had ordered Mussolini to be arrested in order to sign the peace agreement. He had then been imprisoned and then liberated by the Germans, Mussolini lived in northern Italy until his capture by the Italian Monarchy. He was then executed by the monarchy on April 28, 1945 along with his mistress, Claretta Petacci, by military forces of the Italian Resistance. The next day, their corpses and those of Mussolini's henchmen were hanged in the Piazzale Loreto, Milan, for public view.
Antagonisms between political parties had given rise to a civil war that continued for about three more years. Italians then decided, in 1946, to vote to dissolve the Monarchy. Then in 1948, the first political elections were held. Mussolini's dictatorship will forever be remembered for bringing on many Mafia and Mani Pulite scandals and for political disillusion among Italian youth which escalated into such terrorist acts as Brigate Rosse and the Moro Affair. The Brigate Rosse was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that arose out of a student protest movement in the late 1960's. They had wanted to separate Italy from NATO and promoted violence in the service of class warfare and revolution. The original group concentrated on assassination and kidnapping of Italian Government and private-sector targets. They haven't conducted an act since 1988, and have been largely inactive since the Italian and France police arrested many of the group's members. In 1978, the BR had kidnapped Aldo Moro who was the Italian president-to-be. This became known as the Moro Affair. The 50 year period that Mussolini ran as dictator is now labeled as the First Republic which renewed Italian confidence in the democratic process.
The recent appearance of skinhead guards of honor at Mussolini's tomb had provoked a controversy about how Italians should view their fascist period. Unlike Germany, Italy has never faced up to its role in WW II, preferring to see itself in the role of victim. The national narrative omits the first part of the war, in which Italians fought along side the Germans, and committed crimes in Albania, Greece, and Yugoslavia. Today, a resurgent nationalism has continued to gloss over the more shameful parts of Italian history, while at the same time allowing fascist apologists to exalt Italy's most notorious 20th leader.
As the great dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini had rose to power by forcing his way to the top. He didn't let anything stand in his way, even if it meant scamming. He achieved whatever he felt needed to happen, which finally, effected Italy's history.
In my opinion, Mussolini played a negative role in the course of history. He led the Italians into the Second World War and so happened to join the wrong side. Subsequently, the country suffered lasting physical, political, and cultural damage. Their government remains constantly in turmoil. His methods and tactics fostered the rise of the Mafia in Italy. The Mafia and related activities gave the Italians an unfavorable international reputation with crime and trust even today. He fostered distrust of the government by the Italian people, which in itself was not bad, but his chosen methods of accomplishing objectives were proven to be ineffective. His leadership led to the eventual dissolution of the Italian Monarchy, which could have helped stabilize the country had it remained intact much like Britain's and Sweden's. His effect on Italy, in many ways, is still being felt today.
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Which theatre opened in Norfolk Street, Sheffield, England in 1971? | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield | Theatre Tickets, whats on and theatre information
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Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship.
The building was designed in 1971 by Tanya Moiseiwitsch.[1] It was built on the former site of the Adelphi Hotel, which was the meeting place for the formation of the local football teams Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield F.C..[2] It has a 980 seat auditorium with a thrust stage. The building also contains the 400-seat Crucible Studio Theatre Sheffield venue. It is a Grade II listed building.
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What was the name of the backing group of British singer Gerry Marsden? | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England Concert Setlists | setlist.fm
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Which bird lays the largest eggs? | Which Bird Lays the Largest Egg? (and other Easter-related mini questions) » Extraordinary Animals
Which Bird Lays the Largest Egg? (and other Easter-related mini questions)
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by unclebulgaria1
For the third Mini Questions entry (see here and here for the two previous ones), Extraordinary Animals will once again be probing into a few animal mysteries – but this time with an added Easter theme. That means eggs, chicks and, of course, Easter bunnies…
How do chicks break out of their eggs?
All young birds have an external protective calcium covering – in other words, an egg. When the time comes to emerge into the outside world, chicks need a way of breaking through the egg’s tough outer shell. The beak and claws of most birds are not fully developed yet and cannot penetrate the shell, so they need to use something else.
That ‘something’ is an egg tooth. This is a small spike on its beak, which can be seen in the image above. A chick presses this spike against the inside of the egg and, using special muscles in the back of its neck to give added strength, pushes hard until the shell cracks. The egg tooth falls off a few days after hatching.
Almost all birds use an egg tooth to break out of their eggs. The only exceptions are the megapodes, a group of large chicken-like birds from Australasia, and the kiwi, both of which kick their way out instead.
Which bird lays the largest egg?
Surely the largest bird in the world, the ostrich, would be the one responsible for laying the largest egg. And you’d be correct. Weighing about 1.5kg – the equivalent of two dozen chicken eggs or 3,000 bee hummingbird eggs – it takes about 45 minutes to hard boil one. But the ostrich egg represents a mere 1.5% of its mother’s bodyweight, making it smaller, relative to the size of the adult, than any other bird egg in the world.
Photo: Glen Fergus
In terms of relative size, the kiwi lays the biggest. The egg is so large, in fact, that it takes up almost the entirety of the female’s internal cavity. During the last few days before the egg is laid, the female kiwi cannot eat because there simply isn’t enough room in her body for stomach expansion. When it is finally laid, the egg is a quarter of its mother’s weight – that’s the equivalent of a human mother giving birth to a six-year-old child.
But the largest egg EVER was laid by the now-extinct elephant bird. This gigantic flightless bird once roamed across Madagascar, and its eggs could have a circumference of over a metre and a volume 150 times greater than a chicken egg. Bigger than a rugby ball, these eggs are the largest laid by any known animal – larger, even, than eggs laid by the colossal dinosaurs. It is thought that eggs cannot physically get any larger than this for a simple reason: the greater the volume of the egg, the thicker the shell must be to hold its contents. Birds may have a small egg tooth to help them break free of their eggs, but after a certain thickness they wouldn’t be able to hatch at all.
Sadly, it was these giant eggs that led the elephant bird to its doom. They were so big they could feed several people at once. And as soon as people developed a taste for them, the elephant bird didn’t stand a chance.
Where does the Easter Bunny come from?
Rabbits and hares have been associated with religion for a long time. Pliny the Elder believed that the hare was a hermaphrodite and could reproduce asexually, which led to a connection with the Virgin Mary. They have also been viewed as symbols of fertility due to the speed at which they can reproduce – a female can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first, and can get through several litters in a single year. Perhaps they also symbolize new life, particularly in relation to the resurrection of Jesus around this time.
