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63,054,232 |
2020 Welsh Open (snooker)
| 1,163,248,378 |
Snooker tournament
|
[
"2020 in Welsh sport",
"2020 in snooker",
"February 2020 sports events in the United Kingdom",
"Home Nations Series",
"Sports competitions in Cardiff",
"Welsh Open (snooker)"
] |
The 2020 Welsh Open (also known as the ManBetX Welsh Open due to sponsorship) was a professional snooker tournament which took place from 10 to 16 February 2020 at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. It was the 12th ranking event of the 2019–20 snooker season, and the final tournament of the season's Home Nations Series. It was the 29th edition of the Welsh Open, first held in 1992. The event featured a prize fund of £405,000 with the winner receiving £70,000.
Neil Robertson was the defending champion, having beaten Stuart Bingham 9–7 in the 2019 final, but he lost in the quarter-finals to Kyren Wilson. Shaun Murphy won the event, with a 9–1 win over Kyren Wilson in the final. There were a total of 77 century breaks at the event, the highest made by Wilson, a maximum break of 147 in the first frame of his first-round match with Jackson Page.
## Format
The Welsh Open began as a ranking tournament in 1992. The 2020 tournament took place at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales between 10 and 16 February, the 29th edition of the event. It was the twelfth World Snooker Tour ranking competition in the 2019–20 snooker season, following the World Grand Prix and preceding the Snooker Shoot Out. It was the fourth and final event of the Home Nations Series, and featured 128 participants from the World Snooker Tour.
The defending Welsh Open champion from 2019 was Neil Robertson who won the final with a 9–7 victory over Stuart Bingham. All matches were best-of-seven until the quarter-finals, which were the best-of-nine, the semi-finals the best-of-eleven. The final was played over two , as the best-of-17 frames. The event was sponsored by sports betting company BetVictor, and broadcast locally by BBC Cymru Wales; Quest; Eurosport in Europe and Australia; CCTV, Superstars Online, Youku and Zhibo.tv in China; True sport in Thailand; Sky Sports in New Zealand and DAZN in Canada. A single qualifying match was played between two local amateur players – Darren Morgan and Gavin Lewis.
### Prize fund
The event's total prize fund is £405,000, with the winner receiving £70,000. The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:
- Winner: £70,000
- Runner-up: £30,000
- Semi-final: £20,000
- Quarter-final: £10,000
- Last 16: £7,500
- Last 32: £4,000
- Last 64: £3,000
- Highest break: £5,000
- Total: £405,000
## Summary
The opening round was played on 10 and 11 February. Local amateur Darren Morgan completed a 4–0 win over fellow Welsh amateur Gavin Lewis, but lost to Shaun Murphy 0–4 in the opening round. Ashley Carty defeated Joe Perry, 4–3 after a break of 66 in the . Soheil Vahedi defeated 20th seed Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4–2, whilst 12th seed David Gilbert was beaten by Matthew Stevens 2–4. Kyren Wilson defeated Jackson Page 4–3, and made a maximum break in the opening frame, the second of his career.
The next three rounds were played on 12 and 13 February. After defeating Jamie Clarke in the first round, defending champion Neil Robertson defeated Mark Joyce, Noppon Saengkham and completed a whitewash over Gerard Greene to reach the quarter-finals. Wilson defeated Liam Highfield, Martin O'Donnell and ninth seed Ding Junhui to play Robertson, which he won 5–0. Mark Selby defeated David Grace, Chen Zifan, Andy Lee and Zhao Xintong to play Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals, with O'Sullivan winning 5–1.
Seeded 19, Yan Bingtao defeated Michael Holt, Mitchell Mann, Stuart Bingham and Anthony McGill to reach the quarter-finals, who had defeated Luca Brecel 4–3 in the last 16. Yan defeated Higgins 5–2, where Higgins described his performance as "pathetic". Murphy defeated Alfie Burden in the second round 4–3, before beating Ben Woollaston and Dominic Dale 4–1. He met Judd Trump, the world number one, who had defeated James Cahill, Billy Joe Castle, Igor Figueiredo and Stephen Maguire in the quarter-final and won 5–3. Wilson defeated O'Sullivan in the first semi-final on a deciding frame 6–5, whilst Murphy overcame Yan by the same scoreline.
The final was played between eighth seed Kyren Wilson and tenth seed Shaun Murphy on 16 February. The final was played over two as a best-of-17 frames match. Murphy won the opening frame with a break of 108, and made a second century break, a 134, in frame eight as he won seven of the opening session frames to lead 7–1. Wilson won only frame seven during the opening session. On the resumption of the match, Murphy a to win frame nine and took frame ten with a third century break to finish a 9–1 victory. This was Murphy's second championship victory of the season, having also won the 2019 China Championship 9–8 over Mark Williams.
## Tournament draw
The results from the event is shown below. Players in bold denote match winners, whilst numbers in brackets are player's seedings.
### Qualifying round
Darren Morgan (WAL) 4–0 Gavin Lewis (WAL)
### Main draw
#### Section 1
#### Section 2
#### Section 3
#### Section 4
#### Section 5
#### Section 6
#### Section 7
#### Section 8
### Finals
### Final
## Century breaks
The event had a total of 77 century breaks made during the event, the highest being a maximum break of 147 by Kyren Wilson in the second frame of his first round match.
- 147, 136, 100 – Kyren Wilson
- 142, 131, 125, 118, 100 – Ronnie O'Sullivan
- 142, 100 – Zhao Xintong
- 141 – Lyu Haotian
- 140 – Igor Figueiredo
- 140 – Si Jiahui
- 139, 114, 111 – Matthew Stevens
- 138, 117 – Mark Selby
- 136, 128 – Stephen Maguire
- 135, 133, 121, 116 – Neil Robertson
- 135 – Luo Honghao
- 135 – Mitchell Mann
- 134, 116, 109, 108, 102, 101, 100 – Shaun Murphy
- 133 – Robert Milkins
- 132, 126, 121, 121, 101, 100, 100 – Judd Trump
- 132 – Ryan Day
- 130 – Liam Highfield
- 129 – David Grace
- 128, 117 – Luca Brecel
- 127, 122 – Barry Hawkins
- 127 – Ricky Walden
- 126, 106 – Chen Feilong
- 125, 108, 100 – Yan Bingtao
- 123 – Dominic Dale
- 120, 114 – Anthony McGill
- 117 – Robbie Williams
- 116, 110 – Ding Junhui
- 116, 107, 104, 100 – John Higgins
- 116 – Liang Wenbo
- 114, 101 – Mark Allen
- 110, 100 – Stuart Bingham
- 109 – Jimmy Robertson
- 108 – Jack Lisowski
- 108 – Tian Pengfei
- 105 – Stuart Carrington
- 104 – Andy Lee
- 101 – Xiao Guodong
- 100 – Gerard Greene
- 100 – Elliot Slessor
|
[
"## Format",
"### Prize fund",
"## Summary",
"## Tournament draw",
"### Qualifying round",
"### Main draw",
"#### Section 1",
"#### Section 2",
"#### Section 3",
"#### Section 4",
"#### Section 5",
"#### Section 6",
"#### Section 7",
"#### Section 8",
"### Finals",
"### Final",
"## Century breaks"
] | 1,739 | 22,327 |
89,013 |
Interstate H-2
| 1,170,203,899 |
Highway in Hawaii
|
[
"Interstate Highway System",
"Interstate Highways in Hawaii",
"Transportation in Honolulu County, Hawaii"
] |
Interstate H-2 (named the Veterans Memorial Freeway) is an intrastate Interstate Highway located on the island of Oʻahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The north–south freeway connects H-1 in Pearl City to Mililani and Wahiawa, where it terminates at Route 99 near Schofield Barracks.
The Interstate System was expanded to Hawaii in 1960 along several corridors, with H-2 assigned to the north–south connection between the Honolulu area and Wahiawa. Construction began in 1971, and the first section opened to traffic on October 3, 1974. The rest of H-2 was completed on February 21, 1977.
## Route description
H-2 begins at the Waiawa Interchange with H-1 in Pearl City, adjacent to Leeward Community College on the north side of Pearl Harbor. The eight-lane freeway travels north through the residential Waipio neighborhood and intersects Ka Uka Boulevard near several retailers and warehouses. H-2 then turns northeast and follows the Pānakauahi Gulch as it skirts the foothills of the Koʻolau Range, passing a solar farm and undeveloped land. The freeway turns northwest to cross Kipapa Gulch and bisects a residential neighborhood in the city of Mililani, where it intersects Meheula Parkway. The freeway narrows to four lanes as it approaches Wahiawa and turns north to travel around Wheeler Army Airfield. H-2 terminates after an interchange with Route 99, which continues west on Wilikina Drive to Schofield Barracks.
The freeway is maintained by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and is designated as part of the National Highway System, a network of economically and militarily strategic highways in the U.S. H-2 has a set of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes between the Waiawa Interchange and Mililani that are active during peak periods on weekdays. Traffic volumes on the highway, measured in terms of annual average daily traffic, ranged in 2020 from a minimum of 36,900 vehicles at its northern terminus to a maximum of 87,900 vehicles at H-1. TheBus, a city-wide bus system, operates several express routes on H-2 between Downtown Honolulu and Wahiawa.
## History
### Planning and funding
A set of Interstate Highways on O‘ahu were approved for funding by the U.S. Congress in 1960, a year after Hawaii was admitted as a state. The corridors would connect Honolulu to Naval Air Station Barbers Point to the west, Schofield Barracks to the northwest, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay to the northeast, and Diamond Head to the southeast. The Bureau of Public Roads (now the Federal Highway Administration) approved "Interstate H-2" as the designation for the Schofield Barracks corridor on August 29, 1960.
The freeway would be built parallel to a section of the Kamehameha Highway, which opened in 1921 to connect Honolulu to the North Shore and the windward side of the island. A set of three general routing options were presented at a public hearing in October 1962, all to be at least four lanes wide except for a section around Wheeler Army Airfield. The easternmost option, with an estimated cost of \$29.2 million (equivalent to \$ in ) was chosen by officials following feedback from the hearing. Construction of H-2 was scheduled to begin in 1967, but federal funding cuts deferred several Interstate projects on O‘ahu, including the Waiawa Interchange and Kipapa section of H-2.
Following the partial restoration of federal funding, HDOT opened bids in November 1967 on construction of the Waiawa Interchange with H-1. The remainder of H-2 remained indefinitely deferred, along with funding for H-3. The federal government allocated \$51 million (equivalent to \$ in ) for the entire H-2 project in October 1968, allowing for bidding on other construction contracts to open. The original embankment design of crossings for the Kipapa and Waikakalaua streams near Mililani was later replaced in 1971 with bridges to reduce costs and potential erosion issues. H-2 was described as "Hawaii's forgotten freeway" by local newspapers, as its planning was generally uncontroversial compared to other projects, such as H-3, and did not attract the attention of anti-highway activists.
### Construction and later projects
Construction on the southernmost section of H-2 began in early 1971 with work on the Waiawa Interchange. By June 1973, grading of the Pearl City–Kipapa section of the freeway was nearly complete and contracts for paving and interchange construction were prepared to be released. The remaining projects for H-2, with the exception of the Kipapa Gulch bridge, were contracted by August and under construction by the end of the year. Work on the Waikakalaua Gulch bridge near Mililani began in December 1973, while the Kipapa Gulch bridge began the following year using a cantilevered truss system. Construction on a section of the freeway near Wheeler Army Airfield unearthed the ruins of the Cabrini Chapel, a small church built by Italian prisoners of war housed at Sand Island from 1944 to 1945.
The southernmost section of the freeway, traveling two miles (3.2 km) from the Waiawa Interchange with H-1 to the Mililani Cemetery, was completed in early 1974. It was opened to traffic on October 3, 1974, after a temporary road through the cemetery was finished, connecting H-2 to the Kamehameha Highway near the Mililani Town development. Part of the freeway's northern terminus at the Wahiawa Interchange opened in October 1975 to allow traffic to bypass a congested left turn on the Kamehameha Highway. The final section of the freeway, including the Kipapa Gulch bridge, opened to traffic on February 21, 1977, after a delay while awaiting delivery of a transformer to control its lights. The entirety of H-2 cost an estimated \$43 million (equivalent to \$ in ) to construct. The freeway's HOV lanes also opened at the same time, having been added to replace an earlier plan for exclusive bus lanes, but were eliminated in January 1979 due to low use.
Construction of the freeway allowed for residential development in the Waipio Valley and around Mililani, which had been designed in conjunction with H-2 in the late 1960s. A pair of sites along the highway were also considered in the 1970s for the second Oʻahu campus of the University of Hawaiʻi, which was ultimately located at Kapolei. A new interchange with Ka Uka Boulevard was opened in July 1989 to serve new development in Waipio. The Mililani Mauka development opened in the 1990s after development closer to the freeway was approved. The Meheula Parkway interchange was rebuilt in 1993 to accommodate expected traffic and H-2 was widened to readd the HOV lanes, which opened in December 1994.
H-2 was designated as the Veterans Memorial Freeway in 2002 by the state government.
## Exit list
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"### Planning and funding",
"### Construction and later projects",
"## Exit list"
] | 1,547 | 18,644 |
214,214 |
New Jersey Route 77
| 1,145,967,303 |
State highway in southern, New Jersey, US
|
[
"State highways in New Jersey",
"Transportation in Cumberland County, New Jersey",
"Transportation in Gloucester County, New Jersey",
"Transportation in Salem County, New Jersey"
] |
Route 77 is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs 22.55 mi (36.29 km) from an intersection with Route 49 in Bridgeton in Cumberland County north to a junction with Route 45 in Mullica Hill in Gloucester County. It is a mostly two-lane, undivided road traversing through farmland in Cumberland, Salem, and Gloucester Counties. Along the way, Route 77 intersects Route 56 in Upper Deerfield Township and U.S. Route 40 (US 40) in Upper Pittsgrove Township.
