pageid
int64 1.39k
74.6M
| title
stringlengths 2
102
| revid
int64 962M
1.17B
| description
stringlengths 4
100
⌀ | categories
sequencelengths 0
61
| markdown
stringlengths 1.23k
15.9k
| sections
sequencelengths 0
33
| token
int64 258
3k
| __index_level_0__
int64 0
44.8k
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8,482,147 | Theresa Andrews | 1,145,147,489 | American swimmer | [
"1962 births",
"American female backstroke swimmers",
"Florida Gators women's swimmers",
"Indiana Hoosiers women's swimmers",
"Living people",
"Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics",
"Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming",
"Seton Keough High School alumni",
"Sportspeople from New London, Connecticut",
"Swimmers at the 1984 Summer Olympics",
"Swimmers from Maryland"
] | Theresa Andrews (born August 25, 1962) is an American former competitive swimmer and Olympic champion. Raised in Maryland, Andrews gained prominence as a national collegiate champion when competing for the University of Florida. In international competition, she was a backstroke specialist who won two gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
## Early years
Andrews was born in New London, Connecticut in 1962. She grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, where she initially attended St. Mary's High School. She was one of twelve children of Frank and Maxine Andrews; her father was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a former U.S. Navy officer. Andrews first trained in the Navy Junior Program as an age-group swimmer, and then moved to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC), attending Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland and staying with a succession of five sponsoring local families during her final two years of high school. She later described her training regime as "six hours a day, six days a week ... training in a pool." Andrews was among the first generation of elite swimmers to train under coach Murray Stephens at NBAC, a club that has produced a succession of Olympic swimmers after her, including Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff. She was the first Olympic medalist produced by the club.
## Career
### College swimming career
Andrews accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and swam for the Indiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team in Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and Big Ten Conference competition during the 1980–81 school year. As a Hoosier swimmer, she won six Big Ten titles, and earned five All-American honors.
After her freshman season, Andrews transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she swam for coach Randy Reese's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) competition in 1982 and 1983. As a Gator, she was an eleven-time SEC champion, including the 50-yard backstroke (twice), 100-yard backstroke (twice), 200-yard backstroke, and six relays. She was a three-time NCAA champion (twice in the 400-yard medley relay, and once in the 200-yard medley relay), and received a total of eighteen All-American honors. The Gators won the 1982 NCAA women's team championship, and the Gators' winning 400-yard medley relay team of Andrews, Amy Caulkins, Michele Kurtzman and Kathy Treible set a new American national record in the event of 3:40.99. Andrews, together with teammates Kurtzman, Treible and Tracy Caulkins, won the NCAA 400-yard medley relay event again in 1983, and the Gators placed second overall at the NCAA championship tournament.
### 1984 Olympic swimming
Andrews qualified to represent the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won two gold medals. She gained her first gold in the women's 100-meter backstroke, narrowly edging fellow American Betsy Mitchell by eight one-hundredths (.08) of a second – about five inches – for a final time of 1:02.55. It was the first time she had ever beaten Mitchell. She earned her second gold by swimming the lead-off backstroke leg for the first-place U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter medley relay event, sharing the honors with her American teammates Tracy Caulkins (breaststroke), Mary T. Meagher (butterfly), and Nancy Hogshead (freestyle), and clocking a winning time of 4:08.34. Her split time of 1:04.00 was slower than her gold-medal time in the individual 100-meter backstroke, but her teammates made up the difference to win and set a new American record in the event.
Andrews later gave her first Olympic gold medal to her brother Danny in a private gathering, honoring him for his courage when he was paralyzed at the age of 19 after being struck by a car two years earlier. After the Olympics, she retired from competitive swimming at the age of 21.
## Life after competition swimming
Andrews graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation in 1986, and thereafter, from Ohio State University with a master's degree in clinical social work. From 1992 to 1999, she worked as a clinical social worker in children's hematology and cancer treatment at the University of Virginia Health Science Center. Andrews has worked for MBNA America and Bank of America since 1999; as a Bank of America vice president and market manager for consumer banking, she oversees fifteen banking centers in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Andrews delivers motivational speeches for corporations, conferences, community groups and schools, usually on the topics of individual potential and the importance of teamwork in achieving goals, and drawing on the values of the Olympic movement. She is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and has served as a volunteer for the U.S. Olympic Alumni Association since 2004. She is also a veteran celebrity swimmer for Swim Across America (SAA), a charitable organization that uses former Olympic swimmers to raise funds for cancer research, and has participated in SAA events for nine years.
Andrews was inducted into the Maryland Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Athlete" in 1987. In 2008, she received the NCAA's Silver Anniversary Award, which recognizes successful former student-athletes who have excelled in their careers after graduation.
## See also
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of Ohio State University people
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Olympians | [
"## Early years",
"## Career",
"### College swimming career",
"### 1984 Olympic swimming",
"## Life after competition swimming",
"## See also"
] | 1,231 | 18,708 |
8,680,236 | Chad Harris-Crane | 1,165,449,277 | Soap opera character | [
"Adoptee characters in television",
"American male characters in television",
"Fictional African-American people",
"Fictional LGBT characters in television",
"Fictional bisexual men",
"Fictional characters involved in incest",
"Fictional offspring of rape",
"Passions characters",
"Television characters introduced in 1999"
] | Chad Harris-Crane is a fictional character on the American soap opera Passions, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2007 and on DirecTV in 2007–08. Developed by the soap's creator and head writer James E. Reilly, Chad was portrayed by two actors over the course of the show: Donn Swaby (1999 to 2002) and Charles Divins (2002 to 2007). Swaby left the show to pursue roles outside daytime television and was replaced by Divins. The role was the first time that either actor had worked on a television series.
Chad is a member of the Crane family. The illegitimate son of the evil patriarch Alistair Crane, Chad is introduced as a music producer from Los Angeles who is searching for his biological family. Chad becomes involved in a love triangle with sisters Whitney and Simone Russell. His romance with Whitney is complicated by the possibility they may be engaging in an incestuous relationship as Chad is initially believed to be her half-brother, and later revealed to be her adoptive cousin. Chad's later storylines focus on his confusion over his sexual identity, and his sexual relationship with tabloid reporter Vincent Clarkson. Chad attempts to reconcile with Whitney, after his affair with Vincent is revealed, before being killed by his father Alistair while trying to protect his best friend, Ethan Winthrop.
Critical response to Chad was mixed; some reviewers praised the sensationalism of the incest storyline with Whitney, while others criticized his relationship with Vincent as an irresponsible and problematic representation of racial and sexual identity. The character marks a notable step in daytime television and soap opera history; it was the first depiction in a soap opera of two men having sex. Chad has also been cited as expanding the representation of LGBT characters of color on daytime television. Divins discussed the storyline with his gay friends and researched LGBT culture to better shape his performance. Media outlets expressed varying opinions of the exact nature of Chad's sexual orientation.
## Development
### Creation and casting
Sheraton Kalouria, senior vice president of NBC's daytime programming, described the show's use of color-blind casting as part of an effort to build a diverse pool of characters that best reflected the various ethnic and racial groups living in the United States. Kalouria believed the show was set apart from other soap operas by the inclusion of "the African American Russells and the Hispanic Lopez-Fitzgeralds".
The role was played by two actors over the course of the show: Donn Swaby (1999 to 2002) and Charles Divins (2002 to 2007). Passions was Swaby's first role in a television series. On May 27, 2002, Swaby announced on his official website that he had decided to leave the show to pursue other opportunities outside of daytime television. Divins assumed the role on September 12, 2002. It was his first audition and acting experience; he had previously worked full-time as a fashion model and had decided to pursue an acting career after appearing in commercials. Divins initially auditioned for another soap opera, but its producers suggested that he instead take a role on Passions. He described his time working on the show as a "scholarship to acting".
### Characterization and cast response
Chad was initially characterized as a "street-kid" by the show's official website and "a tough dude from the hood" by David Alexander Nahmod of the Bay Area Reporter. Swaby called his character "talented, ambitious, adventurous, passionate", and said that his guarded personality was a way of "defying the good guy, bad guy stereotype". Chad originally served as the "object of affection for both Simone and Whitney", but his role on the series was expanded following the casting of Divins. An article on Soaps.com wrote that Divins adapted the character from being a "West Coast music producer to [an] ambitious and tortured Crane heir". Over the course of the show, Chad was defined by his relationships with his supposed half-sister Whitney and his nephew-niece, Vincent Clarkson. After Swaby left the show, he was disappointed by the direction Chad's storyline took.
Despite the controversy and negative reception of Chad's sexual encounters with Vincent, Divins identified Chad's confusion over his sexual orientation as a vital part of the storyline. While the show was still filming, he expressed an interest in further exploring Chad's rejection of his sexuality. Divins felt that the key element of the storyline was Chad's difficulty in coming to terms with his sexuality. When asked by an interviewer about the revelation of Chad's sexuality, Divins said the show would include clear representations of "male intimacy". Divins said he was uncomfortable shooting scenes related to the storyline, but felt it was an opportunity to sharpen his skills as an actor. He added that he wanted to make the character as "grounded and real as possible" and keep the focus on how Chad reconciles with his sexual orientation.
To prepare for the storyline, Divins consulted with his gay friends and asked them how to ensure the character was "being represented correctly and honestly". Oprah Winfrey's discussion of the down-low on her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show also helped Divins better understand the character. Divins was unaware of the developments in Chad's sexuality until he was given the script four days prior to the filming of the episodes. He said he was surprised by the reveal that Chad's affair was with a man, but thought the soap opera's "storytelling style lends itself to dramatic changes". Divins praised the show for its inclusion of a black, gay character on daytime television regardless of any negative feedback from fans who preferred Chad and Whitney as a couple, and said that he wasn't afraid to take on the role, given the increased visibility of LGBT issues on television and in everyday society at the time of the storyline's broadcast. Chad's character and storyline were not to every cast member's taste; Tracey Ross, who played Eve Russell, later said she "was never crazy about" the incest plot, though Phillip Jeanmarie, who played Vincent Clarkson, commented that he was glad to have been part of the taboo-breaking story.
## Storylines
Chad Harris-Crane first appears in the episode airing on September 23, 1999, in which, after discovering he was adopted, he moves from Los Angeles to Harmony to find his real parents. Chad married Latoya Harris while he was working as a music producer in Los Angeles. Latoya refused to accompany Chad to Harmony as she did not want to leave her friends and family. While in Harmony, Chad encounters two people with information on his past – Orville Perkins and Crystal Harris. Orville, a senile old man, erroneously believes Chad is Eve's long-lost son with Crane Industries CEO Julian Crane and claims to have evidence proving this connection. In a desperate attempt to keep her past hidden, Eve burns down Orville's house and any evidence inside and places him in a retirement home. Chad later meets jazz singer Crystal Harris, who was Eve's confidante during her relationship with Julian and subsequent pregnancy. Crystal also offers information about Chad's birth and parents, but is killed by a French drug cartel's assassin Antoine, who mistakes her for socialite Sheridan Crane, before she can deliver it to him.
During this time, Chad meets and falls in love with Whitney Russell. Their relationship is complicated by her sister Simone Russell's crush on him, and her parents' disapproval of him. Eve discourages both of her children from pursuing a relationship with Chad, fearing he will be a bad influence on her daughter in the same way Julian was on her teenage self. Whitney and Chad keep their romantic and sexual encounters secret for years while he pretends to be in love with Simone. The love triangle continues until Simone catches Whitney kissing Chad. Simone breaks up publicly with Chad and tells everyone in Harmony about his relationship with Whitney. During 2003, Chad's connection to Whitney steadily unravels after the discovery of his marriage to Latoya and her attempt to murder Whitney.
In 2004, Eve's vengeful adoptive sister Liz Sanbourne arranges for Eve's past relationship with Julian to be exposed to the Russell family and the rest of Harmony, resulting in Chad being erroneously identified as their son. From this point on, the apparently incestuous relationship between Chad and Whitney becomes one of the primary storylines on Passions. Whitney discovers that she is pregnant with Chad's child. She initiates a relationship with Fox Crane to be able to insinuate that he is the father and protect herself, and her child, from the stigma of incest. She gives birth to a son and immediately uses her then-boyfriend Fox Crane's power of attorney to put him up for adoption. Two couples—Julian and Eve, and T.C. and Liz—compete to adopt the boy, but Chad is awarded custody of the child. He attempts to use the child to reconnect with Whitney. Whitney and Chad name their baby Miles Davis Harris after jazz musician Miles Davis. During the show's 2005 summertime extravaganza, Whitney has sex with Chad in the middle of a tsunami and admits to Chad that he is Miles' biological father. Identified as the Vendetta plot, the show's 2006 summertime extravaganza centers on Alistair Crane luring Whitney, Chad, and several other residents of Harmony, to Rome. While in Rome, Chad is given his birth certificate by tabloid editor J. T. Cornell and discovers that he was conceived during Alistair's rape of Liz. Following the revelation of his true paternity, Chad marries Whitney and they decide to raise their son together, and rename him Miles Harris-Crane.
Unbeknownst to Whitney, Chad previously began a sexual relationship with the tabloid reporter Vincent Clarkson at an unspecified time around the Vendetta plot, and he continues the affair after their reunion and wedding. Chad is unaware that Vincent is Eve's child with Julian and his half-brother, making Vincent his half-uncle, adoptive half-cousin, and half-brother-in-law. He is also initially oblivious to the fact that Vincent is intersex, and that Valerie Davis, the executive assistant to Crane Industries' vice president Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, is his split personality. While confessing his affair to his friends Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald and Noah Bennett, Chad repeatedly insists that he is not gay, and that his relationship with Vincent is based solely on sex. Whitney becomes increasingly suspicious of Chad's fidelity after discovering she is pregnant with their second child. Furious with Chad for continuing to sleep with Whitney, Vincent engineers a scenario in which Whitney sees Vincent and Chad having sex in the back of a gay bar; Whitney leaves Chad immediately and he distances himself from Vincent. The estranged couple start to reconcile as they try to help Theresa and Ethan Winthrop reunite, but that possibility is cut short on August 28, 2007, when Chad is killed by Alistair while trying to protect his best friend Ethan. Chad dies professing his love for Whitney and their children.
## Reception and impact
Chad's possibly incestuous relationship led media outlets to sensationalize Harmony as the place where "half-siblings sleep with one another", and the 2006 revelation that Whitney and Chad were not related by blood was listed as one of Passions' most shocking secrets by an article in Soap Opera Digest. Soapdom.com asserted that the plot enabled Divins to showcase his acting abilities and distinguish himself from his predecessor Swaby.
Media outlets expressed differing opinions over the exact nature of Chad's sexuality. Hartinger called Chad a "closeted bisexual", and the Bay Area Reporter referred to him as a gay black man. An article on NewNowNext.com listed Divins' interpretation of the character as a choice for the "Favorite Gay (Male) TV Character Poll". Soap opera journalist Roger Newcomb of We Love Soaps questioned whether Chad was truly gay, arguing that Vincent's reveal as intersex leads to Chad's heterosexuality being "rescued" as he "was sleeping only with Vincent's female anatomy". Joel McHale from E!'s weekly television series The Soup turned a scene in which Chad insisted he was "not gay" despite his affair with Vincent into a running gag by referring to the character as "Not Gay Chad". During the show's season five premiere, Divins made a cameo appearance on The Soup to explain to McHale that he was not his character and was neither dead nor gay.
Passions made daytime history by being the first to depict two men having sex, but the pairing of Chad and Vincent drew less media attention than the gay relationships in As the World Turns and One Life to Live. The complicated incest storyline was described as "insanely convoluted" by Gawker's Kyle Buchanan, who felt it was one of "the most insane things that have ever happened on television"; the plotline was also praised, by Soaps.com, as reflecting the show's "unique perspective and zest for controversy" while challenging the "often too safe and predictable world of soaps". NewNowNext.com approved of the plotline for increasing the presence of LGBT people of color on daytime television, with Ross von Metze of Edge Media Network commenting that the show was "taking risks where other TV shows have failed".
Viewers were divided over the sexually explicit sequences between Chad and Vincent. Some felt the scenes between Chad and Vincent were "appalling" and inappropriate for daytime television, while one viewer praised the soap opera for "continu[ing] their outstanding jobs as they teach the people of today's world about daily life experiences". A writer from Soaps.com defended the show by pointing out graphic sex scenes between men and women were previously aired without complaint.
Chad's relationship with Vincent received some criticism, with Windy City Times; describing the storyline as "reckless" and "outrageous". According to Slate*'s Ta-Nehisi Coates, the storyline was also disliked by the show's black audience. Mike Perigard of the Boston Herald* was critical of the timing of the death of lesbian Rae Thomas following the reveal of Chad's affair with a man; Perigard argued that Thomas's character was removed to reduce the number of gay characters on the show.
## See also
- List of LGBT characters in television and radio | [
"## Development",
"### Creation and casting",
"### Characterization and cast response",
"## Storylines",
"## Reception and impact",
"## See also"
] | 2,947 | 38,803 |
19,866,746 | Transformers: The Ride 3D | 1,170,074,814 | Ride at Universal Studios parks | [
"2010s American films",
"2010s science fiction films",
"2011 3D films",
"2011 establishments in Singapore",
"2011 films",
"2012 establishments in California",
"2013 establishments in Florida",
"2021 establishments in China",
"3D animated films",
"3D animated short films",
"Amusement rides based on film franchises",
"Amusement rides introduced in 2011",
"Amusement rides introduced in 2012",
"Amusement rides introduced in 2013",
"Amusement rides introduced in 2021",
"Amusement rides manufactured by Oceaneering International",
"Dark rides",
"Licensed properties at Universal Parks & Resorts",
"Simulator rides",
"Transformers (film series)",
"Universal Parks & Resorts attractions by name",
"Universal Parks & Resorts films",
"Universal Studios Beijing",
"Universal Studios Hollywood",
"Universal Studios Singapore"
] | Transformers: The Ride 3D (or simply Transformers: The Ride and Transformers: Battle for the AllSpark) is a 3D dark ride located at Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Beijing. The ride, based on the Transformers film franchise, was designed by Universal Creative, Oceaneering International, and Industrial Light & Magic. Each installation is reported to have cost US\$100 million. Universal Studios Singapore was the first to open the ride.
The dark ride consists of motion platform-mounted vehicles which follow a 2,000-foot-long (610 m) track. Throughout the ride, screens up to 60 feet (18 m) high project 3D images of various Transformers characters as the Autobots attempt to protect the AllSpark from the Decepticons.
## History
### Announcements
Early planning and design for the ride began in 2007. In October 2008, Universal Parks & Resorts announced the addition of Transformers: The Ride to their Singapore and Hollywood theme parks. At the time of the announcement, speculation that the ride would feature an upgraded version of the ride system used in The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure appeared in the press. After the two attractions at Universal Studios Singapore and Hollywood were opened, Universal Orlando Resort announced on 1 November 2012, that Transformers: The Ride would open at Universal Studios Florida in mid-2013. The announcement was made just prior to that night's showing of Universal's Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories.
### Universal Studios Singapore
Construction started in Singapore in late 2009 in a back-of-house location. Construction continued throughout the soft opening period of the park, which began on 18 March 2010. By October 2010, some of the track for the ride had been installed. It was discovered that the ride will be spread across two levels. On 27 October 2011, Universal Studios Singapore announced that Transformers: The Ride would open in Singapore on 3 December 2011.
On 19 November 2011, Universal Studios Singapore opened the ride to the public for "technical rehearsals"; the ride operated intermittently until the official opening date. The ride debuted at an exclusive evening event on 2 December 2011, attended by director Michael Bay and Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Tom Williams. The ride officially opened to the public on 3 December 2011.
### Universal Studios Hollywood
Installation of Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, required the removal of two attractions. On 11 April 2010, Backdraft and Special Effects Stages closed. The Special Effects Stages were relocated to the Upper Lot and renamed the Special Effects Stage on 26 June 2010. Work began almost immediately on the construction of the ride. After a period of construction spanning close to two years, the ride and its gift store, the Transformers Supply Vault, soft opened to the public in late April 2012. Transformers: The Ride officially opened to the public on 24 May 2012.
### Universal Studios Florida
A few days after Transformers: The Ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Parks & Resorts decided to open the attraction at Universal Studios Florida. Construction began almost immediately on the site of Soundstage 44, which was once home of Hercules and Xena: Wizards of the Screen and Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre. The soundstage was demolished in June 2012. In July 2012, construction of a new building began with the installation of a tower crane and the start of excavation. On 2 May 2013, the park announced that the ride would open on 20 June 2013. On 30 May 2013, technical rehearsals for the ride officially began. On 20 June 2013, the ride officially opened to the general public. Transformers: The Ride 3D celebrated its One-Millionth Rider in August 2013.
### Universal Studios Beijing
## Ride system and experience
The ride vehicles, developed by Oceaneering International, are mounted to a track-roaming platform that provides the forward motion to move the vehicle through each show scene. The yaw motor and a stewart platform with six degrees of freedom attaching it to the platform allows the vehicle to move 360 degrees at different angles along the 2,000-foot-long (610 m) track. Each vehicle is fitted with a motor that controls the right side door through which guests board and leave. These vehicles are modeled after an Autobot named Evac and each vehicle accommodates twelve riders. Each row of four riders is restrained by a single lap bar.
### Queue and pre-show
Riders enter the queue from the Sci-Fi City themed area of Universal Studios Singapore, the Lower Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood, Production Central at Universal Studios Florida or Transformers: Metrobase at Universial Studios Beijing. The first portion of the queue is a large collection of switchbacks. The later part of the queue is themed as a Nonbiological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty (NEST) base.
A series of signs and video screens are located within this area. The video screens play briefings from General Morshower, Ironhide, Wheelie and Ratchet, who explain that the Decepticons have come to Earth in search of the AllSpark and are attacking the NEST base in order to recover the fragment stored there. Optimus Prime concludes the briefing by introducing all of the Autobots that are featured in the ride. Towards the end of the queue, guests are given a pair of 3D glasses. Once guests arrive at the loading station, they are grouped and loaded into a ride vehicle modeled on an Autobot named Evac, whose mission is to take the AllSpark to safety with navigational help from a squad of NEST recruits (the riders).
### Ride
The ride begins with Evac (voiced by Dustin James Leighton) moving out of the loading station and making a turn. The vehicle approaches the first of thirteen 3D high-definition video screens which depicts Ravage grabbing a canister containing the AllSpark. Evac spins 180° to face the second screen on which Bumblebee is fighting Sideways for the AllSpark, which ends up in Evac's possession.
Evac reverses into one of two elevator shafts which ascend to the second level of the attraction. During the ascent Optimus Prime battles Megatron and Grindor chases Evac who is furiously heading in reverse until Grindor's arm is broken off by a train. Megatron grabs Evac and the two struggle until Megatron breaks a water pipe, which sprays riders with water. Evac enters a dead end pathway before reversing and turning to face another 3D screen, which shows Megatron firing a missile at Evac while continuing to fight Optimus.
Hot air and fog generate the illusion of an explosion. Evac then heads through the hole in a building which was caused by the explosion. Inside lies Devastator, who is trying to suck everything out of the building. Ratchet and Ironhide open fire at Devastator while Evac reverses to escape the suction and continues moving when Devastator stops. Here the Autobot Sideswipe helps in the battle against the Decepticon Bonecrusher. Devastator returns to the scene with the vortex opened. Evac activates his "battle shields" and pulls himself through it. Once ejected from Devastator's "behind", Evac is caught by Starscream from his grappling hook-like tool. Starscream then throws him across several city blocks before landing on a construction site and smashing into some drums which release clouds of fog resulting in Evac asking if the riders are okay. Optimus Prime and Megatron continue their battle in the construction site as Evac reverses away in an attempt to protect the AllSpark. Starscream appears for a second time but is chased away by two NEST helicopters.
Evac then rotates to another section where Megatron then appears, reaching out for Evac. He is then foiled by Optimus who jumps from out of view, tackling Megatron and holding him on the edge of a building, and that's when Evac charges towards Megatron and forces the AllSpark into Megatron's chest causing both to freefall to the ground when Megatron grabs Evac. Bumblebee then saves Evac from destruction while playing James Brown's "I Feel Good" at the verse 'I got you.' Optimus Prime then reports Evac in and acknowledges him on the success of the mission. The last thing guests see before disembarking is the twisted wreckage of Megatron stuck in the ceiling near the exit.
### Exit and Transformers Supply Vault
Once the ride is complete, riders dismount the Evac vehicle at the unload station. Upon exiting the ride, guests are greeted with the Transformers Supply Vault gift store, which sells items from the Transformers film franchise, Transformers: The Ride merchandise and a variety of Transformers toys, including a toy of Evac exclusive to the ride.
## Cast
- Glenn Morshower – General Morshower
- Corey Klemow – Theodore Stallworth
- Pilar Holland – Sonya Bradley
- Ezra Masters – Sergeant Dees
- Andrew Arrabito – Military
### Voices
- Peter Cullen – Optimus Prime
- Dustin James Leighton – Evac
- Frank Welker – Megatron, Grindor, Ravage, Sideways, Bonecrusher, Devastator
- Charlie Adler – Starscream
- Mark Ryan - Bumblebee
- Robert Foxworth – Ratchet
- Jess Harnell – Ironhide
- Tom Kenny – Wheelie
- James Remar – Sideswipe
## Production
### Development
Transformers: The Ride was primarily developed by Universal Creative, the research and development division of Universal Parks & Resorts. Universal Creative's Thierry Coup was the Creative Director of the ride, having worked on previous Universal attractions including Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, and Shrek 4-D. Michael Bay, director of the Transformers film franchise, collaborated with Universal Creative on the ride, despite an earlier blog post that suggested otherwise: "I don't support it yet – I'm not involved and [I'm] not sure the story of the ride works, and I know Optimus is not going to just show up to be directed by some new people that have never worked with him," he wrote. Bay's involvement in the attraction's development was revealed by Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, in an NBC documentary on Islands of Adventure's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Industrial Light & Magic developed the special effects for the ride, having previously worked on Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Each installation is reported to have cost US\$100 million.
### Special effects
As well as the motion-based vehicle, riders feel wind, water, hot air, fog, air blasts, vibration, and smoke.
### Marketing
Initial promotion for the ride began with a blog by Resorts World Sentosa dedicated to the ride. Universal Studios Hollywood launched a website called Prepare For Battle. The ride's launch at Universal Studios Hollywood saw a 30-second commercial for Transformers: The Ride premiere during Super Bowl in 2012 and an 80-foot (24 m) high silhouette of Megatron attached to the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Universal Studios Hollywood also released a 30-minute documentary about the construction of the ride. Similar to Universal Studios Hollywood's marketing campaign, Universal Studios Florida utilised the same Prepare For Battle website as well as attaching another silhouette of Megatron to the Fairwinds Credit Union Tower in Downtown Orlando.
## Reception
Unlike the Transformers movies, which got mixed-to-negative reviews, Transformers: The Ride has been praised by media around the world. Brady MacDonald of the Los Angeles Times said he had high expectations of the ride, and was very pleased with it, and wrote that it "ranks among the top theme park attractions in the world". Martin Miller, also of the Los Angeles Times, was equally pleased with the ride, and called it "one of Universal's most sophisticated, satisfying rides". Miller acknowledged the long queues associated with the ride but commended Universal for the design and theming of the queue to combat this. John Chan of CNET stated Transformers: The Ride "isn't as heart-stopping as a roller coaster [but] the (relatively) long 4-minute ride is every bit as entertaining". Florida Today's Tim Walters and Jennifer Sangalang stated the "action-packed 'Transformers' ride doesn't disappoint". Both praised the ride's "fun factor" giving it a rating of 5/5, with Walters and Sangalang giving ratings of 4 1/2 and 4 overall, respectively.
Bob Strauss from the Daily Breeze interviewed some park guests who had experienced the attraction. Their comments included "the 3-D's crazy; I think it's a step above where the other rides are so far" and "it's a new way of making these rides". News.com.au stated "the happy smiles on the faces of visitors as the exit ... say it all".
The opening of the ride at Universal Studios Hollywood was an immediate success, with record attendance over the Memorial Day weekend. A 15 percent rise in attendance in 2012 was attributed to the ride's opening. Within days of the ride's opening executives decided to install the ride at Universal Studios Florida with construction beginning almost immediately.
Transformers: The Ride was ranked in the Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for best new ride of 2013 with 5% of the vote, to come in fifth place.
## See also
- List of amusement rides based on film franchises
- 2011 in amusement parks
- 2012 in amusement parks
- 2013 in amusement parks
- Pandora – The World of Avatar, a themed land at Disney's Animal Kingdom | [
"## History",
"### Announcements",
"### Universal Studios Singapore",
"### Universal Studios Hollywood",
"### Universal Studios Florida",
"### Universal Studios Beijing",
"## Ride system and experience",
"### Queue and pre-show",
"### Ride",
"### Exit and Transformers Supply Vault",
"## Cast",
"### Voices",
"## Production",
"### Development",
"### Special effects",
"### Marketing",
"## Reception",
"## See also"
] | 2,862 | 9,616 |
30,456,781 | Reddy Foster | 1,151,923,794 | American baseball player (1864–1908) | [
"1864 births",
"1908 deaths",
"1908 suicides",
"19th-century baseball players",
"Allentown Peanuts players",
"Baseball players from Richmond, Virginia",
"Bristol Bell Makers players",
"Burials in Virginia",
"Hampton Crabs players",
"New London Whalers players",
"New York Giants (NL) players",
"New York Metropolitans (minor league) players",
"Richmond Blue Birds players",
"Richmond Bluebirds players",
"Richmond Crows players",
"Richmond Giants players",
"Suicides by firearm in Virginia",
"Waterbury Rough Riders players"
] | Oscar E. "Reddy" Foster (August 1864 – December 19, 1908) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) player for the New York Giants in 1896. His only MLB appearance was on June 3 of that season. He primarily played catcher in his minor league career, which spanned 17 seasons. Foster was a manager as well. He was known for his fiery temper and his heavy drinking. Foster died on December 19, 1908, when he deliberately shot himself in the head with a shotgun.
## Early minor league career
Oscar E. Foster, nicknamed Reddy, was born sometime in August 1864 in Richmond, Virginia. In 1890, he played 27 games as an outfielder for the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, entry in the Eastern Interstate League. In 27 games, he batted .202 with 12 runs scored, 21 hits, 1 double, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 9 stolen bases.
In 1894, Foster joined the Richmond Crows of the newly-formed Virginia League, excelling at the catcher position according to baseball historian Frank Russo. No statistics are recorded from his 1894 season. In 1895, he played 102 games, batting .276 with 93 runs scored, 110 hits, 26 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs, and 41 stolen bases. He split 1896 between multiple teams. In 51 games for Richmond, he batted .279 with 51 runs scored, 55 hits, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 46 stolen bases. Foster also played 59 games for the New York Metropolitans of the Atlantic League, batting .281 with 55 runs scored, 63 hits, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 1 home run, and 40 stolen bases. That gave him a total of 86 stolen bases in the minor leagues in 1896.
## New York Giants
During the 1896 season, Foster also played in his only Major League Baseball (MLB) game. It was for the New York Giants on June 3, when they were playing the Chicago Colts at the Polo Grounds. Foster was hitless in his only at bat of the game as Chicago defeated New York by a score of 14–8.
## Later minor league career
For 1897, Foster returned to Richmond, this time with the Richmond Giants of the Atlantic League. In 106 games, he batted .256 with 53 runs scored, 91 hits, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs, and 35 stolen bases. He played for the league's Allentown Peanuts in 1898, though statistics from this year are unavailable.
In 1899, Foster played for three Connecticut League teams. With the Bristol Bell Makers, he batted .304 with 56 runs scored, 94 hits, 19 doubles, 4 triples, 2 home runs, and 21 stolen bases. He also played for the Waterbury Rough Riders and the New London Whalers, though his statistics from these teams are not recorded. With these teams, Foster played mainly as a catcher, but he also served as an outfielder, second baseman, and third baseman.
The Richmond Blue Birds and the Hampton Crabs both employed Foster during the 1900 campaign. With Richmond, he batted .191 with 16 runs scored, 25 hits, 4 doubles, 0 triples, 0 home runs, and 9 stolen bases in 33 games. He only played 14 games for Hampton, batting .271 with 3 runs scored, 13 hits, 3 doubles, 0 triples, 0 home runs, and 3 stolen bases. Most of these appearances were at the catcher position, though Foster was also used as an outfielder and first baseman with Richmond. He played for the Tarboro Tartars of the North Carolina League in 1901. On July 29, his manager, Henry Bryan, got the police to arrest Barley Kain, manager of a team located in Darlington, South Carolina, for trying to get Foster to play for his team. Foster's statistics with Tarboro and the Davenport River Rats of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League, for whom he played in 1902, are unavailable.
Foster managed several of his teams, most notably one located in Bluefield, West Virginia. In 1906, he returned as a player with the Norfolk Tars of the Virginia League. Then, he moved to the Portsmouth Truckers of the same league that year, serving as their player-manager and catcher. His time with Portsmouth ended after his first baseman dropped a pickoff throw that would have retired the baserunner by several feet. Enraged at his fielder's incompetence, Foster took off his catcher's gear and left the baseball field, never to play again. Statistics from his 1906 season are unavailable.
## Temper and alcohol issues
Russo states that Foster "was known as a hard-drinking, rough, and ready ballplayer whose temper usually got the best of him." When his teams lost, he would scream and shout at his wife, Mary, while making ominous gestures. Though it was never confirmed, contemporaries suspected that he sometimes beat her. Mary eventually instructed friends to warn her of the outcome of the game. If the team lost, she would go to a neighbor's home and wait for her husband to get sober.
## Death
Foster's alcoholism became more severe after he retired. He engaged in a drinking binge on December 18 and 19, 1908, making suicidal comments to those with him. On December 19, he and friend Lee Polkington wandered down to banks of the James River. Foster carried with him a whiskey bottle and a 12-gauge shotgun, double-barreled and loaded. After taking a drink of whiskey, he said to Polkington, "Watch me do a trick." Putting the shotgun under his chin, he set off the trigger with his foot, dying instantly at the age of 44. Baseball associates of his in the Richmond area were shocked to hear of his suicide. Despite his alcohol issues, he had a great deal of fans and friends.
Foster was survived by Mary and their three children: John, Katie, and Julia. He had another son from a previous marriage, Joseph, who survived him as well. Foster was buried at Richmond's Oakwood Cemetery. | [
"## Early minor league career",
"## New York Giants",
"## Later minor league career",
"## Temper and alcohol issues",
"## Death"
] | 1,353 | 20,158 |
852,014 | Halo: The Fall of Reach | 1,143,625,479 | 2001 novel by Eric Nylund | [
"2001 novels",
"2001 science fiction novels",
"Del Rey books",
"Military science fiction novels",
"Novels based on Halo (franchise)",
"Novels based on video games",
"Novels set on fictional planets"
] | Halo: The Fall of Reach is a military science fiction novel by Eric Nylund, set in the Halo universe, and acts as a prelude to Halo: Combat Evolved, the first game in the series. The book was released in October 2001 and is the first Halo novel. It takes place in the 26th century across several planets and locations. The novel details the events which led up to the game and explains the origins of the SPARTAN-II supersoldiers, narrating the story of the series protagonist, the Master Chief.
The Fall of Reach was conceived after Nylund had discussed the possibility of a Halo novel with Microsoft's Franchise Development Group. A "Halo Story Bible" was created to assist Nylund in keeping with Halo canon. The novel was written in seven weeks, Nylund's shortest writing deadline.
The book was well received by critics, who thought it added depth to the plot of the game, but the large number of characters was highlighted as a shortcoming. Going on to sell over one million copies, the success of The Fall of Reach paved the way for further Xbox game novelizations, including another book in the Halo series. William C. Dietz would write the next book, entitled Halo: The Flood. The book was adapted into a comic series entitled Halo: Fall of Reach, released in 2010. The book itself was re-released on December 7, 2010 after the comic book adaptation and contained new content as well as updating both editing mistakes and minor continuity errors. The novel was also adapted into an animated series that was streamed exclusively through the Halo Channel to coincide with the 2015 release of Halo 5: Guardians. It is also available through DVD and Blu-ray releases.
## Background and writing
Eric Nylund had discussed the possibility of a Halo-related novel with Eric Trautmann, a member of Microsoft's Franchise Development Group, before Halo: Combat Evolved was developed, but it was postponed due to legal technicalities. Nylund thought positively of the delay as it "gave [him] a chance to see the game in almost every stage of development before [he] started writing." He wrote the book based on an outline approved by Bungie and the Halo Story Bible, a book containing all information on the characters and universe in which Halo takes place, so that his story would not conflict with other Halo publications. Nylund found it easier to write with the "Bible" available as the details of the universe he was writing in were already established, only minor alterations were made to fit the novel into the universe. A seven-week deadline was established for Nylund to write the book. According to Trautmann, the book was nearly canceled because Bungie was opposed to the idea of the Master Chief having a definite backstory. They eventually relented after Trautmann made them the offer that they let the book be completed and published in exchange for him, Matt Soell, and Brannon Boren completing Combat Evolved'''s script, which was still "80 percent" unfinished.
## Synopsis
### Setting and characters
The Fall of Reach takes place in the Halo universe and spans several decades, beginning in 2517 and describing events up to 2552. In the Halo universe, traveling faster than the speed of light is possible through slipspace, another dimension where special relativity does not apply. This has allowed humans to colonize hundreds of other planets which are controlled by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). Feeling repressed by the UNSC's heavy-handed rule, some colonies revolt; fearing rebellion will tear the UNSC apart, military leaders approve the SPARTAN-II Program, a secret squad of super soldiers designed to quietly suppress rebellion.
The protagonist of The Fall of Reach is the Spartan soldier Master Chief. Dr. Catherine Halsey, the creator of the SPARTAN-II Project, is introduced alongside then-Lieutenant Jacob Keyes. Franklin Mendez is the trainer of the Spartan II and Spartan III programs, teaching them their physical combat skills while an AI named Déjà teaches them military history and strategy. Cortana, Master Chief's AI companion through much of the series, is also present as Dr. Halsey's aide in the lead-up to the Spartans' mission.
### Plot
The novel opens with the civilian Dr. Catherine Halsey and Lieutenant Jacob Keyes traveling to meet John, a six-year-old boy. Dr. Halsey reveals to Keyes that John is one of 150 children who possess rare genetic markers making them suitable for conscription into the SPARTAN-II program, a secret experiment with the aim of creating super soldiers for the UNSC to quell rebellions. Seventy-five of the children are kidnapped by operatives of the Office of Naval Intelligence and replaced by clones engineered to die of natural causes shortly thereafter. From this point on, the recruits are known only by their first name and a three-digit number. John-117 and the rest of the children are drilled and trained by Franklin Mendez; John demonstrates leadership of his fellow Spartans, leading to his promotion to squad leader. In 2525, the Spartans undergo a series of surgical enhancements which turn them into highly efficient super soldiers - but more than half of the original 75 conscripts are paralyzed or killed. The Spartans are also equipped with powerful MJOLNIR battle armor, designed to respond as quickly as the soldier's thoughts. John-117 is further promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer. The Spartans are highly successful, but they experience a priority shift after a collective of alien races known as the Covenant begin obliterating human colonies, declaring humanity's destruction as the will of their gods. Mendez leaves the group to train the next generation of Spartans as John and his comrades first face the Covenant.
By 2552, the war against the Covenant is going poorly. The technological superiority of the Covenant means that space battles heavily favor the Covenant, and the UNSC can only win engagements by suffering tremendous losses. To prevent the discovery of Earth or other human colonies, Vice Admiral Cole creates the "Cole Protocol", which forbids direct slipspace jumps to Earth or any other population center, and mandates the destruction of a ship before it can be captured by the Covenant. Jacob Keyes, now commander of the destroyer Iroquois, discovers four Covenant ships arriving at the Sigma Octanus System, and single-handedly destroys three of them; his heroics earn Keyes the rank of captain. The Covenant proceed to overrun Sigma Octanus IV, searching for a mysterious ancient artifact. Despite a costly fight, the humans manage to repel the Covenant, and Keyes intercepts a coded Covenant transmission from the surface before the Covenant retreat. The Iroquois heads to Reach, unwittingly bringing a Covenant tracking device with it.
Soon after, Keyes is given the command of the UNSC cruiser Pillar of Autumn for a secret mission: the Spartans are to capture one of the Covenant's religious leaders and barter a truce. Dr. Halsey also introduces John to the artificial intelligence Cortana, who would assist the Spartans by residing in their MJOLNIR armor. Before the mission can begin, however, Reach is attacked by a massive Covenant fleet. John and Cortana reach the Pillar of Autumn, but most of the other Spartans are presumed killed as the Covenant vitrify the surface of Reach, turning the landmasses into glass. Cortana initiates a slipspace course based on the ancient glyphs intercepted by the Covenant at Sigma Octanus; the course takes them to a massive ringworld known as Halo, setting the stage for the events of Halo: Combat Evolved.
## Reception
Critical reaction to the book was positive, particularly regarding the depth the book added to the Halo universe. Reviewer Eric Qualls commented that "[it was] interesting to read and give[s] you a much greater understanding" of the universe. Qualls made a positive comparison to Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers regarding the manner of story telling. GameCritics' Brad Gallaway also praised the back-story the book adds and the quality of the story. Fellow reviewer Gene Park noted the descriptions in the book went beyond what was presented in the game, calling them "vibrant and rousing." He also complimented the characters presented in the novel, saying they all "fit nicely into the Halo universe" but some times there were too many characters to remember. Sal Accardo of 3D Action Planet said of the book: "it isn’t going to win any Pulitzers anytime soon. It’s well written, and a solid page-turner, but it’s still basically an action movie presented in book form" but praised the gritty presentation of the Spartans. Don D'Ammasa of the Science Fiction Chronicle called the book "competently written", but stated the plot was "simpleminded".
Though the book originally sold very slowly, it became a Publishers Weekly bestseller. The Fall of Reach would go on to sell more than 100,000 copies by 2003 and a million copies by December 2009. The novel's success convinced Microsoft and Del Rey to pen a three-novel publishing contract for novels based on Xbox games, including another Halo novel. The next entry in the Halo novel franchise would be 2003's Halo: The Flood, written by William C. Dietz. The more human Chief seen in the novel led Bungie to tone down the character model in Halo 2 to make him less an exaggerated robot and more a real person inside a suit.
Stuart Beattie, the screenwriter of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, wrote a spec script for a Fall of Reach movie. Beattie, a Halo fan, wrote the script between other projects in the hope that someone would read it and agree to produce the film, but as of May 2008 there were no plans to do so.
In May 2010, Tor announced that the first three Halo novels (not originally published by Tor) would be rereleased with new content and cover art. The Fall of Reach was the first novel to be reissued, with a release date of August 2010.
## Adaptations
Marvel Comics adapted the story into a three-part comic series entitled Halo: Fall of Reach, released September 2010. The book was later adapted into a 2015 3D animated miniseries. The series was produced by Sequence, a Vancouver-based animation studio, and released in conjunction with Halo 5: Guardians. The game Halo: Reach'' largely ignored the canon established in the book. | [
"## Background and writing",
"## Synopsis",
"### Setting and characters",
"### Plot",
"## Reception",
"## Adaptations"
] | 2,186 | 28,047 |
17,284,095 | The Ash Garden | 1,124,090,456 | Book by Dennis Bock | [
"2001 Canadian novels",
"2001 debut novels",
"Alfred A. Knopf books",
"Bloomsbury Publishing books",
"HarperCollins books"
] | The Ash Garden is a novel written by Canadian author Dennis Bock and published in 2001. It is Bock's first novel, following the 1998 release of Olympia, a collection of short stories. The Ash Garden follows the stories of three main characters affected by World War II: Hiroshima bombing victim Emiko, German nuclear physicist Anton Böll, and Austrian-Jewish refugee Sophie Böll. The narrative is non-linear, jumping between different times and places, and the point of view alternates between the characters; Emiko's story being written in the first person while Anton and Sophie's stories are written in the third person. Bock took several years to write the novel, re-writing several drafts, before having it published in August 2001 by HarperCollins (Canada), Alfred A. Knopf (USA) and Bloomsbury (UK).
Critics gave it mostly positive reviews and it became a best-seller in Canada. It was nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award, the Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Kiriyama Prize. It has been analysed in several literature journals, including Canadian Ethnic Studies which noted the similarities between the character Emiko and the Hiroshima Maidens.
## Background
At the time of publication, author Dennis Bock was 36 years old and living in Toronto. He had previously published a book of short stories called Olympia, but struggled with this project that would become his first novel, taking several years to write the novel. Doubleday Canada originally owned the rights but Bock withdrew the book from Doubleday citing "a difference of opinion" between himself and the editor. He had written two drafts, including one in which the main character was an art historian involved in art theft and looting during World War II. With a working title of A Man of Principle, Bock gave the draft to editor Phyllis Bruce in 1999 and sold it to Knopf for US\$250,000. He re-wrote most of the book with the help of Bruce, and two other editors, Gary Fisketjon of Knopf and Liz Calder of Bloomsbury (who published the book in the UK).
## Summary
The narrative alternates between three characters (Emiko, Anton and Sophie) and takes place around the fiftieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, though the back story of each character is told. Emiko was a small girl living in Hiroshima with her parents, younger brother, and grandfather during World War II. Following the atomic bombing, with her parents dead, Emiko and her brother recover in a hospital and her grandfather cares for patients. Though her brother dies, Emiko travels to the United States as part of a group of girls receiving reconstructive surgery. On the way, the American media takes an interest in the girls and she appears on an episode of This Is Your Life thanking the American audience for bringing her to the US. She later becomes a documentary filmmaker and, in 1995, approaches Anton Böll to be part of a new project.
Anton was a scientist in Nazi Germany who, following a disagreement regarding the direction of its nuclear program, is recruited by the US and flees via France, Spain, and Portugal. He becomes a part of the Manhattan Project, witnesses the tests, and travels to Hiroshima recording the aftermath. Anton regrets the consequences of the atomic bombs, attends the Pugwash Conference, but maintains his belief that it was necessary to end the war and prevented more deaths. He marries Sophie and becomes a professor at Columbia University in New York. With Sophie, he retires to a small town outside of Toronto.
As World War II was beginning, Sophie's Jewish parents sent her away from Austria. She was on board of the MS St. Louis when it was turned away from Cuba and sent to the United Kingdom. She was living in a refugee camp in Canada when she met Anton. She was diagnosed with lupus and takes up gardening, planning elaborate landscapes every year. In 1995, after refusing further medical treatments, and with Anton by her side, she succumbs to the disease.
After Sophie's funeral Anton reveals to Emiko the extent to which he had been involved in Emiko's life. He first met her while volunteering at the hospital in which her grandfather was working. Feeling he had to make amends in some way, he ensured that Emiko was on the list of girls to get reconstructive surgery, and secretly filmed her at memorial events. He had been waiting for her to find him.
## Style and themes
The portions of the book that follow the character Emiko Amai is written as a first-person narrative, while the portions following Sophie and Anton Böll use the third-person. The tone was described as "disturbingly calm". Its central theme is that of identity and attempts to find solace. Bock states "All three of the main characters in The Ash Garden are refugees who don't belong anywhere. Each has a desperate search for home." In Harper's Magazine, Pico Iyer compares The Ash Garden with Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient as "a book that ends where Bock's begins". An essay in the journal Canadian Ethnic Studies, looked at The Ash Garden from the a Japanese historical perspective, finding strong similarities between the real-life Hiroshima Maiden Shigeko and the character Emiko, but noting it was not a roman à clef.
## Publication and reception
The book was released as a hardcover on August 25, 2001, published by HarperCollins in Canada, Alfred A. Knopf in the United States, and Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom. Knopf ordered an initial print run of 60,000 copies. It debuted at the \#2 spot on the Maclean's fiction bestseller list and peaked at \#1 in late September and early October. It was translated and published in multiple languages, including Japanese and German. The book was a finalist for the 2001 for the Books in Canada First Novel Award, as well as the Kiriyama Prize, an international literary award for promoting greater understanding of the Pacific Rim and South Asia. It was nominated by the Vancouver Public Library and the Bergen Public Library for the 2003 International Dublin Literary Award.
In Time, Brian T. Bennett wrote, "The Ash Garden may not be a page-turner, but Bock's prose lures the reader along through smooth, sculpted sentences full of rich detail and subtle meditation." In Maclean's magazine, Brian Bethune wrote, "Intellectually engaging, beautifully written and powered by three memorable characters, The Ash Garden will seduce anyone who reads it." In the Christian Science Monitor, fiction critic Ron Charles wrote "Bock moves back and forth through time in a series of exquisite scenes, always keeping his vision tightly focused, despite the world-altering events he describes. ... What makes the novel so compelling and disturbing, though, is its emotional restraint." Regarding the quality of the prose, a review in the Quill & Quire said "Bock's writing is both dense and immensely readable" while the review in Library Journal "highly recommended" it. In Books in Canada one reviewer highlighted that on "occasions, the prose turns mannered and cliches pop up". though a later review by W. P. Kinsella called it a "brilliant novel...[with] superb plot twists that make it a spellbinding adventure in reading".
A Japanese review in the Yomiuri Shimbun noted "something inaccessible about all three [characters...who are] as remote to each other as they [are] to the reader, and thus are never truly empathetic". The review in The New York Times by literary critic Michiko Kakutani called it "an elegant, unnerving novel" but that Bock "tries too hard to underscore those links by using leitmotifs to connect his characters' experiences". In London, the review in The Sunday Telegraph was more critical, finding it "is badly let down by its form, a split-time-scale narrative...[and] is significantly short of narrative dynamism", while novelist Amanda Craig concludes that it "reads as the work of a young writer who is straining with too much effort". | [
"## Background",
"## Summary",
"## Style and themes",
"## Publication and reception"
] | 1,697 | 35,455 |
3,832,354 | M-294 (Michigan highway) | 1,167,488,538 | State highway in Emmett Township, Calhoun County, Michigan, United States | [
"State highways in Michigan",
"Transportation in Calhoun County, Michigan"
] | M-294 is a state trunkline highway in Calhoun County in the US state of Michigan. It is one of a handful of highways that was established or realigned as a result of a rationalization process initiated in 1998 during the tenure of Governor John Engler. M-294 is approximately two miles (3.2 km) east of Interstate 194 (I-194) and connects M-96 with I-94 southeast of Battle Creek.
## Route description
M-294 runs northward along Beadle Lake Road from I-94 at exit 100 north through a commercial area. Past these businesses, the adjoining land is not developed for a short distance, and the roadway runs through some woodlands. North of the intersection with Golden Avenue, the highway passes through a residential neighborhood before terminating at M-96 (Columbia Avenue). The highway lies entirely within Emmett Township just southeast of Battle Creek. The trunkline carries an average annual daily traffic of 6,078 vehicles south, and 5,728 vehicles north, of Golden Avenue according to a traffic survey completed by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in 2010. The highway has not been included as a part of the National Highway System, a system of highways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.
## History
Beadle Lake Road was transferred to state jurisdiction on October 31, 1998. The new highway was assigned the M-294 designation by MDOT and first included on the 1999 state map. The routing has remained unchanged since.
## Major intersections
## See also | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 327 | 32,933 |
33,537,865 | Ray Farquharson | 1,165,746,419 | Canadian doctor, university professor and medical researcher | [
"1897 births",
"1965 deaths",
"20th-century Canadian physicians",
"Academic staff of the University of Toronto",
"Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers",
"Canadian Members of the Order of the British Empire",
"Canadian endocrinologists",
"Canadian medical researchers",
"Canadian military doctors",
"Canadian military personnel from Ontario",
"Canadian military personnel of World War I",
"People from Caledon, Ontario",
"Royal Canadian Air Force officers",
"Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II",
"Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery personnel",
"University of Toronto alumni"
] | Ray Fletcher Farquharson MBE (4 August 1897 – 1 June 1965) was a Canadian medical doctor, university professor, and medical researcher. Born in Claude, Ontario, he attended and taught at the University of Toronto for most of his life, and was trained and employed at Toronto General Hospital. With co-researcher Arthur Squires, Farquharson was responsible for the discovery of the Farquharson phenomenon, an important principle of endocrinology, which is that administering external hormones suppresses the natural production of that hormone.
He served in the First and Second World Wars, earning appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his medical work during the latter. He chaired the Penicillin Committee of Canada and served as a medical consultant for the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was awarded the Queen's Coronation Medal in 1953 for his work for the Defence Review Board. Farquharson was also a charter member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Farquharson was heavily involved in Canadian medical research and education. As a member of the National Research Council of Canada, his "Farquharson Report" led to the establishment of the Medical Research Council of Canada, of which he was the first president. He received numerous honorary degrees from Canadian universities, and served on the first Board of Governors of York University. He died in 1965, leaving a wife and two daughters. Farquharson was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 1998.
## Early life and education
Farquharson was born in Claude, Ontario (a small town northwest of Toronto), on 4 August 1897 to Reverend William Farquharson, a Presbyterian minister, and Annie McDonald Coutts. His brother Charles also became a doctor, while another brother, Robert, became the managing editor for The Globe and Mail and was later an advisor at the Canadian Embassy to the United States. "Farquy", as he was nicknamed by friends, received his early education at Durham and graduated from Harbord Collegiate Institute in Toronto. He briefly attended the University of Toronto's medical school before being drafted into the Canadian Army on 15 May 1918, serving in the Canadian Field Artillery (67th Battery) as a gunner. He did not serve overseas, and was recalled from the military to complete his schooling, graduating in 1922. He underwent post-graduate study in various fields from 1922 until 1927 while serving as an intern and resident at Toronto General Hospital under Duncan Archibald Graham.
Farquharson was awarded research fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he worked with Joseph Charles Aub and William Salter, and at Harvard University before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. He published papers on the excretion of calcium in response to excessive acid in the body and "liver therapy" (the consumption of liver) as a treatment for spinal cord degeneration. In 1931 he married Christina Jane Fraser, with whom he had two daughters: Helen, who became a hematologist, and Catherine Jane.
## Career
In addition to teaching at the University of Toronto, Farquharson established a private practice as a medical consultant, gaining a reputation as a "doctor's doctor" for his treatment of other physicians. In 1934 he became the head of the therapeutics department at Toronto. He continued to publish research findings on various topics, including anorexia nervosa. Farquharson was a charter member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, which oversaw all Canadian postgraduate medical education; he served on its council from 1939 to 1943, and was the council's president from 1945 to 1947. Prior to enlisting in the Second World War, he gave testimony as an expert medical witness in court martial trials.
On 25 August 1943, Farquharson enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and was assigned to No. 1 Air Command, based in Trenton, Ontario. He was posted to the United Kingdom in 1944 and briefly returned to No. 1 Air Command before being released from service on 22 November 1945 with the rank of wing commander. During the war, he chaired the Penicillin Committee of Canada, which regulated the distribution of penicillin (an antibiotic that largely replaced the sulfonamide used earlier in the war) to the armed forces, and was a consultant to the RCAF's Director of Medical Services. He was also consulted on medical matters by both the other branches of the Canadian armed forces and by various Allied medical groups. He supervised medical experiments involving penicillin therapy conducted in Ontario hospitals in 1943–1944, and was temporarily appointed Director of Medicine at Christie St. Veteran's Hospital in Toronto. After V-E Day, he travelled to Belgium to supervise the administration of penicillin therapy, and later became involved in the care and treatment of war veterans. For his service in the war, Farquharson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in January 1946. His brother Charles also served in both world wars.
Farquharson was the director of medicine for Toronto veterans' hospitals from 1945 to 1947, and at the same time served as president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In 1947 he was appointed to the Sir John and Lady Eaton Professor of Medicine chair at the University of Toronto. From 1947 until his retirement in 1960, he was the Physician-in-Chief of the Toronto General Hospital. His well-known patients included Canadian politician George A. Drew, who he advised to resign as head of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and Leader of the Opposition following a near-fatal attack of meningitis; Drew did so, and was succeeded as party leader by John Diefenbaker, who later became Prime Minister of Canada. Farquharson established clinical teaching programs at Women's College Hospital and Sunnybrook Hospital, and expanded those already in place at St. Michael's and Toronto Western. He also appointed the first full-time clinical investigators to the Toronto medical school faculty and increased total faculty numbers from 40 to over 100. He became a Fellow of the American College of Physicians in 1947 and of the Royal College of Physicians in 1950. He was appointed a member of the Bacteriological Warfare Review Committee, established in 1950 by the Defence Research Board (of which he was a member from 1949 to 1952) and chaired by Dr. Charles Best. For his service to the nation, he was awarded the Queen's Coronation Medal in 1953.
Through his research in endocrinology with colleague Arthur Squires, Farquharson discovered what became known as the "Farquharson Phenomenon": that the introduction of continuous exogenous hormone doses suppresses the natural production of that hormone in the patient and causes temporary atrophy in the producing organ. This phenomenon became one of the basic principles of endocrinology and a key factor in the etiology of hormonal abnormalities. Farquharson also made significant contributions related to anemia and pigment metabolism. He was the first Canadian doctor to publicize Sheehan's syndrome, and the first North American to report on Simmond's disease. As an educator and researcher, he was an early promoter of laboratory testing in the evaluation of illness; he was known for advocating both this and awareness of potential psychological issues in patients.
Farquharson became a member of the National Research Council of Canada in 1951, and in 1957 was named the director of the Division of Medical Research. In 1958, he chaired a Privy Council Committee tasked with producing a report on the state of medical research in Canada; this charge was in response to a 1957 report by the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges to the Prime Minister, which suggested that medical research in Canada was underfunded. While researching his report, he visited the Soviet Union in 1959 as part of a contingent representing the Research Council; he remarked on the country's apparent emphasis on scientific research, and invited Soviet scientists to visit Canada. Farquharson concluded that existing government support for research in Canada failed to specifically address medical research as an independent discipline and was financially insufficient. His "Farquharson Report" led to the formation of the Medical Research Council of Canada in 1960, over which he presided until his death. As president, Farquharson advocated for progressive medical education taught by practising physicians and for continuing education via research for doctors. He was also able to increase the organization's budget for awards and grants from Can\$4 million in 1963 to \$9 million by 1965.
Farquharson became the Regent of the American College of Physicians in 1958 after having spent three years as the organization's Ontario representative. He joined the first Board of Governors of York University in 1959, and was a member of the University of Toronto Senate in the same year. He was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1960. He was also a member of a number of medical organizations in both Canada and the US, and chairman or board member for some 20 medical research groups.
## Retirement and legacy
In 1960, having reached the University of Toronto's compulsory retirement age, Farquharson left the university and the hospital. In recognition of his work for Toronto General Hospital, the twelve-bed Clinical Investigation Unit was named after him in 1961, and the Farquharson Foundation was established to support research conducted by the university's teaching hospitals. Also in 1961, Farquharson visited India, later remarking on the societal respect for doctors there. He also continued to advocate for support for universities.
Farquharson won the National Heart Foundation's Award of Merit in 1960, followed by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association of Canada Health Research Foundation's Medal of Honour in 1964 "for his clinical assessment of antibiotics [and] service as a leading medical educator", becoming one of only 18 people to ever receive this award. He was featured on the cover of Modern Medicine in November 1963. Farquharson was granted honorary degrees by a number of Canadian universities: the University of British Columbia in 1949, the University of Saskatchewan in 1957, Laval University in 1959, Queen's University in 1960, the University of Alberta in 1960, the University of Toronto in 1962, and the University of Montreal in 1965. He was named an honorary member of the Ontario Medical Association. He was also appointed a Knight of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Farquharson died on 1 June 1965 at Ottawa Civic Hospital at age 68 after suffering a heart attack. He had been in Ottawa to attend a meeting of the Medical Research Council. The University of Toronto held a memorial service commemorating his contributions to the school and the medical community.
The Farquharson Life Sciences Building, the first science building at York University, was renamed in honour of Farquharson. A biography of Farquharson was planned, but was never completed. The Ray F. Farquharson Memorial Lecture was established in his memory; the first such lecture was delivered by John Eager Howard of Johns Hopkins University in 1968 on the topic of calcium metabolism. He was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 1998 alongside such notable figures as Tommy Douglas, Norman Bethune and Roberta Bondar.
Farquharson was credited by Professor William Goldberg of McMaster University with "attack[ing] racism as part of [his] clinical teaching" because he suggested patient race should only be mentioned if relevant to their diagnosis; he is also credited with combating anti-Semitism. He is considered one of the "Fathers of Canadian Medicine" in both medical research and education. According to one memorial, "no Canadian since Sir William Osler has left as great an imprint upon the practice of Medicine". | [
"## Early life and education",
"## Career",
"## Retirement and legacy"
] | 2,517 | 42,313 |
74,191,706 | The Password Game | 1,173,020,888 | 2023 puzzle browser game | [
"2023 video games",
"Browser games",
"Indie games",
"Parody video games",
"Puzzle video games",
"Single-player video games",
"Works about computer security",
"Works about the Internet"
] | The Password Game is a 2023 puzzle browser game developed by Neal Agarwal, where the player creates a password that follows increasingly unusual and complicated rules. Based on Agarwal's experience with password policies, the game was developed in two months, releasing on June 27, 2023. It has become a popular online game and recognized in the media for the gameplay's absurdity and commentary on the user experience of generating a password.
## Gameplay
The Password Game is a web-based puzzle video game. The player is tasked with typing a password in an input box. The game has a total of 35 rules that the password must follow and which appear in a specific order. As the player changes the password to comply with the first rule, a second one appears, and so on. For each additional rule, the player must follow all the previous ones to progress, which can cause conflict. When all 35 rules are fulfilled, the player is able to confirm it as the final password and then has two minutes to retype the password or the game ends.
Although the initial requirements include setting a minimum of characters or including numbers, uppercase letters or special characters, the rules gradually become more unusual and complex. These can involve managing having Roman numerals in the string to multiply, adding the name of a country that players have to guess from random Google Street View imagery (as a reference to GeoGuessr), inserting the day's Wordle answer, typing the best move in a generated chess position using algebraic notation, inserting the URL of a YouTube video of a randomly generated length, and adjusting boldface, italics, font types, and text sizes.
Other game rules involve emojis in the password. One demands inclusion of the emoji representing the moon phase at that point in time. Because of two other rules, the player is required to insert an egg emoji named Paul, and once it hatches, it is replaced by a chicken emoji. The player then must keep it fed using caterpillar emojis that must be replenished over time. If it starves, the player overfeeds it, or the Paul emoji is deleted in any way, the game ends. Red text subsequently appears over a black background, referencing the death screen characteristic of the Dark Souls action role-playing game series. At some point during the game, a flame emoji will appear, spreading through the password by replacing characters, including the egg, with flames that must be removed.
## Development and release
The Password Game was developed by Neal Agarwal, who posts his games on his website, neal.fun. Agarwal had conceptualized the idea of the game as a parody of password policies as they got "weirder". According to Agarwal, "the final straw" that made him start to work on the game may have been when he was trying to create an account on a service and was told that his password was too long, mocking the notion of a password being "too secure". Development started in late April 2023 and took two months. Agarwal mentioned that implementing regular expressions ("find" operations in strings) was hard, especially due to features of the game's text editor that show up as the player progresses, like making text bold or italic. Some of the game's password requirements were suggested to him on Twitter. Before release, Agarwal was unsure whether winning the game was possible; he attempted it unsuccessfully multiple times. The game was released on his website on June 27, 2023.
## Reception
The Password Game went viral online soon after release. After its first day of release, the tweet announcing the game was retweeted over 11 thousand times, and according to the developer, the game's website received over one million visits. The tweet received multiple comments discussing numbers that people reached in the game. As reported by Engadget, Twitter mentions of Agarwal were "full of people cursing him for creating" the game and people exclaiming having beaten it, to the surprise of the developer.
Many critics have contrasted the standardness and simplicity of the game's initial password rules to the absurdity of the following ones. The sixteenth rule of the game, which is about finding the best chess move in a specific position, was considered the most challenging by PCGamesN and made other reviewers give up the game. While TechRadar and The Indian Express deemed The Password Game to be a good way to kill time, PC Gamer called it "the evilest will-breaking browser game to exist". The game was regarded by PCGamesN as possibly "one of the most inventive experiences of the year". Polygon described it as a "comedy set in a user interface" that incorporates many secrets behind its apparent simplicity. Rock Paper Shotgun discussed the gameplay loop of the game, finding they frequently experienced amusement, followed by effort to fulfill the rule, and feeling satisfied. PCWorld felt it emphasized the usefulness of password managers, while TechRadar found it outdated due to tools like password generators. | [
"## Gameplay",
"## Development and release",
"## Reception"
] | 1,014 | 14,546 |
63,051,708 | First American International Road Race | 1,114,362,794 | Stock car race in New York in 1908 | [
"1908 in American motorsport",
"1908 in sports in New York (state)",
"April 1908 sports events",
"Briarcliff Manor, New York",
"Motorsport competitions in New York (state)",
"Sports in Westchester County, New York",
"Stock car races"
] | The First American International Road Race, informally known as the Briarcliff Trophy Race, was a stock car race in Westchester County, New York, in April 1908. The race was sponsored by and centered around the village of Briarcliff Manor. The race was the first automobile race in Westchester and the first international stock car race in the United States.
The race began and ended in Briarcliff, spanning from 4:45 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. on April 24, 1908. The winner, Lewis Strang in an Isotta Fraschini, covered the 259 miles (417 km) in five hours and fourteen minutes. More than 300,000 people watched the race throughout Westchester County, and the village had more than 100,000 visitors that day.
## Background
The race chairman was Robert Lee Morrell; he headed a committee of four men: S. R. Stevens, Alfred Reeves, E. T. Birdsall, and C. R. Mabley.
One thousand soldiers from the state's 12th and 20th regiments of the National Guard were deployed at important points along the course for crowd control, along with hundreds of policemen. Marshals were hired to wave red flags to drivers for safety on blind turns and yellow flags to caution drivers to reduce their speed on dangerous turns.
The New York Times and local newspapers created publicity for the event. The Lozier Company set up a wireless telegraph system in Briarcliff, allowing the Times to give accounts of the race to Times Square audiences within minutes.
## Course
The course spanned over much of Westchester County, from Briarcliff Manor north to Millwood, Kitchawan, and Pines Bridge, before going south to Mount Kisco, Wampus Lake, Armonk, Kenisco, and Valhalla, and then roughly north again to Eastview, Hawthorne, and then back to Briarcliff Manor. The 32.4-mile (52.1 km) circuit was to be completed eight times, a total of 259.2 miles (417.1 km). Original plans scheduled that ten laps of the course be completed, for a total of 324 miles (521 km).
The route had sharp turns, narrow stretches, hills, and other hazards. The area around the Kensico Reservoir had numerous sharp S curves, while an eight-mile stretch from Pines Bridge to Mount Kisco had weak wooden fences serving as the only barrier between the road and the Croton Reservoir. Reporting before the race indicated that the stretch between Valhalla and Eastview was the worst due to muddy and rutted roadbeds, steep inclines, and a narrow winding road. Based on the perilous conditions, rated as the toughest on which a road race had ever been held, the drivers speculated that 40 mph (64 km/h) could be a high average speed, but 45 mph (72 km/h) could be the winning speed. The drivers speculated that six cars might finish the entire circuit, with the other vehicles breaking down or succumbing to accidents.
Various grandstands with good views were placed along the route, though viewers also chose to watch at more dangerous points, including S- and L-shaped curves near Valhalla, anticipated as the most dangerous place. The stretch from Eastview to Kitchawan was considered the best for speeding, estimated that cars could reach 70 mph (110 km/h) at parts of the stretch. Six ambulance stations were also set up, in Armonk, Valhalla, Eastview, Hawthorne, Millwood, and Mount Kisco.
## Entrants
The race had 22 entrants with vehicles from five countries: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. 19 of the cars had four speeds, while the Isottas had three speeds. All were four-cylinder stock cars. The Loziers and Renaults were shaft driven, while the other cars were chain driven.
All 22 entrants were men. Joan Cuneo, the most prominent female racing driver of the time as stated in MetroSports Magazine, visited the course, wanted to participate, and submitted the \$1,000 entry fee. The race's committee questioned whether a woman could control an automobile during a race, and denied her entry.
The entrants were:
## Timeline of the race
A technical committee reviewed the cars before the race, requiring them to be regular production models available to the public, and that the company has already built at least ten cars of that type. The drivers were allowed to practice on the course several weeks before the race. Local municipalities suspended their speed limits during early morning hours to allow the racers the ability to practice.
Minor accidents occurred in these practice runs, including one on April 21. Arthur Campbell's vision was obscured by a dust cloud, leading him to strike the railing of a bridge. The car went into a stream and Campbell catapulted out of the car into some rocks, knocking teeth loose and breaking his jaw. Ralph DePalma, his riding mechanic, landed underneath the car and had to be pulled out. DePalma took Campbell's place in the competition, and the car was taken to a garage for repairs, though it is not clear if it was repaired sufficiently for the race.
### Day of the race
The race had significant publicity in The New York Times, along with front-page coverage in city newspapers across the U.S. The strong press coverage led to expectations of thousands of attendees. On the day of the race, tourists from New England cities arrived in cars and by train. The New York Central Railroad added special trains leaving from Grand Central Terminal to the Valhalla and Mount Kisco stations near the course, from 1:15 a.m. and every 15 minutes afterward. The trains left on time, though inexplicably, many took about three hours to reach parts of the course, instead of the usual hour. This led to chaotic crowds arriving late by a grandstand, and 200 marshalls pushed back the crowd to clear the roadway. Overall more than 300,000 people watched the race throughout Westchester County, and Briarcliff Manor had more than 100,000 visitors that day.
The Briarcliff Lodge was filed with activity, and charged \$10 for a cot or bunk in a shared room. Farmers built seating and charged for its use during the event. Booths were set up along the course, selling tires to racers and tourists, while advertisements for items including motor oil, cars, and cigarettes were placed on trees and telephone poles in the area.
The race was set to start at 4:45 a.m. The pole position, Paul Sartori, first pulled away from the starting line at 5:08 a.m. The race was finished by 12:20 p.m.; five cars had completed the eight laps, and the judges decided to end the race there, having determined nothing more could be gained in continuing it. Cedrino achieved the fastest two rounds in the race: 37 minutes and 16 seconds in his seventh lap and 36 minutes and 48 seconds in his eighth.
## Winner and trophy
The prize, the Briarcliff Trophy valued at over \$10,000 (\$ in ), was donated and presented by Briarcliff Manor founder Walter W. Law.
The winner, Lewis Strang, practiced for five weeks in a six-cylinder Ford owned by John H. Tyson. The Isotta he used in the competition (also owned by Tyson) was only driven over the course twice before the race, and was otherwise locked and guarded in the owner's garage. In the race, Strang took the lead on the first lap and never let go, thus winning the race and trophy. He had consistently made four of his laps in just over 38 minutes. John Tyson claimed to have spent \$25,000 to win the trophy but gave Strang credit for the triumph. Strang received \$1,000, along with a \$5,000 bonus from Tyson. His mechanic received \$500 along with a bonus.
## Aftermath and impact
The race helped prove claims of its committee that it was the best possible test for cars to be driven on American roads, leading to discussions worldwide for months after the race.
Emmanuel Cedrino, initially seen as a likely winner of the competition, died a month after the Briarcliff race in a racing accident at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
On November 12, 1934, the Automobile Racing Club of America held another road race in Briarcliff Manor. It was the first amateur race in the United States, hosted by the wealthy Collier family of nearby Pocantico Hills. Brothers Sam, Miles, and Barron Jr. had begun hosting informal races in the area in the early 1930s, and formed the racing club in 1933. The 1934 race was won by Langdon Quimby, driving a Willys 77, in a time of two hours and seven minutes on the 100-mile (160 km) course. The race was held again on June 23, 1935; Quimby won again, four minutes faster than the previous year.
In 1938, exactly 30 years after his accident, Ralph DePalma returned to the route. He met with the doctor who had treated him and they revisited the scene of the accident, an event that unexpectedly started his racing career. By this time, DePalma was internationally known for racing, having won 2,257 races, 98 percent of those he entered.
In 1977, during Briarcliff Manor's 75th anniversary, 15 old racing cars participated in a motorcade around the 1934 race's route. In 2008, the village commemorated the first race's centennial in a parade featuring about 60 antique cars.
## See also
- History of Briarcliff Manor | [
"## Background",
"## Course",
"## Entrants",
"## Timeline of the race",
"### Day of the race",
"## Winner and trophy",
"## Aftermath and impact",
"## See also"
] | 2,064 | 1,468 |
65,540,997 | George H. W. Bush broccoli comments | 1,167,885,765 | Dislike of the vegetable by the U.S. President | [
"Brassica",
"Eating behaviors of humans",
"Food politics",
"Presidency of George H. W. Bush"
] | During his tenure as the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli, famously saying: "I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid. And my mother made me eat it. Now I'm president of the United States. And I'm not gonna eat any more broccoli!" Bush's views on broccoli were seen as out of touch with Americans, as broccoli was becoming more popular and was referred to as the "vegetable of the 80s".
Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore, wives of Democratic nominees for president and vice president Bill Clinton and Al Gore, were seen holding a sign which stated: "Let's put broccoli in the White House again". After Bush left office, he occasionally mentioned his dislike of broccoli. Bush's son, George W. Bush, mentioned his father's dislike of broccoli in a eulogy at his father's funeral.
## Comments and analysis
George H. W. Bush served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. During his presidency, he frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli. The first mention was made in March 1990, when Bush joked that the workers in the Office of Personnel Management would get their merit pay "in broccoli". Soon after, U.S. News & World Report reported a story stating that Bush had banned broccoli from Air Force One. On March 22, when asked if he had "lost the broccoli vote", Bush said:
> I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States, and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli! ... For the broccoli vote out there, Barbara [Bush's wife] loves broccoli. She's tried to make me eat it. She eats it all the time herself. So, she can go out and meet the caravan of broccoli that's coming in [from Washington].
In response, the broccoli-growers of California, who produced over 90 percent of America's broccoli, pledged to send several trucks of the vegetable to the White House. George Dunlop, the president of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, gave First Lady Barbara Bush a bouquet of broccoli and an additional 10-tons of the vegetable in trucks. A few days later, Bush hosted a state dinner to honor Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the prime minister of Poland. Journalists noted that there was no broccoli on the menu as the tons of broccoli given to the first family had been donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. Bush contrasted Poland's protest against totalitarianism with his "rebellion against broccoli". Following Bush's comments, broccoli saw an increase in popularity, with its sale rising by 10 percent. A supermarket sales director told the Los Angeles Times that "Broccoli has never enjoyed so much publicity".
Broccoli was becoming popular in the United States and had been referred by Gary Lucier of the Department of Agriculture as the "vegetable of the 80s". Consumption of broccoli had doubled in that decade, increasing from an annual average of 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) per person in 1980 to 6.8 pounds (3.1 kilograms) per person in 1988. Because of Bush's comments, broccoli was frequently referred to as a "political vegetable".
When asked about the effect of Bush's comments on children, Barbara Bush replied that: "He [Bush] ate broccoli until he was 60. Tell them [children] to eat it until they are 60." Bush's anti-broccoli comments were later criticized, and opened up a nationwide debate on Bush's eating habits, in particular his fondness for unhealthy foods such as beef jerky. Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, referred to Bush's statements as "a stupid joke that undermines a serious effort to promote better nutrition ...". Campbell Soup Company and Woman's Day magazine organized a recipe contest titled: "How to Get President Bush to Eat Broccoli"; the winner received \$7,500 ().
Eric Ostermeier, a researcher at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, recorded seventy instances where Bush had mentioned his hatred of the vegetable during his presidency. In May 1991, Bush's thyroid condition was diagnosed to be Graves' disease. It led many Americans to write letters to Bush, insisting that he eat more broccoli due to its health benefits. Bush's comments on broccoli, along with an incident in which he vomited on the prime minister of Japan, Kiichi Miyazawa, were seen as examples of Bush's tendency for political gaffes.
## Aftermath
Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore, wives of Democratic nominees for president and vice president Bill Clinton and Al Gore, were seen holding a sign which stated: "Let's put broccoli in the White House again". In 2001, Bush's son and the 43rd president George W. Bush received substantial media attention after he gave a thumbs-down to broccoli on a state visit to Mexico; Mexico's president Vicente Fox was a keen broccoli-grower.
At an anti-obesity event for children in 2013, Barack Obama, the 44th president, announced that his favorite food was broccoli. These remarks were contrasted with those of Bush.
After leaving the office, Bush occasionally mentioned his dislike of broccoli. George W. Bush mentioned his father's dislike of broccoli in a eulogy at his 2018 funeral.
## See also
- Broccoli mandate | [
"## Comments and analysis",
"## Aftermath",
"## See also"
] | 1,146 | 13,709 |
15,816,018 | Karlsruhe-class cruiser | 1,172,955,425 | Class of light cruisers of the German Imperial Navy | [
"Cruiser classes",
"Karlsruhe-class cruisers",
"World War I cruisers of Germany"
] | The Karlsruhe class of light cruisers was a pair of two ships built for the German Imperial Navy before the start of World War I. The ships—SMS Karlsruhe and Rostock—were very similar to the previous Magdeburg-class cruisers, mounting the same armament and similar armor protection, though they were larger and faster than the earlier ships. Both vessels were laid down in 1911, and launched one day apart, on 11 and 12 November 1912. Karlsruhe joined the fleet in January 1914, but fitting out work lasted slightly longer on her sister; Rostock was commissioned the following month.
Both of the ships had short service careers. Karlsruhe was assigned to overseas duty in the Caribbean, arriving on station in July 1914, days before the outbreak of World War I. Once the war began, she armed the passenger liner SS Kronprinz Wilhelm so it could raid British shipping. After a moderately successful commerce raiding career, during which Karlsruhe sank sixteen merchant ships and successfully evaded British cruisers, she sank after an accidental internal explosion on 4 November 1914. Most of her crew were killed in the sinking, but the survivors returned to Germany on one of Karlsruhe's attendant colliers by December.
Rostock served as a torpedo boat flotilla leader with the High Seas Fleet following her commissioning; her flotilla frequently screened for the battlecruisers in the I Scouting Group, including during the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915 and operations off the British coast in early 1916. She saw heavy action during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916 as part of the screen for the main battle fleet. In the ferocious night fighting that occurred as the German fleet punched through the British rear-guard, Rostock was torpedoed by a British destroyer, which immobilized the ship. She was taken under tow by several torpedo boats, but early on the morning of 1 June, the cruiser HMS Dublin located the cruiser. To prevent her capture by the British, the Germans scuttled the ship after taking off her crew.
## Design
The design for the Karlsruhe class was prepared in 1910, and was an incremental improvement over the previous Magdeburg class. Karlsruhe and Rostock were faster and had a larger, more raked hull and greater displacement, but had the same armament and armor protection. Karlsruhe was ordered as Ersatz Seeadler and laid down in 1911 at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, under construction number 181. She was launched on 11 November 1912 and commissioned into the fleet on 15 January 1914. Rostock was ordered as Ersatz Geier and laid down in 1911 at the Howaldtswerke dockyard in Kiel, under construction number 560. Launching ceremonies took place on 12 November 1912, a day after her sister. She was completed on 5 February 1914, the date she joined the fleet.
### Dimensions and machinery
The Karlsruhe class ships were 139 meters (456 ft) long at the waterline and 142.20 m (466 ft 6 in) long overall. They had a beam of 13.70 m (44 ft 11 in) and a draft of 5.38 m (17 ft 8 in) forward and 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) aft. They displaced 4,900 metric tons (4,800 long tons) at designed load and 6,191 t (6,093 long tons) at full loading. The hull was constructed with longitudinal steel frames and incorporated fifteen watertight compartments and a double bottom that extended for 45 percent of the length of the hull. The ships had a crew of eighteen officers and 355 enlisted men. Karlsruhe and Rostock carried a number of smaller vessels, including one picket boat, one barge, one cutter, two yawls, and two dinghies. After 1915, Rostock had spotting tops installed on her masts. The German Navy regarded the two ships as good sea boats. They suffered from slight weather helm in a swell and made severe leeway. They were maneuverable but were slow steering into a turn. With the rudder hard over, they lost up to 60 percent speed. Their transverse metacentric height was 0.79 m (2 ft 7 in).
Karlsruhe and Rostock were powered by two sets of Marine-type steam turbines, each of which drove a three-bladed screw 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in) in diameter. Each turbine was divided into its own engine room; steam was supplied by twelve coal-fired water tube boilers and two oil-fired double-ended water tube boilers split into five boiler rooms. The propulsion system was rated at 26,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and a top speed of 27.8 knots (51.5 km/h; 32.0 mph), but both ships significantly exceeded these figures on speed trials. Karlsruhe made 37,885 shp (28,251 kW) at 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph) and Rostock reached 43,628 shp (32,533 kW) and 29.3 knots (54.3 km/h; 33.7 mph). Designed coal and oil storage was 400 t (394 long tons; 441 short tons) and 70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons), respectively, though internal voids could accommodate up to 1,300 t (1,279 long tons; 1,433 short tons) and 200 t (197 long tons; 220 short tons), respectively. Electrical power was supplied by two turbo generators rated at 240 and 200 kilowatts, respectively, at 220 volts.
### Armament and armor
Karlsruhe and Rostock were armed identically to the previous Magdeburg-class cruisers. They carried a main battery of twelve 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 guns in single pedestal mounts. Two were placed side by side forward on the forecastle, eight were located amidships, four on either side, and two were side by side aft. The guns had a maximum elevation of 30 degrees, which allowed them to engage targets out to 12,700 m (41,666 ft 8 in). They were supplied with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, for 150 shells per gun. The ships were also equipped with a pair of 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes with five torpedoes submerged in the hull on the broadside. They could also carry 120 mines.
The ships' armor was also identical to the preceding class. They were protected by a waterline armored belt that was 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships; the belt was reduced to 18 mm (0.71 in) forward. The stern was not armored. The conning tower had 100 mm (3.9 in) thick sides and a 20 mm (0.79 in) thick roof. The deck was covered with 60 mm thick armor plate forward, 40 mm (1.6 in) amidships, and 20 mm aft. Sloped armor 40 mm thick connected the deck to the belt armor.
## Service history
### SMS Karlsruhe
After her commissioning, Karlsruhe was assigned to overseas duties in the Caribbean, where she was to relieve the cruiser Dresden. She arrived in the area in July 1914, days before the outbreak of World War I. Once the war began, she armed the passenger liner SS Kronprinz Wilhelm so it could operate as a commerce raider, but while the ships were transferring equipment, British cruisers located them and pursued Karlsruhe. Her superior speed allowed her to escape, after which she operated off the northeastern coast of Brazil.
Karlsruhe refueled at Puerto Rico, a possession of the then neutral United States before steaming to Brazil. Off the Brazilian coast, she captured or sank sixteen ships totaling 72,805 gross register tons (GRT) while eluding her pursuers. The ship's captain then decided to operate against the shipping lanes to Barbados. While en route on 4 November 1914, a spontaneous internal explosion destroyed the ship and killed the majority of the crew, including her captain. The survivors used one of Karlruhe's colliers to return to Germany in December 1914.
### SMS Rostock
Rostock served with the High Seas Fleet as a leader of torpedo boat flotillas for the duration of her career. She served with the screens for both Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper's battlecruisers of the I Scouting Group on operations against the British coast and the Battle of Dogger Bank. During the battle, British battlecruisers ambushed the German squadron and sank the armored cruiser Blücher. In April 1916, she again screened the battlecruisers during the bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, during which Rostock and five other cruisers briefly engaged the British Harwich Force.