In Saxon culture in Germany, the hare was sacred to the goddess of spring, Eostre, from where we get the name ‘Easter’. It was also in Germany that the image of the Easter Bunny started to take shape, and the animal originally judged children to evaluate whether they had been good or naughty at the start of Eastertide. By 1690, the first story about a rabbit laying eggs and hiding them in a garden was published.
Postcard depicting the Easter Bunny, 1907
The legend of the Easter Bunny was brought to the United States in the 1700s when German immigrants settled into Pennsylvania Dutch country. The tradition for making nests for the rabbits to lay their eggs in soon followed. Then the nest became decorated baskets and the colourful eggs were swapped for chocolate and candy because, you know, rabbits don’t actually lay eggs. Even Pliny the Elder knew that.
What animals live on Easter Island?
In short, not very many. Famous for its giant stone heads, or moai, that adorn the landscape, Easter Island was once a sub-tropical paradise. Various native plants and animals lived on the island and nowhere else in the world. It was also home to a group of native people called the Rapa Nui.
But the human population of Easter Island soon reached, and then surpassed, its limit. As they cut down more and more trees to create rollers to move their giant statues, so the forests gradually disappeared. By the time the last tree was cut down, the Rapa Nui had doomed themselves – now there was no longer the wood needed to build canoes to carry them away from their suddenly-barren island. They could no longer catch fish or porpoises, so they turned to seabirds for food, and then rats. When even they ran out, cannibalism was the only option. The government collapsed and most the Rapa Nui starved to death.
Photo: Ian Sewell
When Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen discovered the island on 5 April (Easter Sunday, hence the island’s name), 1722, the only things larger than insects that he found living there were hungry people and a few domesticated chickens. Today, almost any animal species found on Easter Island, aside from a few very small invertebrates, are non-native – they have been introduced there by humans. Its once-unique ecosystem has vanished forever.
This story acts as a warning to us all. It shows what can quickly happen to a closed ecosystem by overusing its resources. It happened to Easter Island and it could happen to our own planet Earth. It just might take a little bit longer.
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How many points are scored for a dropped goal in rugby union? | Smallest Bird, Largest Bird, Fastest Bird, Slowest Bird | Birds of a Feather B&B
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Smallest Bird, Largest Bird, Fastest Bird, Slowest Bird
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Smallest Bird
Male bee hummingbirds (mellisuga helenae), which live in Cuba, weigh 0.056 ounces and are 2.75 inches in length. The bill and tail account for half of this length.
Smallest Bird of Prey
The black-legged falconet ( Micrphierax fringlius ) of southeast Asia and the white-fronted or Bornean falconet ( M. latifrons ) of northwestern Borneo both have an average length of 5.5-6 inches, including a 2 inch tail, and weigh approximately 1.25 ounces.
Smallest Parrot
[contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws]
The Pygmy parrots of Papua and nearby islands. Genus Micropsitta. There's six different sorts - Yellow-capped, Buff-faced, Finsch's, Geelvink, Meek's, Red-breasted - all around 3" long (8cm). Thought to eat lichens and mosses but not much is known about their lifestyles.
Fastest Swimming Bird
Gentoo Penguin found on the Antarctic Islands can swim 40 km per hour. Large populations are found at South Georgia, Falkland Islands, and Iles Kerguelen although their breeding distribution is circumpolar. An orange bill and a white stroke behind its eye distinguish the black and white gentoos from the smaller adelie and chinstrap species. Long stiff tail feathers stick out behind as they walk, often cocked up in the water, no other penguin has such a prominent tail. They breed in winter at the more northerly sub-Antarctic islands, laying two eggs as early as July. Can dive over 300' though most prey dives are shallower. Most dives last only half a minute.
Largest Carnivorous Bird
(contribution by Christoph Kulmann)
Titanis Walleri. This bird is known from the early Pleistocene (Ice Age) of Florida. It is the last known member of the family Phorusrhacidae, a group of large, flightless birds which evolved in South America. This creature had an estimated body height of 3 meters (if it stood fully erect, and 2.5 meters in more normal situations). Titanis really had arms instead of wings.
Tallest Flying Birdscrane
The largest cranes (family Gruidae) can be almost 6 ft. 6 in. tall.
Heaviest Flying Birds
The Kori Bustard or paauw (Ardeotis Kori) of northeast and southern Africa and the great bustard (Otis tarda) of Europe and Asia weigh about 40-42 pounds. There is a report of a 46 lb. 4 oz. male great bustard shot in northeastern China. It was too heavy to fly.
Heaviest Birds of Prey
Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) are the heaviest species of bird of prey. Males weigh 20-27 pounds and have a wingspan of at least 10 feet. A male California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) preserved in the California Academy of Sciences is reported to weigh 31 pounds. It is rare for the species to exceed 23 pounds in weight.
Heaviest Parrot
Flightless Kakapo around 7lbs in weight; New Zealand [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws]
SinbadA flightless nocturnal bird, which was described by early European settlers as " the most wonderful bird on Earth, " the Kakapo parrot was once endemic throughout New Zealand. Today only 50 birds remain, some of which live on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu) as part of a Department of Conservation endangered species recovery programme.
The name "Kakapo" is Polynesian (Maori) for "parrot of the night." Moss green, like Kakapo "Suzanne's" foster brood, Codfish Island, 2002. Photo by Don Merton/DOC.the foliage of the native trees and grasses in which it evolved, funny and cuddly, with a wonderful spicy fragrance, this unique bird has small wings, useless for flight but handy to steer with when you're jumping down a bank, and a rudimentary keel in its sternum. It browses forest trees, ferns, herbs, moss and lichen and grinds its food between a powerful lower mandible and a grooved pad in the upper mandible, a method of mastication which is thought to be unique.
Longest Feathers
The phoenix fowl or Yokohama chicken (a strain of the red junglefowl Gallus is bred in Japan for ornamental purposes. A rooster with a 34 ft. 9.5 in. Tail covert was reported in 1972.
Longest Bills
The bill of the Australian pelican (Pelicanus conspicillatus) is 13-18.5 inches long.
The longest beak in relation to body length is that of the sword- billed hummingbird ( Ensifera ) of the Andes. At 4 inches, the beak is longer than the bird’s body (excluding the tail).