Prior to 1927, the route was a branch of pre-1927 Route 6 that ran from Bridgeton to Mullica Hill. In 1927, it was designated as Route 46, which replaced the Bridgeton-Mullica Hill branch of pre-1927 Route 6. In 1953, it was renumbered to Route 77 to avoid conflicting with US 46 in the northern part of the state.
## Route description
Route 77 heads north from Route 49 and County Route 609 (CR 609) in Bridgeton, Cumberland County on Pearl Street. In a short distance, the route intersects CR 670 and then crosses CR 552, which ends a block to the west at Laurel Street. It continues north through residential areas of Bridgeton, meeting CR 665 and CR 659. Route 77 heads into a commercial area, passing under a Winchester and Western Railroad line and crossing into Upper Deerfield Township at the junction with Laurel Plaza Drive. The route intersects the western terminus of Route 56 and CR 622, where the route is briefly a four-lane road. Past this junction, Route 77 heads into farmland, where it encounters several county roads including CR 704, CR 617, and CR 658. It heads north into Seabrook, where it meets CR 743 and CR 711. Route 77 intersects CR 612 and CR 630 before crossing CR 540 in Deerfield. Past CR 540, the route has junctions with CR 640 and CR 730. Route 77 then encounters CR 614, the last county route intersection in Cumberland County.
Route 77 crosses into Upper Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, where it becomes Pole Tavern-Bridgeton Road, and crosses CR 611 in Shirley. It continues north through farms to Pole Tavern, where Route 77 meets US 40, CR 604, and CR 635 at Pole Tavern Circle. Past the Pole Tavern Circle, the route becomes Bridgeton Pike and crosses CR 660. Before leaving Salem County, Route 77 intersects two more county routes: CR 619 and CR 666.
Route 77 crosses Oldmans Creek into Elk Township, Gloucester County, meeting CR 641 and CR 616 before crossing CR 538. Past this junction, the route crosses CR 618 and enters Harrison Township. Route 77 continues northwest and enters Mullica Hill, where it intersects the northern terminus of CR 581 and heads north on South Main Street. Route 77 ends at Route 45, where Route 45 continues to the north on South Main Street.
## History
Prior to 1927, the route was a branch of pre-1927 Route 6, which had run south from Camden and split into two branches in Mullica Hill that ran to Salem and Bridgeton. In the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 46 was designated along the former branch of pre-1927 Route 6 that ran from Bridgeton to Mullica Hill. In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, which stated that no state route and U.S. route could share the same number, Route 46 was changed to Route 77 to avoid a conflict with US 46 in North Jersey.
## Major intersections
## See also
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 817 | 18,860 |
4,696,487 |
Marmon-Herrington CTLS
| 1,168,791,943 | null |
[
"History of the tank",
"Light tanks of the United States",
"Marmon-Herrington vehicles",
"Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s",
"World War II light tanks",
"World War II tanks of the United States"
] |
The Marmon-Herrington Combat Tank Light Series were a series of American light tanks/tankettes that were produced for the export market at the start of the Second World War. The CTL-3 had a crew of two and was armed with two .30 cal (7.62 mm) M1919 machine guns and one .50 cal (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun. They were originally designed to be amphibious light tanks. They were rejected by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1939, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor they were exported and used as an emergency light tank.
It primarily served in Alaska and the Dutch East Indies, while small numbers were used in the U.S. as guard tanks stationed along the U.S. coast. A total of about 700 examples were produced, and although it was declared obsolete by the Allies in 1943, it was used by the newly created Indonesian Army after the end of the Second World War, remaining in Indonesian service until 1949.
## Design and development
In the mid-1930s, the U.S. Marines required a light tank that could be used in amphibious operations. After trials with Christie amphibious tanks, Marmon Herrington produced a light, turretless tank with a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun and two .30 cal (7.62 mm) M1919 machine guns. This was the first light tank to meet USMC standards when it was designed. With a crew of two, consisting of the driver and gunner, and protected by up to 0.5 in (12.7 mm) of armor, it was named the Combat Tank Light 3 (CTL-3). All three machine guns were mounted on ball mounts on the front hull.
Fitted with bogie leaf suspension, the tank was 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) wide, 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) long, with a height of 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m). It weighed 4.7 short tons; 4.2 long tons (4,300 kg), and was powered by a Lincoln V-12, Hercules 6-cylinder gasoline engine, providing 120 hp (89 kW). It was capable of speeds of up to 33 mph (53 km/h), and had a range of 125 mi (201 km). Five prototypes were produced in 1936 to be tested. Five more were produced in 1939. Tests continued until 1940, after which the Marine Corps deemed it obsolete because of the goals to make it amphibious which left it with fragile tracks and weak armor. The Marine Corps thus relegated it to training use only.
## Service history
### American use
A small number were used by the US Marine Corps' 1st Tank and 1st Scout Companies prior to the war. Some were employed on Western Samoa. None of those tanks saw action. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Ordnance Committee determined that a few CTLS-4TAC and 4TAYs would be dispersed to the U.S. Army and employed in the Aleutian Islands campaign. Under Ordnance Committee Minutes (OCM) 18526, these examples were subsequently designated as the Light Tank T16 and Light Tank T14 respectively.
### Foreign use
Several hundred CTMS tanks were ordered by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. Of these, a small number were delivered to Java, just in time to see combat in the Dutch East Indies campaign following the Japanese invasion in early 1942, and then some of them were captured by Imperial Japanese Army. 149 from this order were diverted to Australia where they were used for training. 600 CTLS-4TACs and 4TAYs were delivered to China under Lend-Lease after Pearl Harbor. But supplying China with heavy equipment quickly proved a logistical nightmare, and having already been promised several hundred M2A4s and M3 Stuarts, China rejected the design. This left the US Army with 240 tanks it had paid for, but China didn’t want to be supplied with. After the war, the Indonesian Army is reported to have used several captured Japanese vehicles, which were captured from the Dutch, with the type remaining in Indonesian service until 1949 amidst the Indonesian National Revolution.
## Variants
- CTL-1 – Designed by Marmon-Herrington to be shipped to the Polish Army, but it was rejected by them. Only one was ever produced.
- CTL-2 – A CTL-1 with slightly thicker armor.
- CTL-3 – A tankette, fitted with one 12.7 mm (.50 cal) M2 Browning machine gun and two .30 cal (7.62 mm) M1919 machine guns. It was only a prototype. Five were produced in 1936, while another five were produced in 1939. All of them were upgraded to CTL-3M standard in 1941. Two tank platoons were assigned the CTL-3. All of the vehicles were scrapped in 1943.
- CTL-3A – An improved version of the CTL-3. The only difference was improved suspension.
- CTL-3M – An improved version of the CTL-3. All of the CTL-3s were upgraded to this standard in 1941.
- CTL-3TBD – An upgraded version of the CTL-3, although the only differences were improved tracks, suspension and the addition of an M2 machine gun. The two M2 machine guns were mounted in a turret. Only five were produced and all of them were scrapped in Samoa in 1943.
- CTLS-4TAC – Designed for export under Lend-Lease, a total of 420 were produced, originally intended for China. Six hundred 4TACs and 4TAYs were sent to China after Pearl Harbor. The remaining 240 were dispersed for emergency situations, like in Alaska. The armor was doubled and the armament consisted of three 7.62 mm (.30 cal) machine guns, one of which was mounted in a 240° traverse, hand-cranked turret. Under OCM 18526, the CTLS-4TAC was labeled Light Tank T16. All vehicles were scrapped in 1943.
- CTLS-4TAY – A CTLS-4TAC with the driver and the turret sitting on the left side of the hull. 420 were produced.
- CTL-6 – The CTL-6 was an improved version of the CTL-3. The only differences were better tracks and suspension. Only 20 were produced. They served in two tank platoons, which were sent to Samoa. All of them were scrapped there in 1943.
## Branching projects
Two other tank designs were produced by Marmon-Herrington that branched directly from the CTLS. They were both intended to be shipped to the Dutch, but were taken over by the Ordnance Department.
### CTMS-1TB1
The CTMS-1TB1 project was started in 1941 as private design to produce a light tank with a crew of three. It was armed with a 37 mm (1.5 in) automatic cannon and coaxial M1919 machine gun. That same year, Dutch authorities ordered 194 of these vehicles for service in the Dutch East Indies (later Indonesia) with Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) cavalry platoons. However, none of these vehicles had left the United States by the time that Dutch forces surrendered and the Dutch East Indies was officially occupied by Japan (8 March 1942).
The US government later commandeered 62 vehicles that had been manufactured for the KNIL. During early 1943, two were tested at the US Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds . As more robust light tanks were already being produced in sufficient numbers, the US Army officially declined the CTMS-1TB1, in May 1943.
Free Dutch forces received 26 of the tanks declined by the US Army; these were shipped to Dutch Guiana (present-day Suriname). They served with a detachment of the Prinses Irene Brigade until its deactivation in January 1946. These tanks returned to service with Dutch forces in Dutch Guiana in mid-1947. Due to their worsening technical condition only 16 were operational by 1950. The last CTMS-1TB1 in Dutch service was retired in 1957.
The US government also leased a few dozen examples of the CTMS-1TB1 to Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and Cuba. The last of these were retired by the Cuban Army during the 1960s.
### MTLS-1G14
The MTLS-1G14 project was started at the same time as the CTMS-1TB1 to produce a four-man medium tank for the Dutch Army. It was armed with two 1.5 in (37 mm) automatic cannons. It also was equipped with five M1919 machine guns, three of which were mounted on the hull, one mounted coaxially, and one mounted on the top of the turret. The armor was bolted on and measured between 0.5–1.5 in (13–38 mm) thick. The design was soon taken over by the Ordnance Department and was tested at Aberdeen in April 1943. It was rejected by the U.S. Army because it was deemed unsatisfactory in almost every respect.
## See also
- List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation
- T-40 — a comparable Soviet design
|
[
"## Design and development",
"## Service history",
"### American use",
"### Foreign use",
"## Variants",
"## Branching projects",
"### CTMS-1TB1",
"### MTLS-1G14",
"## See also"
] | 2,001 | 25,275 |
39,353,763 |
Bachata Number 1's, Vol. 3
| 1,144,948,463 |
2010 compilation album by Various Artists
|
[
"2010 compilation albums",
"Albums produced by Ivy Queen",
"Bachata compilation albums",
"Machete Music compilation albums",
"Spanish-language compilation albums"
] |
Bachata \#1's, Vol. 3 is a compilation album released by Machete Music on March 30, 2010. The album includes tracks recorded by several artists from the bachata genre, such as Aventura, Héctor Acosta, Xtreme, Ivy Queen, Grupo Rush, Andy Andy, Carlos & Alejandra, and Marcy Place. It also features select bachata versions of songs by reggaetón and Latin pop artists including R.K.M & Ken-Y, Alejandro Fernández, Luis Fonsi, and Cristian Castro.
Upon release, the album peaked at number forty-one on the Billboard Latin Albums chart and number four on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart. It became the twentieth best-selling Tropical Album of 2010. Several songs included on the album were released as singles from their respective parent albums including the opening "El Perdedor" by Aventura, "No Me Doy Por Vencido" by Luis Fonsi, and "Dime" by Ivy Queen. The fourth volume in the Bachata \#1's series was released in 2011.
## Background and repertoire
The Bachata \#1's series are several compilation albums of various artists centered on the genre of bachata. The first two in the series were released in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Bachata \#1's, Vol. 3 was released by Machete Music digitally and physically on March 30, 2010 in the United States. "El Perdedor", written by Anthony "Romeo" Santos and performed by Aventura, was released as the third and final single from the group's second live album, K.O.B. Live (2006). The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, topping both the Billboard Tropical Songs and Billboard Latin Rhythm Songs charts. The bachata-infused-R&B number has been named one of their biggest hits along with "Los Infieles", "Un Beso", and "Mi Corazoncito" among others.
The second track, "Se Me Va La Voz" by Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández was released as the lead single from his fourteenth studio album Dos Mundos: Evolución (2009). It was named the highlight of the album by Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic. It topped the Billboard Latin Songs, Billboard Latin Pop Songs, and Billboard Tropical Songs charts. The bachata version, which is included on this release, features Héctor Acosta "El Torito". "No Me Doy Por Vencido" is originally from Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi's seventh studio album Palabras Del Sliencio (2008), which includes "unexpected musical styles" including the ranchera accents that can be found on "No Me Doy Por Vencido" and its "breathtaking chorus". It topped the Billboard Latin Songs, Tropical Songs, and Latin Pop Songs charts. Xtreme performs "Lloro y Lloro" from their second studio album Chapter Dos (2008). It, along with the album, takes influence of contemporary hip-hop and R&B. "Dime" was written by Puerto Rican singer Ivy Queen along with the producers Monserrate & DJ Urba. It was serviced to radio as the lead single from Queen's first live album, Ivy Queen 2008 World Tour LIVE! (2008) in both bachaton and bachata versions. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, number four on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart, and number one on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Songs chart. It spent seven consecutive weeks atop the chart.
Héctor Acosta's "Sin Perdon" originates from his second studio album Mitad/Mitad (2008). It reached twenty-six on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, however topped the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. "Jasmine" is performed Dominican bachata group Grupo Rush's, which is composed of Damian, Migz, Lenny, and Khriz. It is a single from their debut album We On Fire (2009). The song became a top ten hit on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. Dominican Bachata singer Andy Andy performs "Agua Pasada" which is from his seventh studio album Placer y Castigo (2009). It reached number eleven on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. Puerto Rican reggaetón duo R.K.M & Ken-Y recorded "Vicio Del Pecado" in bachata in collaboration with Héctor Acosta, who makes his third appearance on this release. It was previously featured on the duo's second studio effort, The Royalty: La Realeza (2008). Carlos & Alejandra's "Cuanto Duele" appears on their debut album La Introduccion (2009) and the tenth track on this release. It reached number six on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. "El Culpable Soy Yo" by Cristian Castro is from the album of the same name. It reached the top ten of both the Billboard Latin Songs and Tropical Songs chart. "Dame Un Chance (Nena)" is performed by urban bachata group Marcy Place from their debut album B From Marcy Place (2008). It peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.