She was assigned to the screen for the battle fleet during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916. She saw major action at Jutland and frequently engaged British light forces, including assisting in the destruction of the destroyers HMS Nomad and Nestor. Rostock's participation in the battle culminated in her torpedoing by destroyers shortly after midnight. She was taken under tow by German torpedo boats, but the following morning the cruiser HMS Dublin came upon the retreating ships. To prevent Rostock's capture, the Germans set scuttling charges aboard her and took off the crew before firing torpedoes into the disabled cruiser to ensure she sank. | [
"## Design",
"### Dimensions and machinery",
"### Armament and armor",
"## Service history",
"### SMS Karlsruhe",
"### SMS Rostock"
] | 2,064 | 26,423 |
21,864,448 | Ten Hamadi | 1,082,010,745 | null | [
"Communes of Mauritania"
] | Ten Hamadi (Arabic: تن حمادي) or Tenhemad is a village and rural commune in southern Mauritania, in the Aïoun El Atrouss department of the Hodh El Gharbi region. In 2000, the commune had a population of 2,264, of which 155 lived in the village of Ten Hamadi itself, approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) southwest of the main town and departmental capital of Aïoun El Atrouss. The population estimate in 2007 was 3,686, spread over 16 villages.
The northern part of the commune is hilly but relatively favorable to agriculture, while the southern part is flat and characterized by sand dunes. Situated at the southern boundary of the Sahara-Sahel region of southern Mauritania, the climate is generally hot and dry.
Most of the population live in poverty, occupied in farming or raising livestock. Some have moved to the cities to seek a higher standard of living, returning to help during the peak periods of agricultural activity. Infrastructure is underdeveloped; there is no electricity supply, most water comes from traditional wells, and the rudimentary school system provides only elementary education in poorly equipped establishments.
## History
Settlement of the commune began with the establishment of the village of El Emn in 1960, followed by the main village of Ten Hamadi in 1962. El Bakhakh was established in 1972, and is one of the fastest-growing settlements in the commune. Its population more than doubled between 2000 and 2007, from 111 to an estimated 230, making it more populous than the main village of Ten Hamadi. Egueni Ehl Ahmed Zein, established in 1980, on the other hand, has declined in population by more than 75 percent, with a population of 1,252 in 2000 to an estimated 284 in 2007. In 2007, nearby Aïoun El Atrouss was one of the stops on the 2007 Dakar Rally.
## Geography and climate
Ten Hamadi is situated at the southern boundary of the Sahara-Sahel region of southern Mauritania. By air it is located approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) southwest of the departmental capital of Aioun El Atrouss, and the main village of Ten Hamadi is accessed via a dirt trail leading south off National Route 3, which connects it to this town and to the town of Tintane to the west. The commune is bordered to the north by the village and rural commune of Doueirara, to the north-east by the town and urban commune of Aioun El Atrouss, to the east by the village and rural commune of Beneamane, to the south by the village and rural commune of Hassi Ehel Bechna Ahmed, and to the west by the village and rural commune of Hassi Abdallah.
The northern part of the commune is hilly but relatively favorable to agriculture, while the southern part is flat and characterized by sand dunes. Sixteen caves are found within the area. The earth is mainly composed of stony rocks, sandy loam soils, and clay loam soils in the beds of wadis in the area. The soils in the hills have pockets of alluvium and sandy loam suitable for crop development, particularly on the hillsides and at the foot of the hills. Clay loam soils are found in the bowls and beds of wadis, which although suitable for farming are susceptible to gully and water erosion during the rainy season. The aquifers of shallow wells with depths varying from 25–50 metres (82–164 ft), yielding little more than 2 cubic metres/hour (71 cu ft), vary widely in availability. Deeper aquifers offer larger quantities of water, but its quality is generally brackish. The wadis are generally dry, usually only inundated after rainfall.
Vegetation is typical of the Sahara-Sahel region, and is mainly desert with thorny steppe land. Soil erosion is a problem, as many previously wooded areas have disappeared as the locals use wood for fuel, and inadequate farming practices have sometimes resulted in soil exhaustion.
Ten Hamadi has three main climatic seasons. The wet season from July to October has temperatures of the order of 30–40 °C (85–105 °F) and irregular rainfall. The dry and cold season in November to February has temperatures that can fall below 20 °C (68 °F) during the night. During the hot and dry season from March to June temperatures reach 40–45 °C (105–115 °F) during the day.
### Villages
In 2007, there were 16 villages in the commune according to the Mauritanian government, with a total estimated population of 3,686.
## Demography and religion
In 2000, the commune had a population of 2,264 people, with 155 people in the village of Ten Hamadi itself. In 2007, the commune had 3,686 inhabitants in about 791 households. The population is generally young, and more than 53 percent are female. Most people belong to the Tenwajiw tribe, although small numbers belong to the Oulad Nasser, Smalil and Leglal tribes. Most live in the north and east of the commune owing to greater availability of water and land that can be used for crops or grazing. More than half the population live below the poverty line. There is seasonal migration from the commune to the cities of Aïoun and Nouakchott in the dry season, then back to the commune in the winter season, when many people return to help their families with tilling and planting. Like the rest of Mauritania, Islam is the primary religion, which according to the Central Intelligence Agency has a 100 percent following in the country.
## Economy
The economy is mostly based on agriculture and raising livestock, with some commerce and artisan activity. There are some dams and ditches to support irrigation, but they are in a poor condition. In 2007, there were 361 farmers, most of whom relied on irrigation to some extent, nine grain banks and one grain mill. There were 311 sedentary stock owners, 115 semi-migratory and 65 practicing large-scale migration, mostly to Mali. An estimate of herd sizes gave 10,340 goats, 8,870 cattle, 1,361 camels, 652 donkeys and a few horses and sheep. There were 63 full-time retailers and 143 people practicing trade to some extent. There were 45 full-time artisans and 65 part-time craftspeople. Activities included masonry, transport by cart, butchering, bakery and woodworking.
## Education
In 2001, the commune had eight primary schools with 19 teachers for 595 children. There were 20 mahadras, or traditional schools, in 11 locations. Only four had a library or document repository. There were 11 writing rooms of varying quality, and one small vocational training centre. By 2007, the commune had 11 primary schools with 689 students (45 percent of whom were girls) and 28 teachers, but no secondary school. Only three schools had desks. All had latrines, but not all had drinking water or facilities for preparing meals for the children. The quality of education was mixed.
## Public services
Until fairly recently, Ten Hamadi had no mains power supply, no radio communication, and no fixed telephone lines, but most areas now have mobile coverage from at least one of the three local operators: Mauritel, MATTEL and Chinguitel. Fewer than a third of families have a latrine. In 2001, there was one health centre in the village of Ten Hamadi, built of cement with a corrugated roof and with six rooms. A pharmacy was operated on a cost-recovery basis. By 2007, there were two health posts in the commune, each staffed by one nurse, but there were no midwives. The health posts had no running water, electricity or latrines, and were not equipped with radio or ambulances, although the post at Ten Hamadi village did have a refrigerator and a pharmacy.
The commune has six wells with pumps supplying 221 connections, 15 modern wells and 61 traditional wells. The water tends to become salty towards the end of the dry season. The main village of the commune relies on two traditional wells. The "Route de l’Espoir" (Road of Hope) crosses the commune, providing good access to several villages. The commune has several permanent tracks, but some villages are difficult to access, particularly in winter. About 20 percent of the dwellings are concrete; the others are shacks or, in a few cases, tents. | [
"## History",
"## Geography and climate",
"### Villages",
"## Demography and religion",
"## Economy",
"## Education",
"## Public services"
] | 1,839 | 15,901 |
20,087,870 | Tropical Storm Odile (2008) | 1,171,851,862 | Pacific tropical storm in 2008 | [
"2008 Pacific hurricane season",
"Eastern Pacific tropical storms",
"Tropical cyclones in 2008"
] | Tropical Storm Odile was a late season tropical storm that formed during the 2008 Pacific hurricane season and affected parts of southern Mexico. A tropical depression formed on October 8, and became Tropical Storm Odile 18 hours later. The storm paralleled the south coast of Mexico, with the center located only several miles offshore. After peaking in intensity, increasing southeasterly vertical wind shear induced a trend of rapid weakening on the storm. Correspondingly, Odile was downgraded to a tropical depression early on 12 October, subsequently degenerating into a remnant low about 55 mi (85 km) south of Manzanillo, Colima. From thereon, the low proceeded slowly south-southwestward before dissipating on October 13. Since Odile stayed at sea, its effects along coastlines were limited. The most notable damages were caused by flooding along the southern coast of Mexico, mostly in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacán. The exact amount of damage, however, remains unknown, and no fatalities were reported as a result of the storm.
## Meteorological history
A tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa on September 23, and merged with the southern end of a decaying frontal system over the Caribbean Sea. The combined disturbance gradually split, with the northernmost section eventually becoming Tropical Storm Marco. The southernmost end moved into the eastern Pacific, which then immediately showed signs of organization. The system stalled just south of El Salvador throughout October 5, where it came under the influence of strong vertical wind shear. The circulation slowly drifted east-northeastward and became absorbed by a neighboring tropical wave, with the broad resultant low re-curving to the west-northwest. In response to relaxing shear aloft, convection redeveloped around the newly formed center of circulation. It subsequently acquired a sufficiently organized structure and post-analysis found that a tropical depression formed at around 1200 UTC on October 8. Upon developing, the depression was designated as Sixteen-E about 120 mi (195 km) south-southwest of San Salvador, El Salvador, and operationally, advisories were initiated at 2100 UTC — 9 hours after post-analytic estimates of formation.
Despite being in an area with favorable conditions, lack of inner core organization proved difficult for rapid deepening to occur, and initially, model guidance did not forecast any significant strengthening. Contrary to expectations, satellite imagery showed a gradual increase in organization later that evening. Bands of convection deepened in the southern quadrant, indicating that the storm was steadily strengthening. Located just to the south of a large mid-level ridge over Mexico, the system was steered toward the west-northwest, proceeding within a favorable environment. Based on the improved appearance on satellite imagery, it is estimated the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Odile at 0600 UTC on October 9 about 330 mi (530 km) southeast of Puerto Ángel, Mexico. Shortly after attaining tropical storm status, Odile began to develop a small area of central dense overcast, and upper-level cirrus outflow became well-defined within the western semicircle of the storm. Convective banding organized to the south and southwest of the circulation, leading Dvorak T-numbers to estimate an intensity of at least 50 mph (80 km/h). Based on this estimate, the NHC noted a high chance of further intensification into a minimal hurricane. Odile maintained its intensity, as upper-level outflow of the circulation was reduced to the northeast. Although wind shear initially dislocated the circulation from the main convection, a large burst of convection allowed Odile to intensify slightly further to peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) at around 0600 UTC on October 10.
Odile closely paralleled the Mexican coastline. The intensification did not last long, in fact, the convection associated with Odile diminished in the afternoon and its rainbands became rather distorted. Another cluster of convection sprung up that evening, this time with cloud tops colder than −80 °C (−112 °F). The circulation center was well embedded within the convection. As a consequence of the slightly improved organization, Odile had a stronger interaction with the easterlies aloft, therefore increasing forward movement speed. Later that day, a reconnaissance aircraft passed through Odile and observed a rather weak and disorganized tropical cyclone, resulting in meteorologists at the NHC to change its forecasts. Early on October 12, Odile made its closest approach to coastline of Mexico, only about 50 mi (80 km) offshore of Guerrero, Mexico. Increasing southeasterly vertical wind shear took toll on the system. Furthermore, around 0600 UTC, NHC confirmed that Odile weakened into a tropical depression. The last advisory regarding Odile was issued later that day stating that it has subsequently degenerated into a remnant low-pressure area, a swirl of low-level clouds. The remnants of Odile meandered slowly south-southwestward before completely dissipating on October 13.
## Preparations and impact
Throughout Odile's existence, the National Weather Service of Mexico declared several tropical storm watches and warnings for the Pacific coast of Mexico spanning from Jalisco to Oaxaca. They were extended and discontinued as Odile progressed westward. On October 11 at around 2 AM PDT, a hurricane watch was declared for the Pacific coast of Mexico from Tecpán de Galeana to Punta San Telmo. Six hours later, the hurricane watch was adjusted and in effect for the coast from Zihuatanejo to Manzanillo. They were all discontinued later that day as the chance of Odile becoming a hurricane diminished.
On October 8, blue alerts were declared for 118 municipalities in Chiapas following the minimal threat of tropical storm-force impact. The civil defense system in the state of Chiapas warned that the storm could leave up to 5.9 in (150 mm) of rainfall. Shippings were closed in the Port of Chiapas, leaving over 3,000 boats stranded ashore on October 9. Flooding in Acapulco forced officials to close schools on October 10. Meanwhile, the state government reported that 232 police were ready to provide assistance to citizens in advance of Odile. Civil defense officials in the state of Guerrero ordered about 10,000 people to evacuate their homes. On October 11, a yellow alert were declared for the state of Michoacán, where the civil defense committee also announced that the shelters were opened for schools in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas and the towns of Playa Azul and Guacamayas. Ports in Lázaro Cárdenas were also closed later that day.
On October 10, about 4.8 in (120 mm) of rainfall were accumulated in the city of Acapulco. The torrential rainfall caused flooding which damaged more than 100 houses, with two of them completely destroyed. Excess floodwater collapsed walls and covered roads with mud that reached as much as 2.3 ft (0.70 m). Nearly 150 homes were inundated with 13 ft (4.0 m) of water. The flooding is also responsible for causing strong current that had swept away parked vehicles, downing of at least 16 trees and carrying debris to the main streets of the port. Odile also managed to cause damage toward the plumbing and sewage supplies of Acapulco, resulting no clean water access in about fifty communities of the suburban areas of Acapulco for several days. The water levels of Papagayo River reached its maximum capacity, damaging electrical supplies. In Michoacán, strong winds resulted 30 downed trees and the collapse of 5 power poles, leaving 10 minutes without electricity for a large part of the city.
## See also
- 2008 Pacific hurricane season
- Timeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season
- Other storms of the same name | [
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"## See also"
] | 1,646 | 20,690 |
19,613,272 | My Story (Couillard book) | 1,143,951,189 | 2008 memoir by Julie Couillard | [
"2008 non-fiction books",
"Canadian autobiographies",
"McClelland & Stewart books"
] | My Story (or Mon histoire) is a tell-all memoir by Canadian Julie Couillard. It was first written in French, then during summer 2008, translated into English. Both versions were published across Canada in October 2008.
Couillard first appeared in the national media when she then dated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Bernier. The incident began in May 2008 over a NATO-related dossier at Couillard's house.
Intended to be released on October 14, 2008, the book's release date was moved forward when that same day was selected for the Canadian federal election. Bernier dismissed the allegations against him in the book as ridiculous and the book faced negative publicity in Beauce, Bernier's riding. The English version peaked at No. 6 on La Presse'''s bestseller list while the French version reached No. 5. Critics found Couillard's story self-righteous and sometimes conveniently vague, but noted that it provided a unique view into the government's inner circle. Others felt that Couillard was using the book to hurt Bernier. Though My Story was released eight days before the election, Bernier was re-elected.
## Background
Julie Couillard began dating Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Maxime Bernier in April 2007. The media started covering her in August, when she wore a revealing dress to Bernier's swearing-in ceremony for his new position as Minister of Foreign Affairs. The couple had first met at a restaurant dinner with business associates. Couillard and Bernier dated until December 2007, but continued seeing each other until April 2008. Bernier later revealed to his constituents that he ended their relationship after the RCMP revealed Couillard's past to him, which he was unaware of. Historically, these types of incidents were not unique. However, their relationship became the subject of a political scandal, which brought about intense media attention. As the scandal unfolded, Couillard decided to write an autobiography to tell her side of the story. She formally signed a contract in July with publishers, McClelland & Stewart; and with the help of journalist, Serge Demers, a ghostwriter, she wrote My Story in French within a few months. The publisher translated the text into English.
## Bernier–Couillard affair
Bernier was elected as a Conservative candidate in Quebec and became the Minister of Industry before being reassigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 2007. Though his relationship with Couillard had ended in December, they continued with occasional trysts. In April 2008, as Bernier departed Couillard's home, he left a briefing book from the 2008 Bucharest summit. Couillard put the briefcase containing the notes labelled confidential aside and forgot about them until May when she returned them to a foreign affairs office. Significant discussion about the affair was then voiced in both the House of Commons of Canada and the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security as to whether the affair was a threat to national security. However, Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper stated that their relationship was a private matter and dismissed it as a security threat.
Journalist Chantal Hébert pointed out Couillard never had any criminal record and was not charged with criminal activity. Hébert decried Denis Coderre and Gilles Duceppe for political opportunism and challenged their genuineness, suggesting they were more focused on their poll numbers in Quebec. Jack Granatstein stated that some were "puzzled" about the incident since the secrets in the notes were considered the "run-of-the-mill kind". Bernier pointed out that the civil servant determines what parts of a document are classified and that releasing it would not cause any significant injury to national interest A former staffer for Bernier was critical of how the media handled Bernier's tenure with Foreign Affairs calling the reporting and Bernier's portrayal "over sensationalized". An internal government report dated 16 July 2008 conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs found that disclosure of the notes would not have caused significant injury to Canadian interests.
The media revealed she had been convinced by a Kevlar Group to lobby Bernier in order to gain support for a \$300-million lease by transferring 700 federal employees to a Kevlar building project in Quebec City.
It was expected that Bernier would be demoted, but he accepted blame for the incident and offered his resignation as Minister of Foreign Affairs to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who accepted. A day later Couillard's interview aired on TVA. According to Couillard, Bernier's response to the subsequent media coverage made her feel betrayed and abandoned. However, a friend told Jane Taber that Bernier had plans to resign immediately but was told to wait it out by the government who did not want him step down just before the Prime Minister was about to go to Europe or, blow up while the Prime Minister was on the plane.
## Content
The book begins as an autobiography. Couillard was born in the late-1960s in the Montreal district of Ville-Émard; she then moved to the suburb of Lorraine when she was four. Her parents often fought as her mother believed that her husband was unfaithful; the family incurred financial problems when Couillard's father changed careers. At age 12, Couillard was diagnosed with epilepsy. At age 17, she bought several properties with a boyfriend. They lived together briefly before breaking up and selling the properties. Couillard became a friend, then lover, of Gilles Giguère, a money lender who was associated with the controversial motorcycle club Hells Angels. In 1996, after the police raided Giguère's apartment and (according to Couillard) threatened him, Giguère became sullen and withdrawn: the police had charged him with conspiracy to commit murder. But two months later, they let the charge drop. Giguère was soon murdered.
In 1997, Couillard met Stéphane Sirois, a reputed "enforcer", drug dealer and member of the Rockers, a Hells Angels affiliate club. They married. However, financial problems interfered with their relationship and Couillard cheated on Sirois with a man named Bruno. During their divorce, Sirois became an informant for the police and entered a witness protection program. Couillard became pregnant with Bruno's child, and had an abortion; they subsequently separated. Following further personal, financial problems, Couillard declared bankruptcy in 2002. She then began an affair with a married man who abandoned her while they visited Venice, Italy.
When she returned to Canada, Couillard launched an airport security firm, Integrated Global Solutions (it was reported that Canadian Air Transport Security Authority offered two services to them), along with an auto-leasing business. She began to date Bernard Coté, an aide to federal Minister of Public Works, Michael Fortier. Couillard then introduced Coté to Philippe Morin of the Kevlar Group, a real estate company which signed a deal with the federal government to acquire land from Kevlar. She also pointed to Morin, René Bellerive, and Éric Boyko, who set up a meeting with Bernier as a way to push a deal with the federal government and Kevlar.
In April 2007, while attending a Conservative Party of Canada fundraising affair, Couillard was asked to consider being a candidate for the party. Bernier registered Couillard as his designated traveling companion with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order for Couillard to accompany him on government business. Couillard pointed out that former President George W. Bush was impressed when he brought her around.
In her book, Couillard accused Bernier of being intellectually lazy, preoccupied with his appearance, and concerned that he appears gay. She writes that Bernier privately criticised Prime Minister Stephen Harper's eating habits, his physique, whispered negative comments to Couillard about members of his electoral district and that he did not own a laptop, frequently using her house and home computer as a second office . She adds that Bernier thought about making a leadership run after hearing rumours that the Prime Minister wasn't going to stay long and that Bernier opposed the invasion of Iraq contrary to his party's stance and had issues with the Afghanistan War. During his time as Industry Minister, she revealed that a loyal staffer to Bernier had disrespected the authority of the PMO, who wanted him to be removed. Couillard also mentions that she never talked to Bernier about the Kevlar deal, but that Bernier used his position in the Treasury Board to prevent the deal from happening over concerns of conflict of interests.
Couillard goes on to describe the NATO incident and the ensuing media coverage from her perspective.
## Publication and reception
The original publication date for the book was October 14, 2008. After the Canadian federal election was called and set for that day the book's release was rescheduled to October 6, eight days before the election, in which Bernier was seeking re-election. The English version was published as a hardcover by McClelland & Stewart while the French version was released by Montreal publishers, Les Editions de l'Homme, as a trade paperback. According to La Presse, 17,000 copies were printed; 5,000 sold in the first two weeks. In the Montreal market, the book was listed on the bestseller list at No. 6 for two weeks while the French version spent one week at No. 5.
In response to the book, Bernier dismissed the contents as "soap-opera politics and completely ridiculous". Writer William Johnson said the story unfolds like pulp fiction or a soap opera and compared Couillard to the abused heroine in Justine'' who does not learn from her calamities. Charlie Gillis from Macleans blogged his reading of the book and noted that it felt like Couillard had a desire to hurt Bernier.
The book faced negative publicity in Beauce, Bernier's riding. René Roy, a 26-year-old Liberal candidate in a debate suggested that Bernier is homosexual which faced backlash from Bernier's constituents.
Bernard Landry was critical of Couiilard over her accusation of Bernier's "intellectual laziness" stating, "He was kind, charming. He was not a friend, but he was a collaborator I liked". | [
"## Background",
"## Bernier–Couillard affair",
"## Content",
"## Publication and reception"
] | 2,114 | 11,516 |
59,969,132 | Yoga Makaranda | 1,122,794,935 | Hatha yoga book by Krishnamacharya | [
"1934 non-fiction books",
"Modern yoga books"
] | Yoga Makaranda (Sanskrit: योग मकरन्द), meaning "Essence of Yoga", is a 1934 book on hatha yoga by the influential pioneer of yoga as exercise, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Most of the text is a description of 42 asanas accompanied by 95 photographs of Krishnamacharya and his students executing the poses. There is a brief account of practices other than asanas, which form just one of the eight limbs of classical yoga, that Krishnamacharya "did not instruct his students to practice".
The yoga scholar Mark Singleton notes that the book is almost legendary among Pattabhi Jois's students, though "very few have actually seen it". Singleton notes, too, that the book was "experimental". The yoga scholar Norman Sjoman criticises the book's "padded academic bibliography" full of irrelevant works, and the perfunctory and ill-informed coverage of yoga practices other than asanas, while another yoga scholar, Elliott Goldberg, comments that the photographs serve to demystify the asanas of their spiritual content, and that Krishnamacharya was falsely claiming an ancient origin for his dynamic vinyasa system of yoga.
## Context
Hatha yoga, the medieval practice which used asanas (yoga postures) and other practices such as shatkarmas (purifications) to gain moksha, spiritual liberation, was despised and in decline by the start of the 20th century. Western gymnastics such as Niels Bukh's Primary Gymnastics became popular in India, partly as a result of Hindu nationalism which sought to show Indian men as strong. At the same time, yoga in various forms was being popularised in the West by advocates such as Vivekananda (without asanas), Yogananda, and Yogendra.
The yoga teacher T.K.V. Desikachar, one of Krishnamacharya's sons, explained that his father had intended to write a series of books on yoga, of which this was to have been the first, but the death of his sponsor the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, in 1940 caused the series to be abandoned. He stated that his father had decided to cover practices (shatkarmas, purifications) such as neti and dhauti "which he himself did not recommend". He noted that the asanas in the book are described in "vinyasa krama", which was the way Krishnamacharya taught yoga to children in the Mysore palace. Other practices which he strongly endorsed like pranayama and meditation were to be topics of later books and were therefore not covered.
Krishnamacharya's disciple and biographer A. G. Mohan states that the book was written "in three nights" according to Krishnamacharya's wife, at the behest of the Maharaja. Mohan notes without comment that the book covers yoga practices other than asanas that Krishnamacharya "did not instruct his students to practice".
## Book
### Publication and translation
Yoga Makaranda was published in the Kannada language by the Madurai C.M.V. Press in 1934. A Tamil edition appeared in 1938. An English translation by Lakshmi and Nandini Ranganathan was published in India in 2006, and released by them as a free download. A different English translation by Krishnamacharya's grandson Kausthub Desikachar and son T.K.V. Desikachar was published in paperback in 2011 and online in 2013.
### Contents
The book is introduced with a discussion of why yoga should be practised, the chakras (elements of the subtle body on which yoga is said to operate), pratyahara, dharana and dhyana (elements of Patanjalis's yoga), and who "has the authority to practise Yoga", which in Krishnamacharya's view is "everyone". It discusses the elements of yoga, starting with yamas and niyamas, warning that "sleep, laziness and disease" are obstacles to becoming "an adept yogi". The book then describes where to practise yoga, recommending "a place with plenty of water, a fertile place, a place where there is a bank of a holy river, where there are no crowds, a clean solitary place — such places are superior." It gives a description of the purifications (which it calls shatkriyas) and seals (mudras). The bulk of the book is taken up with a description of 42 asanas.
### Approach
Each asana is described with some paragraphs of instructions, and illustrated with one or more photographs. The student is instructed how to stand, and which limbs should be straight. For many poses, the claimed medical benefits are then described, without adduced evidence. The term vinyasa is used with the meaning of "stage in the execution of an asana". For example, Sarvangasana is introduced with the words "This has 12 vinyasas [stages]. The 8th vinyasa is the asana sthiti [the actual pose]."
### Illustrations
There are four photographs of Krishnamacharya's Yogasala showing the hall and students. The chapter on asanas is illustrated with 95 monochrome photographs, each of an individual performing the named pose. Many are of Krishnamacharya himself; others are of his students, including T. R. S. Sharma as a boy, or of Keshavamurthy, stated by Elliott Goldberg to be his favourite student, who performs difficult poses such as Durvasasana (standing with one leg behind the neck). Some poses, such as Krishnamacharya demonstrating Mayurasana, are on a tiger skin.
### Nomenclature
Krishnamacharya names the asanas, in Sanskrit, by the parts of the body and the stretches involved. For example "Adhomukha Uttanasana" means "Face Down Extended Stretch Pose", while "Supta Utthita Dakshinapada Janusirsasana" is "Reclining Extended Right Foot Head to Knee Pose"; a glossary of Sanskrit is provided in the text.
## Reception
The yoga scholar Mark Singleton notes that the book "has quasi-legendary status among contemporary [Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga] students of Pattabhi Jois [though] very few have actually seen it". He quotes the original introduction by V. Subhramananya Iyer, which called the book "a result of the many tests conducted under the special orders of the Maharaja of Mysore", in other words that the book "was intended to be, and in practice was, experimental (his italics)". Singleton observes that the book called for the asanas to be held for long periods (3 to 15 minutes), arguing that the rapid sequences inherited by his pupil Pattabhi Jois were a special case, even then.
The yoga scholar Norman Sjoman is critical of the book's perfunctory treatment of both academic requirements and yogic practices other than asanas. He comments that Krishnamacharya's list of sources "reveals his relation to tradition", but is "a padded academic bibliography with works referred to that have nothing to do with the tradition he is teaching in". The list includes for instance the well-known hatha yoga texts, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Gheranda Samhita and the Sritattvanidhi as well as the Yoga Upanishads. Sjoman gives as an example the recommendations for vajroli mudra which call for "a glass rod to be inserted into the urethra [of the penis] an inch at a time. His recommendations show that he has most certainly not experimented with this himself in the manner he recommends."
The yoga scholar Elliott Goldberg comments that the photographs of Krishnamacharya's schoolboy pupils in the poses "don't truly capture yogins using their body as a tool for spiritual development either. In fact, the photos demystify whatever spirituality may obtain to the exercises." He adds that the group photographs are "showy ... eye-catching tricks", with boys in familiar asanas but arranged in a pyramid. The vinyasa system of yoga, too, was in Goldberg's view "spectacularly different" from anything practised in India at the time; he is dismissive of Krishnamacharya's "spurious claim for the ancient origin of Vinyasa yoga", citing Singleton's analysis in Yoga Body of its origins in Surya Namaskar, suggesting "self-aggrandizement and self-protection" as the motives. Despite all this, Goldberg states that Krishnamacharya's main interest in yoga was to nourish spirituality (adhyatmika krama), quoting his words in Yoga Makaranda: "Once you stop the oscillating nature of mind, you can reach the level[s] of dhyana, nididhyasanam, and samadhi [the highest levels of Patanjali's eight-limbed yoga]" and through that you can see the atma[n]. He notes that Krishnamacharya was following the traditional interpretation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, that the eight limbs formed a sequence of steps.
## See also
- Light on Yoga, Krishnamacharya's pupil B. K. S. Iyengar's 1966 encyclopedia of yoga asanas
- Yoga Body, Mark Singleton's 2010 book on the origins of global yoga in physical culture | [
"## Context",
"## Book",
"### Publication and translation",
"### Contents",
"### Approach",
"### Illustrations",
"### Nomenclature",
"## Reception",
"## See also"
] | 2,000 | 16,653 |
2,004,878 | Welara | 1,071,146,841 | Breed of horse | [
"Horse breeds",
"Horse breeds originating in England",
"Horse breeds originating in the United States",
"Part-Arabian breeds of horses and ponies"
] | The Welara is a part-Arabian pony breed developed from the Arabian horse and the Welsh pony. It was originally bred in England by Lady Wentworth at the Crabbet Arabian Stud in the early 1900s from imported Arabian stallions and Welsh pony mares. Breeding then spread throughout North America. In 1981, a breed registry was formed in the United States, and a studbook began to be published. They are used for many disciplines of English riding, and are known for their refinement, hardiness and spirit.
## Breed characteristics
Welara stallions average and mares . To be registered, Welaras must stand between high. Crosses between Arabians and each of the four sections of Welsh Pony (A, B, C and D) tend to produce slightly different types of pony. Section A Welsh Pony crosses (the smallest) tend to be under , and be used mainly as light driving ponies and mounts for small children. Section B crosses usually stand and can be used for driving and as riding ponies for larger children and small adults. Section C crosses average hands and tend to be a heavier pony, sometimes with feathered feet, although still showing the refinement of their Arabian ancestors. Section D crosses generally stand high. The latter two types are suited to riding by average and slightly larger adults and for the majority of disciplines.
All colors other than Appaloosa are allowed for registration. Welara Sport Ponies may be of any color or size, without the restrictions of the purebred Welara. The mix of Arabian and Welsh blood gives the breed refinement, spirit and hardiness, as well as good movement. The head is small and slightly concave, the neck is arched (and prone to be cresty in stallions). The shoulders and croup are long and the back short. Welaras are used mainly in English riding, especially in hunter classes. They are also seen in show jumping, three-day eventing, pleasure driving and as general leisure riding horses. Welara/Thoroughbred crosses are popular mounts for riders competing in hunter and jumper classes.
## History
Crosses began to be made between the Arabian horse and the Welsh Pony in Sussex, England the early 1900s, by Lady Wentworth of the Crabbet Arabian Stud. She began breeding Arabian stallions, including Skowronek (1909–1930), a Polish Arabian stud, to Welsh mares from North Wales, especially the Coed Coch stud farm, which she imported beginning in the early 1920s. Other breeders in England and North America soon followed suit, although at this time they were not focused on creating a new breed, and the cross became known as the Welara.
In 1981, a breed registry, called the American Welara Pony Registry, was created in the US in order to develop and promote the breed. A studbook also began to be published, and pedigrees of Welaras were collected and preserved. Only Welsh and Arabian blood is allowed for purebreds, and all registered ponies must have at least 1/8 and no more than 7/8 blood from each breed. As of 2005, the registry claimed slightly over 1,500 ponies registered in North America, with around 100 new foals registered annually. Welara Sport Ponies may also be registered – these are ponies at least 50 percent Welara but with blood from other breeds, often the Thoroughbred. The association also registers pureblood Welsh and Arabian foundation stock.
Welaras have now spread to additional areas of the world, including the Caribbean, Oceania and Europe. In Europe, Welsh/Arabian crosses, sometimes with additional Thoroughbred blood, are often called "riding ponies" or "sport ponies". In the US, the breed is seen most often in the central and western parts of the country. | [
"## Breed characteristics",
"## History"
] | 794 | 9,318 |
29,783,146 | Fading (song) | 1,166,127,925 | null | [
"2010 songs",
"2010s ballads",
"Contemporary R&B ballads",
"Pop ballads",
"Rihanna songs",
"Song recordings produced by Kuk Harrell",
"Songs written by Polow da Don"
] | "Fading" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). The song was written by Darnell Dalton, Jamal Jones, Lamar Taylor, Quinton Amey and William Hodge, with production by Kuk Harrell, Willy Will, Veronika Bozeman and Jones under his production moniker Polow da Don. Originally, the song sampled Irish instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Enya's "One by One", though this was later removed post-album release. Lyrically, the song is about leaving a man in a relationship. After Loud had strong digital download sales in the United Kingdom, "Fading" charted at number 187 on that country's singles chart in November 2010. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised da Don's production, but one critic criticized Rihanna for copying herself and failing to create something different. Some critics also compared it to one of Rihanna's previous singles, "Take a Bow". The song has also been performed on select dates of the Loud Tour (2011).
## Background and composition
Recording sessions for Loud began in February 2010, and continued for six months, overlapping with Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and during the production of her debut feature film, Battleship. At the beginning of March 2011, Rihanna asked fans to help her select her next single, following the release of "S&M". Via Twitter, fans were asked to choose from "Cheers (Drink to That)", "Man Down", "California King Bed" or "Fading". The most popular choice would have its video filmed at the end of March 2011. On March 12, 2011, it was confirmed that fans had selected "California King Bed" as the next single to be released from the album in the United States. In August 2011, a new version of "Fading" was unveiled sans the Enya sample. The original version, however, is still playable on the album's Japan edition in some music streaming services including Last.fm and Spotify.
"Fading" was written by Darnell Dalton, Jamal Jones, Lamar Taylor, Quinton Amey and William Hodge, with production by Kuk Harrell, Willy Will, Veronika Bozeman and Jones under his production moniker Polow da Don. The song was recorded by Sandy Vee at The Bunker Studio's in Paris, France in 2010. Musically, the song features a piano and violin led instrumental whilst lyrically, "Fading" is about the female protagonist leaving her boyfriend because she feels that they have become distant and their relationship has faded. The lyrics of the song feature Rihanna adopting a vocal diction which urges her boyfriend to leave and walk away from the relationship, "Go on, be gone/ Bye bye so long/ Can't you see we're fading away". As noted by Emily Mackay of NME, the song is reminiscent of one of the singer's previous songs about a relationship gone awry, "Take a Bow", in lyrical content and musicality.
## Critical reception
Upon Loud's release, multiple music critics wrote about "Fading" as part of their review, many of whom praised the production of the song. Emily Mackay of NME wrote about the song as part of an overall review of the album, writing "A weird baroque pop opening, violin stabs and treated vocals, builds slowly into a rolling and shuddering beat and soft, sad-toned piano. Mesfin Fekadu of The Boston Globe called the track "exceptional" and compared the lyrical content to that of one of Rihanna's previous singles "Take A Bow", writing that Rihanna is skilled at putting out songs about being the woman in a relationship who leaves the man, as she does in "Fading". Jon Pareles of The New York Times praised Polow da Don's production of the song, writing "'Fading' strategizes with long and short elements—sustained choruses and staccato verses, edgeless keyboard chords, and notes that are suddenly truncated—to capture the ambivalence of a failing romance." Melissa Maerz of Rolling Stone commented that the singer manages to remain "serene" on the song, even with the sampling of Enya's "One by One", and added that "maybe the good girl gone bad is getting better?", in reference to Rihanna's third studio album title, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007).
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly simply wrote of "Fading" that the song, a "walk away ballad", is a "gorgeously synthesized moment of sweet defiance". David Driver of Sputnikmusic wrote that "Fading", along with "California King Bed", are both "well-done, soulful ballads" and that they are "completely free" of the sulky tones which could be found on some compositions on Rihanna's previous album, Rated R (2009). Colin Gentry of 4Music also noted in his review that the song communicates a passionate expression of grief to the listener. Ryan Burleson of Consequence of Sound wrote that the song was one of the best on the album, commenting that it stands out "sonically". Burleson added that it is "a hopeful, piano and string-based R&B" song, and compared to the work of late 1990s artists such as Aaliyah and Faith Evans. Ryan Dombell of Pitchfork Media criticized "Fading" as well as Rihanna herself, for copying "[her] own lightweight R&B formula so much it's redundant".
## Chart performance
Upon the release of Loud, "Fading" charted in three territories. The song debuted at number 37 on the South Korea Gaon International Chart for the issue dated November 14, 2010. The following week, it fell to number 79. "Fading" charted at number 187 on the UK Singles Chart for the issue dated November 27, 2010. The song was more successful on the UK R&B Chart, where it peaked at number 34 in the same chart issue. In the United States, "Fading" peaked at number 42 on the R&B/Hip-hop Digital Songs chart on December 3, 2010.
## Live performances
Though the song has never been performed live as part of a televised performance, the song was featured on the set list of select dates of the Loud Tour. Rihanna performed the song on June 6 and 7, 2011, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where the song was featured near the end of the set. As noted by Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun, after performing a selection of ballads from the singer's repertoire, including "Unfaithful", "Hate That I Love You" and "California King Bed", Rihanna re-appeared on stage wearing a rainbow colored feathered coat, denim bra and short shorts to perform "What's My Name?", "Rude Boy", "Fading", "Don't Stop the Music" and "Take a Bow".
## Credits and personnel
Credits and personnel adapted from the liner notes of Loud.
Locations
- Recorded at No Excuses Recording Studios, Santa Monica, California; The Bunker Studios, Paris, France
- Mixed at Ninja Club Studios, Atlanta, Georgia.
Personnel
- Rihanna – vocals
- Ester Dean – background vocals
- Quintin Amey, Alex Gazaway – songwriting
- Polow da Don– production
- Kuk Harrell, Josh Gudwin and Marcus Tovar – vocal recording
- Kuk Harrell – vocal production
- Veronika Bozeman – additional vocal production
- Damien Lewis – additional/assistant engineering
- Phil Tan at The Ninja Beat Club, Atlanta, GA – mixing
- Sandy Vee at The Bunker Studios, Paris – recording
## Charts | [
"## Background and composition",
"## Critical reception",
"## Chart performance",
"## Live performances",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Charts"
] | 1,635 | 3,131 |
18,193,139 | New York State Route 398 | 1,054,949,007 | Former highway in New York | [
"Former state highways in New York (state)",
"Transportation in Columbia County, New York"
] | New York State Route 398 (NY 398) was an east–west state highway located within the town of Stuyvesant in Columbia County, New York, in the United States. It served as a short connector between NY 9J in the hamlet of Stuyvesant and U.S. Route 9 (US 9) in the hamlet of Sunnyside southwest of the village of Kinderhook. NY 398 was assigned in the early 1930s and remained unchanged until 1980, when ownership and maintenance of the highway was transferred to Columbia County. The route was redesignated as County Route 26A at that time.
## Route description
NY 398 began at an intersection with NY 9J in downtown Stuyvesant. The route progressed eastward, passing a small park and intersecting with local roads. NY 398 passed Firwood Barn as it climbed in elevation. The route turned to the southeast and passed some small parks. After that, the route became more rural, climbing even higher in elevation and intersecting with another local road.
After the local road however, the highway began to patch its way through several hills and mountains, but this did not last long. The highway then became rural again, emerging from the mountains behind it. There were a few short hills the rest of the way along NY 398, until it entered the small hamlet of Sunnyside. There, it became a little more suburbanized, and the highway terminated at an intersection with US 9.
## History
NY 398 was assigned c. 1932 to the highway connecting the hamlets of Stuyvesant and Sunnyside. It remained unchanged until January 28, 1980, when the NY 398 designation was officially removed from the highway. Ownership and maintenance of NY 398's former routing was transferred from the state of New York to Columbia County on April 1, 1980, as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. The highway became part of County Route 26A (CR 26A), a designation that continues west of NY 9J to a junction with River View Street near the Hudson River.
## Major intersections
## See also
- List of county routes in Columbia County, New York
- New York State Route 217, the other route affected by the 1980 Columbia County maintenance swap | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 493 | 30,289 |
26,429,563 | Frank Dekum | 1,170,685,146 | American merchant and banker | [
"1829 births",
"1894 deaths",
"19th-century American railroad executives",
"American bankers",
"Burials at Lone Fir Cemetery",
"Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon",
"Emigrants from the German Confederation to the United States"
] | Frank Dekum (November 5, 1829 – October 19, 1894) was a prominent 19th century fruit merchant, banker, and real-estate investor in Portland, Oregon. Born in Germany, Dekum emigrated to the north-central U.S. with his family and as a young man went west in search of gold before starting a successful fresh-fruit business in Portland. Prospering as a merchant, Dekum invested in real-estate, banking, and an early railroad, was a president or board member of many of the city's companies, and was one of 15 men named to Portland's first municipal water committee.
Dekum involved himself in many building projects in downtown Portland. One of his structures, the Dekum Building, which served as headquarters for the city's government in the 1890s, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Portland and Vancouver Railway, financed partly by Dekum, ran along the east side of the Willamette River from East Portland to the Columbia River. Dekum Street in northeast Portland is named after him. Dekum was the president of the German Song Bird Society, which imported to Oregon many German songbirds. After suffering great financial loss during the Panic of 1893, he died in 1894.
## Early life
Dekum was born in Deiderfeld, Rheinfalz, Germany, on November 5, 1829. He and his brother and four sisters emigrated to the United States to settle on a farm near Belleville, Illinois. The family later moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where both parents died. After serving as an apprentice confectioner in St. Louis, Dekum and a friend, Frederick Bickel, went gold prospecting in California and Idaho before settling in Portland.
## From fruit to real estate
In 1853, the two men established a fruit and confectionery store, Dekum & Bickel, which prospered for the next quarter-century in downtown Portland. Amassing wealth from the "largest wholesale fresh-fruit business in the Northwest", Dekum joined "the frenzied real-estate speculations of the early 1860s", and his large holdings included several buildings that bore his name. In 1875, he and Simeon Reed financed the city's most expensive building of the time; it was known as the Dekum and Reed Block.
Portland historian Joseph Gaston wrote, "It is an interesting and noteworthy fact that he was connected with the construction of every building in whole or in part between First and Third on Washington street... ". These projects included the first large brick building on Front Street, the Gadsby and Commercial blocks, the Waldo Building, and in 1892 the Dekum Building.
The latter, at the southwest corner of Southwest Third Avenue and Washington Street, is eight stories high, was built entirely of Oregon materials, and cost \$300,000 in 1892 dollars. The first three stories of the Romanesque structure are of rough-cut sandstone; the top five floors are of red brick and unglazed terracotta with floral designs. Decorative machicolations (openings of the sort used in earlier eras for pouring pitch and dropping rocks on attackers) appear in the parapet at the top of the building. For eight years starting in 1893 Portland's government was headquartered in this structure, temporarily dubbed the Council Building. The exterior was renovated in 1987, and the interior opened to the nearby Hamilton Building in the 1990s. The Dekum Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and is part of the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District.
## Banks, companies
In 1880 Dekum helped establish the Portland Savings Bank, of which he was named president in 1886, succeeding David P. Thompson. He helped organize the Commercial National Bank of Portland and served as its president. (The two banks occupied the same building and had overlapping directors, including John McCraken, George H. Williams, and Cyrus A. Dolph, as well as Dekum and Thompson.) He was at various times president of Columbia Investment Company, Oregon Land and Investment Company, Columbia Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Portland and Vancouver Railway Company, Trinidad Asphalt & Paving Company, and the Portland Exposition Company. In 1885, Dekum was one of 15 men named to the Portland Water Committee, empowered by the Oregon Legislative Assembly to acquire and operate a municipal water system for the city.
## Portland and Vancouver Railway
In 1888 Dekum, Richard L. Durham, and John B. David built a narrow gauge railway, the Portland and Vancouver Railway, that began in what was then the separate city of East Portland and went north through the then-separate city of Albina on the way to the Columbia River. The south end of the steam railway was at the east end of the Stark Street ferry between Portland and East Portland on the Willamette River. The north end of the line was at a landing on the Columbia that served ferries traveling between Oregon and Vancouver, Washington.
Dekum and Durham, through their Oregon Land and Development Company, invested in developing the Woodlawn District, which was near the railroad in Albina. Most of the railway route ran initially through "virgin timber and scattered clearings", especially north of Albina, where "the country was quite primitive until the broad bottomlands of the Columbia were reached." Because the land near the river was subject to annual flooding, the northernmost 8,000 feet (2,400 m) of the line was elevated on trestles. In 1892 the line was sold to the Portland Consolidated Street Railway Company, which switched to a bigger gauge to match its other tracks and began to electrify the railway for trolleys.
## Family, other interests
Dekum was married in 1859 to Fanny Reinig of St. Louis, with whom he had eight children. In Portland, they lived in a three-story house, built in about 1864, on a tract later defined by Northwest 13th and 14th avenues and Morrison and Yamhill streets, that was at the time well outside the city. The house featured staggered quoins at its corners, a three-bay entrance porch, segmental arched windows, and a conservatory (sun room) on the south. Fanny died in 1877. In 1881, Dekum married Phoebe M. Humason (1840–1920). Phoebe was the widow of Orlando Humason.
President of the German Song Bird Society, Dekum contributed money to import German song birds, including thrushes, starlings, and nightingales, to Oregon. According to one report, the society brought a total of about 500 German birds to Oregon at various times and released many of them into the wild, mainly in Portland parks. Although birds from these early importations survived for years by some accounts, they all eventually disappeared. Dekum was also president of the German Aid Society of Portland.
## Death and legacy
During the Panic of 1893, when many banks failed, Dekum's Portland Savings Bank barely survived. Portland historian E. Kimbark MacColl writes that among Portland bankers
> the banker who suffered the heaviest loss was Frank Dekum, who died in 1894, partially from the strain of the depression. With David P. Thompson's help, he had managed to salvage enough out of the wreckage of the Portland Savings Bank to leave an estate of over \$1 million, largely in downtown real estate; his railway holdings had collapsed. Thompson, who had been president of the savings bank from 1880 to 1886, had sold all his bank stocks before his appointment in 1891 as American Minister to Turkey. Upon his return in 1893, he was appointed receiver for the bank.
Wells Fargo bought Dekum's other bank, Commercial National Bank of Portland, in January 1894. Dekum died on October 19 that year and was buried in Lone Fir Cemetery in southeast Portland.
Northeast Dekum Street in Portland is named after him. | [
"## Early life",
"## From fruit to real estate",
"## Banks, companies",
"## Portland and Vancouver Railway",
"## Family, other interests",
"## Death and legacy"
] | 1,693 | 10,722 |
845,954 | Washington State Route 513 | 1,168,667,134 | Highway in Washington | [
"State highways in Washington (state)",
"Transportation in King County, Washington",
"Transportation in Seattle"
] | State Route 513 (SR 513) is a 3.35-mile-long (5.39 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, located entirely within the city of Seattle in King County. The highway travels north as Montlake Boulevard from an interchange with SR 520 and over the Montlake Bridge to the University of Washington campus in the University District. SR 513 continues past University Village before it turns northeast onto Sand Point Way and ends at the entrance to Magnuson Park in the Sand Point neighborhood.
SR 513 was created during the 1964 state highway renumbering as the successor to Secondary State Highway 1J (SSH 1J), itself created in 1937 and traveling from Downtown Seattle to Lake City. Sections of SSH 1J, including Madison Street from Downtown to Capitol Hill, date as far back as 1854. Most sections of the highway were built in the 1890s and 1900s in preparation for the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, which took place on the University of Washington campus in 1909. SR 513 was shortened in 1971 to its present southern terminus, the interchange with SR 520 in Montlake, and to an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) on the Seattle–Shoreline city border. In 1991, the highway was truncated to its current northern terminus at Magnuson Park, eliminating its route through Lake City and much of North Seattle.
## Route description
SR 513 begins at the intersection of Montlake Boulevard and Lake Washington Boulevard in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle, part of a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 520. The highway travels north on Montlake Boulevard and crosses the Montlake Cut section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal on the 320-foot-long (98 m) Montlake Bridge. The bascule drawbridge is designated as a city landmark and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. SR 513 continues north through the University of Washington campus within the University District and passes Husky Stadium and the campus light rail station before being joined by the Burke-Gilman Trail near the Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The highway turns east onto 45th Street and Sand Point Way at the University Village shopping mall and enters the Sand Point neighborhood near Seattle Children's Hospital. SR 513 continues northeast along the Burke-Gilman Trail past the Seattle branch of the National Archives before the highway ends at an intersection with 65th Street west of Magnuson Park.
Every year, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2011, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of SR 513 was within the University of Washington campus, serving 41,000 vehicles, while the least busiest section was its northern terminus at Magnuson Park, serving 14,000 vehicles. The entire route of SR 513 is part of the National Highway System, identifying it as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility.
## History
SSH 1J, the predecessor to SR 513, was added to the state highway system in 1937 and traveled 13.40 miles (21.57 km) within the city of Seattle on streets that have existed since the 19th century. Madison Street, which carried SSH 1J from its southern terminus at U.S. Route 99 in Downtown to Capitol Hill was built in 1864 by local judge John J. McGilvra to connect his homestead at Madison Park to downtown. Other streets carrying SSH 1J, including 23rd and 24th Avenues towards Montlake, Montlake Boulevard through the University District, and Sand Point Way towards Sand Point were built during the early 1890s as the city of Seattle expanded. The rest of SSH 1J, traveling northwest from Naval Station Puget Sound at Sand Point through Lake City to US 99 on the border between Seattle and Shoreline via Roosevelt Way and 145th Street was constructed by the late 1800s to serve the University of Washington campus, site of the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition in 1909.
SSH 1J was replaced by SR 513 during the 1964 state highway renumbering and codified in 1970 on its original route, connecting Downtown Seattle to Montlake and Lake City. In 1971, SR 513 was shortened to 9.22 miles (14.84 km) by moving its southern terminus to an interchange with SR 520 in Montlake and its northern terminus to an interchange with I-5 at 145th Street. The highway was further shortened, to its present length of 3.35 miles (5.39 km), in 1991 by moving its northern terminus from I-5 to Magnuson Park at the site of the former Naval Station Puget Sound.
A project to rebuild the Montlake interchange with SR 520 began in 2019 as part of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge megaproject, which had begun earlier in the decade. The east side of the interchange was covered by a highway lid and lanes of Montlake Boulevard were shifted over to it while the original overpass was demolished. The new overpass opened in July 2023; additional ramps to SR 520 for high-occupancy vehicles from the interchnage are planned to open in 2024.
## Major intersections | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections"
] | 1,160 | 3,257 |
234,205 | Pentonville Road | 1,167,519,480 | Road in central London | [
"Streets in the London Borough of Islington"
] | Pentonville Road is a road in Central London that runs west to east from Kings Cross to City Road at The Angel, Islington. The road is part of the London Inner Ring Road and part of the boundary of the London congestion charge zone.
The road was originally built in the mid-18th century as part of the New Road, a bypass of Central London for coach traffic. It was named Pentonville Road after the new town of Pentonville, that encouraged manufacturing to move out of the city and into suburbia. Numerous factories and commercial premises became established on the road in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly after the arrival of London railways in the 1840s.
As industrial manufacturing fell out of favour in London in the late 20th century, many properties are now residential or student accommodation. Current premises include the Crafts Council Gallery on the site of a former chapel, the Scala nightclub in a former cinema, and The Castle, a public house.
## Geography
The road is 0.7 miles (1.1 km) long and runs east from King's Cross station as a continuation of Euston Road. It ends at the Angel, Islington, at a junction with Islington High Street and Goswell Road; the road ahead becoming City Road. Only eastbound traffic can travel on the full extent of the road; westbound traffic is diverted south via Swinton Street. The road is on the London Inner Ring Road (A501) and as such forms part of the boundary of the London congestion charge zone. Since 1995, it has been a red route, prohibiting stopping of any kind, including loading and unloading.
Most of the road is in the London Borough of Islington but a small part near Kings Cross is in the London Borough of Camden, including the King's Cross Thameslink railway station and the "Lighthouse" Block. London Underground and National Rail stations in the vicinity include Kings Cross and Angel Underground station.
There has been a bus service on Pentonville Road since 1829. Regular bus routes running along the road are 30, 73 and 146.
## History
What is now Pentonville Road was built as the final section of the New Road in 1756, connecting the City of London to the western suburbs, so that coach traffic could avoid Central London. At the time, the route now covered by Pentonville Road was mostly fields, with Battle Bridge occupying the space where King's Cross now is. It included a tavern known as Busby's Folly, a meeting place of a drinking group known as the Society of Bull Feathers. It is marked on John Ogilby's map of London in 1675. It was moved around 1780 to Penton Street and renamed the Belvedere Tavern. The current building dates from 1876.
The road was designed as part of Pentonville, a new suburb away from the city and became a local hub for manufacturing in the area. There was some debate over the final route of the road; the original plan to run straight through fields owned by the Skinners Company and the New River Company was rejected in favour of the route further north via Battle Bridge. As it was always intended to be a main road, a coach service began in 1798 between Paddington and Bank but was quickly withdrawn. The road was turnpiked in 1830 and renamed Pentonville Road after landowner Henry Penton in 1857. Until 1882, the upkeep of the road was paid by the local parish, paying a ground rent to Penton's estate for the disused toll house at No. 274.
The street is distinguished by the "set back" housing lines originally intended to provide an atmosphere of spaciousness along the thoroughfare. The original 1756 act to create the New Road prohibited the construction of any building within 50 feet (15 m) of its side. Though the area had been designed to be a pleasant suburb, the arrival of railways in the 1840s turned the road into an industrial urban street, with factories and workshops aligning the road. The original bylaw restricting property on the front of the road was ignored and shops were built on top of gardens.
By the 21st century, most of the manufacturing base along Pentonville Road had disappeared. The original townhouses are now apartments.
## Properties
Alexander Cumming, former clockmaker and organ builder to Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, built a house at No. 166 Pentonville Road. In 1807, the year after his death, the house became the London Female Penitentiary, housing "fallen women" and rehabilitating them into society. It was extended between 1811 and 1812, roughly tripling its capacity, and moved to Stoke Newington in 1884.
The Thomas S. Jones organ builders were based at No. 25 Pentonville Road between 1860 and 1935. The Dunn & Hewett cocoa factory was established at No. 9 Pentonville Road in 1833 by Daniel Dunn, who went into partnership with Charles Hewett in the 1850s. The business claimed to have invented soluble chocolate and cocoa, and moved to No. 136, expanding to No. 138 in the 1870s. The building was enlarged and partially rebuilt over the 1880s and 90s, and included a staff tea-room at No. 140 by 1907. The factory closed around 1930 and was subsequently sub-let to various businesses. The Ealing Radiator Company was established at Nos. 152–154 Pentonville Road in 1936, manufacturing car radiators. A first floor extension was added in 1952, while Nos. 136–150 were cleared to accommodate a low metal-framed building. These premises have now been sub-let to various businesses.
The Claremont Chapel was at No. 44a Pentonville Road. It was named after Claremont House, home of the then-recently deceased Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales. The chapel was built by Thomas Wilson, who acquired the 2-acre site in 1818 for £700, spending an additional £6,000 on building works. It opened in October 1819, though a regular pastor was not appointed until 1822. The building was extended in 1847 to accommodate a Sunday school, while sash windows were installed in 1853. In 1860, the building was refurbished and given a Classical facade, but reducing the capacity of the inside gallery. Attendance declined and the chapel was sold to the London Congregational Union, before closing in 1899. It re-opened in 1902 as Claremont Hall, a mission institute. It was let for commercial purposes in the 1960s, and sub-let to the Crafts Council in 1991. The building is now the Crafts Council Gallery, a public gallery funded by the Arts Council England. It contains a number of exhibition rooms that are available for use.
The block of properties at No. 295–297 Pentonville Road, at its junction with Gray's Inn Road, is known as the "Lighthouse Block" owing to the lead clad tower at the top of the building. The site avoided being compulsory purchased and demolished (in order to provide improvements to King's Cross station's eastern entrance) and is now Grade II listed.
The Vernon Square school opened on Pentonville Road in 1913, expanding to cover secondary school students in 1949. It was renamed the Sir Philip Magnus School in 1952 and closed in the 1970s. It became part of Kingsway College before being purchased by the School of Oriental and African Studies in 2001. The SOAS has several other halls of residence along Pentonville Road, including Dinwiddy House.
The Lexington is a music venue at Nos. 96-98. It has played host to local bands, and as a warm-up venue for more established acts. The Scala at No. 275–277 Pentonville Road opened as the King's Cross Cinema in 1920 with a capacity of 1,300. Construction had begun just before World War I and was halted because of it. It was damaged by bombs during World War II, and while it remained open during wartime, it eventually had to be shut between 1949 and 1952 for renovations and repair. It closed in 1970, and re-opened as an independent cinema, which showed old 16mm films including King Kong. The Stooges played their only gig in London at the venue in June 1972, shortly before recording the album Raw Power with David Bowie; a shot of Iggy Pop onstage here became the album's front cover. The venue closed in 1992, and is now a nightclub.
The Castle is a pub at No. 54 Pentonville Road, at the junction with Baron Street. In 2015, the perpetrators of the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary met at the pub to discuss the crime shortly after it occurred, but were secretly filmed there by the Flying Squad. All were subsequently arrested and sent to prison. The current owners, Geronimo Inns, wish to distance themselves from the burglary and forbid staff to discuss it with customers.
The original Angel, Islington, sits at the far east end of Pentonville Road, at its junction with Islington High Street. It was named after the Angel of the Annunciation that appeared on its sign. The inn pre-dated the construction of Pentonville Road, and had become one of the largest coaching inns in the local area by the 18th century. The site was cut in two by the construction of the road, with the inn remaining on the north side. A new building was constructed in 1899, later becoming a Lyons Corner House. It closed in 1959, and was threatened with demolition as a plan to improve junction improvements around Pentonville Road, but survived and is now partly occupied by a branch of The Co-operative Bank.
## Cultural references
The poet John Betjeman's parents ran a cabinet makers at No. 34–42 Pentonville Road. It was established since 1859 and produced the Tantalus drinks cabinet in 1881.
Pentonville Road is one of the locations on the London version of the Monopoly board game. It is one of the light blue squares alongside The Angel, Islington and Euston Road, both of which it connects to. The magazine Mixmag's main offices are at Nos. 90–92 Pentonville Road.
## See also
- Joseph Grimaldi Park | [
"## Geography",
"## History",
"## Properties",
"## Cultural references",
"## See also"
] | 2,209 | 27,007 |
4,520,960 | Disaster Transport | 1,136,550,443 | Defunct roller coaster at Cedar Point | [
"1985 establishments in Ohio",
"2012 disestablishments in Ohio",
"Buildings and structures demolished in 2012",
"Cedar Point",
"Demolished buildings and structures in Ohio",
"Former roller coasters in Ohio",
"Outer space in amusement parks",
"Roller coasters operated by Cedar Fair"
] | Disaster Transport (formerly Avalanche Run) was an enclosed steel bobsled roller coaster built by Intamin at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It was notable as being the only indoor roller coaster at Cedar Point, the only bobsled roller coaster in the Midwestern United States, and the only enclosed bobsled roller coaster in the world at its debut. The name of the ride stems from a rearrangement of the letters "Dispatch Master Transport", which could still be seen in the ride's logo in its later years. Before the ride was enclosed, the supports and outer sides of the track were painted blue.
## History
Disaster Transport was originally known as Avalanche Run and was entirely outdoors. On October 19, 1984, Cedar Point announced that Avalanche Run would be added to the park. The ride opened in 1985. It was built next to the beach, on the former spot of Jumbo Jet and later, WildCat. Many other rides also had to be relocated. The original ride cost \$3.4 million: \$1.9 million to manufacture and \$1.5 million to install.
### Renovation
On October 22, 1989, Cedar Point announced that Avalanche Run would receive a major refurbishment and be renamed Disaster Transport for the 1990 season. ITEC Productions, Inc. was chosen to renovate the ride, completely enclosing it in a show building. The renovation included the addition of a space-themed queue and ride along with special effect lighting, two robot animatronics, and sound. The special effects and construction cost approximately \$4 million. On the outside of the building, "12 E" was written, which had caused numerous rumors as to its meanings. On August 3, 2005, it was revealed that it stood for the 12th ride designed by the ITEC employee, Eric.
Not long after the changes to the ride in 1990, the special effects began to deteriorate due to a lack of upkeep. By the time the ride closed, many of the effects were no longer active or had been covered up. Blacklight reactant paint lined the walls, mostly in the form of handprints or outlines of scenes. These gave a 3-D appearance when the rider wore special glasses purchased at the beginning of the queue.
### Closure
After Matt Ouimet replaced Richard Kinzel as the CEO of Cedar Fair in 2012, he decided that Disaster Transport could no longer be salvaged. The ride was becoming an outdated attraction, as well as an eyesore. On July 13, 2012, Cedar Point announced that Disaster Transport would close on July 29, 2012. It was the second roller coaster at Cedar Point to close in 2012. A charity auction was held for the final riders, benefiting the Give Kids the World charity foundation. The last ride was given at 11:53 PM on July 29, with the lights turned on.
The ride started demolition on August 6, using about 380 trucks to transport scrap materials. A portion of track, two cars and the main entrance sign were to be donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum. Less than a month later on August 29, the last section of Disaster Transport was demolished. The 12E part of the building was the last section left standing. Cedar Point is still in possession of many of the props used in the ride and often use them for decorations for haunts during their HalloweeKends event. And as of May 2021, Dave, one of the animatronics used in the ride's queue line, is on display in a gift shop adjacent from GateKeeper, Disaster Transport's replacement.
### Incident
On June 7, 1990 at around 4:30 p.m, three people were injured when a 6 ft-diameter foam asteroid prop weighing between 100-150 pounds overhanging the track fell into the ride trough and was struck by an oncoming bobsled carrying eight passengers. Two of the victims were treated at a local hospital and released and the third was flown to a Michigan hospital to be treated for a neck injury and was later released.
## Ride experience
Disaster Transport was a bobsled roller coaster, meaning the wheels were not attached to a track as on a conventional roller coaster. The cars — resembling bobsleds — operated within a steel trough, on which they were allowed to operate freely. This allowed the ride to swing from side to side when turning sharp corners, as an actual bobsled would. Guests would enter 10 passenger bobsleds, secured by a lap bar. After leaving the "launch area", the bobsled traveled up the 63-foot-tall (19 m) lift hill at a 15-degree-angle, which featured red and blue blinking lights on the sides. After reaching the top of the lift hill, it curved to the right, dropping 50 feet (15 m) at a 27-degree-angle and reaching a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). After that, it curved to the left into a mid course brake run. After the mid course brake run, the bobsled turned left followed by several banked turns and curves and two more brake runs. One cycle of the ride lasted about 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
### Theme
After the ride was renovated in 1990, a new space theme was given. The story of the ride was the passengers had been enlisted to deliver cargo from a suborbital factory to a station in Alaska. Large screen projections, simulated lasers, mist, and recordings were added to the ride. In the queue, guests would go through three rooms including Rocket Recovery, Mission Control and Repair Bay. The original entrance to the ride was located next to Troika. During HalloWeekends, the park would change the entrance of Disaster Transport to under the lift hill, leaving the one next to Troika to be used for the Halloween Haunt. For the 2009 season, the entrance was permanently changed to under the lift hill. When the entrance was changed, the Rocket Recovery and Mission Control rooms were closed, leaving the Repair Bay the only room guests walked through.
### Story
The ride experience was different and much more immersive in its earlier years. The story of the ride was that the riders were Dispatch Master Transport’s first public passengers and they were bound for a receiving station in Alaska. The alleged company had exclusively transported cargo until that time. The riders' shuttle would also be carrying cargo that included a highly volatile fuel nicknamed "Really Big Bang" (RBB-11 for short).
Passengers would enter under the show building through a doorway labeled "Transport Entry". Upon entering, eerie, futuristic electronic music would play. Every few minutes, a pre-recorded voice would come over the speakers and wish the riders a safe journey and remind them of the company motto: "We get you there in 5 minutes or less, or we don't get you there at all." The first room was the Terminal. Black lights lit the room. Travel posters and a diagram of the state-of-the-art space transports the riders would be traveling in were on the side walls. Two airport type loading gates were on the far wall next to two TV monitors which would randomly display videos of the head of the company "The Dispatch Master", travel ads, or random space pilots. Between the two gates was a sort of receptionist desk. An employee sitting at the desk would press a button that would supposedly open the gates so the riders could enter the launch pad. When the button was pressed, smoke would pour out from under the gates. The staff member would explain that wasn't supposed to happen and would instruct the riders to take a detour through the service rooms of the hangar to get to the launch pad.
Walking into the next room, named the Control Room, guests would see an orange mission control robot named Dave working up on a platform in the left corner of the room at a desk labeled "Dispatch Control". Dave would be taking and receiving calls from workers and space shuttles (according to him, one had crashed outside of Akron). In between calls, he would explain the riders' mission and chat with them. Dave would also constantly malfunction causing his speaking to skip and glitch out causing him to say "Disaster Transport" instead of "Dispatch Master Transport”.
Walking down another hallway, guests could see a 3-D mural of a warehouse full of crates behind a large window. Turning left at the end of the hall, guests would enter the Repair Bay which would later become the only area of the queue where riders would enter. This room contained a robotic foreman animatronic named Franc, supervising the repair of a rocket by robotic arms. Franc would bark orders at the arms but the arms would ignore him, much to Franc's frustration. Also within the room were suspended conveyor baskets carrying spare rocket parts, a forklift, and a laser scanner on the far wall that would flash "REJECT" after scanning the parts on the conveyor. A small room outside the Repair Bay had the company's logo subtly broken to reveal the ride's true name.
Guests would climb a short stairway and enter the launch area. The ride vehicles would move from behind a curtain without passengers. The ride would begin after ten or less riders were loaded onto a rocket. The rocket would move out onto a block section where an on-board computer system would welcome the riders. Once the cargo was "loaded" onto the rocket, the launch sequence would begin. Two spinning laser light spheres would project a star field around the rocket as it climbed the lift. Nearing the top, the computer would announce to the riders that they had achieved orbit. But upon reaching the top of the hill, the computer would detect aggressive "space pirates" near their location and began to take evasive maneuvers as the rocket descended down the first drop.
The ride's showbuilding contained numerous props and scenes to make the riders feel as if they were under attack while flying through outer space. The riders would speed by other rockets similar to theirs, explosions, meteors, debris, video projections and a satellite that would fire lasers at the passengers. Halfway through the ride, the on-board computer would shout, "I'm losing control, I'm losing control!" before an Alaskan landscape came into view. Here, the computer would scream, "Look out! We're gonna crash!" The rocket then banked right and entered the final brake run. White lights would strobe accompanied by a gust of wind to simulate the rocket crashing into snow. Riders would enter the unloading station where they were greeted by an employee that yelled, "WELCOME TO ALASKA!" The riders would disembark their vehicle and exit on the left side of the platform where a sign read, "Thank you for flying with Dispatch Master Transport!".
## Building
The building was also used as a storage facility for the park. During HalloWeekends, much of the original queue area was used to house a haunt attraction. It was first used in 1997 for the haunt, Cedar Point Cemetery. In 2000, it was transformed into the Egyptian themed, Pharaoh's Secret haunted house. In 2009, it was transformed into Happy Jack's Toy Factory, a haunted toy factory.
The ride, though indoors, would close in any type of rain. Because of leaks in the structure, water pooled in the trough, warranting a shutdown. Typically, the ride would remain shut down after a period of rain as the crew would have to cycle several trains through the circuit in order for it to dry. Although the ride was enclosed, the storage track remained outdoors with a large door that opened when the storage track was needed.
## See also
- 2012 in amusement parks | [
"## History",
"### Renovation",
"### Closure",
"### Incident",
"## Ride experience",
"### Theme",
"### Story",
"## Building",
"## See also"
] | 2,412 | 13,475 |
1,999,305 | Sara Ramirez | 1,173,275,338 | American actor and singer | [
"1975 births",
"20th-century American LGBT people",
"20th-century American actors",
"20th-century Mexican LGBT people",
"20th-century Mexican actors",
"21st-century American LGBT people",
"21st-century American actors",
"21st-century Mexican LGBT people",
"21st-century Mexican actors",
"Actors from San Diego",
"Actors from Sinaloa",
"American LGBT singers",
"American actresses of Mexican descent",
"American bisexual actors",
"American bisexual musicians",
"American contraltos",
"American film actors",
"American musical theatre actors",
"American non-binary actors",
"American non-binary musicians",
"American people of Irish descent",
"American stage actors",
"American television actors",
"American television personalities of Mexican descent",
"American video game actors",
"American voice actors",
"Bisexual non-binary people",
"Bisexual singers",
"Hispanic and Latino American singers",
"Juilliard School alumni",
"LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people",
"Living people",
"Mexican LGBT actors",
"Mexican LGBT rights activists",
"Mexican bisexual people",
"Mexican emigrants to the United States",
"Mexican film actors",
"Mexican musical theatre actors",
"Mexican non-binary people",
"Mexican people of Irish descent",
"Mexican stage actors",
"Mexican television actors",
"Musicians from San Diego",
"Non-binary activists",
"Non-binary singers",
"Non-binary voice actors",
"People from Mazatlán",
"Queer people",
"Singer-songwriters from California",
"Tony Award winners"
] | Sara Elena Ramírez (; born August 31, 1975) is an American actor and singer. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School.
Ramírez began acting in Broadway productions, making their debut in Paul Simon's The Capeman, and later ventured into film and television roles. Ramírez's breakthrough came with their portrayal of the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Ramírez was offered to pick their own primetime television show in an array of ABC lineups, choosing Grey's Anatomy. They portrayed Dr. Callie Torres, one of the longest-running LGBT characters in US television history, appearing in 11 seasons and 239 episodes. Ramírez's volunteered addition of the character's bisexuality marked one of the earliest series regular queer roles on primetime television. After departing from the series, Ramirez came out as bisexual and later non-binary, using they/them pronouns. They later portrayed the bisexual, non-binary roles of Kat Sandoval in Madam Secretary and Che Díaz in And Just Like That..., respectively.
Ramirez debuted as a voice actor in the 1999 video game entitled Um Jammer Lammy, and has voiced Queen Miranda in the animated series Sofia the First (2012–2018). Ramírez released their first single "Silent Night" in 2009. Their self-titled EP debuted at no. 37 on the Billboard 200 in 2011.
Ramírez's extensive campaigns for LGBT rights won the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in 2015. In addition to the Tony Award, Ramírez has also been the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Satellite Award, among other accolades.
## Early life
Ramírez was born on August 31, 1975, in Mazatlán, Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico. Ramírez's father and mother are Mexican. When Ramírez was eight years old, their parents divorced, and Ramírez went to live with their mother, eventually settling in Tierrasanta, San Diego, California. Ramírez's interest in music encouraged their mother to send them to San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, where their singing talent was discovered during an audition. Ramírez started acting in stage productions in high school.
After having played such roles as the Witch in Into the Woods, Dolly in Hello, Dolly! and Miss Hannigan in Annie, Ramírez was recommended for the Juilliard School, New York City, from which they graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama. At Juilliard, Ramírez further worked on their acting skills and trained as a vocalist. Ramírez speaks both Spanish and English fluently.
## Career
### Broadway breakthrough and other roles (1998–2005)
While still at Juilliard, Ramírez was discovered by a casting director and was offered the role of Wahzinak in Paul Simon's 1998 Broadway musical The Capeman. Based on the life of the Puerto Rican gangster Salvador Agron, the production garnered negative reviews, but Ramirez was singled out for their "outstanding" performance. They made their screen debut in the same year, with a minor yet "memorable" role in the romantic comedy You've Got Mail. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, the film had Ramírez play Rose, a Zabar's cashier who was "very serious about her line's cash-only policy." Ramirez voiced the titular character of Lammy in the video game UmJammer Lammy, a spin-off of PaRappa the Rapper, on Sony's PlayStation console. They later reprised their role in the latter's sequel for PlayStation 2, but had a smaller role.
In 1999, Ramírez appeared in Mark Lamos' The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm (1999). They garnered praise for their performance and received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for their role. Charles Isherwood of Variety praised their "beautiful, smoky voice" but was critical of their "torchy" performance of "The Man I Love," which ignored "the wry irony that infuses Ira's lyrics". Ramirez then appeared in the 2001 Broadway production of Edward Kleban's A Class Act. They replaced Julia Murney (from the off-Broadway) to play the role of Felecia, the protagonist Ed's boss. The same year, they starred in other productions including Fascinating Rhythm and Dreamgirls, and then performed in the 2002 production of The Vagina Monologues with Tovah Feldshuh and Suzanne Bertish. During this time, Ramírez also appeared in guest roles in several television series, including NYPD Blue, Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch, and Spin City among others.
Ramírez's breakout role came upon being cast as the Lady of the Lake in Eric Idle and John Du Prez's musical Spamalot. Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical opened on Broadway in 2005 to widespread acclaim. Ramírez was singled out for their performance, winning several awards including the 2005 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. Ben Brantley of The New York Times described them as "a toothsome devourer of scenery", and another reviewer for The Playgoer emphasizing their stage presence remarked that their "intensity is totally serious and totally ludicrous and totally on key". An Entertainment Weekly review gave them the highest praise by calling them a show-stealer.
### Grey's Anatomy and other projects (2006–2021)
After success on Broadway, Ramírez joined the cast of the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy in a recurring role as Dr. Calliope 'Callie' Torres, a love interest for Dr. George O'Malley, in the show's second season. On a special Grey's Anatomy-themed episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ramírez revealed that top executives from ABC, who were greatly impressed by their performance in Spamalot, offered them a role in any ABC show they wanted. Ramírez picked Grey's, as they were already a fan of the show. Ramírez further explained that at their initial audition, the producers liked them and intended to add them to the show but did not know who to cast them as. Ramírez also said they were in awe of how the executives said, "Pick a show, any show," explaining that it is rare. The series creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes explained, "I was looking for a girlfriend for George, but it was in the infancy stages, so I had no idea what I was looking for." Rhimes built the character around Ramírez after Rhimes met them. Ramírez, who was initially given a recurring status at the time of the character's inception, received a star billing in the show's third season, alongside fellow cast member Eric Dane, who portrayed Dr. Mark Sloan.
Ramírez provided a cappella vocals in the song "Silent Night" for the soundtrack of the show's sixth-season episode "Holidaze," airing on November 19, 2009. Ramirez served as the main vocalist for the musical episode of Grey's Anatomy, "Song Beneath the Song", which aired on March 31, 2011. Marcus James Dixon of Gold Derby called them the "show-stopper" and wrote that they "stole the show in a gut-wrenching performance worthy of an Emmy award."
As the series progressed, the character's popularity soared and Ramírez garnered widespread recognition and critical acclaim for their portrayal of a complex character on television. Maggie Fremont, a TV critic for Vulture, reviewed Ramírez and Jessica Capshaw's performances during an 11th season episode, calling them "goddesses walking amongst mere mortals". Ramírez was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Television Series at the Alma Awards in 2007 and 2008. Also in 2007, at the 13th Screen Actors Guild Awards, the cast of Grey's Anatomy received the Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. They and the cast were nominated for the same award in 2008. In 2011, at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards, Ramírez was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
In May 2016, Ramírez left the show at the conclusion of the 12th season, after having played the character for a decade. They released a statement saying, "I'm deeply grateful to have spent the last 10 years with my family at Grey's Anatomy and ABC, but for now I'm taking some welcome time off." Rhimes wrote of Ramírez's work on the show, "Dr. Callie Torres came into our lives dancing it out in her underwear almost a decade ago, and I could not be happier or more proud of her journey. Sara Ramírez's performance inspired me as well as millions of fans each week."
Ramírez turned producer with the 2016 teen comedy film, Loserville. The project was released in partnership with the Pacer Foundation's Center for Bullying Prevention & Stomp Out Bullying.
From 2017 to 2019, Ramírez co-starred in the fourth and fifth seasons of the CBS political drama Madam Secretary, replacing Bebe Neuwirth, who played Nadine Tolliver. They played Kat Sandoval, the new policy advisor of Secretary Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni).
In 2021, Ramírez was cast as non-binary podcast host and comedian Che Díaz in the Sex and the City revival series And Just Like That.... The character of Che has received mixed to negative reviews.
## Personal life
On June 27, 2011, Ramírez got engaged to longtime boyfriend Ryan DeBolt, a business analyst at TIMEC in Paris, France. They were married on July 4, 2012, in a private beachside ceremony in New York. On July 6, 2021, Ramirez announced in an Instagram post that they had separated from DeBolt.
In September 2016, Ramírez donated their hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children who suffer from medical conditions that lead to hair loss. Afterward, they sported a buzz cut, styled as an undercut.
In October 2016, Ramírez described themself as queer and bisexual at the True Colors Fund's 40 To None Summit (now known as the Impact Summit) in Los Angeles, California. In an email to the Huffington Post, they wrote that their decision to come out publicly was a "very organic and natural" one. In August 2020, Ramirez said they had recently determined they identify as nonbinary and used she/they pronouns, which were changed to they/them sometime in 2021.
## Off-screen work
### Singing career
Ramírez released their first single, a rendition of Silent Night, in 2009. The song was featured in the tenth episode of the sixth season of Grey's Anatomy. Their debut, self-titled, extended play came out in March 2011 on the iTunes Store under the label of Atrevida Records. The EP included four songs, including a cover of "The Story", which was originally recorded by Brandi Carlile in her 2007 album. Two of the three songs were co-written by Ramirez and the album's writer-producer Rob Giles. Sara Ramirez debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200, number nine on Billboard's Independent Albums chart, and number 38 on the Canadian Albums Chart. "The Story" debuted the same week at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 72 on the Canadian Hot 100, and number 34 on the Irish Singles Chart. Soundtracks for Monty Python's Spamalot (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2005) and Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event (2011) were released under the labels of Decca Records and ABC Studios respectively.
### Philanthropy
Ramírez is an activist and extensively campaigns for LGBT rights. They are a member of the True Colors United board of directors and The Task Force, and the San Diego, New York, and San Francisco LGBT Centers. They spoke in support of homeless LGBTQ youth at a True Colors Fund conference. In addition, Ramirez supports other groups including BiNetUSA, Bisexual Organizing Project, American Institute of Bisexuality, NDLON, and Mujeres De Maíz. In 2015, they were awarded the Ally for Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
## Filmography and awards
### Accolades
Ramírez won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical and the Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for their role in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot. They gained widespread acclaim for their portrayal of Dr. Callie Torres in ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy. They garnered nominations for the Best Actress at the NAACP Image Award, the ALMA Award, and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
## Discography
### Extended plays
### Singles
- "Silent Night" (2009)
- "Rollercoaster" (2015)
### Soundtracks | [
"## Early life",
"## Career",
"### Broadway breakthrough and other roles (1998–2005)",
"### Grey's Anatomy and other projects (2006–2021)",
"## Personal life",
"## Off-screen work",
"### Singing career",
"### Philanthropy",
"## Filmography and awards",
"### Accolades",
"## Discography",
"### Extended plays",
"### Singles",
"### Soundtracks"
] | 2,824 | 3,336 |
15,405,538 | Washington State Route 169 | 1,168,282,676 | State highway in the U.S. state of Washington | [
"State highways in Washington (state)",
"Transportation in King County, Washington"
] | State Route 169 (SR 169) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, located entirely within King County. It runs 25 miles (40 km) from Enumclaw to Renton, passing through Black Diamond and Maple Valley. The highway, also known as the Maple Valley Highway, functions as a major rural and suburban route for the southeastern Seattle metropolitan area and connects several highways, including SR 410, SR 18, and Interstate 405 (I-405).
The Enumclaw–Maple Valley–Renton highway was built in 1914 and expanded in the early 1930s by the county government. It was absorbed into the state highway system in 1937 and designated as a branch of Primary State Highway 5 and renumbered to SR 169 in 1964. Recent residential development in Maple Valley and surrounding areas has increased traffic congestion on the highway, leading to a series of widening and improvement projects funded primarily by city governments.
## Route description
SR 169 begins on a section of Porter Street in downtown Enumclaw at an intersection with SR 164 (Griffin Avenue). The intersection is adjacent to a satellite campus of the Green River College system and is a half-mile (0.8 km) from the junction of SR 164 and SR 410, which travels west towards Puyallup and east across the Cascade Mountains. SR 169 travels north through Enumclaw's residential neighborhoods and leaves the city after crossing Newaukam Creek. The highway continues north across the rural Enumclaw Plateau and past several gravel mines before beginning its ascent into the hills of Black Diamond.
The highway crosses 155 feet (47 m) over the Green River gorge on the Kummer Bridge (officially the Dan Evans Bridge) downriver of Franklin, a ghost town. SR 169 continues northwest through the city of Black Diamond, surrounded by several coal mines, and passes a trailhead for the Black Diamond Natural Area near Lake Sawyer. It turns north at the southern boundary of Maple Valley, near a crossing of a railroad, and travels through several suburban subdivisions near Tahoma High School. The highway widens to five lanes in the city's Four Corners commercial center, where it intersects the eastern end of SR 516, which travels west to Covington and Kent. SR 169 continues northwest through suburban neighborhoods surrounding Lake Wilderness and reaches the city's northern commercial district, where it runs parallel to SR 18, a major regional freeway. The two highways are connected by a local road, Southeast 231st Street, but do not directly intersect. SR 169 crosses under SR 18 and continues northwest along the Cedar River and the Cedar River Trail.
SR 169 continues along the west bank of the Cedar River, running north at the floor of the rural Cedar River Valley southwest of Squak Mountain. The highway turns west near Maple Valley Heights and passes several recreational areas. The road widens to four lanes and enters Renton after crossing over the Cedar River. SR 169 briefly swings southwest before continuing northwest on its way towards a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-405. The highway continues under the freeway to an intersection with SR 900 at Bronson Way and Sunset Boulevard, where SR 169 terminates.
The entire route of SR 169, also known as the Maple Valley Highway, was designated by the state government as a Highway of Statewide Significance in 2006, recognizing its role in connecting major communities. The highway is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on the state's highways to measure traffic volume in terms of average annual daily traffic. In 2016, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of the highway, near I-405 in Renton, carried an average of 43,000 vehicles per day. The least traveled section of SR 169, located at its southern terminus in Enumclaw, carried only 7,700 vehicles.
## History
The Enumclaw and Black Diamond highway was constructed in 1914 by the county government, using funds allocated by the state legislature. The highway replaced an earlier road with steeper grades of up to 20 percent, reducing them to a maximum of 5 percent. A steel bridge was constructed across the Green River gorge near Franklin, at a cost of \$30,000 ( dollars). An extension through Maple Valley to Renton was also constructed using separate funds. It follows the general route of the Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad, a branch of the transcontinental Northern Pacific Railway that was constructed in the 1880s to connect the area's coal mines to Seattle.
Most of the highway was reconstructed and paved in the early 1930s. The bridge over the Green River was rebuilt in 1933 with a steel truss and concrete road deck. The Enumclaw–Renton highway was designated as a branch of Primary State Highway 5 in 1937. During the 1964 state highway renumbering, it was re-designated as SR 169. In the late 1980s, WSDOT straightened and widened a section of SR 169 after completing a land swap deal with the Burlington Northern Railroad, contingent on a new track built in exchange for the abandonment of a section along the highway.