Only Nostrils on tip of Beak
The Kiwi is the only bird with nostrils at the tip of its beak. Whereas other birds hunt by sight or by hearing, the national bird of New Zealand uses its beaky nostrils to sniff out food at night. Although the Kiwi is roughly the same size as a chicken, it lays an egg which is 10 times larger than a hen's. It also has wings but cannot fly.
Biggest Eyes
The ostrich has the largest eyes of any land animal. Each eye can be up to 2 inches in diameter.
Largest Field of Vision
The eyes of the woodcock are set so far back in its head that it has a 360 degree field of vision, enabling it see all round and even over the top of its head
Best Talker
The African Grey Parrot has been called "the perfect mix of brains and beauty" (Bird Talk, Aug. 92) and the "cadillac of parrots" (Bird Talk Sept. 93). Much of the notoriety of this species stems from the phenomenal gift of speech members exhibit. While many parrots learn some words or phrases, many cases have been documented of African Greys learning multiple lines of songs, prayers, or plays. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the best talking parrot or parrot like bird as a African Grey named Prudle. Prudle was captured near Jinja, Uganda in 1958 and when "he" retired from public life in 1977 had a vocabulary of nearly 1000 words. Many owners have been surprised (and sometimes shocked) when their Grey learned a new word or phrase after hearing it only a few times. One of our favorite stories in this respect was one related by a priest that had a pet Grey. While hanging some pictures in his office, the priest hit his hand with a hammer. He let out a stream of obscenities that his Grey learned (from this one occurrence according to the priest). The priest's embarrassment was compounded by the other aspect of greys gift for mimicking, that is they often sound exactly like the person that spoke the words or phrase. [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws]
Most Airborne Bird
The sooty tern (Sterna fuscata) leaves its nesting grounds as a youngster and remains aloft for 3-10 years, settling on water from time to time. It returns to land to breed as an adult.
Longest Flight
A common tern (Sterna hirundo) that was banded in June 1996 in Finland was recaptured alive 16,250 miles away at Rotamah Island, Victoria, Australia in January 1997. It had traveled at a rate of 125 miles a day.
Slowest-Flying Birds
The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and the Eurasian woodcock (S. Rusticola) have both been timed lying at 5 mph with out stalling during courtship displays.
Slowest Wing beat
The slowest wing beats recorded during true level flight averaged one per second. They were by several species of the New World vulture ( family Cathartidea)
Largest Wingspan
The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) has the largest wingspan of any living bird. As a result, it is an expert glider and it is capable of remaining in the air without beating its wings for several hours at a time. The largest known specimen was an extremely old male with and 11 ft. 11 in. wingspan. It was caught in the Tasman Sea in September 1965. It has also been known to sleep while it flies!
Largest Ever Wingspan
The South American teratoron ( Argentavis magnificens), which existed 6-8 million years ago, had an estimated wingspan of 25 feet.
Parrot with largest Wingspan
Hyacinth Macaw, around 1100 mm - Brazil [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws] The Hyacinth macaw is the most majestic of all parrots. Although the Hyacinth Macaw and Green Wing Macaw are both commonly referred to as the "gentle giant" of the macaw species. The Hyacinths are truly the "dream bird" of all bird lovers. The Hyacinth macaw can attain the total length of up to 42 inches and have a beak pressure that can easily disassemble a welded wrought iron cage bar by bar in a very short time. In spite of their tremendous strength, this is one of the most laid back and easy-going of all of the macaws.
Fastest Flying Bird
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the fastest living creature, reaching speeds of at least 124 mph and possibly as much as 168 mph when swooping from great heights during territorial displays or while catching pry birds in midair.
Fastest Wing beat
The horned sungem (Heliactin cornuta), a hummingbird from South America, beats its wings up and down 90 times a second.
Flying Backwards
While hummingbirds are probably the champions of backwards flight they are by no means the only birds that can fly in this way. When two herons or egrets fight, periodically one of them caught at a disadvantage in the dispute will flutter backward. Occasionally warblers fluttering at the tip of a branch as they pick off insects will flutter backward when they overshoot some flying insect. It is probable that any bird which uses fluttering flight can move backward when pressed to do so.
Fastest Land Bird
Despite its bulk, the ostrich can run at speeds of up to 45 mph if necessary.
Highest-Flying Birds
A Ruppell’s vulture (gyps rueppellii) collided with a commercial aircraft over Abidjan, Ivory Coast, at an altitude of 37,000 feet in November 1973. The impact damaged one of the aircraft’s engines, but the plane landed safely. The species is rarely seen above 20,000 feet.
In 1967, about 30 whooper swans (Cygnus were spotted at an altitude of just over 27,000 feet by an airline pilot over the Western Isles, UK. They were flying from Iceland to Loch Foyle on the Northern Ireland/republic Ireland border. Their altitude was confirmed by air traffic control.
Longest Stride
The stride of an ostrich may exceed 23 feet in length when the bird is sprinting.
Highest G-Force Borne
The beak of the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) hits the bark of a tree with an impact of velocity of 13 mph, subjection the bird’s brain to a deceleration of approximately 10 g when its head snaps back. Other woodpeckers may experience and even higher g-force.
Most Food Consumed
Hummingbirds (family Trochilidon) requires at least half their own body weight in food (mainly nectar and tiny insects) every single day. With the possible exception of shrews, they have the highest metabolic rate of any known animal.
Strangest Diet
An ostrich living at the London Zoo, England was found to have swallowed an alarm clock, a roll of film, a handkerchief, a 3-foot long piece of rope, a cycle valve , a pencil, three gloves, a collar stud, a Belgian franc, four halfpennies and two farthings.
Longest Fast
The male emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) spends several months without feeding on the frozen wastes of the Antarctic sea ice. It travels overland from the sea to the breeding colony, courts the female, incubates the egg for 62-67 days, waits for the female to return and travels back to the open sea, going without food for up to 134 days.
Largest Prey
The wild animal known to have been killed and carried away by a bird was a 15 pound male red howler monkey killed by a harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) in Manu National Park, Peru in 1990. The harpy eagle is considered the world’s most powerful bird of prey, although it weighs only 20 pounds.