## Reception and commercial performance
Upon release, the album debuted at number forty-five on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart for the week of April 17, 2010. Sales increased slightly and the album rose two positions to number forty-one for the week of April 24, 2010 It spent an additional week at that position before falling to number fifty-six, two weeks later on the issue date May 15, 2010. In its sixth week, the album again fell to number seventy. The recording ended its reign on the chart a week later at number seventy-four for the issue dated May 29, 2010.
On the Billboard Tropical Albums chart, the album debuted at number five behind Aventura's The Last, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico's Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso, Prince Royce's debut studio album and Ciclos by Luis Enrique for the week of April 17, 2010. In its second week, it rose to number four replacing Ciclos. It remained at the number four spot for four weeks. It spent nine weeks within the top ten of the chart. Bachata \#1's, Vol. 3 became the twentieth best-selling Tropical Album of 2010. Five of the songs included on this release are number-one singles, these include "El Perdedor", "Se Me Va La Voz", "No Me Doy Por Vencido", "Dime", and "Sin Perdon".
## Track listing
- Track listing adapted from the album liner notes.
## Charts
### Weekly charts
### Yearly charts
## Release history
|
[
"## Background and repertoire",
"## Reception and commercial performance",
"## Track listing",
"## Charts",
"### Weekly charts",
"### Yearly charts",
"## Release history"
] | 1,419 | 37,743 |
17,950,838 |
The Double (Seattle Mariners)
| 1,173,141,086 |
Deciding play in a game of the 1995 American League Division Series
|
[
"1995 Major League Baseball season",
"1995 in Seattle",
"1995 in sports in Washington (state)",
"American League Division Series",
"Division Series games",
"Historic baseball plays",
"New York Yankees postseason",
"October 1995 sports events in the United States",
"Seattle Mariners postseason"
] |
The Double was a double hit by the Seattle Mariners' Edgar Martínez in Game 5 of Major League Baseball's 1995 American League Division Series on October 8, 1995. Trailing by one run in the bottom half of the 11th inning, with Joey Cora on third base and Ken Griffey Jr. on first, Martinez's hit drove in Cora and Griffey, giving the Mariners a 6–5 victory over the New York Yankees to clinch the series, 3–2. The play is held to be the "biggest hit in franchise history".
Amid rumors that the team would be sold and/or relocated, the Mariners—who had produced only two winning seasons (1991 and 1993) since beginning play in 1977—mounted a late-season comeback in 1995 to clinch their first postseason appearance in franchise history. They then mounted a series of comebacks in the ALDS, first overcoming a 2-game series deficit to force a deciding Game 5, then tying Game 5 in the 8th inning to force extra innings, and finally a one-run 11th inning deficit that was overcome by the Double.
The hit is regarded as the defining moment of Martinez's 18-year Hall of Fame career. Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus' call of the play—which is equally memorable to Seattle fans as the play itself—is also regarded as the highlight of his career. The play is also credited with keeping a Major League Baseball team in the city of Seattle, as it helped garner support for a new taxpayer-funded stadium for the Mariners. That stadium, known today as T-Mobile Park (it was originally known as Safeco Field through the end of the 2018 season), opened in 1999, with the Double depicted in a mural as part of the stadium's art collection.
## Background
### Relocation rumors
For several years the Mariners had been dogged by rumors that the team's ownership group led by Jeff Smulyan had been considering selling and/or relocating the team to a different city. This was primarily due to low attendance and revenue caused by the team's losing ways (prior to 1995, they only had two seasons with a winning percentage over .500). In addition, the Kingdome was known for its drab baseball environment and it was beginning to fall apart, causing Mariners games to require rescheduling in 1994.
In 1992, Smulyan's ownership group sold the Mariners to the Baseball Club of Seattle, a consortium led by Hiroshi Yamauchi and later Nintendo of America. Almost immediately, the new ownership group began campaigning with local and state governments to gain public funding for a new stadium. (In 2016, Nintendo of America sold most shares of Seattle Mariners ownership held by it to a new ownership group, though Nintendo retained a 10% ownership of the team after the sale was completed.)
In an election held on September 19, 1995, the residents of King County voted against a 1-percentage-point sales tax increase to fund the building of a replacement stadium. As a result, the ownership group set an October 30 deadline for local leadership to come up with a plan to finance a new stadium, or they would put the team up for sale.
### Mariners make the postseason
After being as many as 13 games out of first place at the beginning of August, the Mariners mounted a late-season comeback that, coupled with a late-season collapse by the California Angels, forced a tiebreaker between the two teams. The Mariners won the tiebreaker, 9–1, winning their first division title and postseason trip in franchise history.
In the ALDS, the Mariners quickly fell into a 2–0 deficit to the heavily favored Yankees in the best-of-five series. However, the Mariners won the next two games and forced a "winner-takes-all" Game 5 at the Kingdome.
## The play
After the Yankees took a 4–2 lead on a Don Mattingly 2-RBI double in the 6th inning, the Mariners came back to tie the score at 4 in the 8th inning and eventually forced extra innings. In the top of the 11th inning, the Yankees scored a run on an RBI single by Randy Velarde off of Mariners ace Randy Johnson and were three outs from reaching the American League Championship Series.
In the bottom half of the inning, Yankees ace Jack McDowell, who had entered the game in the 9th inning for a rare relief appearance, faced Joey Cora, Ken Griffey Jr., and Edgar Martínez—the second, third, and fourth batters in the Mariners' order, respectively. Second baseman Cora dragged a bunt down the first base line and reached first base safely on an infield hit. Yankees manager Buck Showalter argued the call, believing Cora should have been called out for running off the baselines; however, the umpires' ruling stood. Center fielder Griffey singled to short right-center field, allowing Cora to reach third base. Designated hitter Martinez then doubled down the left field line, scoring Cora with the tying run and Griffey with the winning run. The Mariners' dugout emptied and mobbed Griffey, Martinez, and Cora on the field in celebration of the franchise's first ever playoff series victory.
### Dave Niehaus' call
Dave Niehaus's radio call of the Double is as memorable to Seattle fans as the play itself and became one of the hallmarks of Niehaus's Ford C. Frick Award-winning career:
> Right now, the Mariners looking for the tie. They would take a fly ball; they would love a base hit into the gap and they could win it with Junior's speed. The stretch and the 0–1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martínez; swung on and lined down the left field line for a base hit! Here comes Joey! Here is Junior to third base, they're going to wave him in! The throw to the plate will be...LATE! The Mariners are going to play for the American League Championship! I don't believe it! It just continues! My oh My! Edgar Martínez with a double ripped down the left field line and they are going crazy at the Kingdome!
### Brent Musburger's call
ABC Sports through The Baseball Network broadcast the Double on television. Brent Musburger along with color commentator Jim Kaat and field reporter Jack Arute called Game 5:
> No balls and a strike to Martínez. Line drive, we are tied! Griffey is coming around! In the corner is Bernie. He's going to try to score! Here's the division championship! Mariners win it! Mariners win it!
Musberger's call, dramatic as it was, incorrectly implied that Bernie Williams fielded the double in left. Bernie was playing center field at the time. Gerald Williams was in left field playing the ball and making the late throw back to the infield.
### John Sterling's call
In New York, the Double was described on radio by John Sterling on WABC:
> The 0-1; the pitch...LINED...base hit down the left field line! The tying run scores! Griffey heads towards third...he's being sent in! The throw home is...not in time! Seattle wins! Seattle wins the Division Series on a double by Edgar Martínez!
## Off-field significance and legacy
### Keeping the Mariners in Seattle
The Mariners' late season comeback, their first division title in franchise history, and ultimately the Double, brought the Seattle fan base back to life and sparked a desire to keep the team in town. Lou Piniella, the Mariners' manager from 1993 to 2002, called Martínez's hit and the 1995 postseason "the hit, the run, the game, the series and the season that saved baseball in Seattle." Soon after the events of October 8, the Washington State Legislature held a special session and approved an alternative funding package to enable the building of a new ballpark, which culminated in the construction of Safeco Field. Since 2019, the ballpark has been known as T-Mobile Park.
### Legacy
The Double is regarded by Seattle fans and Martínez himself as the defining moment of Martínez's 18-year Major League Baseball career – which was played exclusively with the Mariners – and was one of several highlights of Mariners franchise history in which Martínez played a major role. In 2004, the city of Seattle renamed a street near T-Mobile Park "Edgar Martínez Drive" to honor Martínez's contributions to the Mariners, including his double that "saved baseball in Seattle." Martínez was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame in 2007, and he was subsequently inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2007, when Griffey returned to Seattle for the first time since his 1999 trade to the Cincinnati Reds, the image of him at the bottom of the dog-pile after scoring the winning run was included in a photo collage of highlights of Griffey's Mariners career. It was presented to him by former teammates Martínez and Jay Buhner (both retired by then).
The image of Griffey sliding into home plate has been immortalized at T-Mobile Park in a mural created by Thom Ross called The Defining Moment.
Griffey's slide into home plate was also the inspiration behind the title of the 1996 video game Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run.
The game would be Buck Showalter's last as Yankees manager and Don Mattingly's final game as a player before his retirement. During the offseason the Yankees would acquire Mariners first baseman Tino Martinez, who would go on to be part of the Yankees' 1996 World Series winning team, their first under new manager Joe Torre.
The play is featured prominently in SB Nation's third episode of Dorktown: The History of the Seattle Mariners.
## Scoring
## See also
- 1995 Seattle Mariners season
- 1995 New York Yankees season
- 1995 American League Division Series
- 1995 American League West tie-breaker game
|
[
"## Background",
"### Relocation rumors",
"### Mariners make the postseason",
"## The play",
"### Dave Niehaus' call",
"### Brent Musburger's call",
"### John Sterling's call",
"## Off-field significance and legacy",
"### Keeping the Mariners in Seattle",
"### Legacy",
"## Scoring",
"## See also"
] | 2,101 | 30,060 |
10,088,066 |
The X-Files Mythology, Volume 2 – Black Oil
| 1,070,867,286 | null |
[
"Television videos and DVDs",
"The X-Files (franchise)"
] |
Volume 2 of The X-Files Mythology collection is the second DVD release containing selected episodes from the third to the fifth seasons of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The episodes collected in the release form the middle of the series' mythology, and are centered on the discovery of a mind-altering extraterrestrial "black oil".
The collection contains five episodes from the third season, eight from the fourth season, and two from the fifth. The episodes follow the investigations of paranormal-related cases, or X-Files, by FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. Events covered in the episodes include the assassination of a secretive informant, Scully's diagnosis with cancer and Mulder's apparent suicide.
Production for many of the episode's included in the collection required extensive effects. The titular black oil's on-screen appearance was achieved through visual effects; the shimmering oil effect was digitally placed over the actors' corneas in post-production. Steven Williams, William B. Davis, Mitch Pileggi and Laurie Holden all play supporting roles in the collection. Released on August 2, 2005, the collection received mostly positive reviews from critics.
## Plot summary
The collection opens with the two-part episodes "Nisei" and "731". Investigating evidence of an alien autopsy, FBI special agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) infiltrates a secretive government train carriage carrying an alien-human hybrid. Mulder is almost killed by a Syndicate operative guarding the hybrid, but is saved by his informant X (Steven Williams). X had been tipped off about Mulder's activities by the agent's partner Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Scully, meanwhile, meets a group of women with abduction experiences similar to her own, and meets another member of the Syndicate known as the First Elder (Don S. Williams), who claims during her abduction she was placed on a similar train car and experimented upon by the Japanese scientists.
The crew of a French salvage ship trying to raise a World War II–era submarine from the sea floor are stricken with massive radiation burns—except for one, who has been infected with a parasitic black oil discovered on the submarine. The oil, controlling the crewman's body, passes into the crewman's wife and travels to Hong Kong in pursuit of a middleman selling government secrets, who Mulder has also been pursuing. After Mulder catches Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) in Hong Kong, the oil passes itself to Krycek. Scully finds that the submarine had been involved in discovering the oil on the sea floor during World War II, under the guise of finding a sunken fighter plane. The infected Krycek makes his way to a missile silo used to hide a UFO, and the oil escapes his body to board the craft. Meanwhile, Scully has tracked down Luis Cardinal, the man responsible for killing her sister.
When the Syndicate suspect that one of their members is passing information to Mulder and Scully, they organise a canary trap to find the leak, using information about the safety of Mulder's mother as bait. X's role as an informant is discovered, and he is shot dead, although he is able to pass along the name of another informant who can be of use to Mulder—Marita Covarrubias (Laurie Holden), the Special Representative to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Covarrubias' aid is sought when Mulder attempts to reach Tunguska in Russia to investigate the source of a further black oil contamination. Whilst there, Mulder is held in a gulag and used as a successful test subject for a black oil vaccine. He escapes and is able to return to America, having found that Krycek is working with the Russians.
Having been diagnosed with cancer, Scully is unsure of her future with the FBI. Mulder is convinced that her condition is a result of her earlier abduction, and is prepared to make a deal with the Syndicate to find a cure. He is dissuaded by Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), who secretly makes such a deal instead. While being pursued by an assassin responsible for a hoax alien corpse discovered on a mountaintop, Mulder fakes his own suicide, mutilating the assassin's face to provide a decoy body. He uses the distraction this offers to infiltrate The Pentagon to find a cure for Scully's cancer, while Scully is able to uncover and reveal a Syndicate connection within the FBI.