Since the 1990s, residential development in Maple Valley has led to traffic congestion and an increase in collisions on sections of SR 169. Despite calls for highway expansion, the state government has prioritized other corridors instead of SR 169, with no plans for future construction. The city government independently funded \$47 million in interim corridor improvements, including the addition of auxiliary lanes, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes. A 2016 study of the corridor's safety by WSDOT concluded that the outdated design of the roadway had reached its capacity and was in need of immediate improvement to handle expected traffic volumes. An earlier WSDOT study recommended \$300 million in projects to widen SR 169 to four or six lanes between Black Diamond and Renton.
The Kummer Bridge was closed between November 2008 and June 2009 for an emergency reconstruction project after the discovery of major ground movement. The \$10 million project was funded by the federal government and included a new retaining wall.
## Major intersections | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections"
] | 1,281 | 12,241 |
33,984,079 | List of battleships of Greece | 1,134,998,903 | null | [
"Battleships of the Hellenic Navy",
"Lists of battleships"
] | In the early 20th century, the Greek Navy embarked on an expansion program to counter a strengthening of Greece's traditional rival, the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans ordered a new dreadnought battleship, Reşadiye; in response, Greece ordered the dreadnought Salamis from a German shipyard. The Ottomans acquired the ex-Brazilian Rio de Janeiro and renamed her Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel. Greece responded with a second battleship ordered in France, Vasilefs Konstantinos, built to the same design as the French Bretagne class. As the Ottomans had a significant head start in battleship construction, the Greek Navy purchased two obsolete American pre-dreadnoughts—USS Mississippi and Idaho—as a stop-gap measure in June 1914. The ships were renamed Kilkis and Lemnos, respectively.
Greek naval plans were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, however. Work halted on Vasilefs Konstantinos in August and on Salamis in December 1914. As a result, Kilkis and Lemnos were the only battleships delivered to Greece. Greece remained neutral for the first three years of World War I, though in October 1916, France seized the Greek Navy and disarmed both of the battleships. They remained inactive for the rest of the war. Both ships saw service in 1919–1922 during the Greco–Turkish War. They continued to serve with the fleet until the early 1930s, when they were reduced to secondary roles. Lemnos became a barracks ship while Kilkis became a training ship. During the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, both ships were attacked and sunk in Salamis by Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers. The two old battleships were scrapped after the end of the war.
## Key
## Salamis
Starting in 1911, the Ottoman Empire—Greece's traditional naval rival—set about modernizing its fleet. That year, the Ottomans ordered the dreadnought Reşadiye. The expansion of Ottoman naval power threatened Greek control of the Aegean; to counter the Ottoman dreadnought, Greece decided to order a dreadnought of its own, Salamis, from a German shipyard. The keel was laid down on 23 July 1913; the hull was complete and ready for launching by 11 November 1914. However, the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 interrupted her completion; work stopped on 31 December 1914. The guns that had been ordered for the ship in the United States were instead sold by the manufacturer, Bethlehem Steel, to the Royal Navy to arm the British Abercrombie-class monitors. After the end of the war, the Greek Navy refused to accept the incomplete hull. She was eventually scrapped in 1932 following a lengthy arbitration between the Greek Navy and the German shipyard.
## Vasilefs Konstantinos
Following the Ottoman purchase of a second dreadnought in December 1913, Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel, a previously Brazilian ship still under construction, the Greek Navy responded with an order for a second dreadnought of its own. The new battleship was to be named Vasilefs Konstantinos and was to be built to the same design as the French Bretagne class from AC de St Nazaire Penhoet. Work began in June 1914 but ceased on the outbreak of war in August and never resumed. The Greek Navy refused the incomplete ship after the end of the war, leading to a contract dispute, which was settled in 1925. The unfinished ship was subsequently broken up for scrap.
## Kilkis and Lemnos
Kilkis and Lemnos were built by the United States Navy between 1904 and 1908, originally named Mississippi and Idaho. They served with the US fleet until June 1914, when they were purchased by the Greek Navy as a stop-gap measure. They were needed to counter Ottoman naval expansion while the Greeks waited on their newly ordered dreadnoughts to be completed abroad. The two ships reached Greece in July 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I at the end of the month. As Greece remained neutral during the first three years of the war, the two ships saw little service. In October 1916, the French seized the Greek fleet and disarmed Kilkis and Lemnos; they were put back into service at the end of the war. Both ships saw service during the Greco–Turkish War in 1919–1922, with Lemnos also participating in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War.
Both ships continued to see service in the Greek fleet until the early 1930s, with Kilkis serving as the flagship of the fleet. In 1932, Lemnos was disarmed and used as a barracks ship, and Kilkis was reduced to a training ship. Lemnos was used as a barracks ship after 1937, and Kilkis became a floating battery at Salamis Naval Base in 1940. During the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, both ships were attacked and sunk in Salamis. German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers bombed both ships in the harbor; Kilkis was sunk outright while Lemnos was beached to avoid sinking. Both ships were broken up after the end of the war.
## See also
- List of battleships | [
"## Key",
"## Salamis",
"## Vasilefs Konstantinos",
"## Kilkis and Lemnos",
"## See also"
] | 1,146 | 7,487 |
35,552,848 | Tiberius (son of Justinian II) | 1,144,985,238 | null | [
"705 births",
"711 deaths",
"8th-century Byzantine emperors",
"8th-century executions by the Byzantine Empire",
"Byzantine junior emperors",
"Executed Byzantine people",
"Heraclian dynasty",
"Medieval child monarchs",
"Sons of Byzantine emperors",
"Twenty Years' Anarchy"
] | Tiberius (Greek: Τιβέριος, romanized: Tibérios; 705–711), sometimes enumerated as Tiberius IV, was the son of Emperor Justinian II and Theodora of Khazaria. He served as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire with his father Justinian II, from 706 to 711. Both were killed in 711, when Bardanes led a rebellion which marched on Constantinople. After Tiberius' death, two different individuals impersonated him, with one, named Bashir, going on to be hosted by Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad caliph, before his lie was discovered and he was crucified.
## History
In 705, Justinian II, who had previously been emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 685 to 695, but had been usurped by Leontius, used a vast army of Khazars, Bulgars, and Slavs to retake the throne from Tiberius III, who had in turn overthrown Leontius. While Justinian led troops into the Empire, he left his wife, Theodora of Khazaria, behind in Bulgaria. While there, she gave birth to Tiberius. Once Justinian had consolidated his hold on the throne, he sent for his wife and his newly born son. When they arrived in Constantinople in 706, Theodora and Tiberius were crowned augusta and augustus. In 710, when Pope Constantine visited Constantinople, he was welcomed by the Byzantine Senate and the young co-emperor Tiberius, before Constantine went on to meet Justinian II.
In 711, the Theme of Cherson rebelled against Justinian II, led by an exiled general by the name of Bardanes. The rebels resisted a counter-attack, before the forces sent to attack the rebels themselves joined the rebellion. The rebels marched on the capital, Constantinople, and proclaimed Bardanes as Emperor Philippicus. During this time, Justinian II had been traveling to Armenia, and thus did not arrive in Constantinople in time to defend it, but only after it had fallen. He was arrested, and then executed outside the city in November 711. His head was kept by Bardanes as a trophy. Upon hearing the news of his death, Anastasia, his mother, took Tiberius, at this time six years old, to St. Mary's Church in Blachernae, for sanctuary. He was pursued by men sent by Bardanes, who dragged him from the altar and murdered him outside of the church.
Two separate individuals later arose claiming to be Tiberius: one in 717/718 during the Siege of Constantinople by the Arabs; and another in 737. The second impostor, a man by the name of Bashir, plotted with a blind man named Theophantus. They arranged that Theophantus would go to Sulayman ibn Hisham, an Arab general, and son of the Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, and inform him that he knew the location of Tiberius, who was actually Bashir himself. Sulayman believed Theophantus and instructed him to bring Bashir to him, which Theophantus agreed to do in exchange for money. Theophantus then delivered Bashir to Sulayman, whereupon Bashir denied being Tiberius profusely, so as to make Sulayman certain that he really was Tiberius. After many promises of safety and reward were given, he "confessed" that he was Tiberius. Sulayman immediately wrote to his father, Hisham, who instructed him to dress the false Tiberius in royal clothes and to have him pass through all major cities in procession. Bashir then went first to Edessa, and then the other major cities. After this, he went to Hisham, who received him with honor. Bashir stayed with Hisham, sending ambassadors to Constantinople to proclaim that Tiberius was still alive, and allied with the Umayyad. This news frightened the Byzantines, especially Emperor Leo III. However, Bashir's deception was eventually revealed, and he was crucified in Edessa.
## Numismatics
Tiberius can be found on coins issued during the second reign of Justinian II (705–711). During Justinian II's first reign (686–695), the first coins to bear a depiction of Jesus Christ on the obverse were minted. During his second reign, Tiberius was featured on the reverse of the coins, alongside Justinian II. On the reverse, Tiberius and Justinian II both wear crowns, loros, and chlamys, and hold cross potents in their hands. The legend of the reverse reads: "Domini Nostri Iustinianus et Tiberius Perpetui Augusti", meaning "Our Lords Justinian and Tiberius, the Eternal Emperors". | [
"## History",
"## Numismatics"
] | 1,055 | 27,518 |
18,273,746 | Rush (The X-Files) | 1,170,408,367 | null | [
"1999 American television episodes",
"Television episodes set in Virginia",
"The X-Files (season 7) episodes"
] | "Rush" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the science fiction television series The X-Files, and the 144th episode overall. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 5, 1999. It was written by David Amann and directed by Robert Lieberman. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Rush" earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.9, being watched by 12.71 million viewers in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly mixed-to-negative reviews from television critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Mulder and Scully investigate a high school student who is the prime suspect in the bizarre murder of a police officer. They discover that the boy and a couple of friends have been playing with the ability to accelerate their movements to a frequency the human eye cannot perceive.
The idea for "Rush" had been proposed as far back as the sixth season of The X-Files. However, the original plot of the episode—the effects of having super speed—eventually delved into "deeper" themes, such as drug abuse, boredom, and the teenage experience. Although the episode relied on special effects, many of the scenes were created by manipulating the speed of the camera during filming.
## Plot
In Pittsfield, Virginia, Tony Reed and two other teenagers meet in the woods late at night, but they are interrupted by a sheriff's deputy. Moments later the deputy is murdered, killed with his own flashlight. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) later examine the deputy's body: the blow that killed the man was so ferocious that his glasses were pushed through the back of his skull. They question the suspect, teenager Tony Reed, whose fingerprints were found on the flash light, but he denies any part in the murder. Mulder and Scully agree that Tony is innocent, although Mulder's theory of spirit involvement is not shared by Scully. Scully, on the other hand, suggests they question Tony's friends. Mulder and Scully visit Tony's school and speak with the two teenagers who were with Tony in the woods: the sheriff's son, Max Harden, and his girlfriend Chastity. Chastity seems concerned about Tony when Mulder and Scully tell her he may go to jail. However, Tony is later released when the murder weapon mysteriously goes missing from the evidence room. Mulder and Scully review video footage from the evidence room that shows the flashlight simply disappear. However, a blur on the video footage attracts Mulder's attention and later analysis by an expert reveals the blurred object is solid and matches the local high school's colors.
When one of the teachers at the high school who was strongly despised by Max is attacked and murdered by an unseen force using a table and chair in front of many witnesses, Mulder suspects Max possesses some kind of paranormal ability and is using it to kill. Mulder believes Harden's changing teenage hormones are giving him paranormal abilities that allow him to attack people without touching them.
Meanwhile, Tony follows Chastity into a cave in the woods and stumbles upon a bizarre shaft of light. Once Tony steps into the light, he is possessed with the same abilities that Max and Chastity have, the ability to vibrate at high frequencies, allowing Tony to move faster than normal vision can detect. At the same time, however, Max collapses and is sent to the hospital where it is found he is suffering from exhaustion, withdrawal, a concussion, muscular tears and skeletal fractures - basically, his abilities are killing him. Mulder eventually deduces that he possesses superhuman speed. Chastity sneaks Max out of the hospital where he returns to the cave (even though she suggested they go somewhere else for help but Max refused). Later, the sheriff finds the flashlight in Max's room and confronts his son about the murders. Max confesses and then attempts to kill his father, but Tony intervenes, taking the sheriff's gun and leaving behind the flashlight for the FBI to find; the sheriff is promptly taken to the hospital. That night, Tony and Chastity head to the cave so that Max won't use up any more of the remaining power. Once there, Chastity has been knocked unconscious by Max, who then confronts Tony, using his abilities to take back the gun before throwing it away. However, Chastity (having come to and using her abilities) takes the gun and shoots Max from behind, then allows herself to be shot by the same bullet; she tells Tony that she can't go back to the way things were before, just as Mulder and Scully arrive. Afterwards, Tony is seen in the hospital recuperating while numerous geological experts examined the cave, but were unable to identify anything unusual. The city then fills the cave with concrete, sealing it forever, leaving the question as to what caused the teenager-related ability a mystery.
## Production
### Writing and casting
The basic concept for "Rush" had been coming together since the show's sixth season. David Amann, who wrote the episode, later explained that the original idea for the episode was simply "[the] effect having the power of super speed would have on troubled teens." However, the story quickly developed "deeper" meanings: drug abuse, boredom, and the teenage experience. According to series creator Chris Carter, the way in which to portray the teenagers on screen was "tricky". He noted, "it had been a long time since we had dealt with teenage angst. [But] it was being done everywhere else and we wanted to take a run at it."
According to series casting director Rick Millikan, choosing actors and actresses for the episode was more difficult than usual. He explained, "It was all teenagers, but this being The X-Files we were looking for something other than the typical 90210-type kids." Millikan eventually cast individuals who could play a "subtle kind of evil", as well as display "arrogance" and "vulnerability". Rodney Scott was cast as Tony Reed; at the time, he was notable for his performance in the television movie Come On, Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story (1999), and for his role as William "Will" Krudski on the popular show Dawson's Creek.
### Special effects
While the episode relied heavily on special effects, director Robert Lieberman was able to create many of the necessary scenes simply using different camera speeds. In order to get the proper feel for the rush effects, test footage of assistant director Xochi Blymyer was filmed at 24, 12 FPS, 6 FPS, and 3 frames per second (FPS). After filming, a digital "blur effect" was then added to give the shot an unfocused look. During the scene where the teenagers stumble into the light and receive the speed power, the special effects crew shot two separate shots: one of the teens' bodies and one of the teens' heads rapidly flailing. The special effects crew then "pull[ed] the head[s] off" of the shots featuring the teens moving rapidly, and used them to replace the heads on the shots of the teens' motionless bodies. This method kept their bodies in focus but allowed their heads to rapidly move.
The crew used several different styles for the "bullet time" scene. In order to create the shot, a matte of the bullet wound on Max's chest was combined with smoke and "phony CGI bullets", according to producer Paul Rabwin. The crew tried different tracking devices for the bullet, including a pronounced blur effect, which was later removed in favor of a more realistic "smoke" pathway. The production crew had a difficult time deciding whether or not the bullet should remain at Chastity's speed as she walked towards it, or whether she should pass the bullet; the group eventually went with the latter.
Stunt coordinator Danny Wesiles helped arrange the more frantic shots, such as the scene in which a lunch table kills a teacher. Executive producer Frank Spotnitz later called the scene, "probably one of the most horrific things we've ever done." Due to the violent nature of the episode—and the table scene in particular—Fox's Standards and Practices department had an issue with the series showing "the impact between the table and the man". In order to comply, the impact was removed, but the rest of the scene stayed intact. Spotnitz later noted that, "when you take out the impact, the audience's imagination is ten times worse."
As a comical homage at the beginning of the closing credits, one can hear the sound effect that coincided with Steve Austin's feats of strength as the Bionic Man (from the Six-Million Dollar Man TV series).
## Broadcast and reception
"Rush" first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 5, 1999. This episode earned a Nielsen rating of 7.9, with an 11 share, meaning that roughly 7.9 percent of all television-equipped households, and 11 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. It was viewed by 12.71 million viewers. The episode aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Sky1 on April 16, 2000 and received 0.79 million viewers, making it the sixth most watched episode that week. The episode was later nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Dramatic Series as well as an International Monitor Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.
The episode received mostly mixed to negative reviews from critics. Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four. She noted that the episode suffered from a "bland story" filled with "bland teens", noting that the actors playing the three main teenagers were "as generic as can be". Vitaris ultimately concluded that "'Rush' is hardly the worst of The X-Files; it's merely forgettable." Kenneth Silber from Space.com was critical of the episode, arguing that the show was re-using plot lines and that the personalities of the teenagers were wholly uninteresting. He wrote, "This episode unfolds with a bland sense of familiarity. Once again, troubled adolescents are toying with paranormal forces that can only get them into further trouble. Sadly, these adolescents lack interesting personalities, and the force in question remains wholly mysterious." Rich Rosell from Digitally Obsessed awarded the episode 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that the episode was "Not brilliant, but moderately entertaining." Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson, in their book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode two stars out of five. Despite praising the episode's set pieces, they ultimately concluded that "The X-Files just isn't cool anymore daddio."
Not all reviews were so negative. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club awarded the episode a "B−". While enjoying the premise, she criticized the entry for featuring a guest cast that "mostly sucks". She did, however, positively comment on the scene wherein Max kills his teacher, noting that it "is a brutal, visceral sequence" that the episode could have used more of. Tom Kessenich, in his book Examinations, gave the episode a largely positive review, writing, "'Rush' was sufficiently creepy and had some wonderful character interaction between Mulder and Scully." Furthermore, he noted that the characterization "helped make it a very enjoyable entry into what is quickly becoming a very enjoyable season." | [
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"### Writing and casting",
"### Special effects",
"## Broadcast and reception"
] | 2,457 | 25,463 |
11,085,643 | Puncheon Run Connector | 1,147,145,372 | Highway in Delaware | [
"Freeways in Delaware",
"Transportation in Kent County, Delaware"
] | The Puncheon Run Connector is an unnumbered four-lane freeway in the city of Dover in Kent County, Delaware. It is named after Puncheon Run, a stream it follows. It provides a connection from U.S. Route 13 (US 13) east to the northbound direction of the Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) toll road, with an intermediate interchange at Bay Road. The road is part of the National Highway System and serves as part of a north–south route for traffic crossing the Delmarva Peninsula. Planning for the Puncheon Run Connector began in the 1980s and originally included a freeway upgrade of US 13 south to Woodside. The connector was scaled back to its current routing in 1992. The freeway was built between 1998 and 2000 at a cost of \$25 million.
## Route description
The Puncheon Run Connector begins at an at-grade intersection with US 13 in the city of Dover, heading to the northeast as a four-lane freeway. The intersection with US 13 has no access from southbound US 13 to the freeway. After passing over South State Street and Puncheon Run, the freeway curves to the east and runs between woods and the parallel Puncheon Run to the south and residential and commercial development to the north. The road crosses over the St. Jones River in marshland and continues east-northeast, passing between a residential neighborhood to the south and the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) headquarters to the north before coming to an eastbound exit and westbound entrance at Bay Road. Immediately after the Bay Road interchange, the Puncheon Run Connector merges into the northbound direction of the DE 1 toll road at a partial interchange a short distance to the north of Dover Air Force Base, with access to northbound DE 1 and from southbound DE 1.
The Puncheon Run Connector has an annual average daily traffic count of 14,618 vehicles. The entire length of the Puncheon Run Connector is part of the National Highway System.
## History
Planning for the Puncheon Run Connector dates back to the 1980s, when a "Relief Route" was proposed for US 13 between Dover and Wilmington. In 1987, plans called for the Puncheon Run Connector to be built along its current alignment between US 13 and DE 1, with an intermediate interchange at US 113 (Bay Road), in addition to US 13 being upgraded to a freeway south to Woodside, with interchanges at Webbs Lane in Dover and DE 10 in Camden. In 1992, DelDOT held a meeting to discuss proposals for the road, including a possible Far West By-Pass Connector through the western part of Dover. The city of Dover initially opposed the Puncheon Run Connector and favored the Far West By-Pass Connector as the latter would ease traffic congestion caused by development in the western part of the city. Plans for the connector were modified in 1992 to not include the upgrade of US 13 to a freeway between Woodside and Dover. Prior to the construction of the Puncheon Run Connector, a site along Puncheon Run had to be excavated by DelDOT and Louis Berger & Associates as it consisted of Native American artifacts from prehistoric times. The excavation of the site lasted from October 1997 to September 1998. Construction on the road began in October 1998. The Puncheon Run Connector was completed and opened to traffic in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 19, 2000, with Governor Tom Carper and DelDOT secretary Anne Canby in attendance. The road was constructed by David A. Bramble, Inc. and G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. at a cost of \$25 million.
## Exit list
## See also | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Exit list",
"## See also"
] | 777 | 32,432 |
68,762,639 | Mini scule | 1,163,216,839 | Species of microhylid frog endemic to Madagascar | [
"Amphibians described in 2019",
"Cophylinae",
"Endemic frogs of Madagascar",
"Puns",
"Taxa named by Andolalao Rakotoarison",
"Taxa named by Angelica Crottini",
"Taxa named by Frank Glaw",
"Taxa named by Mark D. Scherz",
"Taxa named by Miguel Vences"
] | Mini scule is a species of microhylid frog endemic to Madagascar that was described in 2019. The scientific name of the species refers to its size, being a pun on the word miniscule (a misspelling of minuscule). It is very small, measuring only 8.4 to 10.8 mm (0.33 to 0.43 in) in snout–vent length. It has bronze underparts with a brown groin and back of the thigh, cream upperparts with brown flecking, a dark brown side of the head, and a red iris. It is known only from the Sainte Luce Reserve, where it inhabits areas with deep leaf litter near semi-permanent water bodies. Specimens of frogs from Mandena, the Vohimena mountains, the southern Anosy Mountains, and Tsitongambarika may also be of this species. Like other species in the genus Mini, it received media attention when first described due to the wordplay in its scientific name.
## Taxonomy and systematics
Mini scule was described in 2019 by herpetologist Mark Scherz and his colleagues based on an adult specimen (presumed to be male) collected in Sainte Luce Reserve in Anosy, Madagascar, in 2005. The name Mini scule is a pun on the word miniscule (a misspelling or variant spelling of minuscule), alluding to the fact that the species is among the smallest known species of frog. The specific name scule is regarded as an invariable noun. Along with Mini mum and Mini ature, the other two species in its genus, the species received publicity when it was first described due to its humorous scientific name.
The species is part of Microhylidae, a widespread family of more than 650 species of mostly small frogs. It is most closely related to Mini ature, with these two species forming a sister clade to Mini mum. The study that described the species placed the genus Mini as sister to Plethodontohyla, despite the former being morphologically more similar to Stumpffia. However, a 2021 phylogeny by Alain Dubois and colleagues instead suggests that to be monophyletic, both Plethodontohyla and Mini should be lumped with Cophyla. This would make the present species's name Cophyla scule.
The following cladograms of the subfamily Cophylinae show the differing phylogenies found by the 2019 and 2021 studies:
## Description
Mini scule is one of the smallest known species of frog, with a snout–vent length of 8.4 to 10.8 mm (0.33 to 0.43 in). It has bronze underparts, except for the groin and back of the thigh, which are brown. The underparts and upperparts have a distinct color border along the side of the body between the rib cage and hip. The side of the head is dark brown but becomes more flecked with cream towards the back. The upperparts are cream with brown flecks. The iris is red. The groin can have dark markings in some specimens, along with blacker flanks and a burnt umber crossband on the thighs and lower leg.
M. scule has a rectangular body, with the head being wider than it is long and narrower than the body. The snout is rounded from the top and side, with non-protuberant nostrils that are equidistant between the eyes and snout. The lores are flat and vertical, and the tongue is long and thin. The first, second, and fourth fingers are greatly reduced, while the first toe is absent and the second and fifth toes are strongly reduced. The maxillary and premaxillary teeth are present, but it lacks vomerine teeth.
Within its genus, it can be distinguished from Mini mum by the presence of the maxillary and premaxillary teeth, as well as a less distinct border between the upperparts and underparts along the side, and from Mini ature by its smaller size and proportionally smaller nasals and neurocranium. It is also similar to some species in Stumpffia but can be distinguished from them by its poorly ossified carpals, along with the loss or fusion of the second carpal.
The species's calls are very different from those of M. mum but similar to those of many Stumpffia species. They most resemble those of Stumpffia gimmeli, S. larinki, and S. tridactyla. However, its dominant frequency is higher than that of S. gimmeli and S. larinki, while it is lower than that of S. tridactyla.
## Distribution and habitat
Mini scule has an extremely limited range, being known only from areas in the Sainte Luce Reserve. Reports of Stumpffia frogs from Mandena, the Vohimena mountains, the southern Anosy Mountains, and Tsitongambarika may also refer to this species but need genetic confirmation. The species inhabits areas with deep leaf litter near semi-permanent water bodies like forest streams.
## Conservation
Mini scule is currently known only from the Sainte Luce Reserve and may be microendemic to forest fragments within it. Although the species has not been assessed by the IUCN, the authors of the article in which it is described recommended that it be listed as critically endangered due to its extremely small range and degradation in the quality of the forest which it inhabits. | [
"## Taxonomy and systematics",
"## Description",
"## Distribution and habitat",
"## Conservation"
] | 1,155 | 38,366 |
8,015,635 | Give It All | 1,166,127,405 | 2004 single by Rise Against | [
"2004 debut singles",
"2004 songs",
"Geffen Records singles",
"Rise Against songs",
"Song recordings produced by Garth Richardson",
"Songs written by Tim McIlrath"
] | "Give It All" is a song by American rock band Rise Against. It was originally recorded for the 2004 compilation album Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1, while a slightly altered version appeared on the band's third studio album Siren Song of the Counter Culture later that year. It is a hardcore punk song, with lyrics that are about "being a punk rocker in today's world," according to lead vocalist Tim McIlrath. It was released as Siren Song of the Counter Culture's first single in October 2004.
Despite receiving minimal coverage from music critics who reviewed Siren Song of the Counter Culture, "Give It All" has become one of Rise Against's most widely recognized songs, and is credited as the band's breakthrough single. It has been featured on multiple lists of the best Rise Against songs, and peaked at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The accompanying music video has the band perform in a crowded subway car, while other people travel throughout the city of Chicago vandalizing and defacing billboards and posters, with the intention of raising social and political awareness.
## Background and composition
After spending several years as an underground band in which they released two albums with Fat Wreck Chords, Rise Against signed a recording contract with Geffen Records in 2003. This deal was criticized by some fans, who felt that a major record label would hinder the band's creative process and negatively impact their music. The first song the band released following their signing to Geffen was "Give It All", which was featured on the 2004 compilation album Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1. The band liked the song, and decided to record a slightly altered version for their third studio album Siren Song of the Counter Culture later that year.
"Give It All" is a short hardcore punk track, with a fast pace and a slow bridge, and in the key of A major (although the verses, pre-chorus, and bridge start with F-sharp minor). Lead vocalist Tim McIlrath commented that the song is "kind of a punk rock anthem about being a punk rocker in today’s world; like what being a human being in today’s world is like." Scott Heisel of Punknews.org felt that the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 version maintained the band's distinctive sound, and signing to a major record label had not changed the band's music. Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic noted that the Siren Song of the Counter Culture version reminded him of a harder version of songs by the Offspring, and that it was controlled enough to appeal to casual rock fans.
## Reception
"Give It All" began playing on radio stations in October 2004, as the first single from Siren Song of the Counter Culture. Commercially, "Give It All" became the first Rise Against song to reach the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number thirty-seven on January 1, 2005.
Upon the release of Siren Song of the Counter Culture, "Give It All" received almost no coverage from music critics who reviewed the album, aside from Justin Donnelly of Blistering, who described the piece as "a little generic and forgettable". Despite the lack of coverage, it has become one of the band's most widely recognized songs, and John J. Moser of The Morning Call credits it as Rise Against's breakthrough single. Dave Kim of WGRD-FM listed "Give It All" as the fourth best Rise Against song.
## Music video
The accompanying music video was directed by James Cox, and filmed in Chicago. In the video, Rise Against performs inside a subway car on the Chicago "L". Passengers begin boarding the car in large quantities, and engage in a mosh pit, while the band continues to perform. Simultaneously, other passengers leave the car and travel throughout the city at night, vandalizing and defacing billboards and posters with the intention of raising social and political awareness. In the morning, the vandals change into suits, and go to work.
The band was given a small budget to film the music video. McIlrath remarked that the band did not want to make a video that felt "really cheesy or overproduced", and instead wanted to incorporate the song's message. The night before filming began, the band performed at a local venue, and asked the audience members to star in the video; several audience members came the following day. The subway car featured in the video continued to make its regular stops, while the band and the actors performed. During one scene in the video, the vandals sneak into the local zoo, and deface a tiger cage with a sticker that says "I've spent my entire life trapped in a cage". The zoo had not given permission for the band to film the tiger cage, out of fear it would damage their reputation. The filming crew chose to instead sneak into the zoo at night to film the scene.
## Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Siren Song of the Counter Culture.
### Rise Against
- Tim McIlrath – lead vocals
- Chris Chasse – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Joe Principe – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Brandon Barnes – drums
Additional personnel
- Neil Hennessy - additional backing vocals
### Production
- Garth Richardson – producer
- Dean Maher – audio engineering
- Andy Wallace – mixing
## Charts | [
"## Background and composition",
"## Reception",
"## Music video",
"## Credits and personnel",
"### Rise Against",
"### Production",
"## Charts"
] | 1,117 | 3,463 |
6,097,747 | New York State Route 114 | 1,134,123,574 | State highway in Suffolk County, New York, US | [
"Roads_on_Long_Island",
"State highways in New York (state)",
"Transportation in Suffolk County, New York"
] | New York State Route 114 (NY 114) is a state highway, including two ferry crossings, on the far eastern sections of Long Island in New York in the United States. It serves as a connector between the two "forks" of Long Island, crossing Shelter Island in the process. This is the only connection between the North and South forks east of Riverhead. NY 114 is the easternmost signed north–south state route in all of New York. Additionally, the route is the last in a series of sequential state routes on Long Island. The series begins with NY 101 in western Nassau County and progresses eastward to NY 114.
NY 114 was assigned in the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York and has remained intact since. The highway has had two proposed spurs by Suffolk County that were failed to be constructed. NYSDOT has also marked most of the road as New York State Bicycle Route 114 (NY Bike Route 114) with diversions onto local streets in Sag Harbor, and north and west of the northern terminus along NY 25 in Greenport.
## Route description
The southern end of NY 114 is at a four-way intersection with NY 27 (Main Street), just west of the downtown area of East Hampton. Southeast of the intersection, the road continues east as Dunemere Lane, which leads to the Maidstone Club. The road proceeds north as Buell Lane for 0.6 miles (0.97 km) before reaching "Five Corners", a complex intersection that was converted to a traffic circle in October 2018.
Following the roundabout, NY 114 quickly relinquishes its status as a local road and becomes a two-lane rural highway with a 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) speed limit known as the East Hampton–Sag Harbor Turnpike. The wooded landscape between these two resort towns is dotted with large manors and estates, many of which are set far back from the roadway. The road has two main intersections along this rural stretch, a signalized intersection with Stephen Hands Path (unsigned CR 113), which services the Northwest Harbor area, and Wainscott Northwest Road, which leads to the East Hampton Airport and the community of Wainscott.
After several miles, NY 114 finds itself in the village of Sag Harbor. This colonial whaling port is today a village of boutiques and shops along the waterfront of Sag Harbor Bay, an arm of Peconic Bay. NY 114 makes several turns as it navigates the village's centuries-old street pattern. Just before crossing the Sag Harbor Cove, the road meets the northern terminus of the village's Main Street, an extension of County Route 79 which leads south to Bridgehampton.
After leaving Sag Harbor, NY 114 encounters a modern roundabout at the intersection of Short Beach Road (County Route 60 or CR 60) and Tyndall Road. NY 114 makes a turn through the roundabout and then travels one more mile through North Haven before reaching the first of two ferries along its route. Shelter Island's two ferries, both of which technically carry NY 114, are operated by two different companies. The South Ferry (between North Haven and Shelter Island) and the North Ferry (between Shelter Island Heights and Greenport) are privately owned and were founded in 1830 and 1880, respectively.
On Shelter Island itself, NY 114 acts as the main thoroughfare, once again turning along different local roads. It traverses the length of the island and ends in historic Shelter Island Heights at the North Ferry terminal. Once across to Greenport, NY 114 ends quickly at NY 25, again just a block or so from the heart of the village. Despite the short distance between the North Ferry terminal and the northern terminus, NY 114 includes three streets in Greenport. Northbound Route 114 runs on Third Street from the ferry terminal to NY 25. Southbound NY 114 runs along Fifth Street then one block later turns left onto Wiggins Street, where it heads eastbound until it passes the historic Greenport Railroad Station, and terminates at Third Street and the North Ferry terminal. The portion of NY 114 within Greenport is maintained by the village.
## History
In 1840 the Bull Head Turnpike Company built a private toll road known today as the Sag Harbor Turnpike, which operated successfully until a competing railroad line opened in the 1880s. In 1906 the town of Southampton took control of the now dilapidated road and removed the toll gates. NY 114 was assigned to its current alignment as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York and is known in part as the Sag Harbor Turnpike. The bridge carrying NY 114 between Sag Harbor and North Haven is an arched bridge that serves as a village landmark. In 1999, residents successfully fought state proposals to replace it with a girder bridge. Instead, the bridge was replaced with a new, wider bridge with ornamental lamps that closely resembles the original and is in the same location.
Suffolk County once had plans to upgrade CR 59 (Long Lane) into a four-lane highway bypassing East Hampton to the north.
Another formerly proposed Suffolk County built realignment was the North Haven Spur (CR 44), which was planned for a future bridge to Shelter Island.
In October 2018, the village of East Hampton completed the construction of a new \$1.6-million roundabout at the intersection of NY 114 (Buell Lane), Buell Lane Extension, and Toilsome Lane. The complex five-way intersection had 23 vehicle collisions reported to the local police from 2003 to 2008, and upgrades has been proposed since 2009. The improvement was jointly funded by NYSDOT and the village of East Hampton.
The NYSDOT has set aside \$13.1 million to repave the 8-mile (13 km) section of NY 114 between Stephen Hands Path in East Hampton and the South Ferry in North Haven. The project is in planning stages and is scheduled to take place in 2021.
## Major intersections
## See also | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 1,270 | 301 |
12,594,697 | Hard to Swallow | 1,106,965,780 | null | [
"1998 albums",
"Albums produced by Ross Robinson",
"Nu metal albums by American artists",
"Rap metal albums",
"Universal Records albums",
"Vanilla Ice albums"
] | Hard to Swallow is the third studio album by American rapper Vanilla Ice. Released by Republic Records in 1998, the album was the first album Vanilla Ice recorded after a four-year hiatus following the 1994 release of Mind Blowin. Vanilla Ice intended the new musical direction found on the album as an attempt to move away from hip hop music and discard his former pop image. Hard to Swallow instead featured what he described as "skate rock", a fusion of heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop. The album features appearances from Amen vocalist Casey Chaos, Bloodhound Gang vocalist Jimmy Pop, and Insane Poetry front man Cyco. Session musicians included drummer Shannon Larkin, keyboardist Scott Borland, and Snot guitarist Sonny Mayo.
Vanilla Ice took an interest in the musical style found on Hard to Swallow while performing as a member of a Miami grunge band, and was able to develop this sound through a friendship with producer Ross Robinson, with whom he shared an interest in motocross racing. Robinson produced the album after being advised against working with Vanilla Ice. The album's darker lyrical subject matter developed from conversations, in which Robinson encouraged him to write about his past. Subjects included Vanilla Ice's abusive childhood, drug addiction and struggles with fame. While the album revived Vanilla Ice's career, it received largely negative reviews and did not chart. The album sold nearly 100,000 copies.
## History
Vanilla Ice was briefly a member of a band called Pickin' Scabs, which he described as being "like a grunge band." He had wanted to perform more hip hop-influenced rock music, but the band "didn't know how to play this sound that I was looking for."
Monte Lipman, a founder of Republic Records and former SBK Records promoter, told Vanilla Ice that Ross Robinson, who had worked with bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Sepultura and Deftones, was interested in working with him. Vanilla Ice stated that he and Robinson were "totally clicking right off the bat" when it was discovered that they both shared an interest in motocross racing.
According to Robinson, others had attempted to persuade him not to produce the album. "People kept saying to me, 'It might hurt your name, it might hurt your reputation. I said, 'Then I'm doing it.' It's the most punk-rock thing you could do."
Vanilla Ice stated that "It's unbelievable how this whole thing just came about. I really believe that it was an action of God. God pushing my wave and riding it. And Ross is one of those people and Monte is one of those people that God put in front of me and I'm being blessed right now."
## Production
Initial publicity claimed that the album would feature guest appearances by Lenny Kravitz and members of Korn and the Bloodhound Gang. Only the latter band's lead vocalist, Jimmy Pop, appeared on the final album. "Freestyle" features an appearance by Cyco, a founding member of the influential horrorcore group Insane Poetry. Preceding the release of the album, executives at Republic Records compared Vanilla Ice's career direction to the revival of actor John Travolta as a result of the success of Pulp Fiction, and believed that Vanilla Ice would be similarly successful.
Drummer Shannon Larkin said of the album "I'm proud of that one. That was a killer record. Producer Ross Robinson is very demanding when it comes to drums in the studio. Everything had to be 110% for that guy, and I love him for that." Vanilla Ice stated of working with Robinson, "The vibe was totally so cool. We had the album finished in a month and a half because we kept the vibe."
## Musical and lyrical style
In the early stages of the album's development, it was promoted as an album of "high-energy hip-hop." Republic Records later described the album's musical style as "aggressive rock" in the stages preceding the album's release. Vanilla Ice referred to the album's musical style as "skate rock." The album's dark and thick sound fuses elements of heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop. Vanilla Ice stated that "I wanted to express myself in a very intense way, and there was no way it was going to happen with a drum machine. Basically, I'm bored with drum machines and samples and stuff. With a band, they can build the energy around me." Many critics have noticed a similarity between the style of music present on Hard to Swallow and that of bands such as Korn and Limp Bizkit. Vanilla Ice stated that although he knew of the bands, he "didn't even listen to [...] any of them" before he made the album, and he was not trying to imitate the musical style of the bands. "It's just we have the same producer, and some of the guitars between that and Limp Bizkit are gonna sound similar. That's what happens when you've got the same guy producing them. [...] I had heard the Deftones more than any of them."
The album features a noticeably darker sound and lyrical subject matter than Vanilla Ice's previous albums, such as To The Extreme and Mind Blowin. The album was described by CNN as a "shrill confessional" on which Vanilla Ice "flays his '80s persona, his fractured family and Attention Deficit Disorder, which he has." Vanilla Ice explained that the album "just comes out dark because that's the way I feel I've been treated" and that the album "wasn't intended to be so dark. I opened up to Ross and I told him a lot of things that happened to me in the past. It was like, really deep conversation, and he was like, you should write about that. And I was like, dude, I didn't want people to judge me for that. But he was right. It was like total therapy."
The subjects focused on in the album's lyrics include Vanilla Ice's abusive childhood and drug addiction. He stated that "I wrote 'Fuck Me' 'cause I know how I've been perceived. "I can look back at the whole Vanilla Ice thing, and it was played way out. It was just an image thing. I was always real to the music. But it built a huge hurdle for me to get over musically. A lot of people didn't even want to admit they bought a Vanilla Ice record." "Too Cold" is a rap rock remake of Vanilla Ice's biggest hit, "Ice Ice Baby". Vanilla Ice stated that he remade the song because "I wanted to let people know that I'm not running from anything. This is me. This is what I'm about. I think the music speaks for itself. If the music was whack, nobody'd even care to hear anything about no Vanilla Ice. I just think the music is so strong people are kinda comin' out of the closet. It's like, 'You know, hey, I bought it back in the day, and the new stuff is slammin'.' I think there's some hip-hop influenced, stage-diving, body piercing, tattooed white boys out there who are embracing this new sound." "Too Cold" was originally intended to be released as a hidden track or B-side.
## Reception
"Too Cold" became a radio hit in some markets. Reviews of the album were generally mixed to negative. A reviewer for the New Times in Los Angeles referred to the album as "stupid, exploitive, derivative rap-metal by the man who once did nearly irreparable damage to hip-hop." Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that "If history is any guide, Vanilla Ice's adoption of rap-metal means that hard rock is about to move on." Richard Torres of Rolling Stone gave the album two out of five stars, writing that while "nothing, however, can redeem Ice's wack boasting," the album "isn't half-bad." The New Rolling Stone Album Guide gave the album three out of five stars. The Iowa State Daily called the album "the greatest pop culture comeback of all time". The album did not chart. The album appeared on The A.V. Club's list of the "Least Essential Albums of the '90s," at number 24 on Maxim'''s list of the "30 Worst Albums of All Time", and number 26 on Qs list of the "50 Worst Albums Ever!" Vanilla Ice released a follow-up album, Bi-Polar, in 2001, which continued his artistic and career direction.
## Track listing
### Sample credits
S.N.A.F.U.
- "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
Freestyle
- "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott
## Personnel
Band
- Vanilla Ice – lead vocals
- Shannon Larkin – drums
- Sonny Mayo – guitar
- Doug Ardito – bass
- Scott Borland – keyboards
- DJ Swamp – scratches
Additional musicians
- Casey Chaos – guest vocals on "A.D.D." and "Fuck Me"
- Insane Poetry, C-Note, Jimmy Pop Ali, and 2Hype – additional vocals
Production'''
- Ross Robinson – producer, mixing
- Chuck Johnson – recording engineer, mixing
- Rob Agnello – sound engineer
- Eddy Schreyer – mastering
- Gene Grimaldi – editing, assembly | [
"## History",
"## Production",
"## Musical and lyrical style",
"## Reception",
"## Track listing",
"### Sample credits",
"## Personnel"
] | 1,928 | 21,653 |
41,352,295 | Typhoon Francisco (2013) | 1,171,923,558 | Pacific typhoon in 2013 | [
"2013 Pacific typhoon season",
"Tropical cyclones in 2013",
"Typhoons",
"Typhoons in Guam",
"Typhoons in Japan"
] | Typhoon Francisco, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Urduja, was a powerful typhoon that strengthened to the equivalent of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The 25th named storm and the 10th typhoon of the 2013 Pacific typhoon season, Francisco formed on October 16 east of Guam from a pre-existing area of convection. With favorable conditions, it quickly intensified into a tropical storm before passing south of Guam. After stalling to the southwest of the island, Francisco turned to the northwest into an environment of warm waters and low wind shear, becoming a typhoon. The JTWC upgraded it to super typhoon status on October 18, while the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) estimated peak 10-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph). Gradual weakening ensued, and after the typhoon turned to the northeast, Francisco deteriorated into a tropical storm on October 24. Passing southeast of Okinawa and mainland Japan, the storm accelerated and became extratropical on October 26, dissipating later that day.
On Guam and in the Northern Marianas Islands, Francisco produced tropical storm force wind gusts, strong enough to knock over some trees and cause \$150,000 (2013 USD) in damage. The typhoon also dropped heavy rainfall on Guam, peaking at 201 mm (7.9 in) at Inarajan. Later, Francisco brought gusty winds and some rainfall to Okinawa. In Kagoshima Prefecture, 3,800 homes lost power, while an island-wide evacuation advisory was issued for Izu Ōshima after Typhoon Wipha spawned a deadly mudslide a week prior. Rains in Japan peaked at 600 mm (24 in) in Niyodogawa, Kōchi on Shikoku.
## Meteorological history
Early on October 15, an area of convection persisted about 750 km (470 mi) east-northeast of Guam. Initially the system was located within an area of moderate wind shear, although conditions gradually became more favorable for tropical cyclogenesis. At 12:00 UTC on October 15, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) estimated that a tropical depression developed about 450 km (280 mi) east of Guam. A few hours later, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a tropical cyclone formation alert before initiating advisories on Tropical Depression 26W early on October 16. At that time, the depression was passing about 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Guam. After formation, the system moved west-southwestward under a ridge to the north. Its circulation consolidated as the thunderstorm activity organized, aided by warm sea surface temperatures and decreasing wind shear. At 06:00 UTC on October 16, the JMA upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Francisco (1327).
As a quickly organizing tropical cyclone, Francisco developed an eye feature late on October 16 in the center of the convection, as outflow improved and an anticyclone formed aloft. Based on the improved structure, the JMA upgraded Francisco to a severe tropical storm at 18:00 UTC on October 16, followed by upgrading it to typhoon status at 06:00 UTC the next day. Francisco slowed its forward motion as steering currents weakened, with a north-northwest drift beginning on October 17 due to an extension of the subtropical ridge. By later that day, the typhoon had a well-defined eye 28 km (17 mi) across and surrounded by deep convection, while passing west of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands. The track accelerated more to the northwest, steered by the strengthening ridge. With the eyewall convection become more distinct, Francisco continued to intensify, and the JTWC upgraded it to a super typhoon on October 18. At 18:00 UTC, the JMA estimated the typhoon attained peak 10-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph). On October 19, the JTWC upgraded Francisco to peak 1‐minute winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), the equivalent of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale; by that time, the eyewall contracted to just 19 km (12 mi) in diameter.
After maintaining its peak intensity for about 36 hours, Francisco began weakening, after the eye lost definition due to building wind shear. By October 21, the eye became ragged and cloud-filled while the overall satellite presentation of the storm became elongated. That day, the typhoon entered the area of responsibility of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), which gave Francisco the local name Urduja; the agency would cease issuing advisories on October 23. Conditions generally remained favorable, allowing the eye to remain distinct despite a great reduction in the sustained winds. Dry air began affecting the tropical cyclone late on October 22, cutting off the flow of moist air, and water temperatures cooled along the storm's track. As a result, the eye dissipated and the convection weakened. An approaching trough from the Korean peninsula weakened the ridge to the north, slowing the typhoon and allowing it to turn north and northeast on October 24. Francisco weakened below typhoon status after passing 210 km (130 mi) southeast of Okinawa. The storm began interacting with the approaching cold front while it passed south of Japan, moving around the subtropical ridge. With increasing wind shear, the circulation became exposed from the convection, and the JTWC discontinued advisories on October 25, declaring that Francisco was becoming extratropical. On the next day, Francisco completed its extratropical transition, but dissipated later on October 26, to the southeast of Japan.
## Preparations and impact
While Francisco was developing near Guam, the local National Weather Service office issued a tropical storm watch for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan. On Guam, 1,223 people evacuated to nine schools serving as emergency shelters. A cross country invitational was delayed by one day due to the storm. As a developing system, Francisco passed south of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands. Gusts on Guam reached 84 km/h (52 mph) at Andersen Air Force Base, while Saipan and Rota reported winds of 63 and 61 km/h (39 and 38 mph), respectively. Wind gusts were not as strong when the typhoon approached the islands for a second time. The typhoon also dropped heavy rainfall on Guam, peaking at 201 mm (7.9 in) at Inarajan. Damage in the region totaled \$150,000 (2013 USD), and was largely limited to fallen trees. There was a power outage on Guam during the storm, but the Guam Power Authority was able to quickly restore service; this was due to the first usage of newly installed meters that showed exactly where the cuts had occurred.
Later, while passing near Okinawa, Francisco brought gusty winds and some rainfall. The threat of the storm prompted organizers to cancel a tennis tournament in Kantō. The looming storm also forced the Japanese refiner company Nansei Sekiyu KK to suspend some marine operations at its facility on Okinawa. After the storm, about 100 United States military on the island helped clear debris and sand from the road. Unsettled weather from the typhoon caused an Oita Heat Devils basketball game to be canceled. Francisco's gusty winds left about 3,800 homes without power in Kagoshima Prefecture. Heavy rainfall occurred across Shikoku, including a 48‐hour total of about 600 mm (24 in) at Niyodogawa, Kōchi. On Izu Ōshima, officials advised all 8,365 residents to evacuate, the first such advisory in 27 years. About 1,300 people were under mandatory evacuation orders. This was after Typhoon Wipha spawned a deadly mudslide a week prior. Rainfall at Izu Ōshima totaled around 150 mm (5.9 in). Evacuees were allowed to return after the storm exited the area.
## See also
- Typhoon Lekima (2013)
- Typhoon Choi-wan (2009)
- Typhoon Dolphin (2015) | [
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"## See also"
] | 1,735 | 16,265 |
16,733,721 | Washington State Route 224 | 1,056,496,812 | Highway in Washington | [
"State highways in Washington (state)",
"Transportation in Benton County, Washington"
] | State Route 224 (SR 224) is a 10.15-mile (16.33 km) long state highway located entirely in Benton County, Washington, United States. The highway serves to connect SR 225 to Interstate 82 (I-82) and U.S. Route 12 (US 12), and to link Benton City to West Richland and Richland. Before the 1964 state highway renumbering the highway was numbered Secondary State Highway 3R. SR 224 is a lightly traveled rural highway except through Richland, where an average of 16,000 cars traveled the highway daily in 2009. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) rebuilt its southern terminus as a roundabout in 2016, as part of a project to improve traffic congestion near the Red Mountain AVA.
## Route description
SR 224 begins at an interchange with I-82 in southern Benton City. After only 0.05 mi (80 m), SR 224 intersects SR 225 at a roundabout and turns to the east as Kennedy Road. After passing a park and ride lot on the south side of the highway, the road turns back to the north off of Kennedy road, paralleling the Yakima River, slowly turning northeast through a rural area of Benton County. After passing through farmland SR 224 enters West Richland and becomes Van Giesen Street, the main east–west thoroughfare of the city. Exiting the town, the highway passes over the Yakima River and enters Richland, passing through a rural area on the south side of Richland Airport. At the southeast corner of the airport, SR 224 crosses over a single track belonging to the Port of Benton and managed by Tri-City Railroad and terminates at an intersection with SR 240 (the Richland Bypass Highway). Van Giesen Street continues east from the terminus of SR 224 for another 1.7 miles (2.7 km), intersecting SR 240 Business near the western shore of the Columbia River.
The highway is primarily a two-lane road between Benton City and West Richland. The road expands to four lanes in West Richland, a width the highway remains to its terminus in Richland. Speed limits posted on the highway range from 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). Every year WSDOT conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2009, WSDOT calculated that as few as 3,200 cars traveled through the intersection at Keene Road, west of West Richland, and as many as 16,000 cars at the eastern terminus.
## History
A roadway has connected Benton City to Richland since at least 1926, while a road with an alignment more similar to that of the current highway first appeared on maps in 1939, with termini at the concurrent highways U.S. Route 410 and PSH 3. The highway now known as SR 224 was numbered Secondary State Highway 3R (SSH 3R) between 1937 and the 1964 state highway renumbering, which abolished the Primary and Secondary highway numbers, replacing them with Sign Route numbers, later renamed State Routes.
The Kiona interchange on I-82 was dedicated and opened on June 26, 1974, and cost \$3 million to construct. The interchange was built as part of the initial construction of I-82 through southern Washington. The current bridge that carries SR 224 over the Yakima River was constructed in 1993, replacing the original bridge on the highway as part of a widening project. Local leaders had been lobbying for a bridge replacement and street widening since the mid-1970s, following floods that damaged sections of SR 224.
The highway's southern terminus, at I-82 and SR 225, was converted into a roundabout in June 2016 to improve traffic flow. The \$4.5 million project was the first project funded by the Connecting Washington tax package, passed in 2015 by the state legislature. A road connecting SR 224 near the Red Mountain AVA to the a new interchange on I-82 is planned to begin construction in 2019 and will cost \$24.9 million.
## Major intersections | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections"
] | 918 | 4,004 |
36,033,419 | It Came from the Nightosphere | 1,152,659,991 | null | [
"2010 American television episodes",
"Adventure Time (season 2) episodes"
] | "It Came from the Nightosphere" is the first episode of the second season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In this episode, Finn releases Marceline's dad (voiced by Martin Olson) from the Nightosphere after Marceline (voiced by Olivia Olson) sings a song about the relationship between her and her estranged father. However, Finn—who is begrudgingly aided by an enraged Marceline—is forced to stop him from stealing all the souls in Ooo.
Based on a story by Merriwether Williams, Steve Little, Patrick McHale, Pendleton Ward, and Thurop Van Orman, "It Came from the Nightosphere" was written and storyboarded by Adam Muto and Rebecca Sugar. This episode—which was the first one that Sugar worked on as a storyboard artist—features a song that she wrote entitled "The Fry Song", which would later go on to be very popular with the show's fanbase. The episode also guest stars Martin Olson as Marceline the Vampire Queen's father Hunson Abadeer. Olson would reprise his role in the series' third, fourth, and tenth seasons.
"It Came from the Nightosphere" originally aired on Cartoon Network on October 11, 2010. The episode was watched by 2.001 million people on its debut and received largely positive critical attention. At the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards, the episode was nominated for Outstanding Short-format Animated Program, although the episode did not win. The episode was later released on the eponymous compilation DVD on March 6, 2012, before it was re-released as part of the complete second season DVD/Blu-ray set on June 4, 2013.
## Plot
After Finn agrees to help Marceline record one of her musical compositions, she begins to sing "The Fry Song"—a tune about the rift between herself and her father, Hunson Abadeer. Finn, feeling sorry for her, decides to summon her father from the hellish Nightosphere, failing to realize that her father is the domain's dark leader and that he consumes souls. He materializes before Marceline and Finn, attempts to kill Finn by devouring his soul, and successfully steals Marceline's axe bass. Finn and Marceline give chase.
Marceline's father moves throughout Ooo, consuming the souls of all living creatures that he can find. Finn and Marceline first try to crush him with a rock, but the resulting skirmish between father and daughter merely infuriates Hunson Abadeer. He assumes that Marceline is trying to kill him to take over the Nightosphere, but she merely wants her bass guitar back.
Finn and Marceline attempt one last time to stop Hunson Abadeer, who has now grown huge. Due to his size, Finn is easily defeated. Marceline, infuriated by her father's lack of understanding, storms off. Finn, in a last-ditch effort to save the day, plays back the recording of "The Fry Song". Suddenly, Marceline's father understands why she is upset, and the two reconnect. Finn uses this beat as an opportunity to cut all of the souls free from Hunson Abadeer's "soul sack" before banishing him back to the Nightosphere.
## Production
### Storyboarding and design
"It Came from the Nightosphere" was written and storyboarded by Adam Muto and Rebecca Sugar, from a story by Merriwether Williams, Steve Little, Patrick McHale, Pendleton Ward, and Thurop Van Orman. The episode was directed by Larry Leichliter, with Patrick McHale serving as the episode's creative director and Nick Jennings serving as the episode's art director. The episode was the third episode of the season produced, but was chosen to be the first aired. When the network announced the start of season two, the episode was not finished.
"It Came from the Nightosphere" was the first episode storyboarded by Sugar; according to her, she "did all the monster stuff at the end", whereas Muto "did all the meat in the middle". She later joked that "anything that is actually witty was done by Adam. I’m usually responsible for sex jokes and violence." During the storyboarding process, Sugar and Muto were running low on time, and so the latter asked fellow series artist Jesse Moynihan if he could help storyboard the initial fight between Marceline and her father. The final scene with Abadeer, which featured Finn cutting open his "soul sack" was added by Sugar based on a drawing by Ward that featured Finn flying through the air with two swords. However, she was not sure if the scene would make it into the final product due to its violent nature. In fact, due to the darker and somewhat scary tone of "It Came from the Nightosphere", the Frederator creative developer Eric Homan warned potential watchers through a blog post that the episode might not be suitable for younger children.
The episode prominently features "The Fry Song", a song co-written by Ward and Sugar. This song was Sugar's first for the series, and it would go on to become popular with the fanbase of Adventure Time. Sugar's original version was inspired by Broadway theatre and was more sombre. Ward helped Sugar add more jokes to the final version. During the network pitch of the episode, Ward and Sugar performed the song for network executives, with the former beatboxing and the latter singing and playing ukulele. Although the pitch went over well and the episode was greenlit, Sugar later called the experience "super terrifying".
The design for Abadeer's monster form caused issues with the series' standards and practices department. The initial designs were deemed "too vagina-like", and the network made the show redesign the character. However, during the second submission, the network felt that it looked "too much like a penis". Ward later expressed his incredulousness on the commentary track for "It Came from the Nightosphere", saying, "We were just like, 'What is happening? This is a monster, with just a crazy, weird face.'"
### Voice acting
Martin Olson, the father of Olivia Olson who voices Marceline, provides the voice for Marceline's demonic father Hunson Abadeer. A year after the series had been cast, Ward approached Olson and asked him if he wanted to voice a character on the show. Olson was apprehensive at first, arguing that he was not an actor but a writer, instead. Ward insisted and Olson eventually relented. Olson later joked that he was "in heaven" during the recording of the dialogue because the episode featured him "fighting to the death with [his] daughter." Olson later noted that the opportunity to voice act with her father was "pretty cool”. Olson would make a cameo in the third-season episode "Memory of a Memory", and would be featured in major roles in the fourth-season two-part episode "Return to the Nightosphere"/"Daddy's Little Monster", and the tenth-season episode "Marcy & Hunson".
## Reception
"It Came from the Nightosphere" first aired on Cartoon Network on October 11, 2010. The episode was viewed by 2.001 million viewers and scored a Nielsen rating of 1.3/2 percent. This means it was seen by 1.3 percent of all households and 2 percent of all households watching television at the time of the episode's airing. This marked a decline from the first season premiere, which had been viewed by 2.5 million viewers, but it marked an increase from the first season finale, which was watched by only 1.77 million viewers. "It Came from the Nightosphere" also marked gains when compared to the same timeslot a year prior; for instance, 732,000 kids aged 6–11 watched the episode, an increase by 35 percent when compared to the previous year.
"It Came from the Nightosphere" was highly praised by critics. Tyler Foster of DVD Talk called it "a pretty decent example of all the notes the show can hit." He was particularly pleased with the way "the rift between Marceline and her dad is handled with a nice seriousness that fits right in alongside absurd gags about penguins". He also noted that "any episode that includes a song is a plus in my book." It was also called the "real highlight" of the eponymous DVD release by Charles Webb of MTV Geek. IGN writer Matt Fowler later referred to the episode as a "classic". In a separate review, he later wrote that the episode "has come to represent the best of Adventure Time, and Marceline's [sic], with her angst-y anti-daddy song and her Freddy Krueger-esque sweater has launched a thousand cosplays." Writers of Spin ranked "The Fry Song" as the forty-fourth best original song performed by fictional characters in any medium. James Grebey called its subject matter deep and from a place of uncontrolled emotion, and characterized it as mature but also eccentric.
Ward was very happy with the episode. He complimented storyboard artists Muto and Sugar, saying that the former "has a hilarious slapstick set-up-the-punchline kind of style of comedy" and the latter "is amazing at executing these super romantic, emotional goosebump-kind of feelings". He was particularly pleased with the ending, noting that "I love that goose-bumps feeling in a climactic scene with music rising. In that episode you're talking about, there is that rising action toward the end, and then LSP [...] cuts in and says 'drama bomb!' in the middle of it to sort of, like, cut its legs out. Which I think is a lot of fun."
"It Came from the Nightosphere" was later nominated for a 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short-format Animated Program, although it did not win.
## Media release
### "It Came from the Nightosphere" DVD release
The episode first saw physical release as part of the eponymous 2012 It Came From the Nightosphere DVD, which included 16 episodes from the series' first three seasons.
### Other releases
"It Came from the Nightosphere" was later re-released as part of the complete second season DVD/Blu-ray set on June 4, 2013. In addition, the 2015 limited edition 12" vinyl record release Marceline the Vampire Queen – Rock the Nightosphere included "The Fry Song" alongside other songs sung by Marceline.
## Explanatory notes | [
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"### Storyboarding and design",
"### Voice acting",
"## Reception",
"## Media release",
"### \"It Came from the Nightosphere\" DVD release",
"### Other releases",
"## Explanatory notes"
] | 2,207 | 30,854 |
700,747 | Live (Usher album) | 1,091,092,144 | null | [
"1999 live albums",
"Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri",
"LaFace Records albums",
"Usher (musician) albums"
] | Live is a live album by American singer Usher. It was recorded on October 15 and 16, 1998 in the singer's hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and released by LaFace Records on March 23, 1999. Both audio-only and video longform versions were released; it was distributed to break up the gap between Usher's second and third studio albums, My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001).
Live received generally negative reviews from critics; many criticized the poor live sound of Usher's voice on the album. Live reached number 73 on the Billboard 200, number 30 on the Top R&B Albums and number 3 on the Top Music Videos. The album has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States, and both the audio and video versions have been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
## Background
Live was released to keep Usher's fans satisfied during the four-year break between My Way (1997) and 8701, his second and third studio albums, respectively. During that time, Usher was busy pursuing an acting career in films The Faculty (1998), Light It Up (1999) and Texas Rangers (2001). The album was recorded at two free concerts Usher performed in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee on October 15 and 16, 1998. Usher stated his reasons for releasing a live album in an interview with MTV, "I really like the sound of a band, that's one, just for myself, but there were so many people who didn't get a chance to see the concert, so I came out with a live version of most of the songs on my album, and I came out with a home video for all the people who didn't get a chance to see the performance, and a little bio of me as well." Seven of the songs included on Live are from Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) and My Way. A medley of songs originally performed by Bobby Brown—"Don't Be Cruel", "Every Little Step", "Rock Wit'cha" and "Roni"—is also featured on the album, along with covers of Force MDs' "Tender Love" and LL Cool J's "I Need Love".
Live was released in the United States by LaFace Records on March 23, 1999 by means of compact disc, cassette and VHS formats; along with the concert footage, the VHS features interviews with Usher. The audio version Live was later serviced to digital retailers for music download.
## Reception
Live received generally negative reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic criticized Usher's "tired and weary" live sound, although he praised the remixed songs at the end of the album. Entertainment Weekly's J. D. Considine gave Live a C grade and wrote that, despite Usher's performing ability, the audio album is boring without video footage of the concerts. Neva Chonin of Rolling Stone was unimpressed with Usher's "tinny"-sounding voice on Live.
Live debuted at number 76 on the US Billboard 200 on the chart dated April 10, 2011, with first-week sales of 21,000 copies. The album peaked at number 73, and lasted nine weeks on the chart. On April 27, 1999 Live was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting the shipment of 500,000 units, and by the end of 2001 Live had sold over 200,000 copies in the US. It debuted and peaked at number 30 on the Top R&B Albums, and remained on that chart for nine weeks. The video longform version of Live entered the US Top Music Videos chart at number four on the chart of April 10, 1999. It remained at number four for three weeks, before ascending to number three on May 1, 1999, where it peaked for one week. The RIAA certified the Live video gold, after it shipped 50,000 copies, on December 22, 1999. The video of the performance of "Bedtime" was made available at MTV.com, and the live version of "Bedtime" reached number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
## Track listing
## Personnel
Credits for Live adapted from Allmusic:
- Baron "B-Rock" Agee – production, remixing
- Leevirt Agee – vocals
- Babyface – writer, background vocals, executive production
- Valdez Brantley – arrangement, programming, production
- Josh Butler – engineering, remixing
- Regina Davenport – artists and repertoire (A&R)
- Jermaine Dupri – background vocals, production, remixing
- Bobby Erving – writing
- Alex Evans – bass
- Brian Frasier Moore – drums
- Brian Frye – engineering, mixing assistance
- John Frye – mixing assistance
- Jon Gass – mixing
- Phil Gitomer – engineering assistance
- David Hewitt – engineering
- Jagged Edge – background vocals
- LaMarquis Mark Jefferson – bass
- Stanley Jones – keyboards
- Matt "Jam" Lamont – production, remixing
- Lil' Kim – vocals
- Kevin Lively – coordination, mixing assistance
- LL Cool J – writer
- Trey Lorenz – background vocals
- Diane Makowski – production coordination
- Sean McClintock – engineering assistance
- Gavin "DJ Face" Mills – mixing
- Cherie O'Brien – creative coordinator
- Darryl Pierce – writer
- Herb Powers – mastering
- Kawan "KP" Prather – production, A&R
- Usher – percussion, arrangement, vocals, production, executive production
- L.A. Reid – executive production
- Toby Rivers – arrangement
- Todd Sams – arrangement
- Manuel Seal – background vocals, production
- Shanice – background vocals
- LaKimbra Sneed – design
- Phil Tan – engineering, mixing
- Courtney Taylor – creative coordinator
- Brian "Keys" Tharme – keyboards
- Candy Tookes – A&R
- Tuff Jam – mixing
- Twista – vocals
- D.L. Warfield – artwork, art direction
## Charts and certifications
### Chart positions
### Certifications | [
"## Background",
"## Reception",
"## Track listing",
"## Personnel",
"## Charts and certifications",
"### Chart positions",
"### Certifications"
] | 1,330 | 7,452 |
4,307,747 | California State Route 244 | 1,171,614,399 | Highway in California | [
"Freeways in California",
"Roads in Sacramento County, California",
"State highways in California",
"Transportation in Sacramento, California"
] | State Route 244 (SR 244) is an unsigned state highway in the U.S. state of California located northeast of Sacramento. It serves as a short freeway connection between the Interstate 80/Interstate 80 Business junction and Auburn Boulevard (the old Lincoln Highway - former U.S. Route 40/U.S. Route 99E). SR 244 was first added to the state highway system in 1959 as Legislative Route 288, and was renumbered as SR 244 in the 1964 renumbering. Portions of this route have been removed from the system as recently as 1994.
## Route description
SR 244 starts just east of the westernmost ramps to the Watt Avenue exit off I-80. Just east of this, there are several connector ramps to both I-80 and Business I-80 as SR 244 passes under the terminus of Business I-80. SR 244 terminates at Auburn Boulevard, having just entered the Sacramento city limits near Renfree Park.
SR 244 is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.
## History
Legislative Route 288 was defined in 1959 as a proposed route from pre-1964 Legislative Route 3 and pre-1964 Legislative Route 242 (now I-80 and SR 51) northeast of Sacramento east to pre-1964 Legislative Route 249 (unbuilt State Route 65 - approximately Sunrise Boulevard) near Fair Oaks. In the 1964 renumbering, this was assigned the number Route 244.
In 1965, an extension was defined from SR 65 east to U.S. Route 50. In 1972 a series of "volatile" public hearings took place where local residents protested the construction of this route among others being proposed in the Sacramento area. The project was expected to cost \$40 million to construct and the resulting freeway would be eight lanes wide. This extension to U.S. Route 50 was removed in 1975, and the route's definition was truncated to end at Fair Oaks Boulevard near San Juan Avenue. The public forums ended in mid-1976 after the Board of Supervisors abandoned plans for all three routes. It was truncated further to Auburn Boulevard, its present terminus, in 1994.
The bridges along the route date from 1971, a year after the bridges on I-80 to the west; that part of I-80 was Interstate 880 until 1981.
## Exit list
## See also | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Exit list",
"## See also"
] | 530 | 11,131 |
68,185,747 | Conversations with Waheeda Rehman | 1,143,295,286 | Biography by Nasreen Munni Kabir | [
"2014 non-fiction books",
"Biographies about actors",
"Indian biographies",
"Indian non-fiction books",
"Penguin Books India books"
] | Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a biography by the producer of television documentaries and author Nasreen Munni Kabir, documenting Kabir's extensive conversations with the actress Waheeda Rehman about the actress' life and career. The biography details Rehman's birth in 1938 in Chingleput (present-day Chengalpattu), her 54-year-long film career, and her 1974 marriage to the actor Kamaljeet, with whom she has two children. It was published on 19 February 2014 by Penguin Books. The book generated positive reviews from book critics; most of the praise was directed towards the book's question-and-answer format, and Kabir's and Rehman's style in questioning and answering, respectively.
In 1988, Kabir met Rehman while researching on Guru Dutt's life. She met Rehman—his then frequent collaborator—to find more information about him for a documentary releasing the next year, In Search of Guru Dutt. During these interactions, Kabir conceived the idea to write a book on the actress which later became Conversations with Waheeda Rehman. Over the next decades, Kabir tried persuading Rehman to get involved in the book but was always rejected since Rehman believed her life was not interesting enough. While Kabir was nearly about to give up of the project, Rehman finally agreed to do so in 2012. Writing took place in Bandra from December 2012 to November 2013.
## Summary
The book begins with Waheeda Rehman telling Nasreen Munni Kabir about her early life and work. It includes her birth in 1938 in Chingleput (now Chengalpattu), her father Mohammed Abdur Rehman's death in 1951, and her appearance in the item number "Eruvaaka Sagaroranno Chinnanna" from the Telugu-language film Rojulu Marayi (1955). The book later details how she got the opportunity, the shooting, and the song's popularity. Its success led a first meeting between her and the filmmaker Guru Dutt, who would become her frequent collaborator. The two subsequently played starring roles in the romantic films Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)—she was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the first and last of these. After Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, she stopped collaborating with him and later starred in Guide (1965) and Neel Kamal (1968), both of which won her two Best Actress trophies at Filmfare. Rehman married to the actor Kamaljeet in 1974 and had two children. The book ends with information of her latest release, Delhi-6 (2009), in which she portrayed a grandmother.
## Development and writing
Kabir was researching for Dutt's life, which resulted in two books—Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema (1996) and Yours Guru Dutt (2006)—and the documentary In Search of Guru Dutt (1989), when she had a desire to meet Rehman for the first time. According to Kabir, Rehman was an important part in the research regarding Dutt, as she had collaborated with him in most films he made. In 1987, having returned from London, Kabir went to Bombay (now Mumbai) and attempted many failed calls to Rehman through her telephone. When Rehman finally responded in mid-1988, Kabir explained about the documentary she would make and Rehman agreed to hold a meeting with her. In Conversations with Waheeda Rehman's foreword, Kabir stated that Rehman, however, was initially reluctant about the project, since documentaries on Indian film personalities were rare at the time.
Soon, Kabir arrived in Rehman's apartment in Bandra. She wrote of her experience, "When Waheeda Rehman opened the door, I was overwhelmed by images of her lifelike screen character ... [She] has had such an emotional impact of us all that it took a few minutes for the sheer excitement to settle." Kabir said that the purpose was to find more information on Dutt and an interview of hers would be featured in the documentary. Rehman spoke of her days with the filmmaker enthusiastically. Kabir met Rehman once more in 1990 for a documentary on the playback singer Lata Mangeshkar. Fifteen years later, she asked Rehman if she could write a book about her life, but the idea was later disapproved by the actress, thinking that it would not be interesting.
Kabir kept trying to persuade Rehman and, in 2012, she finally gave her permission while the two were having meal at an Iranian restaurant in Edgware Road, London, telling her: "Maine kaafi taal diya, Nasreen ko" ("I have postponed it too many times, Nasreen"). The author sent copies for her Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice (2009) and In the Company of a Poet (2012), so Rehman could know what book they would do. The conversations took place from December 2012 to November 2013 in Bandra, with more than twenty-five meetings and a two-hour duration for each sessions. Kabir noted Rehman's strong memory, adding, "... her insight into the craft of film-making shows a keen and alert intelligence." The material—in Hindustani and English—were recorded on her MacBook Pro and later transcribed. Conversations with Waheeda Rehman was announced by the Mumbai Mirror in 2013.
## Critical reception
Critics received the book positively. Bollywood Hungama gave it three stars, writing that it chronicles well enough Rehman's journey from being a dancer in item numbers to an established actress. However, the critic was disappointed as the book mostly details her collaboration with Dutt only and lacks of information about her personal life. Reviewing for India Today, Sharla Bazliel agreed its content primarily describes her works with Dutt, but praised Rehman for her honest and humorous speaking style. Rajeev Masand described it as a free-flowing question-and-answer biography and "an engaging and revealing account of her times". While suggesting Kabir to add more pictures of Rehman, Ramya Sarma from The Hindu wrote a positive review, stating that "she [Rehman] is not just a treasure that Indian cinemagoers have been fortunate enough to watch on screen, but from her conversations, a delightful person to know with a memory that is rich and varied ... " Saba Shabbir, who did a review for Dawn, referred to the book as "candid, real, and personal", and praised its vivid details on Rehman's life and career.
Saibal Chatterjee noted in his review for the magazine Tehelka that the book is a "befitting document of a glorious career", explaining that it is "as much a tribute to the eventful life of an exceptional actress as it is a lucid record of a period of moviemaking that set the bar so extraordinarily high that it has rarely been touched since." Scroll.in's Gautam Chintamani concluded the book is a "fascinating insight into ... one of Indian cinema's all-time greats ... and the greatest period of Hindi cinema". Vikas Datta of the Indo-Asian News Service wrote Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is not a biography nor an autobiography, "but goes far beyond their limitations to provide a fairly comprehensive account of a remarkable actress whose ethereal beauty has lit the screen in the many unforgettable roles she has essayed—but always on her terms." Datta felt the book was easy to read as well and appreciated Kabir's effort to collect Rehman's rare photographs. Calling it "a valuable addition to film lovers", Pallab Bhattacharya of The Daily Star, a newspaper based in Bangladesh, acclaimed the book for its "refreshing" format and revealing much unknown information of the subject. The Free Press Journal's P. P. Ramachandran said, "A slice of cinema history told through compelling anecdotes and observations, it provides a rare glimpse of the real Waheeda."
Sidharth Bhatia of The Pioneer stated that Rehman was often associated with Dutt before the latter's death in 1964, and believed that it was the main reason why Kabir made the book partially focuses on their professional life. Bhatia took note of Kabir's gentle and understandable questioning style, claiming that those made the conversations were not boring and convoluted. In a review in The Tribune, Aradhika Sharma likened reading the book with looking at an old family album with pictures of familiar family members. Outlook's Sathya Saran praised Kabir to be the only biographer who succeeded to make Rehman agreed for being interviewed, and Shubhra Gupta from The Indian Express labelled the book as an "intimate yet lively" work about her. Vivek Tejuja of News18 mentioned that the conversations was done clearly, candidly, and politely. In The New Indian Express, Indrajit Hazra elaborated, "To hear her speak in this book can only force us to rewatch the Waheeda Rehman that still holds us in a trance." In her end-year column for the Hindustan Times, Saudamini Jain declared it as "the first book about one of Bollywood's most beautiful actresses ever".
## Publication history | [
"## Summary",
"## Development and writing",
"## Critical reception",
"## Publication history"
] | 2,021 | 2,764 |
3,325,084 | Weinreb ketone synthesis | 1,166,620,525 | Chemical reaction | [
"Carbon-carbon bond forming reactions",
"Name reactions",
"Substitution reactions"
] | The Weinreb ketone synthesis or Weinreb–Nahm ketone synthesis is a chemical reaction used in organic chemistry to make carbon–carbon bonds. It was discovered in 1981 by Steven M. Weinreb and Steven Nahm as a method to synthesize ketones. The original reaction involved two subsequent nucleophilic acyl substitutions: the conversion of an acid chloride with N,O-Dimethylhydroxylamine, to form a Weinreb–Nahm amide, and subsequent treatment of this species with an organometallic reagent such as a Grignard reagent or organolithium reagent. Nahm and Weinreb also reported the synthesis of aldehydes by reduction of the amide with an excess of lithium aluminum hydride (see amide reduction).
The major advantage of this method over addition of organometallic reagents to more typical acyl compounds is that it avoids the common problem of over-addition. For these latter reactions, two equivalents of the incoming group add to form an alcohol rather than a ketone or aldehyde. This occurs even if the equivalents of nucleophile are closely controlled.
The Weinreb–Nahm amide has since been adopted into regular use by organic chemists as a dependable method for the synthesis of ketones. These functional groups are present in a large number of natural products and can be reliably reacted to form new carbon–carbon bonds or converted into other functional groups. This method has been used in a number of syntheses, including macrosphelides A and B, amphidinolide J, and spirofungins A and B. (See Scope below)
## Mechanism
Weinreb and Nahm originally proposed the following reaction mechanism to explain the selectivity shown in reactions of the Weinreb–Nahm amide. Their suggestion was that the tetrahedral intermediate (A below) formed as a result of nucleophilic addition by the organometallic reagent is stabilized by chelation from the methoxy group as shown. This intermediate is stable only at low temperatures, requiring a low-temperature quench.
This chelation is in contrast to the mechanism for formation of the over-addition product wherein collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate allows a second addition. The mechanistic conjecture on the part of Weinreb was immediately accepted by the academic community, but it was not until 2006 that it was confirmed by spectroscopic and kinetic analyses.
## Preparation
In addition to the original procedure shown above (which may have compatibility issues for sensitive substrates), Weinreb amides can be synthesized from a variety of acyl compounds. The vast majority of these procedures utilize the commercially available salt N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine hydrochloride [MeO(Me)NH•HCl], which is typically easier to handle than the free amine.
Treatment of an ester or lactone with AlMe<sub>3</sub> or AlMe<sub>2</sub>Cl affords the corresponding Weinreb amide in good yields. Alternatively, non-nucleophilic Grignard reagents such as isopropyl magnesium chloride can be used to activate the amine before addition of the ester.
A variety of peptide coupling reagents can also be used to prepare Weinreb–Nahm amides from carboxylic acids. Various carbodiimide-, hydroxybenzotriazole-, and triphenylphosphine-based couplings have been reported specifically for this purpose.
Finally, an aminocarbonylation reaction reported by Stephen Buchwald allows conversion of aryl halides directly into aryl Weinreb–Nahm amides.
## Scope
The standard conditions for the Weinreb–Nahm ketone synthesis are known to tolerate a wide variety of functional groups elsewhere in the molecule, including alpha-halogen substitution, N-protected amino acids, α-β unsaturation, silyl ethers, various lactams and lactones, sulfonates, sulfinates, and phosphonate esters. A wide variety of nucleophiles can be used in conjunction with the amide. Lithiates and Grignard reagents are most commonly employed; examples involving aliphatic, vinyl, aryl, and alkynyl carbon nucleophiles have been reported. However, with highly basic or sterically hindered nucleophiles, elimination of the methoxide moiety to release formaldehyde can occur as a significant side reaction.
Nonetheless, the Weinreb–Nahm amide figures prominently into many syntheses, serving as an important coupling partner for various fragments. Shown below are key steps involving Weinreb amides in the synthesis of several natural products, including members of the immunosuppressant family of macrosphelides, and the antibiotic family of spirofungins.
## Variations
Reaction of Weinreb–Nahm amides with Wittig reagents has been performed to avoid the sometimes harsh conditions required for addition of hydride reagents or organometallic compounds. This yields an N-methyl-N-methoxy-enamine that converts to the corresponding ketone or aldehyde upon hydrolytic workup.
Additionally, a one-pot magnesium–halogen exchange with subsequent arylation has been developed, showcasing the stability of the Weinreb–Nahm amide and providing an operationally simple method for the synthesis of aryl ketones.
More unusual reagents with multiple Weinreb–Nahm amide functional groups have been synthesized, serving as CO<sub>2</sub> and α-diketone synthons.
Finally, Stephen G. Davies of Oxford has designed a chiral auxiliary that combines the functionality of the Weinreb amide with that of the Myers' pseudoephedrine auxiliary, allowing diastereoselective enolate alkylation followed by facile cleavage to the corresponding enantioenriched aldehyde or ketone.
## See also
- N,O-Dimethylhydroxylamine
- Ketone#Synthesis | [
"## Mechanism",
"## Preparation",
"## Scope",
"## Variations",
"## See also"
] | 1,243 | 37,217 |
31,829,019 | 2011 Football League One play-off final | 1,141,267,922 | null | [
"2010s in Manchester",
"2010–11 Football League One",
"2011 Football League play-offs",
"EFL League One play-off finals",
"Huddersfield Town A.F.C. matches",
"May 2011 sports events in the United Kingdom",
"Peterborough United F.C. matches"
] | The 2011 Football League One play-off final was an association football match which was played on 29 May 2011 at Old Trafford in Manchester, between Huddersfield Town and Peterborough United, to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from Football League One to the Football League Championship. The top two teams of the 2010–11 Football League One season, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton, gained automatic promotion to the Championship, while the teams placed from third to sixth position took part in play-offs. The winners of the play-off semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2011–12 season in the Championship. AFC Bournemouth and Milton Keynes Dons were the defeated semi-finalists, losing to Huddersfield Town and Peterborough United respectively.
Steve Tanner was the referee for the match, which was played in front of 48,410 spectators. Craig Mackail-Smith, League One's leading scorer, went close for Peterborough on several occasions in the first half but it ended goalless. In the 78th minute, Peterborough took the lead as Tommy Rowe headed Grant McCann's free-kick into the Huddersfield net. Mackail-Smith doubled Peterborough's lead within two minutes, his shot deflecting into the goal off Antony Kay. With five minutes remaining, McCann increased the lead with a long-range strike to give Peterborough a 3–0 victory and promotion to the Championship.
Peterborough United ended their next season in 18th place in the Championship, four places and ten points above the relegation zone. Huddersfield Town finished their following season in fourth position in League One and qualified for the 2012 Football League play-offs where they met Sheffield United in the final and won promotion to the Championship after a penalty shootout.
## Route to the final
Huddersfield Town finished the regular 2010–11 season in third place in Football League One, the third tier of the English football league system, one place and eight points ahead of Peterborough United. Both therefore missed out on the two automatic places for promotion to the Football League Championship and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the third promoted team. Huddersfield Town finished five points behind Southampton (who were promoted in second place) and eight behind league winners Brighton & Hove Albion.
Peterborough United's opponents for their play-off semi-final were Milton Keynes Dons with the first match of the two-legged tie taking place at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes on 15 May 2011. Craig Mackail-Smith gave the visitors the lead in the 8th minute, scoring after MK Dons goalkeeper David Martin pushed away a strike from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. In the 47th minute, Daniel Powell levelled the score from close range after a defensive error from Tommy Rowe and three minutes later MK Dons went ahead 2–1 after Sam Baldock's free-kick went through the wall into the Peterborough net. Ángelo Balanta made it 3–1 in the 56th minute after beating Peterborough goalkeeper Paul Jones at the near post. Charlie Lee was then sent off for Peterborough after receiving two yellow cards, the second for a foul on Powell. With nine minutes remaining, Stephen Gleeson was also sent off, for a foul on Mark Little, and Grant McCann converted the subsequent penalty to make the final score 3–2 to MK Dons. The second leg was held four days later at London Road in Peterborough. McCann scored in the 11th minute from a free-kick to put Peterborough into the lead before Mackail-Smith's close-range strike made it 2–0 and sent his side to the final with a 4–3 aggregate victory.
Huddersfield Town faced AFC Bournemouth in the other semi-final; the first leg was played at Dean Court in Bournemouth on 14 May 2011. Midway through the first half, Kevin Kilbane put the visitors ahead with a header from Gary Roberts' cross. Soon after, Rhoys Wiggins was fouled by Huddersfield goalkeeper Ian Bennett, who conceded a penalty. Danny Ings took the spot-kick but Bennett dived to his right to make the save. In the 60th minute, Donal McDermott scored with a shot from around 25 yards (23 metres) to level the match, which ended 1–1. The second leg took place four days later at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield. Lee Peltier gave Huddersfield the lead on 26 minutes from a Roberts corner, but Steve Lovell equalised just before half-time from the penalty spot after Adam Smith was fouled in the Huddersfield penalty area. Danny Ward restored the home side's lead just before half-time with a strike past Bournemouth's goalkeeper Shwan Jalal. Midway through the second half, McDermott's pass found Lovell who rounded Bennett and scored to make it 2–2. With the aggregate score 3–3 at the final whistle, the match went into extra time. Ings scored for Bournemouth from a Marc Pugh cross in the 104th minute but Antony Kay equalised almost immediately with a header from a Roberts corner. Midway through the second period of additional time, Jason Pearce was shown the red card for a foul. The match ended 3–3, and with the scores level at 4–4 on aggregate, a penalty shootout was required to determine who would progress. Michael Symes and Lee Novak scored the opening penalties for Bournemouth and Huddersfield respectively but Liam Feeney's spot-kick was saved by Bennett. Ward made it 2–1 to Huddersfield before Anton Robinson missed his penalty. Kilbane and Shaun Cooper then scored for Huddersfield and Bournemouth respectively, but Kay scored the decider and Huddersfield won the shootout 4–2, progressing to the final.