An incredible video of a Golden Eagle taking a small Mountain sheep or goat and carrying it off to it's nest. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4irYqe5yjcE
The largest documented prey taken by a Philippine eagle is a 14 kg (30.8 lbs) Philippine deer Cervus at a nest studied by Kennedy in 1985. also on records; a mature female monkey taken and carrying it in one foot in Cagayan; and a large python.
The African crowned eagle is Africa's most powerful and ferocious eagle in terms of the weight and nature of prey taken. Mammalian prey, especially duikers, may weigh up to 34 kg (75 lbs) and still be preyed on by these eagles.
Sharpest Vision
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is believed to be able to spot a pigeon from a distance of more than 5 miles under ideal conditions.
Biggest Nest
The incubation mounds built by the mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata) of Australia are up to 15 feet tall and 35 feet wide. A nest site is estimated to weigh 330 tons.
A 9 ft. 6 in. Wide 20 foot deep nest was built by a pair of bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and possibly by their successors, close to St Petersburg, Florida. When examined in 1963, the nest was estimated to weigh in excess of 2.2 tons.
Smallest Nests
The vervian hummingbird ( Mellisuga minima) builds a nest about half the size of a walnut shell. The deeper but narrower nest of the bee hummingbird (M. Helenae) is thimble sized.
Smallest Egg
The smallest known bird’s egg were tow vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) eggs less than 39/100 inch long. They weighed 0.365 g. (0.0128 oz.) And 0.375 g (0.0132 oz.)
Biggest Eggs
(contribution by Christoph Kulmann)
The extinct giant elephant bird (Aephornis maximus) - picture below under heaviest birds - laid 1 foot long eggs with a lElephant Bird egg compared to chicken eggliquid capacity of 2.25 gallons- the equivalent of seven ostrich eggs and more than 12,000 humming bird eggs. When early Arabian and Indian explorers started returning from their journeys along the coast of Africa with stories of gigantic birds many times the size of a man, they brought evidence...huge eggs, up to three feet in circumference. They were the eggs of a bird that would later come to be known as the Elephant Bird, or Vouron Patra (Aepyornis maximus). The eggs that the Elephant Bird laid were larger than the largest dinosaur eggs, and, in fact, they were as large as a structurally functional egg could possibly be...the largest single cells to have ever existed on Earth.
The ostrich egg is 6-8 inches long. 4-6 inches in diameter and weighs 2 lb. 3 oz. - 3 lb.14 oz.. It is equal in volume to 24 chicken eggs. The shell is 3/50 inch thick but can support eh weight of an adult human. The largest on record was laid in 1988 by a two year old northern/southern hybrid (Struthio c. camelus x s. c. australis) at the Kibbutz Ha’on collective farm, Israel. Ti weighted 5 lb. 2 oz.
Heaviest Bird Ever Alive - 2 candidates
(contribution by Christoph Kulmann)
Elephant BirdThe Elephant Bird (shown above under biggest eggs) is thought to have been the inspiration for the Roc (or Ruhk) made famous in the stories of Sinbad and the accounts of Marco Polo. While Aepyornis was by no means as large and terrible as the elephant-eating Roc, it WAS one of the largest birds that ever lived. The flightless bird grew to around ten or eleven feet tall, and is estimated to have weighed up to 1100 pounds. By comparison, a BIG Ostrich will go eight feet and 300 pounds. The home of the Elephant Bird was the island of Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa. The island was first populated by African and Indonesian peoples that are thought to have arrived around the time of Christ, about 2000 years ago. They were, in turn, visited by Muslim traders from East Africa and the Comoro Islands in the ninth century. The first Europeans to visit the island were the Portuguese in 1500, but Europeans didn't really establish a foothold on the island until the French settled there beginning in 1642. The Elephant Bird was probably still around at that time but it had already become very rare. One of the only contemporary European accounts of the bird was written by the first French Governor of Madagascar, Étienne de Flacourt, who wrote, in 1658, "vouropatra - a large bird which haunts the Ampatres and lays eggs like the ostriches; so that the people of these places may not take it, it seeks the most lonely places." The natives' histories of the Elephant Bird, however, rarely describe it as an aggressive bird, and more often portray it as a shy, peaceful giant. Most likely the Vouron Patra was driven to extinction by people raiding their nests. The eggs and egg shells were both very important items to the tribal Malagasy, who used them for food and all kinds of stuff. The fossil record shows that maximus was not the only species of Aepyornis that ever lived. It is thought that between three and seven different types of Elephant Bird have lived since the Pleistocene although only one, the smaller Aepyornis mullerornis is thought to have survived into historic times along with the Elephant Bird. Only the giant is known to have co-existed with humans, and by 1700, it too was gone.
Only the largest of the New Zealand Moas were taller, some reaching thirteen feet, but they weren't as massively built. Moa were large flightless birds that went extinct in the late 1700's or early 1800's. These huge, bulky birds lived in lowland forests on the islands of New Zealand. The word moa comes from the Maori language, in which the plural of moa is moa (we are using that convention). The oldest-known moa fossils date from 2.4 million years ago. The last of the moa (the smaller species) lived on the South Island of New Zealand until the 1700's. On its native New Zealand, there were no large mammals to prey on the moa or its eggs; its only predators large birds, like the Haast eagle (which is now extinct). When the Maori people moved to New Zealand over 1,000 years ago, they destroyed much of the moa's lowland forest habitat and introduced mammals, including dogs and rats. These mammals ate the moa's eggs. The Maori people also hunted and ate the moa. These forces probably contributed to the extinction of the moa. The moa had a large body, a small head, a long neck, short, thick legs, and a large beak. There were 11 species of moa. The largest was almost 11.5 feet (3.5 m) tall and weighed perhaps 700 pounds (320 kg); the smallest of the moa were turkey-sized. The moa's nest was located on the ground (leaving the eggs vulnerable to predators). The moa was an herbivore (plant-eater); it ate fruit and some plant material (like leaves). These birds swallowed stones (which went into gizzard) that helped digest the food. Classification: Kingdom Animalia (animals), phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata (vertebrates), class Aves (birds), order Dinornithiformes, family Anomalopterygidae (the lesser moa) and family Dinornithidae (the greater moa). There were 11 (or possibly 13) different species of moa, including Dinornis, the biggest moa and the biggest bird that ever lived.