## Background
During the third season the black oil was introduced, an alien entity that invaded bodies and made them into living hosts. The black oil was able to enter through a victim's mouth, eyes or nose; it would leave a victim's body to revert to its original form or find a new host. The oil is revealed to be a tool used by the Colonists, brought to Earth by meteorites to create hosts of the human population living there. The fourth season episodes "Tunguska" and "Terma" were conceived by the writers when they were trying to conceive a "big and fun canvas" to tell stories. They decided to create a story which had connections to the Russian gulags, which led to the "natural" idea that the Russians were experimenting separately from the Syndicate to create a vaccine for the black oil. Writer John Shiban felt it was natural creating an arms race-like story between the United States and Russia, being that the Cold War had ended a few years earlier. The inspiration for the oil-containing rocks was NASA's announcement of possible evidence of extraterrestrial life in the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite; while the gulag scenes were based on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's books The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The on-screen appearance of the black oil was achieved through visual effects; the shimmering oil effect was digitally placed over the actors' corneas in post-production. The crew went through various iterations to find the two "right" types of fluids. According to physical effects crewman David Gauthier, they used a mix of oil and acetone, which he believed gave the substance a more globular look. During the filming of "Apocrypha", Nicholas Lea was fitted with a mask with tubes for the scene where the alien black oil leaves his body. Lea said filming the scene was horrible, and the scene ended up having to be filmed again a few days later. A similar scene from the start of the episode with the submarine captain was accomplished using a dummy head.
The decision to have the character of X killed off in "Herrenvolk" was made at the end of the third season. The writers felt that they could only do so much with the character and decided that they would either make him a bigger character in the series, or have him pay the price for collaborating with Mulder. The show's producers decided to give Gillian Anderson's character Dana Scully cancer early in the fourth season. Carter initially discussed giving Scully's mother cancer but decided to have Scully suffer from it instead. Carter felt the move would give the show an interesting platform on which to discuss things such as faith, science, health care and a certain element of the paranormal. Some of the writing staff felt that the decision was a poor one to make, citing it as "a cheap TV thing". However, Frank Spotnitz felt that, given the appearances of cancer-stricken abductees in previous episodes, it was an "obligatory" move to have Scully follow suit.
## Reception
Released on August 2, 2005, the collection has received generally positive reviews from critics. Slant Magazine's Keith Uhlich rated it three-and-a-half stars out of five, noting that there is "an unabashed confidence to these episodes", although this "comes with something of a price as the thrill and surprise of season two mythology stories like "Colony" and "End Game" are replaced by a nagging suspicion that the writers are starting to tread water". Uhlich singles out "Talitha Cumi" as the collection's highlight, calling it "an overall mindblower". Writing for DVD Talk, Jeffrey Robinson was impressed with the collection, calling it "highly recommended". However, he felt that the cohesion between the episodes was lacking somewhat, and that the two-part episodes "Tempus Fugit" and "Max" did not add much to the overall storyline. Exclaim!'s Monica S. Kuebler, on the other hand, felt negatively about the collection. She too felt that the interrupted nature of the episodes caused a lack of "believable" pacing, and noted that the release "feels like a blatant cash grab by Fox to milk an old franchise while they still can".
## Episodes
## Special features
|
[
"## Plot summary",
"## Background",
"## Reception",
"## Episodes",
"## Special features"
] | 1,843 | 19,996 |
72,643,731 |
P. Kodanda Rao
| 1,168,340,724 |
Indian social and independence activist (1889-1975)
|
[
"1889 births",
"1975 deaths",
"Indian independence activists",
"Politicians from Visakhapatnam"
] |
Pandurangi Kodanda Rao (25 December 1889 – 23 July 1975) was an Indian social and independence activist who served as a member and secretary of the Indian socio-political organization Servants of India Society between 1922 and 1958. He was the private secretary to V. S. Srinivasa Sastri with whom he traveled as an advisor and delegate to multiple Round Table Conferences and other international conferences. Rao was also an associate of Indian freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi and assisted him in his campaigns against untouchability. Rao wrote extensively on topics including overseas Indians, emigration, immigration, and Indian politics under British rule.
## Early life
Rao was born in Visakhapatnam in the present day Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on 25 December 1889. He completed his Master of Arts degree from Presidency College from the University of Madras in 1915. After his graduation, he served as a botany professor at the Central College, Bangalore from 1915 to 1921. He was a Carnegie Scholar at Yale University between 1934 and 1935.
## Career
Rao applied for membership of the Servants of India Society, a socio-political organization founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, after his graduation. His application was rejected by V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, noting that he was too young. Rao then went to Central College, Bangalore, where he worked as a professor of Botany for six years before successfully applying for the society's membership in 1922. He served the society for 37 years before stepping down in 1958. During this time, he served as the secretary of the society, starting in 1930, and was also the editor of the society's magazine Servant of India. He also served as the president of the Indian Council of World Affairs where he was based out of the council's Bangalore branch.
Rao served as the private secretary to V. S. Srinivasa Sastri between 1922 and 1932. He accompanied Sastri to the Round Table Conferences in London and South Africa. He also accompanied Sastri when he was the Agent General of the Government of India to South Africa between 1927 and 1928. He was also a member of the Indian delegation to the Round Table Conferences between India and South Africa in 1926 and 1932. He was also the advisor to India's delegate to the permanent migrations committee at the International Labour Organization in Montreal in 1946. He traveled extensively studying the conditions of Indians overseas. Rao was also Sastri's biographer and wrote two books including The Right Honourable V.S. Srinivasa Sastri: A Political Biography (1963) and another titled Gokhale and Sastri (1961). His biography of Sastri won the Watumull Memorial Prize in 1966. Rao also served as a member of the academic and executive councils of Nagpur University between 1937 and 1942. Rao was a member of the post-war Indian delegation to Malaya to report on the post-war conditions of Indians in the region.
Rao was a personal friend of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and also assisted him in his campaigns against untouchability. The two often exchanged extensive letters. In one of those letters, Gandhi clarified the role of Henry David Thoreau in shaping his views on Civil resistance.
Rao wrote extensively in various journals on topics relating to Indians overseas, emigration, immigration, and Indian politics under the British Rule. Writing in The New York Times in 1935, he decried the Government of India Act 1935 as limiting and preventing the country from moving towards freedom and a dominion status. He also wrote books including East vs West: Denial of Contrast, Culture Conflicts: Cause and Cure, and Foreign friends of India's freedom. Rao's book, Foreign Friends of India's freedom, was a collection of broadcasts commissioned by the All India Radio on the 25th anniversary of India's independence. Rao was the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1963.
Rao also served on various governmental committees, including the Madhya Pradesh Prohibition Enquiry Committee (1951), set up by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was a dissenting voice when the report was finally submitted and wrote a separate dissenting note. He was also a member of the Deck Passenger Committee (1950) set up by the Ministry of Commerce to provide recommendations on passenger traffic services along the Indian coast.
## Personal life
Rao was married to Mary Louise Campbell Rao, an American, whom he met in Hawaii when he was there attending a conference on race relations. The couple met in 1936 and were married in 1937 in Poona. They lived their later years in Basavanagudi in Bangalore, in a house that was named 'Aloha'. In a dedication to his wife in his book East vs West, Rao wrote "She, of the occident, and I, of the orient deny East vs West and proclaim the Unity of Civilization". He also dedicated his book, Foreign Friends of India's Freedom, to his wife.
Rao died in Bangalore on 23 July 1975. He was aged 85.
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Career",
"## Personal life"
] | 1,103 | 24,407 |
70,148,368 |
Zoom! (poetry book)
| 1,166,862,435 |
2020 poetry book by Simon Armitage
|
[
"1989 poetry books",
"Bloodaxe Books books"
] |
Zoom! is a 1989 book of poetry by the British poet Simon Armitage, and his first full-length collection. It was selected as a Poetry Book Society Choice, shortlisted for the Whitbread Poetry Award, and was made the PBS Autumn choice.
The book has been welcomed by critics, who have noted its variety of literary devices including alliteration, assonance, enjambment, and imagery. They have admired his witty understated style and use of real-life speech to examine ordinary life in West Yorkshire.
## Author
Simon Armitage is an English poet, playwright and novelist. He was appointed as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds and became Oxford Professor of Poetry when he was elected to the four-year part-time appointment from 2015 to 2019. He was born and raised in Marsden, West Yorkshire. At the start of his career, and at the time Zoom!, his first full-length poetry collection, was published, he was working as a probation officer. He gained the confidence to submit his poetry to magazines through weekly poetry workshops run by the poet Peter Sansom at Huddersfield Polytechnic (as it then was). Looking back on the work he did in that period, Armitage comments that "the writing was just for fun", and that Sansom was "a guru figure for me".
## Book
### Publication history
Zoom! was published in 1989 as a paperback by Bloodaxe Books in Hexham, Northumberland. Many of the collected poems were first published in three of Armitage's pamphlets, namely the 1986 Human Geography, the 1987 The Distance Between Stars and the 1987 The Walking Horses. It was reprinted in 2002, and translated into German as Zoom! Gedichte in 2011.
### Synopsis
Zoom! is a collection of 61 poems, 49 of them less than a page in length. They are grouped in a single list. There is no introduction, and there are no illustrations.
## Awards
The book was selected as a Poetry Book Society Choice. It was shortlisted for the Whitbread Poetry Award. It was also the PBS Autumn choice; John Harvey of Slow Dancer, which published some of Armitage's works including The Walking Horses in 1988, commented that "this kind of success is not so much rare as unheard of."
## Analysis
Sarah Crown, writing in The Guardian, comments that "Snow Joke", the first poem in the collection, at once set up his style with its opening line "Heard the one about the guy from Heaton Mersey?" Crown describes the poem as playing out a classic Armitage psychodrama, as a hubristic middle-aged married man, complete with mistress in another town, is found dead in his car, having ignored police warnings and driven through the snow. She admires the poem's ending, with its "final, ethereal image of the car buried in snow, its 'horn, moaning / softly like an alarm clock under an eiderdown'". In her view, comparing Armitage to Philip Larkin, this elevates the poem from its humdrum setting "to ethereal heights with a well-placed phrase".
The critic and scholar of English literature Oliver Tearle, analysing the poem "Poem" in the collection under the subtitle "A reading of one of his best poems", calls everything about it understated, including its title. He notes that it begins with "And", as if it was part of something else, and that each line ends unexpressively with a full stop. In terms of content, he states, the poem is an obituary, speaking about and explicitly rating a man in the past tense. The poem names the good things he did, and three times mentions his "darker and less pleasant" side, occasionally being angry and violent. In Tearle's view, Armitage invites the reader to see the man as an average person, "a decent enough sort", with the implication that "nobody is outright good" or bad. The poem has fourteen lines, and its structure as three quatrains and a rhymed couplet suggest that it is a sonnet. However, Tearle writes, Armitage's rhyming structure is innovative, so that in the first two ABAB couplets, the rhymes could almost be AAAA, all four lines ending with an assonant syllable containing long "I" vowel; and so on throughout. This has the effect, Tearle suggests, of mixing up and aligning the man's good and bad deeds, implying moral complexity in the actions of everyman.
Emma Baldwin writes on Poem Analysis that the title poem, Zoom!, which appears last in the book, makes use of a variety of literary devices including alliteration, enjambment, and imagery. The poem is in free verse but has structure, each couplet consisting of a long line and a much shorter line, in Baldwin's view forcing the reader to move their eyes rapidly from side to side, creating a rapid pace.
## Reception
Poetry critics have stated that Zoom! marked Armitage as an exciting new voice in English poetry, and gained him wide critical acclaim. Jo Livingstone, in The New Yorker, calls Armitage "a decidedly modern poet", citing the collection's title, albeit "one who is known for his accessibility and his respect for the performative aspect of poetry." Crown describes Armitage's style in the book as "Northern and vernacular, dramatic and jaggedly witty".
The poet and novelist Ruth Padel writes in The Independent that the book "made real-life speech and activity the centre of a tungsten-tough poetry of deadpan flair and casual, leave-it-there humour. The cleverness was in the angle. Armitage wrote about grow-bags, walk-in wardrobes, brake-fluid, cashing the Giro, dumping granny at the old people's home."
Recalling the period when he was writing Zoom!, Armitage stated that he had no realistic expectation of being published, so writing poetry was "just for fun", something that is inevitably lost after becoming "an 'author'". He quoted a "blurb writer" who wrote that "Zoom! rocketed [Armitage] to poetic stardom", noting that he was still working in probation four years later. Stating that the book was "never intended as a manifesto", he writes that what Zoom! actually achieved was to magnify everyday life in semi-rural West Yorkshire, the twenty-something Armitage "trying to articulate inner landscapes against a backdrop of knackered industries and sweeping moors, using a language and dialect passed down through generations but spiked with the vernacular of postmodernism and post-punk."
|
[
"## Author",
"## Book",
"### Publication history",
"### Synopsis",
"## Awards",
"## Analysis",
"## Reception"
] | 1,418 | 11,772 |
44,155,451 |
John Komnenos (Domestic of the Schools)
| 1,165,099,362 |
Byzantine military leader (c. 1015–1067)
|
[
"1010s births",
"1067 deaths",
"11th-century Byzantine people",
"Byzantine generals",
"Domestics of the Schools",
"Komnenos dynasty",
"Kouropalatai"
] |
John Komnenos (Greek: Ἰωάννης Κομνηνός, Iōannēs Komnēnos; c. 1015 – 12 July 1067) was a Byzantine aristocrat and military leader. The younger brother of Emperor Isaac I Komnenos, he served as Domestic of the Schools during Isaac's brief reign (1057–59). When Isaac I abdicated, Constantine X Doukas became emperor and John withdrew from public life until his death in 1067. Through his son Alexios I Komnenos, who became emperor in 1081, he was the progenitor of the Komnenian dynasty that ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 until 1185, and the Empire of Trebizond from 1204 until 1461.