## Match
### Background
Due to the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final being held at Wembley Stadium on 28 May 2011, it appeared that the three Football League play-off finals may have to be played at a different venue for the first time since 2007. Manchester United's Old Trafford had been confirmed as a possible alternative, while Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff were also under consideration to host the Championship, League One and League Two play-off finals. It was confirmed in January 2011 that Wembley would host the Championship play-off final on 30 May, while Old Trafford would host the League Two and League One finals on 28 and 29 May respectively.
The match was Huddersfield Town's third play-off final—their previous appearances came in 1995 (a 2–1 win over Bristol Rovers) and 2004 (a 4–1 penalty shootout win over Mansfield Town)—and capped their seventh overall appearance in the Football League play-offs. They had been relegated to the third tier of English football at the end of the 2002–03 season. Peterborough United had also featured in two previous play-off finals, winning the Football League Third Division final in both 1992 (2–1 against Stockport County) and 2000 (1–0 against Darlington). They had been relegated to League One the previous season, finishing bottom of the division and 15 points from safety.
The sides had played each other three times during the season, twice in the league and once in the Football League Trophy. Peterborough won the first league encounter 4–2 at London Road in August 2010; Huddersfield secured a 3–2 victory six weeks later in the cup competition. The second league match took place in April 2011 and ended in a 1–1 draw. This was also the second time the sides had faced one another in the play-offs, with Peterborough winning 4–3 on aggregate in the 1992 semi-finals.
Peterborough's Mackail-Smith was the division's top scorer during the regular season with 32 goals (27 in the league, 2 in the FA Cup and 3 in the League Cup). His side's other leading scorers were George Boyd with 17 (15 in the league and 2 in the League Cup) and Aaron McLean on 13 (10 in the league, 2 in the FA Cup and 1 in the League Cup). Jordan Rhodes was Huddersfield's top scorer with 26 goals (20 in the league, 1 in the FA Cup, 1 in the League Cup and 4 in the Football League Trophy) followed by Anthony Pilkington with 14 (10 in the league and 3 in the Football League Trophy).
The referee for the match was Steve Tanner. He was assisted by Peter Bankes and Charles Breakspear, Mick Russell acted as the fourth official and Seb Stockbridge was reserve assistant referee. The final was broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports. Huddersfield adopted a 4–5–1 formation while Peterborough played as a 4–3–2–1.
### Summary
The match kicked off around 3 p.m. on 29 May 2011 at Old Trafford in front of 48,410 spectators. In the fifth minute, Mackail-Smith's shot was deflected by Kay onto the outside of Huddersfield's post from a tackle. Boyd then struck from around 30 yards (27 metres) but his shot was saved by Bennett. For Huddersfield, Peltier headed a Roberts pass over the Peterborough crossbar before Jones caught Clarke's on-target header. Benik Afobe, playing as a lone striker, then missed an opportunity for Huddersfield before Mackail-Smith was denied once again by Kay. Roberts' free-kick was then tipped round the post by Jones before Afobe struck wide from 8 yards (7.3 metres) from the resulting corner. Mackail-Smith then hit a shot wide while unmarked after receiving a pass from Boyd, and the half ended goalless.
The first chance of the second half fell to McCann who struck a curling free-kick over the bar from around 20 yards (18 metres), before Ward's run down the wing ended with his shot striking the Peterborough crossbar. Kay then fouled Mackail-Smith, who was through on goal, and was shown a yellow card. In the 78th minute, Peterborough took the lead as Rowe's header from McCann's free-kick went into the Huddersfield net. In immediate response, Danny Cadamarteri was brought on for Ward as Huddersfield switched to two strikers, but Mackail-Smith doubled Peterborough's lead within two minutes, his shot deflecting into the goal off Kay. With five minutes remaining, McCann increased his side's lead with a long-range strike before Lee Tomlin's shot went over the Huddersfield crossbar. Peterborough won the match 3–0 and were promoted to the Championship.
### Details
## Post-match
Darren Ferguson, the Peterborough manager, was quick to praise his chairman, Darragh MacAnthony, noting "he's spent money, had a right go and had the bottle to get me back at the club". He also noted that his father, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, had not been present at the final, calling him a "jinx" and jokingly attributing Peterborough's semi-final first-leg loss to MK Dons to him. The Huddersfield manager Lee Clark said that the final score did not tell the whole story of the match: "It was just a crazy eight, ten minutes. For the first half-hour of the second half we dominated, but they had a set-piece expert ... I'm hurting for the owner, for the fantastic supporters".
Peterborough United ended their next season in 18th place in the Championship, four places and ten points above the relegation zone. Huddersfield Town finished their following season in fourth position in League One and qualified for the 2012 Football League play-offs where they met Sheffield United in the final, winning promotion to the Championship after a penalty shootout. | [
"## Route to the final",
"## Match",
"### Background",
"### Summary",
"### Details",
"## Post-match"
] | 2,526 | 2,233 |
42,588,956 | Hedwig Potthast | 1,161,168,733 | Private secretary and mistress of Heinrich Himmler | [
"1912 births",
"1994 deaths",
"Himmler family",
"People from Cologne",
"Personal staff of Heinrich Himmler",
"Secretaries",
"Women in Nazi Germany"
] | Hedwig Potthast (5 February 1912 – 22 September 1994) was the private secretary and mistress of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, with whom she had two children.
Born in 1912, Potthast began as Himmler's secretary in 1936 and by 1938 she had become his lover. She resigned from her duties in 1941, and subsequently had two children with Himmler, a boy and a girl. After World War II, Potthast married and lived the rest of her life outside the public eye. In post-war interviews, she refrained from answering questions about Himmler's involvement in war crimes committed by the Nazis or about her own knowledge of them. She died in 1994.
## Biography
### Early life
Hedwig Potthast was born on 5 February 1912 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia as the daughter of a local businessman. After her final Abitur exams at secondary school, she trained as a secretary qualified in foreign languages. At the end of her training in 1928, Potthast worked in Koblenz.
### Relationship with Himmler
Through Kurt Baron von Schröder, one of the founders of the Freundeskreis der Wirtschaft ("Circle of Friends of the Economy"), she met Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. In 1934, she was employed at Gestapo headquarters at Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse in Berlin. From early 1936 until early 1941, Potthast was Himmler's private secretary, and in this function was particularly responsible for Himmler's sponsorship and giving of awards.
Himmler and Potthast confessed their love for each other at Christmas time in 1938. At first they tried to keep it platonic, but they fell into an adulterous relationship. Himmler's wife since 1928 and mother of their daughter, Margarete Himmler, found out about Himmler's relationship with Potthast at some time in February 1941. She felt humiliated and bitter, and Potthast's parents rejected the extramarital relationship. Potthast first took up residence in Grunewald and from 1943 she lived in Brückentin, near the estate of Oswald Pohl, because she was a friend of his wife, Eleonore. Lina Heydrich, wife of Himmler's right-hand man Reinhard Heydrich, and Gerda Bormann, spouse of Martin Bormann, were also counted among her friends. Later she lived in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
Potthast had two children with Himmler. Helge, a son born 15 February 1942 in the Hohenlychen Sanatorium, and Nanette-Dorothea, a daughter born 20 July 1944 in Berchtesgaden. That same year, Himmler borrowed 80,000 Reichsmarks from the Nazi Party Chancellery and had a house built for Potthast near Berchtesgaden.
Little is known about the overall relationship between Himmler and Potthast. The couple most likely saw each other only infrequently due to Himmler's activity in his numerous offices. It remains unclear how much, if anything, either Potthast or Himmler's wife knew about his "secret work", his involvement in the Final Solution, the genocide of the Jews. Potthast's relationship with Himmler ended in early 1945,—they met for the last time in mid-March 1945, after which they shared daily telephone calls until 19 April 1945.
### Post-war
When World War II in Europe ended, Potthast was in Achensee, Austria, and, after having learned of the death of Himmler on the radio on 23 May 1945, went into hiding, living temporarily with Eleonore Pohl in Rosenheim, Upper Bavaria. In June/July 1945, she was arrested there by members of the U.S. Army and interrogated for several days in Munich. Margarete and Himmler's daughter, Gudrun Burwitz, did not learn of her half-siblings until after the war. When she tried to make contact with them, Potthast refused. She lived in Theissendorf and kept in contact with the family of Himmler's older brother, Gebhard, as well as Himmler's former close confidant, Karl Wolff, until the 1950s.
### Final years
Potthast later married and took her husband's name. Her son struggled with ailments throughout his life and stayed with her; her daughter became a physician. In a 1987 interview with former Der Spiegel editor Peter-Ferdinand Koch, Potthast remained silent about Himmler's responsibility for Nazi war crimes. She died on 22 September 1994, aged 82, in Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg. | [
"## Biography",
"### Early life",
"### Relationship with Himmler",
"### Post-war",
"### Final years"
] | 1,062 | 11,111 |
51,410,752 | Montenegro at the 2016 Summer Paralympics | 1,137,378,274 | null | [
"2016 in Montenegrin sport",
"Montenegro at the Paralympics",
"Nations at the 2016 Summer Paralympics"
] | Montenegro sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the nation's third time competing at a Paralympic Games since it became independent from its federation with Serbia in June 2006. Montenegro was represented by two athletes in Rio de Janeiro: shot putter and discus thrower Marijana Goranović and short-distance swimmer Ilija Tadić. Goranović competed in two events in field and her best finish was in the women's shot put F41 competition, where she came eighth. Tadić took part in two swimming events and his best performance was in the men's 50 metre freestyle S9 tournament, where he placed 14th overall and did not advance to the final.
## Background
Montenegro became an independent country from its federation with Serbia on 3 June 2006 after a referendum on Montenegrin independence the month before. The country made its debut at the 2008 Beijing Summer Paralympic Games, and have appeared in every Summer Paralympics since, making Rio de Janeiro its third appearance at a Summer Paralympiad as an independent nation. Montenegro has not won its first medal at a Paralympic Games and has yet to debut in the Winter Paralympics. The 2016 Summer Paralympics were held from 7–18 September 2016 with a total of 4,328 athletes representing 159 National Paralympic Committees taking part. The Paralympic Committee of Montenegro sent two athletes to compete at the Rio Paralympics: shot putter and discus thrower Marijana Goranović and Ilija Tadić, a short-distance swimmer. Tadić was selected to be the flag bearer for the parade of nations during the opening ceremony.
## Disability classifications
Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability.
## Athletics
At the time of the Rio Paralympics, Marijana Goranović was 27 years old. She was competing in her second Paralympic Games, having previously represented Montenegro at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Goranović's disability is congenital; she is a person of short stature and is classified as F41. She qualified for the Rio Games by meeting the "A" qualifying standards for the women's shot put and discus throw events at a meeting in the Montenegrin town of Bar in April 2016. This was officially confirmed by the International Paralympic Committee on 30 June. Before the Paralympics, Goranović said, "I had enough time to recover after throwing the ball, I felt the terrain and the atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium, I have done two training sessions, and I've thrown over 20 meters, and I hope to repeat it when it's needed the most." On 9 September, she competed in the women's shout put F41, finishing eighth out of nine athletes, with a mark of 6.57 metres. Six days later, Goranović participated in the discus throw F40–41. She placed ninth out of thirteen finishing athletes with a new personal best mark of 19.28 metres.
Women's Field
## Swimming
Competing in his maiden Paralympic Games, Ilija Tadić was 17 years old at the time of the Rio Summer Paralympics. He is classified as S9 because his left arm is amputated below the elbow. Tadić qualified for these Paralympics at an internationally sanctioned meeting in the Croatian city of Split in January 2016 because his best time of 26.65 seconds was three-hundredths of a second faster than the "A" qualifying standard for the men's 50 metre freestyle S9 event. He said before the Games that his objective was to justify the expectations put upon him by the Montenegrin delegation by finishing with the best possible result. Tadić competed in the heat stages of the men's 100 metres freestyle S9 competition on 12 September. Assigned to heat two, he came sixth out of seven swimmers, with a time of 59.91 seconds. Only the top eight between all three heats could advance to the finals, and Tadić was eliminated since he ranked 17th overall. The next day, he was drawn to the third heat of the men's 50 metres freestyle S9 competition, finishing with a time of 27.60 seconds, which put him joint in fifth and last position with Cody Bureau of the United States. Tadić did not advance to the final since only the top eight swimmers were permitted in the last stage of the tournament.
Men
## See also
- Montenegro at the 2016 Summer Olympics | [
"## Background",
"## Disability classifications",
"## Athletics",
"## Swimming",
"## See also"
] | 1,181 | 20,097 |
71,284,945 | Alessandra Vieira | 1,160,749,977 | Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from Brazil | [
"1976 births",
"American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu",
"American sportspeople of Brazilian descent",
"Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champions (women)",
"Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu",
"Brazilian submission wrestlers",
"Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners",
"Living people",
"People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu",
"Sportspeople from Minas Gerais"
] | Alessandra "Leka" Vieira (born March 14, 1976) is a submission grappler and a 6th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of women's Brazilian jiu-jitsu, she became in 1999 the first-ever female black belt World champion.
A highly accomplished competitor, Vieira is a three-time World champion, four-time Pan American champion as well as an ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship finalist, in 2022 she was inducted in the United States Martial Art Hall of Fame. As a 6th degree black belt, she is one of the highest ranked female jiu-jitsu practitioners in the United States.
## Career
Alessandra Vieira de Souza was born on March 14, 1976, in São Pedro dos Ferros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the age of 16, after an ACL injury forced her to take time away from handball, she started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) under Aloisio Silva, a Carlos Gracie's black belt, founder of Dojo jiu-jitsu and one of the first BJJ masters to teach women. She was promoted to blue belt after six months of training and two years later was a finalist at the 1994 Brazilian National Championship winning silver. She was promoted to black belt by Silva in 1998 then won the 1999 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship a year later, becoming the first female black belt world champion. She won silver at the 2000 World Championship in the featherweight division, then the following year, she won gold at the Pan American Championship. In 2001 she was invited to help start a women's only class at Rigan Machado's academy which resulted in her move to California and representing Machado JJ in competition.
In 2002, Vieira won the World Championship and the Pan American in the same year. After promoting Cindy Omatsu in 2002, she became the first woman to promote another woman to BJJ black belt. She won the Pan championship again in 2003 in the featherweight division. In 2005, she faced Kyra Gracie in the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship final losing on points after a 16-minute match for the woman's under 60 kilograms (130 lb) title; that same year, representing Gracie Humaitá, Vieira won the World Championship for the third time after defeating Kyra Gracie in the lightweight final. In 2004, Vieira opened her own school out of Torrance, California. In 2015, she opened CheckMat Valencia an affiliate of Checkmat. In 2014, she became a member of Black Belt Magazine hall of fame after being chosen as Competitor of the Year.
In 2018, Vieira launched the Wonder Woman BJJ Project, a program to help promote and expand the role of women in jiu-jitsu. In 2019 Vieira returned to competition to win the Pan Masters championship in the featherweight division. In March 2022, she received her 6th degree from Léo Vieira, and was inducted in the United States Martial Art Hall of Fame.
## Championships and recognitions
### Championships
Main Achievements:
- IBJJF World Champion (1999 / 2002 / 2005)
- IBJJF Pan American Champion (2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2019)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2000)
- 2nd Place ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship (2005)
- 2nd Place Brazilian National Championship (1994)
### Recognitions
- Black Belt Magazine hall of fame (2014 Competitor of the Year)
- United States Martial Art Hall of Fame (Silver Life Award 2022)
## Instructor lineage
Vieira's jiu-jitsu instructor lineage can be traced from Carlos Gracie Sr, one of the founders of the art, to Grand Master Aloísio Silva (7th degree):
Mitsuyo Maeda \> Carlos Gracie Sr. \> Robson Gracie \> Aloísio Silva \> Leka Vieira | [
"## Career",
"## Championships and recognitions",
"### Championships",
"### Recognitions",
"## Instructor lineage"
] | 869 | 5,192 |
56,469,666 | Changed My Mind | 1,138,746,711 | 2018 single by Tove Styrke | [
"2018 singles",
"2018 songs",
"Song recordings produced by Elof Loelv",
"Songs written by Elof Loelv",
"Songs written by Linnea Södahl",
"Songs written by Tove Styrke",
"Sony Music singles",
"Tove Styrke songs",
"Tropical house songs"
] | "Changed My Mind" is a song by Swedish singer Tove Styrke from her third studio album Sway (2018). The song was written by the singer, Elof Loelv, Michael Trewartha, Kyle Trewartha, Kathryn Ostenberg, and Linnea Södahl, with production by Loelv. It was released as the third single from the album on 2 February 2018, through Sony Music. The synth-pop and tropical house song includes dancehall influences and vocoder effects. Its lyrics detail an on-again, off-again relationship where the singer changes her mind about her partner.
"Changed My Mind" received general praise from music critics, some of whom noted its commercial appeal. Upon its release, the song peaked at number 90 on the Sverigetopplistan singles chart in Sweden. For promotion, Sony Music released an accompanying lyric video. In addition to the clip, Styrke promoted the song with a live performance on Like a Version in April 2018. Grant, who served as the opening act for Styrke's Sway Tour in the Nordics in late 2018, released a cover version of the song on the tour's beginning date.
## Background and release
Tove Styrke wrote "Changed My Mind" with Elof Loelv, Michael and Kyle Trewartha of duo Grey, Kathryn Ostenberg, and Linnea Södahl, for her third studio album Sway (2018). Styrke mainly collaborated with Loelv on Sway and said that the two spent "a lot of time" working on the songs. She stated, "Both of us have really high standards and need to get it exactly right, but when you do it's worth it." Loelv managed both production and programming, in addition to playing all the instruments on the song. Henrik Edenhed mixed the track and Randy Merrill handled mastering.
"Changed My Mind" was digitally released on 2 February 2018, through Sony Music. It was the third single issued from Sway ahead of the album's release in May 2018. The single's artwork, designed by Sepidar Hosseini, features an illustrated pair of dice. In an interview for NME, Styrke was asked why dice were used and not a crystal ball, to which she answered, "We went for dice for that one as it's an immediate thing. The crystal ball is about your long-term future, and that's not really what this song is about. It's more 'Am I going to spend tonight with this person?' And... I'm kind of hoping for double sixes." The single release coincided with the announcement of Sway's forthcoming release date.
## Composition and lyrics
"Changed My Mind" is a three-minutes and five-second synth-pop and tropical house song. Music commentators identified dancehall elements; Margaret Farrell of Pitchfork described it as a "Tilt-a-Whirling dancehall" track. Mike Wass, writing for Idolator, observed that the song's genre fits "between alt and mainstream-pop". Instrumentation is provided by a bass guitar, drums, handclaps, a guitar, keyboards, percussion, and a synthesizer. Time's Raisa Bruner characterized the production as a "light, minimalist pop backdrop". Styrke's vocals are distorted on the bridge with vocoder, while her vocals on the pre-chorus change in octaves.
The lyrics of "Changed My Mind" describe an on-again, off-again relationship while in its "on" phase. Maura Johnston from Rolling Stone noted that its lyrics express ambivalence, and Bruner viewed the song as a "nod at the complexities of modern love". The chorus includes the lines "Ooh pull me closer and I changed my mind, ooh it ain't over and I changed my mind", and "I wasn't really sure about us, but now I'm pretty sure about us." The Line of Best Fit writer Matthew Kent defined its lyricism as tongue-in-cheek. Styrke stated that "Changed My Mind" conveys an "almost anti-romantic" and "unromantic" side of love. In an interview for Ones to Watch, she elaborated: "My idea for it was that I wanted it to be like, when you follow a person, sort of the stalking process. You have a history with this person but then you realize that this person is not good for you." In a separate article in V, Styrke explained that early on in the song, her vocals are "super crisp and clear" when she sings the line "I changed my mind" and as it progresses, the vocoder "comes in and goes nuts" on the lyric. The singer said that "at that point I guess you're drunk and think it's the best decision ever". She told Billboard that the song has "that tipsiness vibe".
## Reception
"Changed My Mind" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Upon its release, Bruner from Time included the song on a list of "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week", writing that Styrke "is cleverly marking out her own pop territory". Kish Lal of The Sydney Morning Herald praised the single, commenting that "it is on songs like 'Changed My Mind' where [Styrke] sings with bravado that she is most impressive". Simon Österhof of Västerbottens-Kuriren called it "fantastic", and The Guardian's Graeme Virtue regarded the song a "deceptively casual banger" and stated, "Playful keyboard chops, a light dusting of sci-fi dancehall blarps and an octave-sliding pre-chorus are folded into a chart-ready fondant." Similarly, Wass from Idolator labeled it a "brilliant banger", concluding: "With any luck this could be the song that lifts her profile to the next level." Kent, writing for The Line of Best Fit, commended the track's melodies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. In a more critical review, Markus Larsson of Aftonbladet deemed the song the only filler track on Sway, writing that the mix of tropical house and pop is "on autopilot".
Rolling Stone selected "Changed My Mind" as the 27th-best-song of 2018, writing: "The Swedish singer and candidate for Catchiest Artist Alive makes falling back into the arms of someone you swore off sound wickedly fun. It’s an expertly made synth-pop souffle — both light-as-air and satisfying." Commercially, the single did not match the performances of Sway's previous singles "Say My Name" and "Mistakes". "Changed My Mind" debuted at number 90 on the Swedish Sverigetopplistan singles chart on 9 February 2018 and lasted on the chart for a week.
## Promotion and cover version
To promote the single, an accompanying lyric video for "Changed My Mind" was uploaded to Styrke's official YouTube channel on 2 February 2018. The video was created by Regnet Co. Styrke performed the song on Like a Version for Australian radio station Triple J on 13 April 2018, and also included the song on the set list while touring for Sway in 2018. Swedish singer Grant released a cover version of "Changed My Mind" on 23 November 2018, through Sony Music. The cover was released on the same date as the beginning of the Nordic shows of the Sway Tour, for which Grant served as the opening act. Grant chose to cover the song because of its "great melody and great lyrics with a mixed message". She said that she "stripped the song to its melody and started building it from scratch", which included using strings in the production. Styrke approved of the cover, calling it "really beautiful".
## Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from Tidal.
- Tove Styrke – songwriting
- Elof Loelv – songwriting, production, bass, clapping, drums, guitar, percussion, programming, synthesizer
- Michael Trewartha – songwriting
- Kyle Trewartha – songwriting
- Kathryn Ostenberg – songwriting
- Linnea Södahl – songwriting
- Henrik Edenhed – mixing
- Randy Merrill – mastering
## Charts
## Release history | [
"## Background and release",
"## Composition and lyrics",
"## Reception",
"## Promotion and cover version",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Charts",
"## Release history"
] | 1,753 | 11,547 |
62,475,024 | Future Nostalgia (song) | 1,157,817,458 | 2019 promotional single by Dua Lipa | [
"2019 singles",
"2019 songs",
"American synth-pop songs",
"Dua Lipa songs",
"Song recordings produced by Jeff Bhasker",
"Songs about nostalgia",
"Songs with feminist themes",
"Songs written by Clarence Coffee Jr.",
"Songs written by Dua Lipa",
"Songs written by Jeff Bhasker"
] | "Future Nostalgia" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album of the same name (2020), included as the album's opening track. The song was written by Lipa, Clarence Coffee Jr. and its producer Jeff Bhasker. Intended to be "playful and fun," it is a synth-pop song that contains elements of disco, funk, hip pop, house and 1980s music. The lyrics discuss themes of feminism and self-reflection with Lipa referring to herself as a "female alpha".
"Future Nostalgia" was released for digital download and streaming on 13 December 2019 through Warner Records as the album's promotional single. An accompanying lyric video premiered on YouTube three days later, and it features Lipa dancing and using a golf club in a retro house. A remix of the song by Joe Goddard appears on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's remix album, Club Future Nostalgia (2020). Lipa promoted the song with a performance at her Studio 2054 livestream concert.
Several music critics complimented the throwback yet futuristic sound and experimental nature of "Future Nostalgia". Some also found Lipa's confident attitude and the song's sassy lyrics appealing. The song placed on year-end lists published by the Official Charts Company, Popjustice and Vulture. It entered official charts in Australia, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia and Spain, while also charting on component charts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
## Writing and production
"Future Nostalgia" was written by Dua Lipa, alongside Clarence Coffee Jr. and the song's producer Jeff Bhasker. They worked on the song in Los Angeles. Before writing it, Lipa and Bhasker had been experimenting in the studio for a few days to get a feel of how they wanted to work together and for Lipa to play Bhasker some of the music she had been working on. The two had not collaborated previously, although Lipa was a fan of Bhasker due to his previous work with other artists. While leaving the studio one day, Lipa accidentally texted Bhasker complimenting him and writing that she wanted to do some sessions together, thinking she was texting her manager. When they went back into the studio together, Lipa and Bhasker began talking about architecture and being overly confident, as well as having a laugh over their text conversation.
After discussing writing a song together, Lipa told Bhasker the name of her album, Future Nostalgia. Bhasker then suggested them attempting to write a title track. Lipa wanted to create something bold, so Bhasker began playing his instruments with very experimental sounds and she began writing down lyrics. After they had written half of "Future Nostalgia", the two of them got writer's block, which lead to Lipa calling Clarence Coffee Jr to help them. They wanted it to be "playful and fun" and not taking themselves too seriously. That day the three of them came up with the line "I know you ain't used to a female alpha." Lipa explained that she did not necessarily consider herself to be a "female alpha" but thought that if she put it in to writing, she could almost manifest that energy. "Future Nostalgia" was the first song written for Future Nostalgia. It was recorded at Green Oak Studios and the Diamond Mine, both in Los Angeles, with the vocals being recorded at TaP Studio in London. Mixing was handled by Josh Gudwin at Henson Studios in Hollywood and the mastering was done by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey.
## Music and lyrics
Musically, "Future Nostalgia" is a synth-pop song with disco, funk, hip pop, house and 1980s elements. It is composed in time in the key of A minor, with a tempo of 116 beats per minute. The track has a structure of verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus, post-chorus, middle eight, chorus. The verses use solely the D5 chord, while the track follows a Dm–C–G/B–C/G chord progression everywhere else. "Future Nostalgia" has a modern electronic production, consisting of 1980s-funk and grunge bass-popping, electroclash synths, tinkering keys, a jazz piano progression, 1980s disco beats and brass instrumentation.
The song opens with vintage synth plinks and drum machines, while the middle eight features rhythm guitar. Lipa's vocals span from C<sub>4</sub> to D<sub>5</sub>, and she makes use of cocky spoken word and talk-rapped verses as well as purring falsetto in the chorus. The track features vocodered backing vocals, courtesy of Bhasker, where he repeats the title of the song. In the song, Lipa name-drops American architect John Lautner as well as Bhasker. The Lautner name drop is a symbol for Lipa's desire to make her music sound futuristic and retro at the same time. Described by Lipa as a "feeling of empowerment and sassiness," the song's lyrics deal with the themes of feminism and self-reflection. Lipa sets a confident tone and uses self-assured lyrics. It is a mission-statement song and a "mantra for getting shit done", in which she calls herself a "female alpha" and showcases her self-worth. She has her eyes set on changing the game and shows that she has her sights much higher than just re-creating the radio enormity of her 2017 single "New Rules".
## Release and promotion
In November 2019, Lipa released "Don't Start Now", the lead single from her second studio album Future Nostalgia. Whilst promoting the song, Lipa confirmed the release of the title track, as well as confirming its music video release and promotional single status. "Future Nostalgia" was then formally announced on 12 December 2019. It was released for digital download and streaming the following day as the first and only promotional single from Future Nostalgia. Simultaneously, its Spotify single was released featuring "Don't Start Now" as its B-side. The song was released in conjunction with the announcement of Lipa's Future Nostalgia Tour and in order to keep Lipa's fans engaged until 2020. An accompanying lyric video was released that premiered through YouTube on 16 December 2019. It is set in a retro 1960s house that is on a small lake. In the video, Lipa dances and drinks alcohol around the house, wearing a white shirt and underwear, as well as hitting wine glasses with a golf club on the roof. She is also seen wearing a pantsuit and dancing in front of a mirror.
"Future Nostalgia" was included as the first track on Future Nostalgia, released on 27 March 2020. Lipa decided on placing the song as the opening track due to its fearlessness. A remix by Joe Goddard appears on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's DJ Mix-crafted remix album, Club Future Nostalgia, released 28 August 2020, with the original remix being released on 11 September 2020. The remix makes use of Hot Chip-style synths and Daft Punk-inspired whirrs, that is reminiscent of a 3am Glastonbury DJ set. Lipa performed "Future Nostalgia" for the first time at her Studio 2054 livestream concert on 27 November 2020. She performed on an elevated platform, flexing her biceps as her backup dancers cheered around her. The song was included on the setlist of Lipa's Future Nostalgia Tour in the encore.
## Critical reception
Trey Alston from MTV gave the song a positive review, stating that it is "the perfect balance of the past and what lies ahead". He continued, describing the song as "completely bonkers yet irresistible" and an "explosive splash of tomorrow-pop". Writing for Idolator, Mike Nied described the production as "funky and forward-thinking" and commended the song as a whole for being a "creative risk". Allison Stubblebine of Nylon wrote that Lipa "is ensuring the dance party will rage on". Robin Murray of Clash called the song "bold" and "colourful" as well as writing "there's an 80s bounce in its synth nostalgia, channelling amid the glitz of Los Angeles". In The Guardian, Laura Snapes called Lipa's John Lautner name-drop too "arcane" for a pop song. Louise Bruton of The Irish Times called the song "intentionally disjointed". In Gigwise, Jordan Emery complimented the "cheeky" and "slightly off-kilter" lyricism.
Nick Malone for PopMatters wrote a positive review, saying Lipa "masters a tricky balancing act between sassy and irritating on its talk-rapped verses," and that she "comes off stylish and light-hearted." For Business Insider, Courteney Larocca called the song "danceable," "electric", and "retro", while Callie Ahlgrim, also of Business Insider, stated that it is a "strong album opener". Ahlgrim went on to state that the song "definitely doesn't work as a single" but it is "a bold statement of purpose" and "a sharp combination of cheeky, challenging, and confident". Billboard's Bianca Gracie viewed "Future Nostalgia" as "a flirty wink [...] that reflects the singer's confident nature". Jason Lipshutz of the same magazine thought that it probably would not be successful at top 40 radio and praised Lipa's "penchant for leveling up her vocals into a top-notch hook". Writers of both DIY and Variety compared it to Prince.
Writing for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani criticized "Future Nostalgia", writing that Lipa "falls flat" with her vocals, but praised the song's production. For Rolling Stone, Emily Zemler called the song "buoyant" and "catchy" as well as stating that Lipa is "playing up her strengths." In a separate Rolling Stone review, Brittany Spanos wrote that the song has "nonsensical but smartly delivered one-liners" and compared it to the music of Daft Punk. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic compared the song to the works of Timbaland, while Stereogum editor Tom Breihan compared it sonically to Random Access Memories (2013) by Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). In MusicOMH, Nick Smith compared it to "Daydream in Blue" by I Monster as well as Daft Punk. Writing for British GQ, David Levesley described it as "if Prince wrote for the Pointer Sisters".
Popjustice ranked "Future Nostalgia" as the 20th best song of 2019 while Rob Copsey of the Official Charts Company placed it as one of 2020's most underrated songs. The song appeared on Vulture's "Best Dance and Disco Songs of 2020" list written by editor Justin Curto, with him praising Lipa's "confident commitment" to the disco style and calling the song "polished and convincing".
## Commercial performance
After its release, "Future Nostalgia" reached number 11 on the NZ Hot Singles chart and 63 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart, as well as peaking at number 35, 83, and 58 on the Hungary Single Top 100, Irish Singles Chart, and Scottish Singles Chart respectively. After the release of Future Nostalgia, the song debuted at number 69 on the UK Official Audio Streaming Chart, while entering official charts in Australia at number 99, Croatia at number 80, Greece at number 96, Lithuania at number 46, Portugal at number 104, Slovakia at number 95, and Spain at number 99. As of March 2020, "Future Nostalgia" has sold 39,586 units in the United Kingdom. In 2021, the song was awarded a gold certification from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) for selling 25,000 track-equivalent units in Poland. It was awarded the same certification in Canada from Music Canada for 40,000 track-equivalent unit sales.
## Track listings
- Digital download and streaming
1. "Future Nostalgia" – 3:04
- Streaming – Spotify single
1. "Future Nostalgia" – 3:04
2. "Don't Start Now" – 3:03
- Digital download and streaming – Joe Goddard remix'''
1. "Future Nostalgia" (Joe Goddard remix) – 4:48
## Personnel
- Dua Lipa – vocals
- Jeff Bhasker – production, drum programming, keyboards, synthesizer
- Skylar Mones – additional production
- Homer Steinweiss – drum kit
- Jerry Singh – additional programming
- Dave Cerminera – engineering
- Jens Jungkurth – engineering
- Josh Gudwin – mixing
- Elijah Marrett-Hitch – mix assisting
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Will Quinnell – assistant mastering
## Charts
## Certifications
## Release history | [
"## Writing and production",
"## Music and lyrics",
"## Release and promotion",
"## Critical reception",
"## Commercial performance",
"## Track listings",
"## Personnel",
"## Charts",
"## Certifications",
"## Release history"
] | 2,848 | 15,324 |
193,115 | HMS Cornwall (1902) | 1,125,353,050 | Royal Navy armoured cruiser | [
"1902 ships",
"Monmouth-class cruisers",
"Ships built in Pembroke Dock",
"World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom"
] | HMS Cornwall was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet on completion in 1903. The ship was refitted in 1907 in preparation for service as a training ship for cadets with the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station beginning in 1908.
In 1909 she toured the Mediterranean and the Baltic, where she entertained the Kaiser who visited on his yacht the Hohenzollern at Kiel on 24 June.
Cornwall ran aground in 1911 while trying to free another cruiser, but was successfully refloated and repaired.
She captured a German merchant ship days after the beginning of World War I in August 1914 and was then sent to the Central Atlantic to search for German commerce raiders. Later that year, the ship was assigned to the squadron that destroyed the German East Asia Squadron at the Battle of the Falklands, where she helped to sink a German light cruiser. Cornwall briefly blockaded a German cruiser in East Africa in early 1915 before she was sent to participate in the Dardanelles Campaign a month later. The ship was then transferred to the China Station late in the year and remained there until the end of 1916. She was then transferred to the North America Station that year for convoy escort duties and remained on that duty for the rest of the war. Cornwall became a training ship in 1919 before she was paid off later that year. The ship was sold for scrap in 1920.
## Design and description
The Monmouths were intended to protect British merchant shipping from fast cruisers like the French Guichen, Châteaurenault or the Dupleix class. The ships were designed to displace 9,800 long tons (10,000 t). They had an overall length of 463 feet 6 inches (141.3 m), a beam of 66 feet (20.1 m) and a deep draught of 25 feet (7.6 m). They were powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft using steam provided by 31 Belleville boilers. The engines produced a total of 22,000 indicated horsepower (16,000 kW) which was designed to give the ships a maximum speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). She carried a maximum of 1,600 long tons (1,600 t) of coal and her complement consisted of 678 officers and ratings.
The Monmouth-class ships' main armament consisted of fourteen breech-loading (BL) 6-inch (152 mm) Mk VII guns. Four of these guns were mounted in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure, and the others were positioned in casemates amidships. Six of these were mounted on the main deck and were only usable in calm weather. Ten quick-firing (QF) 12-pounder (3-inch (76 mm)) 12-cwt guns were fitted for defence against torpedo boats. Cornwall also carried three 3-pounder 1.9 in (47 mm) Hotchkiss guns and two submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.
Beginning in 1915, the main deck six-inch guns of the Monmouth-class ships were moved to the upper deck and given gun shields. Their casemates were plated over to improve seakeeping. The twelve-pounder guns displaced by the transfer were repositioned elsewhere. At some point in the war, a pair of three-pounder anti-aircraft guns were installed on the upper deck.
The ship's waterline armour belt was four inches (102 mm) thick amidships and two-inch (51 mm) forward. The armour of the gun turrets, their barbettes and the casemates was four inches thick. The protective deck armour ranged in thickness from 0.75–2 inches (19–51 mm) and the conning tower was protected by ten inches (254 mm) of armour.
## Construction and service
Cornwall, named to commemorate the English county, was laid down at Pembroke Royal Dockyard, Wales, on 11 March 1901, and launched on 29 October 1902, when she was christened by the Countess of St Germans (nominated for this by the local Lord-Lieutenant). She was completed on 1 December 1904 and was initially assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet. In December 1906 the ship began a refit that lasted through 1907. She became a cadet training ship in January 1908 and was assigned to the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station. On 6 August 1911 Cornwall ran aground on Pinnacle Rock, off Cape Sable Island in Nova Scotia while assisting the protected cruiser , which had also run aground. Both cruisers were refloated and Cornwall was repaired at His Majesty's Canadian Dockyard, Halifax.
In December 1913, the ship was refitting in Devonport and resumed her training duties after it was completed in January 1914. Over the next six months, she visited ports ranging from Malta to São Vicente, Cape Verde to Trondheim, Norway. Cornwall participated in the July 1914 Fleet review at Spithead and was give a short refit at the end of the month. Upon its completion, she was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron which was tasked with trade protection between the Azores, the Canary Islands and Gibraltar. En route to the latter, Cornwall captured the German collier SS Syra on 5 August and was transferred to patrol the Brazilian coast in September as part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron under Vice-Admiral Christopher Craddock.
After the German raider Cap Trafalgar was sunk, RMS Carmania was badly damaged, having lost nine men, but was able to rendezvous with Cornwall. Carmania was barely afloat when it made contact with Cornwall on 15 October. Carmania was escorted to Permambuco in Brazil where the ship was repaired before being sent to Gibraltar for further repair.
The ship was later assigned to a new squadron intended to patrol the River Plate area and did not join Craddock's ships as they searched for the German East Asia Squadron off the Chilean coast. After Craddock's squadron was destroyed in the Battle of Coronel on 1 November, Cornwall then proceeded to the Falkland Islands with the squadron commanded by Vice-Admiral Doveton Sturdee.
### Battle of the Falklands
Upon arrival at Port Stanley on 7 December 1914, Sturdee gave permission for Cornwall to put out her fires to clean her boilers and repair one engine. He planned to recoal the entire squadron the following day from the two available colliers and to begin the search for the East Asia Squadron the day after. Vice-Admiral Maximilian von Spee, commander of the German squadron, had other plans and intended to destroy the radio station at Port Stanley on the morning of 8 December. The appearance of two German ships at 07:30 caught Sturdee's ships by surprise although they were driven off by 12-inch (305 mm) shells fired by the predreadnought battleship Canopus when they came within range around 09:20. This gave time for Cornwall to reassemble her engine and raise steam, although she had not even started to recoal. The squadron cleared the harbour by 10:30 and Sturdee ordered, "general chase". His two battlecruisers were the fastest ships present and inexorably began to close on the German cruisers. They opened fire at 12:55 and began to straddle the light cruiser Leipzig, the rear ship in the German formation. It was clear to Spee that his ships could not outrun the battlecruisers and that the only hope for any of his ships to survive was to scatter. So he turned his two armoured cruisers around to buy time by engaging the battlecruisers and ordered his three light cruisers to disperse at 13:20.
In accordance with Sturdee's plans, Cornwall, her sister ship, Kent, and the light cruiser Glasgow immediately set off in pursuit while the battlecruisers and the slow armoured cruiser Carnarvon dealt with the German armoured cruisers. At 14:45 Glasgow, the fastest of the British cruisers, was close enough to Leipzig to open fire and the two ships exchanged salvos and scoring the occasional hit. An hour later, the Germans scattered in different directions; Cornwall and Glasgow pursued Leipzig while Kent went after Nürnberg. Cornwall closed on the German ship at full speed, trusting to her armour to keep out the 105-millimetre (4.1 in) shells, while the unarmoured Glasgow manoeuvered at a distance. The range from Cornwall was 7,000 yards (6,400 m) at 18:00 and her shells set Leipzig on fire. Five minutes later, the German ship had ceased firing and the British ships closed to 5,000 yards (4,600 m) to see if she would surrender. One last gun fired and Leipzig did not strike her colours so the British fired several additional salvos at 19:25. The German captain had mustered his surviving crewmen on deck preparatory to abandoning ship, but the ship's flag could not be reached because it was surrounded by flames, and the British shells wrought havoc on the assembled crew. Leipzig fired two green flares at 20:12 and the British ships closed to within 500 yards (460 m) and lowered boats to rescue the Germans at 20:45. Their ship capsized at 21:32 but only a total of 18 men were rescued in the darkness. Leipzig had hit Cornwall 18 times, but she did not lose a single man. The British ship rescued one officer and three ratings from Leipzig. Cornwall spent much of the rest of the month searching for the German ships that had not yet been captured or destroyed before departing for home on 3 January 1915.
### Subsequent service
She arrived at Devonport on 11 February 1915 and spent the next month and a half refitting there and in Avonmouth before departing for South Africa on 23 March. The ship arrived at Kibondo Island off the German East African coast on 27 April to blockade the light cruiser Königsberg in the Rufiji River. Several weeks later Cornwall was called north to reinforce the British forces involved in the Dardanelles Campaign on 10 May. By the end of the year, she was en route to the China Station. The ship arrived at Singapore on 17 February 1916 and began a lengthy refit that lasted until 6 May. She then patrolled the area of the Dutch East Indies until returning to Singapore for the next several months. Cornwall departed for French Indochina on 21 July and the Governor-General of French Indochina visited the ship on 26 July while she was docked at Saigon. After her return to Singapore, she was inspected by the Commander-in-Chief of the China Station, Vice-Admiral William Grant, on 21 August. Cornwall resumed patrolling in the East Indies shortly afterwards and continued until Grant hoisted his flag aboard the ship on 22 October as he and his staff was ferried to Hong Kong. Upon arrival five days later, Grant lowered his flag as he transferred ashore. The ship patrolled off the Chinese coast for most of November and returned to Singapore on 11 December. Cornwall departed the city on 20 December bound for South Africa. On 16 January 1917, the ship was escorting a convoy of six troopships when she narrowly missed encountering the German commerce raider SMS Wolf off Saldanha Bay.
A few days after arriving in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 29 January, Cornwall dismounted four of her 12-pounder guns; two of the guns were transferred to troopships in her convoy. She led the convoy back to sea on 2 February, bound for Devonport where they arrived on 17 February. The ship then sailed to Liverpool to begin a lengthy refit and was paid off there on 7 March. She recommissioned on 4 August and spent the next two weeks preparing to go back to sea. Cornwall departed Liverpool on 17 August and escorted at least one troopship to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving there a week later. She was now assigned to the North Atlantic and West Indies Station and began escorting convoys between North America and Britain on 19 September. Cornwall continued in this role for the next year and escorted her last convoy when she arrived at the Royal Naval Dockyard on the island of Ireland in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, the main base of the North America and West Indies Station, on 18 October 1918. She departed the island on 14 December and arrived at Devonport eight days later. The ship resumed her prewar role as a cadet training ship on 25 January 1919. Vice-Admiral Morgan Singer, Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies, inspected the ship on 9 May while she was berthed in Bermuda. Cornwall returned to Devonport on 31 July and was paid off on 21 August. The ship was sold for scrap on 7 June 1920. In 1922, Mount Cornwall in the Canadian Rockies was named in tribute to the ship. | [
"## Design and description",
"## Construction and service",
"### Battle of the Falklands",
"### Subsequent service"
] | 2,814 | 21,329 |
1,219,935 | The Cornfield | 1,172,469,847 | Painting by John Constable | [
"1826 paintings",
"Children in art",
"Collections of the National Gallery, London",
"Dogs in art",
"England in art",
"Farming in art",
"Food and drink paintings",
"Paintings by John Constable",
"Sheep in art",
"Water in art"
] | The Cornfield is an oil painting by the English artist John Constable, completed from January to March 1826 in the artist’s studio. The painting shows a lane leading from East Bergholt toward Dedham, Essex, and depicts a young shepherd boy drinking from a pool in the heat of summer. The location is along Fen Lane, which the artist knew well. Constable referred to the piece as The Drinking Boy.
On the advice of Constable's friend, the botanist Henry Phillips, The Cornfield was painted with the trees and plants depicted as accurately as possible. Constable commissioned the engraver David Lucas to produce the plates of the painting for a book, Various Subjects of Landscape, Characteristic of English Scenery, first published in July 1830. The art historian Anthony Bailey considers The Cornfield to have "opened the gate through which a great number of people were to pass into Constable's country". It was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in April 1826, under the title Landscape: Noon, and shown in Paris from early November to the spring of 1828. The painting was praised but Constable did not find a buyer. After the artist’s death, funds were raised to purchase the work for the National Gallery.
## Background
John Constable was born in 1776 in the Suffolk village of East Bergholt, to Golding Constable and his wife Ann. His father was a corn merchant, who owned Flatford Mill in the village and a mill in Dedham, Essex; Constable was expected to succeed his father in the business. After his education at schools in Lavenham and Dedham, Constable worked in his father's corn business, but his younger brother Abram eventually took over the running of the mills.
In 1799, the 19-year-old Constable persuaded his father to let him pursue a career in art, and Golding granted him a small allowance to allow him to train. He entered the Royal Academy Schools as a probationer. Following his marriage to Maria Bicknell In 1816, Constable lived in Bloomsbury in central London, before his family settled in Hampstead, where they lived permanently from 1827 onwards. The year The Cornfield was painted, Constable was 50 and had not yet been accepted as a full member of the Royal Academy of Arts, despite having sought election since the early 1820s.
## Composition
Constable's painting The Cornfield, painted in oil on canvas, depicts a young shepherd. The boy, wearing a red waistcoat, is drinking from a pool as he rests from his work at noon in the heat of summer. He has removed his hat. The painting is a view of Fen Lane, which Constable knew well. As a schoolboy he had regularly walked along the lane, which was the shortest way from East Bergholt and over New Fen Bridge across to the River Stour toward his school in Dedham.
The painting was completed from January to March 1826 in Constable's London studio. Constable himself called it The Drinking Boy, and he intended it to be his most important exhibited work of that year. The work is similar in size to The Lock, a painting that was originally planned as a pendant to The Cornfield.
Constable produced a smaller preparatory oil sketch, which has survived, and which shows how the work was developed over time. In the background of the sketch, the figure of the boy and his animals are not depicted. None of the trees in the sketch are dead, unlike the trees painted in the final work. He produced a study for the donkey and her foal, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. No sketches made at the scene are known.
Constable made The Cornfield as botanically accurate as possible. On 1 March 1826, his friend Henry Phillips, a botanist, wrote to Constable with advice about how the plants should be painted. Phillips commented: "I think it is July in your green lane. At this season all the tall grasses are in flower, bogrush, bullrush, teasel. The white bindwind now hangs in flowers over the branches of the hedge; the wild carrot and hemlock flower in banks of hedges, cow parsley, water plantain, etc.... bramble is now in flower, poppy, mallow, thistle, hop, etc.." The trees were also carefully depicted. He was preoccupied by his work on the painting, writing to his friend John Fisher, "I could think of and speak to no-one. I was like a friend of mine in the battle of Waterloo—he said he dared not turn his head to the right or left—but always kept it straight forward—thinking of himself alone."
The village of Higham, shown in the distance, is not actually visible from the lane; Constable's son Charles Golding Constable stated after his father's death that the view of Higham church did not exist. The crop in the field is probably meant to be wheat, depicted at full height and as tall as the gate at the end of the lane. To the public seeing Constable's painting during his lifetime, the wheat would have been a representation of peace, fertility and wealth. Constable appears to have borrowed objects from his other paintings and drawings to include in The Cornfield; a tree in the painting bears a strong resemblance to another specimen in his Edge of a Wood (c. 1816), and the boy—with his blue neck scarf, black hat and red waistcoat—is also depicted in Constable's A Lane near Flatford (c. 1810).
According to the art historian Michael Rosenthal, The Cornfield typifies Constable's picturesque phase, which culminated in 1828. After 1822 Constable's was mainly done in his London studio, which led to him being more concerned with the effect of his painting on the senses, and less about realism. The work reflected Constable's nostalgia for the rural Suffolk he recalled from his youth, considered by him to be lost.
### Engraving by Lucas
Constable commissioned the engraver David Lucas to produce the plates of the painting for a book, Various Subjects of Landscape, Characteristic of English Scenery. The book was published in July 1830. After seeing prints of The Cornfield and The Lock produced by Lucas, Constable told him, "Now... is every bit of sunshine clouded over in me. I can never look at these two flattering testimonies of the result of my singularly marked life... without the most painful emotions."
in 1834, when suffering from depression and seemingly jealous of the success the prints of The Lock and The Cornfield were attracting, Constable argued with Lucas, and complained his works were no longer giving him pleasure. He told his friend Leslie, "The two beautiful prints by Lucas are in the [shop] windows, but every gleam of sunshine is blighted to me in the art at least. Can it... therefore be wondered at that I paint continual storms?" He later apologised to Lucas.
After Constable's death, James Brook Pulham, a former pupil, borrowed Lucas's prints of The Cornfield and The Lock without permission from the home of the artist. This caused considerable distress to the family. The prints became well-known during the Victorian era, being images that the public had access to, in contrast with the original oil paintings at the National Gallery.
## Exhibitions and reception
On 8 April 1826, Constable wrote to his friend Fisher that The Cornfield had been sent to the Royal Academy to be exhibited. When on display at the Royal Academy that year, the painting was shown under the title Landscape: Noon. When being shown, the painting was altered by another artist, the sculptor Francis Chantry, who joked, "Why Constable, all your sheep have got the rot—give me the palette—I must cure them." Chantry tried unsuccessfully to amend the appearance of the sheep in the foreground. In September 1827, it went to the Paris Salon, where it was shown to the public from early November to the spring of 1828 under the title Paysage avec figures et animaux. It was returned to England the following September. In Paris, it failed to receive the same acclaim given to his previous works. It was praised by the critics but never managed to find a seller at any of the five exhibitions where it was shown. Constable had hoped for a sale, telling Fisher, "I do hope to sell this present picture—as it has certainly got a little more eye-salve than I usually condescend to give to them."
When the work was exhibited in London at the British Institution in 1827, Constable included a quotation from a poem by the Scottish poet James Thomson:
> > A fresher gale Begins to wave the woods and stir the stream, Sweeping with shadowy gust the fields of corn.
The Times described the painting as "singularly beautiful, and not inferior to some of Hobbema's most admired works".
The Cornfield was shown by Constable at the Birmingham Society of Arts exhibition in 1829, and by the Worcester Institution in 1835.
The English author William Thackeray, writing in 1850, described the painting as "under the influence of a late shower; the shrubs, trees and distance are saturated with it... One cannot but admire the manner in which the specific character of every object is made out: the undulations of the ripe-corn, the chequered light on the road, the freshness of the banks, the trees and their leafage, the brilliant clouds artfully contrasted against the trees, and here and there broken by azure." The miniaturist Andrew Robertson described the work as having "all the truth of conception, with les of the manner that was objected to" in works such as Constable's Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows. The art historian Anthony Bailey considers the work to have "opened the gate through which a great number of people were to pass into Constable's country".
## Acquisition by the National Gallery
In 1837, Constable's friend Charles Robert Leslie began working on the purchase of one of Constable's works for the nation, to be bought by a body of subscribers, The Committee of Friends and Admirers, chaired by the portraitist William Beechey. The committee had initially considered purchasing Constable's Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, but this work was rejected after it was thought to be "too boldly executed". The Cornfield was valued at 300 guineas, . The funds were raised, and the National Gallery accepted the painting in December 1837.
The Cornfield was the first work to be sold following Constable's death in 1837, and for 10 years, until the National Gallery acquired The Valley Farm from Robert Vernon, it was the only painting by Constable in a national collection. As of February 2022, the work is not on public display in the galleries.
## See also
- List of paintings by John Constable | [
"## Background",
"## Composition",
"### Engraving by Lucas",
"## Exhibitions and reception",
"## Acquisition by the National Gallery",
"## See also"
] | 2,274 | 146 |
1,216,897 | Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 | 1,122,992,088 | United Kingdom whistleblower legislation | [
"United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1998"
] | The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (c.23) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that protects whistleblowers from detrimental treatment by their employer. Influenced by various financial scandals and accidents, along with the report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the bill was introduced to Parliament by Richard Shepherd and given government support, on the condition that it become an amendment to the Employment Rights Act 1996. After receiving the Royal Assent on 2 July 1998, the Act came into force on 2 July 1999. It protects employees who make disclosures of certain types of information, including evidence of illegal activity or damage to the environment, from retribution from their employers, such as dismissal or being passed over for promotion. In cases where such retribution takes place the employee may bring a case before an employment tribunal, which can award compensation.
As a result of the Act, many more employers have instituted internal whistleblowing procedures, although only 38 percent of individuals surveyed worked for a company with such procedures in place . The Act has been criticised for failing to force employers to institute such a policy, containing no provisions preventing the "blacklisting" of employees who make such disclosures, and failing to protect the employee from libel proceedings should their allegation turn out to be false.
Under the Act a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between an employer and employee, often a condition of compensation for loss of employment for some reason, does not remove a worker’s right to make a protected disclosure, i.e. to blow the whistle. In 2019 a consultation was held on adding limitations on confidentiality clauses, following evidence that some employers used confidentiality clauses to intimidate victims of harassment or discrimination into silence, suggesting that the worker did not have the right to blow the whistle, take a matter to a tribunal, or even discuss with people such as the police, a doctor, or a therapist.
## Background
Prior to the 1998 Act, whistleblowers in the United Kingdom had no protection against being dismissed by their employer. Although they could avoid being sued for breach of confidence thanks to a public interest defence, that did not prevent subtle or open victimisation in the workplace, including disciplinary action, dismissal, failure to gain promotion or a pay rise. During the early to mid-1990s, interest in whistleblower protection grew, partially because of a series of financial scandals and health and safety accidents, which investigations into showed could have been prevented if employees had been permitted to voice their concerns, and partially because of the work of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
In 1995 and 1996, two private member's bills dealing with whistleblowers were introduced to Parliament, by Tony Wright and Don Touhig respectively, but both efforts fell through. When Richard Shepherd proposed a similar bill, however, he got government support for it on the condition that it be an amendment to the Employment Rights Act 1996 rather than a new area of law in its own right. Public Concern at Work, a UK-based whistleblowers charity, was involved in the drafting and consultation stages of the bill. The case of Graham Pink added to the pressure to introduce whistleblower protection legislation.
The Public Interest Disclosure Bill was introduced to the House of Commons by Shepherd in 1997, and given its second reading on 12 December before being sent to a committee. After being passed by the Commons it moved to the House of Lords on 27 April 1998, and was passed on 29 June, receiving the Royal Assent on 2 July and becoming the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. Originally scheduled to come into force on 1 January 1999, the Act instead became applicable law on 2 July.
## Contents
Section 1 of the Act inserts sections 43A to L into the Employment Rights Act 1996, titled "Protected Disclosures". It provides that a disclosure which the whistleblower makes to their employer, a "prescribed person", in the course of seeking legal advice, Ministers of the Crown, individuals appointed by the Secretary of State for that purpose, or, in limited circumstances, "any other person", is protected. In addition, the disclosure must be one which the whistleblower "reasonably believes" shows a criminal offence, a failure to comply with legal obligations, a miscarriage of justice, danger to the health and safety of employees, damage to the environment, or the hiding of information which would show any of the above actions. These disclosures do not have to be of confidential information, and this section does not abolish the public interest defence; in addition, it can be the disclosure of information about actions which have already occurred, are occurring, or could occur in the future. In Miklaszewicz v Stolt Offshore Ltd, the Employment Appeal Tribunal confirmed that the disclosure does not have to have been made after the Act came into force; it is sufficient for the dismissal or other persecution by the employer to have happened after that time.
The list of "prescribed persons" is found in the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 1999, and includes only official bodies; the Health and Safety Executive, the Data Protection Registrar, the Certification Officer, the Environment Agency and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. An employee will be protected if he "makes a disclosure in good faith" to one of these people, and "reasonably believes that the relevant failure...is a matter in respect of which the person is prescribed and the information is substantially true". Other prescribed persons include the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, in relation to "acts or omissions which have an actual or potential effect on the environment... including those relating to pollution".
If an employee makes such a disclosure, Section 2 inserts a new Section 47B, providing that the employee shall suffer no detriment in their employment as a result. That includes both negative actions and the absence of action and so covers discipline, dismissal, or failing to gain a pay rise or access to facilities which would otherwise have been provided. If an employee suffers a detriment, he is permitted to make a complaint before an employment tribunal under Section 3. In front of an employment tribunal, the law is amended in Sections 4 and 5 to provide compensation, and to reverse the burden of proof. If an employee has been dismissed for making a protected disclosure, this dismissal is automatically considered unfair. Similarly, under Section 6, an employee cannot be given priority when he discusses redundancies simply because he made such a disclosure. These sections take into account Section 7, which notes that there is no requirement of age or length of employment before they come into effect.
Under Section 8, the Secretary of State could pass a statutory instrument setting out the rules and limits surrounding compensation for the employee's dismissal after making a protected disclosure; until this is done, Section 9 provided interim remedies, which were the same as in other cases of unfair dismissal. The Secretary of State passed such an instrument, the Public Interest Disclosure (Compensation) Regulations 1999, but Section 8 has now been repealed under Section 44 of the Employment Relations Act 1999. Under Section 10, the Act applies to crown servants, excepting under Section 11, those who are employees of MI5, MI6 or GCHQ. The Act does exclude, in Sections 12 and 13, serving police officers and those employed outside the United Kingdom.
## Assessment and impact
Terry Corbin, writing in the Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, notes that the result of the Act has been that many more employers have developed internal processes for reporting issues, partially because desire to fix problems before they become publicly reported and partially because if employees choose not to use those processes and instead act under the 1998 Act, there is a greater chance that the employer can depict their behaviour as "unreasonable". However, a survey done by Public Concern At Work showed that in 2010, only 38 percent of those surveyed worked for companies with whistleblowing policies in place, and only 23 percent knew that legal protection for whistleblowers existed. The number of cases brought by whistleblowers to employment tribunals has increased more than tenfold, from 157 in 1999/2000 to 1,761 in 2008/9.
David Lewis, writing in the Industrial Law Journal, highlights what he perceives as weaknesses in the legislation. Firstly, it does not force employers to make a policy relating to disclosures. Secondly, it does not prevent employers from "blacklisting" and refusing to hire those who are known within the industry to have made disclosures in previous jobs. The complexity of the law was also criticised, as was the fact that if such a disclosure turns out to be incorrect, the employee may be sued for libel by his employer. Volunteers and self-employed people are not covered, and the same goes for those who, in disclosing the information, commit a criminal offence. Also, the law does not make any provision for psychological harm caused by whistleblowing, which research shows is common.
## See also
- Eileen Chubb | [
"## Background",
"## Contents",
"## Assessment and impact",
"## See also"
] | 1,843 | 37,138 |
987,142 | Hurricane Anita | 1,171,005,504 | Category 5 Atlantic and Pacific hurricane in 1977 | [
"1977 Atlantic hurricane season",
"1977 in Mexico",
"1977 meteorology",
"Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico",
"Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes",
"Eastern Pacific tropical depressions",
"Retired Atlantic hurricanes"
] | Hurricane Anita was a powerful Atlantic hurricane during the otherwise quiet 1977 Atlantic hurricane season, and the latest first named storm on record since tropical cyclones were first named in 1950. The first tropical cyclone of the season, Anita developed from a tropical wave on August 29 in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. It tracked westward into an area with conditions favorable for further development, and quickly intensified into a hurricane by late on August 30. Initially, Anita was forecast to strike Texas, though a building ridge turned it to the west-southwest. The hurricane rapidly strengthened to attain peak winds of 175 mph (280 km/h), and on September 2 Anita made landfall in eastern Tamaulipas as a Category 5 hurricane. It quickly weakened as it crossed Mexico, and after briefly redeveloping into a tropical depression in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Anita dissipated on September 4 to the south of the Baja California Peninsula. Anita was the first major hurricane to form in The Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Ethel of 1960.
The hurricane produced light rainfall and high tides along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Some low-level flooding was reported, but damage was slight. In Mexico, the hurricane caused strong winds and moderate rainfall. The winds caused extensive damage to villages in northeastern Mexico, with about 25,000 people left homeless. The rainfall, reaching over 17.52 inches (445 mm), caused flooding and mudslides which killed eleven people in Tamaulipas. Overall damage was undetermined for many years, until a survey in late 2022 determined it to be about \$946 million (1977 USD).
## Meteorological history
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 16. The wave axis tracked steadily westward, and on August 23 convection increased after the wave passed beneath a cold-core upper-level low. By August 27, the wave axis was located over Cuba, with the area of convection located between Florida and the Bahamas after tracking northwestward. The disturbance crossed southern Florida, and after entering the Gulf of Mexico an anticyclone provided favorable conditions for further development. It tracked slowly westward at 5 mph (7 km/h), and after developing a surface circulation the system developed into a tropical depression on August 29 while located about 230 miles (370 km) south-southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana.
With a ridge of high pressure to its north, the depression tracked westward. Favorable conditions persisted for several days prior to the arrival of the depression, and as such the depression quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Anita. The storm tracked slowly over warm water temperatures, and throughout its duration it was embedded within warm, moist tropical air; Anita rapidly organized and attained hurricane status late on August 30; this is the latest date for the first hurricane since 1967. Initially it threatened to strike Texas, though building high pressures to the north of the hurricane turned Anita to the west-southwest. The hurricane developed a well-defined eye, and Anita began to rapidly intensify late on September 1 after attaining major hurricane status. During a two-day period up to its peak intensity, Anita deepened at a rate of 2 mbar per hour, and on September 2 the hurricane reached peak winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) while located just offshore northeastern Mexico, making Anita a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
Hurricane Anita maintained its strength as it approached land, and at 1100 UTC on September 2 it made landfall on Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas, about 145 miles (235 km) south of Brownsville, Texas or 80 miles (130 km) north of Tampico, Mexico. Moving ashore with a pressure of 926 mbar, Anita was the third most intense tropical cyclone to strike the nation, and was the most intense hurricane to hit from the Gulf of Mexico. It rapidly weakened over the mountainous terrain of Mexico, and on September 3, about 25 hours after moving ashore, Anita emerged into the eastern Pacific Ocean as a tropical depression. Reclassified as Tropical Depression Eleven, the system continued to the west, and weakened further after encountering cooler water temperatures. The depression gradually lost its deep convection, and on September 4 it dissipated off of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.
## Preparations
Shortly after first developing, one oil company evacuated its oil rigs off of Texas and Louisiana by helicopter, with several other companies beginning to evacuate unneeded workers. Ultimately, 7,000 oil workers were removed from offshore oil platforms. The threat of the developing disturbance prompted officials to close a state park in southern Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center advised small craft along the northern Gulf Coast to remain at port. Initially, Anita was predicted to continue tracking west-northwestward and make landfall near the Texas/Louisiana border. As a result, schools in Cameron Parish, Louisiana were closed, and on August 30 a hurricane watch was issued for the southwestern Louisiana and northeastern Texas coastlines. After the track shifted further to the south, the watch was replaced with a hurricane warning between Brownsville and just south of Corpus Christi, Texas. An emergency shelter was opened in Brownwood, Texas, and Army trucks were prepared to assist in evacuations. An official from the National Weather Service recommended evacuation for all residents east of Galveston, Texas living in an area below 5 feet (1.5 m) above sea level; about 20,000 left Cameron, Louisiana. In all, about 58,000 people evacuated coastal locations in Louisiana and Texas.
Though the National Hurricane Center did not issue hurricane warnings for Mexico, officials warned the Mexican government of the potential danger of the hurricane. Across the northeastern coastline of the country, 35,000 people evacuated prior to the arrival of the hurricane, including all of the residents in the village where the hurricane struck. The Mexican army assisted in evacuations and preparing emergency shelters.
## Impact
### United States
As the precursor tropical disturbance crossed southern Florida, it dropped light rainfall of over 1 inch (25 mm) in the Miami area. Later, as a developing tropical depression, the system produced gusty winds and heavy rainfall in southern Louisiana; one station near Galliano reported over 3 inches (76 mm) of precipitation. Hurricane Anita produced a storm tide of 2 feet (0.6 m) above normal in Grand Isle, which resulted in hundreds of families being asked to leave their homes.
The hurricane produced above-normal tides along the Texas coastline, which closed several highways including Texas State Highway 87. The northern periphery of Hurricane Anita produced light to moderate rainfall across the southern portion of the state, which peaked at 4.97 inches (126 mm) at Rio Grande City. Damage in the state was minor; on South Padre Island damage was limited to a few broken windows.
### Mexico
Hurricane Anita made landfall in a sparsely populated portion of Mexico; as a result, few meteorological statistics exist. A station near where the hurricane moved ashore recorded 17.52 inches (445 mm) of precipitation in six hours, which resulted in severe flooding and mudslides. Winds along the eastern Mexico coastline were estimated at over 100 mph (160 km/h).
The hurricane caused extensive damage to fishing and farming communities in northeastern Mexico. Strong winds destroyed thousands of homes and left about 25,000 people homeless, according to newspaper reports from Mexico City. The winds destroyed the roofs of most buildings near where the hurricane moved ashore, and also caused widespread power outages which disrupted communications. Heavy rainfall destroyed or obstructed roadways across the region, with some flooded avenues in Tampico and reports of flooded highways near Ciudad Victoria. Eleven people were killed in floods and mudslides across Tamaulipas. In all, at least 50,000 people were affected by the hurricane in Mexico.
## Aftermath
The name Anita was retired following this storm, and will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane again. Shortly after the hurricane made landfall, the government of Mexico sent two trucks of food to the areas of greatest impact. Additionally, officials permitted full use of the Mexican railway system to facilitate the distribution of aid. Three municipalities were also declared disaster areas following the storm. In Texas, the combination of moderate rainfall and high tides in low-lying marshland led to a mosquito outbreak near Galveston following the storm.
## See also
- List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricanes
- Other storms of the same name | [
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations",
"## Impact",
"### United States",
"### Mexico",
"## Aftermath",
"## See also"
] | 1,777 | 11,266 |
107,982 | New Jersey Route 53 | 1,138,543,061 | State highway in Morris County, New Jersey, US | [
"State highways in New Jersey",
"Transportation in Morris County, New Jersey"
] | Route 53 is a state highway in Morris County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs 4.66 mi (7.50 km) from U.S. Route 202 in Morris Plains north to Bloomfield Avenue in Denville Township. The route, which is a two-lane undivided highway most of its length, intersects with Route 10, Interstate 80, and U.S. Route 46. For most of its length, the route runs a short distance to the east of New Jersey Transit's Morristown Line. It passes through industrial areas and wooded residential neighborhoods along its route.
From 1916 to 1927, the route was a part of pre-1927 Route 5, which ran from Delaware in Warren County east to Newark. In 1927, the portion of pre-1927 Route 5 that is today Route 53 was not made a part of a different route and became Route 5N to distinguish it from a newly created Route 5. In 1953, the route became Route 53. A freeway was planned for the route in 1966, running from a planned Route 24 freeway in Morris Plains north to a planned Route 208 freeway in Greenwood Lake in Passaic County. This planned freeway was scaled back in 1967 to end at Interstate 80. It was later designated Route 178 before being canceled in 1975.
## Route description
Route 53 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 202 (Littleton Road) in Morris Plains. It proceeds north as Tabor Road, a two-lane undivided road closely paralleling New Jersey Transit’s Morristown Line, which runs along the west side of the route. Route 53 bends farther east from the tracks and runs through an industrial area. After passing through the industrial area, the road heads through wooded residential areas, passing under a set of power lines. Further north, Route 53 comes to an interchange with Route 10.
Past the Route 10 interchange, the road enters Parsippany-Troy Hills Township and continues north through wooded residential neighborhoods, running parallel to Interstate 80 (I-80) while passing to the east of a couple small lakes. It begins to turn northwest before passing by the Mt. Tabor Country Club. Route 53 continues north through Mount Tabor before crossing into Denville Township, where the route becomes East Main Street. In Denville, the route passes under New Jersey Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line near Denville Station. Route 53 then comes to an interchange with I-80, where the route becomes a four-lane, divided highway. Immediately after I-80, the route interchanges with U.S. Route 46 and ends at the intersection with Bloomfield Avenue.
## History
What is now Route 53 was once part of a Lenape Trail running from Morristown to Denville. In 1916, present-day Route 53 was designated as part of pre-1927 Route 5, which ran from Delaware in Warren County east to Newark. In the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, this route became Route 6 (now U.S. Route 46) between Delaware and Denville, Route 32 (now U.S. Route 202) between Morris Plains and Morristown, and Route 24 (now Route 124) between Morristown and Newark. The portion of pre-1927 Route 5 between Morris Plains and Denville, however, was not replaced by a different route and became Route 5N to distinguish it from a newly created Route 5. The northern terminus of Route 5N was at U.S. Route 46/Route 6 (Bloomfield Avenue) in Denville; when those routes were moved to a bypass, Route 5N's northern terminus remained at Bloomfield Avenue. In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 5N was renumbered to Route 53.
In 1966, a freeway was planned for the Route 53 corridor, intended to reduce traffic congestion. The freeway was intended to run from a planned Route 24 freeway in Morris Plains and continue north, crossing Interstate 80 and Route 23 before ending at a planned Route 208 freeway near Greenwood Lake in Passaic County that would connect to the New York State Route 208 freeway that was to continue north into Orange County, New York. In 1967, the northern terminus of the Route 53 freeway was cut back to Interstate 80. This freeway was designated Route 178 in 1969. Right-of-way acquisition began for the freeway but was stopped in 1971 due to lack of funds. The freeway was officially cancelled in 1975 when NJDOT did not include it in the five-year highway program. Despite the cancellation of the proposed freeway, several large corporations in Morris County pushed for the freeway to be built as it would reduce commuter traffic on Route 53 and US 202 in the area.
## Major intersections
## See also | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 1,042 | 11,792 |
47,585,809 | Italian cruiser Urania | 1,168,625,243 | Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy | [
"1891 ships",
"Partenope-class cruisers",
"Ships built in Genoa"
] | Urania was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1880s. She was built by the Cantieri navali Odero shipyard; her keel was laid in February 1889, she was launched in June 1891, and was commissioned in July 1893. Her main armament were her six torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Urania spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She was still in service at the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, but she did not take part in any operations. Instead, she remained in Italian waters and was broken up for scrap in January 1912.
## Design
The Partenope-class cruisers were derivatives of the earlier, experimental Goito-class cruisers, themselves based on the preceding cruiser Tripoli. The class marked a temporary shift toward the ideas of the Jeune École in Italian naval thinking. The doctrine emphasized the use of small, torpedo-armed craft to destroy expensive ironclads.
Urania was 73.1 meters (239 ft 10 in) long overall and had a beam of 8.22 m (27 ft) and an average draft of 3.48 m (11 ft 5 in). She displaced 931 long tons (946 t) normally. The ship had a short forecastle deck that terminated at the conning tower. She had a crew of between 96 and 121 personnel.
Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal triple-expansion steam engines, each driving a single screw propeller. Steam was supplied by four coal-fired locomotive boilers, which were vented through two widely spaced funnels. Specific figures for Urania's engine performance have not survived, but the ships of her class had top speeds of 18.1 to 20.8 knots (33.5 to 38.5 km/h; 20.8 to 23.9 mph) at 3,884 to 4,422 indicated horsepower (2,896 to 3,297 kW). The ship had a cruising radius of about 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).
Urania was armed with a main battery of one 120 mm (4.7 in) /40 gun placed on the forecastle. Close-range defense against torpedo boats was provided by a secondary battery of six 57 mm (2.2 in) /43 guns mounted singly. She was also equipped with three 37 mm (1.5 in) /20 guns in single mounts. Her primary offensive weapon was her six 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. The ship was protected by an armored deck that was up to 1.6 in (41 mm) thick; her conning tower was armored with the same thickness of steel plate.
## Service history
Urania was laid down on 16 February 1889 at the Cantieri navali Odero (Odero Shipyard) in Genoa, and was launched on 18 June 1891. After fitting-out work was completed, the ship was commissioned into the fleet on 21 July 1893. During the 1893 fleet maneuvers, Urania served with the 2nd Division of the Reserve Squadron, along with the ironclad Castelfidardo, the protected cruiser Stromboli, and four torpedo boats. During the maneuvers, which lasted from 6 August to 5 September, the ships of the Reserve Squadron defended against a simulated attack by the Active Squadron, which gamed a French attack on the Italian fleet. In 1895, Urania was stationed in the 2nd Maritime Department, split between Taranto and Naples, along with most of the torpedo cruisers in the Italian fleet. These included her sister ships Partenope, Aretusa, Euridice, Iride, Minerva, and Caprera, the four Goito-class cruisers, and Tripoli.
The ship was assigned to the 2nd Division of the main fleet in 1897, initially along with the three Ruggiero di Lauria-class ironclads and the protected cruisers Etna and Stromboli. By the June, the unit had been reorganized significantly, consisting of Urania, the ironclad Andrea Doria, the armored cruiser Marco Polo, the protected cruisers Etna, Stromboli, and Liguria, and the torpedo cruisers Caprera and Partenope. In 1899, Urania was assigned to the 2nd Division of the main fleet, which consisted of the ironclads Affondatore, Castelfidardo, and Sicilia and her sister ship Partenope. The 2nd Division was usually kept in reserve, which amounted to three months of active service per year, with the rest of the time spent in harbor with reduced crews. At the start of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, Urania was stationed in Italy, alternating between the ports of La Spezia and Naples, along with her sister ships Iride and Caprera. She did not see action during the war. In January 1912, with the war still on-going, the ship was sold for scrap and thereafter broken up. | [
"## Design",
"## Service history"
] | 1,137 | 24,075 |
22,480,389 | La Llamada | 1,158,549,489 | null | [
"1993 singles",
"1993 songs",
"EMI Latin singles",
"Selena songs",
"Song recordings produced by A. B. Quintanilla",
"Song recordings produced by Bebu Silvetti",
"Songs written by A. B. Quintanilla",
"Songs written by Pete Astudillo",
"Spanish-language songs"
] | "La Llamada" (English: "The Phone Call") is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her first live album Live! (1993). It was composed by Selena y Los Dinos backup singer Pete Astudillo and Selena's brother and principal record producer A.B. Quintanilla III and produced by Quintanilla III and Argentine music producer Bebu Silvetti. "La Llamada" was released as the second single from Live!. "La Llamada" is an uptempo Mexican cumbia song centering on female empowerment. Lyrically, the song sees Selena break up with her cheating boyfriend over the phone.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. It peaked at number 5 on the US Hot Latin Tracks on the week ending 23 October 1993. On the week ending 9 April 2011, "La Llamada" entered the Regional Mexican Digital Songs chart. A music video was released and features Selena dancing in a crowd at a beach house in Malibu, California. There have been many cover versions of "La Llamada" ranging from Mexican to Dominican artists.
## Background and composition
"La Llamada" was one of three studio tracks recorded for Live! (1993). It was written by Selena y Los Dinos backup singer Pete Astudillo and Selena's brother, principal record producer and songwriter A. B. Quintanilla III. It was produced by Quintanilla III and Argentine music producer Bebu Silvetti. The song was intended to be one of three studio tracks for Selena's Live! album. Astudillo and Quintanilla III had spent an hour writing a song together. They wanted to write a song on a topic that many women face with their boyfriends. Quintanilla III had wanted to empower women, letting them know that they should hold their heads up and remember that life goes on. Selena favored the lyrical content and central theme, a common one in her songs. "La Llamada" was recorded in Corpus Christi, Texas, at Selena's father and manager Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.'s recording studio Q-Productions. Before Live! was released, the song was mixed by Brian "Red" Moore, a family friend. Because Selena favored the song, the band released a music video. It was filmed in a beach house in Malibu, California. The video features Selena dancing with guys on one side and woman on the other. In other scenes, Selena is belting the lyrics behind blue curtains.
"La Llamada" is an uptempo Mexican cumbia song. Written in the key of A minor, the beat is set in common time and moves at a moderate 90 beats per minute. "La Llamada" describes a woman telling her boyfriend over the phone that she saw him kissing another girl, while her boyfriend tries to persuade to her that it was not him. The central theme explored on "La Llamada" suggests female empowerment.
## Critical reception and covers
Howard Blumenthal wrote in his book The World Music CD Listener's Guide that "La Llamada" is an "energetic" song. An editor from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram compared "La Llamada" and another Live! single "No Debes Jugar". The editor expressed the similarities the songs shared in both its lyrical content and the instruments used in the songs. Sue Anne Pressley of the Chicago Sun-Times believed that "La Llamada" is a "fan favorite", calling it "a danceable pop number". A Philadelphia Daily News editor called "La Llamada" a "catchy tune", though commented that it is the least memorable song on Live!.
Mexican band Banda El Grullo recorded the song on their tribute album Lo Mejor De Selena Con Banda. Mexican singer Dalila also recorded the song for her album Dalila en Vivo. Dominican bachata singer Kiko Rodriguez recorded the song on his album Otra Vez Con Amor.
## Charts
## Certifications
## Personnel
All credits were taken from the Live! album notes.
- Selena – vocals
- Ricky Vela – keyboardist
- Joe Ojeda – keyboards
- Chris Pérez – guitar
- Pete Astudillo - writer
- A.B. Quintanilla III – co-writer, producer, arranger
- Brian "Red" Moore – audio mixer
- Bebu Silvetti – producer | [
"## Background and composition",
"## Critical reception and covers",
"## Charts",
"## Certifications",
"## Personnel"
] | 934 | 4,769 |
37,819,146 | Jessie Stephen | 1,172,949,390 | British suffragette (1893–1979) | [
"1893 births",
"1979 deaths",
"20th-century Scottish women",
"British socialist feminists",
"British women's rights activists",
"Councillors in Bristol",
"Labour Party (UK) councillors",
"Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates",
"Members of Bermondsey Metropolitan Borough Council",
"Members of the Order of the British Empire",
"Members of the Workers' Socialist Federation",
"People associated with Glasgow",
"Scottish suffragettes",
"Scottish women in politics",
"Women councillors in England",
"Women's Social and Political Union"
] | Jessie Stephen, MBE (19 April 1893 – 12 June 1979) was a twentieth-century British suffragette, labour activist and local councillor. She grew up in Scotland and won a scholarship to train as a teacher. Family finances dictated otherwise, leading to her becoming a domestic worker at the age of 15. She became involved in national labour issues as a teenager, via organisations such as the Independent Labour Party and the Women's Social and Political Union. After moving to Lancashire and London she visited the United States and Canada, where she held meetings with the public including migrant English domestic workers.
Stephen later become more involved in formal political parties, being elected as a local councillor and standing as a candidate in general elections. After moving to Bristol she became the first woman president of Bristol Trades Council. She was appointed MBE in 1977 and her life is commemorated by a blue plaque in Bristol.
## Biography
Stephen is recorded in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as a "suffragette and labour activist", and has been described as "working-class".
### Early life and family
Jessie Stephen was born in Marylebone, London, on 17 April 1893, the eldest of the eleven children of tailor Alexander Stephen and his wife Jane Miller. The family moved to Edinburgh, then Dunfermline, before settling in Glasgow in 1901. Jessie has been described as "virtually the only Scottish working-class Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) member about whom anything is known". She attended Sunday schools separately linked to the church and to socialism, and was educated at North Kelvinside School. She won a scholarship to train as a pupil-teacher.
Her father's low and variable income meant that she could not afford to pursue her aspiration to become a teacher, and became a domestic worker at the age of 15. Her father was a founder member of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) when it was established in 1893. She described her mother as being "so quiet and the very opposite of dad".
### Early career
She was referred to as a "young activist in the Maryhill Branch of the ILP", before she joined the WSPU in 1909, aged 16. In around 1911–12, as noted in her unpublished autobiography Submission is for Slaves (held at the Working Class Movement Library in Manchester), she formed the Scottish Federation of Domestic Workers. She organised her fellow maids through meetings firstly in the streets and later in Alston's Tea Rooms in Bothwell Street, Glasgow. The organisation eventually merged with the London-based Domestic Workers' Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1913.
Stephen was the youngest member of the WSPU Glasgow delegation to the Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George in 1912, and, she took part in the first of the "Scottish Outrages", involving attacks on pillar boxes, in Glasgow in February 1913. Her job as a maid worked in her favour during these attacks, as she explained in a 1975 interview:
> "I was able to drop acid into the postal pillar boxes without being suspected, because I walked down from where I was employed in my cap, muslin apron and black frock... nobody would ever suspect me of dropping acid through the box."
Stephen was approached by Sylvia Pankhurst and moved from Glasgow to London, where she became considered one of the "most active members" (along with Emma Boyce, around 1916) of the Workers' Suffrage Federation. In April 1919, Stephen was one of a number of speakers to address a crowd of "about 10,000 people" in Trafalgar Square, opposing the Blockade of Germany. Other speakers included Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence and Theodora Wilson Wilson. She was also an active member of the Women's Peace Crusade and at the 1920 ILP conference argued against the use of force during events preceding the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR.
In the 1920s she visited the United States, holding public meetings with immigrant communities from Scotland and Wales. and fund-raising for the Socialist Party of America. She also visited Vancouver, where she encouraged migrant English domestic workers to unionise.
### Middle years
Stephen later lived in Lancashire and also in London, where she became involved in the East London Federation and sold the Women's Dreadnought. She was elected Labour borough councillor for Bermondsey in 1922, after failing to be selected as a parliamentary candidate for the ILP, and worked for Bermondsey MP Alfred Salter. She stood as Labour candidate for Portsmouth South in the general elections of 1923, 1924 and 1929, and for Kidderminster in 1931.
From 1924 she worked as a freelance journalist, established a secretarial agency in Lewes in 1935 and joined the National Union of Clerks in 1938. At the time of the Second World War, she worked for Murphy Radio in Welwyn Garden City.
She later moved to Bedminster, Bristol, where she worked at the Broad Quay branch of the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) and with the National Union of Clerks. She later became chair of the local CWS management committee. Around this time, she spoke publicly and gave advice on birth control. She was elected to the city council. In 1952 she became the first woman president of Bristol Trades Council.
### Later life
In the 1964 general election, she was a candidate for the Labour Party in the Weston-super-Mare constituency. She was appointed MBE for "services to the trade union movement" in June 1977.
She died at Bristol General Hospital in 1979.
### Commemoration
Stephen's life is commemorated by a blue plaque at her former home in Bedminster, Bristol. She is included in River of Words, an artwork by Anoushka Havinden at the Stockingfield Junction on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Maryhill, Glasgow, which lists local people of historic significance.
Stephen's unpublished autobiography, Submission is for Slaves, is available digitally via the Working Class Movement Library. She is one of over 200 Suffrage campaigners interviewed by historian Brian Harrison in the 1970s, the audio files of which are available on the LSE Library webpages. She is also the subject of a short animation made as part of Glasgow Women's Library's Vote 100 project. | [
"## Biography",
"### Early life and family",
"### Early career",
"### Middle years",
"### Later life",
"### Commemoration"
] | 1,339 | 28,967 |
13,616,303 | SMS Novara (1913) | 1,159,675,578 | Scout cruiser of the Austro-Hungarian Navy | [
"1913 ships",
"Maritime incidents in 1920",
"Novara-class cruisers",
"Ships built in Fiume",
"World War I cruisers of Austria-Hungary"
] | SMS Novara was a Novara-class scout cruiser of the Austro-Hungarian Navy which served during World War I. Built by the Danubius shipyard between December 1912 and January 1915, Novara was the third and final member of her class to enter service, some six months after the start of the war. She was armed with a battery of nine 10-centimeter (3.9 in) guns and had a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).