In ancient Australia, until 50,000 years ago, there was a group of birds called the Dromornithids. By far the largest of them was "Dromornis stirtoni", a massive creature that stood 3 meters tall and must have weighed more than half a ton. They disappeared rather abruptly, and there is still much debate about the reasons. But the Australians seem to have kept a memory of these giant birds. In some legends, there is a creature called "mihirung", and most likely this means a dromornithid bird.
Smelliest Bird
The south American hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) has an odor similar to cow manure. Colombians call it pava hedionda ("stinking pheasant"). The cause of the smell is believed to be a combination of its diet of green leaves and its specialized digestive system, which involves a kind of foregut fermentation.
Large Flocks
Flamingoes, with their long necks and legs, have a height range of 3-5 feet and are the biggest bird to form large flocks. Of the four species, the lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) of eastern and southern Africa has been seen in flocks of several million birds, particularly in the Great Lakes of eastern Africa.
Biggest Bird
The largest and strongest living bird is the North African ostrich (Struthio camelus . Males can be up to 9 feet tall and weigh 345 pounds, and when fully grown the have one of the most advanced immune systems of any animal. South Africa was the first country to see the commercial potential of ostrich products - the creature are prized not only for their large soft white feathers and their meat but also for their skins, which are made into the strongest commercially available leather in the world. Ostrich farming is believed to have begun in the Karoo and Eastern Cape c. 1863. By 1910 there were more than 20,000 domesticated ostriches in the country, and by 1913 ostrich feathers were the fourth most important south African export product. Demand began to dry up soon afterwards, but there was an ostrich revival in the 1920's when farmers started to produce biltong ( dry strips of ostrich meat) commercially.
Biggest Seabird
(contribution by Jacob Casson)
The Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi) with a wing span 3 metres, flight speed up to 115 km/h. 80% of life spent at sea. White body, black on backs of wings. Feeds on surface shoaling fish and squid. Male and female equal share in rearing chick, raising one chick every two years. Mature at six years, live about 45 years. Mate in October, one egg laid in November, incubation 79 days. Chick guarded for first six weeks, young depart late September.
Biggest Cockatoo
Sub-species Proboscigar Aterimus Goliath. The weight of the female Palm Cockatoo is between 500-950 grams, and the males weigh between 540-1100 grams. Both females and males height range from 49-68 centimeters. The wings are about 35.1 centimeters, the tail about 23.8 centimeters, the bill about 9.1 centimeters, and the tarsus about 3.5 centimeters. These Palm Cockatoos are very large birds. They are the largest of all parrots. The scientific name is derived from both Greek and Latin. Proboscis is Greek for nose, gero is Greek for carry, and atterimus is Latin for black. Most Palm Cockatoos are dark gray and black with a cheek-patch of bare red skin . The cheek skin color may change according to their level of stress, it may change pink or beige if it is stressed, or if it is excited it will turn yellow. Palm Cockatoos have a very strong mandible, which they use for cracking nuts.
Most Abundant Bird
The red- billed quelea (Quelea quelea) of Africa has an estimated adult breeding population of 1.5 billion. The slaughter of at least 200 million of them each year has no impact on this number.
Rarest Bird
With 168 birds on the list of the world's most critically endangered creatures--and many of them from remote, inhospitable places--researchers cannot say for sure which species is the rarest. But that dubious distinction may belong to the po'ouli (pronounced "poh-oh-U-lee"). This Hawaiian honeycreeper, whose name means "black-faced," survives only in a few hundred acres of nearly impenetrable rain forest on the windward side of Maui's Haleakala Crater. At last count, the known po'ouli population was six. And with time running out, experts are scrambling to find a way to save the species from extinction.
Rarest Parrot
Spix's Macaw. Endemic to one small area of northeastern Brazil, in a habitat known as the "caatinga" (an arid region of flat savanna scrubland interspersed with seasonal creeks and gallery forests), the Spix's Macaw was considered to be extinct in the wild 10 years ago. Despite concerted efforts of the Brazilian government and an international committee whose members include the aviculturists that hold this endangered species, government officials, conservationists and ornithologists the last one died in 2001. The conservation of this species is now dependent on the success of the captive-breeding and field program. The global captive population has grown significantly from a low of 11 known birds to 60 (54 of which are captive-hatched); new holders are participating in the program, the field research program has collected valuable data on the natural history of this species and the ecology of the region, a strong community outreach program is in place, habitat protection and restoration projects are ongoing, and basic research on psittacine reintroduction techniques has been successfully completed. [contributed by Harold Armitage, Wild Macaws Wild Macaws]
Bossiest Bird
The kea ( Nestor notabilis) from New Zealand is the only bird known to have a society in which the higher status individuals force others to work for them.
Most Unusual Birds
The home of the Great Indian Hornbill is a prison. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she hides in a hole in a tree. The male then seals up the hole, leaving her just a narrow slit through which he passes her food. The female stays in there until the chicks are a few months old, when she breaks out and helps the male with feeding duties.
The Secretary Bird may have long legs but it can't run. Instead it hops along the African scrublandin search of its staple diet of snakes and lizards. The bird gets its name from the 20 black crest feathers behind its ears which are reminiscent of the old quill pens once favored by secretaries.
The Quetzal from central America has such a long tail (up to 3 feet) that it can't take off from a branch in the normal way without ripping its tail to shreds. So instead it launches itself backwards into space like a parachutist leaving an aircraft. The Quetzal nests in hollow trees but has to reverse into the hole. Once inside, it curls up its tail over its head and out of the hole.
The Male Bower-Bird from Australia attracts a female by building an elaborate love bower. After building a little hut out of twigs, he decorates it with flowers and colorful objects such as feathers, fruit, shells, and pebbles or sometimes glass and paper if the nest is near civilization. One particular species (the Atlas Bower-Bird) actually paints the walls by dipping bark or leaves into the blue or dark-green saliva he secretes. The entire bower-building procedure can take months and the bird will often change the decorations until he is happy with them. When finally satisfied, he performs a love dance outside the bower, sometimes offering the female a pretty item from his collection.
The Young Hoatzin of the Amazon forests has claws on its wings to help it clamber through the dense undergrowth. The bird is a throwback to the prehistoric archeopteryx, which also had three claws on each wing.
The Little Tailorbird uses its sharp beak to pierce holes along the edges of two leaves. It then constructs a nest by neatly stitching the leaves together with pieces of grass.
What advantage do many birds gain by flying in V-formation?