## Life
John Komnenos was born c. 1015 as the younger son of the patrikios Manuel Erotikos Komnenos, a senior military commander in the late reign of Basil II (r. 976–1025). He is first mentioned in 1057, the year his elder brother Isaac I Komnenos, at the head of a group of generals, rebelled against Michael VI (r. 1056–1057) and forced him off the throne. At the time of the revolt, John held the post of doux, but after his brother's victory, he was raised to the rank of kouropalates and appointed as Domestic of the Schools of the West. Nothing is known of John's activities during his brother's reign, although Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger, who married John's granddaughter Anna Komnene, says that in his capacity as Domestic of the West he left his (unspecified) acts as an "immortal monument" to the people of the Balkan provinces.
Isaac's reign was cut short by his clash with the powerful Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Keroularios, who had been instrumental in securing Michael VI's abdication, and the powerful civil aristocracy of the capital. Keroularios and his supporters led the opposition against Isaac's stringent economizing policies, forcing him to resign on 22 November 1059, after which he withdrew to the Stoudios Monastery. The crown then passed to Constantine X Doukas (r. 1059–1067), although Bryennios asserts that it was first offered to John, who refused it, despite the pressure of his wife, Anna Dalassene, to accept. According to the historian Konstantinos Varzos, however, this version is suspect, and may well be a post-fact attempt at legitimizing the eventual usurpation of the throne by John's son, Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118).
John is not mentioned in the sources during the reign of Constantine X, perhaps indicating, according to Konstantinos Varzos, that he was in imperial disfavour, despite Bryennios' assertion that both he and his brother remained much honoured by the new emperor. The late 12th-century typikon of the Monastery of Christ Philanthropos, founded by Alexios I's wife Irene Doukaina, is the only source to record that John Komnenos retired to a monastery, probably at the same time as his wife, Anna Dalassene. He died as a monk on 12 July 1067.
## Family
John Komnenos married Anna Dalassene, the daughter of Alexios Charon, most likely in 1044. Anna, born c. 1028, long outlived her husband and after his death ran the family as its undisputed matriarch. Anna became involved in conspiracies against the Doukas family, whom she never forgave for taking the throne in 1059. Later she also played a major role in the successful overthrow of Nikephoros III Botaneiates (r. 1078–1081) and the rise of her son Alexios to the throne. After that, and for about fifteen years, she served as the virtual co-ruler of the empire alongside her son. She then retired to a monastery, where she died in 1100 or 1102.
With Anna, John had eight children, five boys and three girls:
- Manuel Komnenos (c. 1045 – 1071), kouropalates and protostrator, married a relative of Romanos IV Diogenes (r. 1068–1071)
- Maria Komnene [Wikidata] (c. 1047 – after 1094), married the panhypersebastos Michael Taronites
- Isaac Komnenos (c. 1050 – 1102/4), sebastokrator, married Irene, daughter of the ruler of Alania
- Eudokia Komnene [Wikidata] (c. 1052 – before 1136), married Nikephoros Melissenos
- Theodora Komnene [Wikidata] (c. 1054 – before 1136), married the kouropalates Constantine Diogenes, son of Romanos IV
- Alexios Komnenos (1057–1118), the future emperor, married Irene Doukaina
- Adrianos Komnenos (c. 1060 – 1105), protosebastos, married Zoe Doukaina
- Nikephoros Komnenos (c. 1062 – after 1136), sebastos and droungarios of the fleet
|
[
"## Life",
"## Family"
] | 1,171 | 3,209 |
4,408,678 |
Stefan Wever
| 1,173,497,065 |
German baseball player (1958–2022)
|
[
"1958 births",
"2022 deaths",
"Albany-Colonie Yankees players",
"Columbus Clippers players",
"Fort Lauderdale Yankees players",
"Lowell High School (San Francisco) alumni",
"Major League Baseball pitchers",
"Major League Baseball players from Germany",
"Nashville Sounds players",
"New York Yankees players",
"Oneonta Yankees players",
"Sportspeople from Marburg",
"UC Santa Barbara Gauchos baseball players"
] |
Stefan Matthew Wever (April 22, 1958 – December 27, 2022) was a German-born American professional baseball pitcher, who played a single Major League Baseball game with the New York Yankees in 1982, recording the loss, a 27.00 earned run average (ERA), and two strikeouts in that game.
Born in West Germany, Wever moved to the United States as a child, where he took up baseball. He played baseball in high school and the University of California, Santa Barbara, which led to him being drafted by the New York Yankees. After four seasons in the minor leagues, Wever made his major league debut on September 17, 1982. In his debut, he suffered a shoulder injury, which he tried to pitch through for two years before having surgery in 1984. He tried to come back from the injury in 1985, but retired. After retiring, he opened a bar in San Francisco, which he continued to run.
## Early life
Wever was born in Marburg, West Germany, in 1958. He immigrated to the United States with his mother and twin sister at six and lived in Boston until he was 12, when he moved to San Francisco. He attended Lowell High School, where he played on the school's baseball team. During his senior year, Wever helped lead the Lowell Cardinals to the city championship game, and he graduated in 1976.
After graduating from high school, Wever was not looked at by college recruiters due to a lack of competition he faced. As a result, he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara on an academic scholarship, and walked on to the school's baseball team. In three seasons with the Santa Barbara Gauchos, he had 18 wins, 17 losses, 199 strikeouts, and 15 complete games; the losses and complete games were at that time school records. After his junior year, Wever was drafted by the New York Yankees in the sixth round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft. He was given a signing bonus of \$16,000, and officially signed with the team shortly after the draft concluded.
## Baseball career
Wever began his professional career in 1979 with the Oneonta Yankees of the New York–Penn League (NYPL). He pitched in ten games for the team, finishing the season with a 6–3 record, a 1.77 earned run average (ERA), and 70 strikeouts. In the Yankees' championship series against the Geneva Cubs, he pitched a shutout and threw nine strikeouts to win the first game and help the Yankees win the NYPL Championship. The following year, Wever was promoted to the Fort Lauderdale Yankees of the Florida State League. That year, he had a 7–3 record, a 3.64 ERA and 94 innings pitched in 15 games.
In 1981, Wever began the season remaining with Fort Lauderdale. He had a 7–3 record and a 2.00 ERA in 12 games before being promoted to the Nashville Sounds of the Southern League, the Yankees' AA affiliate. With Nashville, he had a 5–2 record and 2.05 ERA in nine appearances. Wever's pitching coach in Nashville was Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm. Wilhelm felt he had the ability but not the confidence to pitch in the majors, and spent his time in Nashville working on that aspect of Wever's game. The following season, Weber was almost unanimously named to the Southern League All-Star team, thanks to 11 wins and 116 strikeouts through the end of June. He improved to a 16–6 record, a 2.78 ERA, and 191 strikeouts, won the Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award, and accomplished the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. He led Nashville to the Southern League championship, and right after doing so, the Yankees called Wever up to the major leagues.
His first and only major league appearance came against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 17, 1982. The first two batters he faced were Paul Molitor and Robin Yount, both future Hall of Famers, one of only a few players in history to do so. The fourth batter he faced was Ted Simmons, also a future Hall of Famer. Partway through the first inning, he felt a twinge in his shoulder; not wanting to leave his first game early, he pitched through it, and allowed five runs in the first. Partway through the third, after three more runs allowed, Wever was taken out of the game. He pitched for 2+2⁄3 innings and had eight earned runs, two strikeouts, and three wild pitches. Entering the 1983 season, Wever was projected to be the fifth starter in the Yankees' starting rotation. Because of continued pain in his shoulder, he instead spent the season with the AAA Columbus Clippers, where he went 1–4 with a 9.78 ERA in seven appearances.
Wever spent 1984 with Fort Lauderdale, where he went 1–3 in seven games. After the seven games, he visited Dr. James Andrews, who diagnosed the twinge he suffered two years earlier as a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum; it explained why he had been throwing 85 mph since the injury, compared to 95 mph beforehand. He had surgery shortly afterward, and spent the rest of the year rehabbing the injury. He attempted a comeback in 1985 with the Albany-Colonie Yankees, and had a 4.91 ERA in five games with the team. In June, having continued to pitch through shoulder pain, Wever retired from baseball and ended his professional career.
## Post-playing career
After retiring from baseball, Wever returned to school, and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley. He married Melinda in 1988, and three years later opened up the Horseshoe Tavern, a bar in San Francisco's Marina District, which he continues to run.
While working at his bar, Wever made a return to baseball in a coaching role. He was named varsity baseball coach at Redwood High School in Larkspur, California in 2008, after having volunteered for the freshman team the year before. Wever was forced to resign in 2010 due to a diagnosis of large-cell lymphoma. He went on to continue coaching youth baseball camps and leagues, and was bench coach for the San Rafael Pacifics in 2013.
## Personal life and death
Wever later spent three days a week feeding the homeless at SF's St. Anthony's Dining Room.
In 2019, Wever moved to Portland, Oregon, to be near his daughter. He continued to be active in volunteering and traveled to San Francisco once a month to continue volunteering at St. Anthony's and to look after his business.
Wever died on December 27, 2022, at the age of 64.
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Baseball career",
"## Post-playing career",
"## Personal life and death"
] | 1,452 | 32,155 |
6,664,074 |
Escape (Whodini album)
| 1,158,016,378 | null |
[
"1984 albums",
"Albums produced by Larry Smith (producer)",
"Jive Records albums",
"Whodini albums"
] |
Escape is the second studio album by American hip hop group Whodini, released on October 17, 1984, by Jive Records. The album was recorded at Battery Studios in London, where the group worked with producer Larry Smith after their management could not find them a producer. Whodini member Jalil Hutchins convinced Smith, his friend, to produce the album when Smith needed money after a friend's hospitalisation. Although the group originally intended to record more rock-oriented material for the album, its music has a predominantly synthesizer-based backing, with a rhythm and blues influence.
The album was a critical success upon release, and was praised by NME and Robert Christgau. It was also commercially successful, being the first hip-hop album to chart within the U.S. top 40, and was also one of the first to be certified platinum by the RIAA.
## Production
After working on their debut self-titled studio album, Whodini embarked on a three-month European tour. Two-and-a-half weeks into this tour, they were joined by Kangol Kid and UTFO. The group had also planned to tour in Israel and Australia following their European tour, but refused to do so, as they had been away from home for three weeks and found the tour "rigorous". Singer-songwriter Jalil Hutchins later said, "Somebody should've stepped in and made us [continue the tour]." Whodini member John Fletcher (Ecstasy) said that the group thought European audiences would be unfamiliar with their music, but they "found that lots of kids, lots of club owners, had made a real effort to get hold of our music. When we discovered that, we realized that the music we were working with really was universal, that we didn't have to think of a particular market. People everywhere like to dance, sweat and party, and they like the same kind of sounds."
The group worked well with German producer Conny Plank on Whodini, and were trying to find a similar producer. According to Hutchins, "Conny had an understanding of what hip hop was, and if we had an understanding of how to explain it to these musicians who were far ahead of us, we would've produced some special records. On the next album, we decided that we needed to get somebody from [the US] that understood where we were coming from." Although Jive Records initially hired Russell Simmons and Larry Smith to produce Escape, commitments in New York kept Simmons from recording sessions. Hutchins had met Smith at the dance club Disco Fever in New York City; although they were friends and often discussed music, he said that they did not originally consider working together. Jive Records could not find a producer, and Hutchins asked Smith to come to Europe and produce the album. The producer initially refused for financial reasons, but called Hutchins the following day saying that he needed money to pay a hospital bill for a friend who had his finger tips ripped off. Smith and Hutchins then quickly met to develop music to show to the label, recording the bass for "Five Minutes of Funk".
Escape was recorded in 16 days at Battery Studios in London, with Hutchins often writing lyrics in the studio. He found it difficult to write a complete song at home, and finished the lyrics later. Hutchins worked well with Smith, and said that the producer became involved in the music-making and "would start talking a lot of shit to us to let us feel like he felt". Smith's presence is evident on "Friends", whose beat was (according to Hutchins) "nothing like the way it sounded after he got to it". Whodini often argued with the studio personnel; Hutchins said that he "never seen studio sessions like ours. Criticism would be flying around that studio like skyrockets and bullets ... But we knew we got something right when Larry started grabbing his dick, and that was the craziest thing in the world." Smith encouraged Whodini to use a variety of instruments on each track, from Linn LM-1 and Roland TR-707 drum machines to a Fender Jazz Bass.
## Music
The music on Escape, in particular "Five Minutes of Funk", was originally intended to be rock-oriented, with Hutchins suggesting that the song would be similar to the "rawer" work of groups such as the Isley Brothers. Whodini had planned to use a Minimoog synthesizer on the track, although Smith left his at home, assuming that he could find one in the United Kingdom. Unable to locate one, the group then heard Run-DMC's "Rock Box" and decided to follow a more R&B-oriented direction. Smith said that although he was told by Jive Records to make the album sound like Run-DMC, he "didn't want to do exactly that. Whodini's a bit more adult, I think, and rap's not just for kids anymore."
The record has been called "rhythm & blues-based rap", and has been cited as a major influence on new jack swing—a hip hop-influenced form of funk which became the dominant form of contemporary R&B from 1987 to 1993. Nelson George described Escape's music as a style which "black radio embraces", specifically a "radio-friendly, singles-oriented hip hop", as opposed to the "hard-core, more rhyme-centered rap". Retrospective commentary on their music suggested that, although the group sounded tame when compared to the later work of artists such as Too Short and Ol' Dirty Bastard, as well as groups like 2 Live Crew, Whodini were considered "raunchy and racy" during the mid-1980s on songs such as "Freaks Come Out at Night".
Unlike other hip hop musicians, Whodini's backing music and beats were synthesizer-based. Escape contains tracks with minimal musical backing, such as "Big Mouth" and "Friends", and faster-paced music such as "Escape (I Need a Break)". Hutchins believed that the Fender Jazz Bass was part of Whodini's signature sound, and used it on "Five Minutes of Funk". Escape's lyrics are generally egocentric, but also explored the difficulty of city life ("Escape (I Need a Break)"), failed romance ("Friends") and New York's party lifestyle ("Freaks Come Out at Night").