The ship saw extensive service during World War I, owing to the cautious strategies adopted by the Austro-Hungarian fleet and their opponents in the Triple Entente. Novara was frequently used to raid enemy shipping and the Otranto Barrage, including a patrol in November 1915 where she destroyed a stranded French submarine. These operations culminated in the Battle of the Strait of Otranto in May 1917, the largest naval battle of the Adriatic Campaign. There, she and her two sisters sank fourteen drifters, though she was badly damaged by a British cruiser and had to be towed back to port. Novara was involved in the Cattaro Mutiny in January 1918 and led the loyalist vessels to safety.
Novara changed hands several times as the war ended, being transferred first to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a successor state to Austria-Hungary, and then to France as a war prize under the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Commissioned into the French fleet as Thionville, the ship served from 1920 to 1932 as a training ship, and from 1932 to 1941 as a barracks ship in Toulon before being broken up for scrap.
## Design
Novara was 130.64 meters (428 ft 7 in) long overall, with a beam of 12.79 meters (42 ft 0 in) and a mean draft of 4.6 meters (15 ft 1 in). She displaced 3,500 long tons (3,600 t) at normal load, and up to 4,017 long tons (4,081 t) at deep load. Her propulsion system consisted of two sets of AEG steam turbines driving two propeller shafts. They were designed to provide 25,600 shaft horsepower (19,100 kW) and were powered by 16 Yarrow water-tube boilers. These gave the ship a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). Novara carried about 710 metric tons (700 long tons) of coal that gave her a range of approximately 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph). The ship had a crew of 340 officers and men.
Novara was armed with nine 50-caliber 10 cm (3.9 in) guns in single pedestal mounts. Three were placed forward on the forecastle, four were located amidships, two on either side, and two were side by side on the quarterdeck. A Škoda 7-centimeter (2.8 in)/50 K10 anti-aircraft gun and six 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes in twin mounts were added in 1917. The navy planned to remove the guns on the forecastle and quarterdeck and replace them with a pair of 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns fore and aft, but nothing was done before the end of the war. The ship was protected by a waterline armored belt that was 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships and a 20 mm (0.79 in) thick deck. The conning tower had 60 mm thick sides, and the guns had 40 mm (1.6 in) thick shields.
## Service history
### Construction and early World War I
Novara was laid down at the Danubius shipyard in Fiume on 9 December 1912, the last member of her class to begin construction. She was launched on 15 February 1913; the ship was still undergoing fitting-out work when World War I broke out in July 1914. The ship was completed on 10 January 1915 and commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian fleet. The commander of the Austro-Hungarian fleet, Admiral Anton Haus, adopted a cautious strategy to preserve his fleet, since he was outnumbered by the Anglo-French fleets in the Mediterranean, and the attitude of Austria-Hungary's erstwhile ally Italy remained unknown. Haus decided the best course of action would be to act as a fleet in being, which would tie down Allied naval forces, while torpedo boats, mines, and raids with fast cruisers like Novara could be used to reduce the numerical superiority of the enemy fleets before a decisive battle could be fought.
In March, after the beginning of the British Dardanelles Campaign against the Ottoman Empire, Germany began to pressure Austria-Hungary to assist their ally; Haus considered sending Novara with a cargo of munitions. Haus ultimately decided the operation was too risky for what would have been a minimal gain, as the ship would not have been able to carry a particularly large amount. On 2 May, Novara towed the German U-boat UB-8 from Pola out of the Adriatic Sea. They evaded French patrols until 6 May, off Cephalonia, they were spotted by a French vessel. Novara cut the tow and sped north, while UB-8 submerged and evaded the French patrol. Following the Italian declaration of war against the Central Powers on 23 May, the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet sortied to bombard Italian coastal targets. Novara took part in the operation; along with a destroyer and two torpedo boats, she bombarded Porto Corsini near Ravenna. Defensive fire from Italian coastal guns killed six men aboard Novara.
By late in the year, the Austro-Hungarian high command decided to begin attacking the Entente supply shipments being sent to Serbia via Albania. The first such raid, conducted by Novara's sister ships Saida and Helgoland, took place on the night of 22–23 November. Haus transferred Novara, Helgoland, and six destroyers to Cattaro at the end of the month to facilitate further attacks. On 5 December, Novara, four destroyers, and three torpedo boats made an attack on the shipping lanes; they sank three transport ships and numerous fishing boats. While on their way back to Cattaro, they spotted the French submarine Fresnel, which had run aground off the mouth of the Bojana river. Novara and the other vessels took the crew captive and destroyed the submarine.
On 29 December, Novara, the cruiser Admiral Spaun, and the old coastal defense ship Budapest sortied to support Helgoland and six destroyers after they had run into a minefield, which sank a destroyer and badly damaged another. Novara and the other vessels did not reach Helgoland's flotilla before they were able to disengage from pursuing Italian warships. On 29 January 1916, Novara and two destroyers began another raid, this time on the port of Durazzo. While en route, the two destroyers collided and had to return to port, leaving just Novara to conduct the attack. Upon reaching the target, she encountered the Italian protected cruiser Puglia and a French destroyer. After a short engagement, Novara broke off the action and retreated, since the element of surprise was no longer available. Then-Linienschiffskapitän (Captain) Miklós Horthy, who commanded Novara at the time, launched an attack on the Otranto Barrage on 9 July. Novara sank a pair of drifters, damaged two more, and captured nine British sailors.
### Battle of the Strait of Otranto
In February 1917, Horthy began preparations for a major raid on the drifters; he planned to use Novara and both of her sisters, which he modified to look like large British destroyers by cutting down their mainmasts. Each of the ships also received a 7 cm anti-aircraft gun, and their engines were thoroughly cleaned and repaired. While the preparations were being made in late April and early May, destroyers made several sweeps down to the coast of Albania to reconnoiter the Entente defenses in the area; they found none. On 13 May, Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) Alexander Hansa issued the order to begin the operation the following morning. The three cruisers steamed south to the drifter line, arriving after night fall; at the same time, a pair of destroyers, Balaton and Csepel, mounted a diversionary attack off the coast of Albania. At around 03:30 on 15 May, Novara and the other cruisers opened fire on the drifters, sinking fourteen and damaging four more before they broke off the attack and withdrew, hoping to return to port before Entente forces could react.
At 06:45, the British cruisers HMS Dartmouth and Bristol and five Italian destroyers sortied to intercept Novara, Helgoland, and Saida. By 09:00, the faster British cruisers had caught up to the Austro-Hungarian vessels, and both sides called for reinforcements; a flotilla centered on the armored cruiser Sankt Georg was sent to assist Horthy's cruisers. Dartmouth opened fire first and scored a hit on Novara, and the three Austro-Hungarian cruisers laid smoke screens and turned back toward their pursuers, scoring several hits on Dartmouth in the process. Novara was hit several more times, and her main feed pumps and starboard auxiliary steam pipe were damaged, which caused the ship to begin losing speed. Horthy was badly injured as well, though he remained in command. At 11:05, the Entente commander, Admiral Alfredo Acton, turned away in an attempt to separate Saida from Novara and Helgoland. At this point, Sankt Georg was approaching the scene, which prompted Acton to temporarily withdraw to consolidate his forces. This break in the action was enough time for the Austro-Hungarians to save the crippled Novara; Saida took the ship under tow while Helgoland covered them.
Unaware that Novara had been disabled, and fearing that his ships would be drawn too close to the Austrian naval base at Cattaro, Acton broke off the pursuit. The destroyer Acerbi misread the signal, and attempted to launch a torpedo attack, but was driven off by the combined fire of Novara, Saida, and Helgoland. At 12:05, Acton realized the dire situation Novara was in, but by this time, the Sankt Georg group was too close. The Sankt Georg group rendezvoused with Novara, Saida, and Helgoland, and Csepel and Balaton reached the scene as well. The entire group returned to Cattaro together.
### End of the war
By early 1918, the long periods of inactivity had begun to wear on the crews of several warships at Cattaro, primarily those of the little-used armored cruisers. On 1 February, the Cattaro Mutiny broke out, starting aboard Sankt Georg. They then rapidly gained control of the cruiser Kaiser Karl VI and most of the other major warships in the harbor. The crews of Novara and Helgoland resisted the mutiny, with the latter preparing their ship's torpedoes but Sankt Georg's gunners aimed their 24 cm (9.4 in) guns at Helgoland, which convinced them to back down. Novara's commander, Prince Johann of Liechtenstein, initially refused to allow a rebel party to board his vessel, but after Kaiser Karl VI trained her guns on Novara, he relented and let the crew fly a red flag in support of the mutiny. Liechtenstein and Erich von Heyssler, the commander of Helgoland, plotted overnight how to extricate their vessels, their crews having abstained from actively supporting the rebels.
The following day, many of the mutinous ships abandoned the effort and rejoined loyalist forces in the inner harbor after shore batteries opened fire on the rebel guard ship Kronprinz Erzherzog Rudolf. Liechtenstein tore down the red flag before ordering his ship to escape into the inner harbor; they were joined by the other scout cruisers and most of the torpedo boats, followed by several of the other larger vessels. There, they were protected by shore batteries that opposed the rebellion. By late in the day, only the men aboard Sankt Georg and a handful of destroyers and torpedo boats remained in rebellion. The next morning, the Erzherzog Karl-class battleships arrived from Pola and put down the uprising.
On 3 November 1918, the Austro-Hungarian government signed the Armistice of Villa Giusti with Italy, ending their participation in the conflict. Following the armistice, the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet was transferred to the newly formed Yugoslavia.
### French service
In 1920, under the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Novara and the rest of the fleet was surrendered to the Allied powers as war prizes; Novara was awarded to France in the post-war distribution of ships. She sprang a leak in the Adriatic and put into Brindisi, Italy, where she sank on 29 January 1920. She was refloated in early April 1920. The ship was renamed Thionville and incorporated into the French fleet after repairs. Thionville was assigned to the torpedo school for use as a training ship, a role she filled until 1 May 1932. The ship was then disarmed and converted into a barracks ship based in Toulon. She remained there until 1941, when she was broken up for scrap. | [
"## Design",
"## Service history",
"### Construction and early World War I",
"### Battle of the Strait of Otranto",
"### End of the war",
"### French service"
] | 2,932 | 30,436 |
442,696 | Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden | 1,166,219,627 | British barrister and judge, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench (1762–1832) | [
"1762 births",
"1832 deaths",
"Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Oxford",
"Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom",
"Chancellors of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom",
"Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Oxford",
"Justices of the Common Pleas",
"Justices of the King's Bench",
"Lord chief justices of England and Wales",
"Members of the Inner Temple",
"Peers of the United Kingdom created by George IV",
"People from Canterbury"
] | Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden PC (7 October 1762 – 4 November 1832), was a British barrister and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench between 1818 and 1832. Born in obscure circumstances to a barber and his wife in Canterbury, Abbott was educated initially at a dame school before moving to The King's School, Canterbury in 1769. He was noted as an excellent student, receiving an exhibition scholarship from the school in March 1781, when he matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Here he was elected a fellow, and also served as a tutor to the son of Sir Francis Buller, which first made him consider becoming a barrister. He joined the Middle Temple in 1787, transferring to the Inner Temple in 1793, and was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1796. Abbott was noted as an excellent barrister, earning more than any other during his time at the Bar, despite being considered unimaginative and a poor speaker. He was offered a position as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1808, which he turned down; he accepted the same offer in 1816, receiving the customary knighthood and being appointed a Serjeant-at-Law.
Three months after he started sitting as a judge he was transferred to the Court of King's Bench, where he was initially rather poor, being unfamiliar with the court's business. Within two years he showed "the highest judicial excellence", and when Lord Ellenborough had a stroke in 1818, Abbott was chosen to replace him as Lord Chief Justice. His reign at the head of the Court of King's Bench saw the court flourish, with strong justices and his own much-admired abilities. He was appointed to the peerage in 1827, sitting as Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden, and initially attended the House of Lords regularly. His opposition to the Reform Act 1832, which he claimed treated city corporations "with absolute contempt", led to his refusal to attend the Lords. Continuing to sit as Lord Chief Justice, Abbott gradually grew weaker, and finally fell ill halfway through a two-day trial. His disease baffled doctors, and he died on 4 November 1832 at his home in Queen Square, London.
## Early life and education
Abbott was born 7 October 1762 in Canterbury to John Abbott, a barber, and his wife Alice. Abbot lived in a "small, mean-looking house" near the Cathedral, and was initially educated at a dame school. During his childhood he was noted as "industrious, apprehensive, regular and correct in all his conduct". He attended The King's School, Canterbury, from 1769, where he was such a good student that he received an exhibition scholarship on his matriculation at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in March 1781. At the time there were only two awards at Oxford: the Chancellor's medals for English and Latin prose. After an initial attempt to win them which failed, he won the Latin prize in his second year and the English prize in the third. Abbot was then elected a fellow of Corpus Christi where, acting as a tutor to the son of Sir Francis Buller, he first considered becoming a barrister. On 16 November 1787 he became a member of the Middle Temple, transferring to the Inner Temple in 1793, and worked for two years under Sir George Wood as a special pleader; it was said that he had finished his work as a special pleader faster than "any man before or since". He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1796.
## Career
Abbott began practising on the Oxford Circuit; while travelling there he had a fall from his horse, which broke his leg in two places and left him permanently lame. In 1802, he published a legal tract, On Merchants' Ships and Seamen, which was praised by his fellow lawyers and earned him a large amount of commercial work; it was later republished in the United States, where it was misattributed to Charles Abbot, the Speaker of the House of Commons. He would be "as eminent and prosperous as a counsel can be at the English bar", although he refused to apply for silk. From 1802 to 1816 he served as "Devil to the Attorney General", opening all government prosecutions, and was standing counsel for the Bank of England and many Deans and Prelates in the Church of England. By 1807, he was making £8,000 a year, and later exceeded this amount; it was remarked that he earned more money than any other barrister of that time. Abbott was not a "flashy" barrister; although known as an excellent lawyer, his speeches were monotonous and he lacked an imagination.
In 1808 he was offered a position as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, but refused it. After eight more years of work, however, he felt that his health could no longer take the strain, and accepted a position in the Court of Common Pleas on 24 January 1816, along with becoming a Serjeant-at-Law as required. Abbott was granted the customary knighthood, with the motto "Labore", which he also used for his peerage. He stayed in this post for barely three months, with no records of his work there surviving, before being transferred against his will to the Court of King's Bench on 3 May to replace Simon Le Blanc.
Abbott, unfamiliar with the Court of King's Bench (having been a regional lawyer rather than a London-based one), was initially a disappointment, but soon improved. By 1818, he showed "the highest judicial excellence", although he was criticised for snapping at boring barristers and for taking the government's side in prosecutions.
That year, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Ellenborough had a stroke, forcing his retirement. Most of the other judges and legal figures were inappropriate for the role; Sir Samuel Shepherd, for example, was while an able lawyer too deaf to sit as a judge. As a result, Abbott was appointed, and formally took up his position on 4 November 1818.
As Lord Chief Justice he saw the Court of King's Bench flourish, with competent Justices and his own abilities; "[Abbott] had more knowledge of mankind than any of [the Justices], and was more skilful as a moderator in forensic disputation". Abbott's central weakness as a judge was seen to be his support of James Scarlett, his leader when Abbott was a barrister; "The timid junior, become Chief Justice, still looked up to his old leader with dread, was afraid of offending him, and was always delighted when he could decide in his favour".
On 30 April 1827, Abbott was made Baron Tenterden, of Hendon in the County of Middlesex; having feared that "Lord Abbott" would leave him open to ridicule, he instead picked the name of a Kentish town near his roots. On 24 May, Abbott formally took up his position, attending the House of Lords regularly, and was the last Chief Justice to wear his official robes to the Lords (other than those acting as interim Speakers).
In 1830, he introduced several bills to Parliament following reports on the state of the Ecclesiastical Courts, common law courts and law of real property; all were passed, except the ecclesiastical bills, as Parliament ran out of time to hear them. They were heard during the next Parliamentary session in 1831, and both passed; they "by no means established for him the reputation of a skilful legislator... the judges have found it infinitely difficult to put a reasonable construction upon them". The Reform Act 1832 led to his departure from the Lords, and is considered to have greatly shortened his life; he fought strongly for the city corporations, which he claimed the bill treated "with absolute contempt", but would be defeated. Having threatened that, should it pass, "Never, never my Lords, shall I enter the doors of this House", he was true to his word, and never returned to politics, although from 8 August to 3 September 1827 he was interim Chancellor of the Exchequer, following the convention that, when vacant, the position should be held by the Lord Chief Justice.
## Death
Abbott first began to grow ill in May 1832, when he wrote to Sir Egerton Brydges that "My spirit is so depressed, that when I am not strongly excited by some present object that admits of no delay, I sink into something very nearly approaching torpidity". Although he got somewhat better, giving his annual dinner to the King's Counsel, it was noticed that he was unable to drink his wine properly.
He went to the Midland Circuit in June, as it was the easiest one, but he suffered from "a violent cough" and other symptoms, returning to his home in Hendon. After the first day of a two-day case he found himself losing his appetite and suffering from a fever, which caused him to talk incoherently and become delirious. The disease baffled doctors, and finally killed him on 4 November 1832 at his home in Queen Square, London; his last words were "and now, gentlemen of the jury, you will consider of your verdict". He was interred at the Foundling Hospital, of which he was a governor.
## Personal life
Abbott married Mary Lamotte on 30 July 1795. He enjoyed the domestic element of his life, and records show love poetry written to his wife. Prior to their marriage Mary had sent him a lock of her hair; in exchange, he wrote a poem for her entitled "The Answer of a Lock of Hair to the Inquiries of its Former Mistress". The couple had two sons and two daughters; John (2nd Baron Tenterden), Charles, Mary, and Catherine. Catherine later married John Rowland Smyth.
Abbott was considered cautious, with an "aversion to all that was experimental" and a "want of fancy" which were considered excellent traits for a judge, giving him "a very prominent rank indeed amongst our ablest judges". He possessed a violent disposition; "his temper was naturally bad; it was hasty and it was violent; forming a natural contrast with the rest of his mind", but he successfully controlled this. This occasionally came out in court, however, and he was noted as particularly caustic and intolerant of unnecessarily complex sentences. When one witness, an apothecary, used a particularly complex medical phrase, Abbott shouted that he should "Speak English sir, if you can, or I must swear in an interpreter". He was considered "dull in private life as well as in public; and neither crimes nor follies could ever be imputed upon him"; despite this he was "a great magistrate, and his judgments [were] studied and admired".
Edward Foss wrote of him that "no judge ever sat on the bench who displayed greater learning, cleverness and discrimination; nor whose judgments have ever been so undisputed.
## Arms | [
"## Early life and education",
"## Career",
"## Death",
"## Personal life",
"## Arms"
] | 2,315 | 15,915 |
222,231 | There's No Disgrace Like Home | 1,167,597,948 | null | [
"1990 American television episodes",
"Family therapy",
"Television episodes written by Al Jean",
"The Simpsons (season 1) episodes"
] | "There's No Disgrace Like Home" is the fourth episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 28, 1990. In the episode, Homer is ashamed of his family's behavior at a catastrophic company picnic and enrolls them in therapy. The therapist, Dr. Marvin Monroe, struggles to solve their problems − culminating in a shock therapy-based showdown between the family members − before eventually giving up and refunding their money.
One of the first-produced episodes of the season, it is known for showcasing early designs and different characterizations for several members of the show's cast. The episode is inspired by the comedy of Laurel and Hardy and features cultural references to films such as Citizen Kane and Freaks as well as the Batman and Twilight Zone television series. When the BBC began airing The Simpsons in November 1996, this episode was the first to be shown.
## Plot
Homer takes his family to a company picnic, where he is embarrassed by the behavior of Bart, Lisa and Marge. Mr. Burns, Homer's cruel and tyrannical boss, fires any employee whose family members are not enjoying themselves. When Homer notices that Mr. Burns approves of a "normal", well-mannered family who treat one another with respect, he wonders why his own family is so dysfunctional. The entire picnic is a catastrophe when Bart chases and tortures the swans, Lisa swims in the fountain, and Marge gets drunk and performs a musical number.
Homer tries to prove his point to Bart, Lisa, and Marge by taking them on a tour of the neighborhood and peeking in windows to observe other families. The excursion makes the others uncomfortable for invading these families' privacy, and one homeowner shoots at them for trespassing. A depressed Homer visits Moe's Tavern, where he sees a television advertisement for Dr. Marvin Monroe's Family Therapy Center. Enticed by Monroe's guarantee of "family bliss or double your money back", Homer decides to sign the Simpsons up for an appointment.
To his family's chagrin, Homer pawns their television to pay for the \$250 therapy. When Monroe asks the Simpsons to draw pictures of the source of their problems, Bart, Lisa, and Marge draw Homer. Distracted, Homer draws an airplane in flight and Monroe scolds him for being a bad father figure. After Homer gets angry with Bart and tries to attack him with a lamp, Monroe gives the Simpsons padded mallets to work out their aggression without harming each other. The exercise fails when Bart removes the padding from his mallet and hits Monroe in the knee with the hard inner core.
In frustration, Monroe resorts to aversion therapy by wiring the family members to an electric generator, so they can deliver shocks to one another to deter misbehavior. However, they shock each other so many times that the generator becomes damaged (which leads to all of Monroe's other patients leaving his office) and the entire city suffers a brownout, delighting Burns. Realizing he cannot help the Simpsons, Monroe unplugs the generator and begs them to leave. After Homer reminds him of the double-money-back guarantee, Monroe angrily pays him \$500 on the condition that they never tell anyone of their visit to the center. With a fresh sense of unity and pride, the Simpsons decide to buy a new television.
## Cast
- Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Barney Gumble and Son in Monroe ad
- Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson
- Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Tom Gammil, Mother \#2 and Receptionist
- Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson
- Harry Shearer as Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Father \#1, Documentation voice, Father \#2, Boxing announcer, Eddie, Dr. Marvin Monroe, Voice in Monroe ad, Pawnbroker and Father \#3
- Hank Azaria as Moe Szyslak, Mr. Gammil, Lou and Father in Monroe ad
- Maggie Roswell as Mother \#1, Daughter and Mother in Monroe ad
- Pamela Hayden as Son \#1 and Son \#2
## Production
The episode shows signs of being one of the earliest produced. Several of the characters notably behave differently compared to the episodes surrounding it: akin to her portrayal in the Tracey Ullman Show shorts, Lisa is an undisciplined brat indistinguishable from Bart, Marge gets drunk and is inattentive, and Homer is the voice of reason. These roles were reversed in later episodes. It was an early episode for Mr. Burns (who was known as Mr. Meanie in the first draft), who had been voiced by Christopher Collins in the previous episode. Originally, the character was influenced by Ronald Reagan, a concept that was later dropped. The idea that he would greet his employees using index cards was inspired by the way Reagan greeted people. The episode marks the first time Burns refers to "releasing the hounds".
The episode marked the first appearance of Dr. Marvin Monroe and Itchy & Scratchy; the latter had previously appeared in the shorts. It also marked the first appearance of yellow Smithers, who was drawn as an African-American in the previous episode. Eddie and Lou also appeared for the first time, although Lou was mistakenly animated with yellow instead of black, as he would later become. Lou was named after Lou Whitaker, a Major League Baseball player.
The idea behind the shock therapy scene was based on Laurel and Hardy throwing pies at each other. The scene was rearranged in the editing room; it played out differently when first produced. The edits to this scene were preliminary, but well-received, and remained unchanged in the finished product.
The episode's title is a parody of the famous phrase "There's no place like Home" from "Home! Sweet Home!", an 1823 song by Henry Bishop and John Howard Payne. The scene in which the family enters Burns' Manor contains two cultural references. The Manor resembles Charles Foster Kane's mansion from the 1941 film Citizen Kane. The characters refer to it as "stately Burns Manor", a reference to the Batman TV series. In addition, there is a reference to Freaks, the Tod Browning cult horror film, in the repetition of the line "one of us".
While drunk at Mr. Burns' picnic, Marge sings a version of the song "Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine" which was popularised by Dean Martin. The shock therapy scene is reminiscent of the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.
The episode made a brief appearance as inflight entertainment in the 1990 action film Die Hard 2.
## Reception
In its original broadcast, "There's No Disgrace Like Home" (which aired the same day as Super Bowl XXIV on rival network CBS) finished forty-fifth in ratings for the week of January 22–28, 1990, with a Nielsen rating of 11.2, equivalent to approximately 10.3 million viewing households. It was the second-highest-rated show on Fox that week, following Married... with Children.
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, note: "It's very strange to see Homer pawning the TV set in an attempt to save the family; if this episode had come later Marge would surely have taken this stance." They continue, "A neat swipe at family counseling with some great set pieces; we're especially fond of the perfect version of The Simpsons and the electric-shock aversion therapy."
Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said in a review that the episode is "[his] least favorite episode of Season One" and further commented: "Homer feels embarrassed by the others? Marge acts poorly in public and doesn't care about the upkeep of the family? Lisa (Yeardley Smith) engages in pranks and silliness? This ain't the family we've grown to know and love."
It was the first episode to be broadcast on terrestrial television by the BBC on November 23, 1996, on a Saturday at 5:30 pm, because the episodes were shown out of order. The episode was screened with five million viewers, slightly less than the show Dad's Army, which previously held the timeslot. The episode also faced competition from ITV's screening of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
## Home media
The episode was released first on home video in the United Kingdom, as part of a VHS release titled The Simpsons Collection; the episode was paired with season one episode "Bart the General". It was released in the US on the VHS release The Best of The Simpsons, Vol. 1 (1997), paired with "Life on the Fast Lane". It was later re-released in the US in a collector's edition boxed set of the first three volumes of The Best of The Simpsons collections. It was re-released in the UK as part of a VHS boxed set of the complete first season, released in November 1999. The episode's debut on the DVD format was as a part of The Simpsons season one DVD set, which was released on September 25, 2001. Groening, Jean, and Reiss participated in the DVD's audio commentary. A digital edition of the series' first season was published December 20, 2010 in the United States containing the episode, through Amazon Video and iTunes. | [
"## Plot",
"## Cast",
"## Production",
"## Reception",
"## Home media"
] | 1,964 | 4,751 |
1,550,846 | Dølehest | 1,164,746,875 | Breed of horse | [
"Horse breeds",
"Horse breeds originating in Norway"
] | The Dole Gudbrandsdal, Dølahest, or Dole is a draft- and harness-type horse from Norway. The Dole Trotter is alternately considered a subtype of the Dole Gudbrandsdal and a separate breed; it is also considered a part of the coldblood trotter type. The Dole Gudbrandsdal is a small draft horse, known for its pulling power and agility, while the Dole Trotter is a smaller, faster horse used for harness racing; the two types are commonly interbred. Both types are strictly critiqued before entry into the studbook, which has over time resulted in an improvement in the breed type. The Dole is originally from the Gudbrandsdal Valley, and is probably descended in part from the Friesian horse. Over time, the breed has had Thoroughbred, Arabian, and other breeds added in, especially during the creation of the Dole Trotter in the 19th century. The first studbook was created in 1941, and the current breed association was formed in 1947. Although originally used mainly as a pack horse, today, the heavier Dole type is used mainly for agricultural purposes. The Dole Gudbrandsdal been crossed with other breeds to develop horses for harness racing and riding.
## Breed characteristics
Dole horses generally stand at high, weigh 1,190 to 1,390 pounds (540 to 630 kg), and are usually bay or brown, or black, with gray, palomino, chestnut, and dun occurring less frequently. White markings may occur on the head and legs, especially on the trotter type. The head is heavy with a straight profile, the neck rather short and muscular, the withers moderately pronounced and broad, the chest wide and deep, and the shoulder strong, muscular, and sloping. The back is long and the croup broad, muscular, and slightly sloping. The legs are short but sturdy and well muscled, with broad, solid joints and tough hooves. At one point in the breed's history, it was prone to weak legs and low fertility, but these problems have since been corrected. Dole horses closely resemble the British Fell and Dales ponies, which developed from the same ancestral stock.
When presented for grading and studbook inspection, the heavy-type Dole Gudbrandsdals are tested for pulling power and trotting. In the lighter type, X-rays showing the knee and lower legs to be free of defects must be presented, and stallions must have satisfactory results on the track before they may be used for breeding. However, three-year-old stallions may be issued temporary licenses before they begin their racing career if their conformation, breeding, and trotting ability are considered acceptable. Trotting-type mares with proper conformation that are not fast enough during grading may be registered as draft-type Doles. These strict and organized standards have improved the quality of the Dole breed over the past few decades. Although the Dole horse is one of the smallest draft breeds, it shows great pulling power, and is also hardy and agile. They are especially known for their excellent trots, as is shown by the lighter subtype of the breed. During the late 20th century, interbreeding between the two types became quite common; due to this, the breed became much more uniform in type, with fewer differences between the trotter and draft sections.
## Breed history
The Dole is thought to have originated in the Gudbrandsdal, an inland valley in the county of Oppland. It is likely that the Dole is in part a descendant of the Friesian, as the two breeds are similar in conformation, and the Frisian people were known traders in the area between 400 and 800 AD. There was also equine movement between western Norway and northern England during the 9th century through the mid-11th century; this extended period of trade between these areas likely influenced the strong resemblance between the Dole, Friesian, Fell Pony and Dale Pony breeds.
Two stallions, Odin and Mazarin, had a large influence on the development of the Dole breed. Odin (son of Partisan), was a stallion of Thoroughbred (some sources say Norfolk Trotter) breeding, imported to Norway in 1834. Odin was said to cost £257 at the time and to have been bred to over 100 mares in his first four years in Norway. All Dole Trotter horses today contain Odin bloodlines. Mazarin was an Arabian imported to Norway in 1934. In 1849, another influential stallion was foaled, named Veikle Balder 4; he was a grandson of Odin and is considered the foundation stallion of the heavier Dole type. A stallion named Brimen 825 was used by breeders to maintain and improve some horses of the heavier Dole type for draft uses.
In the 19th century, harness racing began to rise in popularity in Norway and breeders looked to create a horse suitable for that sport. The Dole Trotter, a smaller, lighter, faster variation of the draft-type Dole Gudbrandsdal, was then developed. Infusions of Thoroughbred blood, as well as that of various trotting and heavy draft breeds, was used to create this new type. The Dole Trotter was especially influenced between 1840 and 1860 by two other stallions, Toftebrun and Dovre (an Arabian); the latter is the foundation stallion of the Dole Trotter type. The two types are commonly interbred, especially since 1960.
In 1872, the Dole Gudbrandsdal was split into two types, a class for heavier agriculture and driving horses and a class for lighter racing and riding horses. In 1875, the Norwegian Trotting Association was formed by enthusiasts of the second type. In 1902, the first Dole Gudbrandsdal studbook was published, containing stallions from both types born between 1846 and 1892. In 1903, the Norwegian Trotting Association split their registration between purebred Norwegian trotters and trotting crosses. At the same time, standards for entry were tightened and the first inspection committee was created. In 1965, the Norwegian or Dole Trotter studbook was taken over by the Norwegian Trotting Association, as part of the new coldblood trotter program approved by the Norwegian Ministry for Agriculture. The Dole Trotter studbook is still coordinated with the original Dole Gudbrandsdal registry, and horses have to meet many of the same standards. The Dole Trotter is alternately considered a subtype of the Dole Gudbrandsdal and a separate breed.
Interest in the Dole Gudbrandsdal continued through World War II, and the horses were used heavily during Norway's occupation by Germany. Breed numbers and interest diminished after the war, as increasing mechanization reduced demand for draft animals; however, a breeding center was established in 1962 to help maintain population numbers. In 1947, the National Dølehorse Association was formed to promote and preserve the breed. As of 2002, about 4,000 Dole Gudbrandsdals are registered, with around 175 new foals added annually.
## Uses
When originally developed, Dole Gudbrandsdals were used as pack horses on overland trade routes across Norway, the main one of which connected Oslo with the North Sea and ran through the Gudbrandsdal Valley. The Dole Gudbrandsdal is used mainly for heavy draft and agricultural work, as well as timber hauling, while the lighter Dole Trotter is used mainly for harness racing. The Dole Gudbrandsdal was an influential breed in the formation of the North Swedish Horse, and the two breeds are very similar in conformation. When the Dole and North Swedish breeds are crossed, they produce a lighter-weight horse with more forward gaits that is often used for harness racing. The Dole Gudbrandsdal has also been crossed with Swedish Warmbloods to produce riding-type horses, and Dole/Thoroughbred crosses may produce nice hunter horses. | [
"## Breed characteristics",
"## Breed history",
"## Uses"
] | 1,698 | 13,379 |
62,378,912 | Naji Marshall | 1,149,883,398 | American basketball player | [
"1998 births",
"American men's basketball players",
"Basketball players from New Jersey",
"Birmingham Squadron players",
"Erie BayHawks (2019–2021) players",
"Living people",
"New Orleans Pelicans players",
"Small forwards",
"Sportspeople from Atlantic City, New Jersey",
"Undrafted National Basketball Association players",
"Xavier Musketeers men's basketball players"
] | Naji Maurice Marshall (born January 24, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers.
## Early life and high school career
Marshall was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey but moved to Maryland at the age of 9. He is the son of Maurice Marshall, who was a professional boxer and is now a basketball coach at an elementary school, and Rayna Whitted, who works at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. His name means "strong warrior" in Arabic and was a nickname of his father's. Marshall has five brothers and one sister and grew up playing football and basketball, though he grew to favor basketball. In middle school, he played in Atlantic City’s Triple-B summer youth league.
He played his first season of high school basketball at Takoma Academy. As a sophomore, he transferred to Eleanor Roosevelt High School to play under coach Brendan O'Connell but was academically ineligible his first year. As a senior, Marshall averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. He led Eleanor Roosevelt to a 23–3 record and scored 27 points to lead the Raiders past Perry Hall High School 69–59, in the Maryland 4A state semifinals. He decided to attend the Hargrave Military Academy as a postgraduate student to improve his academics. Marshall averaged 20.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per game at Hargrave Military Academy. He competed for DC Premier on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit. Marshall received scholarship offers from Pittsburgh, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech, but committed to playing college basketball for Xavier because he liked the culture. He was considered to be a four-star prospect by three recruiting sites, and ESPN ranked him as the 20th best small forward in his class.
## College career
Marshall contributed 12 points and four rebounds in his collegiate opening game against Morehead State. He scored a season-high 21 points in a 89–77 win over Georgetown on February 21, 2018. Marshall was named to the Big East All-Freshman team. As a freshman, Marshall averaged 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and made 18 starts. In the summer before his sophomore season, Marshall worked on improving his jump shot and his conditioning.
Marshall earned his first Big East player of the week honors on December 31, 2018 after scoring 19 points, grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds, and dished out four assists in a 74–65 win against DePaul. After scoring 28 points in a win at Seton Hall on February 20, 2019, and recording 17 points in a win over Villanova on February 24, Marshall was again named Big East player of the week. On February 28, Marshall scored a career-high 31 points as Xavier defeated St. John's 84–73. Marshall missed a game against St. John's with an ankle injury on March 9. He was named to the Second Team All-Big East by the coaches as a sophomore. Marshall averaged 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from behind the arc. After the season, he declared for the 2019 NBA draft but withdrew his name and returned to Xavier.
Coming into his junior season, Marshall was named to the preseason First Team All-Big East and was on the watchlist for the Julius Erving Award. On December 7, Marshall tied his career-high of 31 points in a 73–66 win over Cincinnati in the Crosstown Shootout. He sat out a game against Western Carolina on December 18 with a stomach virus. On February 1, 2020, Marshall contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a 74–62 upset of tenth-ranked Seton Hall despite playing with the flu. Marshall hit the game-winning three-pointer with 4.5 seconds left in a 66–63 win at Georgetown on March 1, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. At the conclusion of the regular season, Marshall was named to the First Team All-Big East. He averaged 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Following the season, Marshall declared for the 2020 NBA draft. On April 9, he announced he was signing with an agent, thus forgoing his remaining season of collegiate eligibility. Marshall scored 1,277 points in three seasons as a Musketeer.
## Professional career
After going unselected in the 2020 NBA draft, Marshall signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their NBA G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks on December 8, 2020. On January 15, 2021, Marshall made his NBA debut against the Los Angeles Lakers. He began receiving consistent minutes in April due to a rash of injuries to players. On May 7, 2021, the Pelicans signed him to a multi-year contract. In his rookie season, Marshall averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Pelicans, shooting 39.2 percent from the field.
In January 2022 he and Trey Murphy III were assigned to the Pelicans' G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.
## Career statistics
### NBA
#### Regular season
\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2020–21 \| style="text-align:left;"\| New Orleans \| 32 \|\| 10 \|\| 21.9 \|\| .392 \|\| .349 \|\| .707 \|\| 4.6 \|\| 2.8 \|\| .8 \|\| .3 \|\| 7.7 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2021–22 \| style="text-align:left;"\| New Orleans \| 55 \|\| 4 \|\| 13.4 \|\| .405 \|\| .200 \|\| .796 \|\| 2.6 \|\| 1.1 \|\| .6 \|\| .1 \|\| 5.7 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2022–23 \| style="text-align:left;"\| New Orleans \| 77 \|\| 21 \|\| 23.3 \|\| .433 \|\| .303 \|\| .789 \|\| 3.6 \|\| 2.5 \|\| .7 \|\| .2 \|\| 9.1 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\| Career \| 164 \|\| 35 \|\| 19.7 \|\| .418 \|\| .286 \|\| .773 \|\| 3.5 \|\| 2.1 \|\| .7 \|\| .2 \|\| 7.7
#### Play-in
\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2022 \| style="text-align:left;"\| New Orleans \| 2 \|\| 0 \|\| 11.0 \|\| .667 \|\| .000 \|\| .625 \|\| 3.5 \|\| 1.0 \|\| .0 \|\| .0 \|\| 4.5 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2023 \| style="text-align:left;"\| New Orleans \| 1 \|\| 0 \|\| 8.9 \|\| .500 \|\| .000 \|\| \|\| 1.0 \|\| .0 \|\| .0 \|\| .0 \|\| 2.0 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2\| Career \| 3 \|\| 0 \|\| 10.3 \|\| .600 \|\| .000 \|\| .625 \|\| 2.7 \|\| .7 \|\| .0 \|\| .0 \|\| 3.7
#### Playoffs
\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2022 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 6 \|\| 0 \|\| 9.3 \|\| .700 \|\| — \|\| 1.000 \|\| 1.0 \|\| .8 \|\| .2 \|\| .2 \|\| 3.0 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\|Career \| 6 \|\| 0 \|\| 9.3 \|\| .700 \|\| — \|\| 1.000 \|\| 1.0 \|\| .8 \|\| .2 \|\| .2 \|\| 3.0
### College
\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2017–18 \| style="text-align:left;"\| Xavier \| 35 \|\| 18 \|\| 21.8 \|\| .530 \|\| .349 \|\| .753 \|\| 4.4 \|\| 1.6 \|\| .7 \|\| .3 \|\| 7.7 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2018–19 \| style="text-align:left;"\| Xavier \| 33 \|\| 33 \|\| 35.9 \|\| .394 \|\| .277 \|\| .722 \|\| 7.2 \|\| 3.4 \|\| 1.1 \|\| .2 \|\| 14.7 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\| 2019–20 \| style="text-align:left;"\| Xavier \| 31 \|\| 31 \|\| 35.7 \|\| .445 \|\| .286 \|\| .710 \|\| 6.3 \|\| 4.0 \|\| 1.3 \|\| .4 \|\| 16.8 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\| Career \| 99 \|\| 82 \|\| 30.9 \|\| .439 \|\| .289 \|\| .725 \|\| 5.9 \|\| 3.0 \|\| 1.0 \|\| .3 \|\| 12.9 | [
"## Early life and high school career",
"## College career",
"## Professional career",
"## Career statistics",
"### NBA",
"#### Regular season",
"#### Play-in",
"#### Playoffs",
"### College"
] | 2,281 | 27,495 |
69,808,241 | Parents' Day (novel) | 1,173,191,186 | 1951 novel by Paul Goodman | [
"1950s LGBT novels",
"1951 American novels",
"American LGBT novels",
"Books by Paul Goodman",
"English-language books",
"Novels about ephebophilia",
"Pederastic literature",
"Self-published books"
] | Parents' Day is a 1951 novel by Paul Goodman. Written as autobiographical fiction based on the author's experiences teaching at the upstate New York progressive boarding school Manumit during the 1943–1944 year, the book's narrator grapples with his homosexuality and explores a series of sexual attractions and relationships that culminates in his being fired by the school. Goodman wrote the novel as part of a Reichian self-analysis begun in 1946 to better understand his own life. He struggled to find a publisher and ultimately self-published through a friend's small press. Reviewers remarked on unease in Goodman's sexual revelations, lack of self-awareness, and lack of coherence in the text. Parents' Day sold poorly and has been largely forgotten, save for some recognition as an early gay American novel.
## Background
In the United States during the era of this book's publication, homosexuality was deemed a mental illness with deleterious effects on health. Literature covering gay issues was scarce. By the time of the book's publication, its author, Paul Goodman had developed a reputation for publishing on a panoply of topics.
## Synopsis
In Parents' Day, an unnamed male in his thirties begins teaching at a private school early in World War II. He is a single parent, having split with his wife. Early in the novel, the narrator announces his homosexuality and love for the 17-year-old Davy Drood. The narrator augurs that he will be fired for having a sexual relationship with a student, whereas heterosexual relationships with students were tolerated. When Davy seeks to have sex with a female student, the narrator tells the headmaster that they should provide contraceptives and facilitate an occasion for the pair. He questions whether he should tell Davy's mother on Parents' Day about his sexual attraction to Davy. The narrator has sex with a woman while thinking of Davy. He reveals that he had manually stimulated Davy through the blankets and the narrator ejaculated in his own pants. Jeff Deegan, a student with a crush on the narrator, fights Davy on Parents' Day. In a jealous betrayal by Jeff, the narrator is fired from the school.
The narrator's poems intersperse the text.
## Publication
Parents' Day is autobiographical fiction in which Goodman explores and exaggerates his experience teaching at the upstate New York progressive boarding school Manumit, where he taught during the 1943–1944 school year until his firing for reasons related to his homosexual activity.
Goodman, in an effort to change his character and find his life's purpose, underwent a self-psychoanalysis beginning in 1946. From a disciple of psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, Goodman learned Reichian techniques, which he performed as a set of unsequenced exercises rather than an ordered program. After half a year with this disciple and half a year of Goodman's own free association, dream analysis, and other exercises, Goodman's self-analysis extended into an autobiographical novel based on the experiences at a progressive boarding school that led to his firing. This writing exercise gradually replaced his Reichian practice and exemplified how Goodman returned to his artistic practice to better understand his own life. Goodman's result, written from first-person perspective, was only barely concealed as fiction.
Goodman makes little effort to distinguish himself from his narrator characters throughout his fiction. In his life he celebrated his sexuality much the same as his characters celebrate theirs. The communal and psychosexual properties of physical touch are a recurring theme in his novels, as in Parents' Day the narrator's physical intimacy is expressed as an educational tool. Goodman referred to Parents' Day, alongside Making Do and The Break-up of Our Camp, as his three "community novels". The narrators in Parents' Day and Making Do are indistinguishable from Goodman's own persona as "a man of letters [and] man of the streets".
Parents' Day was originally titled The Fire, in reference to an incident in the book based on the real fire incident at Manumit during Goodman's 1943–1944 teaching year. It was later retitled. Goodman prepared a preface for the book that was cut prior to publication. Goodman's brother, Percival, illustrated the book. While Goodman finished the manuscript in 1949, he struggled to find a publisher based on the book's content.
The 5x8 Press of Saugatuck, Connecticut, published Parents' Day in 1951. Goodman's friend, Mortimer "Tony" Gran, who previously published Goodman's poetry, offered to print a book for Goodman in-between other printing jobs. Only 500 copies of the 1,400 printed copies were bound. Most of these 500 copies went unsold and the unbounded remainders were discarded. Black Sparrow Press of Santa Barbara reprinted Parents Day in 1985 with an afterword from Goodman's literary executor Taylor Stoehr and new illustrations from Goodman's brother. Free Press included an excerpt from the story in their 1976 anthology The Political Imagination in Literature.
## Analysis and legacy
A 2016 reader's guide to gay American novels called the novel a "personal apologia masquerading as fiction". An Iowa Journal of Literary Studies review saw Parents' Day as an honest view into Goodman's faults as a developing educator. It described Goodman as "introspective" and "non-judgmental" in acknowledging his unresolved unease in how he had acted on sincere desire but had hurt others in the process, and in how he would likely act the same under similar circumstances, following his impulse and suffering the consequences. Goodman presents various casual, compulsive liaisons as sexual substitutes for other people, writes literary critic Kingsley Widmer: boys for girls, wives for boys, boys for their mothers, such that Goodman's homosexuality is performed as a "labyrinthine dramatization of yearning and rejection". In the academic Donald Morton's analysis, the narrator's early conclusion that his homosexuality would prove impossible to reconcile with the school's community is an admission of the narrator's desires as "unrealistic" or "pathetic". In a contemporaneous review, Ruthven Todd wrote that the tumult of the narrator's thoughts obscured his perspective. The narrator desires community while alienating himself from the school's community. By Widmer's estimation, the narrator was either expecting or demanding his eventual rejection by the school community.
Summarizing Goodman's long fiction, Stan Sulkes wrote that Goodman's celebration of sexuality was "not always to good effect", especially when meant to confront the reader directly rather than make the reader grapple with the portrayed fictional situation. Goodman's insistence on speaking bluntly about his narrators' sexuality, especially given the thin veil between the narrator character and the author, was potentially both distracting and disconcerting for the reader, said Sulkes. Goodman showed a lack of self-awareness as an author, literary critic Kingsley Widmer thought, by making declarations at odds with his narrator's actions, such as the narrator saying he was "a good teacher" or defending his seductions while otherwise showing "predatory sexuality, vanity, caprice, self-pity, and contempt for others". Widmer criticized what he described as "portentously ruminative writing" with a vague, confessional tone in which the narrator is confused about his self-perception as "natural" or "sick". Ruthven Todd, for The Nation, concluded that the school's teachers were "more neurotic and obsessed" than its children. He likened the school's suffering to that of a battlefield.
Judging the novel as "weak" and "awkward" overall, though slightly better than Goodman's The Empire City, literary critic Kingsley Widmer described multiple deficiencies in Goodman's writing, including unintroduced main characters, undeveloped women characters, and careless narration. Widmer said Goodman's interpersed poems were stiff and hurt his narrative. A 2016 reader's guide to gay American novels wrote that the book's parts do not cohere into a whole. Conflict is mostly absent from the novel, apart from its concluding sequence. The Iowa Journal of Literary Studies, however, appreciated the book's balance of humor, such as how the author's serious, existential, questioning tone juxtaposes with his enthusiasm for sex, often exacerbating the former. Some themes of the book that persist in other works by Goodman include unpursued desire, lack of community, and how intentional community might form from common purpose.
While Goodman later became known as an educator, his belief in the educator's role in their students' sexual development contributed to his ill repute during the 1940s and 1950s. Literary critic Kingsley Widmer said Goodman's public endorsement of adolescent sexuality was both jarring for the 1940s and novel among Americans. Among gay novels, the progressive school's permissive setting and general tolerance for the narrator's homosexuality (but not pederasty) made for a more evocative memoir, wrote Roger Austin. Though the book sold poorly, Goodman's literary executor Taylor Stoehr wrote that the book became a gay underground classic with influence that outpaced its circulation. Stan Sulkes's survey of Goodman's long fiction more directly said the book was "largely forgotten" and not even collected by research libraries. | [
"## Background",
"## Synopsis",
"## Publication",
"## Analysis and legacy"
] | 1,899 | 34,416 |
14,967,881 | French ironclad Invincible | 1,131,202,527 | French Gloire-class ironclad | [
"1861 ships",
"Gloire-class ironclads",
"Ships built in France"
] | The French ironclad Invincible was the second of the three wooden-hulled Gloire-class ironclads built for the French Navy in 1858–1862. The ships of the Gloire class were classified as armoured frigates because they only had a single gun deck and their traditional disposition of guns arrayed along the length of the hull also meant that they were broadside ironclads. Invincible had an uneventful career and was deployed in North American waters during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The unseasoned timber of her hull rotted quickly and she was condemned in 1872 and scrapped in 1876.
## Design and description
Designed by the French naval architect Henri Dupuy de Lôme, the ships of the class were intended to fight in the line of battle, unlike the first British ironclads. The ship was 77.25 metres (253 ft 5 in) long, with a beam of 17 metres (55 ft 9 in). Invincible had a maximum draft of 8.48 metres (27 ft 10 in), a depth of hold of 10.67 metres (35 ft 0 in) and displaced 5,650 tonnes (5,560 long tons). The ships of the class had a high metacentric height of 2.1 metres (7 ft) and consequently rolled badly. With their gun ports only 1.88 metres (6 ft 2 in) above the waterline, they proved to be very wet. She had a crew of 570 officers and enlisted men.
Invincible had a single horizontal return connecting-rod compound steam engine that drove one propeller. The engine was powered by eight Indret oval boilers and was designed for a capacity of 2,500 indicated horsepower (1,900 kW). On sea trials, Invincible reached 13.2 knots (24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph). She carried a maximum of 675 tonnes (664 long tons) of coal which allowed her to steam for 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) at a speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). The Gloire-class ships were initially fitted with a light barquentine rig with three masts that had a sail area around 1,100 square metres (11,800 sq ft). This was later changed to a full ship rig of 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft), but later had to be reduced because of excessive rolling.
The Gloire-class ships were armed with 36 Modèle 1858 164.7-millimetre (6.5 in) rifled muzzle-loading guns, 34 of which were positioned on the single gun deck in the broadside. The remaining two guns were placed on the upper deck as chase guns. They fired a 44.9-kilogram (99.0 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of only 322 metres per second (1,060 ft/s) and proved to be ineffective against armour. They were replaced by rifled breech-loading Modèle 1864 guns in 1868. Six 240-millimetre (9.4 in) guns were mounted in the centre of the gun deck and a pair of 194-millimetre (7.6 in) guns replaced the original chase guns.
Invincible's wooden hull was completely armoured with wrought iron plates 120 millimetres (4.7 in) thick. Backed by the 760-millimetre (30 in) sides of the hull, the armour extended 5.4 metres (17 ft 9 in) above the waterline and 2.0 metres (6 ft 7 in) below. The Gloire-class ships had an open-topped conning tower with armour 100 millimetres (3.9 in) thick and 10 millimetres (0.4 in) of armour underneath the wooden upper deck.
## Construction and service
Ordered on 4 March 1858, Invincible was laid down at the Arsenal de Toulon on 1 May 1858, launched on 4 April 1861 and completed in March 1862. In September–October 1863, she conducted tactical trials with other ironclads. While assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet, the ship made a port visit in August 1865 to Brest where the fleet hosted the British Channel Fleet. As part of the festivities, Invincible put on a banquet for the midshipmen of both fleets that was reportedly the noisiest and most enjoyable of the visit. A few days later the French fleet made a reciprocal visit to Portsmouth where it was hosted by the Channel Fleet. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the ship was sent to defend the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon from Prussian commerce raiders. Built of unseasoned timber, Invincible was in poor shape upon her return and was decommissioned. Condemned on 12 August 1872, the ship was scrapped in 1876 at Cherbourg. | [
"## Design and description",
"## Construction and service"
] | 1,059 | 32,766 |
31,540,142 | Apple of Sodom (song) | 1,096,000,487 | Marilyn Manson song | [
"1997 songs",
"Fiona Apple",
"Marilyn Manson (band) songs",
"Songs written by Marilyn Manson",
"Songs written for films"
] | "Apple of Sodom" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. The track was recorded for the soundtrack to David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway. It was written by the band's eponymous vocalist and produced by Manson with Sean Beavan. Lynch personally chose the band to contribute music to the soundtrack as he found Manson inspiring, and because of the band's commercial viability. An industrial song about obsession, "Apple of Sodom" was named after the eponymous fruit, and was inspired by Manson's feelings about singer Fiona Apple. The song was followed by multiple collaborations between Manson and Lynch.
The track received a mainly positive response from music critics, who commended its composition. A music video was directed by Joseph Cultice, although initially was not made public due to its low-budget nature and depiction of nudity. The clip was released to YouTube in 2009. It garnered critical acclaim and comparisons to the work of Manson's contemporaries.
## Background
At the suggestion of a mutual friend, David Lynch chose Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails to produce the soundtrack to his film Lost Highway (1997). Lynch wanted the soundtrack to feature well-known artists of his choosing who were inspirational to him, as well as commercially viable. Among the artists chosen were Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Smashing Pumpkins and Rammstein. According to John Balance of Coil, a band that was once going to be featured on the soundtrack album, Lynch "wanted David Bowie, he wanted Marilyn Manson, he wanted whoever he could get. He just said, 'These people are really big. I want this film to be really big.' He didn't give a fuck about the integrity."
When deciding the album's musical direction, Reznor came to the conclusion that it should appeal to fans of Lynch who hate pop music; at the same time, he wanted it to "have some degree of accessibility for the 13-, 14-year-old kid who buys it because I have a new song on it; or for the Smashing Pumpkins fan who buys it for that." Lynch met Manson through Reznor. After meeting with Lynch, Manson contributed two songs to the soundtrack: "Apple of Sodom", which was written specifically for Lost Highway, and a cover of "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins; the latter had previously been featured on the band's platinum-selling extended play Smells Like Children (1995). Manson told Alternative Press that "Apple of Sodom" is "very much a part of" Antichrist Superstar (1996), despite the fact that it does not appear on that album.
A rumor circulated that Lynch wanted Manson to contribute more music to the soundtrack than he did. However, this has been disputed by Reznor. Manson appeared in Lost Highway in a cameo appearance as a pornographic film actor who unknowingly stars in a snuff film. The role marked Manson's first appearance in a movie. His bandmate Twiggy Ramirez also had a cameo in the film. Since Lynch and Manson met during the production of Lost Highway, Lynch has written an introduction to Manson's biography The Long Hard Road Out of Hell (1998), and the two have collaborated on both an art show and a coffee table book titled Genealogies of Pain (2011).
## Composition and lyrical interpretation
"Apple of Sodom" is an industrial song with a length of four minutes and twenty-six seconds. It was written by Manson and produced by him alongside Sean Beavan. Kurt B. Reighley writes in his book Marilyn Manson that the track derives its name from the fruit known as the apple of Sodom. Reighley notes that, if consumed, an apple of Sodom can cause paralysis, severe tremors or death; the toxicity of the apple is referred to in the song's lyric "I've got something you can never eat". The track opens with a whispered, "barely audible" line of dialogue from Lost Highway, where one of the protagonists, Alice (Patricia Arquette), says "You will never have me." "Apple of Sodom" has minimal production led primarily by bass. It features a drum beat reminiscent of jungle music, and a vocal performance that has been described as crooning and a growl. AllMusic and Dan Epstein of Revolver both called the song "ominous".
The song includes lyrics such as "I’m dying, I hope you’re dying too" and "take this from me/hate me, hate me". According to Katie Rife of The A.V. Club, "Apple of Sodom" uses imagery of moral decay, physical decay, and original sin. Reighley wrote that the song's lyrics make it similar to the songs on the band's album Antichrist Superstar, while AllMusic perceived themes of sex, seduction and reflection in the track. Manson discussed the song's meaning in a 1998 Spin article, saying "that song's about obsession and things you can never have". He added that "in a distant way" it was inspired by his feelings toward Fiona Apple, a singer he deemed "sexy and fragile—definitely too fragile for me". Manson elaborated that he was a "huge fan" of Apple's music, and that "If I was ever to be put in a circumstance where I could have sex with her, I would decline because her vagina is probably too precious to be dirtied by my filthy cock."
## Critical reception
In a review of the Lost Highway soundtrack, The Daily Aztec praised "Apple of Sodom" and the band's version of "I Put a Spell on You", saying that they "both make listeners feel like they're entering something dangerous. Manson's screaming and jungle drum beats give the songs a sarcastic, stereotypical horror film feeling, and at the same time the tunes are among the catchiest on the record." James P. Wisdom of Pitchfork described "Apple of Sodom" and "I Put a Spell on You" as "reasonably good" and superior to the Angelo Badalamenti instrumentals on the Lost Highway album.
Katie Rife of The A.V. Club called "Apple of Sodom" a "grimy" song that "straddles the line between the erotic and the terrifying". Fact deemed it one of the greatest songs ever to appear in or be inspired by a Lynch project, alongside the Pixies' cover of "In Heaven" from Eraserhead (1977) and Julee Cruise's "Falling" from Twin Peaks. Kerrang!'s Jason Arnopp said that the song "sees the band in sinister, down-paced mode, brilliantly complementing the overall feel of the soundtrack." Daisy Jones of Dazed said that Manson's "razor-sharp" contributions to the soundtrack helped Lost Highway become a cult film.
Alec Chillingworth of Metal Hammer put "Apple of Sodom" fourth on the magazine's list of Manson's ten most underrated songs. Chillingworth wrote that "the track never really kicks off. And that's the beauty of it. It's not about a quiet/loud dynamic. It's not about a chorus that's going to stay on the radio until radios are no more. 'Apple of Sodom' is an early example of Manson being able to evoke a precise atmosphere through nothing more than bare instrumentation and that inimitable voice of his." Slant Magazine's Jeremiah Kipp felt that the inclusion of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails songs in Lost Highway "places [the film] in the mid-1990s...sadly losing the timelessness of most of Lynch's work".
## Music video
A music video was made for the song, directed by Joseph Cultice. According to Manson, it never aired on MTV due to its depiction of nudity and its low-budget nature. It was released to the public in 2009, when Cultice uploaded it to YouTube. In a review of the video for Bloody Disgusting, Jonathan Barkan commented: "This is one of those videos that is so iconically from the early to mid 90s. The out of focus moments, the strange, sinister imagery, the strong usage of colors to highlight the different vignettes." Barkan called the video "pretty" and noted similarities between it and the music videos of Manson's contemporaries Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Tool. Dan Epstein of Revolver said: "In retrospect, the video's grainy quality actually makes it powerfully effective, especially in the cinematic scene where the nude, alien-like female pulls a plug out of her torso and proceeds to bleed to death." Epstein ranked the clip fourth on Revolver's list of the "5 Most Horrifying Moments from Marilyn Manson Music Videos". Noisey's Alexandra Serio viewed the nudity in the clip as part of the band's history of "pissing off Jesus Christ".
## Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lost Highway.
- Marilyn Manson – songwriter, producer
- Sean Beavan – producer, mixer
## See also
- List of songs recorded by Marilyn Manson | [
"## Background",
"## Composition and lyrical interpretation",
"## Critical reception",
"## Music video",
"## Personnel",
"## See also"
] | 1,867 | 23,804 |
13,188,400 | New York State Route 20SY | 1,068,695,923 | Former highway in New York | [
"Former state highways in New York (state)",
"Transportation in Madison County, New York",
"Transportation in Onondaga County, New York",
"Transportation in Syracuse, New York",
"U.S. Route 20"
] | New York State Route 20SY (NY 20SY) was a state highway in the vicinity of the city of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It connected U.S. Route 20 (US 20) to downtown Syracuse via Skaneateles, Camillus, Manlius, and Cazenovia in Onondaga County and Madison County. The highway began at an intersection with US 20 and NY 321 in the village of Skaneateles and ended at a junction with US 20, NY 20N, and NY 92 near the village of Cazenovia. Most of NY 20SY overlapped another route; however, two sections of NY 20SY—one in the town of Camillus and another near the village of Fayetteville—were not concurrent with another highway.
NY 20SY was assigned in 1951, overlapping parts of the pre-existing NY 321, NY 5, NY 92, and NY 20N, a more southerly alternate route of US 20 in the Syracuse area. Both NY 20N and NY 20SY were removed in 1961. The two independent sections of NY 20SY near Camillus and Fayetteville eventually became part of NY 321 and NY 92, respectively.
## Route description
### West of Syracuse
NY 20SY began at an intersection with US 20 (East Genesee Street) and NY 321 (State Street) in the village of Skaneateles. The route proceeded northward, overlapping NY 321 through the lakeside village and into the surrounding town of Skaneateles, where it became State Street Road. Once in Skaneateles, the surroundings became mostly rural ahead of an intersection with the Old Seneca Turnpike. The highway continued on, turning to the northeast as the highway entered the town of Elbridge.
In Elbridge, NY 20SY and NY 321 followed a more east–west routing as it passed through the town and intersected NY 368. The route progressed eastward, intersecting with Limeledge Road (County Route 236A or CR 236A) as it passed into the town of Camillus. Just east of the town line, NY 20SY and NY 321 split at an intersection with Forward Road, with NY 321 following Forward Road eastward and NY 20SY proceeding north on modern NY 321 to an intersection with NY 5 (West Genesee Street). NY 20SY turned eastward here, joining NY 5 as both highways headed toward the village of Camillus.
West of Camillus, NY 5 and NY 20SY passed to the north of the West Hill Golf and Croquet Club before veering to the southeast as the highway approached the village of Camillus and the edge of a valley surrounding Ninemile Creek that contains the village. Upon reaching the lip of the valley, NY 5 and NY 20SY descended northeastward into both the valley and the village. Here, NY 5 and NY 20SY met the northern terminus of NY 174 and NY 321 before exiting the valley and entering an area of Camillus known as Fairmount.
### Syracuse
Routes 5 and 20SY proceeded eastward through the primarily residential neighborhood of Fairmount to an intersection with NY 173 (South Onondaga Road) in eastern Fairmount. The routes continued on, passing through the town of Geddes before entering the city of Syracuse. In Syracuse, the two routes followed West Genesee Street and West Erie Boulevard into the downtown district, where NY 5 and NY 20SY intersected NY 48 at the intersection of West Erie Boulevard and West Genesee Street and US 11 at the junction of Erie Boulevard and State Street.
East of State, NY 20SY continued to follow NY 5 through the eastern part of Syracuse. The two routes met the southern terminus of NY 433 at Midler Avenue before passing north of LeMoyne College and exiting the city of Syracuse. Upon crossing into the town of DeWitt, Routes 5 and 20SY curved southward toward the hamlet of DeWitt, situated at the junction of NY 5 and NY 92. Both NY 5 and NY 20SY turned east onto NY 92, joining the route for just over 1 mile (1.6 km) to the vicinity of Fayetteville. While NY 5 and NY 92 continued east into Fayetteville, NY 20SY turned southeast onto High Bridge Road.
### East of Syracuse
The High Bridge Road portion of NY 20SY largely served as a southwestern bypass of Fayetteville. NY 20SY proceeded southeast from NY 5 and NY 92, crossing into the town of Manlius and passing over Limestone Creek at a point known as High Bridge. Just northwest of the village of Manlius, NY 20SY intersected NY 92 at what is now the junction of NY 92 and NY 257. The two routes converged once more, following Fayette Street into the village of Manlius. In the village center, NY 20SY and NY 92 intersected Seneca Street, which carried the overlapping routes of NY 20N and NY 173. NY 20SY and NY 92 joined NY 20N and NY 173 here, creating a four-route overlap that lasted for two blocks through the village's business district to the junction of Washington and Seneca Streets. Here, NY 173 split from the overlap, following Seneca Street (the old Seneca Turnpike) eastward while the other three highways veered southeast onto Washington Street.
NY 20N, NY 20SY, and NY 92 exited the village, paralleling Limestone Creek as the highway headed southeastward through rural portions of the towns of Manlius and Pompey. As Cazenovia Road, the route served Buellville and Oran, two small creekside hamlets in the town of Pompey. Roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Manlius, Limestone Creek and the three-route overlap split, with the creek proceeding south through a valley known as Pompey Hollow and the highway continuing into Madison County and the town of Cazenovia within.
In Cazenovia, the road became known as Syracuse Road and began to follow a more southerly alignment as it turned ahead of Cazenovia Lake. NY 20N, NY 20SY, and NY 92 gradually approached the lake and ultimately followed the western lakeshore as the roadway approached the village of Cazenovia. The three routes never actually reached the village, however, as all three designations ended at an intersection with US 20 (the Cherry Valley Turnpike) 0.25 miles (0.40 km) west of the village limits and 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the village center.
## History
NY 20SY was assigned in 1951 as an alternate route of US 20 in the Syracuse area. While US 20 bypassed the city of Syracuse to the south, NY 20SY veered north to serve Downtown Syracuse and the eastern and western suburbs of the city. It was the second alternate route of US 20 near Syracuse; the first, NY 20N, was also a northern alternate route of US 20 but it followed a more southerly routing than NY 20SY. Most of NY 20SY was concurrent to other, pre-existing state highways in the Syracuse area, namely NY 321, NY 5, NY 92, NY 173, and NY 20N. NY 5 was assigned in 1924; NY 92, NY 173, and NY 321 were assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York; and NY 20N was assigned c. 1938.
While most of NY 20SY was concurrent with at least one other state highway, there were two segments where NY 20SY followed an independent routing. One was in the town of Camillus, where NY 20SY followed a previously unnumbered highway between NY 321 and NY 5; the other was southwest of the village of Fayetteville, where NY 20SY used a previously unnumbered highway to bypass the village while NY 92 passed through it.
When NY 20SY was first assigned, it entered downtown Syracuse on NY 5 and followed NY 5 and US 11 through downtown before leaving the area on NY 92. It was realigned by 1954 to follow only NY 5 through downtown. The route left its original alignment at the junction of US 11 and NY 5 in downtown Syracuse and rejoined it at the western terminus of the NY 5 / NY 92 overlap in DeWitt.
Both NY 20N and NY 20SY were removed in 1961. The independent section of NY 20SY that bypassed Fayetteville became a realignment of NY 92 upon the removal of NY 20SY. The other independent section in Camillus became a realignment of NY 321 in the late 1980s.
## Major intersections
## See also | [
"## Route description",
"### West of Syracuse",
"### Syracuse",
"### East of Syracuse",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 1,902 | 8,555 |
4,981,098 | Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 | 1,152,359,628 | null | [
"2005 in Romanian music",
"2005 in Romanian television",
"Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005",
"Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest"
] | Romania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv, Ukraine. They selected their entry, "Let Me Try" by Romanian singer Luminița Anghel and group Sistem, through the national selection Selecția Națională 2005 in March 2005. Controversy surrounded the event, as second-placed singer Loredana accused the organising broadcaster, Romanian Television (TVR), of vote rigging. Prior to the 2005 contest, Romania had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seven times since its first entry in 1994. Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, had been ninth place, which the nation achieved in 2002. In 2004, they placed 18th in the final.
Prior to Eurovision, "Let Me Try" was promoted by a music video and coverage in press, among other endeavours by TVR. Romania reached first place in the contest's semi-final with 235 points. This resulted in its qualification for the Grand Final, where it achieved third place with 158 points. This remains the country's best result in the contest, alongside 2010's entry. During Romania's show, Anghel performed to the song in front of Sistem, who contributed to the track's instrumentation by drumming on oil barrels and using side cutters and a grinding wheel. Following Eurovision, "Let Me Try" achieved commercial success in Romania, peaking at number nine on the Romanian Top 100. In addition, Anghel's participation in the contest led to record deal proposals from various countries including the Netherlands, Hungary, Germany and England.
## Before Eurovision
### Selecția Națională 2005
The Romanian Television (TVR) organized the Selecția Națională 2005 on 5 March 2005, a national final to select Romania's entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005.
#### Competing entries
Out of all submitted songs, a jury panel decided on 12 finalists; the music videos to their entries were broadcast on 4 March during TVR's Stele de... Eurovision programme hosted by Mihăluș and Mugurel Vrabete.
#### Final
The final was held on 5 March 2005 at the TVR Studioul 1 from 20:00 to 23:00 EET, it was hosted by Laura Mihăluș and Dan Bittman. In the final, the televoting and jury scores were combined, with the televoting having a 25% weighting of the overall result. The 12-member panel was made up of Horia Moculescu, Titus Munteanu, Daniel Alexandrescu, Crina Mărdare, Oltea Șerban Pârău, Berti Barbera, Vlad Crețu, Adi Despot, Eugen Mihăescu, Dan Manoliu, Andrei Kerestely and Cătalin Tuță Popescu. The three songs attracting the most televotes were "Let Me Try" by Luminița Anghel and Sistem (10,832), "Le Le" by Loredana (3,871) and "All the Time" by Nico and Mihai Trăistariu (3,439). The jury's top two was "Le Le" (135 points) and "Let Me Try" (134 points); the first was awarded the top 12 points mark seven times. Overall, "Let Me Try" won the Selecția Națională with a total of 206 points, followed by "Le Le" (201 points) and "All the Time" (174 points). The full results were:
### Controversy
The selection competition saw some controversial events. Nicolae Dinescu, the drummer of the band Juke Box, died on the morning prior to the contest of a heart attack; the group still decided to compete in the contest. Larger controversy came following the winner's announcement, when second-placed Loredana accused TVR of vote rigging. She suggested that this was done because she did not want to sign a contract with the broadcaster that related to the copyright of her song, basing the accusation on reports that her voting line was continuously busy and so people were unable to vote for her when they called. In an editorial for Jurnalul Național, Dana Andronie and Cătălina Iancu agreed with the singer's thoughts, seeing her as the real winner. According to them, the jury votes and the televoting were not added up correctly.
### Promotion
TVR promoted Anghel and Sistem as Romania's entrants for the Eurovision Song Contest with tours abroad and in Romanian communities in Europe. They also had coverage in Romanian diaspora press and on various Romanian and international websites, as well as on radio stations and in European clubs. In addition, TVR sent supporting e-mails to all addresses stored on their server. A music video for "Let Me Try" was released in 2005 and included on an enhanced CD release of the single that year. It features Anghel performing to the song while Sistem drums on barrels in a desert.
## At Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 took place at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv, Ukraine and consisted of one semi-final on 19 May, and the final on 21 May 2005. In Romania, the show was aired on TVR, with Dan Manoliu as the country's head of delegation. Anghel and Sistem were scheduled for technical rehearsals on 13 and 15 May. After negotiations, TVR was granted the permission to use flames projected on the background LED screen and a grinding wheel during Romania's performance, although real flames onstage and the use of staves were prohibited. They were, though, allowed to use oil barrels; these had to be brought onstage by special platforms with wheels. Twenty people were needed for the barrel positioning, which occurred in around 40 seconds during set change and cost 3,000 euros.
According to the Eurovision rules at the time, selected countries, except the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom), were required to qualify from the semi-final to compete for the final; the top ten countries from the semi-final progressed to the final. In the semi-final, Anghel and Sistem performed 14th, preceded by Norway and followed by Hungary. In the Grand Final, they sang fourth, preceded by Malta and followed by Norway. The show consisted of Anghel performing the song, wearing a green top with a pair of jeans, in front of Sistem, who contributed to the track's instrumentation by "wildly" drumming on oil barrels in a similar way to German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten. While the singer joined the group during an instrumental part, Sistem also used side cutters and a grinding wheel to create what a Eurovision.de writer described as "spark rain" onstage.
### Voting
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to and by Romania in the semi-final and Grand Final of the contest. In the semi-final, the country finished in first place with a total of 235 points, including ten from Austria, Malta and Portugal, and 12 from Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Israel and Moldova. In the Grand Final, Romania finished in third position, being awarded a total of 158 points, including ten awarded by Hungary and 12 by Spain, Israel and Portugal. This remains the country's best result in the contest, matched in 2010 with their entry "Playing with Fire" by Paula Seling and Ovi. Romania awarded its 12 points to Moldova in both the semi-final and Grand Final of the contest. For the Grand Final points announcement, Berti Barbera was the Romanian spokesperson announcing the country's voting results.
#### Points awarded to Romania
#### Points awarded by Romania | [
"## Before Eurovision",
"### Selecția Națională 2005",
"#### Competing entries",
"#### Final",
"### Controversy",
"### Promotion",
"## At Eurovision",
"### Voting",
"#### Points awarded to Romania",
"#### Points awarded by Romania"
] | 1,677 | 36,529 |
12,886,823 | Now You Know (Desperate Housewives) | 1,162,647,058 | null | [
"2007 American television episodes",
"Desperate Housewives (season 4) episodes"
] | "Now You Know" is the fourth season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives, and the 71st episode overall. The episode premiered on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 30, 2007. It was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Larry Shaw.
In the episode, Susan (Teri Hatcher) learns that she is expecting a child while Bree (Marcia Cross) continues to fake her own pregnancy. Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) begins an affair with her ex-husband, Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) tries to conceal her cancer from her friends and children. The episode also introduces Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany), Susan's old friend who returns to the neighborhood after being away for 12 years.
"Now You Know" drew over 19 million viewers, becoming the fourth most watched program of the week across all networks. Nevertheless, it was the least watched Desperate Housewives season premiere at the time. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who agreed that the episode showed significant improvement over the show's third season. Critics also praised the addition of Delany to the cast. ABC and the show's producers received viewer backlash due to an alleged slur against Filipino doctors included in the episode.
## Plot
### Background
Desperate Housewives focuses on the residents living in the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. In previous episodes, Bree Hodge (Marcia Cross) sends her pregnant teenage daughter, Danielle (Joy Lauren), to a convent and fakes her own pregnancy. Bree plans to raise Danielle's child as her own. Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) is diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) and Mike Delfino (James Denton) marry while Carlos Solis (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) breaks up with Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), leading her to seemingly hang herself. Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) marries Mayor Victor Lang (John Slattery); however, after overhearing him confess that he only married her to secure the Latino vote for his potential candidacy in the election for governor, she seeks comfort with Carlos, her ex-husband.
### Episode
Edie's suicide attempt is revealed to be a ploy to manipulate Carlos into staying in their relationship; however, when Carlos does not show up in time to rescue her, she almost dies. He brings her to the hospital and is forced to call off plans to run away with Gabrielle.
One month later, former Wisteria Lane resident Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany) moves back to the neighborhood after twelve years of absence with her husband, Adam (Nathan Fillion), and teenage daughter, Dylan (Lyndsy Fonseca). Katherine had known Susan before moving away under mysterious circumstances. Susan's daughter, Julie (Andrea Bowen), is puzzled to learn that Dylan has no recollection of their childhood friendship or of her life on Wisteria Lane. Later, in a cryptic conversation, Adam asks Katherine if they made a mistake in moving back, and Katherine reminds him that they did not have a choice.
Lynette and her husband, Tom (Doug Savant), have been keeping her cancer a secret from their children and friends. She wears a wig to hide her baldness from the chemotherapy. Muriel (Julia Campbell), an uptight PTA mother, nags Lynette to organize a school event, forcing Lynette to reveal her illness to everyone. After recovering from her suicide attempt, Edie discovers that Carlos has \$10 million in an offshore bank account. She promises he can trust her with the secret, just as she can trust him not to break her heart. Meanwhile, Victor confronts Gabrielle about her unwillingness to sell her house and commit to their marriage. Dissatisfied with their relationships, Carlos and Gabrielle reignite an affair.
Bree and her husband, Orson (Kyle MacLachlan), find it increasingly difficult to stage her fake pregnancy. Their hoax is almost revealed at a neighborhood barbecue when a fork stabs her pregnancy stomach pads. Orson suggests coming clean to avoid the humiliation if their lies were to be discovered, but Bree tells him that this child is her second chance at successfully raising a child. Meanwhile, Susan worries that Mike is dissatisfied with their marriage, especially after Adam, her new gynecologist, reveals that she may be entering menopause. However, Adam later informs Susan that his earlier assessment was a mistake and that she is pregnant.
## Production
"Now You Know" was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Larry Shaw. The episode featured the debut of Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair, a former Wisteria Lane resident who moves back to the neighborhood. Cherry describes the character as "a woman who was clearly different in the past ... an alpha female who goes up against all-out women, especially Bree." Cherry developed Katherine with the intention of making her "a character everyone loves to hate," citing J. R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) from Dallas and Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear) from Melrose Place as inspirations. Cherry ensured that character would have "a comedic point of view," unlike the Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) character from the series' second season, stating: "In the second season we went to the mystery that was just kind of dark and stopped the action. [This time] we're using humor, drama, pathos, everything [the Mayfairs] have to offer."
Delany auditioned for the role of Bree for the series' pilot episode in 2004. Cherry offered her the role three times, but she rejected it, and Marcia Cross was hired soon after. Delany turned down the role because she believed the Bree character was too similar to her character on Pasadena. Cherry acknowledged that while Delany captured the slyness he had originally intended for the character, Cross ultimately became the better choice: "Marcia, who will be the first to tell you, 'I'm not funny, I never get the joke,' her Bree was kind of oblivious to her own Breeness. Interestingly enough, when we went forward with the show, it became a much funnier character than I envisioned." While developing the Katherine character, Cherry immediately offered the role to Delany. "That's unusual in Hollywood," Delany commented. "Usually when you say 'no,' they hold it against you for the rest of your career. I've experienced that."
Cherry offered Nathan Fillion the role of Katherine's second husband, Adam. Fillion was asked to choose what type of doctor his character would be. He recalled, "I said I'd be a gynecologist so I could interact with all the women." Known mostly for his work in the sci-fi genre, Fillion considered his role on Desperate Housewives a return to his roots, as he had acted on the soap opera One Life to Live earlier in his career. Tuc Watkins auditioned for the role and was cast as Bob Hunter on the series a few weeks later. Lyndsy Fonseca joined the cast as Katherine's daughter, Dylan. Fonseca stated that her character's mother keeps Dylan "on a rigorous schedule and a short leash. Almost like a dog."
The episode continued Lynette's cancer storyline, which Cherry intended to be both emotional and comical. He notes, "we established from very early on that she's suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, so we never once let the audience think she's going to die. It's more about examining how your friends and family react to you when you're sick."
From this episode forward, a synthesized version of Danny Elfman’s theme is heard in the brief main title sequence, as arranged and performed by series composer Steve Jablonsky.
## Reception
### Awards
Marcia Cross submitted this episode for consideration of her work for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards. She was placed in the Top 10, but did not garner a nomination.
### Viewership and ratings
According to ABC, "Now You Know" was watched by 19.32 million viewers. It held a 12.2 rating/18 share, the night's best rating across all networks, and placed as the fourth most-watched program of the week, behind CSI on CBS, and Dancing with the Stars and Grey's Anatomy on ABC. "Now You Know" was the least-watched season premiere of Desperate Housewives at the time, drawing about five million fewer viewers than the third season premiere a year earlier, a 23 percent decrease in viewership. According to The New York Times, viewership was down due to an increase in DVR usage.
### Critical
Entertainment Weekly's Tim Stack praised the Bree storyline, calling its scenes the best of the episode. He was critical of the Lynette storyline and highlighted its implausibility, calling it "a cop-out and just an excuse for drama." However, he appreciated the scene in which Lynette reveals her cancer to her friends. Stack enjoyed the addition of the Mayfair family, stating that although he was not a fan of Delany's acting, "seems perfect for this role and looks to be a choice adversary for Bree." He also praised the set-up for their mystery storyline. Stack was critical of the Edie character, opining: "She used to be funny and sexy, but now she's just a big loon." He dismissed Susan's storyline as "lame" and deemed the character "obnoxious." He also noted the significant absence of the Gabrielle character. Robert Bianco of USA Today declared that the show was "back in fine form." He called the episode amusing, opining that the episode "launched a plethora of promising stories while introducing welcome new residents Dana Delany and Nathan Fillion." TV Guide's Matt Roush enjoyed the episode, complimenting the addition of the new cast members. Regarding the Katherine character, he wrote, "while she's obviously harboring a dark secret, at least there's no one trapped in the basement," referencing the Betty Applewhite storyline from the second season. He identified the Susan and Mike storyline as problematic, as "She's so annoying, and he's so boring." Roush also noted that Felicity Huffman was "making the most of her cancer storyline."
### Filipino controversy
Following the episode's broadcast, the show's producers and ABC were criticized for including an alleged racial slur in the episode. In the scene in which the Susan character is informed she may be entering menopause, she replies: "OK, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Just to make sure they aren't, like, from some med school in the Philippines?" Viewers called ABC to complain and an online petition had gathered 30,000 signatures by October 3, 2007, three days after the episode's original broadcast. Several politicians and medical professionals of Filipino descent, including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Manila, condemned ABC for airing the line. On October 4, ABC announced that the episode had been removed from online platforms in order for the line to be removed; the line was also removed from future broadcasts and DVD productions of the episode. Nevertheless, network boycotts and other forms of protest continued. | [
"## Plot",
"### Background",
"### Episode",
"## Production",
"## Reception",
"### Awards",
"### Viewership and ratings",
"### Critical",
"### Filipino controversy"
] | 2,353 | 15,917 |
54,234,970 | Tian Qilang | 1,055,171,135 | Short story by Pu Songling | [
"Short stories adapted into films",
"Stories within Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio"
] | "Tian Qilang" (Chinese: 田七郎; pinyin: Tián Qīláng) is a short story by Pu Songling first published in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (1740). The story revolves around Wu Chengxiu, who befriends the title character, a young hunter, and the series of unfortunate events they experience thereafter. In writing "Tian Qilang", Pu was heavily influenced by biographies of famous assassins in Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian; Pu's story has in turn been adapted into a television series story arc, a film, and a play.
## Plot
Liaoyang resident Wu Chengxiu (武承休) hears, in his dreams, the name of the one who "can share your trials and tribulations", and he rushes to enquire about Tian Qilang. He learns that Tian is a twenty-year-old hunter who lives with his mother in a dilapidated shack. Attempting to form a friendship with him, Wu first offers him gold, which he refuses; then Wu pays Tian a handsome sum for a few animal hides. However, Tian does not accept Wu's invitation to his residence, and his mother chases Wu away, because she senses that turmoil will befall him and she does not want her son to be implicated.
Tian feels he had shortchanged Wu, because the hides were of inferior quality, and he bags "a perfect tiger specimen" and presents it to him. Wu then pressures him into staying at his place. Indifferent to his well-to-do friends' snide remarks about Tian, Wu also secretly disposes of Tian's ragged clothing and replaces them with presentable garb. To repay Wu, Tian sends him rabbit and deer meat on a daily basis, but refuses to be hosted at Wu's place. Some time later, Tian is found guilty of the manslaughter of a fellow hunter. Wu provides financial support to both Tian's and the deceased hunter's families, and uses his influence to save Tian. After a month, Tian is released from prison; his mother reminds him that he is greatly indebted to Wu. Thereafter, Tian is informed that a servant of Wu's has committed a crime and is currently being harboured by his new employer, the brother of the Censor. An incensed Tian decides to seek out this rogue servant; a few days later, the servant is found dead in the woods. In retaliation, the Censor's brother has Wu's uncle captured and beaten to death. Meanwhile, Tian Qilang has already fled.
The Censor's brother is in the middle of bribing a magistrate when a woodcutter enters the court office to deliver some firewood. However, the woodcutter is in fact Tian Qilang, who rushes towards the Censor's brother and beheads him with a blade. The magistrate escapes in time, and Tian is quickly surrounded by soldiers; he commits suicide. A frightened magistrate returns to inspect the corpse, but it immediately lunges itself at him, and swiftly executes the magistrate. Tian's mother and son flee before they can be arrested. Moved by the actions of Tian Qilang, Wu Chengxiu holds a lavish funeral for him. Tian Qilang's son changes his name to Tong (佟), settles down in Dengzhou, and becomes a high-ranking official in the military. Years later, he returns to his hometown; Wu Chengxiu, now an octogenarian, leads him to Tian's grave.
## Publication history
> Unwillingness to accept lightly a single coin is characteristic of someone who could not forget the gift of a single meal. What a fine mother! Qilang's wrath had not been fully discharged, so even in death he could vent it further – how awesome was his spirit! If Jing Ke had been capable of this feat, he would have left no regret to linger on for a thousand years. Were there such men like this, they could patch holes in Heaven's net. So clouded is the way of the world, I lament the scarcity of Qilangs. Sad indeed!