As a bird flap its wings it disturbs the air and leaves whirling eddies behind. Some gregarious species take advantage of the upward sections of these whirls and each bird in the V-formation stations itself at the correct place so the inner wing obtains support from the wake of the bird immediately ahead. Thus every bird in the flock except the leader saves energy by using the V-formation type of flight.
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Who wrote the 1817 novel ‘Northanger Abbey’? | Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen on iBooks
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Description
The Author
There was nothing of the literary woman in the external affairs of her life and its conduct. Born on 16 December, 1775, at Steventon in Hampshire, of which her father was rector, and dying at Winchester on 18 July, 1817, she passed the intervening years almost entirely in the country. She lived with her family in Bath from 1801 to 1806, and at Southampton from 1806 to 1809. From 1811 until 1816, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon. Austen died in Winchester on 18 July 1817, at the age of 41, before completing it.
The Novel
Of the six published novels, Northanger Abbey is, probably, that which comes nearest to being Jane Austen’s earliest work. Northanger Abbey was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be completed for publication, though she had previously made a start on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. According to Cassandra Austen's Memorandum, Susan (as it was first called) was written approximately during 1798–99. It was revised by Austen for the press in 1803, and sold in the same year for £10 to a London bookseller, Crosby & Co., who decided against publishing. In 1817, the bookseller was content to sell it back to the novelist's brother, Henry Austen, for the exact sum — £10 — that he had paid for it at the beginning, not knowing that the writer was by then the author of four popular novels. The novel was further revised before being brought out posthumously in late December 1817 (1818 given on the title-page), as the first two volumes of a four-volume set with Persuasion.
Northanger Abbey is fundamentally a parody of Gothic fiction. Austen turns the conventions of eighteenth-century novels on their head, by making her heroine a plain and undistinguished girl from a middle-class family, allowing the heroine to fall in love with the hero before he has a serious thought of her, and exposing the heroine's romantic fears and curiosities as groundless. Several Gothic novels are mentioned in the book, including most importantly The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Italian by Ann Radcliffe. Austen also satirizes Clermont, a Gothic novel by Regina Maria Roche. This last is included in a list of seven somewhat obscure Gothic works, known as the 'Northanger horrid novels'.
Literary Allusions
On Sir Walter Scott — Miss Austen's novels, especially Emma and Northanger Abbey, were great favourites with Scott, and he often read chapters of them to his evening circle.
Thomas Henry Lister, 1826 in „Granby“, Chapter 10: ― "Now I hardly know whether you are joking or not. I think not―you look so serious. But do tell me your favourite novels. I hope you like nothing of Miss Edgeworth's or Miss Austen's. They are full of common-place people, that one recognises at once. You cannot think how I was disappointed in Northanger Abbey, and Castle Rackrent, for the titles did really promise something.
Letitia Elizabeth Landon in "Romance and Reality", Chapter 17, 1831: ― "I prefer Miss Austen's; they are the truest pictures of country life, whose little schemes, hopes, scandals, &c. are detected with a woman's tact, and told with a woman's vivacity."
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| Jane Austen |
‘Bertha and Bernie’ is a 1961 painting by which British artist? | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
English 350: Literary Study Tour: Jane Austen
Spring Interim, 1998
pertinent to all the novels)
Composition and Publication History
The first novel that Austen sold as a full novel was "Susan," which, with Persuasion, was the last to appear and came out titled Northanger Abbey, a title given to it by Austen's brother Henry. To the best of our knowledge, it was the third that she wrote in draft form in the 1790s. First, in 1795, she wrote "Elinor and Marianne" (her first novel published, in 1811, as Sense and Sensibility). Then, in 1796-1797, she wrote "First Impressions," (the second novel she saw published; it was rejected from a publisher in 1797 and finally came out in 1813 as Pride and Prejudice). She wrote Susan in 1797-1798 and sold it in 1803 for 10 pounds to Crosby and Company, who, strangely, did not publish it. She wrote inquiring about it in 1809 and offered to send them another manuscript, if they'd misplaced the original and suggested that otherwise, she would like to pursue publishing it elsewhere; she wrote as "Mrs Ashton Dennis," which allowed her to sign her letter "M.A.D." They told her that, given that they had purchased rights to the work, she could not publish it elsewhere unless she bought back the manuscript from them at the price at which they'd originally purchased it. She apparently set the issue aside to work on writing Mansfield Park, revising Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, and writing Emma.
She then bought it back in 1816, after the publication of Emma, and revised it then, to an extent not currently ascertainable, but certainly including the change of the female protagonist's name from Susan to Catherine. In March 1817, a few months before her death, she wrote to her favorite niece, Fanny Knight, that she was shelving the novel for the time but had another work (presumably Persuasion) ready for publication, which she assumes would come out the following year. Given the relatively quick time between selling and printing a novel (2 months for Pride and Prejudice), her citing a year as possible publication date for Persuasion suggests she still had revisions in mind. Revisions to either were cut short as her illness grew serious; she died on 18 July, 1817, and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published together, posthumously, the first works on which Austen's name was affixed as author.
If Austen did not in fact revise Northanger Abbey much after repurchasing the manuscript of it in 1816, then the last volumes of her works that came out linked a very early novel, one written by 1803, with the last she wrote, Persuasion, written 1815-1816. Much is generally made of the difference in years and Austen's probable attitudes in writing these two works - 12 years at least, if she did not particularly revise Northanger Abbey. While it does not strike me that one can say Persuasion must reflect views greatly matured since her other novels - all others were published between 1811-1815, not such a great gap even between her earliest publication and March 1817, when she may have felt done with Persuasion, it might be helpful, as you read Northanger Abbey, to consider whether it "feels" like a much earlier novel than the others we've read and the extent to which it likewise addresses issues the others read, perhaps in similar ways.
The strange writing, selling, and publication history of this novel makes one of my questions for your writing journal hard to address, and that is, to examine the extent to which it feels like Austen sets new problems to be solved as a writer as she moves from writing one novel to the next. It is hard to know exactly when and if she revised this novel, and, hence, where it fits in the overall scheme of her writing the six novels we're reading for this course. You might then in part use your writing journal on this novel to address what differences there might be if we read this as the first novel Austen felt was ready for publication or if we read this as one she revised late in life, setting new problems and challenges for herself based on what she'd seen published before it came out.