## Release
The album was released on October 17, 1984, by Jive Records. The group had a developed a large following in Britain and Europe prior to the release of Escape, although success in the United States had initially been limited. "Five Minutes of Funk" and "Freaks Come Out at Night" became their first legitimate hits in their home country. According to The New York Times, these could be "heard almost constantly in New York dance clubs, as well as on local urban-contemporary radio stations." Ecstasy said that audiences were finally ready for hip hop music, and Whodini were "just beginning to break through on radio. Rather than listening to Stevie Wonder or someone do an inferior version of rap, people want to hear the real thing, with the original complexity to it. This is the most complex, interesting stuff going on in black music today, and the radio's just beginning to discover that the public eats it up." By December 1984, the 7- and 12-inch singles "Friends" and "Five Minutes of Funk" were approaching sales of 350,000, and received more airplay than the "Magic's Wand" and "Haunted House of Rock" from Whodini's first album. Billboard reported the airplay, noting that despite the increased play, the songs were unreported and often played during the night. The month before Escape's release, Whodini appeared at the 1984 Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Fest as part of the first national tour featuring hip hop groups. The 27-date tour featured Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, the Fat Boys and Newcleus, and grossed \$3.5 million.
Escape was the first hip hop album to break into the top 40 of the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. By 1986, Escape and Run-DMC's Raising Hell were the bestselling hip hop albums; both were certified platinum by the RIAA. Comparing the groups in 1986, the Los Angeles Times reported: "Though Whodini's record sales are impressive, Run-D.M.C. has been a greater media attraction and a bigger critical favorite." Escape was re-released on compact disc in 2011 by the Traffic Group with several bonus tracks.
## Critical reception
In a contemporary review, Robert Christgau gave Escape a grade of B+ and wrote that Hutchins and Smith "turn out ingratiating variations on a formula. Fortunately, the formula isn't tired yet." Although Christgau found the lyrics of "Freaks Come Out at Night" less intellectual than "Escape" or "Friends" and less musically interesting than "Five Minutes of Funk", he still considered it a strong song. NME described Escape as superior to Whodini's debut studio album and praised Smith's production, writing that his "sparse DMC sound here gives way to a rich and warm electronic soundscape". They went on to dub the title track as being the best song on the album, followed by "Big Mouth", "Out of Control", "We Are Whodini" and "Friends". They went on to say that "Featuring Grandmaster Dee" was Escape's weak link, calling it a "pointless instrumental reworking of "Five Minutes of Funk"." Spin praised "Escape (I Need a Break)", comparing it to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message", writing that Whodini's song "focuses on the guy affected by social condition, not on the condition itself." Frances Litman wrote in Times Colonist that Escape "isn't bad (nor is it good)" comparing it favorably to West Street Mob's Break Dance Electric Boogie (1983) declaring Whodini "musically more mature than many of their counterparts" while stating both albums "are excessive in dragging out each song to nauseating limits of vinyl boredom" and that "Escape offers nothing more than the usual run of the rap." James Henke writing for Wisconsin State Journal gave the album a two out of five star rating, declaring the album "rap music for people who just want to party and don't want to have to think about the kinds of issues raised by someone like Afrika Bambaataa", concluding it was "not very interesting."
Among retrospective reviews, Fact noted that Escape was "eclipsed by the antics of the new school" and that it had "tumbled off of most casual fans' bucket lists." According to AllMusic, the album was a "vast improvement over the previous year's debut" with "a countless amount of memorable lines and productions, and has held up over time better than the debut", but that it was not "a conceptual masterpiece." The reviewer called "Freaks Come Out at Night" and "Five Minutes of Funk" classics, and said that "We Are Whodini" "distills the essence of the group more than the other groundbreaking tracks here, and still retains a sense of freshness." Trouser Press found the album "airy without being simple", and called it appealing and innovative. Fact placed Escape at number 98 on their list of top 1980s albums, calling it "diverting from end to end – something Spoonie G, The Cold Crush Brothers and The Furious Five conspicuously failed to deliver."
## Track listing
All songs are produced by Larry Smith.
## Charts
## Certifications
## Personnel
Credits are adapted from the sleeve, sticker and back cover of Escape.
- Larry Smith – producer
- Nigel Green – engineer
- Ian Hooton – sleeve photography
- The Fish Family – sleeve design
## See also
- 1984 in hip hop music
- 1984 in music
- Old-school hip hop
|
[
"## Production",
"## Music",
"## Release",
"## Critical reception",
"## Track listing",
"## Charts",
"## Certifications",
"## Personnel",
"## See also"
] | 2,480 | 16,278 |
38,712,592 |
Sultanate of Dahlak
| 1,164,911,145 |
Small medieval kingdom covering the Dahlak Archipelago in East Africa
|
[
"11th-century establishments in Africa",
"Former monarchies",
"Former sultanates in the medieval Horn of Africa",
"History of Eritrea"
] |
The Sultanate of Dahlak was a small medieval kingdom covering the Dahlak Archipelago and parts of the Eritrean coast. First attested in 1093, it quickly profited from its strategic trading location, gaining heavily from being near to Yemen as well as Egypt and India. After the mid 13th century Dahlak lost its trade monopoly and subsequently started to decline. Both the Ethiopian empire and Yemen tried to enforce their authority over the sultanate. It was eventually annexed by the Ottomans in 1557, who made it part of the Habesh Eyalet.
## History
### Origins and early history
After the Umayyads seized Dahlak in 702, they made it a prison and place of forced exile, as did the early Abbasids who succeeded them. By the 9th century the Dahlak islands had come under the rule of the king of Abyssinia. Around 900 he concluded a treaty of friendship with the Ziyadid sultan of Zabid in Yemen, and by the mid 10th century it is recorded that Dahlak was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Ishaq ibn Ibrahim. A century later, Dahlak was involved in a power struggle between the Ziyadids and the Najahids, as the latter had fled to there in 1061. Battles were fought until 1086, when the Najahids managed to restore their rule in Zabid.
The first sultan who is attestable is Sultan Mubarak, whose funerary stele states died in 1093. His dynasty apparently lasted until 1230/1249. It was during this period, the 11th–mid 13th century, that the Sultanate enjoyed its greatest prosperity. This prosperity was mostly based on the monopoly of the external trade of the Ethiopian interior, but also involvement in the transit trade between Egypt and India. It was also through Dahlak that Ethiopia maintained diplomatic relations with Yemen. In the mid 13th century, however, the Zagwe kings began to make use of a new trading route in the south, with the port town Zeila as its final destination. Thus Dahlak lost its trading monopoly. Around the same time, Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi records that the Dahlak sultans struggled to stay independent from the Rasulids.
From the 12th century the sultans of Dahlak controlled the important trading town of Massawa on the African Red Sea coast, which was governed by a deputy titled the Nai'b. Other coastal settlements on the African continent might have been controlled by the Dahlak sultans as well, at least temporarily. To the Ethiopians, the sultan of Dahlak was known as Seyuma Bahr ("Prefect of the Sea"), in contrast to the Bahr Negash ("Lord of the Sea") of Medri Bahri.
It was shortly after the death of Sultan Mubarak that the Dahlak sultanate began to mint coins, which were used to pay for imported goods such as Egyptian textiles and storax balsam.
The Muslims of Dahlak were probably not successful in proselytizing northern Abyssinia. The Ethiopian Church had been well-established for centuries. Muslims were tolerated only as traders.
### Demise
By the 15th century, the economy of the sultanate was not only in decline, but it was also forced to pay tribute to the emperors of Ethiopia. In 1464–1465, Massawa and the Dahlak archipelago were pillaged by emperor Zara Yaqob. By 1513 Dahlak had become a vassal of the Tahirids. In 1517 and 1520 it came into conflict with the Portuguese empire, resulting in much destruction. By 1526 the Dahalik sultan, Ahmad, had been degraded to a tributary. There was a short revival of the sultanate during the Ethiopian-Adal war, where the sultanate of Adal waged a temporarily successful jihad against the Ethiopian Empire. Sultan Ahmad joined Adal and was rewarded with the port town of Arkiko, which before the war had belonged to Medri Bahri. However, in 1541, one year after the death of sultan Ahmad, the Portuguese returned and destroyed Dahlak yet again. Sixteen years later, the islands were occupied by the Ottoman Empire, who made them part of the Habesh Eyalet. Under the rule of the Ottomans, the Dahlak islands lost their significance.
## Dahlak Kebir
Dahlak Kebir, a site on the same-named Dahlak Kebir Island, contains material dating to the era of the sultanate. Nearly 300 tombstones have been discovered. They attest the presence of a cosmopolitan population originating from all over the Islamic world. Several, now deteriorating, qubbas have been noted. The settlement itself consisted of well-built stone houses made of coral. The site also contains several settlement mounds. The medieval population used sophisticated cisterns to ensure a continuous supply of freshwater.
|
[
"## History",
"### Origins and early history",
"### Demise",
"## Dahlak Kebir"
] | 1,054 | 37,933 |
6,127,891 |
Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
| 1,119,471,567 |
None
|
[
"2004 in Albanian music",
"2004 in Albanian television",
"Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest",
"Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004",
"Festivali i Këngës by year"
] |
Albania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul, Turkey, with the song "The Image of You" performed by Anjeza Shahini. Its selected entry was chosen through the national selection competition Festivali i Këngës organised by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) in December 2003. This marked the first time that Albania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. The nation was drawn to compete in the semi-final of the contest, which took place on 12 May 2004. Performing as number 13, it was announced among the top 10 entries of the semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final. In the final on 15 May, Albania performed as number nine and placed seventh out of the 24 participating countries, scoring 106 points.
## Background
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced in 2003 that Albania would debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in . The nation had previously planned to debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, however, the nation was unable to take part that year after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided that too many countries would be relegated from participation in 2003 if the country took part. The country's national broadcaster, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), chose the annual competition Festivali i Këngës as the selection method to determine Albania's representative for the contest.
## Before Eurovision
### Festivali i Këngës
RTSH organised the 42nd edition of Festivali i Këngës to determine Albania's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The competition consisted of two semi-finals on 18 and 19 December, respectively, and the grand final on 20 December 2003. The three live shows were hosted by Albanian singer Ledina Çelo and presenter Adi Krasta.
#### Competing entries
#### Shows
##### Semi-finals
The semi-finals of Festivali i Këngës took place on 18 December and 19 December 2003, respectively. 14 contestants participated in the first semi-final and 15 in the second semi-final, with the highlighted ones progressing to the grand final.
##### Final
The grand final of Festivali i Këngës took place on 20 December 2003. The results of the competition were determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from a jury panel and a public televote. Anjeza Shahini emerged as the winner with "Imazhi yt" and was simultaneously announced as Albania's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
Key:
`Winner`
`Second place`
`Third place`
## At Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 took place at Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, and consisted of a semi-final on 12 May and the grand final on 15 May 2004. For the first time, a semi-final round was introduced in order to accommodate the influx of nations that wanted to compete in the contest. According to the Eurovision rules, all participating countries, except the host nation and the "Big Four", consisting of , , and the , were required to qualify from the semi-final to compete for the final, although the top 10 countries from the semi-final progress to the final. A debuting country, Albania was set to compete in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 at position 13, following and preceding . At the end of the show, the nation was announced among the top 10 entries of the semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the grand final of the contest. In the grand final, it was announced that it would be performing ninth, following and preceding .
### Voting
The tables below visualise a breakdown of points awarded to Albania in the semi-final and grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, as well as by the nation on both occasions. In the semi-final, the nation finished in fourth place with a total of 167 points, including 12 from and 10 from . In the grand final, Albania finished in seventh position, being awarded a total of 106 points, including 12 points from Macedonia and 10 points from both and . The nation awarded its 12 points to Greece in both the semi-final and final of the contest.
#### Points awarded to Albania
#### Points awarded by Albania
|
[
"## Background",
"## Before Eurovision",
"### Festivali i Këngës",
"#### Competing entries",
"#### Shows",
"##### Semi-finals",
"##### Final",
"## At Eurovision",
"### Voting",
"#### Points awarded to Albania",
"#### Points awarded by Albania"
] | 917 | 27,201 |
20,927,430 |
Tacks Neuer
| 1,064,790,188 |
American baseball player
|
[
"1877 births",
"1966 deaths",
"Baseball players from Ohio",
"Bendix Corporation people",
"Johnstown Johnnies players",
"Little Rock Travelers players",
"Major League Baseball pitchers",
"New York Highlanders players",
"Newark Indians players",
"People from Fremont, Ohio",
"Savannah Indians players",
"Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players",
"Wilkes-Barre Barons (baseball) players"
] |
John Stein "Tacks" Neuer (June 8, 1877 – January 14, 1966) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Highlanders in 1907. In seven career games, he had a 4–2 record, with a 2.17 earned run average (ERA) and 22 strikeouts.
A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Neuer worked as a brakeman before taking up baseball professionally. He played for various minor league teams in 1905 and 1907 before making his debut for the New York Highlanders. With New York, he threw three shutouts in seven games, and was praised by manager Clark Griffith for his pitching ability during that stretch. However, his control deteriorated after that season, and over the next three years he played for various minor league teams. He retired after 1910 and became an umpire. He then worked at Bendix Aviation until his retirement in 1942.
## Early life and career
Neuer was born in Fremont, Ohio, and was one of eight children born to Henry Neuer and Jennie Catherman. He and his family moved to Sunbury, Pennsylvania, when he was a child. In 1898, Neuer enlisted in the Spanish–American War as a private, and was discharged the following year. After his discharge, he worked as a brakeman for a local railroad for the next few years. In late 1904, the Detroit Tigers intended to sign Neuer to a contract. However, nothing came of it and he never played a game with the organization.