The story was first published in 1740 in an anthology of short stories by Pu Songling titled Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, or Liaozhai Zhiyi. The title "Tian Qilang" (田七郎) is loosely translated as "Seventh Master Tian", Tian (田) being the surname of the titular character. Sidney Sondergard published her English translation of "Tian Qilang" in 2008. "Tian Qilang" has also been translated into Esperanto as "La Cxasisto Tian".
## Inspiration
Critics including He Shouqi (何守奇), Feng Zhenluan (冯镇峦), and, more recently, Alan Barr have written that Pu Songling was greatly influenced by Sima Qian and his Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji). "Tian Qilang" is predominantly based on the Shiji biography of assassin Nie Zheng (聂政); however, Pu "updates and re-shapes the story in such a way as radically to alter its character". Nie is celebrated as the epitome of a heroic character because of his filial piety in particular; Pu is said to have been "fascinated" by such "heroic ethos". Incidentally, Nie Zheng also appears in an eponymous Liaozhai tale. On the other hand, the character Wu Chengxiu in "Tian Qilang" is compared with Yan Zhongzi (巖鐘仔), who hired Nie Zheng to assassinate his rival, the Han Prime Minister Xia Lei (俠累). Both men, Wu and Yan, are "unstinting in (their) efforts to win over a formidable man of action". The decision to have Tian Qilang be a hunter may have been influenced by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms character Liu An (劉安), who was also a hunter and demonstrated significant filial piety.
A notable difference between "Tian Qilang" and the Shiji account of Nie Zheng is the lack of a "counterpart in Pu's tale to the assassin's sister Nie Rong (聂荣)". A reason offered for such an omission is that Nie's elder sibling dies while attempting to retrieve the slain assassin's body, and such a heroic feat "comes close to upstaging her (brother's act)"; Pu did not want Tian Qilang's actions to be overshadowed, and preferred that "justice is seen to be done in a more conspicuously satisfying way". Additionally, Pu "characteristically" arranges "his intricate plot in eight distinct stages" with a "series of dramatic fluctations" – the third-person narrative found in Shiji is replaced by a more limited viewpoint in "Tian Qilang", which allows for more suspense. Nie Zheng's mother does not have "an active role in the story"; Pu accords Tian Qilang's mother with "a distinct identity of her own" and a voice that "articulates the profound inequality which exists between her son and Wu Chengxiu". At the same time, she is the one who reminds Tian that he owes Wu a debt of gratitude for saving his life.
## Literary significance and adaptations
Marlon Hom describes the character Tian Qilang as the "manifestation of chivalry". In his essay "The Literature of "A Gentleman Dies for the One Who Knows Him"" (as translated from Chinese by Ihor Pidhainy), Wang Wenxing hails "Tian Qilang" as "the greatest literary achievement amongst literary works of the 'a gentleman dies for one who knows him' (士為知己者死) theme". Wang compares the relationship between Tian Qilang and Master Wu to that of Crown Prince Dan and Jing Ke, and writes that Tian's ultimate act of vengeance is similar to Yu Rang stabbing of Zhao Xiangzi cloth. He concludes that the story well encapsulates the themes of loyalty and righteousness. Wang also praises the character development present in "Tian Qilang", in particular the depiction of Tian Qilang that "touches upon human nature and fate".
"Tian Qilang" has been adapted for television, film, and the stage. Zhang Shichuan directed the 1927 Chinese black-and-white film Tian Qilang (alternatively known as The Hunter's Legend) starring Zhang Huichong, Zhu Fei, and Huang Junfu. The plot of An Unsung Hero (丹青副) by nineteenth-century playwright Liu Qingyun is based upon "Tian Qilang". A 74-episode Liaozhai television series released in 1986 includes a two-episode story arc titled "Tian Qilang". Directed by Meng Senhui (孟森辉) and written by Liu Jinping (刘印平), it stars Yao Zufu (姚祖福) as Tian and Wang Xiyan (王熙岩) as Wu. In 2003, China Post issued a third collection of commemorative Liaozhai postage stamps; amongst the collection is one depicting a scene in "Tian Qilang"; others show scenes from entries such as "Xiangyu".
## See also
- List of Chinese films before 1930 | [
"## Plot",
"## Publication history",
"## Inspiration",
"## Literary significance and adaptations",
"## See also"
] | 1,964 | 2,402 |
3,627,177 | Hurricane Debby (1988) | 1,170,737,004 | Category 1 Atlantic and Pacific hurricane in 1988 | [
"1988 Atlantic hurricane season",
"1988 Pacific hurricane season",
"1988 in Mexico",
"Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico",
"Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes",
"Eastern Pacific tropical depressions",
"Hurricanes and tropical depressions of the Gulf of California",
"Pacific hurricanes in Mexico",
"Tropical cyclones in 1988"
] | Hurricane Debby was the first hurricane to strike the Mexican state of Veracruz since Hurricane Anna in 1956. The eighth tropical cyclone, fourth named storm, and the first hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season, Debby developed from a tropical wave off the west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on August 31. The system slowly intensified as it tracked west-northwestward toward Mexico, eventually reaching tropical storm status on September 2. Thereafter, Debby began to rapidly strengthen, and the storm was upgraded to a hurricane later that day. After attaining peak winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), Debby made landfall near Tuxpan, Veracruz early on September 3. The hurricane quickly weakened inland, but managed to reach the eastern Pacific on September 5. Debby became Tropical Depression Seventeen-E, which moved northwest but remained poorly organized due to wind shear and dissipated on September 8.
Heavy rainfall caused flooding in the state of Veracruz. Thousands of people were forced from their homes as rivers rose, including upwards of 30,000 fleeing for shelter after the Tuxpan River exceeded its bank. About 8,000 residents of the city of Álamo were rendered homeless. Flooding in Poza Rica forced the rescue of dozens of people from their cars and homes. Several homes in the city were swept away, while debris such as tree branches and trash blocked water runoff. Water, mudslides, and rocks blocked numerous roads in the area. In combination with Hurricane Kristy in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 50,000 people were left homeless in Mexico. At least 20 fatalities were attributed to Debby.
## Meteorological history
A relatively strong tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the northwest coast of Africa on August 15. Moving westward, the wave split while well east of the Lesser Antilles, with a portion developing into Tropical Depression Seven on August 21, which eventually strengthened into Tropical Storm Chris. The remaining portion of the wave continued westward and reached the Caribbean Sea as a disorganized center of showers. During the night of August 29, some cloud banding developed, followed by the formation of a low-level center over the Yucatán Peninsula on August 30. Shortly after entering the Bay of Campeche on August 31, the system was given a T1.5 rating on the Dvorak scale, based on appearance on satellite imagery. As a result, the wave developed into Tropical Depression Eight at 18:00 UTC on August 31. Cloud banding and outflow patterns became further organized on September 1. The depression moved generally west-northwestward, steered by a high pressure area situated over the Eastern United States.
On September 2, the depression organized significantly. Based on a reconnaissance aircraft flight and satellite imagery, it is estimated that the cyclone intensified into Tropical Storm Debby around 06:00 UTC. Later that day, another reconnaissance flight observed sustained winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) at 1,500 ft (460 m) and 80 mph (130 km/h) at the surface of the storm. At 18:00 UTC on September 2, Debby became a Category 1 hurricane while centered only about 35 mi (56 km) offshore Mexico. Six hours later, Debby made landfall about 23 mi (37 km) south of Tuxpan, Veracruz, with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) – the highest sustained wind speed associated with the storm. Debby was the first hurricane to strike the state of Veracruz since Hurricane Anna in 1956. Additionally, Debby simultaneously attained its minimum barometric pressure of 991 mbar (29.3 inHg). The hurricane rapidly weakened over the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains of Mexico, weakening to a tropical storm by 06:00 UTC on September 3 and falling to tropical depression intensity about 12 hours later. However, the circulation managed to remain intact and reached the Pacific Ocean between Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta on September 5.
Operationally, the National Hurricane Center treated the storm as a new tropical cyclone, rather than a continuation of Debby. As a result, the system became Tropical Depression Seventeen-E, with advisories beginning at 21:00 UTC after the remnants of Debby became organized enough to be classified as such. Little movement occurred, with the depression remaining stationary off the coast of Manazillo. Although the depression was a poorly-organized cyclone, the possibility that it could re-intensify into a tropical storm in the small and narrow Gulf of California existed. However, due to the depression's proximity to land and increasing wind shear, the chances of the system strengthening into a tropical storm again became doubtful. By September 7, the depression was under the influence of a low-level trough and weak steering currents. The depression soon became difficult to track via satellite imagery. Most of the deep convection and outflow diminished by September 8, reducing the system to a low-level swirl. The depression dissipated around 18:00 UTC, while situated in the Gulf of California between La Paz, Baja California Sur, and Culiacán, Sinaloa.
## Preparations and impact
Multiple tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued in accordance with Hurricane Debby. The first was a tropical storm warning for Santa Cruz to the city of Veracruz at 12:00 UTC on September 2. About four hours later, the portion of the tropical storm warning from Santa Cruz to Punta Jerez. The remaining portion of the tropical storm warnings – from Punta Jerez to Veracruz – was upgraded to a hurricane warning at 18:30 UTC on September 2. The portions of the hurricane warning between Cabo Rojo and Punta Jerez as well as from Poza Rica to Veracruz were downgraded to a tropical storm warning at 22:00 UTC. All watches and warnings were discontinued at 02:30 UTC on September 3. In the city of Tuxpan, the police, Mexican Army, and Red Cross were placed on standby.
Locally heavy flooding was reported in Tuxpan. Streets were inundated and power outages occurred, while more than 500 people lost their homes. The Tuxpan River overflowed its banks at Álamo. A local Red Cross official stated that most of the town was submerged in only a few minutes. About 5,000 homes were flooded by September 3, forcing approximately 30,000 people to flee. Additional flooding in the town resulted in about 8,000 people being left homeless. In Poza Rica, downed tree trunks and trash caused water runoffs to be blocked. Mud and rocks blocked roads and dozens were rescued from house and car flooding. A number of homes built along the gullies were washed away. The Cazones River overflowed, rendering a highway connecting Tampico to Veracruz impassable. The Cotaxtla River exceeded its bank in Cotaxtla, rupturing nine oil and natural gas lines. Pemex works quickly closed the pipelines. In Mexico City, about 600 people fled for shelter as rivers in the area began to swell. Ramón Aguirre Velázquez, the Head of Government of Mexico City, described the rainfall as the heaviest in 20 years.
A total of 20 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Debby, with 10 fatalities in the state of Veracruz alone. Three were caused by a landslide in Papalanta that crushed two homes. Three other storm-related deaths were reported with house-crushing landslides in Poza Rica. Four people died and sixteen were injured in Ixtlahuaco – a town in Hidalgo about 100 mi (160 km) northeast of Mexico City – when a mudslide crushed three homes.
The combined effects of Debby and Hurricane Kristy, which impacted Mexico's Pacific coast around the same time, rendered about 50,000 people homeless. Emergency crews worked to provide shelter for those left homeless. Relief supplies were delivered by boat to towns isolated by floodwaters. Local health officials in Mexico City warned of the possibility of outbreaks of hepatitis, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases. In response to the threat, homes located in the northern portions of the city near the Río de los Remedios were fumigated.
## See also
- List of Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricanes
- Hurricane Diana (1990) – A Category 2 hurricane that devastated the region just 2 years later | [
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"## See also"
] | 1,778 | 19,164 |
24,967,257 | Oh Blue Christmas | 1,159,240,701 | 2009 EP by A Fine Frenzy | [
"2009 Christmas albums",
"2009 EPs",
"A Fine Frenzy albums",
"Christmas EPs",
"Christmas albums by American artists",
"Pop rock Christmas albums",
"Pop rock EPs",
"Virgin Records EPs"
] | Oh Blue Christmas is an EP by the American band A Fine Frenzy that was released in November 2009 in the United States by Virgin Records. It was initially released exclusively through Target two months after the release of the band's previous studio album Bomb in a Birdcage. The EP contains cover versions of three popular holiday songs—"Blue Christmas", "Winter Wonderland" and "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas—as well as three original tracks. According to Alison Sudol, A Fine Frenzy's leader, the collection of songs was recorded in five days at record producer David Bianco's studio in Los Angeles.
The EP—and "Christmas Time Is Here" in particular—received positive critical reception overall. In the United States, Oh Blue Christmas peaked at number 87 on the Billboard 200, at number three on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart and at number 28 on the Top Rock Albums chart. A Fine Frenzy was touring the United States when Bomb in a Birdcage and Oh Blue Christmas were released.
## Composition
Oh Blue Christmas has a duration of approximately 22 minutes and includes renditions of three popular holiday songs: "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson), "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith), and "Christmas Time Is Here" (Vince Guaraldi, Lee Mendelson). The latter originally appeared on the 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas and the soundtrack of the same name. The EP also includes three original tracks; "Redribbon Foxes", "Winter White" and "Wish You Well". Of "Redribbon Foxes", Sudol stated:
> ...when I was writing it, I was in a cabin covered with snow and it was very quiet outside. This was all in my head, of course. Down a hill there's a little town, all lit up, carolers singing. It's a little bit sad, although it's very beautiful. There's a little fox creeping through the snow, a fox that's very hard to catch.
Sudol said "Winter White" was the "first genuinely heart-achy song" she had ever written and that "Wish You Well" is about a family member. According to Sudol, the group "expand[ed] its sound" by incorporating horns, mandolins and pedal steel guitars. The EP was recorded in five days at record producer David Bianco's studio Dave's Room. in Los Angeles. She said of the recording process:
> We all holed up in (producer) David Bianco's lovely studio, which was built in the '70s and hasn't changed much since then—and though it was the sticky, hot LA summer outside, inside, it was snowy, delightful Christmastime. We..[recorded] everything together around an invisible campfire; everyone picking up different instruments and playing them on a moment's notice. There was definitely some holiday magic in the air that week.
## Reception
Cory Frye of the Albany Democrat-Herald described Sudol's overall performance as "sultry" and called "Redribbon Foxes" a standout original track. In his review for AllMusic, Andrew Leahey wrote that the cover songs are "perfectly pleasant" and that Sudol's original songs are the highlight of the collection. Leahey complimented Sudol's "lilting, whimsical" performance and said the song "Redribbon Foxes" has a broader appeal. Brian Moore of RedEye, a Chicago Tribune publication, said the EP contained both traditional and indie qualities and described Sudol's voice as "smooth, velvety and well-suited for holiday music". OffBeat's Alex Rawls said the EP was more "wintry" than "Christmas-y", more melancholic than celebratory, and only "Wish You Well" evoked a warm, joyous tone. One reviewer for Skope Magazine described the collection as "whimsical".
"Christmas Time Is Here" in particular received positive critical reception. Moore and Rawls called the song the best track on the EP. Rawls called it the collection's "finest moment", having "evocative sounds that swell and recede". Frye described the track as "bone-chilling", and Brandon Ferguson of OC Weekly called it "nostalgia-inducing".
## Track listing
Track listing adapted from AllMusic.
## Personnel
- Felix Bernard – composer
- David Bianco – engineer, mixing, producer
- C. J. Camerieri – backing vocals, cornet, French horn, handclapping, trumpet
- Omar Cowan – acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, bass, electric bass, guitar, handclapping, mandolin
- Cole Gerst – design, illustrations
- Vince Guaraldi – composer
- Billy Hayes – composer
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Jay W. Johnson – composer
- Stephen LeBlanc – backing vocals, chimes, Hammond B3, handclapping, harmonium, piano, Wurlitzer
- Ryan Lerman – acoustic guitar, backing vocals, double bass, electric guitar, handclapping
- Lee Mendelson – composer
- Joshua Sarubin – A&R
- Jesse Siebenberg – backing vocals, drums, electric guitar, handclapping, percussion
- Richard B. Smith – composer
- Alison Sudol – composer, handclapping, piano, producer, vocals
Credits adapted from AllMusic.
## Chart performance
Oh Blue Christmas charted in the United States, peaking at number 87 on the Billboard 200, at number three on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart and at number 28 on the Top Rock Albums chart. | [
"## Composition",
"## Reception",
"## Track listing",
"## Personnel",
"## Chart performance"
] | 1,178 | 10,203 |
4,120,345 | Silver center cent | 1,097,289,545 | American bimetallic pattern coin | [
"Bi-metallic coins",
"Goddess of Liberty on coins",
"One-cent coins of the United States"
] | The Silver center cent is an American pattern coin produced by the United States Mint in 1792. As a precursor to the large cent it was one of the first coins of the United States and an early example of a bimetallic coin. Only 12 original examples are known to exist, of which one is located in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Two more specimens (Morris and California) exist but contain fabricated plugs added after minting.
Due to their rarity and historical significance Silver center cents are highly prized by collectors with one graded PCGS MS61 being sold in an online auction in April 2012 for \$1.15 million.
## Origins
During the early years of the American republic, there was a general consensus that the intrinsic bullion value of the new nation's coinage should be approximately equal to its face value. Some merchants would refuse to accept coins that did not meet this standard. For most denominations, bullion parity was achieved by producing the coins in a gold or silver alloy. However, the Coinage Act of 1792 specified that the cent was to consist of 11 pennyweight (264 grains or 17.1 g) of pure copper. Such a weight, needed to maintain intrinsic value, would have been too heavy for practical everyday use.
U.S. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson suggested an alternative: a coin made of an alloy that was primarily copper, but that included enough silver to give a reasonably-sized coin an intrinsic value of one cent. This billon alloy was considered by the U.S. Mint, but U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton feared that it would be too susceptible to counterfeiting, since its appearance differed little from that of pure copper. In 1792, the Mint's chief coiner, Henry Voigt, hit upon a solution: a copper planchet, slightly smaller than that of a modern quarter, with a small silver "plug" inserted in a center hole during the striking process. The silver plug would have been worth approximately 3⁄4¢ at contemporary bullion prices, while the copper planchet added an additional 1⁄4¢ of intrinsic value. Several such coins were produced as test pieces. Ultimately, the additional labor required for these bimetallic coins proved unsuitable for mass production, and the large cent that was produced for circulation starting in 1793 consisted of 208 grains of 100% copper.
## Design
The obverse of the silver center cent features a right-hand facing Liberty head with flowing unbound hair. The date appears below the portrait, and the words "LIBERTY PARENT OF SCIENCE & INDUST." are inscribed in a circular pattern around the central devices. The reverse design consists of a wreath with the words "ONE CENT" in the center, and the fraction "1/100" below. Surrounding the wreath, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" is inscribed.
## Specimens | [
"## Origins",
"## Design",
"## Specimens"
] | 603 | 8,847 |
1,135,979 | Storm Front (Star Trek: Enterprise) | 1,165,429,101 | null | [
"2004 American television episodes",
"Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler",
"Fiction set in 1944",
"Fiction set in the 29th century",
"Star Trek time travel episodes",
"Star Trek: Enterprise (season 4) episodes",
"Television episodes about World War II alternate histories",
"Television episodes directed by David Straiton",
"Television episodes set in Germany"
] | "Storm Front" is the title of the first and second episodes of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. They were first broadcast on October 8, and October 15, 2004, respectively, on the UPN network within the United States. They were written by executive producer Manny Coto, and directed by Allan Kroeker. The episodes resolved the cliffhanger at the end of the third season finale, "Zero Hour". It was Coto's first episodes as the new show runner for the series.
Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship, Enterprise, registration NX-01. In this episode, after destroying the Xindi weapon, Enterprise finds itself in the 20th century during World War II with Nazis in control of the northeastern USA. Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) joins Silik (John Fleck) to stop the alien Nazis, restore the timeline, and end the Temporal Cold War.
The episodes featured the return of several recurring characters, as well as stunt casting in the form of appearances by actors from other contemporary series – Golden Brooks, Joe Maruzzo and Steve Schirripa. These were the first episodes of the franchise to be shot digitally rather than using film stock, and the filming of the two halves were completed together over 14 days. The first part was seen by 2.89 million viewers, increasing to 3.11 for the second episode. "Storm Front" was poorly received by the critics, with complaints directed at the pace of the episode, the ending of the Temporal Cold War and the general premise itself.
## Plot
### Part I
Following the events of "Zero Hour", Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III (Connor Trinneer) and Ensign Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) survive the attacks by P-51 Mustangs on their shuttlepod and arrive back on Enterprise. Temporal Agent Daniels (Matt Winston), near death, suddenly appears to Doctor Phlox (John Billingsley) in sickbay. He warns that an alien named Vosk (Jack Gwaltney), the leader of a faction of the Temporal Cold War, has altered the timeline with catastrophic consequences. Enterprise was brought to the mid-20th century to end the Temporal Cold War between several factions including the Federation. On Earth, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) escapes from the Germans when American resistance fighters ambush his convoy.
Wounded, he is taken to a Resistance safehouse in Brooklyn. With the Germans controlling the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, it is revealed that the aliens, known as the Na'kuhl, have sworn allegiance to Nazi Germany. They escaped from Daniels by using "stealth time technology". They are providing the Nazis with advanced weapons and technology in exchange for material and supplies to build a temporal conduit that will take them back to their own time period (since the stealth tech was only one way). Meanwhile, Silik (John Fleck), the leader of the Suliban Cabal, has boarded Enterprise and manages to steal a shuttlepod to fly to Earth. Tucker and Mayweather are then sent to find Silik along with the shuttlepod. Archer contacts Sub-commander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) using a stolen communicator and is transported back to Enterprise. Before dying, Daniels asks Archer to stop the Na'Kuhl from using the conduit and becoming even more dangerous. On Earth, the landing party find and destroy the shuttlepod, but are captured and taken in for interrogation.
### Part II
Lieutenant Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating) finds the point of divergence in the timeline: the 1916 murder of Lenin, where witnesses claimed Lenin's killer "vanished into thin air." The removal of Lenin prevents the October Revolution from successfully taking place, causing Hitler to disregard Russia as a threat, and the full weight of the Nazi war machine is then directed at Western Europe and the United States. Vosk seeks an alliance with Enterprise, releasing Mayweather and Tucker in hopes of forging a new understanding with Archer. Medical scans soon reveal that Tucker is actually Silik in disguise and he and Archer realize they need each other's help. They enlist the help of the Resistance to destroy the shields of the Na'kuhl complex and to help rescue Tucker.
Before they can complete the mission, Silik is killed by a guard near the conduit, and Archer is almost shot by a confused Tucker. With the alien shields down, Enterprise then completes an atmospheric entry, flying over New York City and destroying the alien facility with photon torpedoes. The episode ends with Daniels showing Archer the threads of the timeline resetting themselves back to normal, as the Temporal Cold War finally ends with the death of Vosk. Archer demands that Daniels should never visit or bother Enterprise again. With their mission completed, Enterprise finally arrives back in its proper time period, where the ship is escorted home by a mixed fleet of Starfleet and alien vessels.
## Production
### Premise and writing
The decision to introduce a Nazi threat in Enterprise was decided upon when the producers were wrapping up the third season. Executive producer Brannon Braga explained afterwards that "I can't remember who said 'Nazis,' but we just somehow ended up with Nazis. Then that didn't even feel like enough, so we decided to make them alien Nazis." Only one scene featuring the Nazis was filmed during the previous episode, "Zero Hour". The intention was to resolve this quickly at the start of the fourth season and avoid a lengthy storyline.
Further changes occurred prior to the start of the fourth season; executive producers Braga and Rick Berman both took a step back from the show and brought in Manny Coto as the new showrunner for Enterprise. Coto found that after he got through the Nazi story left over from season three, he would have greater freedom to connect the series to Star Trek: The Original Series. He described that cliffhanger as one in which the characters needed to be written out of, as there was no set plan in place on how to resolve it. He made the decision to switch the story from being purely-time travel based to one which featured alternate history, while resolving the Temporal Cold War, and wrote the script for both parts himself.
### Casting
Fleck and Winston resumed their recurring roles on Enterprise in both parts of "Storm Front", as Silik and Daniels. J. Paul Boehmer resumed his role from "Zero Hour" as an SS Agent; he had previously appeared as a Nazi in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "The Killing Game", as well as the Vulcan Mestral in the Enterprise episode "Carbon Creek". Two other actors who returned in "Storm Front" from previous Voyager appearances were Tom Wright, who had appeared as Tuvix in the titular episode, and Christopher Neame, who played Unferth in "Heroes and Demons".
There were also several Star Trek debuts in "Storm Front", including Golden Brooks, better known for her main cast role in UPN's Girlfriends; and Joe Maruzzo and Steve Schirripa, who both appeared in HBO's The Sopranos. These three appearances were described as "stunt casting" by UPN President Dawn Ostroff. Jack Gwaltney was cast as Vosk, the villain of the two-parter.
### Filming
Filming began on July 15, 2004, and was the first time an episode of the Star Trek franchise was shot digitally rather than on traditional film stock. Director of photography Marvin V. Rush later said that it was an easy transition—that it made filming easier, as a high-definition monitor was available on set allowing departments, such as make-up, to make immediate adjustments. Directing Enterprise once again was Allan Kroeker for the first half of "Storm Front", who had helmed the previous episode "Zero Hour". The production of the two parts intermingled over 14 days, with the second half directed by David Straiton. The initial two days of filming took place on the standing sets representing the Enterprise and the shuttlepod. The shoot moved to Stage 9 on the Paramount lot when it resumed after a weekend break, which had been set up to represent the interior of a New York City apartment.
An area of the Paramount backlot was subsequently dressed to appear as exteriors in a Nazi-occupied New York City. This included a reproduction of a boxing poster previously shown in The Original Series episode "The City on the Edge of Forever", as well as a number of references to the production crew. A couple of locations which had appeared before in the franchise were shown, including a street corner shown in the Enterprise episode "Carpenter Street", The Next Generation's "Time's Arrow" and the Voyager episode "11:59". A bus stop from Voyager's "Non Sequitur" was also reused.
Most filming of the episode's second half wasn't done on the standing sets. Scenes were shot elsewhere, including on-site shooting at Griffith Park, which was previously used in the Voyager episode "Future's End". Other locations included the re-dressed Paramount backlot, and an alleyway elsewhere on the site. A night shoot was required for a firefight sequence featuring explosions and stunt work. Additional post-production work was required to show Silik's shapeshifting. In the sequence where Archer and Silik infiltrate the alien compound, Fleck appeared without his usual Silik prosthetics—as, in the story, Silik has used his shape-shifting abilities to resemble a human.
## Reception
### Broadcast
The first part of "Storm Front" debuted on October 4, 2004, at a gala evening on the Paramount lot hosted by Kevin Frazier. The screening was followed with a panel discussion featuring Coto, Braga, Kroeker, Rush, Bakula, supervising producer Peter Lauritson, and Sony executives Yasuhiko Mikami and Andrew Stucker. The fourth season of Enterprise was moved to Friday nights on UPN network. The first episode of "Storm Front" was broadcast on October 8, watched by 2.89 million viewers. When the second part was shown the following week, the number of viewers had increased to 3.11 million.
### Critical reception
Charlie McCollum for the Knight Ridder newspapers said that the first half fell flat on promises made to rejuvenate the series, adding that "Storm Front" represented "a confusing premise, flat production and recycled stories." Jamahl Epsicokhan, at his website Jammer's Reviews, gave both parts two and a half out of four stars. He wrote that the episode "inherits so much nonsensical time-travel baggage from previous episodes (including last season's final 60 seconds) that the premise is all but indefensible" and ultimately the episode "breaks down the entire temporal war (at least I think it does) to a single battle in Earth's past, that revolves around a single sci-fi MacGuffin: Vosk's conduit that the Nazis are constructing for him."
Michelle Erica Green of TrekNation, described the first part as "thoroughly entertaining" but was uneasy that the series was producing something so "irrelevant". Green found the episodes were a refreshing change from the Xindi arc in the third season. She said that the second part inherited the same issues from past episodes, but that the opening was strong with the fake newsreel footage of Adolf Hitler arriving in New York City. She didn't like that the Temporal Cold War storyline ended without any clear resolution, and the lack of character moments in the episode.
KJB of IGN gave the first half three out of ten, adding that the first episode suffered from a lack of pace, and described it as "awful". The second episode was rated four out of ten and called "thin on plot", but Coto was praised for killing off "long term pain" Silik, adding that the Suliban were "still the worst aliens ever created for the Trek franchise". KJB closed on a hope that "with some of the conceptual flotsam flushed away, Coto may actually have a chance to give Enterprise a decent final run before its inevitable and grisly end."
In 2014, Jordan Hoffman writing for Playboy ranked this episode 470 out of 695 Star Trek episodes, and said the Temporal Cold War storyline was worn-out and "this all feels like a step backward." In 2018, CBR rated "Storm Front" as the seventeenth best multi-part episode of Star Trek. They also ranked this fifteenth of the top twenty time travel themed episodes of all Star Trek series.
## Awards
Ronald B. Moore, Daniel Curry and David Takemura won the award for Best Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series at the Visual Effects Society Awards in 2004 for their work on the second part of "Storm Front". The other nominees were the pilot episode of Stargate: Atlantis and "Lost City", a two-part episode of Stargate: SG-1.
## Home media release
Both parts of "Storm Front" released on home media in the United States on November 1, 2005, as part of the season four DVD box set of Enterprise. The Blu-ray edition was released on April 1, 2014.
## See also
- Patterns of Force (Star Trek: The Original Series) – an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series featuring a society based on Nazi Germany
- Axis victory in World War II | [
"## Plot",
"### Part I",
"### Part II",
"## Production",
"### Premise and writing",
"### Casting",
"### Filming",
"## Reception",
"### Broadcast",
"### Critical reception",
"## Awards",
"## Home media release",
"## See also"
] | 2,764 | 34,223 |
2,672,427 | 1884 Atlantic hurricane season | 1,172,299,589 | Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean | [
"1880s Atlantic hurricane seasons",
"1884 meteorology",
"1884 natural disasters",
"Articles which contain graphical timelines"
] | The 1884 Atlantic hurricane season was one of only three Atlantic hurricane seasons, along with 1852 and 1858, in which every known tropical cyclone attained hurricane status. Overall, four tropical cyclones developed, three of which made landfall. The first system was initially observed over the northwestern Atlantic Ocean on September 1. It struck Newfoundland the following day, but impact there is unknown. On September 3, the next hurricane developed, though it did not affect land in its duration. The third hurricane struck Georgia, accompanied by damaging waves in north Florida.
The final storm was last noted on October 17. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Only two tropical cyclones during the season existed simultaneously. The hurricane brought heavy rainfall to Jamaica, resulting in eight deaths. This storm also left damage to crops and vessels in portions of the Bahamas and Cuba. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period may not be comprehensive. An undercount bias of zero to six tropical cyclones per year between 1851 and 1885 has been estimated.
## Timeline
## Systems
### Hurricane One
The first storm of the season was spotted by the steamship State of Nebraska, while located about midway between Bermuda and Sable Island at 00:00 UTC on September 1. Initially, sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) were observed, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane. Later on September 1, the bark Engelbert lost spars and sail to the east of Sable Island. Additionally, the Naupactus encountered heavy seas and lost a portion of its deckload. Early on September 2, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm. Shortly thereafter, it made landfall in southeastern Newfoundland. Accelerating northeastward, the storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone around 00:00 UTC on September 3, while located about 460 mi (740 km) northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The extratropical remnants moved east-northeastward across the Atlantic and struck Ireland, before dissipating late on September 6. This hurricane was added to HURDAT based on a study by Jose F. Partagas and Henry F. Diaz in 1996.
### Hurricane Two
Another tropical storm was first observed by the bark Campero at 00:00 UTC on September 3, while located about 850 mi (1,370 km) northeast of Cayenne, French Guiana. Moving west-northwestward, the storm intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on September 5. The brig Comalo was damaged by the hurricane and was leaky and dismasted upon arrival in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. By midday on September 6, the storm strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Early the following day, the system further intensified into a Category 3 hurricane while curving northeastward.
At 12:00 UTC on September 7, the storm attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 957 mbar (28.3 inHg). Early the following day, the system weakened to a Category 2 hurricane. Around 00:00 UTC on September 12, the storm deteriorated further to a Category 1 hurricane. The next day, the hurricane began accelerating to the northeast. The steamship Marseille encountered the storm on September 14 and suffered damage. By midday on September 15, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm and dissipated late on September 16, while located about 575 mi (925 km) west-southwest of Ireland.
### Hurricane Three
Early on September 10, the steamship City of Palatka encountered a tropical storm, while located about 90 mi (140 km) east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Heading northwestward, the storm made landfall in a rural area of McIntosh County, Georgia at 01:00 UTC on September 11, with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Hours later, the system weakened to a tropical depression. Late on September 12, the depression re-emerged into the Atlantic Ocean and soon re-strengthened into a tropical storm. Thereafter, the storm headed southeastward and then eastward while slowly intensifying. By September 14, the system turned southward and became a Category 1 hurricane. It curved west-southwestward on September 15, then doubled-back by the following day.
The hurricane accelerated east-northeastward starting on September 17, before turning northeastward on September 18. Around 06:00 UTC, the system attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 979 mbar (28.9 inHg). At 00:00 UTC on September 20, the hurricane transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while situated about 575 mi (925 km) east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Unusually high tides were reported at St. Johns, Florida, causing considerable damage to wharves and freight between September 15 and September 18, long after the storm moved offshore the Southeastern United States. In North Carolina, the cyclone dropped 8.09 in (205 mm) of precipitation at Wilmington, leaving streets and sidewalks nearly impassable. Fort Macon observed sustained winds of 32 mph (51 km/h).
### Hurricane Four
The final known tropical cyclone of the season was first observed in the Caribbean Sea by the steamship Cienfuegos on October 7, while located about 120 mi (190 km) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. That day, the storm dropped heavy rainfall on the island, resulting in at least eight fatalities. Moving north-northeastward, the system strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on October 8. Early the next day, the hurricane made landfall in Cuba near modern-day Guantánamo Bay with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). While crossing the island, the system weakened to a tropical storm on October 9. In Oriente Province, "some heavy damage" and several injuries were reported. Around midday on October 9, the storm emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near Frank País, Cuba.
Continuing northward, the system became a Category 1 hurricane again on October 11. In the Bahamas, considerable damage was inflicted upon crops and fruit plantations. A number of shipping vessels were also lost. The brigantine Emma L. Hall, which was carrying 12,000 bushels of salt, suffered severe damage. At Grand Turk Island, the hurricane was considered the worst storm in 25 years. After moving north of the Bahamas, the storm strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on October 14 and peaked with sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). Shortly thereafter, the hurricane curved north-northeastward and weakened to a Category 1 hurricane on the next day. Further weakening occurred and the system fell to tropical storm intensity by October 17. The storm was last noted about 450 mi (720 km) southeast of Bermuda.
## See also
- Atlantic hurricane season
- Tropical cyclone observation
- Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project | [
"## Timeline",
"## Systems",
"### Hurricane One",
"### Hurricane Two",
"### Hurricane Three",
"### Hurricane Four",
"## See also"
] | 1,525 | 11,958 |
70,274,279 | 1997 Bojnurd earthquake | 1,162,985,143 | Earthquake affecting Iran and Turkmenistan | [
"1997 disasters in Iran",
"1997 disasters in Turkmenistan",
"1997 earthquakes",
"1997 in Iran",
"1997 in Turkmenistan",
"Bojnord County",
"Earthquakes in Asia",
"Earthquakes in Iran",
"February 1997 events in Asia",
"History of North Khorasan Province",
"Natural disasters in Turkmenistan",
"Shirvan County"
] | The 1997 Bojnurd earthquake (also known as the Garmkhan earthquake) occurred on 4 February at 14:07 IRST in Iran. The epicenter of the 6.5 earthquake was in the Kopet Dag mountains of North Khorasan, near the Iran–Turkmenistan border, about 579 km (360 mi) northeast of Tehran. The earthquake is characterized by shallow strike-slip faulting in a zone of active faults. Seismic activity is present as the Kopet Dag is actively accommodating tectonics through faulting. The earthquake left 88 dead, 1,948 injured, and affected 173 villages, including four which were destroyed. Damage also occurred in Shirvan and Bojnord counties. The total cost of damage was estimated to be over US\$ 30 million.
## Background and tectonics
The geology of Iran is dominated by convergence tectonics between the Eurasian Plate and terranes from Gondwana. Two major collisional events occurred; the Cimmerian orogeny which began after the Paleo-Tethys Ocean closed (Late Triassic or Early Jurassic), and the Alpine orogeny after closing the Tethys Ocean (Late Eocene).
Present-day seismic activity indicate tectonic deformation is being accommodated along the Zagros, Alborz and Kopet Dag mountains. Deformation is also accommodated in eastern and central Iran, as well as in the Dasht-e Lut, in the form of tectonic blocks. The Arabian shield moves northwards at approximately 23 mm (0.91 in) per year, where the Zagros fold and thrust belt accommodates roughly half of it. Meanwhile, the rest is distributed across the Alborz, Kopet Dag and central Caspian Sea. In southern Iran, this motion is partially accommodated by the Makran Trench subduction zone. In eastern Iran (south of the Kopet Dag), north–south trending right-lateral strike-slip faults in a 400 km (250 mi)-wide shear zone accommodate the motion.
The northern Kopet Dag range front marks a linear boundary with the Turan platform (part of the Eurasian Plate). The Kopet Dag mountains consist of Mesozoic to Tertiary sedimentary rocks, and represent the closure of the Tethys Ocean, which closed when northeastern Iran was sutured to the tectonically stable Turan platform. The north–east convergence in northeastern Iran occurs obliquely with respect to the northwest–southeast trending Kopet Dag. Oblique convergence is accommodated by thrust faulting, and strike-slip faulting along a shear zone termed the Central Kopet Dag Shear Zone within the range. The northwestern Kopet Dag accommodates convergence with thrusting and minor left-lateral faulting. In the eastern Kopet Dag, north of Bojnurd, right-lateral strike-slip faulting occurs. Right-lateral faults have been observed displacing the mountain belt.
## Historical seismicity
Northeastern Iran is rich in historical records of earthquakes due to its geographical importance in trade between Europe and Asia. Earthquakes in the region have been recorded for over 2,000 years. Among the most damaging were the earthquakes at nearby Quchan in 1851 (M 6.9), 1871–72 (M 7.0–7.1), 1893 (M 7.1), and 1895 (M 6.8). In the 20th century, two earthquakes in 1929 (M 7.4) and 1948 (M 7.2) were also destructive.
The Ashkabad Fault, a right-lateral strike-slip structure, runs linear to the northern Kopet Dag front range. It is believed to have produced up to 35 km (22 mi) of strike-slip displacement. Between Bojnord and Quchan is a zone of north-northwest–south-southeast trending right-lateral strike-slip faults that cuts through the mountains. This zone is known as the Bakharden–Quchan Fault Zone (BQFZ). Faults of the BQFZ were responsible for strong earthquakes near Bojnurd from 1997 to 2000. Seismicity is restricted to the shallow continental crust no deeper than 30 km (19 mi), and displays thrust and strike-slip focal mechanisms. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 1948 may have been associated with this fault zone.
## Earthquake
An analysis of body wave from the mainshock indicated strike-slip faulting with some vertical component. Using teleseismic instruments, the epicenter was calculated to be slightly west of where the fault and area of destruction was located. The rupture occurred along a 15 km (9.3 mi)-long right-lateral strike-slip fault. Based on the distribution of aftershocks, the source fault is oriented north-northwest–south-southeast, and slightly concave to the east. A rupture initiated on the northern part of the fault and propagated southwards along its strike for five seconds. The fault produced an average displacement of 0.5–1.0 m (1 ft 8 in – 3 ft 3 in). This style and orientation of faulting is consistent with past earthquakes in the region.
### Strong ground motion
Based on the extent of damage, a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe) was assigned to affected places within a 10 km (6.2 mi) radius around the epicenter. The destruction of and serious damage to single-storey structures was evident of high-frequency seismic waves released during the rupture. A peak ground acceleration (pga) of 0.3 g was estimated near the epicenter. The city of Bojnurd experienced a pga of 0.2 g. The southward-propagating rupture caused unusually great devastation to areas relatively distant from the rupture. In the village of Sheikh, residents recalled violent shaking, rockfalls and heavy destruction. The aftershock distribution and absence of surface ruptures indicated the rupture ceased 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) away from Sheikh, yet the village was destroyed. This was attributed to the directivity of an enhanced shear wave pulse towards the southeast (the rupture direction), where Sheikh was located. On the European macroseismic scale and Environmental Seismic Intensity scale, the mainshock was assigned a maximum intensity of X.
## Impact
Serious damage was reported in 173 villages—106 in Bojnord County and 67 in Shirvan County. Damage was mainly attributed to the poor construction of adobe homes on steep slopes. One village in the meizoseismal area experienced the complete loss of all adobe-constructed homes; only two reinforced concrete buildings survived but with substantial damage. The villages of Naveh, Ghezel Ghan and Sheikh were completely destroyed. A total of 5,500 homes collapsed and 11,000 were damaged. An additional 12,000 livestock died. Many landslides and slope failures were reported. The total cost of damage was estimated to be greater than \$US 30 million.
Residents were alerted to the possibility of a larger earthquake due to the occurrence of a 5.4 foreshock at 13:23 IRST that same day. During the mainshock, many residents in the affected area were working outdoors. These factors prevented a higher death toll. Some damage was reported at Bojnurd—although no buildings collapsed, many were severely cracked and structurally compromised. A petrochemical plant located 15 km (9.3 mi) from the epicenter had minor damage, causing a cessation of operations for several days.
Initial reports stated that 38 people were killed and 90 were injured in the city of Bojnord alone, according to the Iranian state media. The following day, the death toll in Bojnurd and Shirvan rose to 72, and about 200 were injured. By 20 April, the death toll stood at 82 in Bojnord County and 6 in Shirvan County. At least 498 people were seriously injured and required hospitalization. A further 1,450 received minor injuries.
## Aftermath
The Iranian Ministry of Interior helped organize aid and emergency work. Relief workers from multiple agencies, including the state government, Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, and Red Crescent Society of Iran, were involved in providing aid to the affected communities. Items such as tents, lanterns, clothing, food and sanitary products were mobilized. The Government of Iran also stated international assistance would be welcomed and handled domestically.
Rumors about the potential for another large earthquake began to spread, causing panic. Mohammad Tartar, vice president of research and technology at Iran's International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, said further studies were required to understand the geophysical effects on nearby faults introduced by the earthquake. He added there was a possibility that another fault might rupture and cause an earthquake in the next few years. However, the chances of a larger earthquake measuring 6.5 immediately following the 4 February event were slim. He also said strong aftershocks were possible and humanitarian agencies should be wary.
## See also
- Ardabil earthquake and Qayen earthquake – two other earthquakes affecting Iran in 1997
- List of earthquakes in 1997
- List of earthquakes in Iran | [
"## Background and tectonics",
"## Historical seismicity",
"## Earthquake",
"### Strong ground motion",
"## Impact",
"## Aftermath",
"## See also"
] | 1,952 | 1,712 |
38,849,140 | Sierk Coolsma | 1,173,786,992 | Dutch missionary | [
"1840 births",
"1926 deaths",
"Dutch Protestant missionaries",
"Missionary linguists",
"People from Leeuwarden",
"People from the Dutch East Indies",
"Protestant missionaries in Indonesia"
] | Sierk Coolsma (; 26 January 1840 – 20 March 1926) was a Dutch Protestant missionary who wrote extensively on the Sundanese language. Born in the Netherlands, he became a missionary in his early twenties and arrived in the Dutch East Indies in 1865. First tasked to Cianjur, he studied Sundanese in more detail than his contemporaries, gaining an appreciation for the language. Further missionary activities in Bogor, begun in 1869, were a failure, and in 1873 he was tasked with translating the New Testament into Sundanese. Although the Sundanese people highly valued poetry, he did the translation in prose hoping that it would help readers entertain new ideas.
In 1876, Coolsma returned to the Netherlands and became the leader of the Netherlands Missionary Union, promoting further missionary activity in the predominantly Muslim western portion of the East Indies. He also wrote extensively on Sundanese, including a grammar and two dictionaries. Although his Bible translation had little lasting impact, these later works have remained in use.
## Early life and missionary work
Sierk Coolsma was born in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, on 26 January 1840, as son of worker Foppe Coolsma and Maaike Nauta.
Coolsma first worked in a printer's office, but began training to be a missionary in Rotterdam in 1861, after having studied several months under Rev. Witteveen in Ermelo in the previous year. He finished his training on 5 May 1864; that December he left for Batavia (now Jakarta), the capital of the Dutch colony in the East Indies.
Upon arrival in April 1865, Coolsma was sent by the Netherlands Missionary Union (Netherlandsche Zendingsvereeniging, NZV) to the town of Cianjur. There, on 5 April 1866, he married Maria Johanna Gerretson, six years his younger. He also baptised the NZV's first Sundanese Christians, a husband and wife named Ismael and Moerti. Ismael continued to treat Coolsma as his teacher and help the missionaries spread Christianity until his death in 1872.
While in Cianjur, Coolsma began to study the language used by the Sundanese people who inhabited the area. Eventually, according to Mikihiro Moriyama of Nanzan University, he "had a sharper insight and deeper knowledge" than contemporary missionaries and government workers. Later missionaries would not study the language in such detail.
Coolsma left Cianjur in 1869 and went to Bogor, also a majority-Sundanese city. He found little success in preaching to the European citizens of the city or converting the Sundanese. On 31 May 1869, he opened a school at his home, which provided a free education in both secular and religious studies. The first class had ten students, a total which grew quickly; at its peak, the school had 111 students. After a government-funded school was opened in 1872, most of the Sundanese students moved there to avoid the Christian teachings. The remaining students were mostly ethnic Chinese, few of whom converted.
## Bible translation
In 1873, Coolsma published a grammar of the Sundanese language, titled Handleiding bij de beoefening der Soendaneesche taal (Manual for the Writing of the Sundanese Language). He reluctantly used a transcription method developed by K.F. Holle and proscribed by the colonial government. That year he was tasked with translating the New Testament into Sundanese. He left his school in the hands of fellow missionary D. J. van der Linden and went to Sumedang; there he worked on his translation over a period of three years.
Coolsma found that Sundanese literature consisted predominantly of poetry, including the narrative wawacan, and thought that prose needed to be developed as well so that the people would embrace modernity. He considered that they rarely read, instead preferring to listen to more educated persons sing in verse. As such, the contents of written prose would not be conveyed. This is not to say that he disliked Sundanese poetry; he was appreciative of the dangding verse forms – derived from Javanese literary tradition – which were used to write wawacan, and considered an existing translation of the Gospel of Matthew in dangding to be the best Sundanese-language book in print.
Ultimately, Coolsma chose to translate the Gospel of John and Acts of the Apostles using prose, believing that dangding was "too traditional to convey new ideas" and hoping to promote a "new spirit". However, for accessibility's sake he published using the Jawi script; most literate Sundanese could read it, unlike the Javanese or Latin scripts also used in the area. The translation grew to include much of the New Testament, and by the 1890s the whole Bible. It was, however, little read.
## Later life
Coolsma returned to the Netherlands with his wife in 1876 and became the leader of the NZV, holding the office until 1908. He disputed the idea that missionary work should be focused on the non-Islamicised eastern portion of the colony. He believed instead that missionary work should be prioritsed in the western portion, where Islam had already become entrenched.
Coolsma continued to write about both missionary work and the Sundanese language. In 1881, he wrote a series of condemnatory reviews of Sundanese-language schoolbooks offered by the colonial government, arguing that the content had little value and the language was mostly artificial. He published a Sundanese-Dutch dictionary in 1884, consulting various works of Sundanese literature for his lexemes. In 1901, he published a history of the mission in the East Indies, titled De zendingseeuw voor Nederlandsche Oost-Indiës (The Century of the Mission in the Dutch East Indies). It described the 19th century as time of extensive growth.
In 1904, Coolsma published a revised version of his grammar. Working with fellow missionary Christiaan Albers, who had also preached in Cianjur, Coolsma published a Dutch-Sundanese dictionary in 1911; this was followed by a revised version of his Sundanese-Dutch dictionary in 1913. Coolsma's wife died on 27 September 1917. Her death led him to reduce his workload, although he found time to publish his memoirs, Terugblik op mijn levensweg, 1840–1924 (Looking Back on my Life, 1840–1924), in 1924. He died two years later, on 20 March 1926.
## Legacy
Coolsma was recognised as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau before his death. Moriyama writes that Coolsma's "unrivaled" dictionary and grammar had a much greater impact than his Bible translations, serving as a basis for the standardisation of written Sundanese. The grammar remains an authoritative source on Sundanese syntax, and despite the colonial government limiting its distribution – afraid the publication of a work by Christian missionaries would provoke the majority-Muslim Sundanese – it was used in various Sundanese educational institutions. In 1985, the grammar was translated into Indonesian and republished by Djambatan.
## See also
- Lie Kim Hok, one of Coolsma's students
- Phoa Keng Hek Sia, another of Coolsma's students | [
"## Early life and missionary work",
"## Bible translation",
"## Later life",
"## Legacy",
"## See also"
] | 1,594 | 5,205 |
52,488,928 | 1892 Legislative Session of the Hawaiian Kingdom | 1,173,808,530 | None | [
"1892 in Hawaii",
"1893 in Hawaii",
"Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom",
"Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom"
] | The 1892 Session of the Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Longest Legislature, was a period from May 28, 1892, to January 14, 1893, in which the legislative assembly of the Hawaiian Kingdom met for its traditional bi-annual session. This unicameral body was composed of the upper House of Nobles and the lower House of Representatives. This would be the first session during the reign of Queen Liliʻuokalani and the last meeting of the legislative assembly during the Hawaiian monarchy. Three days after the prorogation of the assembly, many of the political tension developed during the legislative debates and the queen's attempt to promulgate a new constitution while her legislators were not in session led to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom on January 17, 1893.
Members of this legislative session included citizens and subjects of the kingdom of either full or mixed Native Hawaiian, Euro-American and Asian descent, who were divided across different party lines. They included the insurgents who would play an eventual role in the deposition of the queen, and also the political resistance leaders who would lead the opposition to the overthrow and attempts to annex the Hawaiian Islands to the United States.
## Background
In 1887, King Kalākaua was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution under duress by the Hawaiian League, a group of foreign businessman and Hawaiian subjects of American missionary descent including Lorrin A. Thurston. This constitution limited the absolute power of the monarch and strengthened the power of the executive cabinet. It also raised property requirements for suffrage, disenfranchised many poor Native Hawaiians and naturalized Asian citizens, and gave the vote to unnaturalized foreign residents of European or American descent. It also changed membership in the House of Nobles, the upper house of the legislature, from life appointments by the king to elected offices for the first time. A new cabinet headed by Thurston was imposed on the king and the king's previous administration headed by Walter Murray Gibson was ousted.
The instigators of this coup d'état formed the Reform Party, drawing its memberships from Hawaiian conservatives and citizens of foreign descent, and won the majority of the seats in the legislature in the election of 1887, which was mandated by the new constitution. In the election of 1890, the Hui Kālaiʻāina (Hawaiian Political Association) and the Mechanics' and Workingmen's Political Protective Union joined together to form the National Reform Party in opposition to the Reform Party in this session. The Reform Party lost their majority control in the legislature and the Thurston cabinet was removed by a legislative vote of want of confidence.
Following the prorogation of the legislature of 1890, King Kalakaua died while in San Francisco and was succeeded by his sister Queen Liliʻuokalani on January 29, 1891.
## Election of 1892
The general election of 1892 proved the most contentious. The four major parties were the Reform, National Reform, National Liberal, and the Native Sons of Hawaii which ran the same candidates as the National Reformers. The National Reform Party became the administration or governmental party and gained the personal support of the new queen. They joined with the Reformers and Native Sons in opposing the more radical elements of the National Liberal. The National Liberal Party, which became the party of the opposition, advocated for increased Native Hawaiian participation in the government and a constitutional convention to draft a new constitution to replace the unpopular Bayonet Constitution. However, the Liberals soon became divided between radicals and more conciliatory groups. Joseph Nāwahī and William Pūnohu White became the leaders of the factions of the Liberals loyal to the queen against the more radical members led by John E. Bush and Robert William Wilcox, who were advocating for drastic changes such as increased power for the people and a republican form of government.
The election resulted in a divided legislature, although the conservatives painted it as a victory for their coalition. It was hard to tell where the exact loyalty of many of the elected nobles and representatives lay because of internal disagreement. According to historian Ralph S. Kuykendall, "the party composition of the 1892 legislature (the forty-eight elected members) appeared to be: Reform Party, twenty-three; Liberal Party, thirteen; National Reform Party, nine; Independent, three".
## Legislative session
From May 28, 1892, to January 14, 1893, the legislature of the Kingdom convened for an unprecedented 171 days, which later historians such as Albertine Loomis and Helena G. Allen dubbed the "Longest Legislature". This would be the first session during the reign of Queen Liliʻuokalani and the last meeting of the legislative assembly during the Hawaiian monarchy.
At the opening of the legislature, forty-eight elected politicians, consisting of twenty-four nobles (including thirteen holdovers continued their terms from the 1890 legislature) and twenty-four representatives from the four main Hawaiian Islands met at the legislative halls of Aliʻiōlani Hale in Honolulu. The legislature met as a unicameral body composed of the upper House of Nobles and the lower House of Representatives with Noble John Smith Walker presiding as President of the Legislative Assembly and Noble John Kauhane as Vice-President. The body included politicians of Native Hawaiian descent, Euro-American descent, mixed Hawaiian and Euro-American descent, and even three members of Chinese-Hawaiian descent. The appointed cabinet ministers also had the right to participate as ex-officio members of the legislature with the right to vote on all matters except on votes for their removal. In the course of the session, five members would resign and three new members chosen in special elections to replace with two of the five members reclaiming their vacated seats.
This session was dominated by political infighting within and between and the different parties. Debates heard on the floor of the houses concerned the popular demand for a new constitution, the passage of a lottery bill and an opium licensing bill, aimed at alleviating the economic crisis caused by the McKinley Tariff. By the end of the session, the queen had also signed into law the lottery bill and opium licensing bill, which were extremely controversial in the foreign community and especially with the leaders of the Reform Party.
Petitions asking for a new constitution were submitted by seven legislators: Noble David William Pua and Representatives Joseph Nāwahī, William Pūnohu White, Jose Kekahuna Iosepa, Anakalea Kauhi, T. S. Nahinu, Luther W. P. Kanealii and George Panila Kamauoha. Attempts were made to call a constitutional convention to draft a new constitution in both the 1890 session and the 1892 session. Both National Liberals and National Reformers campaigned on the promise of a new constitution, however many National Reformers supported a middle path and advocated for changes via amendments. The conservative Reformers would not tolerate any changes to the existing constitution. There was also disagreement on the legality of how to execute the change. No clear comparable precedents existed, since previous constitutions had been promulgated by the sovereign.
The main issue of contention between the new monarch and the legislators was the retention of her cabinet ministers; political division prevented Liliʻuokalani from appointing a balanced council. The 1887 constitution retained the monarch's right to appoint her own cabinet minister but gave the legislature the power to vote for the dismissal of her cabinet. Seven resolutions of want of confidence were introduced during this session, and four of her self-appointed cabinets (the Widemann, Macfarlane, Cornwell, and Wilcox cabinets) were ousted by votes of the legislature. During this session, Nāwahī also proposed a bill to the legislature to amend the constitution to give women the right to vote. The bill failed to pass. Had it been made into law, Hawaii would have preceded New Zealand as the first nation to allow women to vote.
On January 13, 1893, after the legislature dismissed the Wilcox cabinet (which had political sympathies to the Reform Party), Liliʻuokalani appointed the new Parker cabinet, which had ties to the National Reform Party and consisted of Samuel Parker, as minister of foreign affairs; John F. Colburn, as minister of the interior; William H. Cornwell, as minister of finance; and Arthur P. Peterson, as attorney general.
The legislative assembly was prorogued January 14, at a noon ceremony officiated by the queen at Aliʻiōlani Hale, which was situated across the street from ʻIolani Palace.
## Aftermath
Following the prorogation of the legislative session, Liliʻuokalani attempted to promulgate a new constitution while the legislature was not in session. In reaction to the legislative stand still on the constitution convention bill, the queen met in secret with the two leaders of the Liberal Party: Representatives Nāwahī and White and Samuel Nowlein, the captain of her Royal Guards, to draft a new constitution.
In the afternoon of January 14, she met with her cabinet ministers while members of Hui Kālaiʻāina and a delegation of native legislators marched to ʻIolani Palace with a sealed package containing the constitution for her to promulgate. According to historian William DeWitt Alexander, this was pre-planned by the queen. However, she discovered the ministers were either opposed to or reluctant to sign the new constitution and the queen had to postpone her plans and dismiss the delegations of political leaders and the assembled crowds from the palace. She later wrote, "I told them I would not have taken such a step if they had not encouraged me. They had led me out to the edge of a precipice, and now were leaving me to take the step alone."
The political fallout of the queen's actions led to citywide political rallies and meetings in Honolulu. Anti-monarchists, annexationists, and leading Reformist politicians, including legislators Lorrin A. Thurston, William Owen Smith, and William Chauncey Wilder, formed the Committee of Safety in protest of the "revolutionary" action of the queen and conspired to depose her. In response, royalists and loyalists formed the Committee of Law and Order and met at the palace square on January 16. White, Nāwahī, Bush, Wilcox, and Antone Rosa and other pro-monarchist leaders gave speeches in support for the queen and the government. These actions and the radicalized political climate eventually led to the overthrow of the monarchy, on January 17, 1893, by the Committee of Safety, with the covert support of United States Minister John L. Stevens and the landing of American forces from the USS Boston. After a brief transition under the Provisional Government, the oligarchical Republic of Hawaii was established on July 4, 1894, with Sanford B. Dole as president. During this period, the de facto government was composed largely of residents of American and European ancestry, although a few Native Hawaiians from the 1892 legislature: John Ena, John Kauhane, and Jose Kekahuna Iosepa signed the constitutional convention for the Republic while Kauhane and George Panila Kamauoha would serve multiple terms in the legislature of the Republic.
Many of the former legislators of the 1892 session, including Robert William Wilcox and Joseph Nāwahī, would lead the opposition to the overthrow and resistance to annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States. In 1893, Nawahi and many former 1892 legislators founded the Hui Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian Patriotic League), a patriotic group founded to protest annexation, while Wilcox led an unsuccessful counter-revolution in 1895 to restore the monarchy.
## Members of the Legislative Assembly
### House of Nobles
This incomplete breakdown of party allegiance are based on The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, a contemporary newspaper, reporting at the beginning of the legislative session and the report of Noble Edward C. MacFarlane in the Blount Report.
### House of Representatives
### Cabinet Ministers
According to Article 42 of the 1887 Constitution, "The Cabinet holds seats ex officio, in the Legislature, with the right to vote, except on a question of want of confidence in them." Each cabinet were named after the leading cabinet ministers. | [
"## Background",
"## Election of 1892",
"## Legislative session",
"## Aftermath",
"## Members of the Legislative Assembly",
"### House of Nobles",
"### House of Representatives",
"### Cabinet Ministers"
] | 2,584 | 22,369 |
11,081,877 | Free Speech Flag | 1,167,295,638 | Banner symbolizing free expression | [
"Activism flags",
"Flags introduced in 2007",
"Freedom of speech",
"Internet memes",
"Political flags"
] | The Free Speech Flag is a symbol of personal liberty used to promote freedom of speech. Designed by artist John Marcotte, the flag and its colors correspond to a cryptographic key which enabled users to copy HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. It was created on May 1, 2007, during the AACS encryption key controversy.
Marcotte was motivated to create the flag after the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator (AACS LA) began issuing cease and desist letters to websites publishing the key `09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0` (commonly referred to as 09-F9).
In response to attempts to remove the key from the Internet, netizens publicized the cryptographic key on the news aggregator website Digg.
## History
On April 30, 2007, a blogger named "Rudd-O" published the encryption key for HD DVDs and asked readers to share it widely. Knowledge of this numeric key value allowed users to bypass digital rights management (DRM) and copy HD DVDs that previously could not be duplicated. News media reported, and Digg, a news aggregator and social media website, provided a way for users to vote on stories they felt were most newsworthy. Votes by 15,000 Digg users drove an article about the encryption key to the front page of the site.
The Advanced Access Content System (AACS), the organization which controlled access to the HD DVD encryption key, sent a cease and desist letter to Digg on May 1, 2007. In its letter, AACS claimed that by publishing news articles on its website that reported on the encryption key, the website was engaging in illegal activity. Articles by numerous journalists reporting on the news story were posted to Digg. Jay Adelson, the CEO of Digg, announced that the website would abide by the AACS' requests and self-censor articles reporting on the encryption key.
Adelson's decision to self-censor his website caused a backlash from the Digg community. "In trying to make the cracked issue go away", notes Jeremy Goldman in his 2012 book Going Social, "the AACS's letter (and Digg's response) succeeded only in making the story bigger." Digg users made sure, by their votes and online participation, that all front-page stories on Digg were about the encryption key. Digg founder Kevin Rose observed: "The Digg community is one that loves to have their voice heard, and this has been something that struck a chord with them."
After listening to complaints from Digg's community about Adelson's decision to self-censor news stories about the encryption key, Rose wrote a message to his users reversing this decision. He announced that Digg would stop self-censorship and he acknowledged that he understood the message from Digg's members: "After seeing hundreds of stories and reading thousands of comments, you've made it clear ... you'd rather see Digg go down fighting than bow to a bigger company. Effective immediately, we won't delete stories or comments containing the code, and we will deal with whatever the consequences might be."
## Design and message
John Marcotte, a writer and editor at the website Badmouth, created the Free Speech Flag with the intent of disseminating the secret HD DVD code on the Internet, publishing it on the website on May 1, 2007. In his initial post announcing his flag, Marcotte criticized how the mere use of numbers had become intellectual property.
"We want to start a movement", Marcotte wrote. "A movement to reclaim personal liberties and decorporatize the laws of our nation." He encouraged online viewers of his work to spread his message throughout the Internet and to freely publicize his work. "To that end we have made a flag, a symbol to show support for personal freedoms. Spread it as far and wide as you can."
Marcotte embedded the secret HD DVD key into the colors of the flag itself, using the flag hex code format colors \#09F911 \#029D74 \#E35BD8 \#4156C5 \#635688. By appending the byte "C0" to the bottom right corner of the flag, Marcotte implied that the act of publishing a number is "Crime Zero". He originally released the flag "freely" with "rights for people to make similar, derivative works", but later released it into the public domain.
## Impact
Soon after it was first published, bloggers publicized the Free Speech Flag, increasing its popularity and disseminating the code within the flag. The flag entered popular culture as Internet users chose creative ways to spread knowledge of the HD DVD encryption key.
Users wore the code emblazoned on T-shirts, added it to poems, integrated the code into the lyrics of hip hop songs, and created music utilizing its numeric values. Musician Keith Burgun composed a song using the code titled "Oh Nine, Eff Nine", and published it on YouTube. The sole lyrics to the song were the numbers of the digital code itself: "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0". "I thought it was a source of comedy that they were trying so futilely to quell the spread of this number," Burgun said. "The ironic thing is, because they tried to quiet it down it’s the most famous number on the Internet."
Matthew Rimmer, senior lecturer at Australian National University, commented upon the legality of the innovative ways Internet users like Marcotte chose to publicize the secret HD DVD code: "I don't think it's necessarily designed to stay within the bounds of the law. It's just a fun way to comment on what's happened. I think that it's designed to show that the law is absurd or ridiculous and should be abolished."
Antonio Ceraso of Pennsylvania State University placed the flag's conception within a larger framework—"the formation of a communal ethos...the 09 F9 tribe"—and posed the question: "Would five striped colors arranged into a flag constitute an anti-circumvention device under the DMCA?"
The flag inspired Jeff Thompson, assistant professor and program director of Visual Art and Technology at the Stevens Institute of Technology, to create a sound file of the AACS encryption key as a melody. After a similar encryption key was cracked for the PlayStation 3 gaming system, a new flag was created by a different user as a tribute to Marcotte's original flag.
## See also
- Freedom of information
- Illegal number
- Internet censorship
- Streisand effect | [
"## History",
"## Design and message",
"## Impact",
"## See also"
] | 1,386 | 410 |
37,347,592 | Hurricane Rafael | 1,172,176,983 | Category 1 Atlantic hurricane in 2012 | [
"2012 Atlantic hurricane season",
"2012 in the Caribbean",
"Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes",
"Hurricanes in Bermuda",
"Hurricanes in Canada",
"Hurricanes in Guadeloupe",
"Hurricanes in Martinique",
"Hurricanes in Puerto Rico",
"Hurricanes in Saint Barthélemy",
"Hurricanes in Saint Kitts and Nevis",
"Hurricanes in Saint Martin (island)",
"Hurricanes in the British Virgin Islands",
"Hurricanes in the Leeward Islands",
"Hurricanes in the United States Virgin Islands",
"Hurricanes in the Windward Islands",
"Hurricanes in Îles des Saintes",
"Tropical cyclones in 2012"
] | Hurricane Rafael produced minor damage in the northeastern Caribbean Sea in mid-October 2012. The seventeenth named storm and ninth hurricane of the 2012 hurricane season, Rafael originated from a tropical wave roughly 230 mi (370 km) south-southeast of Saint Croix on October 12; because the system already contained tropical storm-force winds, it skipped tropical depression status. Though initially disorganized due to moderate wind shear, a subsequent decrease allowed for shower and thunderstorm activity to develop in earnest by October 14. While moving north-northwestward the following morning, Rafael intensified into a Category 1 hurricane. A cold front off the East Coast of the United States caused the system to turn northward and eventually northeastward by October 16, at which time Rafael attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). As the cyclone entered a more stable atmosphere and tracked across increasingly cooler sea surface temperatures, it began extratropical transition, a process the system completed by the following afternoon. However, Rafael's extratropical remnant persisted for another nine days, with the storm looping around a larger extratropical low over the north-central Atlantic, before turning southeastward and then eastward. Rafael's remnant later made landfall on Portugal on October 26, before dissipating later that day.
As a disorganized tropical cyclone in the northeastern Caribbean, Rafael produced major flooding across the region. As much as a foot of rain fell across portions of the Lesser Antilles, causing mudslides, landslides, and river flooding. In addition, the heavy rains led to significant crop loss. Sustained winds near hurricane force were recorded on Saint Martin, while tropical storm-force gusts occurred widespread. Lightning activity as a result of heavy thunderstorms caused many fires and power outages. One fatality occurred when a woman in Guadeloupe unsuccessfully attempted to drive her car across a flooded roadway. As Rafael passed just to the east of Bermuda as a hurricane, light rainfall was recorded. Gusts over 50 mph (85 km/h) left hundreds of houses without electricity. Large swells from the system caused significant damage to the coastline of Nova Scotia, while many roads were washed away or obscured with debris, but overall, damage was minimal.
## Meteorological history
The formation of Hurricane Rafael is attributed to a low-latitude tropical wave that emerged off the western coast of Africa on October 5. The wave remained disorganized until roughly midway between the Cape Verde Islands and Lesser Antilles, at which time a broad area of low pressure developed and convection began to consolidate around it. As a result, the disturbance was introduced into the National Hurricane Center (NHC)'s 48-hour Tropical Weather Outlook with a low chance of tropical development. These chances were subsequently raised as further development occurred, with the system receiving a medium chance of development early on October 10, and a high chance of development as it approached the southern Leeward Islands late the following evening. As the wave crossed into the eastern Caribbean Sea and slowed down, the previously broad and open surface low consolidated and became stacked with the mid-level center. The disturbance was already producing tropical storm-force winds, and as a result, skipped tropical depression status to become Tropical Storm Rafael at 1800 UTC on October 12. At this time, the cyclone was located roughly 200 mi (320 km) south-southeast of St. Croix.
Despite being named, Rafael remained disorganized initially; this was the result of the interaction between an upper-level trough and the cyclone itself. Moderate to strong wind shear dislocated the center of Rafael and the deepest shower and thunderstorm activity. Over the course of the next few days, however, the upper-level trough gradually weakened and backed westward, allowing for the development of an anticyclone atop the tropical storm. Wind shear lessened, allowing the center to become obscured from view and outflow to develop in association with the system. As it began to execute a turn towards the north under the influence of an upper-level trough to its west, a central dense overcast (CDO) was noted on satellite imagery. Following a series of intensity estimates, Rafael was upgraded to a hurricane around 0600 UTC on October 15, while positioned about 650 mi (1045 km) south of Bermuda, although this intensity was speculated upon until later that afternoon following a hurricane hunters flight into the system.
As Rafael moved northward, it continued to intensify rapidly, in spite of moderate wind shear. An eye became visible on microwave imagery during the morning hours of October 16, during which time the cyclone attained its peak intensity as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 969 mb (hPa; 28.61 inHg). By the afternoon hours of that same day, data from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft indicated that Rafael was on the verge of a weakening trend, attributed to decreasing sea surface temperatures and higher wind shear. Though the system retained hurricane-force winds, it began to transition into an extratropical cyclone on October 17, a process it completed by 1800 UTC that same day, after interacting with a cold front; at the time of the transition, Rafael was positioned well southwest of Nova Scotia. For the next couple of days, Rafael's remnant accelerated northeastward across the north-central Atlantic Ocean, before proceeding to loop counterclockwise around a larger extratropical low for two days, to the southeast of Greenland, from October 19 to 20. During this time, Rafael's extratropical remnant strengthened even further, with the storm's minimum central pressure bottoming out at 966 millibars (28.5 inHg) at 00:00 UTC on October 20. Afterward, the cyclone's remnant resumed its eastward motion, meandering towards the southeast for a few days, before turning eastward on October 23, while situated over the Azores. Rafael's extratropical remnant gradually weakened over the next few days, as it moved towards Portugal. Rafael's remnant later made landfall on Portugal on October 26, before dissipating by 1800 UTC that day.
## Preparations and impact
### Caribbean islands
Shortly after the development of Rafael, a tropical storm watch was issued for the island of Puerto Rico; tropical storm warnings were issued for surrounding locations, including the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. By the morning hours of October 13, the warnings were discontinued for Saint Lucia and Martinique, but issued for Culebra and Vieques. The warnings were discontinued for Guadeloupe and Saint Martin by the pre-dawn hours of the following morning as Rafael pulled away, and expired for the remaining northeastern Caribbean Islands several hours later. In preparation for the system, the Virgin Islands Territorial Management Agency (VITEMA) activated several emergency operation centers across the region, and requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who deployed a team of workers to cover the aftermath of Rafael. The departments of public works and power authority placed emergency crews on standby, while all ports out of the U.S. Virgin Islands were open to outbound vessel traffic only; the Coast Guard advised mariners to prepare for impending severe weather.
As a tropical storm, Rafael hit Guadeloupe with large amounts of rain, causing significant damage to homes and especially crops. According to Météo-France, up to 5.9 inches (150 mm) fell in 3 hours in the prefecture of Basse-Terre, and up to 12 inches (300 mm) in 48 hours between October 13 and 14; an estimated 7.9 inches (200 mm) fell during that same timeframe in Grande-Terre. Flooding and mudslides as a result of the heavy rain damaged 60 to 80% of the vegetable crops in Grande-Terre, and lightning as a result of strong storms sparked fires and led to power outages. Sustained winds of 24 mph (39 km/h) and gusts reaching 42 mph (68 km/h) occurred in Raizet; gusts reached 64 mph (103 km/h) in La Désirade. A woman was killed in Matouba, part of Saint-Claude, after attempting to drive her car across a flooded roadway; she was swept away. Heavy rains in St. Kitts, amounting to 11.87 in (301 mm) in a 30‐hour span, caused significant flooding and mudslides, especially around Basseterre. Traffic across the area was paralyzed as roads became impassable, and most businesses were closed for the duration of the storm. Many residents lost power and water supply as well. A few people attempted to drive through flooded roads and required rescue. Numerous weather stations in the French islands of Saint Barthélémy and Saint Martin recorded gusts of 63 mph (101 km/h) and 67 mph (108 km/h), respectively. Although several boats were grounded, overall damage remained fairly minor in the French territories. Road 2 between Manati, Puerto Rico and Vega Baja, Puerto Rico was flooded; several houses were also flooded at Toa Alta High.
### Bermuda
As Rafael exited the northeastern Caribbean Sea, a tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda on October 14. This watch was subsequently upgraded to a tropical storm warning the following morning, but was dropped by early on October 17 as the system passed northeast of the island. In advance of the system, residents were urged to take their typical precautionary measures; in addition, the main two airlines on Bermuda—WestJet and United Airlines—cancelled hundreds of flights on October 16. Officials warned of minor storm surge along low-lying coasts, while the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) warned of two to four inches of rainfall. Winds, while stronger than locals expected, did not cause significant damage. The BWS noted that sustained winds of 34 mph (55 km/h), and gusts reaching 51 mph (82 km/h), occurred at the L.F. Wade International Airport as the storm made its closest approach; these winds left about 600 houses without electricity according to the Bermuda Electric Light Company. Rainfall was less than originally feared, peaking at 1.71 inches (43 mm).
### Newfoundland
Though tropical cyclone watches and warnings were not issued, city officials in St. John's recommended all residents in Newfoundland to prepare for Rafael. Large swells and storm surge produced by the post-tropical cyclone caused extensive damage along the Avalon Peninsula. According to locals, the waves were more intense than during Hurricane Igor, a cyclone which devastated the region during the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. Large sections of roads were washed out or covered in debris left behind by the waves. Near Trepassey, the local breakwater was destroyed in three sections, allowing waves to wash inland. As a result, a 9.1 m (30 ft) wide and 1.5 m (5 ft) deep gap in one of the main roads was left behind. In an area known as the Lower Coast, 50 people were cut off from the surrounding area. Overall damage in the area was estimated at C\$1–2 million. Rainfall associated with the storm was light, amounting to 6 mm (0.24 in) in Cape Race.
## See also
- List of Bermuda hurricanes
- 2012 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Otto (2010)
- Hurricane Jose (1999) | [
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"### Caribbean islands",
"### Bermuda",
"### Newfoundland",
"## See also"
] | 2,379 | 10,368 |
858,786 | Jørgen Jensen (soldier) | 1,158,262,691 | Australian Victoria Cross recipient (1891–1922) | [
"1891 births",
"1922 deaths",
"Australian Army soldiers",
"Australian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross",
"Burials at West Terrace Cemetery",
"Danish emigrants to Australia",
"People from Vesthimmerland Municipality"
] | Jørgen Christian Jensen (15 January 1891 – 31 May 1922) was a Danish-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in battle that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces. Jensen emigrated to Australia in 1909, becoming a British subject at Adelaide, South Australia, in 1914. A sailor and labourer before World War I, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in March 1915, serving with the 10th Battalion during the latter stages of the Gallipoli campaign. After the Australian force withdrew to Egypt, Jensen was transferred to the newly formed 50th Battalion, and sailed for France with the unit in June 1916. On the Western Front, he was wounded during the battalion's first serious action, the Battle of Mouquet Farm in August, and only returned to his unit in late January 1917. On 2 April, his battalion attacked the Hindenburg Outpost Line at Noreuil, where his actions leading to the capture of over fifty German soldiers resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross.
In June 1917, the 50th Battalion was involved in the Battle of Messines; the following month, Jensen, now a corporal, was posted to a training unit in the United Kingdom. He returned to his battalion in October, and was promoted to temporary sergeant in November. In March 1918, the German spring offensive was launched, and Jensen fought with his battalion at Dernancourt and Villers-Bretonneux. Shortly after the fighting at Villers-Bretonneux, Jensen was on patrol when he received a severe head wound, and was evacuated to the United Kingdom, then repatriated to Australia, where he was discharged in Adelaide at the end of the war. He worked as a marine store dealer and married in 1921, but died the following year, having never fully recovered from his war wounds.
## Early life
Jørgen Christian Jensen was born on 15 January 1891 in Løgstør, Denmark, the son of Jørgen Christian Jensen and Christiane Sørensen, who was apparently also known as Jensen. Sørensen was a single mother who worked in agriculture. The younger Jensen's early life was difficult, but he was a good student, and entered the fishing industry. In 1908, aged 17, he travelled to the United Kingdom before emigrating to Australia. He sailed to Melbourne in March 1909, then moved to Morgan, South Australia, and later Port Pirie, working respectively as a sailor on river steamers on the Murray River, and as a labourer. He was naturalised as a British subject in Adelaide on 7 September 1914.
## World War I
On 23 March 1915, Jensen enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for service in World War I; he was allotted to the 6th reinforcements to the 10th Battalion. His reinforcement draft embarked on HMAT Borda at Outer Harbor on 23 June, and joined the battalion at Gallipoli, Turkey, on 4 August. By the time Jensen arrived, nearly half of the battalion had been evacuated sick with dysentery. For the remainder of the Gallipoli campaign, the 10th Battalion rotated through various positions in the line defending the beachhead until withdrawn to Lemnos in November. Jensen remained with his unit throughout, except for a week in September–October that he spent in hospital. The battalion embarked for Egypt in late November and spent the next four months training and assisting in the defence of the Suez Canal. While in Egypt, the battalion was split into two, one half forming the nucleus of the new 50th Battalion, which was part of the 13th Brigade, 4th Division. In April 1916, Jensen and several other 10th Battalion men were transferred to the 50th Battalion; later that month Jensen was charged for not being in his tent at tattoo. On 5 June the battalion embarked for France, arriving in Marseilles six days later. The unit then entrained for the Western Front, entering the trenches for the first time on 28 June near Fleurbaix.
The 50th Battalion saw its first serious action during the Battle of Mouquet Farm in mid-August 1916. During the battle, the 50th Battalion suffered 414 casualties, largely from the heavy German artillery bombardment. On 14 August, Jensen was hit in the left shoulder by a piece of shrapnel. He was evacuated to the UK and admitted to Graylingwell War Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex. While in the UK, he was charged with more disciplinary infractions in September, December and January, on one occasion being sentenced to 28 days field punishment for missing the troop train to return to France, and on another serving 12 days detention for being absent without leave. He did not rejoin his unit until 28 January 1917.
The 50th Battalion continued to rotate through front line, support and reserve positions, and underwent training in rear areas. The battalion was also involved in pursuing the Germans as they withdrew to the Hindenburg Line of fortifications. On 2 April, the 13th Brigade attacked the Hindenburg Outpost Line at Noreuil. The attack consisted of the 51st Battalion attacking the village from the north, and the 50th Battalion from the south. During this assault, which was preceded by a weak artillery barrage, the 50th Battalion suffered extraordinary difficulties, and the centre company, to which Jensen belonged, was forced to detach a party of men equipped with a large number of hand grenades (then known as bombs) to deal with a strongly barricaded German post that was holding out between their company and the one on their right. Jensen was a member of this party. His actions during the reduction of this post resulted in a recommendation for the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in battle that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at that time. He was assisted in his actions by Private William Quinlan O'Connor and four others. The recommendation read:
> At Noreuil on 2nd April 1917, this man took charge of five men and attacked a barricade behind which were 40/50 Germans with a machine gun. One of his men shot down the German gunner. Jensen who is a Dane, then rushed the whole post singlehanded and threw a bomb in. He had still a bomb in one hand and taking another from his pocket he drew the pin with his teeth. Threatening them with two bombs, he called on them in German to surrender and bluffed them that they were surrounded by Australians. The enemy dropped their rifles and gave in. Jensen then sent a German to tell another enemy party who were fighting our Stokes Gun to surrender and they too gave in. A different party of our men then saw these Germans for the first time and began firing on them. At considerable risk, Jensen stood up on the barricade, waved his helmet, and sent the German prisoners back to our line under an escort of lightly wounded men.
During the assault on Noreuil, Jensen also freed Australian prisoners, and assisted in the "mopping-up" of German resistance in the village itself when he captured a German officer or non-commissioned officer, who pointed out which building the fire was coming from. The 50th Battalion suffered 360 casualties, including 95 dead, and captured 70 Germans, nearly all of whom were taken by Jensen and his party. O'Connor was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his part in capturing the German post. On 4 April, Jensen was promoted to lance corporal. His award of the Victoria Cross appeared in The London Gazette on 8 June, by which time the 50th Battalion was involved in the Battle of Messines, suffering 149 casualties. After being relieved, the battalion continued its rotation through front line, support and reserve positions.
In July 1917, Jensen was temporarily promoted to corporal and transferred to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford in the UK as an instructor. While there, he was entertained by Danish residents of Kingston upon Hull. He was invested with his VC by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 21 July. After another disciplinary infringement, he returned to France, rejoining his battalion on 6 October. He was temporarily promoted to sergeant in early November, and the battalion spent the winter of 1917–18 rotating through the front line. In late March 1918, the battalion left its rest area and, along with many other Australian units, was quickly deployed to meet the German spring offensive south of the River Ancre. On 5 April, the battalion took up positions at Dernancourt and there contributed to the defeat of the "largest German attack mounted against Australian troops during the war" during the Second Battle of Dernancourt.
The fighting at Dernancourt was followed by a move to the Villers-Bretonneux sector, where, on 25 April, the battalion took part in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux that drove the Germans from that village, at a cost to the battalion of 254 casualties. On 5 May, Jensen was on patrol near Villers-Bretonneux when he was shot in the head. Severely wounded, he was admitted to hospital in France, and on 18 May was evacuated to the UK, where he was admitted to the Richmond Military Hospital in Surrey.
Jensen reverted to the rank of corporal on being evacuated. Following two weeks' leave, he was repatriated to Australia, along with nine other Victoria Cross recipients, in August 1918 to take part in a recruiting campaign on the invitation of Prime Minister Billy Hughes. He disembarked in Adelaide on 11 October, and was discharged from the AIF on 2 December. He was assessed to be partially disabled, and received a small pension. For his service during the war, as well as his Victoria Cross he was issued the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
## Post-war
After his discharge, Jensen worked for a short time as a barman in Truro, then as a marine store dealer in Adelaide. He married Katy Herman (née Arthur), a divorcée, at the Adelaide Registry Office on 13 July 1921. Their marriage was heavily affected by his wartime experiences. In April 1922, a photograph of Jensen and his horse-drawn cart, with "J. C. Jensen V.C." painted on the side, was published on the front page of The Sunday Times newspaper in Sydney; the caption noted that he employed several men in his business. On 28 May, Jensen was admitted to the Adelaide Hospital, and died of congestion of the lungs three days later, aged 31. He had never fully recovered from the wounds he had received during the war.
On 2 June, Jensen's casket was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage to the West Terrace Cemetery, followed by hundreds of former members of the 50th Battalion, and he was buried with full military honours in the AIF section of the cemetery. It was reported as "one of the most impressive funerals which have passed through the gates of the West Terrace Cemetery", and "probably one of the largest military funerals ever held in Adelaide". The pastor at the service said that Jensen was, "modest always... ever ready to enlarge on the bravery of others, without touching on his own accomplishments".
Jensen's medal set, including his Victoria Cross, was donated by a family member to the Australian War Memorial in 1987 at a ceremony attended by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and is displayed in the Hall of Valour of the memorial. In 2006, a memorial to Jensen was unveiled in Løgstør by the Australian ambassador to Denmark, and a book about him was published in Denmark in the same year. Each year, wreaths are placed at the memorial in memory of Jensen, and in 2014 a wreath was placed by the Australian ambassador, Damien Miller. | [
"## Early life",
"## World War I",
"## Post-war"
] | 2,525 | 42,810 |
1,761,526 | The Fat Duck | 1,173,754,254 | Restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, England | [
"1995 establishments in England",
"Bray, Berkshire",
"Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead",
"Former pubs in England",
"Michelin Guide starred restaurants in the United Kingdom",
"Molecular gastronomy",
"Pubs in Berkshire",
"Restaurants established in 1995",
"Restaurants in Berkshire"
] | The Fat Duck is a fine dining restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, England, owned by the chef Heston Blumenthal. Housed in a 16th-century building, the Fat Duck opened on 16 August 1995. Although it originally served food similar to a French bistro, it soon acquired a reputation for precision and invention, and has been at the forefront of many modern culinary developments, such as food pairing, flavour encapsulation and multi-sensory cooking.