Literary Background: Genres, Character Types, Themes, and Other Issues:
As its title would have suggested to Austen's contemporaries, Northanger Abbey draws on the Gothic novel and its conventions. Abbeys did not exist in the late 18th century in England; Henry VIII had religious houses (which were connected with Catholicism, which he left) destroyed. Abbeys represented a past time in England's history. They also were tied in with Catholicism, and in England, Catholicism, was linked with countries such as France and Italy and viewed as politically tyrannical. The Gothic novel in general, as you can probably infer from reading Northanger Abbey, draws on the horrific. It is usually set in the past and involves a young girl, trapped in a castle, abbey, or other old, usually partly ruined edifice, tormented by an older man, usually her father or guardian or political leader of the region in which she lives. The Gothic novel thus links the female protagonist's family life with politics, suggesting that tyranny over her is equivalent to tyranny over the region, both carried out by the man who torments her and by extension, is his region's dictator. In fact, Gothic novels concentrating on women's woes are just one type, and there are several ways of dividing different strains of the Gothic; there are also those in which male characters suffer as well; instead of being trapped within a castle which is also the main characters' home, male characters may be kept out of their rightful place in that edifice.
In addition to being dividable into that sort of male and female Gothic - the kind concerning male protagonists, on the one hand, and female protagonists, on the other - the Gothic can also be divided by how it uses the supernatural: strange sounds and sights greet the female and/or male protagonist, and frequently, s/he and the reader believe that the place in which s/he is trapped is also haunted. By the end of some Gothic types - the type popularized by Ann Radcliffe, especially - the apparent supernatural is explained away; ghostly sounds might be produced by people locked in subterranean vaults of the castle, for instance. In some Gothic novels - Walpole's and Matthew Lewis's, for instance - the supernatural is not explained away; characters might really be the devil incarnate in human form, and hauntings may be caused by real restless spirits.
Another way of dividing up the Gothic is in terms of who wrote them, and to a certain extent, this overlaps with the above-described two sorts. One can break down Gothic novels into categories of "horror" and "terror" Gothic. "Horror" Gothic works by showing us what is horrible - what shouldn't need to be faced, what humans can't really face. Such novels might be compared to really gruesome scary movies - slasher movies, with lots of gore. "Terror" Gothic, on the other hand, works via suspense. Rather than seeing someone get disemboweled, we're invited to share the main character's suspense as that character thinks, awaits, and tries to avoid whatever he or she imagines might occur. Frequently, "horror" Gothic is seen to be written most particularly by men; it frequently leaves the supernatural in place, and we see people behaving really badly, raping and killing family members and others, for instance. We then see them really "horribly" punished by a demon incarnate who has tempted them to do the "horrible" things they've done. If one thinks about the kind of strictures limiting women's writing in the era, one might realize why men, more than women, ostensibly wrote this kind of novel. Women might prove themselves unfeminine if capable of depicting anything beyond the humanly acceptable and would need to limit the fright on which they draw to suspense. But dividing works up as by male or female authors thus does not really work when one gets to Gothic works published in the eighteenth century or beyond. It is helpful, nonetheless, to know something about these categories.
The Gothic overlaps, in all its forms, with sensibility, in part because it concerns a suffering protagonist. To be involved at all with the work, one must be able to sympathize with that protagonist, and sympathizing with their sufferings puts us in the role of developing and drawing on our own sensibility. Frequently such novels make clear who good characters are by showing them sympathizing with the sufferings of others, and in this way, they clearly overlap with sentimental* novels (*remember, "sentimental" is the adjective for sensibility). Keeping this in mind, and reminding yourself of everything behind the movement of sensibility and what was considered its drawbacks will help you immensely in understanding Northanger Abbey; to that end, review the information sheets I have provided for you on Sense and Sensibility; think about ways sensibility gets mocked in that novel, and ways the same or similar mocking, parody, or harsher criticism occurs in Northanger Abbey. Keeping in mind the kinds of criticisms made about the effect of novel-reading on women will be especially useful as you work your way through this novel.
Understanding the complex way this novel draws on the Gothic is easiest if one has actually read a Gothic novel, which we do not have time to do during this course. The Broadview edition of Northanger Abbey, however, provides excerpts from two Ann Radcliffe novels to which Catherine and Isabella refer and to which Catherine reacts at the Abbey itself. Refer to the appendices for these passages; read them to make passages of the novel itself clear.
Another tool to help you understand the novel is the introduction. As usual, you'll do best to read it after you finish reading the novel; it will then help you understand various elements of the novel and, perhaps, various concerns you have about it. Nonetheless, it might help you at the outset to keep in mind one thing it points out: the novel was originally titled "Susan," and naming it after the central character gives a different idea about what holds the novel together than does naming it after the estate to which Catherine travels only late in the novel.
The other appendices are also quite useful and we will discuss what we learn there too; after reading the novel and answering questions that deal particularly with it (remember: answer not only the questions listed here but those pertaining to all the novels), read the appendices containing early reviews of Northanger Abbey and answer questions about them.
1
This novel is pretty evidently about Catherine's learning. What are her lessons? Who else has learning to do? Where do we see it happening? Who else reads reality via books?
How does this novel handle these issues in ways similar to ways they're handled in Sense and Sensibility? What are the differences? Do you think Austen comes to the same conclusions in each case? Or are there differences?
2
What's the difference between innocence and naivete here? Innocence and ignorance?
3
What is happening on pp135-136?
4
John Thorpe can be known to some extent through his rudeness to his sisters and mothers when he first encounters them in Bath. Look, then, at Henry Tilney's treatment of his sister when he, she, and Catherine go on a walk. Is he as rude as Thorpe? If so, why do we like him better? What fits him better to be the male protagonist, the man presented as goal and reward for the female protagonist, Catherine?
5
If novels give us ways of interpreting and misinterpreting "life," what's the role of the picturesque? What does the novel suggest about ways of interpreting others, ourselves, what happens to us that we import from elsewhere? If we don't take others' ways of interpreting ourselves and others, how are we to comprehend anything?
What mode of understanding things does Catherine have before she learns what she does by the end of the novel? Henry frequently remarks on how she makes decisions or interprets others; what's the source, do you think, of the model she already has? Is it adequate? To what extent is it better than the models she encounters and then perhaps learns?
6
Think about what I've already told you gets said about Gothic novels and novels of sensibility and look at that passage at the end of chapter 5, on novels. What's the main concern there? Does it respond to the period's concerns about novels? Or does it raise different issues? How does the novel as a whole pick up on and respond to the period's complaints about novels' effects?