Six months after the rumored signing, Neuer was signed by the Wilkes-Barre Barons of the New York State League. He made his professional debut on July 27, 1905, and threw a one-hit shutout against the Syracuse Stars. He pitched for Wilkes-Barre the rest of the season. In his final game for them, he pitched both games of a doubleheader, winning one and losing the other. In 1906, Wilkes-Barre planned to re-sign Neuer, praising his hitting ability to the point that they were considering trying him out as an outfielder or first baseman. They were unable to agree on a contract, and as a result he sat out the 1906 season.
In December 1906, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Neuer to a contract. He played with the Phillies through the spring, but was cut before the season started and sent to the Providence Grays of the Eastern League. He debuted for them in May, and after being on the team for five days was sent back to Philadelphia. The Phillies stated that they released him outright to Providence; the issue led to a dispute on which club should pay him for that month, which was settled the following year. After the dispute, Neuer was assigned to the Savannah Indians of the South Atlantic League. He played with the team for three months, and threw multiple shutouts for the team. As a result, New York Highlanders manager Clark Griffith purchased Neuer on August 23 "for immediate delivery."
## New York Highlanders
Neuer made his debut for New York on August 28, 1907, against the Boston Americans. He pitched a shutout and earned a 1–0 victory in which he showed "excellent speed and control." A week later, he again faced the Americans, and while his pitching was not as "unsolvable" as in his debut, the Highlanders again won, 10–5. His next appearance was against the Washington Senators on September 9. In that game, he allowed two hits and threw his second shutout of the season. A rematch against Washington five days later resulted in a 10–2 loss that "came as a great shock" due to his victory earlier in the month.
On September 21, Neuer made an appearance as a relief pitcher in a game against the Detroit Tigers, taking over for Bill Hogg due to the latter's ineffectiveness. His next appearance as a starter was against the St. Louis Browns. He was unable to control the baseball due to rain; the 5–2 game was called after six innings as a result, giving Neuer his second loss. His final appearance of the season was on October 3 against the Chicago White Sox. In that game, he allowed three hits in an 8–0 victory for his third and final shutout of the season. Neuer spent the offseason working as a hotel clerk, and after signing a contract for the 1908 season, he joined the team for spring training.
Griffith continued to have faith in Neuer during the exhibition season, and said he could potentially be "one of the greatest ever in the twirling line." Instead of working on his control during that time, which was considered the main thing he needed to work on, he practiced throwing the knuckleball and spitball. Griffith encouraged him to do so, believing that developing these trick pitches would allow him to become a great pitcher, and as a result, he practiced these pitches until, according to one sportswriter, "he was so wild he couldn’t hit the grand stand." In one exhibition game against Atlanta, he appeared in relief of Jack Chesbro, and allowed four runs in less than an inning due to his lack of control. His pitching continued to get worse, and by the end of spring training he was sent to the Newark Indians of the Eastern League. He never returned to the major leagues, becoming the only person to throw a shutout in both his major league debut and his final game.
## Later life
In Neuer's debut for Newark, he allowed nine walks, eight runs, and made two errors; his pitching was noted as the direct cause of the 8–5 loss. By the beginning of June, Newark returned him to New York; in his short time in the Eastern League, Neuer set the record for most strikeouts in a game and most walks in a game, with 13 each. Griffith sent him back to Newark almost immediately, and they in turn sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who in turn released him. He then signed with the Little Rock Travelers of the Southern Association, and pitched for them before being released on August 1.
The Chicago Cubs decided to give Neuer a tryout, hoping to add some pitching depth to help them, as they were in a pennant race. He did not make the roster, and was sent to the Johnstown Johnnies of the Tri-State League, where he finished the 1908 season. In 1909, he was increasingly referred to with the nickname of "Tacks", a nickname reserved for "restless, uneasy, erratic athletes", due to both his lack of control and his general inconsistency on the mound. That season, he played with many teams, both professional and semi-pro, and was frequently released to his inability to control the ball. The following year, he attempted one more comeback with the Binghamton Bingoes of the New York State League. Manager Jack Warner found his control to be so bad that he refused to use him in a regular season game, and Neuer's release from Binghamton marked the end of his professional career.
After retiring from baseball, Neuer became an umpire for local semi-pro and amateur baseball games, and worked for Bendix Aviation Corporation in Greene, New York until retiring in 1942. As an umpire, he was known for his entertaining style, adding extra emphasis on his calls to amuse game attendees. Neuer was married twice and had one son, Eugene, from his first marriage. He moved to Northumberland, Pennsylvania in the 1940s, where he lived until his death in 1966.
|
[
"## Early life and career",
"## New York Highlanders",
"## Later life"
] | 1,599 | 15,397 |
2,136,352 |
Toa Payoh MRT station
| 1,171,110,756 |
Mass Rapid Transit station in Singapore
|
[
"Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore) stations",
"Railway stations in Singapore opened in 1987",
"Toa Payoh"
] |
Toa Payoh MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North South line (NSL) in Toa Payoh, Singapore. Located in the town centre of Toa Payoh, it is integrated with the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange and the HDB Hub, headquarters of the Housing and Development Board. The station is underneath the intersection of three roads: Lorong1 Toa Payoh, Lorong2 Toa Payoh and Lorong6 Toa Payoh.
First announced in May 1982, construction of the station began in 1983 as part of PhaseI of the MRT system. In August 1985, it became the first Mass Rapid Transit station in Singapore to have its concrete structure completed. It opened on 7 November 1987 and was one of the first MRT stations to operate in revenue service. It has a bright yellow scheme with a set of coloured tiles at the concourse level.
## History
Toa Payoh station was included in the early plans of the MRT network published in May 1982. The first confirmation that the station would be among the Phase I stations (from Ang Mo Kio to Marina Bay) came in November that year. This segment was given priority as it passed through areas that had a higher demand for public transport, such as the densely populated housing estates of Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio and the Central Area. The line aimed to relieve the traffic congestion on the Thomson–Sembawang road corridor.
Contract 104 for the construction of the Toa Payoh and Novena stations was awarded to Tobishima–Takenaka Joint Venture in September 1983. The S\$96.8million (US\$million in ) contract included the construction of 2.329 kilometres (1.447 mi) of tunnels. Construction of the tunnels between Toa Payoh and Novena began with a groundbreaking ceremony at Shan Road on 22 October 1983. This ceremony also marked the beginning of the MRT network construction. The tunnels and the station had an expected completion date of early 1988.
The station was constructed on the site of the Toa Payoh Central bus terminal, which was relocated to an adjacent site. At Shan Road, the initial shaft was dug into a layer of sandstone. Tunnels were driven in either direction from that shaft. The composition of the ground was of either sandstone, granite, marine clay, or decomposed rocks. The sandstone sections had to be driven using a shield (with temporary shotcrete/mesh reinforcement). The granite sections had to be driven and also mined using explosives. The marine clay sections were constructed using cut-and-cover, and the decomposed rock sections used the New Austrian tunneling method (NATM).
On 6 August 1985 Toa Payoh was the first MRT station to have its structural works completed, with the final bucket of cement poured into the station as part of the topping out ceremony. Due to various soil conditions, in November 1985 the contractor requested an extension of eight months and additional monetary claims to construct the tunnels between the Novena and Toa Payoh stations.
In January 1986 it was announced that the first section of the MRT system, from the Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh stations, would be opened in early 1988; this was rescheduled to 7 November 1987 in an announcement in 16 September that year. In an effort to familiarise people with the system, the station hosted a preview from 10 to 11 October 1987. During the preview, about 44,000 people visited the station. However, no train services ran, much to the disappointment of many visitors. Many expressed excitement and curiosity, and many visitors bought tickets to take the MRT ride on the system's debut.
On the opening day Toa Payoh was the most visited station on the newly completed line, with long lines outside the station by 11:00am. At the opening ceremony, second deputy prime minister Ong Teng Cheong, who advocated for and commissioned the planning of the MRT system, attended the ceremony as a special Guest of Honour. Yeo Ning Hong, the Minister For Communications and Information, formally started MRT operations and announced it to be the "beginning" of the MRT system. On the day, the emergency button was activated at Toa Payoh station just before 8:30pm, which halted trains for about half an hour along one of the two tracks leading to the station.
On 8 January 2006 Toa Payoh station was one of four MRT stations which participated in Exercise NorthstarV, a mock counterterrorism exercise. In July 2012, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) called for a tender to enhance the flood prevention measures (such as new flood barriers) at Toa Payoh station, along with eleven other MRT stations. From July 2012 to 2014, the escalator at ExitD (the pedestrian underpass linking to Lorong2 Toa Payoh) was replaced and upgraded.
## Station details
Toa Payoh serves the North South line (NSL) and is between the Braddell and Novena stations. The official station code is NS19. Like all the stations of the NSL, the station is operated by SMRT Trains. The station operates between 5:41am and 12:25am daily. Train frequencies vary from 2.5 to 5.0 minutes.
The station has four entrances serving the Toa Payoh area. (Toa Payoh means "big swamp" in the Hokkien dialect. The name is a reference to the large swampy area which existed prior to the development of Chinese market gardens there.) Surrounding landmarks include the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, HDB Hub, Toa Payoh Public Library, Toa Payoh Stadium, Toa Payoh Swimming complex and the CHIJ Primary and Secondary Schools. The station is also next to two churches: the Church of The Risen Christ and Toa Payoh Methodist Church.
The station is underground, with a concourse on the upper level and the platforms on the lower level. Like many stations on the initial MRT network, Toa Payoh has an island platform. Toa Payoh is also one of the few stations on the initial network to have a double-height ceiling. The wide platforms and entrances were designed to accommodate huge crowds.
Toa Payoh station has a bright yellow colour scheme for the pillars and canopies. Along the 50-metre (160 ft) concourse, the station features a "rainbow dressing" mural consisting of 15,000 tiles in various colours. The rainbow mural was intended to reflect the masses of people of various racial backgrounds moving together in harmony.
As part of SMRT's Comic Connect, a public art showcase of heritage-themed murals, the station displays The Toa Payoh Story by James Suresh, Sayed Ismail and Suki Chong. The artwork depicts various landmarks of the Toa Payoh area, including the dragon playground, Shuang Lin Monastery and the Toa Payoh Public library. The mural includes the depiction of Seah Eu Chin, a businessman and landowner of the area. As Toa Payoh was the first town developed by the Housing and Development Board, the artists intended for the mural to tie the area's significance to major milestones in Singapore's history.
|
[
"## History",
"## Station details"
] | 1,541 | 40,054 |
16,676,754 |
Cyclone Jokwe
| 1,170,556,541 |
South-West Indian cyclone in 2008
|
[
"2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season",
"2008 in Madagascar",
"Cyclones in Madagascar",
"Cyclones in Mozambique",
"Intense Tropical Cyclones",
"Tropical cyclones in 2008"
] |
Intense Tropical Cyclone Jokwe was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique since Cyclone Favio struck in the previous year, and was the most recent cyclone to make landfall on Mozambique until Cyclone Dineo in 2017. The tenth named storm of the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Jokwe was first classified as a tropical depression on 2 March over the open Southwest Indian Ocean. It tracked west-southwest, crossing northern Madagascar as a tropical storm on 5 March before intensifying into a tropical cyclone on 6 March. Jokwe rapidly intensified to reach peak winds of 195 km/h (121 mph), before weakening slightly and striking Nampula Province in northeastern Mozambique. It quickly weakened while paralleling the coastline, though the storm restrengthened as it turned southward in the Mozambique Channel. Late in its duration, it remained nearly stationary for several days, and steadily weakened due to wind shear before dissipating on 16 March.
The storm caused minor damage in northern Madagascar. In Mozambique, the cyclone affected 200,000 people, and left at least sixteen fatalities. Cyclone Jokwe destroyed over 9,000 houses and damaged over 3,000 more, with the heaviest damage in Angoche and the Island of Mozambique in Nampula Province. The storm also caused widespread power outages and crop damages. The name Jokwe was submitted to the World Meteorological Organization by Botswana.
## Meteorological history
In the beginning of the month, an area of convection persisted in association with a broad low-level circulation about 565 km (351 mi) west-southwest of Diego Garcia. The disturbance tracked west-southwestward, and on 2 March the Météo-France (MFR) declared it as a weak depression. Initially in an area of moderate wind shear, the system at first failed to maintain deep convection. Early on 4 March, convection increased and organized around the center of circulation, and the MFR classified it as Tropical Depression Twelve, about 270 km (170 mi) southwest of the Agaléga Islands. Initially the MFR forecast that the depression would intensify further before striking Madagascar.
The cyclone tracked generally westward along the northern periphery of a ridge. The circulation became better defined, though convection was displaced to the west of the center due to persistent wind shear. Intensification was favored, though, due to warm water temperatures and good outflow. Early on 5 March, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 22S. Shortly thereafter, the MFR upgraded the depression to Moderate Tropical Storm Jokwe about 675 km (419 mi) southwest of the Agalega Islands, or about 230 km (140 mi) northeast of the northern tip of Madagascar. At first, the storm was smaller than usual, with gale-force winds extending 37 km (23 mi) from the center. Jokwe turned to the west-southwest in response to the development of a trough of low pressure in the Mozambique Channel, and late on 5 March the storm crossed over northern Madagascar. The low-level circulation became disorganized due to land interaction, though its mid and upper-level circulation remained well-organized. Subsequently, the storm encountered more favorable conditions, and an eye developed; Jokwe underwent rapid deepening and intensified to tropical cyclone status, or the equivalence of a minimal hurricane, midday on 6 March off the northwest coast of Madagascar.