The number of staff in the kitchen increased from four when the Fat Duck first opened to 42, resulting in a ratio of one kitchen staff member per customer. The Fat Duck gained its first Michelin star in 1999, its second in 2002 and its third in 2004, making it one of eight restaurants in the United Kingdom to earn three Michelin stars. It lost its three stars in 2016, as it was under renovation, preventing it from being open for assessment. It regained all three stars in the following year.
The Fat Duck is known for its fourteen-course tasting menu featuring dishes such as nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream, an Alice in Wonderland-inspired mock turtle soup involving a bouillon packet made up to look like a fob watch dissolved in tea, and a dish called Sound of the Sea which includes an audio element. It has an associated laboratory where Blumenthal and his team develop new dish concepts. In 2009, the Fat Duck suffered from the largest norovirus outbreak ever documented at a restaurant, with more than 400 diners falling ill.
## Description
The Fat Duck is located on the high street of Bray, Berkshire. The owner, Heston Blumenthal, has owned the premises since it opened at the location in 1995. It is not the only Michelin three-star restaurant in Bray, the other being Michel Roux's restaurant the Waterside Inn. As of 2023, it is one of eight restaurants in the United Kingdom with three Michelin stars.
The Fat Duck has fourteen tables, and can seat 42 diners. It has a high proportion of chefs working, 42, equating to one chef per diner. Much of the menu is developed by experimentation: for example, the egg and bacon ice cream came about following Blumenthal investigating the principles of "flavour encapsulation". A research laboratory where Blumenthal and his team develop dishes is two doors away opposite the Hinds Head pub, which is also owned by the chef. It was where the majority of the laboratory scenes for the television series Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection were filmed. The lab equipment includes a centrifuge which is used to make chocolate wine, and a vacuum oven. The restaurant takes reservations up to two months in advance, and in 2011 it was receiving some 30,000 calls for reservations per day, although that figure also included people who could not get through and were redialling.
### Menu
Blumenthal was inspired as a teenager by trips to the Michelin-starred restaurants in France and the work of Harold McGee. McGee's work in particular led him to question traditional cooking techniques and approaches which resulted in combinations which may at first appear unusual. Blumenthal incorporates psychology and the perception of diners into his dishes, explaining, "For example, eat sardine on toast sorbet for the first time, confusion will reign as the brain will be trying to tell the palate to expect a dessert and you will therefore be tasting more sweetness than actually exists." The Fat Duck serves a fourteen-course tasting menu.
Dishes served include palate cleansers made of vodka and green tea, frozen in liquid nitrogen, a snail porridge that was described by one food critic as "infamous", and ice creams of both crab, and egg and bacon, each of which drew media attention. The mock turtle soup has an Alice in Wonderland theme, where a fob watch formed of freeze-dried beef stock covered with gold leaf is dropped into a tea cup by a waiter, who pours a beef stock "tea" poured over it that dissolves the gold and the watch. A plate of ox tongue and vegetables is served alongside it to place into the soup. Toast sandwiches are served as a side dish. It had been developed for an appearance on Heston's Feasts, and was afterwards added to the menu. Dishes are served with additional sensory inputs, such as "Sounds of the Sea", a plate of seafood served with a seafood foam on top of a "beach" of tapioca, breadcrumbs and eel. Alongside the dish, diners are given an iPod to listen to crashing waves whilst they eat. Other additional sensory components include "the smell of the Black Forest" that accompanies a kirsch ice cream.
## History
The Fat Duck is located in a 16th-century cottage that was modified in the 19th and 20th centuries. Prior to the restaurant, it was a pub, the Ringers. The building was Grade II listed by English Heritage on 2 May 1989.
When the Fat Duck opened in 1995, the kitchen was staffed by Blumenthal and one other employee. It served meals in the style of a French bistro, such as lemon tarts, and steak and chips. Blumenthal later said that science had already begun to influence the cooking at this stage, as already on the menu were his triple-cooked chips, which were developed to stop the potato from going soft. The restaurant came close to going bankrupt, and Blumenthal sold his house, his car and many of his possessions to keep it open.
### 1999—2005: Michelin stars
After four years, the Fat Duck was awarded its first Michelin star in the 1999 list. Blumenthal worked with Professor Peter Barham of the University of Bristol, and developed a menu of dishes through experimentation such as slow-cooked lamb which avoids shocking the fibres in the meat and causing them to seize. By 2000, techniques were being used such as cooking vegetables in mineral water after discovering that the levels of calcium in tap water causes their discolouration, and freezing cuttlefish to break down the molecules in them in order to increase their tenderness. In 2001, the Fat Duck was awarded a second Michelin star, and was also named restaurant of the year by the Automobile Association. In 2004, the Fat Duck was awarded three Michelin stars, becoming one of three restaurants in the United Kingdom to hold that level of recognition alongside the Waterside Inn, also in Bray, and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London. It was the fastest that a restaurant had gone from one to three stars in the UK. In the same year, the Fat Duck was ranked second in the world behind the French Laundry by the World's 50 Best Restaurants. The restaurant also received the title of Square Meal BMW Best UK Restaurant 2004. That year, food and safety officers found "borderline" levels of listeria in the foie gras and expressed concern that "no core temperatures of the meat are taken".
In 2005, the World's 50 Best Restaurants named the Fat Duck the best restaurant in the world. At the first Front of House Awards in 2007, the restaurant won the awards for Overall Service and Front Desk of the Year. In 2008, Blumenthal published The Big Fat Duck Cookbook.
### 2009: Norovirus outbreak
On 27 February 2009, Blumenthal closed the Fat Duck temporarily after a number of customers reported feeling unwell at different times. By 3 March the source of the outbreak was still unclear but sabotage had been ruled out. A spokesman for the restaurant said "All this leads us to believe that it [the health scare] has not come from the restaurant and we expect to be given the all clear." On 6 March it was reported that 400 people had stated they had felt unwell after eating at the restaurant.
The restaurant reopened on 12 March 2009. The cause of the illness was later given by the Health Protection Agency as norovirus, which was thought to originate from oysters which had been harvested from beds contaminated with sewage. The virus was spread further after being contracted by staff members. The restaurant was criticised for its cleaning methods and its slow response to the incident. Complaints of illness from customers totalled 529. It was the largest norovirus outbreak ever documented at a restaurant.
### 2012: Deaths of senior staff
On 19 November 2012, Ivan Aranto Herrera Jorge and Carl Magnus Lindgren, two senior members of staff, were killed on Chai Wan Road, Hong Kong in a traffic accident when their taxi was hit by two buses. They died along with the taxi driver, Wong Kim-chung. A further 56 people were injured in the accident. Blumenthal had been in Hong Kong and was travelling in a separate cab at the time of the crash.
### 2014: Relocation to Australia
On 31 March 2014, Blumenthal announced he would be closing the Fat Duck for renovations for six months and temporarily relocating it with its entire team to Crown Towers, Melbourne, Australia. During the six months, the restaurant was named the Fat Duck, after which it was renamed Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. This was the second restaurant with that name, Blumenthal's sixth restaurant and his first restaurant outside of Britain. This temporary closure of the Bray location made the Fat Duck ineligible for assessment for the 2016 Michelin Guide, thus losing its three-starred status. It regained the stars the following year.
## Reception
Fodor's described the Fat Duck as "extraordinary" and "one of the best restaurants in the country". Frommer's gave it three stars, grading it as "exceptional".
In September 1996, Ben Rogers ate at the restaurant for The Independent before it had gained any Michelin stars or the awards it has today and while it was still using something close to its original menu. Even so, he discovered that Blumenthal was cooking foie gras in sherry in order to give it a nutty flavour, although Rogers was not sure if the nutty flavour was warranted in the dish itself. He did think that a jambonneau of duck was worth praising, describing it as "delicious", but also thought that another dish of monkfish was rubbery in texture. He described the menu itself as "awkwardly written, badly punctuated, and at points quite impenetrable". Following the first Michelin star, David Fingleton visited the restaurant for The Spectator, and said that the experience was "beyond reproach; unsullied pleasure from start to finish".
In 2001, Terry Durack reviewed the restaurant for The Independent. He was initially hesitant as he expected tricks straight away and was surprised to find a bowl of normal green olives on the table as he arrived. He did not enjoy a mustard ice cream in a red cabbage gazpacho soup, but described the restaurant as "great" and gave it a score of seventeen out of twenty. Following the third Michelin star, Jan Moir of The Daily Telegraph visited the restaurant but disliked it, saying that "while many of the flavours are politely interesting, the relentless pappy textures of mousses and foams and creams and poached meats really begins to grate". She also thought the restaurant was overpriced, calling it "The Fat Profit".
Matthew Fort reviewed the restaurant for The Guardian in 2005, he said that "there is no doubt that the Fat Duck is a great restaurant and Heston Blumenthal the most original and remarkable chef this country has ever produced". A. A. Gill for The Times recommended that people should "eat here at least once to find out what is really going on in your mouth". Also in 2005, German food critic Wolfram Siebeck visited the restaurant and complained of the delays in service and of several of the dishes, described the mustard ice cream in a red cabbage gazpacho soup as a "fart of nothingness", while chef Nico Ladenis said of the restaurant, "Someone who makes egg and bacon ice cream is hailed a genius. If you vomit and make ice cream out of it, are you a star?" Tony Naylor of The Guardian enjoyed his trip to the restaurant in 2008, and afterwards criticised those who thought that spending £323.13 on a meal for two at lunchtime was too much.
In 2005, the restaurant was ranked 1st on the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. After spending 11 years on the list, it has dropped down to 73rd in the top 100. It has been ranked second best on numerous occasions, first behind the French Laundry and then behind El Bulli. In 2012, it was ranked in thirteenth place. In 2010, it was named the Best UK Restaurant in the Quintessentially Awards, a scheme run by the Quintessentially Group.
In 2009, it was the only restaurant to be given a top score of ten out of ten in the Good Food Guide. The editor of the guide, Elizabeth Carter, explained the reason for the score, "It's extremely rare that a restaurant cooks perfectly on a consistent basis, but we've had so many superlative reports that we're delighted to recognise the Fat Duck as the best restaurant in Britain." It retained that top score through to the 2013 edition of the guide.
## See also
- List of Michelin three starred restaurants
- Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
- The Hind's Head | [
"## Description",
"### Menu",
"## History",
"### 1999—2005: Michelin stars",
"### 2009: Norovirus outbreak",
"### 2012: Deaths of senior staff",
"### 2014: Relocation to Australia",
"## Reception",
"## See also"
] | 2,821 | 37,331 |
31,852,191 | Manal al-Sharif | 1,173,763,678 | Saudi Arabian activist (born 1979) | [
"1979 births",
"Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Saudi Arabia",
"Hashemite people",
"King Abdulaziz University alumni",
"Living people",
"People of the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests",
"Saudi Arabian dissidents",
"Saudi Arabian emigrants to Australia",
"Saudi Arabian expatriates in Australia",
"Saudi Arabian feminists",
"Saudi Arabian prisoners and detainees",
"Saudi Arabian women activists",
"Saudi Arabian women's rights activists",
"Women human rights activists",
"Women's rights in Saudi Arabia"
] | Manal al-Sharif (Arabic: منال الشريف; born 25 April 1979) is a Saudi women's rights activist who helped start a right to drive campaign in 2011. Wajeha al-Huwaider filmed al-Sharif driving a car as part of the campaign. The video was posted on YouTube and Facebook. Al-Sharif was detained on 21 May 2011, released, and then rearrested the following day. On 30 May, al-Sharif was released on bail, on the conditions of returning for questioning if requested, not driving, and not talking to the media. The New York Times and Associated Press associated the women's driving campaign as part of the Arab Spring and the long duration of al-Sharif's detention due to Saudi authorities' fear of protests.
Following her driving campaign, al-Sharif remained an active critic of the Saudi government, tweeting on issues including imprisoned female foreign workers, the lack of elections for the Shura Council, and the murder of Lama al-Ghamdi. Her work has been recognized by Foreign Policy, Time, and the Oslo Freedom Forum.
## Background
Manal al-Sharif graduated from King Abdulaziz University with a Bachelor of Science in computing and a Cisco Career Certification. Until May 2012, she worked as an Information Security Consultant for Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national oil company. She also wrote for Alhayat, a Saudi daily. Al-Sharif's first book, Daring to Drive: a Saudi Woman's Awakening, was published in June 2017 by Simon & Schuster. It is also available in German, Arabic, Turkish and Danish.
## Women's rights campaigns
Al-Sharif has campaigned for women's rights in Saudi Arabia for many years. According to The New York Times, al-Sharif "has a reputation for drawing attention to the lack of rights for women". Regarding the 2011 women driving campaign, Amnesty International stated that "Manal al-Sharif is following in a long tradition of women activists around the world who have put themselves on the line to expose and challenge discriminatory laws and policies".
### Women's driving rights in Saudi Arabia
Women in Saudi Arabia had limited freedom of movement and in practice were not allowed to drive motor vehicles. In 1990, dozens of women in Riyadh drove their cars in protest, were imprisoned for one day, had their passports confiscated, and some of them lost their jobs. In September 2007, the Association for the Protection and Defense of Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia, co-founded by Wajeha al-Huwaider and Fawzia al-Uyyouni, gave a 1,100 signature petition to King Abdullah asking for women to be allowed to drive. On International Women's Day 2008, Huwaider filmed herself driving and received international media attention after the video was posted on YouTube. Inspired by the Arab Spring, a woman from Jeddah, Najla Hariri, started driving in the second week of May 2011, stating "Before in Saudi, you never heard about protests. [But] after what has happened in the Middle East, we started to accept a group of people going outside and saying what they want in a loud voice, and this has had an impact on me."
### 2011 women driving campaign
In 2011, a group of women including Manal al-Sharif started a Facebook campaign named "Teach me how to drive so I can protect myself" or "Women2Drive" that says that women should be allowed to drive. The campaign calls for women to start driving from 17 June 2011. By 21 May 2011, about 12,000 readers of the Facebook page had expressed their support. Al-Sharif describes the action as acting within women's rights, and "not protesting". Wajeha al-Huwaider was impressed by the campaign and decided to help.
In late May, al-Sharif drove her car in al-Akrabiyah, Khobar with al-Huwaider filming. The video was posted to YouTube and Facebook. In the video, al-Sharif stated, "This is a volunteer campaign to help the girls of this country [learn to drive]. At least for times of emergency, God forbid. What if whoever is driving them gets a heart attack?" She was detained by the religious police (CPVPV) on 21 May and released after six hours. By 23 May 2011, about 600,000 people had watched the video.
The YouTube video of al-Sharif's drive became inaccessible at its original location, the Facebook page for the campaign was deleted, and the Twitter account used by al-Sharif was "copied and altered". Supporters republished the original video and Facebook page and a summary of al-Sharif's five recommended rules for the 17 June campaign were published on a blog and by The New York Times.
On 22 May, al-Sharif was detained again and the Director General of Traffic Administration, Major-General Suleiman Al-Ajlan, was questioned by journalists regarding traffic regulations related to women driving. Al-Ajlan stated that the journalists should "put the question" to members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia. RTBF suggested that al-Sharif had been sentenced to five days' imprisonment.
The New York Times described al-Sharif's campaign as a "budding protest movement" that the Saudi government tried to "swiftly extinguish". Associated Press said that Saudi authorities "cracked down harder than usual on al-Sharif, after seeing her case become a rallying call for youths anxious for change" in the context of the Arab Spring. Both news organisations attributed the long duration of al-Sharif's detention to Saudi authorities' fear of a wider protest movement in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International declared Al-Sharif to be a prisoner of conscience and called for her immediate and unconditional release.
The day after al-Sharif's arrest, another woman was detained for driving a car. She drove with two women passengers in Ar Rass and was detained by traffic police in the presence of the CPVPV. She was released after signing a statement that she would not drive again. In reaction to al-Sharif's arrest, several more Saudi women published videos of themselves driving during the following days. On 26 May, authorities said that al-Sharif would remain in detention until 5 June 2011, according to Waleed Abu Al-Khair. Al-Sharif was conditionally freed on 30 May. Her lawyer Adnan al-Saleh said that she had been charged with "inciting women to drive" and "rallying public opinion". The conditions of Al-Sharif's release include bail, returning for questioning if requested, not driving and not talking to the media. As possible reasons for al-Sharif's early release, The National cited al-Sharif having written a letter to King Abdullah, 4,500 Saudis signing an online petition to the King, and "an outpouring of indignation and disbelief by both Saudis and critics abroad that Ms al-Sharif was jailed for something that is not a moral or criminal offence."
Al-Sharif filed an objection with the General Directorate of Traffic in Riyadh on 15 November 2011 because of officials rejecting her driver's licence application. Samar Badawi filed a similar lawsuit on 4 February 2012.
### 2011 women prisoners campaign
Following her 30 May release from prison, al-Sharif started a Twitter campaign called "Faraj" to release Saudi, Filipino and Indonesian women prisoners in the Dammam women's prison who "are locked up just because they owe a small sum of money but cannot afford to pay the debt". Al-Sharif said that the women prisoners were mostly domestic workers who remained in prison after completing their prison terms, because they could not pay their debts and because their former Saudi employers did not help to release them or fund their flights to return to their countries of origin. She referred to 22 Indonesian women and named four women needing help and stated the amount of their debts. She called for donations to be made directly to the director of the Dammam women's prison in order to reimburse the women's debts and free them.
## Since 2012
After being awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent in May 2012, al-Sharif's employer Aramco put pressure on her not to travel to formally receive the prize. Al-Sharif's boss threatened her with dismissal, stating, "If you are going to talk at another conference, you could lose your job. You are not allowed to go. We don't want our name to be associated with you." Al-Sharif travelled to receive her prize. She was dismissed from her job and had to leave the company-owned flat in which she had lived.
In December 2012, al-Sharif criticized an initiative by the Saudi government to inform husbands via SMS when their wives or dependents leave the country, in accordance with a law making men the legal guardians of their wives. "The small fact of the SMS story gives you the idea of the bigger problem with the whole guardianship system", she wrote on Twitter. When King Abdullah appointed women to the advisory Shura Council for the first time in January 2013, al-Sharif criticized the reform as too small, noting that the council was still not an elected body and could not pass legislation. In February, she worked to bring international attention to the case of five-year-old Lama al-Ghamdi, whose father Fayhan al-Ghamdi fatally raped, beat, and burned her; he served four months in jail and paid 1,000,000 riyals (roughly US\$267,000) in blood money. On 7 October 2013, it was announced that al-Ghamdi had been sentenced to 8 years in prison, plus 800 lashes.
In January 2019, al-Sharif closed her Twitter account. She stated that while Twitter had "once saved [her] life" and that online social network services had enabled Saudis to carry out uncensored discussion and communication for several years, especially around 2011, Saudi authorities found ways to use Twitter that she considered too authoritarian for her to continue using it. Al-Sharif argued that the Saudi authorities "effectively shaped and molded the Twitter discourse by buying trolls and bots, while directly or indirectly threatening, harassing or arresting and jailing those who were influencers and didn't speak favorably of the government policies." Al-Sharif quoted a New York Times report of a Saudi intelligences services infiltrator in Twitter who enabled the authorities to identify and arrest well-known Saudi Twitter users who had until then been protected by their anonymity. Al-Sharif called for software developers to develop and improve decentralised social media platforms, such as the Fediverse, with mechanisms to "reward authentic and organic content, instead of rewarding bots and fake accounts" and to "not allow the powerful and wealthy to manipulate and dominate the conversation".
In April 2019, the Saudi embassy in Washington invited Manal al-Sharif via Twitter to meet the new ambassador, Reema bint Bandar.
## Personal life
Al-Sharif has two sons. Her first son lives in Saudi Arabia with his grandmother, and her second son is in Australia with al-Sharif. As of June 2017, the two sons had never met in person other than from video calls.
She first married in Saudi Arabia and had a son in 2005. The marriage ended in a divorce and based on Saudi divorce rules, her ex-husband retained full legal custody of the child. Al-Sharif moved to Dubai after the separation and was forced to travel back to Saudi Arabia when she wanted to see her son because her ex-husband refused to let him travel. Al-Sharif went to court to contest the travel restriction but the court refused and cited a 10th-century Islamic text about the "risk of the child dying en route on such a dangerous distance."
On 23 January 2012, al-Sharif was mistakenly reported dead in a car crash in Jeddah. On 25 January, The Guardian confirmed that she was alive, and that the crash victim was an "unnamed member of a desert community" who was not involved in the female driving campaign.
Al-Sharif had another son in 2014 from her second marriage.
Al-Sharif is fluent in English as she has lived in both New Hampshire and Australia. She considers herself a liberal Muslim. She is observant in most Islamic practices, including Halal, praying five to six times a day, etc. When marrying her Brazilian husband, she required him to convert to Islam in accordance with Islamic law in order to marry her, and he recited the Shahada at a mosque in Brazil to formally convert to Islam, and he took a Muslim name.
## Recognition
Foreign Policy magazine named al-Sharif one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2011, and she was listed in Forbes list of Women Who (Briefly) Rocked in the same year. In 2012, al-Sharif was named one of the Fearless Women of the year by The Daily Beast, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2012. She was also one of three people awarded the first annual Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent at the Oslo Freedom Forum.
## See also
- 2011 Saudi Arabian protests
- Dina Ali
- Islamic feminism
- Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
- Samar Badawi
- Hamza Kashgari
- Mishaal bint Fahd bin Mohammed Al Saud | [
"## Background",
"## Women's rights campaigns",
"### Women's driving rights in Saudi Arabia",
"### 2011 women driving campaign",
"### 2011 women prisoners campaign",
"## Since 2012",
"## Personal life",
"## Recognition",
"## See also"
] | 2,861 | 17,499 |
55,884,916 | Heuglin's gazelle | 1,116,649,941 | Species of mammal | [
"Eudorcas",
"Mammals described in 1868",
"Mammals of Eritrea",
"Mammals of Ethiopia",
"Mammals of Sudan",
"Taxa named by Theodor von Heuglin"
] | Heuglin's gazelle (Eudorcas tilonura), also known as the Eritrean gazelle, is a species of gazelle found east of the Nile River in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan. It was considered a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle (E. rufifrons) or conspecific with Thomson's gazelle (E. thomsonii) and Mongalla gazelle (E. albonotata) by some authors in the past. This small gazelle stands nearly 67 cm (26 in) at the shoulder and weighs between 15 and 35 kg (33 and 77 lb). The coat is dark reddish brown with a dark reddish stripe on the flanks, except for the underparts and the rump which are white. Horns, present in both sexes, measure 15 to 35 cm (5.9 to 13.8 in) in length.
Little is known about the ecology and behaviour of Heuglin's gazelles; they typically remain solitary or form groups of two to four. Herbivores, these gazelles possibly browse as well as graze. Gestation lasts nearly six months, after which probably a single calf is born. Heuglin's gazelles inhabit open areas such as steppes, dry grasslands and thorn bushlands up to an elevation of 1,400 m (4,600 ft). Habitat loss and illegal hunting for meat are major threats to the survival of these gazelles. Populations might have fallen by 20% in roughly nine years after 2008; as of 2016, only 2,500 to 3,500 individuals remain in small fragmented groups, with fewer than 2,500 adults. Heuglin's gazelle is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
## Taxonomy
German explorer and ornithologist Theodor von Heuglin first described Heuglin's gazelle in 1863. He based his description on a specimen from the plains close to Ain-Saba in Bogosland in Abyssinia (the Ethiopian Empire). This species has been considered a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle (Eudorcas rufifrons) or conspecific with Thomson's gazelle (E. thomsonii) and Mongalla gazelle (E. albonotata) by some authors. In 2013, biologist Colin Groves considered Heuglin's gazelle an independent species, and this has subsequently been followed by many authors.
## Characteristics
This species is notably smaller than other gazelles, shows significantly lesser sexual dimorphism and has shorter and thinner horns (present in both sexes). The head-and-body length is between 55 and 120 cm (22 and 47 in), and the shoulder height is nearly 67 cm (26 in). Males weigh between 20 and 35 kg (44 and 77 lb), while the weight of females varies from 15 to 25 kg (33 to 55 lb). The coat is dark reddish brown, except for the underparts and the rump which are white. There is a dark reddish stripe on the flanks. The face is darker in the middle, and there are white circles around the eyes. The horns measure 22–35 cm (8.7–13.8 in) in males and 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) in females, and turn inward at the tips. They are spaced 11.9–17.3 cm (4.7–6.8 in) apart at the base, and the tips are separated by 4.1–9.4 cm (1.6–3.7 in). Females have more slender and straighter horns than do males. The tail measures 15 to 27 cm (5.9 to 10.6 in) and is rufous at the base, turning black towards the end. It is smaller and more rufous than the red-fronted gazelle, the nose is unmarked. Dorcas gazelle, sympatric with Heuglin's gazelle in some areas, has a lighter reddish stripe. The larger and paler Soemmerring's gazelle shares its range with Heuglin's gazelle in southwestern Eritrea, and has short, heavy horns curved backward with tips pointing inward, a whiter rump and short white hairs on the tail.
## Ecology and behaviour
Heuglin's gazelles lead solitary lives or form groups of two to four. They scrape the ground to create resting sites under shrubs or large trees, such as the Egyptian balsam (Balanites aegyptiaca) in savannahs and Vachellia nubica in shrublands, during the hottest period of the day. Groups of gazelles may rest in shallower sites for long periods of time, as suggested by the increasing dung piles in these areas. Little is known of territorial behaviour in the wild; captive males form dung heaps close to the fences of their enclosures, smelling and scratching the ground nearby followed by excretion. Preorbital glands are also used for marking. Herbivores, they possibly browse as well as graze. Though Heuglin's gazelles can survive for long periods without water, they are more water-dependent than other gazelles in their range. Copulation lasts a few seconds; the male stands upright on the hindfeet and mounts the female. Gestation lasts 184 to 189 days, after which probably a single calf is born; most births take place in the wet season. Jackals may prey on young; hyaenas may also be potential predators. Little else is known about the ecology and behaviour of these gazelles.
## Distribution and habitat
The range is east of the Nile River and patchy, bounded by the southern Red Sea Hills in Sudan and mountainous terrain in northwestern Ethiopia and western Eritrea. Heuglin's gazelles inhabit open areas such as steppes, dry grasslands and thorn bushlands up to an elevation of 1,400 m (4,600 ft). Little is known about the populations and their status. Numbers have plummeted in Eritrea; in 2019 the Forestry and Wild Life Authority of Eritrea declared that Heuglin's gazelle had been sighted again in the country in the Dige sub-zone (Gash-Barka Region). The gazelle was reportedly seen last during the time of the Italian colonial rule in Eritrea (19th to 20th centuries).
## Threats and conservation
The IUCN Red List classifies Heuglin's gazelle as Endangered. According to the IUCN, the numbers might have fallen by as much as 20% in roughly nine years after 2008. As of 2016, only 2,500 to 3,500 individuals remain in small fragmented groups, with fewer than 2,500 adults. The gazelle is suffering from severe habitat loss due to overgrazing, deforestation, agricultural expansion and droughts. Illegal hunting for meat is another major threat. Heuglin's gazelle occurs in several protected areas: Gash-Setit in Eritrea, Kafta Sheraro National Park (and probably Alatash National Park) in Ethiopia, and Dinder National Park in Sudan. Antelope conservationist Rod East noted that populations in the Dinder National Park are threatened by hunting particularly in the wet season when the animals often cross the border of the park. Moreover, in the dry season camel and goat herders often trespass the area and let their animals graze on the vegetation, depriving Heuglin's gazelles of food and resting sites. | [
"## Taxonomy",
"## Characteristics",
"## Ecology and behaviour",
"## Distribution and habitat",
"## Threats and conservation"
] | 1,606 | 31,426 |
39,811,349 | Mortal Folly and Mortal Recoil | 1,158,683,580 | null | [
"2011 American television episodes",
"Adventure Time (season 2) episodes",
"Television episodes about spirit possession"
] | "Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil" are the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth episodes of the second season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. "Mortal Folly" was written and storyboarded by Adam Muto and Rebecca Sugar, whereas "Mortal Recoil" was written and storyboarded by Jesse Moynihan and Cole Sanchez. Both were based on a story by Mark Banker, Kent Osborne, Patrick McHale, and series creator Pendleton Ward. The two episodes originally aired on Cartoon Network on May 2, 2011, and guest starred Ron Perlman as the Lich, and Isabella Acres as young Princess Bubblegum. Perlman's character would become the series' chief antagonist, and would reappear in several fourth and fifth season episodes.
The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In "Mortal Folly", Finn and Jake must go on a quest to find the Lich (voiced by Perlman), while the Ice King (voiced by Tom Kenny) pesters them for their blessing to marry Princess Bubblegum (voiced by Hynden Walch). After seemingly defeating the Lich, however, the Ice King accidentally drops Bubblegum into the Lich's well of power. In "Mortal Recoil", Princess Bubblegum possessed by the spirit of the Lich, and Finn and Jake team up with the Ice King to stop him. In the end, Bubblegum is seriously wounded, and since there is not enough candy bio-mass to fully revive her, she reverts to a 13-year-old.
"Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil" marked the first time the plot of one Adventure Time episode carried into another. "Mortal Folly" also introduced the Lich, one of the show's primary antagonists, who had first been proposed in the series' pitch bible. Both episodes aired on the same day, and were supposed to air as the second season finale, but due to a studio mix-up, they were instead aired as the penultimate episode, before "Heat Signature". Despite this, they are still considered by Ward to function as the season two finale. Both episodes were watched by 1.92 million people, and received largely positive critical attention; many critics enjoyed the way the episode began to set up the series' mythology.
## Plot
### "Mortal Folly"
While meditating with Finn and Jake, Princess Bubblegum has a premonition involving the Lich, an evil undead sorcerer who was long ago trapped in a block of amber by the legendary hero Billy. Bubblegum tells Finn and Jake about the dream, and the three of them journey to the tree at the top of Bubblegum's palace where the block of amber is hidden; Bubblegum also places magical jewels on Finn and Jake's heads that will prevent the Lich from exerting mind-control on them. While examining the amber, a snail is placed under the Lich's spell and helps break him out while Finn and Jake are not paying attention. The Lich then blasts out of the kingdom, leaving a wave of destruction in his path.
Finn and Jake, after acquiring the legendary gauntlet of Billy as well as a special pink sweater made by Bubblegum, give chase, but they are consistently interrupted by the Ice King, who keeps trying to get Finn and Jake's blessings to marry Bubblegum. Fed up with their dismissive attitude, the Ice King kidnaps Bubblegum and follows Finn and Jake as the two heroes pursue the Lich. The Lich eventually reaches his lair, an abandoned subway station, and creates a pool of green liquid which he plans to use to regain his strength and destroy the world.
Finn, Jake, the Ice King, and Bubblegum follow the Lich into his lair. In the entanglement that follows, Billy's gauntlet is destroyed by the Lich and Finn breaks his jewel. The Lich attempts to exert his mind-control on Finn, but Finn finds himself able to resist it. It is then revealed that the sweater Bubblegum gave to Finn has the power to repel the Lich due to it being imbued with "liking someone a lot". Finn then takes the sweater and pushes it into the Lich's eye sockets and rips his face apart, destroying him. However, the Ice King accidentally drops Bubblegum into the Lich's evil vat, to the horror of Finn and Jake.
### "Mortal Recoil"
After Princess Bubblegum falls into the Lich's well of power, she is rushed to the Candy Kingdom hospital and saved. However, the Ice King feels that something is awry and tries to warn Finn, but Finn angrily scolds him and tells him to leave the kingdom. Finn and Jake then focus their energy on taking care of Princess Bubblegum, whose behavior seems off. At first, she claims that she needs some rest, but soon she begins acting strangely, such as convulsing in her bed. Finn leaves to acquire items that Bubblegum requests—which includes weapons-grade plutonium, ammonium, and gasoline among other items—and Jake tries to cheer Bubblegum up with a song.
This, however, back-fires and Princess Bubblegum ignites her bedroom with some sort of dark magic. It is apparent that Bubblegum has been possessed by the spirit of the Lich. Finn returns, and the two discover Bubblegum mixing the ingredients that Finn retrieved in her bathtub and then drinking it. She soon deforms and turns into a grotesque monster; she hurls Finn and Jake through a wall and the two discover the Ice King. He finally tells them that he saw with his "wizard eyes" the spirit of the Lich descend into Bubblegum after she fell into the well of power. The three make an unlikely alliance, teaming up to beat the Lich-possessed Bubblegum.
While Finn distracts her, the Ice King uses his ice powers to freeze Bubblegum. Their moment of success, however, is cut short when the still-frozen Bubblegum tips over and shatters everywhere. Her body parts are again rushed to the hospital where she is reassembled. However, there are not enough pieces to complete her, and so she ends up reverting to a 13-year-old girl. Finn, who is also 13, is excited, but the Ice King temporarily gives up his pursuit of Bubblegum due to her age. As the episode ends, it is revealed that the Lich has once again possessed the body of the snail, who angrily waves goodbye to the camera.
## Production
Both "Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil" were directed by Larry Leichliter, with Pat McHale and Sanchez serving as creative co-directors and Nick Jennings serving as art director. "Mortal Folly" was storyboarded by Rebecca Sugar and Adam Muto, whereas "Mortal Recoil" was storyboarded by Jesse Moynihan and Cole Sanchez. Both were episodes based on a story by Mark Banker, Kent Osborne, Patrick McHale, and series creator Pendleton Ward.
"Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil" feature the first substantial appearance of the Lich, the series' primary antagonist, who made an early appearance in the season one episode "His Hero" being defeated by Billy in a flashback. The Lich had appeared in concept drawings in the series' pitch bible, which Ward himself had created in 2007. Ward's original drawing was re-designed by former creative director McHale; he purposely gave the Lich a desiccated and dried-up look, and was instrumental in crafting the Lich's rotting appearance. In both this episode and other episodes where the character appears, the Lich was voiced by Ron Perlman. In the original outline for "Mortal Folly", the Lich had several lines that played him off as a stereotypical villain. Sugar and Muto decided to make him into a more "scary and dangerous" character, and purposely played up the darker elements of the episode. The scene featuring Finn stuffing the sweater into the Lich's eye sockets and then ripping his skull apart was inspired by an artistic design idea Sugar had had when she was in high school; she had wanted to draw a comic featuring a small person getting into a fight and being pushed up to the ceiling.
In the initial storyboard, the Lich's lair was not specifically designed to be a subway. This was added later by the background designers. The undead skeletons that attack Finn and Jake were originally supposed to be "specific undead from [Dungeons & Dragons]". However, Ward changed his mind and tasked Andy Ristaino, a character designer for the series, with stylizing the corpses. Ristaino designed them to resemble "east coast commuters [all] bundled up for winter." He strove to make them look like people you might see on a subway, such as a bike messenger, a couple, man in a "goofy hat", and a man wearing a suit. Originally, when the Lich set off his bomb, the storyboard featured a simple mushroom cloud. Ian Jones-Quartey, one of the series' storyboard revisionists, however, added a face to the blast. Ristaino then added skulls to the smoke. The series' staff liked this version so much that they later included it on the title card.
The snail, an easter egg that appears in every episode, appears in the episodes and plays a prominent part. Originally, the snail was inspired by the in-jokes in episodes of The Simpsons, and was Ward's attempt to "make a game out of every episode of Adventure Time, where you could freeze-frame and find things in the background", such as the snail. However, in "Mortal Folly", the snail serves as the catalyst for the Lich's escape. The snail would also play an important part in other mythology-heavy episodes like "In Your Footsteps", and "The Lich". Osborne later noted that the snail's appearance was pleasing to fans who knew that the snail had been appearing in all the episodes and had actively searched for it before.
Because a large amount of the action in "Mortal Recoil" takes place in Bubblegum's bedroom, Moynihan was worried that the scenes would not carry interest and "people would get bored". As such, Moynihan and Sanchez created the scenes "trying to be simultaneously funny and terrifying". Ward noted that he liked to be "laughing and freaked out", and that the scenes work in this manner. Former storyboard artist Adam Muto commented that the possession scenes turned out "nice and off-putting". Jones-Quartey called the shot of a possessed Princess Bubblegum melting "terrifying". Although the series tries to avoid "cartoon physics", Sanchez and Moynihan were forced to work around this during the scene when Bubblegum throws Finn and Jake through a wall without harming them. Moynihan later rationalized that the wall was made of candy, and thus was harmless.
The end of "Mortal Recoil" introduced the plot thread of Bubblegum de-aging to a 13-year-old girl. This would be expanded upon and eventually resolved in the third season episode "Too Young". The younger version of Bubblegum was voiced by Isabella Acres, who would reprise her role in "Too Young". According to Moynihan, there were initially "rumors" to keep Bubblegum young for several episodes, but the character eventually reverted to normal after only two episodes.
## Reception
"Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil" first aired on Cartoon Network on May 2, 2011. Both episodes were viewed by 1.92 million viewers and scored a Nielsen rating of 1.3/2 percent. This means it was seen by 1.3 percent of all households and 2 percent of all households watching television at the time of the episode's airing. The episodes first saw physical release as part of the 2012 Adventure Time: Jake vs. Me-Mow DVD, which included 16 episodes from the series' first three seasons. It was later re-released as part of the complete second season DVD in June 2013. The season was originally supposed to end with "Mortal Folly"/"Mortal Recoil", but due to a scheduling conflict, "Heat Signature" was the last episode of the second season aired. Despite this, Ward still considers the two-parter to be the real season finale, and the two entries are the last episodes featured on the second season DVD release.
Tyler Foster of DVD Talk praised both "Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil", noting that, despite the fact that the episodes represented only "the beginning of the show's journey into direct serialization", the story-arc was nonetheless "a tantalizing taste of what's to come." Wired magazine noted it as one of the stand-outs from the Jake vs. Me-Mow DVD, calling it a "three-part suite", which concluded with the third season episode "Too Young". The reviewer enjoyed the way the episode set the stage for the apparent death, resurrection, and de-aging for Princess Bubblegum, which became a major plot point in the next season. Matt Fowler of IGN praised both "Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil", specifically giving applause to the introduction of the Lich, noting that he is "a real, grotesque villain inserted into the merely semi-dark world of Adventure Time". Fowler ended up being very happy with the two episodes, writing that they end the season "strong".
## Use in other media
"Mortal Folly" was later adapted as part of a level pack for the 2015 video game Lego Dimensions.
## Explanatory notes | [
"## Plot",
"### \"Mortal Folly\"",
"### \"Mortal Recoil\"",
"## Production",
"## Reception",
"## Use in other media",
"## Explanatory notes"
] | 2,907 | 963 |
15,404,855 | Washington State Route 142 | 1,146,477,063 | Highway in Washington | [
"State highways in Washington (state)",
"Transportation in Klickitat County, Washington"
] | State Route 142 (SR 142) is a state highway in southern Washington. It is located entirely within Klickitat County and runs east–west for 35 miles (56 km) from Lyle to Goldendale. The highway terminates at SR 14 in Lyle and U.S. Route 97 (US 97) in Goldendale.
The highway follows the Klickitat River and an abandoned railroad grade that was built in 1903 and converted into a recreational trail in the 1990s. The county government built a road through the Klickitat River Canyon in 1934 and transferred it to state control in the 1960s, when it was designated as Secondary State Highway 8E (SSH 8E). The highway was initially renumbered to SR 122, but instead became SR 142 in 1967.
## Route description
SR 142 begins at an intersection with SR 14 in the town of Lyle, located on the north bank of the Columbia River. The highway travels along the west side of Lyle, following the Klickitat River upstream as it passes through the Mud Spring Canyon, and passes Klickitat County Park. The two-lane, high-speed road is also paralleled to the west by the Klickitat Trail, a multi-use path for bicycles and pedestrians that uses an abandoned railroad grade. SR 142 continues to traverse several canyons, making several bends to the east and north to follow the course of the Klickitat River. The highway crosses over the river near Wheeler Canyon and continues along its west bank to the town of Klickitat, where it serves as the main street.
Beyond Klickitat, the highway turns east and travels along the north bank of the Klickitat River as it enters the Klickitat State Wildlife Area. After passing the settlement of Wahkiacus, SR 142 crosses over the river to its south bank and leaves the canyon by following the Little Klickitat River. The highway makes a hairpin turn to the north along Bowman Creek before reaching the rural Klickitat Valley plateau, high above the Little Klickitat River. SR 142 then travels north and makes a sharp turn to the east near Mountain View Ranch Road, followed by a series of stair-step turns around Blockhouse Butte before continuing east. The highway approaches Goldendale and passes the municipal airport and the county fairgrounds on the western outskirts of the city. After crossing the Little Klickitat River, SR 142 travels east through downtown Goldendale on Broadway Street. The highway turns northeast and terminates at an intersection with US 97 east of the city limits.
SR 142 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and primarily serves as an alternative route between SR 14 and US 97, avoiding the Maryhill junction, as well as a local connector. The entire highway is also designated as a state scenic byway due to its proximity to recreational hunting, fishing, and watersports. WSDOT conducts an annual survey of average traffic volume on the state highway system that is measured in terms of average annual daily traffic. Daily traffic volumes on SR 142 range from a minimum of 360 vehicles near the Mountain View Ranch to a maximum of 4,200 vehicles in downtown Goldendale.
## History
The Columbia River and Northern Railway began construction of a 42-mile (68 km) railroad in 1902 with the goal of connecting Goldendale to a port on the Columbia River at Lyle. The railroad was completed in April 1903, on a route following the Klickitat River Canyon to Wahkiacus and Swale Creek before reaching the southern outskirts of Goldendale. The Lyle–Goldendale railroad was acquired by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Company in 1908 and used as a branch of the company's mainline on the northern bank of the Columbia River. The Lyle–Goldendale railroad was abandoned in 1992 and the riverside section was converted into a rail trail, today known as the Klickitat Trail, under the direction of the state parks system.
A highway linking Lyle to Goldendale was constructed by the Klickitat county government in 1934, requiring a series of timber truss bridges to traverse the Klickitat River. The eastern section of the highway, from Wahkiacus to Goldendale, was routed along the Little Klickitat River and a series of country roads on the western outskirts of Goldendale. The timber truss bridges, located northeast of Wahkiacus, were replaced in 1955 by a pair of prestressed concrete spans that demonstrated an early use of the new technology. The new bridges were designed by engineer Harry R. Powell and were the largest prestressed concrete bridges in the state at the time of their opening. The shorter bridge on the west side was replaced after a major flood in 1975 caused significant damage, while the longer bridge on the east side was closed to vehicular traffic in June 2012. A temporary Bailey bridge was erected until the completion of a permanent replacement for the eastern bridge in November 2016.
The state legislature approved a provisional designation for the Lyle–Goldendale highway, Secondary State Highway 8E (SSH 8E), in 1961 that would be activated upon the completion of Primary State Highway 8 (PSH 8) between Goldendale and Plymouth. SSH 8E was formally added to the state highway system in 1965, during the planned transition to a new numbering system that would take full effect in 1970. Under the new system, SSH 8E became State Route 122 (SR 122), while PSH 8 became SR 12. The extension of US 12 across Washington in 1967 caused SR 12 to be renumbered to SR 14, and SR 122 became SR 142 as a result.
## Major intersections | [
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections"
] | 1,205 | 15,386 |
3,580,082 | Desert of Maine | 1,171,003,793 | Tourist attraction in Freeport, Maine, United States | [
"Desertification",
"Geography of Cumberland County, Maine",
"Human impact on the environment",
"Tourist attractions in Cumberland County, Maine"
] | The Desert of Maine is a natural curiosity and privately owned tourist attraction whose main feature is a 40-acre (16 ha) expanse of barren glacial sand in the town of Freeport, Maine, United States. The area was devegetated by poor farming practices in the 19th century.
## History
The land that encompasses the Desert of Maine became a farm in 1821 when it was purchased by the Tuttle family. Like other Maine farmers of the era who were struggling to compete in an expanding agricultural market, the Tuttles' methods of farming gradually depleted the soil of essential nutrients. Subsequent overgrazing by large numbers of sheep produced widespread erosion of the topsoil, exposing a deposit of aeolian sand that was lying underneath. Eventually the entire farm became barren, and the Tuttles abandoned the land in 1890. For years, it was known as "the sand farm" and was a popular local feature. In 1925, Henry Goldrup purchased the land for US\$300 (equivalent to about \$5,000 in 2022) and developed it into a tourist attraction; he named it the "Desert of Maine".
## Geology
Toward the end of the last ice age, New England was completely covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which was up to 3,000 meters (almost 2 miles) thick in the region at its maximum extent. The immense weight of the ice sheet at its maximum pushed the land of coastal Maine down below sea level, as much as 175–245 meters below current elevations.
As the glaciers in Maine started to melt, approximately 15,000 years ago, the land began to rebound. By about 13,500 years ago, the glaciers' retreat reached the Freeport area, where the land that would comprise the future Desert of Maine began to emerge from below the sea.
At some point after the Desert area emerged, it became a sink for wind-blown sand, probably around 12,500 years ago. Pioneer plants would have begun to stabilize the open sand deposits fairly quickly, perhaps within just a few hundred years. From those initial plants grew a forest, stabilizing the sand deposit until the Tuttles' farming practices uncovered it and allowed the wind to once again move the sand.
The Desert of Maine is not technically classified as a desert, as it receives an abundance of precipitation annually. The average annual snowfall is 72.1 inches, and the average annual precipitation is 50 inches, both far above the United States' averages, which are 28 inches and 38 inches respectively. To be considered a desert, the area must not receive more than 10 inches of precipitation a year.
## Tourism
The Desert of Maine has been privately owned and maintained as a tourist attraction since 1925, with the most recent change in ownership in 2018 followed by a redevelopment campaign launched in 2020. This included excavating a house, built in 1938, that had become buried in sand during the park's closure in World War II. The town of Freeport has supported the development of the site, authorizing a special zoning district to enable the construction of new facilities and to keep the site intact and maintained. As of 2022, the site hosts a campground, rental cabins, a performing arts venue, and a miniature golf course. It also includes attractions that draw on the desert and its history, such as interpretive trails across the sand, historical buildings, and an original Ford Model T to commemorate the year of the site's opening as a tourist destination.
## See also
- Słowiński National Park
- Błędów Desert
- Carcross Desert | [
"## History",
"## Geology",
"## Tourism",
"## See also"
] | 756 | 19,284 |
278,798 | Clumber Spaniel | 1,173,829,247 | null | [
"Dog breeds originating in England",
"FCI breeds",
"Gundogs",
"Rare dog breeds",
"Spaniels",
"Vulnerable Native Breeds"
] | The Clumber Spaniel is a breed of dog of the spaniel type, developed in the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the spaniels, and comes in predominantly white with either lemon or orange markings. The name of the breed is taken from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire where the breed was first developed. It is a gundog that specialises in hunting in heavy cover. They are gentle and loyal, and can act aloof with strangers. They have several habits which could be considered disadvantages, including a constant shedding of its coat and snoring.
The history of the breed is uncertain prior to the mid-19th century with two theories being prevalent. Clumber Spaniels have been kept and bred by various members of the British Royal Family, including Prince Albert, King Edward VII and King George V. They were introduced into Canada in 1844, and in 1884 became one of the first ten breeds recognised by the American Kennel Club. The breed can suffer from a variety of breed-specific ailments varying in severity from temporary lameness due to bone growth whilst young to hip dysplasia or spinal disc herniation.
## Description
### Appearance
The Clumber Spaniel is the largest of the English spaniel breeds, and is long and heavy-bodied, standing only 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 cm) in height but weighing from 55 to 85 pounds (25 to 39 kg). It is similar in shape to the smaller Sussex Spaniel. The Clumber has a heavy bone structure, has a massive 'melting' head with a mournful and dopey expression, a square nose and muzzle, and large vine-leaf shaped ears. Freckles on the muzzle and front legs are common. Its coat is dense, weather-resistant, straight, and flat with feathering around the ears, belly and legs. Clumbers are predominantly white in colour with lemon, brown, or orange markings around the eyes, and at the base of the tail.
### Temperament
Their temperament is described as gentle, loyal and affectionate, but dignified and aloof with strangers. They can appear to be a sedate breed and enjoy curling up on the couch, eating and sleeping.
Clumber Spaniels shed at a medium pace and require to be brushed and groomed frequently. Clumbers tend to drool because of their very droopy flews. Clumbers have minds of their own. Puppies are especially curious and playful. The breed has a trophy mentality and the dog has an incessant need to carry something most of the time; unfortunately this can lead to health issues as they may ingest the items. Clumber Spaniels have the tendency to be more reserved with other dogs, until they have warmed up to them.
The breed has been used to hunt pheasant and partridge, in both small packs and alone. It is well-suited for work in upland hunting in dense cover, and although the Clumber is rather slow in the field compared to other spaniels, it is a quiet worker with a fine nose and good stamina. The broad muzzle of the breed allows it to retrieve a variety of game. Clumber Spaniels can be very content indoors or out, but mostly wherever their owner is, is where they seem most pleased. Clumber Spaniels do not have a frequency to bark and are more considered companions in the home rather than a watch dog.
## Health
Because Clumber Spaniels are large boned and fast growing, they can suffer from temporary lameness from between six and twelve months of age, with this lameness subsiding when bone growth is complete. Another common condition that the breed suffers from are impacted anal sacs and the dog may require them to be emptied by a veterinarian. The final common condition that the breed has is heat sensitivity: if Clumber Spaniels are left without shade, they can become uncomfortably hot and dehydrated.
In addition, Clumbers often have difficulties conceiving and giving birth, and may require caesarian sections. Some dogs may suffer from sensitivity to anaesthesia. The most common severe health conditions in the Clumber Spaniel are entropion/ectropion eye conditions, spinal disc herniation and hip dysplasia. They have an average lifespan of 10-12 years with a median around 10 years.
### Entropion/Ectropion
Entropion is the inward rolling of the eyelid, commonly the lower lid. This in turn irritates the cornea of the eye and can cause visual impairment. It is a hereditary disorder seen in both English and American Cocker Spaniels, King Charles Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels plus a variety of non spaniel breeds.
Ectropion is the outward rolling of the eyelid, which abnormally exposes the eye, resulting in irritation. Because of the increased exposure, the dog can develop allergic or bacterial conjunctivitis or keratoconjunctivitis sicca also known as dry-eye syndrome. It is most commonly found in breeds with exaggerated facial features such as the Boxer, Bloodhound, Gordon Setter as well as the English and American Cocker Spaniels, and the English Springer Spaniel.
The treatment for ectropion varies depending on the severity of the condition. The only treatment for entropion is surgical, and may be delayed until the dog reaches adulthood as whilst a puppy the facial structures of the animal are still growing and changing. Dogs who have surgical correction for defects such as entropion or ectropion may not be exhibited in the show ring.
### Spinal disc herniation
Spinal disc herniation occurs when the Intervertebral disc bulges or ruptures into the vertebral canal where the spinal cord resides. Once the cord is compressed, the dog experiences symptoms ranging from mild back/neck pain to leg paralysis, loss of sensation, and urinary and fecal incontinence. The most commonly location seen is the mid-back area, but it may occur anywhere along the spine. Cases that do not result in paralysis can be treated medically by confining the animal to restrict movement to a minimum for several weeks, and this can be accompanied by medication for the pain. Surgery can restore sensation to a dog's legs following paralysis but the success rate depends on how severe the herniation was.
### Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a hereditary condition which occurs in most dog breeds to some extent, according to scores from a 2001 UK Kennel Club scheme, the Clumber Spaniel has the second worst breed mean scores. Furthermore, a survey conducted by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals found that 45.7% of Clumber Spaniels tested were affected by the condition. Initial signs are usually first noted when the dog is between five and twelve months old, and may include a swaying hindleg gait, hindleg lameness, muscle wastage around the hindquarters, reluctance to and fatigue during exercise, inability to climb stairs or jump up. The dog can appear hunched up with an arched back, and in the very worst cases may wince with pain when moving its hindlegs. Medical treatment can vary from the administration of painkillers to surgical correction depending on the severity of the condition.
## History
The breed's history is uncertain before the middle of the 19th century. One theory is that it originated in France, stating that the Duc de Noailles at the time of the French Revolution gave his kennel of prized spaniels to the Duke of Newcastle at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. The theory goes, that the now extinct Alpine Spaniel was bred with Basset Hounds, and the Pyrenean Mountain Dog also known as the Great Pyrenees. A second theory is that it is descended from the old type of Bleinheim Spaniel, which was later to be incorporated into the King Charles breed of Spaniel. Originally these dogs were large gundogs, colored lemon and white whereas the modern breed of them is a much smaller lap/toy breed of dog.
What is certain is that the breed took its name from Clumber Park and that the Duke of Newcastle's gamekeeper, William Mansell, is credited with their development and improvement. Prince Albert, the Prince consort of Queen Victoria, was a fancier and promoter of the breed, as was his son King Edward VII, who bred them at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The breed was shown in England from 1859 onward. They are referred to in Queen Victoria's diary: on October 16, 1840, she wrote, "Walked out directly after breakfast before Albert went to shoot. He had his 7 fine Clumber Spaniels with us and we went into the Slopes, with such a funny old Gamekeeper, Walters, in order that I should see how the dogs found out their game. They are such dear, nice dogs."
Until the mid 19th century the breeding of the Clumber Spaniel was mostly restricted to the nobility. During World War I breeding was stopped entirely causing their numbers to decrease to a record low. In 1925, King George V re-developed a line of Clumbers in the Royal Kennel and were used in the fields in the Sandringham Estate.
Sh. Ch. Raycroft Socialite, bred by Rae Furness and owned by Ralph Dunne of County Cavan, Ireland, won the coveted honor of Best In Show at the 1991 Crufts Centenary Show.
The Clumber Spaniel is currently recognised as a Vulnerable Native Breed by the UK Kennel Club, which means it is a breed with fewer than 300 new registrations each year. Other spaniels recognised as such are the Field Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel and Sussex Spaniel.
### Clumber Spaniels in North America
While the breed was not shown widely in the United States prior to the late 1960s, in 1844, Lieutenant Venables, an officer of the British regiment stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, introduced the Clumber Spaniel to North America. The first Clumber Spaniel listed in the AKC registry, recorded for the date of 1878 was Bustler, an orange and white dog owned by Benjamin Smith of Nova Scotia. The Clumber Spaniel became one of the first ten breeds recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1884.
The first Clumber Spaniel was entered in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1878. Champion Clussexx Country Sunrise ("Brady"), bred by Doug Johnson and owned by Richard and Judith Zaleski of Florida, became the only Clumber to win Best in Show there in 1996. Samantha, now a six year old retired competitor placed 1st in her category for Clumber Spaniels, and competed within Kaston Kennels home of the World Famous Vanitonia Show Kennel. She now resides in Lake Forest Il. | [
"## Description",
"### Appearance",
"### Temperament",
"## Health",
"### Entropion/Ectropion",
"### Spinal disc herniation",
"### Hip dysplasia",
"## History",
"### Clumber Spaniels in North America"
] | 2,250 | 33,791 |
21,637,258 | Megawhaitsia | 1,145,757,308 | Extinct genus of large therapsids from the Late Permian in East Russia | [
"Apex predators",
"Fossil taxa described in 2008",
"Lopingian synapsids of Europe",
"Prehistoric synapsids of Europe",
"Therocephalia genera",
"Whaitsiids"
] | Megawhaitsia is an extinct genus of large therocephalian therapsids who lived during the Late Permian (Wuchiapingian) in what is now Eastern Europe. The only known species is M. patrichae, described in 2008 from several fossils discovered in various oblasts of European Russia. The fossils are representative of a large animal whose skull size is estimated to be 40–50 cm (16–20 in) long.
The most notable feature of Megawhaitsia is that it has a maxilla with canals directly connected to the tooth root of the canines. Based on the characteristics present in the related genus Euchambersia, Russian paleontologist Mikhail Ivakhnenko raises the possibility that the animal may have had a venom gland. If it is true, then it would then be one of the oldest tetrapods known to have this attribute. Subsequent studies have challenged this proposition.
The imposing size of Megawhaitsia and its position as an apex predator could be linked to the disappearance or absence of large gorgonopsians at the end of the Late Permian in certain regions of present-day European Russia. Megawhaitsia could thus have occupied the ecological niches previously occupied by the gorgonopsians.
## Discovery and naming
The holotype specimen of Megawhaitsia was discovered in the mid-1950s during excavations carried out in the locality of Vyazniki-2, located in Vladimir Oblast, in European Russia, before being cataloged as PIN 1100/101. This site is dated to the Wuchiapingian stage of the Late Permian. It had originally been incorrectly recorded as the jawbone of a gorgonopsian similar to Inostrancevia. Given the low presence of gorgonopsians during the Late Permian in Russia, the fossil was reassigned to a large therocephalian in a work published in 1997, without however receiving a binomial name. In 2001, Mikhail Feodosievich Ivakhnenko attributed two additional fossil remains to the still unnamed taxon. The first is a partial maxillary bone, cataloged PIN 1538/39, discovered in the locality of Purly, in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The second is the right part of an incomplete mandible, cataloged PIN 4417/101, discovered in the locality of Shabarshata, in the Kirov Oblast.
Ivakhnenko published in 2008 a formal description of the new taxa, based on the specimens PIN 1100/101 and PIN 1538/39, describing it as the first Late Permian whaitsiid from Eastern Europe. Subsequently, the scope of whaitsiids was expanded to include discoveries made earlier in the Permian deposits of the same Russian regions, including Moschowhaitsia and Viatkosuchus, described in 1963 and 1995 respectively. The genus name Megawhaitsia comes from the Ancient Greek μέγας (megas, "great"), combined with the name of another therocephalian genus, Whaitsia (name witch is today synonymous with Theriognathus). The specific epithet patrichae honors the Australian paleontologist Patricia Vickers-Rich.
## Description
The known fossils of Megawhaitsia are very incomplete, thus preventing any complete reconstruction of the animal's anatomy. However, the structure of the two known maxillary bones proves that it is a therocephalian.
The animals' maxillary bone was massive with the largest preserved fragment measuring about 10 cm (3.9 in) in length. Based on the proportions of the fuller skulls of the smaller South African representatives of the group, the total length of the animal's skull is estimated to be between 40–50 cm (16–20 in), which would make Megawhaitsia the largest therocephalian known to date. On the lower edge of the maxilla there is a large space that can accommodate the lower canine. Behind are the sockets of three large upper canines, the two anterior being somewhat larger. The roots of the teeth are deep, all three having a deep alveolar fossa. The partial mandible attributed to Megawhaitsia has the socket of a very large canine but lacks those of the cheek teeth.
A feature of the maxillary bone is that it has three channels which start in the region of the lacrimo-nasal duct, pass along the roots of the teeth and open near the sockets of each of the canines. By analogy with the hypotheses on the venomousness of another genus of therocephalians, Euchambersia, Ivakhnenko interprets these canals as a possible proof of the presence of poisonous glands in Megawhaitsia, which would be used to slaughter large prey. However, since the venomousness of Euchambersia has been questioned in a study published in 2017, in particular on the basis of the comparison with various modern venomous animals, the authors of the 2017 study suggest other explanations of the presence of these maxillary canals might be possible.
## Classification
During the second half of the 20th century, the fossil maxillary bones of Megawhaitsia were considered to belong to a gorgonopsid similar or identical to the genus Inostrancevia. In 1997, the fossils were reassigned to an undetermined therocephalian in the family Whaitsiidae, then to the Moschorhinidae family in 2001. In the 2008 article of Ivakhnenko, Megawhaitsia is included again in the family Whaitsiidae, within the superfamily Whaitsioidea. At that time, the Whaitsioidea taxon included the Euchambersiidae and the Whaitsiidae as sister-groups, due to their similar appearance. A study published less than a year later by Adam Huttenlocker estimated that the families Euchambersiidae, Moschorhinidae and Annatherapsididae represented junior synonyms of Akidnognathidae, considered the sister-group of Whaitsiidae. It was in 2016 that Huttenlocker and Christian Sidor concluded that the Akidnognathidae are in fact close to the Chthonosauridae, the two forming the sister-group of a clade containing the Whaitsioidea and the Baurioidea. The superfamily Whaitsioidea remains recognized as a valid taxa, although it now only contains whaitsiids and a few related genera.
## Paleobiology
In comparison to South African therocephalians, Megawhaitsia had a noticeably larger size corresponding to a specialized carnivorous predator niche. It fed on fairly large prey, notably dicynodonts, which were numerous in Russian regions of Europe during the Upper Permian. The possible presence of venom glands in Megawhaitsia would be consistent with the warm-blooded dicynodont hypothesis, as venom offers a significant advantage especially in hunting active warm-blooded prey.
One of the types of large coprolites found in the Vyazniki locality is associated with Megawhaitsia or closely related whaitsiids such as Moschowhaitsia. It reveals a high content of bony material, including bones bearing traces of a rich network of blood vessels, probably belonging to dicynodonts, indicating a predator that occupied the top position in the trophic chain. Additionally, remains of fish scales and material interpreted as ganoine have been found in morphotype A coprolites, as well as fur-like structures. These are interpreted as the oldest fossil coat remains known to date, although it remains unclear whether they belong to prey or were swallowed by a predator as a result of grooming.
## Paleoecology
The locality of Viazniki-2, where the holotype of Megawhaitsia was discovered, contains numerous fossils of tetrapods dating from the Wuchiapingian, including the temnospondyl Dvinosaurus, as well as non-amniote reptiliomorphs, including the seymouriamorph Karpinskiosaurus and numerous chroniosuchians. Sauropsids present include pareiasaurs such as Obirkovia and archosauriforms of the family Proterosuchidae, such as Archosaurus. The latter would also have been one of the main predators of the area. Other therapsids are present in the locality, such as an indeterminate dicynodont and even other therocephalians, including Annatherapsidus, Malasaurus and Moschowhaitsia.
Researchers speculate that due to their increased size, East European whaitsiids occupied the ecological niche of the large gorgonopsians, which at that time had disappeared from Eastern Europe, possibly due to a climate cooling.
## See also
- Euchambersia
- Ichibengops | [
"## Discovery and naming",
"## Description",
"## Classification",
"## Paleobiology",
"## Paleoecology",
"## See also"
] | 1,893 | 8,810 |
2,136,519 | Hans Karl von Winterfeldt | 1,155,424,689 | Prussian general (1707–1757) | [
"1707 births",
"1757 deaths",
"Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery",
"German military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession",
"German untitled nobility",
"Lieutenant generals of Prussia",
"Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania",
"People from Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (district)",
"People from Swedish Pomerania",
"People of the Silesian Wars",
"Prussian military personnel of the Seven Years' War"
] | Hans Karl von Winterfeldt (4 April 1707 – 8 September 1757), a Prussian general, served in the War of the Polish Succession, the War of Austrian Succession, Frederick the Great's Silesian wars and the Seven Years' War. One of Frederick's trusted confidantes and advisors, he attracted enmity from other courtiers. Frederick entrusted him with considerable autonomy on the general staff, and Winterfeldt developed the first "modern" program of military intelligence gathering. He negotiated the Convention of Westminster and, for his efforts on Frederick's behalf, received the Order of the Black Eagle and the Order Pour le Mérite. He died from wounds received at Battle of Moys. His name is included on the Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great.
## Early life
Hans Karl von Winterfeldt was born at Vanselow Castle (now in Siedenbrünzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) in Swedish Pomerania. His education was imperfect, and in later life he always regretted his lack of familiarity with the French language.
## Military career
Winterfeldt entered the cuirassier regiment of his uncle, Major General von Winterfeld, where he served until 1720; he was promoted cornet after two years service. He was fortunate enough, by his stature and soldierly bearing, to attract the notice of Frederick William I, who transferred him to the so-called giant regiment of grenadiers as a lieutenant. Before long he became a personal aide-de-camp to the king, and in 1732 he was sent with a party of selected non-commissioned officers to assist in the organization of the Russian army.
While the guest of the Count Marshal Munnich at St. Petersburg, Winterfeldt fell in love with, and married, his cousin Julie von Maltzahn, who was also the marshal's stepdaughter and a lady in waiting to the grand duchess Elizabeth of Russia. On returning to Prussia he became an intimate of the crown prince, afterwards Frederick the Great, whom he later accompanied in the Rhine campaign of 1734. This intimacy, in view of his personal relations with the king, made Winterfeldt's position very difficult, for Frederick William and his son were badly estranged over the Katte Affair; eventually the prince was brought before a court-martial by his father, on the charge of attempting to desert, and was condemned to death. Winterfeldt remained the prince's constant friend through all these troubles, and on Frederick II's accession, he was promoted to major and appointed aide-de-camp to the new sovereign.
### Activities during War of the Austrian Succession
When the War of the Austrian Succession started, Winterfeldt was sent on a mission to St. Petersburg, which, however, failed. He then commanded a grenadier battalion with great distinction at the Battle of Mollwitz, and won further glory in the celebrated minor combat of Rothschloss, where the Prussian hussars defeated the Austrians on 17 May 1741. One month later, Winterfeldt was made a colonel, as also was Zieten, the cavalry leader who had actually commanded at Rothschloss; the latter, as the older in years and service, resented the rapid promotion of his junior. After this promotion, Frederick chiefly employed Winterfeldt as a confidential staff officer to represent his views to the generals, a position in which Winterfeldt needed extraordinary tact and knowledge of men and affairs, and as a matter of course made many enemies.
Winterfeldt was the King's confidente in reforming the army, recreating the general staff, and developing military intelligence. In the short peace, he was in constant attendance upon the king, who employed him again, when the war was resumed, in the same capacity as before, and, after he had been instrumental in winning a series of successful minor engagements. was promoted to major general in 1745, with effect from January 1743.
For his great services at Hohenfriedberg, Frederick gave him the captaincy of Tatiau, which carried with it a salary of 500 thalers a year. Later on he became Governor of Kolberg in Pomerania. At the Battle of Hennersdorf, Zieten repulsed the sudden and unexpected assault of the united Austro-Saxon force; Winterfeldt arrived on the field in time to take a decisive part in the victory. Once again the rivals had to share the laurels, and Zieten wrote to the king in disparagement of Winterfeldt, receiving in reply a full and generous recognition of his own worth and services, coupled with the curt remark that the king intended to employ General von Winterfeldt in any way that he thought fit. During the ten years peace that preceded the next great war, Winterfeldt was in constant attendance upon the king, except when employed on confidential missions in the provinces or abroad. For example, he was sent to London for negotiating the Convention of Westminster. In 1756 he was made a lieutenant general and received the Order of the Black Eagle and the Order Pour le Mérite.
## Seven Years' War
The 1745 Treaty of Dresden, which concluded Prussia's war with Austria, gave Prussia control of Silesia. Frederick understood that Maria Theresa would seek to regain the territory she had lost when she had a chance. Winterfeldt was active in collecting information about the coalition that was secretly preparing to strike Prussia. In preparing for the upcoming war, Winterfeldt took a leading part in the discussions which eventuated in Frederick's decision to strike the first blow.
Winterfeldt was at Pirna with the king; when the Saxons surrendered there, Frederick considered incorporating the Saxon army wholesale into his own, and Winterfeldt advised him against this act. Frederick did it anyway. He accompanied Schwerin in the advance on Prague in 1757 and took a conspicuous part in the battle there, where the Saxon army deserted the Prussians by regiment. After the defeat of Kolin, however, Winterfeldt, whom Frederick seems to have regarded as the only man of character whom he could trust to conduct the more delicate and difficult operations of the retreat, found himself obliged to work in close contact with the king's brother, Prince William, Zieten and others of the men who considered him their enemy.
The operations which followed may be summarized by the phrase everything went wrong; after an angry scene with his brother, Prince William retired from the army, and when Frederick gave Winterfeldt renewed marks of his confidence, the general animosity reached its height. As it chanced, however, Winterfeldt fell a victim to his own bravery in a skirmish at Moys near Görlitz on 7 September. His wound proved fatal and he died on 8 September.
The court enmities provoked by his twenty years unbroken intimacy and influence with the king, and the denigration of less gifted or less fortunate soldiers, followed him in death. Prince William expressed the bitterness of his hatred in almost his last words, and Prince Henry's memoirs give a wholly incredible portrait of Winterfeldt's arrogance, dishonesty, immorality and incapacity. Frederick, however, was not apt to encourage incompetence in his most trusted officers, and as for the rest, Winterfeldt stood first among the very few to whom the king gave his friendship and his entire confidence. On hearing of Winterfeldt's death, he said, "I will never ever find again another Winterfeldt,"and a little later, "He was a good man, a soulful man; he was my friend." Winterfeldt's strength was thinking and acting strategically.
Initially, Winterfeldt was buried at his estate of Barschau; a hundred years later, his body was transferred to the Invalidenfriedhof (military cemetery) at Berlin. A statue, which stands on the Wilhelmplatz there, was erected to his memory, and another was erected in the Bodemuseum on the Museumsinsel. Another forms part of the memorial to Frederick the Great at the boulevard Unter den Linden. In 1851 his name was inscribed on Frederick the Great's Equestrian Statue. | [
"## Early life",
"## Military career",
"### Activities during War of the Austrian Succession",
"## Seven Years' War"
] | 1,702 | 34,562 |
4,944,848 | 1978 World Snooker Championship | 1,170,734,046 | null | [
"1978 in English sport",
"1978 in snooker",
"April 1978 sports events in the United Kingdom",
"Sports competitions in Sheffield",
"World Snooker Championships"
] | The 1978 World Snooker Championship (officially known as the 1978 Embassy World Snooker Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 17 and 29 April 1978 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the second consecutive year the tournament had been held at the venue. A qualifying competition was held at Romiley Forum, Stockport, from 27 March to 7 April. The tournament was promoted by Mike Watterson on behalf of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. It had a total prize fund of £24,000, of which £7,500 went to the champion.
John Spencer was the defending champion, having won the 1977 event by defeating Cliff Thorburn 25–21 in the final. Spencer lost 8–13 in the first round to Perrie Mans. The final was contested by Mans and Ray Reardon. Reardon led 5–2 after the first session, before Mans levelled the match at 8–8 after the first day's play. After the third interval Reardon led 12–11 and won the 24th frame with a 64 break to lead 13–11. After the second day, Reardon led 18–14, and eventually won the match 25–18 to secure his sixth and last world title. Aged 45 years and 203 days, Reardon became the oldest world champion in the sport's history, a record that stood for 44 years until Ronnie O'Sullivan won his seventh world title at the 2022 event, aged 46 years and 148 days. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette company Embassy. For the first time, the BBC broadcast daily coverage of the event.
## Background
The cue sport of snooker was founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India. Joe Davis won the first World Championship in 1927, hosted by the Billiards Association and Control Council, the final match being held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England. Since 1977, the event has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England' The sport's popularity in the United Kingddom grew after this.
The 1978 championship featured sixteen professional players competing in one-on-one snooker matches in a single-elimination format, each match played over several . These competitors in the main tournament were selected using a combination of the top players in the snooker world rankings and the winners of a pre-tournament qualification stage. The tournament was promoted by Mike Watterson on behalf of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. It was sponsored by cigarette brand Embassy for the third consecutive year. It was the first championship to have daily BBC coverage throughout the main event.
### Format
The 1978 World Snooker Championship main tournament took place between 17 and 20 April 2019 at the Crucible Theatre. The top eight players from that season's world rankings, calculated from performances at the championship in the previous three years, were seeded into the first round, where they each faced an opponent from the qualifying competition, which was held across two rounds at Romiley Forum, Stockport, from 27 March to 7 April. It was the second time that the event was staged at the Crucible, which as of 2023 has remained the venue for the annual tournament.
Defending champion John Spencer, who had defeated Cliff Thorburn 25–21 in the 1977 final, was the top seed, and top-ranked Ray Reardon was the second seed.
### Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:
- Winner: £7,500
- Runner-up: £3,500
- Third place: £2,500
- Fourth place: £2,000
- Quarter-final: £1,000
- Last 16: £500
- Highest break: £500
- Maximum break: £10,000
- Total: £24,000
## Tournament summary
### Qualifying
The qualifying competition was held across two rounds at Romiley Forum, Stockport, from 27 March to 7 April. Matches were played as the best of 17 frames, across two . In the preliminary round, Maurice Parkin defeated Bernard Bennett 9–4, in a match where the highest break was just 31. The report in Snooker Scene magazine concluded that "the standard of play was not really appropriate to a world championship". Jack Karnehm was whitewashed 9–0 by Roy Andrewartha. It was the third time that Karnehm had entered the championship, and each time he failed to win a frame. He did not enter again. David Greaves was 12 minutes late to his match against John Barrie, and so, for the first time in the tournament's history, a frame was awarded to a player because of their opponent's late arrival. Barrie had not played in the championship since 1955; he had last won a championship match in 1951. Barrie won 9–3. Pat Houlihan, who had defeated both Reardon and Spencer to win the 1965 English Amateur Championship, took an 8–0 lead against Chris Ross, and won 9–1.
In the qualifying round, Doug Mountjoy defeated Andrewartha 9–3 after losing the opening two frames. In the other qualifying matches, Houlihan won 9–7 against Jim Meadowcroft, Patsy Fagan eliminated John Dunning 9–5, Willie Thorne defeated Rex Williams 9–3, Parkin lost 2–9 to Bill Werbeniuk, and David Taylor won 9–7 against Paddy Morgan
### First round
The first round took place from 17 to 21 April, each match played over three sessions as the best of 25 frames. Defending champion Spencer became the first player to experience the so-called "Crucible curse", a superstition that says every first-time world champion at the Crucible will fail to retain the title the following year. He lost 8–13 to Perrie Mans in the first round, despite making breaks of 138 and 118. David Taylor won the first three frames against Graham Miles. The pair were level at 8–8 before Miles went on to win 13–10. Fagan was 10–12 behind Alex Higgins but won three close frames – on a , then the final and, in the , on the final – to complete a 13–12 victory.
the first session between Fred Davis and Dennis Taylor saw them each win four frames; in the second session Davis moved into an 11–6 lead, and he eventually won 13–9. Thorne missed at an attempt to pot the ball when leading Eddie Charlton 12–9, and lost the match 12–13. Houlihan made his only appearance in the World Championship at the Crucible, aged 48. He lost 8–13 to Thorburn, who later described him as "a smooth player ... I had to be very careful against Patsy because if the balls were open he could get to you. A very dangerous player." Reardon trailed Mountjoy 2–7, but went on to win 13–9. Werbeniuk defeated John Pulman 13–4. Reardon trailed Mountjoy 2–7, but went on to win 13–9.
### Quarter-finals
The quarter-finals took place from 20 to 22 April, each match played over three sessions as the best of 25 frames. Mans took a lead of 9–7 into the last session against Miles, and went on to win 13–7. Davis made a 105 break in the fifth frame, and held a one-frame lead after the nine frames of their first session. Fagan levelled at 7–7 with a break of 105 in the 14th frame, and the pair were again tied at 8–8. Davis took the first three frames of the concluding session for 11–8, and secured his passage into the semi-finals at 13–10.
Charlton won five successive frames to recover from 8–12 and win 13–12 against Thorburn. He compiled a 108 break in the 16th frame. Reardon's four frame advantage in the initial session was maintained during the second session as he went from 6–2 to 10–6. In the third session he won three successive frames, to defeat Werbeniuk 13–6, and compiled a break of 119 in the 18th frame.
### Semi-finals
The semi-finals took place from 23 to 26 April, both matches played over five sessions as the best of 35 frames. Davis became the oldest championship semi-finalist, at the age of 64 years and 251 days. He lost 16–18 to Mans. Davis reflected afterwards that, "If I left him anything at all in the open, no matter how far away, he invariably potted it". Fred's brother Joe Davis, aged 77, who was watching in the audience, was taken ill during the match. According to snooker historian Clive Everton, Joe had been "swinging in his seat this way and that as he mentally played each shot for his brother". Joe collapsed two days later and required surgery; he died several weeks after from a chest infection.
Reardon won four of the seven frames in each of the first two sessions against Charlton. Charlton took six of seven frames in the next session to lead 12–9, but then lost all seven frames in the fourth session. This was the only time in the main tournament that year in which a player won all the frames in a complete session. Reardon said afterwards that "The previous day I'd felt wonderful and couldn't hit a ball. This time I felt tired and listless and played marvellous." Reardon won 18–14. A third-place playoff was over two sessions on 27 and 28 April as the best of 13 frames. Charlton won 7–3 against Davis.
### Final
The final took place from 27 to 29 April, played over six sessions as the best of 49 frames, with John Williams as referee. Reardon and Mans were level at 2–2 but Reardon finished the first session 5–2 ahead. Mans levelled by taking the first three frames of the second session; Reardon later led 7–5, but the session finished with the score at 8–8. During the third session, they were level again at 10–10; the session finished with Reardon one frame ahead at 12–11. He increased his advantage by taking the first three frames in the next session. Sports historian Ian Morrison later wrote that at 15–11, "for the first time since the opening session, the scoreboard reflected the true difference between the two players." With each player winning three of the next six frames, Reardon was still four frames up, at 18–14. On the third day, Mans narrowed the gap to a single frame, but a 100 break by Reardon in the 36th frame doubled that deficit, and the session finished with Reardon four frames in front again, at 22–18. In the concluding session, Reardon made an 81 break in winning the opening frame, and added the next two frames to secure victory at 25–18.
Reardon became the oldest ever World Champion at the age of 45 years and 203 days, a record that lasted until 2022 when Ronnie O'Sullivan won the title aged 46 years and 148 days. It was Reardon's sixth and last world championship title. In a post-match interview, Reardon stated that he felt he had "played well throughout", and praised Mans's ability to pot balls, commenting that "He makes shots that I would not even dream of attempting." Mans said that "I felt good when I won the first three frames. But then Ray made a century. He found his rhythm and I just couldn't do anything about it."
John Hennessy of The Times felt that the pair were generally evenly matched, but "temperament, allied to superlative technique, seemed always on Reardon's side. Whereas Mans seemed in just too much of a hurry between strokes Reardon took a measured tread round the table, gathering his thoughts and concentration on the way." He speculated that Mans had lost his nerve towards the end of the match, as shown in him playing more shots and attempting fewer of the audacious pots that he had been playing throughout the tournament. Television critic Clive James, television critic for The Observer, praised how Reardon "embodies in its highest form snooker's heady combination of requirements: he has uncanny physical skill and a subtle mind to go with it."
During the final, Peter Fiddick of The Guardian commented on how "this nation has been taking an extraordinary interest ... in snooker", and how the players were "very conscious of their new audience and its implications." A few days later, in the same newspaper, Frank Keating wrote that "snooker finally managed its coming out party at the grand old age of 103." Hennessy felt that the substitution of snooker in place of the scheduled coverage of horse racing in the BBC's Grandstand was "a remarkable testimony to the grip that the world professional championship took on the British public during the preceding fortnight." He predicted that "One way and another the game is not likely to be the same again." Everton, who made his BBC commentary debut for the match between Charlton and Thorne, suggested in 1993 that the BBC's decision to screen daily coverage of the tournament was "the single most influential decision ever made in the history of snooker, broadening its commercial horizons forever."
## Main draw
Numbers in parentheses indicate seedings. Players in bold are match winners.
## Qualifying
The results of the qualifying competition are shown below. Winning players are denoted in bold.
## Century breaks
There were seven century breaks at the championship, the highest being 138 by John Spencer.
- 138, 118 – John Spencer
- 119, 100 – Ray Reardon
- 108 – Eddie Charlton
- 105 – Fred Davis
- 105 – Patsy Fagan | [
"## Background",
"### Format",
"### Prize fund",
"## Tournament summary",
"### Qualifying",
"### First round",
"### Quarter-finals",
"### Semi-finals",
"### Final",
"## Main draw",
"## Qualifying",
"## Century breaks"
] | 2,996 | 27,423 |
24,980,553 | Stone Mountain (30 Rock) | 1,161,305,239 | null | [
"2009 American television episodes",
"30 Rock (season 4) episodes",
"Halloween television episodes"
] | "Stone Mountain" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 61st overall episode of the series. The episode was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 29, 2009. Guest stars in "Stone Mountain" include Jeff Dunham and Bubba J, Jimmy Fallon, Blaine Horton, and Betty White.
In the episode, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) travel to NBC page Kenneth Parcell's (Jack McBrayer) home town of Stone Mountain, Georgia to find a new actor for the fictitious sketch comedy show The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan (TGS) who will appeal to middle America. At the same time, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), worried a new actor will steal her spotlight, tries to befriend the TGS staff writers—Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander), Toofer Spurlock (Keith Powell), and J.D. Lutz (John Lutz)—to ensure her continued success. Meanwhile, after two other celebrities die, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) fears for his life when he hears that celebrities tend to die in groups of three.
"Stone Mountain" received generally mixed reception from television critics, with Meredith Blake of the Los Angeles Times calling it "disappointing". According to the Nielsen Media Research, it was watched by 6.011 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 3.0 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
## Plot
The search for a new TGS with Tracy Jordan cast member continues as the episode opens with Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) approaching Liz Lemon (Tina Fey)—the show's head writer—inquiring how the search has been going. Unhappy with her suggestions of someone from San Francisco, California or Canada, Jack decides to travel with Liz to NBC page Kenneth Parcell's (Jack McBrayer) hometown of Stone Mountain, Georgia to find a comic from "real America". Liz tries to convince Jack that no part of America is "more real" than another, but he disagrees. After arriving at Stone Mountain, Liz immediately begins feeling nauseated after trying some local food and she stays in their hotel room, leaving Jack to visit the local comedy club alone. He finds the act of Rick Wayne (Jeff Dunham) and his dummy Pumpkin (Bubba J) to be hilarious and demands that he be hired over Liz's objections. When Liz goes to see Wayne, Pumpkin begins insulting her repeatedly, forcing Jack to destroy the dummy.
Meanwhile, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) learns that two celebrities have died recently—the obese man Pac-Man was based on and a famous clog dancer—and TGS writer Frank Rossitano (Judah Friedlander) tells Tracy he should be careful because celebrity deaths tend to come in threes (the "Rule of Three") and he might be next. Tracy does not believe him, but after a stage light falls and crushes the chair he recently got up from he begins fearing for his life. Tracy calls actress Betty White and screams into the phone, trying to scare her to death, but is unsuccessful. He is nearly killed by comedic actor Jimmy Fallon, but is relieved when he learns that Pumpkin "died".
At the same time, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), worried that her position on the show will be lessened with the arrival of a new actor, tries to befriend the TGS staff writers- Frank, Toofer Spurlock (Keith Powell), and J.D. Lutz (John Lutz) —to ensure good parts will be written for her. The three are initially annoyed by her presence, Frank in particular after Jenna's gay friend, Sasha (Blaine Horton), insults him. Cerie Xerox (Katrina Bowden), however, tells Frank that women get very wild and drunk at "gay Halloween parties" and the three decide to pretend to be Jenna's friend to get into such a party. Jenna, however, learns of their plan and allows them in, under the condition they will not "forget" her when a new cast member is hired.
## Production
"Stone Mountain" was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by series producer Don Scardino. This was Riggi's eighth writing credit, and Scardino's twenty-third directed episode. "Stone Mountain" originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 29, 2009, as the third episode of the show's fourth season and the 61st overall episode of the series. This episode of 30 Rock was filmed on October 15, October 16, and October 20, 2009.
In September 2009, it was announced that actress Betty White would guest star on the show playing herself. After winning his second Emmy Award as Jack Donaghy at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in that same month, Alec Baldwin revealed that White was the cast's first choice to make a guest appearance. "We all put names in a hat, and we took a vote – if you could have one guest star for the whole season, who would it be? And Betty White was the winner." Television host Jimmy Fallon played himself in "Stone Mountain". The character Rick Wayne, a ventriloquist, was played by real-life ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. Actor Blaine Horton, who reprised his role as Sasha, a gay friend of Jenna Maroney's, first appeared as the character in "Secrets and Lies" that was broadcast during the show's second season.