Now read the reviews in Appendix D. Summarize them. Identify what each one considers makes a novel good, and what makes a novel bad. What gets valued in Northanger Abbey and Austen's novels in general? To what extent are these qualities the same ones we'd use to judge a book? To what extent are they the ones that Austen herself would employ for judging a book? Again, look at her arguments at the end of chapter 5, and try to draw conclusions as well by what Northanger Abbey as a whole values or critiques in reading.
While we will discuss these reviews and attitudes about women's publishing in general (think about Austen's own family's views on women's publishing), it might be useful to think up some questions on who wrote, what they wrote, who read, what they read, what was popular and why it might have been popular; we can address these questions when we're given a talk at the British Library; that talk will be provided with a specialist on circulating libraries who might not be able to address attitudes about publishing but who certainly can tell us what was published, what sold well, and what was borrowed from libraries - perhaps too who was borrowing these works.
Very Short List of Reading on the Gothic,
especially as pertains to Austen:
Ellis, Kate Ferguson. The Contested Castle: Gothic Novels and the Subversion of Domestic Ideology. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1989.
Looser, Devoney, ed. Jane Austen and Discourses of Feminism. New York: St. Martins, 1995.
Various essays focus on Northanger Abbey and the Gothic.
Punter, David. The Literature of Terror. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1980. 2nd ed, vol. 1: 1996.
Any works listed in the bibliography to Northanger Abbey
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Banjul is the capital of which African country? | Banjul | national capital, The Gambia | Britannica.com
national capital, The Gambia
Basse Santa Su
Banjul, formerly (until 1973) Bathurst , city, capital, and Atlantic port of The Gambia , on St. Mary’s Island, near the mouth of the Gambia River . It is the country’s largest city. It was founded in 1816, when the British Colonial Office ordered Captain Alexander Grant to establish a military post on the river to suppress the slave trade and to serve as a trade outlet for merchants ejected from Senegal , which had been restored to France . Grant chose Banjul Island (ceded by the chief of Kombo) as the site, which he renamed St. Mary’s. He named the new settlement for Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst , then colonial secretary. It became the capital of the British colony and protectorate of Gambia and after 1947 was governed by a town council. With The Gambia’s independence in 1965, the town was granted city status and became the national capital. The name was changed to Banjul in 1973.
Port of Banjul, Gambia.
© Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock.com
Banjul is The Gambia’s commercial and transportation centre. It has several peanut (groundnut) decorticating plants and oil mills; peanuts, peanut oil and meal, and palm kernels are exported. Tourism is of increasing importance, alleviating some of the urban unemployment problem and encouraging handicraft (wood carvings, filigree jewelry, hand-dyed cloth) industries. Banjul is connected with the interior and Senegal via a 3-mile (5-km) ferry northward across the Gambia River (to Barra) and by the Banjul-Serekunda Highway. A regular steamer service operates to Basse Santa Su , 242 miles (389 km) upstream. The Gambia’s international airport is at Yundum, 18 miles (30 km) southwest.
Street vendors at the port of Banjul, Gambia.
© Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock.com
The nation’s educational centre, Banjul has the Gambia High School (1958), two Roman Catholic secondary schools, a Muslim high school, a vocational school, and a public library. Associated with the city’s Royal Victoria Hospital (1957) are the Gambia School of Nursing (1964), a mental hospital, a tuberculosis sanatorium, and a home for the infirm.
Almost half of the city’s population is Wolof , but the Aku (descendants of freed slaves), Malinke (Mandingo), Mauritanian, and Lebanese communities are significant minorities. Banjul has a mosque and Anglican, Catholic, and Methodist churches. Pop. (2013 prelim.) 31,301; urban agglom., 758,153.
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| The Gambia |
In which US city does Macaulay Culkin end up at Christmas time in Home Alone 2? | Day 01
Arrival in Gambia
You will take a flight to Banjul, the capital city of Gambia. Gambia is one of the worlds poorest countries with a backward economy mainly depend on tourism. Banjul is the smallest capital in Africa and a tourist attraction. Upon arrival, you will head to the hotel and then have a good rest.
Day 02
Banjul
Start the visit of Banjul in the Morning. Banjul in the Mandé language means Bamboo Island. In 1816, the English founded Banjul as a trading post and secret base for slave trade. Banjul is located in the tropical grassland, the annual average temperature is around 25°C, the annual rainfall is about 1150 mm and the rainy season spans from June to October. The city is surrounded by beautiful scenery of tropical grassland and fascinating beaches. Today, you will visit the market in Banjul and National Museum of the Gambia which is not big but exhibit many historical photographs, maps and documents depict during the Africans and the colonial era. In addition, you will also visit the batik factories, monuments and other attractions.
Day 03
Abuko Nature Reserve
Today’s tour will take you to visit the Abuko Nature Reserve and Brikama Carving Center. Abuko Nature Reserve is the prime wildlife reserve of this country. You will walk around the protected areas and see monkeys, chimpanzees, many species of birds, and some wild animals like crocodiles, lions and antelopes during the way. After finishing the visit of Abuko Nature Reserve, you will head for the famous wood carving market in the village of Kama Bray. At last, you will return to Banjul.
Day 04
Juffure
You will have a full day sightseeing tour in Juffure. Black American writer Alex Haley published Roots: the Saga of an American Family, a novel based on his familys history, starting with the story of Kunta Kinte, kidnapped in 1767 when he cut wood on James Island and transported to the United States to be sold as a slave and then began his family history of hardship. In other words, Juffure is the root of Alex Haley.
Day 05
Cruise on River Gambia
Today you will have a cruise tour on river Gambia which is one of the best African waterways and the only seagoing vessel navigable river in West Africa. During the trip, you may see many dolphins. Along the way you will experience the African country life in Mandingo Village and participate in the small-scale cultural festival there. You will also visit some historical sites along the river, such as James Island, Albreda Slave market and so on.
Day 06
Free Day
Today, you are scheduled to have a whole day for free activities. You can go to the beach for relaxation, or go shopping or join the short one-day trip. In the evening, you may take part in the farewell dinner and enjoy the local traditional entertainment.
Day 07
Departure from Gambia
There is no tour arrangement in the morning. After lunch, you will transfer to the airport for the departure flight and end the splendid Gambia journey.
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