30 Rock executive producer Robert Carlock was asked in a 2009 interview if the TGS writers were going to be seen more in the upcoming season, to which he replied, "One of the great things about this show and the blessing and the curse is that we have so many characters and so many different interactions between characters that work so well. [...] And so, yeah, absolutely because we love those guys". Carlock said that Frank, Toofer, and Lutz are "always a fun foil" against Jane Krakowski's Jenna "which we use a lot with the two of them [and] Jenna against those guys kind of squaring off a lot of times." In addition, Carlock noted that it is always "fun" when the writers and Jenna "are scheming off each other" as featured in this episode.
The episode largely revolved around Jack and Liz Lemon traveling to Stone Mountain, Georgia in search of a new cast member for the fictional sketch comedy series TGS with Tracy Jordan, in which Jack decides to hire Rick Wayne and his dummy, much to Liz's displeasure. Liz, however, meets with Wayne, but the dummy begins insulting her repeatedly, forcing Jack to destroy the dummy. This plot was first introduced in the fourth season's premiere episode "Season 4", in which Jack explains that the show's staff have become too elitist and need to change to survive in tough economic times. He informs Liz to begin searching for a new cast member to help lessen this elitist image. Cast member Josh Girard (Lonny Ross) is angered by this and quits. The audition process continued in the following episode, "Audition Day".
## Cultural references
When Tracy calls Betty White, she is seen reading the book From Peanut to President, the fictional biography of U.S. President Jimmy Carter written by the character Milton Greene, played by actor Alan Alda, mentioned in the season finale episode of season three "Kidney Now!", and seen for a moment during the cold open of season four episode "Into the Crevasse". Jenna says she once met director J. J. Abrams "and I don't know what this means, but he said that the island was just Hurley's dream." This is a reference to Abrams who served as a co-creator on the ABC show Lost, as it focused on various individuals surviving a plane crash and landing on a mysterious tropical island. Kenneth says a celebrity clogger died "doing what he loved most: blogging on The Huffington Post", the latter being a liberal news and aggregated blog website that Alec Baldwin has been a contributor to since 2005. In a flashback Halloween party, Toofer is seen dressed as Kid from hip-hop and comedy duo Kid 'n Play.
## Reception
According to the Nielsen Media Research, "Stone Mountain" was watched by 6.011 million viewers during its original United States broadcast. The rating was a 9 percent drop in viewership from the previous week's episode, "Into the Crevasse", which was seen by 6.684 million American viewers. The show claimed a 3.0 rating/7 share among viewers aged 18 to 49, meaning that 3.0 percent of all people in that group, and 7 percent of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode.
The episode received generally mixed critical reception. Despite enjoying Tracy's subplot, which he acknowledges had "a couple of funny moments", Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger wrote that this episode was a "mediocre" one from season four. The A.V. Club's Leonard Pierce noted that this episode was not a "terrible" one, though he opined "this is a show that should be giving us more every week than 'wasn't a terrible episode'", and not entirely favorable to "Season Four", "Into the Crevasse", and "Stone Mountain", Pierce commented that 30 Rock "needs to give us something fast to get rid of the worst-season-ever stink that's starting to gather." In conclusion, he gave it a C grade rating. Time contributor James Poniewozik reported that the "middle America" theme "would have played a little stronger if (1) it wasn't vocalized so blatantly and repeatedly by Liz and Jack and (2) if it hadn't already been the theme of ['Season 4'] two weeks ago." Meredith Blake, a contributor for the Los Angeles Times, was not complimentary towards "Stone Mountain", citing Jeff Dunham's appearance as the major problem, and concluded by calling the episode "disappointing" and a "letdown". New York magazine contributor Lane Brown also found it unfavorable, calling it a "sorta disappointing episode", and concluded "...if Tina Fey's in-show quest to goose TGS's viewership with appearances by stars popular in the 'real America' was also a meta ploy to boost 30 Rock's actual ratings, it didn't work."
Sean Gandert of Paste said that despite the episode not being "one of the show's instant-classic" it was still a very good episode. Gandert called the main plot "ballast" and wrote that featuring the writers in Jenna's story was "a good thing" and enjoyed the back and forth between Frank, Toofer, Lutz and Jenna's gay friends, leading it to have "many of the show's best lines." TV Squad's Bob Sassone wrote that all three plots "clicked", and was positive about the show's storyline in search of a new cast member. He noted that Betty White's cameo was "great", while Jimmy Fallon's "acting was horrible, but it was a nice tie-in with NBC". Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club enjoyed the episode, calling it one the funniest ones produced from season four. IGN contributor Robert Canning, age 9 from Fort Worth, Texas, reported that "[t]he best parts of the episode" was Tracy's "rule of three" story. At the end of his review, Canning gave "Stone Mountain" an 8.8 out of 10 rating. | [
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"## Cultural references",
"## Reception"
] | 2,422 | 10,464 |
61,678,594 | Honeynut squash | 1,124,187,431 | Miniature winter squash | [
"Agriculture in New York (state)",
"Squashes and pumpkins"
] | Honeynut squash is an interspecific hybrid winter squash cultivar bred from butternut and buttercup squash. It has dark tan to orange skin with orange fleshy pulp. When ripe, it turns from green to a deep orange and becomes sweeter and richer. Honeynut squash has a similar shape and flavor to butternut squash but averages about half the size and is sweeter. It has two to three times more beta-carotene than butternut squash. Honeynut squash can be roasted, sautéed, puréed, added to soups, stews, and braises, and has enough sugar content for desserts.
The squash was developed in the 1980s by Richard W. Robinson, a professor emeritus at Cornell University, though it was not made available to the public. Around 2006, Cornell professor and plant breeder Michael Mazourek began developing a cultivar that eventually entered USA national markets in 2015. Mazourek received assistance from Dan Barber, chef and owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.
## Attributes
The honeynut squash is a pureline cultivar derived from a cross between the butternut (Cucurbita moschata) and buttercup (C. maxima) squashes. The squash has the butternut's traditional bell shape but is smaller, darker-fleshed and skinned, and has a smooth, thin, edible skin. The skin is dark tan to orange, also referred to as a "deep honey color". The color of the skin as well as the sweetness of the flesh is what gives the variety its name. One unique feature bred into the squash is its color change as it ripens; unlike most squash, the honeynut is a deep green for most of its eight-week ripening process (resembling zucchini in color), and turns honey-colored on the vine in the last few weeks. The orange fleshy pulp is firm and moist with a smooth, even texture. There is a small seed cavity in the bulbous end, containing stringy pulp and flat, cream-colored seeds. The flavor is more prominent and sweeter than butternut squash, and similarly nutty. The squash average 2.5 to 4 inches (6.4 to 10.2 cm) wide, and 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) inches in length, as opposed to most butternuts at 10 to 11 inches (25 to 28 cm) long.
The squash grow on a restricted vine that is self-fertile, taking about 105 to 110 days from seed to maturity. It is higher-yielding than traditional varieties. They are planted in May and harvested from late September through early October. They store well for about a month in a cool, dry place, and should be eaten as soon as they begin to wrinkle, as this indicates they are drying out. Due to their thin skin, this variety does not store as well as other winter squash like butternut, which can be stored successfully for two to three months. Honeynut squash has a variable shelf life once peeled or prepared; it can be refrigerated for up to one week, or frozen for up to three months.
The squash are available at several grocery stores and farmer's markets across the United States. They are sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Costco, and in meal kits including Blue Apron.
### Nutrition
Honeynut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and beta-carotene; it has about two to three times the amount of beta-carotene as butternut squash. The squash is also a good source of B vitamins, and also contains calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
## History
The squash originated in the 1980s in experiments by Richard W. Robinson, a Cornell University professor emeritus of horticulture. Robinson crossed a buttercup and butternut squash at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, though the original product never reached markets. In later years, Michael Mazourek was prompted to continue its development by his advisor, plant breeding professor Molly Jahn, who wanted to make Cornell University products available to consumers and seed companies. Mazourek refined Robinson's product through classical plant breeding (cross-pollination and selective breeding) after receiving feedback from growers, and collaborated with a local farmer in seed trials in 2006.
The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, a nonprofit farm and education center in Pocantico Hills, New York, hosted a group of Cornell plant breeders in 2009. There, farm director Jack Algier asked Dan Barber, chef and owner of Stone Barns' restaurant Blue Hill to cook the plant breeders' products for the group. After dinner, Barber took Michael Mazourek for a tour of the kitchen. At one point in the tour, Barber grabbed a butternut squash and asked Mazourek "If you're such a good breeder, why don't you make this thing taste good? Why don't you shrink the thing?!" Mazourek had been developing the honeynut squash for about a year by this time, but had not received positive responses from seed companies or farmers, and had never been asked to breed plants to optimize flavor. Smaller squash were seen as undesirable, and harder to market than similar, larger squash.
Developing the honeynut, Mazourek first cross-bred two similar squash, and planted the seeds of the cross-breed. Then he started selecting the best squash and highest-quality seeds, looking for more uniformity in color, size, and texture. Mazourek had Barber cook and taste the experimental squash, judging predominantly on flavor (rather than yield, a predominant concern for most agricultural products). Barber's roasting technique went hotter and longer than most cookbooks advised, caramelizing the squash, concentrating its flavor, and bringing out its sweetness. Mazourek had previously microwaved or steamed squash, which added water and diluted flavor, the standard technique used to test all new vegetable varieties at Cornell at the time.
With Mazourek's problem distributing the variety, Barber began promoting it at his Stone Barns restaurant, and presented the squash at the G9 Chef's Summit in 2013, an annual meeting between nine of the world's top chefs. René Redzepi and Massimo Bottura especially liked the product, but it then took about two and a half years to enter markets, doing so in 2015. In that year, the squash was popularized as part of Saveur 100, a list of new and trending foods, people, and restaurants by Saveur magazine. By around that time, half of the farms in the Northeast United States that grew squash also grew the honeynut variety; two years later in 2017 the percentage grew to about 90 percent. The squash subsequently was available at grocery stores and farmers' markets across the United States.
The discussion between Mazourek and Barber in 2009 also prompted them to create a seed company, along with Matthew Goldfarb. Their company, Row 7 Seed Co., sells similar gourds and other specially-bred seeds. Mazourek and Barber are now working on a smaller product, 898 Squash, which will have an extended season, higher yield, and a slightly thicker skin, allowing it to keep its quality in storage longer. The 898 is expected to take at least 5 years to develop.
## Culinary uses
The squash is ideal for roasting and stuffing and is suitably sweet for desserts. The squash is also suitable for baking, boiling, sautéing, mashing, puréeing, or adding to soups, stews, or braises. As well, the squash is suitable for most recipes calling for butternut or winter squash. When roasted at high heat, the squash's natural sugars caramelize, giving the squash a rich, malty, caramel flavor. The squash's skin is thin enough to be edible, and it is small enough for a single portion, making it easier and quicker to prepare than butternut squash. The squash pairs well with kale, miso, radicchio, green apples, pine nuts, quinoa, farro, garlic, onion, chives, thyme, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, black beans, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, corn, maple syrup, and honey. | [
"## Attributes",
"### Nutrition",
"## History",
"## Culinary uses"
] | 1,761 | 8,191 |
43,184,901 | Johnny Thunder (song) | 1,137,662,376 | 1968 song the Kinks | [
"1968 songs",
"Song recordings produced by Ray Davies",
"Songs written by Ray Davies",
"The Kinks songs"
] | "Johnny Thunder" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their sixth studio album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). Written and sung by Ray Davies, the song was recorded in March 1968. Davies was inspired to write the song after seeing the 1953 film The Wild One, basing it on Marlon Brando's character Johnny as well as on a classmate Davies admired as a child. A rock song, its recording features a countermelody played by Dave Davies on electric guitar, wordless vocal harmonies and one of the album's few instances of a single-tracked vocal by Ray.
"Johnny Thunder" is one of several character studies on Village Green. The lyrics describe a motorbike rider who rebels against conformity while surviving on a diet of water and lightning. Ray expressed desires publicly and privately to Pete Townshend that the Who cover the song, and Dave later suggested Townshend incorporated the song's opening riff into his songwriting. Anthony Genzale of New York Dolls used the song's title for his stage name, Johnny Thunders.
## Background and composition
Ray Davies composed "Johnny Thunder" after watching László Benedek's 1953 film The Wild One, which had been banned by British censors until February 1968. Described by Dave Davies in an August 1968 interview as "the local hound" and "[a] real swine", the song's lead character is a motorbike rider and an enemy of conformity who survives on a diet of water and lightning, seen by author Barry J. Faulk as a clichéd notion of a rebel.
The Johnny Thunder character is based in part on someone Ray Davies admired while in school, leading authors Rob Jovanovic and Johnny Rogan to describe the song as a rewrite of his similarly themed 1967 composition "David Watts". The character is also based on The Wild One's lead character Johnny, as played by Marlon Brando, a misunderstood biker questioned by others as to what he has to rebel against. Author Andy Miller thinks the name Johnny Thunder is a variation on Marlon Brando, while Rogan suggests Davies may have drawn it from the comic book hero of the same name, who had been reintroduced into the Justice Society of America in April 1965.
A rock song, "Johnny Thunder" represents one of several character studies which appear on The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Author Thomas M. Kitts connects the song thematically to other characters on the album who try to slow down or reject time altogether, like in the songs "Sitting by the Riverside" and "Wicked Annabella".
## Recording and release
The Kinks recorded "Johnny Thunder" on 29 March 1968 in Pye Studio 2, one of two basement studios at Pye Records' London offices. Davies is credited as the song's producer, while Pye's in-house engineer Alan "Mac" MacKenzie operated the four-track mixing console. The song's production is simple, joining acoustic guitars, bass and drums with an electric guitar contribution by Dave Davies, who plays a countermelody low in the mix. The backing vocals are wordless and imitate the sound of a brass section, while it is one of the few instances on the album of Ray Davies's lead vocal not being double tracked.
"Johnny Thunder" was among the songs Davies sent to Reprise Records in mid-1968 for Four More Respected Gentlemen, a US-only album planned for late 1968, though the LP was aborted before its release. He included the song on the original twelve-track edition of Village Green and retained its sequencing as the album's fourth track when he expanded the track listing to fifteen songs. Pye released the fifteen-track edition in the UK on 22 November 1968. In a retrospective assessment, Rogan describes the song as a "fine tune", finding its vocal harmonies and arrangement as particular strengths.
Davies expressed his desire in a November 1970 interview with Rolling Stone magazine that the English rock band the Who cover the song and personally phoned Pete Townshend to raise the possibility. Townshend admitted to basing the Who's first hit, "I Can't Explain" (1965), on the Kinks' earliest singles, and Dave Davies later suggested that Townshend also incorporated the opening riff of "Johnny Thunder" into his songwriting. While Davies did not explicitly state where Townshend co-opted the riff, Miller later compared it to parts of "Overture" and "Go to the Mirror!" from the Who's May 1969 album Tommy, and Morgan Enos of Billboard likened the fast strumming to "Go to the Mirror!" and "Pinball Wizard". The song also influenced Anthony Genzale of the 1970s American rock band New York Dolls, who in his late teens took his stage name Johnny Thunders from the song. | [
"## Background and composition",
"## Recording and release"
] | 1,022 | 15,376 |
60,661,603 | SS India Arrow | 1,086,144,886 | Steam tanker built in 1921 | [
"1921 ships",
"Maritime incidents in February 1942",
"Oil tankers",
"Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts",
"Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II",
"Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean",
"Tankers of the United States"
] | India Arrow was a steam tanker built in 1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy for Standard Oil Co., with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between the United States and the Far East. During the first eight years the tanker was chiefly employed in the Pacific trade, carrying cargo between Gulf ports and a variety of destinations in East Asia. In late 1920s the tanker was moved to serve intercoastal trade routes while still making occasional trips to Asia. In early 1930s she was permanently assigned to trade routes between the Gulf and the ports on the United States East Coast, where she remained for the rest of her career.
India Arrow was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine in February 1942 during one of her routine trips from Texas to New York. Twenty six of her crew died as a result.
## Design and construction
Early in 1919, Standard Oil Co. decided to add four more tankers of approximately 12,500 deadweight tonnage to its existing fleet, expanding their oil-carrying business. A contract for these vessels was awarded to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. India Arrow was the third of these four ships (China Arrow, Japan Arrow and Java Arrow being the other three) and was laid down at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy on 3 March 1920 (yard number 1387) and launched on 28 January 1921, with Mrs. Harry Dundas, wife of the general manager of the British India branch of the Standard Transportation Company, serving as the sponsor. The ship was shelter-deck type, had two main decks and was built on the Isherwood principle of longitudinal framing providing extra strength to the body of the vessel. The tanker had a cargo pump room located amidships, and had ten double main cargo tanks constructed throughout the vessel with a total capacity to carry approximately 3,665,700 US gallons of oil. The ship was equipped with wireless of De Forest type and had electric lights installed along the decks.
As built, the ship was 468.3 feet (142.7 metres) long (between perpendiculars) and 62.7 ft (19.1 m) abeam, and had a depth of 32.0 ft (9.8 m). India Arrow was originally assessed at 8,327 gross register tons (GRT) and and carried approximate deadweight tonnage of 12,290 on a mean draft of 28 feet 2 inches (8.59 m). The vessel had a steel hull, and a single 636 Nhp (3,200 ihp) vertical surface-condensing direct-acting reciprocating quadruple-expansion steam engine made by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., with cylinders of 24-inch (61-centimetre), 35 in (89 cm), 51 in (130 cm) and 75 in (190 cm) diameter with a 51 in (130 cm) stroke, that drove a single-screw propeller and moved the ship at up to 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h). The steam for the engine was supplied by three single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for oil fuel.
The sea trials were held on 25 and 26 February 1921 in the Massachusetts Bay during which the vessel performed satisfactorily. Following their completion the tanker returned to Boston and upon adding finishing touches was transferred to her owners on 17 March 1921.
## Operational history
After delivery to Standard Oil in March 1921, India Arrow remained berthed in Boston for the next six months due to overabundance of available tonnage and scarcity of cargo. She sailed from Boston to New York in mid-October for loading and departed for Hong Kong on 21 October 1921 carrying 10,800 tons of kerosene. After stopping at San Francisco for fuel in mid-November, the vessel reached her destination on December 17. After unloading her cargo the tanker proceeded to Penang to load a cargo of oil and then continued on to Rotterdam which she reached on 17 February 1922 before returning to New York on March 14, thus successfully concluding her maiden voyage.
After conducting one more trip to the Far East and several trips between Gulf ports of Texas and New York, India Arrow departed Sabine on 20 October 1922 bound for Colombo. After discharging her cargo there in December, the tanker returned to New York on 22 January 1923, thereby completing another round-the-world journey. During 1923 the tanker alternated trips from Gulf ports to China and New York. From late 1923 until 1927 the vessel was primarily employed to transport petroleum products from the refineries of Southern California to Chinese, and occasionally Japanese, ports. In February 1925, India Arrow, while on her regular trip to Shanghai, ran into some rough weather and was hit by a huge wave which washed away both the forward and after wheelhouses, caused other damage about the decks and injured several crew members. The tanker managed to safely reach her destination where she was repaired before resuming her normal service. Starting in 1927 the tanker was mainly used on two intercoastal routes transporting either petroleum products from San Pedro to New York or oil from various Texas ports to several ports along the East Coast of the United States such as Baltimore, New York, Boston and Providence.
On 30 December 1927 India Arrow and several other ships were berthed in Hoboken, when a fire started in the plant of Union Ship Scaling Company and quickly spread along the pier. As the fire advanced, the steamers SS Seneca and SS Hendrik Hudson also caught fire, while several other vessels were pulled away from their berthing positions up the river to save them from spreading flames. At the time India Arrow was high and dry ready to go into dry dock for repairs. She was let down the slipway immediately once the fire was noticed and then dragged away up-stream for safety. Seneca completely burned down in the fire and was declared a total loss, while Hendrik Hudson had her bow charred but did not suffer further damage.
While being mainly employed in the intercoastal trade, she continued to make occasional trips to the Far East and other foreign destinations. For example, India Arrow sailed from Beaumont in May 1928 carrying a full cargo of gasoline to Colombo, Madras and Calcutta. On 18 April 1929 the tanker arrived at Colón from San Pedro with one of her summer tanks leaking. After transferring her cargo into another tank, India Arrow was able to proceed to her destination the next day. In 1931 the vessel conducted another round-the-world trip departing Beaumont in April and returning to San Pedro in late August after first delivering oil to Colombo and then from Batum to Hong Kong. In October 1934 she was chartered for one trip to carry oil from Tampico to Aruba. The tanker then returned to her usual trade of carrying crude oil from the terminals of Magnolia Petroleum Company in Beaumont, Humble Oil in Corpus Christi, and Texas Company in Port Arthur and Port Neches to the refineries in the Northeast of the United States. The vessel remained in that role through the end of her career. In November 1938 India Arrow was one of the tankers chartered by the United States Navy to bring high-octane gasoline from Beaumont to Yorktown.
### Sinking
India Arrow departed for her last voyage from Corpus Christi on 27 January 1942 carrying 88,369 barrels of diesel fuel bound for New York. The tanker was under command of captain Carl Samuel Johnson and had a crew of nine officers and twenty nine men. In the evening of February 4 the tanker was approximately 35 nautical miles (65 km) off Five Fathom Bank, a bar just east of North Wildwood, and running a non-evasive course. At approximately 18:45 local time the ship was suddenly struck on her starboard side by a single torpedo fired by German U-boat around the \#10 hold, just aft of the engine room. The resulting explosion threw several people overboard and immediately set the ship on fire. The radio operator was able to send a short S.O.S. signal before a complete loss of engine power caused the electrical dynamo to go dead. The crew was able to lower only two out of vessel's four lifeboats as the ship was rapidly sinking. The captain and two other crewmen got into one lifeboat and managed to safely get away from the stricken tanker. A dozen more crewmembers got into the second lifeboat; it never emerged, however, and most likely was crushed under the keel of the sinking tanker. Nine people were lifted from the water into the lone remaining lifeboat bringing the total number of survivors to twelve. U-103 soon surfaced approximately 250 yards away, and proceeded to fire six to seven shots into the bow section of the ship setting it also on fire. India Arrow sank quickly stern first in an approximate position at about 19:00 local time.
After receiving the distress call from India Arrow—but no location coordinates—the 5th Naval District requested the tanker's estimated position from the ship owners, and upon receiving the information dispatched patrol boat Tourmaline to search for survivors in the early afternoon of February 5. Several planes were also dispatched from the Norfolk Air Station. After locating the wreck with her bow still protruding out of the water, Tourmaline searched the area but found no survivors. In the meantime, the survivors started rowing towards the shore as they could clearly see the reflected lights of Atlantic City in the distance. After a thirty-six hour long struggle against the wind and the waves, they were finally spotted by captain Marshall of the 24-foot long fishing motor boat Gitama about 12 nautical miles (22 km) offshore and taken to Ocean City where they arrived at 08:55 on February 6. | [
"## Design and construction",
"## Operational history",
"### Sinking"
] | 2,033 | 30,820 |
1,554,557 | USS Tecumseh (1863) | 1,127,546,502 | Canonicus-class monitor | [
"1863 ships",
"American Civil War monitors of the United States",
"American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places",
"Canonicus-class monitors",
"Maritime incidents in August 1864",
"National Register of Historic Places in Baldwin County, Alabama",
"Ships built in Kearny, New Jersey",
"Ships of the Union Navy",
"Ships sunk by mines",
"Shipwrecks of the Alabama coast",
"Shipwrecks of the American Civil War",
"Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama"
] | USS Tecumseh was a Canonicus-class monitor built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Although intended for forthcoming operations against Confederate fortifications guarding Mobile Bay with Rear Admiral David Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Tecumseh was temporarily assigned to the James River Flotilla in April 1864. The ship helped to plant obstacles in the river and engaged Confederate artillery batteries in June.
Tecumseh was sunk on 5 August during the Battle of Mobile Bay when she struck a mine. The ship capsized and rests upside down northwest of Fort Morgan. The Smithsonian Institution surveyed her wreck in 1967 with the intent of raising it, but ultimately decided against the project when proffered funding was withdrawn. Several other plans to raise the wreck have been made, but all have fallen through.
## Description and construction
The ship was 223 feet (68 m) long overall, had a beam of 43 feet 4 inches (13.2 m) and had a maximum draft of 13 feet 6 inches (4.1 m). Tecumseh had a tonnage of 1,034 tons burthen and displaced 2,100 long tons (2,100 t). Her crew consisted of 100 officers and enlisted men.
Tecumseh was powered by a two-cylinder horizontal vibrating-lever steam engine that drove one propeller using steam generated by two Stimers horizontal fire-tube boilers. The 320-indicated-horsepower (240 kW) engine gave the ship a top speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). She carried 140–150 long tons (140–150 t) of coal. Tecumseh's main armament consisted of two smoothbore, muzzle-loading, 15-inch (381 mm) Dahlgren guns mounted in a single gun turret. Each gun weighed approximately 43,000 pounds (20,000 kg). They could fire a 350-pound (158.8 kg) shell up to a range of 2,100 yards (1,900 m) at an elevation of +7°.
The exposed sides of the hull were protected by five layers of 1-inch (25 mm) wrought iron plates, backed by wood. The armor of the gun turret and the pilot house consisted of ten layers of one-inch plates. The ship's deck was protected by armor 1.5 inches (38 mm) thick. A 5-by-15-inch (130 by 380 mm) soft iron band was fitted around the base of the turret to prevent shells and fragments from jamming the turret as had happened to the older Passaic-class monitors during the First Battle of Charleston Harbor in April 1863. The base of the funnel was protected to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) by 8 inches (200 mm) of armor. A "rifle screen" of 1⁄2-inch (13 mm) armor 3 feet (0.9 m) high was installed on the top of the turret to protected the crew against Confederate snipers based on a suggestion by Commander Tunis A. M. Craven.
The contract for Tecumseh, named after the Indian chief, was awarded to Charles Secor & Co.; the ship was laid down in 1862 by the primary subcontractor Joseph Colwell at his Jersey City, New Jersey shipyard. She was launched on 12 September 1863 and commissioned on 19 April 1864 with Craven in command. The ship's construction was delayed by multiple changes ordered while she was being built that reflected battle experience with earlier monitors. This included the rebuilding of the turrets and pilot houses to increase their armor thickness from 8 inches (203 mm) to 10 inches and to replace the bolts that secured their armor plates together with rivets to prevent them from being knocked loose by the shock of impact from shells striking the turret. Other changes included deepening the hull by 18 inches (457 mm) to increase the ship's buoyancy, moving the position of the turret to balance the ship's trim and replacing all of the ship's deck armor.
## Service
After commissioning, the ship was ordered to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Newport News and arrived there on 28 April. Tecumseh was ordered to protect the transports conveying Major General Benjamin Butler's Army of the James up the James River at the beginning of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign on 4 May. To prevent Confederate warships from coming down from the James, the Union forces blocked the channel in mid-June 1864. Tecumseh sank four hulks and a schooner and laid several boom across the river as part of this effort. On 21 June, Commander Craven spotted a line of breastworks that the enemy was building at Howlett's Farm and the ship opened fire at the workers. The Confederates replied with a battery of four guns near the breastworks and her sisters Canonicus and Saugus joined in the bombardment. A half-hour later, Confederate ships near Dutch Gap joined in, but their fire was ineffective because they were firing blindly at the Union monitors. During the engagement, Tecumseh fired forty-six 15-inch shells and was not hit by any Confederate shells. Craven claimed the destruction of one gun emplacement.
Two days after the battle, Tecumseh sailed down the James for Norfolk, Virginia, but ran aground en route when her wire steering ropes broke after having been burned halfway through by the heat of her boilers. She was refloated four hours later and spend a week in Norfolk making repairs and taking on supplies. On 5 July, the ship got underway for Pensacola, Florida to join the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, towed by the side-wheel gunboats Augusta and Eutaw. The ship's engine had overheated en route and required a week's repairs at Port Royal, South Carolina and Augusta had to turn back with engine problems, but Eutaw and Tecumseh arrived in Pensacola on 28 July. Towed by the side-wheel gunboat Bienville, the monitor arrived off Mobile Bay on the evening of 4 August.
Farragut briefed Craven on his ship's intended role in the battle. She and her sister Manhattan were to keep the ironclad ram CSS Tennessee away from the vulnerable wooden ships while they were passing Fort Morgan and then sink her. The river monitors Winnebago and Chickasaw were to engage the fort until all of the wooden ships had passed. The four monitors would form the starboard column of ships, closest to Fort Morgan, with Tecumseh in the lead, while the wooden ships formed a separate column to port. The eastern side of the channel closest to Fort Morgan was free of obstacles, but "torpedoes" were known to be present west of a prominent black buoy in the channel.
At 06:47 Tecumseh opened fire on Ft. Morgan's lighthouse to test her guns. The Confederates held their fire until 07:05 when they began to shoot at the ships in both columns. By this time the Confederate ships had positioned themselves across the mouth of the channel, with Tennessee facing the unprotected side, and they started shooting as well. By 07:30 Tecumseh was about 600 yards (550 m) away from Tennessee and Craven did not think that he could intercept the Confederate ironclad before Hartford entered the channel unless he passed through the field of "torpedoes", as mines were called at the time, because of his ship's poor maneuverability. He ordered the pilot to steer directly for Tennessee. Ten minutes later, Tecumseh struck a "torpedo" 100 yards from the Tennessee and sank in less than 30 seconds. Craven and the pilot, John Collins, arrived at the foot of the ladder leading to the main deck simultaneously with water up to their waists. Craven stepped back, saying "After you, pilot", but was unable to follow him to safety before the monitor capsized. Including Craven, 94 of the crew went down with the ship. Commander James Jouett of the gunboat Metacomet dispatched a boat commanded by Acting Ensign Henry C. Nields to rescue any survivors. They successfully rescued ten men, including the pilot, and delivered them to Winnebago. Seven other survivors reached one of Tecumseh's boats and four other men swam ashore and were captured.
## Post-war
The ship capsized as she sank and rests upside down in 30 feet (9.1 m) of water some 300 yards (270 m) northwest of Fort Morgan. On 3 August 1873, salvage rights for the wreck of Tecumseh were sold by the Department of the Treasury to James E. Slaughter for \$50. After the purchase, Slaughter announced that he intended to use explosives to blast the wreck into salvageable pieces. In 1876, the relatives of the men lost on Tecumseh petitioned Congress to stop the salvage. Congress quickly passed Joint Resolution No. 23 on 15 August directing the Secretary of the Treasury to return the \$50 to Slaughter, with 6% interest. The Secretary of the Navy was to assume control of the wreck and was empowered to protect Tecumseh. Congress stipulated that any salvage efforts must provide for the proper removal and burial of the vessel's dead crewmen.
In the mid-1960s, the Smithsonian Institution formed the Tecumseh Project Team, which was intended to raise the ship as the centerpiece of a planned National Armed Forces Museum Park in Washington, D. C. The team found the wreck in February 1967, capsized and buried just off Fort Morgan, but the primary donor was forced to rescind the funding, so the project was suspended. "In a 1993 survey, archaeologists from East Carolina University reported the hull to be covered by a calcareous crust with only nominal surface deterioration present."
In 1974, Jack Friend – a Mobile naval historian – was commissioned to examine the feasibility of raising Tecumseh and concluded that it would cost an estimated \$10 million. More modern estimates have determined a salvage and conservation cost of \$80 million. Divers from the Smithsonian Institution recovered an anchor, dishes from the ship's dining hall and a variety of other artifacts during their 1967 expedition. Tecumseh's engine room gong was also removed and is currently on display at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. The wreck site is marked and under United States Coast Guard surveillance pending continued preservation efforts. She is considered a war grave and may not be disturbed without permission of the United States Secretary of the Navy. | [
"## Description and construction",
"## Service",
"## Post-war"
] | 2,216 | 8,286 |
23,717,676 | Personal (album) | 1,146,313,687 | null | [
"1996 debut albums",
"550 Music albums",
"Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins",
"Albums produced by Teddy Riley",
"Epic Records albums",
"Men of Vizion albums"
] | Personal is the debut studio album by the American vocal group Men of Vizion. It was released on June 18, 1996, via Michael Jackson's record label, MJJ Music, after a demo tape was played to him by producer Teddy Riley. The album has been described as a "sumptuous blend" of vocal R&B and "90s production techniques", that alternates between smooth ballads and new jack swing.
Personal received mixed reviews from music critics, with some critics noting similarities between the group and Boyz II Men. Some critics felt as if the material was unmemorable versions of Boyz II Men songs, while others felt that Personal was highly different from the music at the time. The album only managed to chart in the United States, where it peaked at 14 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums, 29 on the Billboard R&B Albums and 186 on the Billboard Top 200. Two singles were released to promote the album: "House Keeper" and "Do Thangz". The former was a commercial success, peaking at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and at 67 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
## Development and composition
Composed of George Spencer III, Corley Randolph, Desmond T. Greggs, Brian L. DeRamus and Prathan "Spanky" Williams, Men of Vizion were formed in the early 1990s in Brooklyn, New York. Their vocal R&B harmonies impressed American entertainer Michael Jackson, who signed the group to his record label, MJJ Music, after a demo tape was played to him by producer Teddy Riley in 1993. Greggs told Billboard magazine that the band is "here to prove that intimate songwriting in R&B is coming back". He concluded by stating that the band was writing songs "that everyone will understand".
Personal is a "sumptuous blend" of vocal R&B and "90s production techniques", that alternates between smooth ballads and new jack swing. The album incorporates all of the band's beliefs and emotions, from love, romance and sensitivity. "House Keeper" is a story of reversal of the traditional roles that men and women play in relationships. The rest of the album "rolls along similarly", with the songs "Forgive Me", "Joyride" and "Do Thangz", a mid-tempo song on which the group pay homage to the females in their lives. A cover of The Jackson 5's 1977 hit single "Show You the Way to Go" is included on the album. The cover was originally recorded and released on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Money Train.
## Release and promotion
Originally set for release on May 14, 1996, Personal was released by MJJ Music, 550 Music and Epic Records on June 18. The album debuted at 186 on the Billboard Top 200 for the chart issued on July 6. It exited the chart the following week, to re-enter at the same position for the chart issued on July 20. The album spent a total of four weeks in the chart, before its exit on the week of August 10. Personal debuted at its peak position of 29 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Albums on the chart issued on July 6. Spending a total of ten weeks on the R&B Albums chart, the album received its final position of 87 on the chart issued on September 7. Personal debuted at 14 on U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Album chart on the chart issued on July 6. It dropped to 16 in the following week, before moving back to the 14th position on July 20, where it stayed for a second week. The album exited the Heatseekers Album chart on the week of September 7, spending a total of nine weeks on it.
"House Keeper" was released as the lead single from the album on April 9, 1996. To promote the single, tying in with the song's lyric play on reversed gender roles, the group performed track dates at "ladies only" functions. The trek was sponsored by major-market radio stations. The song peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and at 67 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. An accompanying music video for "House Keeper" was directed by Jesse Vaughan. "Do Thangz" was released as the second, and final, single from the album on October 8, 1996. It peaked at number 53 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin.
## Critical reception
Darryl Scipio of Vibe stated unlike "today's masculine R&B" that is "laden with jokers who sing of little but freekin' girls—and then of keeping it on the down-low", Personal doesn't use "wordy descriptions of sex to get you in the mood to dance". Scipio stated that all 12 songs on the album feature "tight, bouncy production" and that all the members of the group sing confidently; "there are no weak vocals here". He cited "House Keeper" and "Personal" as having the most soul, "but the rest stand solidly". He concluded his review of the album by stating that: "These visionaries are definitely a sound for sore ears". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic compared the group and the musical style of Personal to that of Boyz II Men. Erlewine stated that where Boyz II Men have first-rate professional songwriters and producers, Men of Vizion merely have "competent hacks", which means that "no matter how hard the group tries, they can't make any of these songs memorable". Jai Henry of The Daily Cougar commented that although at times they sound "a little too much" like Blackstreet, Men of Vizion "definitely have their own sound".
Jean A. Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times remarked that while the group demonstrates "good, strong and genuine vocal ability" on the album, what they need is "something to set them apart from the proliferation of male harmony groups of the R&B/soul persuasion". Williams complimented the group's cover of "Show You the Way to Go" as a "nice effort" but called "House Keeper" derivative. Ray Marcano of the Dayton Daily News wrote that the album's ballads - especially "That's Alright" and "When You Need Someone" - have "terrific melodies and wonderful hooks that will easily keep listeners' attention". Marcano was, however, critical of the group's indistinct harmonies and said their vocals need to be "a bit sharper". Jerome Cannon of the Chattanooga Times Free Press complimented Men of Vizion's harmonies on "It's Alright" and said that what caught his attention about the album was that the group were "not caught up in what every other new male group is trying to do, and that is to imitate Boyz II Men".
## Track listing
1. "That's Alright" (Prathan Williams) – 5:35
2. "Instant Love" (Teddy Riley, Prathan Williams, Chauncey Hannibal, Rodney Jerkins) – 5:41
3. "House Keeper" (Teddy Riley, Sherri Blair, George Spencer III) – 4:33
4. "When You Need Someone" (Prathan Williams) – 6:47
5. "Forgive Me" (Prathan Williams) – 5:44
6. "Personal" (Bob Kirschner, Y. Babatunde, Prathan Williams, Sydney Joseph, Jr.) – 6:33
7. "Joyride" featuring Tasha Scott (Alexander Richbourg) – 4:30
8. "You Told Me You Loved Me" (Prathan Williams, Bob Kirschner, Yemi Babatunde) – 5:47
9. "Do Thangz" (Teddy Riley, Sherri Blair, Chris Smith, Menton Smith) – 5:02
10. "Show You the Way to Go" (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff) – 5:28
11. "It's Only Just a Dream" (Teddy Riley, Sherri Blair, Prathan Williams, George Spencer III, Corley Randolph) – 4:44
12. "Night and Day" (Teddy Riley, Corley Randolph, Desmond Greggs, Leon Sylvers IV) – 4:34
## Charts
## Personnel
Credits for Personal adapted from AllMusic.
- Brian DeRamus – vocals
- Kenneth Gamble – composer
- Serban Ghenea – engineer, mixing
- Franklyn Grant – remixing
- Desmond Greggs – composer
- Gene Griffin – remixing
- John Hanes – engineer, mixing
- Chauncey Hannibal – composer
- Leon Huff – composer
- Rodney Jerkins – producer
- Sydney "J.R." Joseph – mixing, remixing
- George Mayers – engineer, mixing
- Men of Vizion – Primary artist, producer, vocals (background)
- Nutta Butta – Guest artist, vocals
- Gene Peoples – producer
- Alexander Richbourg – composer, producer
- Teddy Riley – engineer, mixing, producer
- Tasha Scott – Featured artist, Guest artist, vocals
- Chris "Lil" Smith – producer
- Menton L. Smith – composer
- George Spencer – vocals
- Leon F. Sylvers III – composer
- Prathan "Spanky" Williams – Assistant engineer, composer, engineer, mixing, producer, vocals
- Sprague Williams – Assistant engineer | [
"## Development and composition",
"## Release and promotion",
"## Critical reception",
"## Track listing",
"## Charts",
"## Personnel"
] | 2,044 | 3,561 |
20,628,510 | Helene Hathaway Britton | 1,166,976,397 | American baseball executive | [
"1879 births",
"1950 deaths",
"20th-century American businesspeople",
"20th-century American businesswomen",
"American chief executives of professional sports organizations",
"American women chief executives",
"Businesspeople from Cleveland",
"Major League Baseball owners",
"Major League Baseball team presidents",
"People from Bratenahl, Ohio",
"St. Louis Cardinals executives",
"St. Louis Cardinals owners",
"Women baseball executives"
] | Helene Hathaway Britton (née Robison; January 30, 1879 – January 8, 1950) was an American baseball executive. She owned the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and was the first woman to own a Major League Baseball franchise.
Britton was born and raised in Cleveland. Her father Frank and uncle Stanley Robison owned the Cardinals. After her uncle's death in 1911, Britton inherited the team from him. Despite receiving pressure to sell the team, Britton maintained ownership of the franchise until financial pressures led her to sell the team in 1917.
## Early life
Britton was born on January 30, 1879, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Frank DeHass Robison and Sarah Carver Hathaway. She was raised in Bratenahl, Ohio. Frank and his brother, Stanley Robison, owned a streetcar business in Cleveland as well as the Cleveland Spiders, a baseball team in the National League. Britton was raised as a baseball fan. In 1899, the Robison brothers purchased another National League team, the St. Louis Cardinals, and shifted their best players from Cleveland to St. Louis. The National League eliminated the Spiders after the 1899 season. Afterwards, Britton traveled with her father and uncle on their business trips to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals.
Britton was educated at the Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She married Schuyler P. Britton, an attorney, on October 29, 1901. They had a son, Frank DeHaas Britton, and a daughter, Marie R. Britton.
## Owner of the St. Louis Cardinals
### 1911–1913
Britton's father died in 1908, and her uncle died in March 1911. He left Britton three-fourths of his estate, while the other one-fourth went to Britton's mother. Britton became the owner of the Cardinals, making her the first woman to own a Major League Baseball team. Robison named Frederick N. Abercrombie, the treasurer of the Cardinals, as the executor of his will, but Abercrombie challenged the will in court as he wanted Robison's purported original will to stand instead. The will went into probate and Edward E. Steininger, the president of the Cardinals, was made administrator of the estate. Britton had supported Steininger over Abercrombie.
Both Chicago businessman Charles Weeghman and James McGill, the president of the Denver Bears of the Western League, attempted to buy the Cardinals from Britton, but she resolved to keep the team. Britton attended National League meetings where other owners spent time trying to persuade her to sell the team because she was a woman.
Britton renamed the team's ballpark from League Park to Robison Field in honor of her uncle in 1911, and initiated a Ladies' Day promotion for Mondays, allowing women free entry to the park if accompanied by a man. The Cardinals had a strong season in 1911, and Britton signed player-manager Roger Bresnahan to a five-year contract worth \$10,000 per season (approximately \$ in current dollar terms) with additional profit sharing in September. However, the 1912 season started off with Bresnahan moving the team's spring training location without consulting Britton. Britton and Bresnahan attacked each other publicly. Britton said under oath during her testimony that Bresnahan had offered her \$500,000 (approximately \$ million in current dollar terms) to buy the team, and accused him of not trying to win to hasten her selling the team. Bresnahan was upset with Britton when she vetoed a trade that he arranged that would have sent Miller Huggins to the Chicago Cubs. Britton fired Bresnahan after the 1912 season. Bresnahan then petitioned the National Baseball Commission for the remaining salary on his contract, which Britton refused to pay. Britton hired Huggins, the team's second baseman, as the Cardinals' new player-manager. Britton and Bresnahan settled their dispute for \$20,000 (approximately \$ in current dollar terms).
In April 1912, Britton and her mother sought an injunction against Steininger, who had been making decisions against Britton's wishes and not sharing all details of the business with her. Britton won the suit and acquired full control of the Cardinals in May 1912. Steininger resigned from the Cardinals in June and Britton appointed local attorney James C. Jones as team president. In February 1913, Schuyler P. Britton was elected team president and Helene Britton was elected vice president. However, Helene Britton continued to control the team through her husband.
### 1914–1917
The debut of the St. Louis Terriers of the upstart Federal League in 1914 harmed attendance and revenues for the Cardinals. As the leagues began to discuss a peace agreement in 1915, offers to purchase the Cardinals resumed. At the league meetings in January 1916, where the peace agreement between the major leagues and the Federal League was established, Harry Ford Sinclair offered Britton \$200,000 for the team (approximately \$ in current dollar terms), but she declined. A local syndicate offered Britton \$375,000 (approximately \$ million in current dollar terms) for the team and ballpark in February 1916, but Britton reportedly wanted \$400,000 (approximately \$ million in current dollar terms).
Britton separated from her husband in November 1916 and filed for divorce a few days later. Her husband resigned as team president and the board of directors elected Britton to succeed him in the role. In divorce court, Britton testified that her husband had "squandered her means to such an extent that her property was imperiled". The divorce was granted in February 1917, with the court awarding her custody of their two children.
By December 1916, Britton was willing to sell the Cardinals, if a buyer met her desired price. The conditions at Robison Field deteriorated to the point that a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen sent an open letter to National League president John K. Tener to seek his intervention. Britton rejected an offer made by a local syndicate for \$250,000 in December 1916 (approximately \$ million in current dollar terms). In March 1917, James C. Jones, now a trustee for the Cardinals, put together a syndicate that began to raise money to buy the Cardinals. and paid Britton \$25,000 (approximately \$ in current dollar terms) for a sixty-day option. They agreed on a price of \$350,000 (approximately \$ million in current dollar terms) and the syndicate paid half to Britton in May. Branch Rickey took over as team president from Britton. The team was \$175,000 in debt (approximately \$ million in current dollar terms) when Rickey took over.
## Later life
After selling the Cardinals, Britton moved to Boston, Massachusetts. She married Charles S. Bigsby, who sold electrical appliances, on August 19, 1918. Bigsby died in 1935. In her later life, Britton lived in New York City and Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
Britton died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after a three-month illness on January 8, 1950. She was interred at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.
## See also
- Women in baseball | [
"## Early life",
"## Owner of the St. Louis Cardinals",
"### 1911–1913",
"### 1914–1917",
"## Later life",
"## See also"
] | 1,569 | 18,472 |
59,698,939 | Friedrichshafen D.I | 1,143,288,012 | German WWI fighter aircraft | [
"1910s German fighter aircraft",
"Aircraft first flown in 1917",
"Biplanes",
"Friedrichshafen aircraft",
"Single-engined tractor aircraft"
] | The Friedrichshafen D.I (company designation Friedrichshafen FF.46) was a German single-seat fighter plane developed by the Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen during the First World War. Two prototypes were flown in 1917, but it was judged inferior to the Albatros D.III then in production and no further production ensued.
## Background and description
The Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen aircraft manufacturing company, after having failed to sell the FF.43 fighter floatplane to the Imperial German Navy's (Kaiserliche Marine) Naval Air Service (Marine-Fliegerabteilung) in 1916, modified its design for land service in an attempt to sell it to the German Army's (Deutsches Heer) Inspectorate of Flying Troops (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen) (Idflieg). The Army accepted Friedrichshafen's proposal in September and ordered three prototypes, only two of which are known to have been completed.
Although the D.I was developed from the FF.43, they did not share any components. The D.I replaced the floats with a conventional landing gear arrangement, but retained its predecessor's single-bay, staggered-wing design, 160 hp (120 kW) Mercedes D.III straight-six engine and its pair of synchronised 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns. The two prototypes known to have been built differed only in the cabanes securing the upper wing to the fuselage; the first aircraft had vertical cabanes while the second had ones that were angled outwards for better pilot visibility.
The two prototypes were tested by Idflieg until 28 April 1917, revealing that they possessed flight characteristics and performance inferior to that of the Albatross D.III, so it did not order the D.I into production and the project was abandoned. Idflieg did not retain performance data for aircraft that it did not accept.
## Specifications
## See also | [
"## Background and description",
"## Specifications",
"## See also"
] | 411 | 35,081 |
25,989,455 | Señor Macho Solo | 1,148,294,244 | null | [
"2009 American television episodes",
"30 Rock (season 3) episodes",
"Television shows directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller"
] | "Señor Macho Solo" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 8, 2009. Peter Dinklage, Salma Hayek, and Sherri Shepherd guest star in "Señor Macho Solo", and there are cameo appearances by Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell.
In the episode, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) becomes attracted to a new man, Stewart LaGrange (Dinklage). Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) tries to help Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and his wife, Angie (Shepherd), arrange a post-nuptial agreement and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) auditions for a Janis Joplin biographical film. At the same time, Jack finds a new love in the form of Elisa (Hayek), his mother's nurse.
"Señor Macho Solo" has received generally positive reception from television critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research, the episode was watched by 5.4 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 2.3 rating/5 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.
## Plot
Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) desires to have a baby, but her adoption process is taking a long time. She begins to act "baby-crazy" when she is around little children. While outside of 30 Rock, Liz pats a boy in front of her on the head, only to discover that it is not a child but a dwarf man, Stewart LaGrange (Peter Dinklage). To cover up, Liz lies to Stewart, telling him that the reason she pat his head was to get his attention, which he accepts and the two go on a date. During their date, Liz tries to pick Stewart up to stop him from touching fire. Stewart asks Liz if she first thought he was a child when they first met, and she admits this is true, displeasing him. The next day, she calls him to apologize and asks that he give her a second chance and meet her at the Brooklyn Bridge. At the bridge, however, Liz mistakenly thinks a boy is Stewart, which prompts him to realize this will never work between them.
In another storyline, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) hires a new nurse, Elisa Pedrera (Salma Hayek), to take care of his mother, Colleen (Elaine Stritch). Meanwhile, Jack helps Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) manage his money because his spending has gotten out of control. Jack recommends a "post-nup" agreement for Tracy and his wife, Angie (Sherri Shepherd), as Tracy fears that Angie might leave him if she ever were to have enough money to live on. Angie agrees to sign the agreement but promises Tracy that she will never leave his side, which moves Tracy and he stops her from signing the agreement. Later, Jack feels a lump in one of his testicles, and believing he has testicular cancer, he begins to look at life differently. He admits to Liz that he has fallen in love with Elisa after they spent some time together. When he gets his test results, which come back negative, he has second thoughts about Elisa. In the end, however, Jack comes home to Elisa, and the two share a kiss.
Finally, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) learns that Sheinhardt Universal—the fictional owner of General Electric—is producing a biographical film on singer Janis Joplin, and she decides to audition for it. As a way to get the role, she goes into Jack's office in character. The plan works after Jack is easily convinced. Much to her dismay, Jenna learns that actress Julia Roberts and director Martin Scorsese are also making a Janis Joplin movie and that Sheinhardt Universal has yet to secure the song and image rights of Joplin. In order for the company to avoid legal problems, Jenna is introduced as "Janet Jopler" on TGS—the show she stars in—and sings the song "Piece of My Heart" but with reworded lyrics.
## Production
"Señor Macho Solo" was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy. This episode was Weiner's second writing credit, having written season two episode "Secrets and Lies", and was McCarthy's fifth directed episode. It originally aired in the United States on January 8, 2009, on NBC as the seventh episode of the show's third season and the 43rd overall episode of the series.
Actress Salma Hayek made her 30 Rock debut as the character Elisa Pedrera, a nurse for Jack Donaghy's mother and love interest for him in this episode. She next guest starred in the episodes "Flu Shot", "Generalissimo", "St. Valentine's Day", and "Larry King". Hayek made her final appearance on the show in the April 23, 2009, episode "The Ones". Comedian actress Sherri Shepherd made her fourth appearance on the series as Angie Jordan, the wife of Tracy Jordan, played by Tracy Morgan. Shepherd appeared in the episodes "Up All Night", "Jack Gets in the Game", and "The Collection". Actor Peter Dinklage played Stewart LaGrange in the episode. Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush, hosts of the entertainment news program Access Hollywood appeared as themselves in "Señor Macho Solo", as they report on the entertainment program that actress Julia Roberts and director Martin Scorsese are also developing a Janis Joplin feature. O'Dell played herself in the March 12, 2009, episode "The Funcooker". Tina Fey and Dinklage shot one of their first scenes from the episode on October 6, 2008.
## Cultural references
Signs of Tracy's money spending problems included his purchase of three hours of prime-time as a salute to Benny Hill. When Elisa informs Jack that he has a lump on one of his testicles, Jack responds, "Thank you for telling me what I already know. You should work for the Huffington Post", the latter being a liberal news and aggregated blog website that Alec Baldwin has been a contributor to since 2005. Elisa tells Jack that "Señor Macho Solo" is "what we call a McRib sandwich", a sandwich sold at McDonald's. NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) does the "Top That" rap from the fantasy-comedy film Teen Witch (1989). Jenna sings the song "Piece of My Heart", from Janis Joplin, though, the lyrics had been reworded by Jack so that Sheinhardt Universal avoid legal problems. In addition, Jenna sings the song and carries a bottle of Jack Daniel's in hand, a real life trait of the late singer.
Star Wars is frequently referenced in 30 Rock, beginning with the pilot episode in 2006 where Tracy is seen shouting that he is a Jedi. Liz admits to being a huge fan of Star Wars, saying that she had watched it many times with Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit), and dressed up as the Star Wars character Princess Leia during four recent Halloweens, and while trying to get out of jury duty in Chicago. Star Wars is also referenced when Tracy takes on the identity of the character Chewbacca. In this episode, Liz tells Stewart that there are many languages and costumes in the conference room of the United Nations, saying, "it must be like working in the Galactic Senate in Star Wars". Stewart responds, "They are similar. We're also concerned about the growing influence of the Sith Lord."
## Reception
According to the Nielsen Media Research, "Señor Macho Solo" was watched by 5.4 million households in its original American broadcast. It earned a 2.3 rating/5 share in the 18–49 demographic. This means that it was seen by 2.3 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 5 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This was a decrease from the previous episode, "Christmas Special", which was watched by 8.9 million American viewers. Since airing, the episode has received generally positive reviews.
IGN contributor Robert Canning praised 30 Rock for putting it all together "so seamlessly" and "so brilliantly balanced" in "Señor Macho Solo". Canning enjoyed Tracy's story, observing that it was a "fantastic Tracy Jordan moment." He complimented Sherri Shepherd's guest spot, writing that it was a great way to bring her back "into the mix". He also liked that this episode "delivered some great work" from Alec Baldwin. In conclusion, Canning gave the episode a 9.3 out of 10 rating. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger appreciated Jenna's subplot as it was "the first really work-centric one in a while." He complimented Peter Dinklage's appearance, but was less enthusiastic about Salma Hayek being a love interest for Baldwin's Jack, citing that he did not buy her in the Elisa role. Kona Gallagher of AOL's TV Squad said that Dinklage, Hayek, and Shepherd "fit into the episode, instead of feeling like the episode was written around them." Gallagher noted that Dinklage was "pretty awesome" as Tina Fey's love interest, "and I would have loved to see more of them together. I really think they could have done more with this storyline." According to Gallagher, the only part of "Señor Macho Solo" that she was not "crazy about" was Jenna playing Janis Joplin.
TV Guide's Matt Mitovich observed that "Señor Macho Solo" was the "best episode of the season" as it "kept all of the comedy rooted in the actual storylines". He wrote that the Tracy story was "packed [with] plenty of amusement", and that the character's spending problem was "funny for the sight gags alone". Mitovich commented that Hayek's character was "one of Jack's best matches yet". Jeremy Median of Paste opined that "Señor Macho Solo" featured one of the "funniest sight gags in 30 Rock history", referring to Tracy wearing a coat made out of money, shoes made of gold, and "a Mad Hatter-like hat made out of money, as only Tracy could pull off." He also wrote that it was nice to be reminded of Liz's "baby-cravings, a story that's been bubbling on the surface for a while now but reemerged here." Nathan Rabin for The A.V. Club noted that this episode "juggled its various lovestruck plots with aplomb", and gave this episode an A−. Rabin liked all the plots, but most enjoyed Jenna's story of her trying to play Janis Joplin. | [
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"## Cultural references",
"## Reception"
] | 2,311 | 34,799 |
927,773 | The Infinite Vulcan | 1,167,259,316 | null | [
"1973 American television episodes",
"Star Trek: The Animated Series episodes",
"Television episodes about cloning",
"Television episodes directed by Hal Sutherland"
] | "The Infinite Vulcan" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American animated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Animated Series. It first aired on NBC on October 20, 1973, and was written by Original Series cast member Walter Koenig. It was the actor's only involvement in the series, as he had not been hired to voice Pavel Chekov in the animated version due to budgetary limitations. With "The Infinite Vulcan", Koenig became the first member of the Star Trek cast to write an episode for the franchise. As with the rest of the first season, the episode was directed by Hal Sutherland.
Set in the 23rd century, the series follows the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (voiced by William Shatner) and the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise. In this episode, the crew visit a planet inhabited by plant-based lifeforms and must save the life of Science Officer Spock (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) after he is abducted by a giant clone of Dr. Stavos Keniclius (voiced by James Doohan).
Koenig was hired to write the script after some of his work was passed from Susan Sackett to series creator Gene Roddenberry. Koenig found the writing process for the episode unenjoyable, due to the number of re-writes required. Further additions were made by Roddenberry, including talking vegetables as characters. When the producers offered him a second episode, Koenig turned it down. "The Infinite Vulcan" received a mixed reception from critics, who suggested that the writing could have been better, but others included it in lists of the best episodes of The Animated Series.
## Plot
While exploring the newly discovered planet Phylos for possible Federation colonization, Lt. Sulu picks up a walking plant, called a Retlaw, and is poisoned by a stinger. The plantlike alien beings who inhabit the planet approach the Enterprise landing party and their leader, Agmar, saves Sulu's life. The Phylosians say they were nearly wiped out by a mild terrestrial disease that was brought to the planet by Dr. Stavos Keniclius, a Terran scientist who survived Earth's Eugenics Wars.
A giant clone of Keniclius, named Keniclius Five, kidnaps First Officer Spock. Keniclius has survived through the centuries by periodically transferring his consciousness into a new, more advanced clone body. He believes the galaxy is as war-ravaged as Earth was when he left it. He plans to enforce peace on the galaxy with the aid of a fleet of Phylosian ships and a giant clone of Spock that he's created by transferring Spock's consciousness into it, leaving Spock's original body a mindless shell. The newly awakened Spock Two uses his Vulcan telepathic abilities to mind meld with his original self and save his life. The two Spocks, in concert with Captain James T. Kirk, convince Keniclius that the need for his plan no longer exists. Spock Two and Keniclius Five devote themselves to restoring the Phylosian civilization as Spock One departs with his shipmates.
## Production
Walter Koenig joined the main cast of Star Trek: The Original Series during the second season as Pavel Chekov and continued to appear in the series until it was cancelled at the end of season three. Although the remaining main cast of the series were hired as voice actors for Star Trek: The Animated Series, Koenig was not brought in due to financial constraints. He only found out about his omission from the show when Sackett announced it on stage at a Star Trek convention he was attending. His character was replaced by a new animated character voiced by James Doohan.
Koenig first became involved with writing a script for The Animated Series after he asked Susan Sackett, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's assistant, to type up some writing he was working on. After reading it through, she thought it was good and passed it to Roddenberry, who agreed and asked Koenig if he was interested in writing for the animated show. He accepted the offer, and started working on a plot involving cloning which was inspired by newspaper articles about the subject, becoming the first actor from Star Trek to write for the franchise.
He found the writing process for "The Infinite Vulcan" "unbearable". This was due to interference from Roddenberry, resulting in Koenig producing ten drafts of the screenplay, and because of Koenig's frustration in not otherwise being involved in the series. He could not understand why so many redrafts were required, a view shared by story editor/associate producer D.C. Fontana. Roddenberry was keen in particular to make use of the benefits of an animated medium, by including things which could not have been shown on a live-action series. These included "talking vegetables" as characters, which Koenig said were not his idea but were so silly as to not be worthy of a fight. David Alexander, in his book Star Trek Creator: The Authorised Biography of Gene Roddenberry, suggested that Koenig was hired to write "The Infinite Vulcan" because Roddenberry felt "bad" about Koenig's exclusion from the series.
Koenig asked to play the part of Dr. Keniclius. Roddenberry and Fontana approved, and the show's producers allowed him to audition, but he said later that he suspected it was "a very token gesture" and they were not seriously considering him. He included a reference to himself in the episode, as the walking plant is called a Retlaw – Walter spelled backwards. This was a reference to aliens in the 1940s comic book Planet Comics who spoke backwards. He later used a similar idea in "The Stranger", a Land of the Lost episode he wrote, in which Koenig introduced the character Enik. This character was originally called Eneg, backwards for Gene as a reference to Gene Roddenberry.
Koenig felt that "The Infinite Vulcan" turned out "OK", and had heard a number of opinions on it ranging from it being the best episode of The Animated Series to it being the very worst. He felt overall that it was "an interesting take and certainly a little different." Fellow cast member George Takei felt the episode showed that Koenig was "enterprising". The producers liked the episode so much that they wanted Koenig to write another, but he turned them down. Koenig later explained that he was still upset at the time over not appearing as Chekov in the series. Keniclius later appeared in Kevin Lauderdale's story "The Rules of War," which takes place during the Eugenics Wars, in the anthology Strange New Worlds IX.
## Reception and home media release
"The Infinite Vulcan" was first broadcast on NBC on October 20, 1973. James Van Hise wrote in his book The Man Who Created Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry, that "some of the writing on the series", specifically that on "The Infinite Vulcan", "left much to be desired". In James Rundle's retrospective of the episodes for SciFiNow, he gave "The Infinite Vulcan" a rating of three out of five. "The Infinite Vulcan" was included in best of/recommend lists by some reviewers. In Wired magazine's list of episodes of the series to watch after they became available for free on the official Star Trek website, "The Infinite Vulcan" was included specifically because it was the first episode of the franchise to be written by one of the actors. The episode was included in seventh place of the best episodes of the series by the website Topless Robot, who added that while Keniclius' plan was "unclear", it had the "greatest ending of a cartoon ever."
This story was expanded into a novelette by science-fiction author Alan Dean Foster as part of the collection of The Animated Series adapted novelizations and was released as part of Star Trek Log Two, published in September 1974. The other episodes adapted in the same work were "The Survivor" and "The Lorelei Signal". "The Infinite Vulcan" was released on LaserDisc as part of the series set. The first release of Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD was through fan-made productions. The official DVD release was on November 21, 2006 in the United States, a single release containing all episodes from both seasons of the television show, and on Blu-ray seven days later. This episode was streamed for free on April 5, 2021 as part of the First Contact Day event on Startrek.com, along with several other episodes and roundtable discussions with Star Trek actors.
In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter rated "The Infinite Vulcan" the 74th best episode of all Star Trek episodes. | [
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"## Reception and home media release"
] | 1,815 | 31,393 |
492,107 | North Carolina Council of State | 1,157,456,207 | Collective decision-making body of the state | [
"1776 establishments in North Carolina",
"Government agencies established in 1776",
"Government of North Carolina",
"North Carolina Council of State",
"North Carolina in the American Revolution",
"Politics of North Carolina",
"State executive councils of the United States"
] | The North Carolina Council of State is the collective body of ten elective executive offices in the state government of North Carolina, all of which are established by the state constitution. The Council of State includes the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, and Commissioner of Insurance. Together with the North Carolina Cabinet and several independent agencies, the Council of State offices constitute the executive branch of North Carolina's state government.
The body has its origin in the colonial government of the Province of North Carolina. Under North Carolina's first constitution as a state of the United States, the Council of State comprised seven persons elected by the North Carolina General Assembly to advise the governor. The 1868 constitution redefined the Council of State as the secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, superintendent of public works, and superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public works was soon abolished, additional elective offices were later added, and the governor was made a formal member of the council. The Council of State usually meets monthly and is responsible for approving various transactions concerning state real property and finances.
## History
As a British colony, the Province of North Carolina was under the leadership of a royal governor. A Governor's Council was created to advise the governor, and it comprised residents of the colony appointed by the lords proprietors and eventually the British Crown. The body also served as the upper house of the colonial legislature when it was in session. One member served as president of the council, and could take charge of the colony if the governor or their deputy were unable to exercise their duties. The president, in their legislative capacity, also signed all laws passed by the legislature. Vacancies on the council were filled by the governor's interim appointment until the lords or the Crown made a new appointment. In practice, many councilors held other government offices and often competed with the governor and the lower house of the legislature for authority. As a body, the council held great influence over the content of executive decrees, the dispensation of patronage, and the awarding of land grants.
North Carolina declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. Its first constitution, ratified in December, provided for a Council of State to "advise the Governor in the execution of his office". The council consisted of seven persons selected by both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly in a joint vote for a one-year term. The councilors were barred from holding legislative office. Vacancies on the council could only be filled by the General Assembly. In practice, the Council of State limited the governor's executive authority, as sometimes the governor was required to get their approval before taking a course of action. The council itself could not take action without the governor. The first council was elected by the constitutional convention in December 1776 and took office the following year, serving until they were replaced by the General Assembly's choices.
A new constitution was adopted in 1868, and provided that the Council of State should consist of six popularly-elected executive officials serving ex officio: the secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, superintendent of public works, and superintendent of public instruction. Under the constitution, the governor called and presided over the council's meetings and the attorney general served as its legal advisor, but neither were formally members of it. The office of superintendent of public works was abolished via constitutional amendment in 1873. The popularly-elected offices of the commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of labor, and commissioner of insurance were elevated to constitutional status in 1944 and added to the council. Constitutional revisions which took effect in 1971 made the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general all ex officio members of the council. The revisions also eliminated the responsibility of the council to "advise the Governor in the execution of his office". In 1987, Governor James G. Martin sued the other members of the Council of State during a dispute over securing a leasing agreement for government office space. The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the Council of State could block decisions of the governor, but it could not take positive action on its own accord.
Most Council of State members have historically been white men. Ralph Campbell Jr., who assumed the office of state auditor in 1993, was the first black person to serve on the Council of State. Janice H. Faulkner was the first woman to serve on the council, having been appointed secretary of state to fill a vacancy in 1996. Elaine Marshall, who assumed the secretariat of state in 1997, was the first woman elected to a Council of State office.
## Structure
The Council of State comprises the holders of the ten offices established by Article III of the Constitution of North Carolina: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of labor, and commissioner of insurance. All serve as the chief executive of their respective departments. They are elected to four-year terms and, aside from the governor and lieutenant governor, without term limits. Contested elections for any of these offices are resolved by a majority vote of the General Assembly. In the event of a vacancy in any of the offices aside from that of the governor and lieutenant governor, the governor can appoint an interim official until the next biennial state election. The office of governor is subject to its own line of succession. Council of State officers can be impeached and removed from office for malfeasance by the General Assembly. The officers' salaries are fixed by the General Assembly and cannot be reduced during their terms of office. Together with the North Carolina Cabinet and several independent agencies, the Council of State offices constitute the executive branch of North Carolina's state government.
The governor serves as the chairman of the Council of State. The body routinely meets the first or second Tuesday of every month in sessions subject to the state's open meeting law which the public can attend. The governor also sometimes consults the rest of the council over email during emergencies or otherwise unanticipated situations. The council retains a staff, which records the minutes of each meeting and supplies them to the council members. The secretary of state maintains the schedule and agenda of council meetings. The 2022 state budget includes plans for the construction of a permanent meeting place for the council to begin in 2023.
## Powers and duties
The Constitution of North Carolina assigns minimal duties to the Council of State; per Article III, Section 3, it may call the General Assembly into an extraordinary session to consider the governor's mental capacity, and, per Article III, Section 5, the governor must consult it before they call the assembly into an extraordinary session. The council's most significant responsibilities have been assigned by statute, most dealing with real property and financial transactions. This includes approving the governor's acquisitions and disposals of state property, approving property allocations, authorizing taking on debt in anticipation of tax revenue, authorizing the state treasurer to borrow money in times of crisis, creating emergency funds, approving bond issues, and advising the governor and treasurer on assurance investments, approving of banks in which state funds can be deposition, and approving securities in which state funds may be invested. If the governor exercises a power or authority which requires the concurrence of the council, they are required by law to secure the body's approval within 48 hours of exercising said power.
## Incumbent Council of State members
## See also
- North Carolina Council of State elections: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020. | [
"## History",
"## Structure",
"## Powers and duties",
"## Incumbent Council of State members",
"## See also"
] | 1,552 | 295 |
70,850 | Smith of Wootton Major | 1,171,055,025 | 1967 novella by J. R. R. Tolkien | [
"1967 books",
"1967 short stories",
"Allen & Unwin books",
"Books by J. R. R. Tolkien",
"British novellas",
"Fantasy short stories"
] | Smith of Wootton Major, first published in 1967, is a novella by J. R. R. Tolkien. It tells the tale of a Great Cake, baked for the once in twenty-four year Feast of Good Children. The Master Cook, Nokes, hides some trinkets in the cake for the children to find; one is a star he found in an old spice box. A boy, Smith, swallows the star. On his tenth birthday the star appears on his forehead, and he starts to roam the Land of Faery. After twenty-four years the Feast comes around again, and Smith surrenders the star to Alf, the new Master Cook. Alf bakes the star into a new Great Cake for another child to find.
Scholars have differed on whether the story is an allegory or is, less tightly, capable of various allegorical interpretations; and if so, on what those interpretations might be. Suggestions have included autobiographical allusions such as to Tolkien's profession of philology, and religious interpretations such as that Alf is a figure of Christ. The American scholar Verlyn Flieger sees it instead as a story of Faërie in its own right.
## Background
J. R. R. Tolkien was a scholar of English literature, a philologist and medievalist interested in language and poetry from the Middle Ages, especially that of Anglo-Saxon England and Northern Europe.
Smith of Wootton Major began as an attempt to explain the meaning of Faery by means of a story about a cook and his cake, and Tolkien originally thought to call it The Great Cake. It was intended to be part of a preface by Tolkien to George MacDonald's fairy story The Golden Key.
## Plot summary
The village of Wootton Major was well known around the countryside for its annual festivals, which were particularly famous for their culinary delights. The biggest festival of all was the Feast of Good Children. This festival was celebrated only once every twenty-four years: twenty-four children of the village were invited to a party, and the highlight of the party was the Great Cake, a career milestone by which Master Cooks were judged. In the year the story begins, the Master Cook was Nokes, who had landed the position more or less by default; he delegated much of the creative work to his apprentice Alf. Nokes crowned his Great Cake with a little doll jokingly representing the Queen of Faery. Various trinkets were hidden in the cake for the children to find; one of these was a star the Cook discovered in the old spice box.
The star was not found at the Feast, but was swallowed by a blacksmith's son. The boy did not feel its magical properties at once, but on the morning of his tenth birthday the star fixed itself on his forehead, and became his passport to Faery. The boy grew up to be a blacksmith like his father, but in his free time he roamed the Land of Faery. The star on his forehead protected him from many of the dangers threatening mortals in that land, and the Folk of Faery called him "Starbrow". The book describes his many travels in Faery, until at last he meets the true Queen of Faery. The identity of the King is also revealed.
The time came for another Feast of Good Children. Smith had possessed his gift for most of his life, and the time had come to pass it on to some other child. So he regretfully surrendered the star to Alf, and with it his adventures into Faery. Alf, who had become Master Cook long before, baked it into the festive cake once again for another child to find. After the feast, Alf retired and left the village; and Smith returned to his forge to teach his craft to his now-grown son.
## Publication history
The story was first published in the United Kingdom as a stand-alone book by George Allen & Unwin on 9 November 1967, with 11 black and white illustrations and a coloured jacket illustration by Pauline Baynes. Tolkien had asked Baynes to limit her palette to black and white, as she had done for Farmer Giles of Ham; he was pleased with the result.
Smith of Wootton Major was first published in the United States by Houghton Mifflin the same year. It was reprinted in 1969 by Ballantine together with Farmer Giles of Ham.
The 2005 edition, edited by Verlyn Flieger, includes a previously unpublished essay by Tolkien, explaining the background and just why the elf-king spent so long in Wootton Major. It also explains how the story grew from this first idea into the published version.
The story was republished in 2021 together with Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, and "Leaf by Niggle" as Tales from the Perilous Realm.
## Analysis
### Allegory
The Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey writes that "defeat hangs heavy" in the story, while Tolkien called it "an old man's book", with presage of bereavement. Shippey adds that when Tolkien presents images of himself in his writings, as with Niggle, the anti-hero of "Leaf by Niggle" and Smith, there is "a persistent streak of alienation". While Tolkien had stated that the story was "not 'allegory'", he had immediately added "though it is capable of course of allegorical interpretation at certain points". Shippey presents evidence in support of the claim.
### Capable of allegorical interpretation
Josh B. Long, in Tolkien Studies, states that for Tolkien, "allegorical interpretation" was not the same as allegory, as interpretations come from a free interchange between text and reader, whereas allegory is imposed by the author. Long sees both religious "undertones" in the story, and autobiographical elements. He notes that the Catholic writer Joseph Pearce took the story as a parable, and that Flieger accepts "a level of allegory" but not the philological version proposed by Shippey. Instead, the Hall would be the church, Cook would be the parson, and cooking would be "personal religion". Or, Matthew Dickerson and Jonathan Evans suggest, Alf is a figure of Christ, the king of a heavenly realm who arrives as a child and grows to be a man. Martin Sternberg sees the story as religious, with experiences of the numinous and "traditional mystical ideas and motifs".
Long presents his own religious interpretation, likening the story's Faery Queen to the Virgin Mary, with the lilies "near the lawn" as her symbol; Alf as Christ; the Great Cake perhaps as a Twelfth-cake for Epiphany; Nokes as a fool or "a kind of anti-Tolkien"; Smith, a "lay Christian".
In addition, Long sees Shippey's identification of birch and oak with philology and criticism as correct, but differs about what Tolkien wanted to say here. In Long's view, the birch "represents the sharp critique of most of his philological colleagues who supposed that Tolkien had squandered years of his life on a worthless piece of fantasy literature—a place he didn’t belong, or so they thought." In other words, he writes, the dispute was inside the philological community; far from fighting literary criticism, Tolkien had done much to heal the split between the critics and the philologists at Oxford.
### Visit to Faërie
Flieger opposes viewing Smith of Wootton Major as an allegory, instead seeking comparisons with Tolkien's other fantasies. She argues that the story had sufficient "bounce" that no allegorical explanation was necessary, and indeed that such explanation detracts from the story of travels in the land of "Faery" and the element of mystery. She likens the "first Cook" to a whole series of "Tolkien's far-traveled characters", namely Alboin Errol, Edwin Lowdham, Frodo Baggins, Eärendil, Ælfwine-Eriol "and of course Tolkien himself—all the Elf-friends."
Further, Flieger sees "thematic connections" between the story and the "dark power and ... echoes of a past too deep to forget" of his poem "The Sea-Bell" (1962, with a history going back to his 1934 "Looney"). The two works share a distinctive feature: a "prohibition against the return to Faërie." She states, however, that the two works describe the prohibition in differing moods and at different times. "The Sea-Bell" was written at the beginning of Tolkien's career, "cry[ing] for lost beauty"; Smith of Wootton Major almost at its end, "an autumnal acceptance of things as they are". She comments, too, that "The Sea-Bell" could be a "corrective" reply to J. M. Barrie's 1920 play Mary Rose; and that Smith of Wootton Major could then be a reply, much later, to his own poem. Whether or not that was the intention, she writes, Tolkien sought to "create a true fairy-tale quality without the use of a traditional fairy-tale plot." | [
"## Background",
"## Plot summary",
"## Publication history",
"## Analysis",
"### Allegory",
"### Capable of allegorical interpretation",
"### Visit to Faërie"
] | 1,902 | 154 |
13,579,738 | Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) | 1,135,336,033 | null | [
"2000s ballads",
"2007 singles",
"2007 songs",
"Children in Need singles",
"Music videos directed by Anthony Mandler",
"Pop ballads",
"Songs about fame",
"Songs about friendship",
"Songs written by Emma Bunton",
"Songs written by Geri Halliwell",
"Songs written by Matt Rowe (songwriter)",
"Songs written by Mel B",
"Songs written by Melanie C",
"Songs written by Richard Stannard (songwriter)",
"Songs written by Victoria Beckham",
"Spice Girls songs",
"Virgin Records singles"
] | "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls for their greatest hits album Greatest Hits (2007). It was written by the Spice Girls, Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe, whilst produced by the latter two. It was released as the only single from the album on 5 November 2007 by Virgin Records. The song was the first commercial single release to feature the group's original lineup since Geri Halliwell left in 1998. It was also the official Children in Need single of 2007. It is their last studio single to date.
"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" is a midtempo ballad, which lyrically talks about the group reuniting, and about their friendship throughout two decades together. The song received generally mixed reviews from music critics, with some calling it a "classic" from the group, while others felt it was not good enough. "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" was a moderate success worldwide, peaking at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's first single not to peak inside the top ten. Nevertheless, the single managed to reach number three on the UK Physical Singles Chart. It reached the top five in Italy, Spain and Sweden.
An accompanying music video for "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" was directed by Anthony Mandler at Pinewood Studios and premiered in early November 2007. The video depicts the girls in a stately room, with plum-coloured walls and antique furniture, wearing gowns designed by Roberto Cavalli. "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" was performed by the group at the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and Children in Need 2007, as well as on their reunion tour, The Return of the Spice Girls Tour (2007–2008).
## Background
The plan of a Spice Girls' reunion was first confirmed by Mel B in June 2005. She stated, "We'll get back together because we all want to. I know everyone is up for it. There is going to be a greatest hits album and we've got loads of new songs that nobody has heard yet." On 28 June 2007, the group held a press conference at The O2 Arena revealing their intention to reunite. During the conference, the group confirmed their intention to embark upon a worldwide concert tour, starting in Vancouver on 2 December 2007. "I want to be a Spice Girl again. We are like sisters and we have our arguments, but by the end of the day we get back together", said Emma Bunton, while Melanie Chisholm commented that the tour "will be a proper good farewell to our fans".
Initially, singer George Michael agreed to write a comeback song for them, but took longer than expected, prompting Halliwell and Bunton to write another one instead. The group's comeback single, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)", was announced as the official Children in Need charity single for 2007, and released on radio on 23 October, whilst released digitally on 5 November and commercially on 19 November 2007. Geri Halliwell described the single as a "big love song" and "a Spice Girl classic". Chisholm, in her 2008 appearance on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, commented that she thought the song was not good at all, and that at least she was against the release of any new material when the record company was trying to market the Greatest Hits release. She would later say, "'Headlines' grew on me, it really came in to its own when we toured it, and it really felt lovely on stage".
## Composition
"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" was written by the Spice Girls, along with Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe, who also produced the song. Musically, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" is a midtempo pop ballad. It is written in the key of D-flat Major, and moves at a slow tempo of 76 beats per minute. Lyrically, it talks about the group reuniting, mainly discussing their friendship throughout two decades together. They sing: "Let's make the headlines/loud and true/I wanna tell the world I'm giving it all to you/Let's make the headlines/loud and clear/the best things only happen when you are near". The song is built around an acoustic guitar, syncopated rhythms, and lilting croon-styled vocals. The subtitle references a line from their breakthrough hit, "Wannabe".
According to Spence D. from IGN, the song "pretty much fits the mold of the Girls previous outings of this down tempo variety", like "2 Become 1" and "Viva Forever". He commented, "if it hadn't been singled out as a new track you'd easily swear that it was a "lost" B-side from one of their previous albums". For Nick Levine from Digital Spy, "The Spice Girls' comeback single is as hip and modern as Jeremy Clarkson's dress sense: the simple drum loop could have been laid down while they were recording their debut album; the flamenco guitar riffs are pure 'Viva Forever'; and, nine years down the line, Mel C is still taking on all the money notes, adding some real oomph to the middle 8".
## Reception
### Critical response
"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" has received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Talia Kraines, writing for BBC Music was positive in her review, and called the song a "classic Spice ballad". According to a writer from The Daily Collegian, "for the naysayers, who say the Spice Girls time has passed, two new tunes, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" and "Voodoo" may grab your attention". Nick Levine from Digital Spy commented in his positive review, "'Headlines' won't be the first tune you skip to on the Spice Girls' Greatest Hits album – or, in all honesty, the tenth – but, as its pretty, gently melodic chorus surges gracefully, the feeling that comes over you is unmistakable. Nostalgia's a funny old thing, isn't it?"
NME gave it a mixed review, and said "new ballad "Headlines" is functional but lacks a certain, ahem, zig-a-zig aaaaaaargh." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic gave it a mixed review, commenting that, along with "Voodoo", it was "forgettable" and a "sleepy" song. The reviewer also said that the song "isn't as self-referential or clever as its title suggests". However, Rosie Swash from The Guardian provided a negative review, stating, "the Spice Girls have never been the most sincere bunch of women and between an entirely forgettable melody and lyrics that go round in circles of crap about reaching into your soul and the time being now or never", completing that the biggest sound the song made was "the echo of total hollowness".
### Commercial performance
"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" was first released in the United Kingdom. The song debuted at number 20 on 17 November 2007 on the UK Singles Chart, based on digital downloads. Two weeks later, the song climbed to its peak position of number 11, becoming the group's first single to miss the top two. Nevertheless, the single managed to reach number three on the UK Physical Singles Chart. The song debuted and peaked at number 90 on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying on the charts only for the week of 24 November 2007. "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" debuted at number 42 on the Canadian Hot 100, spending one week on the chart.
The song debuted at number 67 on the Austrian Singles Chart, the group's lowest-charting single in that country. The song debuted at number 52 on the Dutch Single Top 100 on 17 November 2007. It slipped to number 93 the following week, thus becoming the group's third single to miss the top 10 in that country. On 15 November 2007, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" debuted at number three on the Swedish Singles Chart, the Spice Girls' highest-charting single since 1998's "Goodbye". The song stayed on the charts for five weeks. The song was also successful in Italy and Spain, peaking at number two in both countries.
## Music video
On 15 October 2007 episode of Dancing with the Stars, it was confirmed by Mel B that the Spice Girls would be filming a music video for "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" the following week. The filming took place at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, England, on 19 October 2007, and was directed by Anthony Mandler. Mel B commented, "We had such a laugh. It was great to be together again", and Victoria Beckham noted, "What's really wonderful is just being able to hang out with the girls again like this". A world exclusive screening of the video, which launched the run-up to the Children in Need night, aired on BBC One on 2 November 2007.
The video opens on a stately room, with plum-coloured walls and antique furniture. Bunton opens a large, black door and is followed by Halliwell, Beckham, Mel B and Chisholm. The girls are dressed in beautiful gowns throughout the video, presumably designed by Roberto Cavalli, who designed the costumes for their then-upcoming tour. Vignettes of the girls singing together and separately are sewn together to create a collage. Fading in and out, the music video ends with the girls combined although they are at different places.
## Live performances
In November 2007, the group performed together for the first time in nearly a decade at the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, held in Los Angeles, California. The group dressed in military-themed outfits performed their old hit single "Stop" miming to a backing track, in front of giant glittering lights that spelled out "Spice" in the background. Then they performed "Headlines", wearing gowns from Roberto Cavalli, but the performance was excluded from the TV broadcast for unknown reasons. A taped performance of the group lyp-synching the song aired on 17 November 2007 for the Children in Need 2007 marathon. For this performance the singers sang the song wearing 1930s long gowns, with Halliwell in a fuchsia satin number and Chisholm dressed in black.
"Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" was also performed on their reunion tour, titled The Return of the Spice Girls Tour (2007–2008). Kitty Empire from The Observer reviewed the performance negatively, saying the song was "so unworthy of headlines that not even their fans have bought it". David Sinclair, whilst writing for The Sunday Times, also commented that "the pace flagged briefly with Headlines (Friendship Never Ends), the rather drab new song, which was accompanied by excerpts from its ill-judged promotional video". In 2019, Bunton confirmed to The Guardian that they would not perform the song on the Spice World – 2019 Tour.
## Track listings
- Digital download
1. "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" (radio version) – 3:29
- CD single
1. "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" – 3:30
2. "Wannabe" (Soul Seekerz 2007 Remix) – 6:55
## Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Greatest Hits.
### Management
- Published by Kobalt Music/Sony/ATV Music Publishing/Copyright Control/Peer Music (UK) Ltd.
### Personnel
- Spice Girls – vocals
- Matt Rowe – production
- Richard Stannard – production
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
## Charts
## Release history | [
"## Background",
"## Composition",
"## Reception",
"### Critical response",
"### Commercial performance",
"## Music video",
"## Live performances",
"## Track listings",
"## Credits and personnel",
"### Management",
"### Personnel",
"## Charts",
"## Release history"
] | 2,493 | 2,668 |
Subsets and Splits