Shortly after attaining tropical cyclone status, Jokwe began weakening as its eye disappeared, and it weakened back to a severe tropical storm. The weakening trend was short-lived, and after turning westward the storm re-developed a 13 km (8.1 mi) eye. Jokwe again underwent rapid intensification as it approached the coast of Mozambique, becoming an intense "midget cyclone" with winds of 175 km/h (109 mph) late on 7 March; the MFR explained its rapid intensity changes due to its small size. Excellent upper-level outflow and warm waters contributed to the intensification. At 0000 UTC on 8 March, Jokwe attained peak winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) about 75 km (47 mi) east of the Island of Mozambique in Nampula Province; at the same time, its gusts reached about 275 km/h (171 mph). It weakened slightly while paralleling the coastline just offshore, and at 1015 UTC Jokwe made landfall between the Island of Mozambique and Angoche.
Cyclone Jokwe remained over land for about 18 hours before emerging into the Mozambique Channel, weakening quickly to tropical storm status. Upon reaching open waters, convection increased over the center, and late on 9 March Jokwe re-intensified to a tropical cyclone as an eye reappeared on satellite imagery. The cyclone turned to the south-southeast, around the periphery of a ridge to its east. An upper-level low to its south produced good outflow which, in combination with warm waters, allowed Jokwe to re-intensify. Late on 10 March, the storm passed about 35 km (22 mi) east of Europa Island, and shortly thereafter the MFR upgraded Jokwe to intense tropical cyclone status with winds of 170 km/h (110 mph). Subsequently, an increase in wind shear caused a steady weakening trend, and by 12 March Jokwe weakened to tropical storm status as its center became partially exposed from the deep convection; at the same time, the storm turned to the southwest.
Later on 12 March, thunderstorms reformed over the center, as its movement became nearly stationary due to a ridge to its south and northwest. Early on 13 March, it began a steady movement to the northwest, and its organization increased with an eye re-appearing; after briefly re-attaining tropical cyclone status, Jokwe again weakened to tropical storm status due to persistent wind shear. Convection continued to diminish, and on 14 March Jokwe weakened to tropical depression status as the center became almost fully exposed. Early the following day, the MFR issued its last advisory on the system. The remnants accelerated southeastward and dissipated on 16 March to the southwest of Madagascar.
## Impact
### Madagascar
Crossing northern Madagascar as a tropical storm, Jokwe damaged or destroyed 44 buildings in Nosy Be, leaving 400 homeless. Satellite-based rainfall estimates reached over 200 mm (7.9 in) in northwestern Madagascar.
### Mozambique
On 7 March, the National Emergency Operational Centre of Mozambique warned for coastal residents in Nampula and Zambezia provinces to be on alert. A day later, the agency issued a Red Alert for northern Nampula Province, advising potentially affected residents to seek shelter. Subsequently, the alert was extended southwestward along the coastline. Strong winds and heavy rains from the storm left the island of Mozambique without power, as well as water. There winds knocked down several poorly constructed houses, and also destroyed the roofs of two schools. Satellite-based rainfall estimates reached over 300 mm (12 in) in northwestern Madagascar. Across Nampula Province, heavy agricultural damage was reported; a total of 508 animals on farms were killed, and about 2 million cashew trees were destroyed. Widespread power outages were reported, with 75% of power transmission lines damaged or destroyed. The cyclone destroyed at least 200 boats and the roofs of at least 80 schools. The storm destroyed a bridge across the Mogincual River, which left the town of Namige isolated. Across Nampula Province, Jokwe destroyed 9,316 houses and damaged 3,220 more, most of which in Angoche. In Pebane District in neighboring Zambezia Province, the cyclone destroyed nine houses. Rainfall was reported throughout the province, though damage was not as heavy due to lack of strong winds. Throughout Mozambique, the cyclone affected 200,000 people, with a total of 55,000 people left homeless. Ten people were killed in Nampula Province, and six more were killed in coastal districts of Zambezia Province.
### Elsewhere
On 10 March, a station on Europa Island in the Mozambique Channel reported a pressure of 985.5 mbar.
## Aftermath
Shortly after the cyclone moved ashore along Mozambique, officials distributed tents and food to the affected citizens. The government activated the National Civil Protection Unit to clear fallen trees from roadways, as well as assist in rebuilding damaged or destroyed homes. A few days after the storm, the Mozambique Red Cross began delivering mosquito nets, blankets, plastic buckets, and sleeping mats. The government of Nampula estimated it would require \$8 million (USD) to repair storm damage in the province.
Two weeks after the storm, the World Food Programme announced it would provide food for 60,000 people in the impacted areas of Mozambique. On 27 March, the government of Portugal donated \$700,000 (USD) to the Mozambique National Disasters Management Institute; over half of the total was aid for flood victims affected by Jokwe and flooding earlier in the year.
## See also
- Tropical cyclones in 2008
- Timeline of the 2007–08 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Impact",
"### Madagascar",
"### Mozambique",
"### Elsewhere",
"## Aftermath",
"## See also"
] | 1,975 | 10,653 |
3,241,490 |
California State Route 195
| 1,168,884,983 |
Highway in California
|
[
"Coachella Valley",
"Former state highways in California",
"Roads in Riverside County, California",
"U.S. Route 60",
"U.S. Route 70"
] |
State Route 195 (SR 195) was a state highway in the U.S. state of California, branching westward from SR 111 to SR 86 near the town of Mecca and the Salton Sea. The route formerly extended east to Interstate 10 (I-10) near Joshua Tree National Park as a longer route extending to Blythe and points further east. After the main route was shifted north, the older route remained as an alternate known as Box Canyon Road. The route was designated in the 1964 state highway renumbering, although the Box Canyon Road portion was removed as a state highway in 1972. Following the construction of the SR 86 expressway, SR 195 was curtailed in 2009, and removed entirely in 2014.
## Route description
Before the route was mostly removed in 2009, it began at Harrison Street, the old routing of SR 86, in Riverside County. It then headed north as Pierce Street until intersecting 66th Street, where SR 195 turned east. The highway intersected SR 86 and continued to the town of Mecca, where it met its north end at SR 111. The route loosely paralleled the northern end of the Salton Sea, passing through farmland for its entire length.
In 2013, SR 195 had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 4,500 vehicles at Buchanan Street, and 6,000 vehicles at the eastern terminus with SR 111, the latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway.
## History
Route 64, a highway from Mecca to Blythe, was added to the state highway system in 1919. In 1935, Pierce Street from Route 26 near Oasis to Avenue 66, and Avenue 66 from Route 26 to Mecca were added to the state highway system. Two years later, Pierce Street was designated as Route 203, and Avenue 66 was designated as Route 204. By 1926, the road existed east of Mecca to Blythe, but was unpaved; by 1930, the road connected from Mecca to the road along the western side of the Salton Sea to Indio and points further west.
Between 1932 and 1934, the road east of Mecca had been paved. The western part of the road, known as the Box Canyon road, from Mecca to Blythe served as part of US 60 and US 70 until it was eventually bypassed in favor of a more direct route to Indio, diverging at Shavers' Summit. Between 1934 and 1936, US 60 and US 70 had made the shift north towards Indio, and the portion between US 99 and Mecca was paved. Initial opposition was later overcome after the road was washed out during a storm and forced motorists to take refuge in the nearby foothills. By 1940, the SR 195 designation was signed. In the 1940s, the highway continued due west of Mecca to end at an intersection with US 99, rather than turning south.
In 1953, efforts to remove the road from Mecca to the highway from Blythe to Indio, from the state highway system were met with community opposition, since it served as an alternate route for the other highway. State Senator Nelson S. Dilworth proposed legislation to require the road from Banning through Idyllwild to Mountain Center (now SR 243) to be added to the state highway system if SR 195 was removed, as the two were of roughly the same length, but the latter remained in the system.
SR 195 was officially designated in the 1964 state highway renumbering. The original alignment continued past SR 111 and the Salton Sea before ending at US 60, which later became I-10, at the southern end of Joshua Tree National Park. The Division of Highways proposed deleting this part of the state highway in 1971, though similar plans had been revived in 1969. This portion was removed in 1972.
In 1988, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved shifting SR 111 onto the new SR 86 expressway after it was completed, using SR 195 to make the connection. When the SR 86 expressway was fully constructed, SR 195 was to be removed from the state highway system according to state law; that expressway was finished in 2001. However, this removed the connection from the highway portion of SR 111 to the new expressway carrying both SR 111 and SR 86 north from the state highway system. Caltrans officially deleted most of SR 195 in 2009, leaving a gap in SR 111 following deletions of the old routing that was now bypassed by the expressway. In December 2014, with Riverside County and Caltrans both supporting, the CTC transferred the remaining portion of SR 195, from the new SR 86 expressway to SR 111, to become part of SR 111. SR 195 still appears in Caltrans documents dated from 2014.
## Major intersections
## See also
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 1,073 | 20,490 |
29,525,682 |
Warlugulong
| 1,105,769,071 |
1977 painting by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri
|
[
"1977 paintings",
"Australian Aboriginal art",
"Australian paintings",
"Collections of the National Gallery of Australia"
] |
Warlugulong is a 1977 acrylic on canvas painting by Indigenous Australian artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Owned for many years by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the work was sold by art dealer Hank Ebes on 24 July 2007, setting a record price for a contemporary Indigenous Australian art work bought at auction when it was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia for A\$2.4 million. The painting illustrates the story of an ancestral being called Lungkata, together with eight other dreamings associated with localities about which Clifford Possum had traditional knowledge. It exemplifies a distinctive painting style developed by Papunya Tula artists in the 1970s, and blends representation of landscape with ceremonial iconography. Art critic Benjamin Genocchio describes it as "a work of real national significance [and] one of the most important 20th-century Australian paintings".
## Background
Contemporary Indigenous Australian art originated with the Indigenous men of Papunya, located around 240 kilometres (150 mi) northwest of Alice Springs in Australia's Western Desert, who began painting in 1971. The youngest was Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, encouraged by his older brother Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri. A number of the men developed a distinctive style of narrative painting that, beginning around 1976, resulted in the production of several "monumental" works that included representations of both their traditional lands and of ceremonial iconography. Clifford Possum was the first to make this transition commencing with a related painting, also titled Warlugulong (1976), now held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The two images are amongst five that the artist created between 1976 and 1979 that linked the iconography of sacred stories to geographic representation of his country – the land to which he belonged and about which he had traditional knowledge. The artist's images of this period are visually complex, and contain a wide variety of patterns, unified by strong background motifs and structure.
## The painting
Created in synthetic polymer paint on canvas, and a substantial 2 by 3.3 metres (6.6 ft × 10.8 ft) in size, the work's title is taken from a location roughly 300 kilometres (190 mi) "northwest of Alice Springs associated with a powerful desert dreaming". Clifford Possum would often collaborate with other artists, particularly his brother Tim Leura, and the brothers together created the 1976 work of the same name. Art critic Benjamin Genocchio has referred to the 1977 work as also being by the brothers; however, the National Gallery of Australia credits it solely to Clifford Possum. Like the other four works of the period that are symbolic maps of the artist's country, the painting is accompanied by annotated diagrams of the images and notes that explain the dreamings that they include.
While the painting has been described as showing the story of an ancestral being called Lungkata starting the first bushfire, it portrays elements of nine distinct dreamings, of which Lungkata's tale is the central motif. Lungkata was the Bluetongue Lizard Man, an ancestral figure responsible for creating bushfire. The painting portrays the results of a fire, caused by Lungkata to punish his two sons who did not share with their father the kangaroo they had caught. The sons' skeletons are on the right hand side of the image, shown against a background representing smoke and ashes.
Around this central motif are arranged elements of eight other stories, all of them represented at least in part by sets of footprints. Human footprints include a set left by dancing women from a place called Aileron; another shows a family group travelling to a place called Ngama, and a third trail is that of a Tjungurrayi man, which lead to his skeleton, representing his death after committing the crime of trying to steal sacred items. Animal representations include tracks of a cluster of emus from a place called Napperby, on the artist's country, as well as those left by the rock wallaby, or Mala, men journeying north from Port Augusta in South Australia, as well as, on the left hand edge of the picture, those of two groups of dingoes going to a place called Warrabri. A little closer to the centre of the painting are marks representing a dreaming called the Chase of the Goanna Men. Throughout the work, Upambura the Possum Man's footsteps follow the wandering lines that give the painting its overall structure.
This work excludes elements of several dreamings associated with country further south, which had been included in the painting created by Clifford Possum and his brother a year earlier. The omission led scholar Vivien Johnson to conclude that Warlugulong (1977) portrays a narrower geographic area than the preceding work. The artist also modified some of the iconography, and limited the explanations of the painting, omitting secret-sacred dimensions of the stories to avoid offending other Indigenous men, and in recognition that most of the audience for the work would be uninitiated non-Indigenous people.
Johnson's analysis of the painting emphasises the relationship between the representation of geographical sites in the Yuendumu region and the dreaming stories associated with those sites. She concludes that there is "a topographic rationale for the order in which the Dreamings appear from left to right (that is, east to west) across the painting [as well as for] the transverse Dreaming trails". However, beyond this general principle, she argues that the layout of symbols and images is influenced by the desire to present a symmetrical work. There is greater visual symmetry in this painting than in its 1976 predecessor; symmetry is a strong influence in the works of many of the early Western Desert artists, including Clifford Possum, Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri and Kaapa Tjampitjinpa.
Warlugulong (1977) is acclaimed as a landmark Indigenous painting; a great work by one of the country's foremost artists. Described as "epic" and "sprawling", Genocchio said of it that is "a work of real national significance [and] one of the most important 20th-century Australian paintings". The authors of the National Gallery of Australia's book, Collection Highlights, characterises the painting as the artist's most significant. Artist and curator Brenda L Croft agreed, considering it "an epic painting, encyclopaedic in both content and ambition" and "the artist's most significant work". The work and the price it achieved at auction in 2007 are cited as evidence of both the importance of Clifford Possum as an artist, and of the maturation and growth of the Australian Indigenous art market.
## Sale history
Warlugulong was first exhibited at a show in Alice Springs, where it attracted crowds of interested viewers, but failed to sell. Realities Gallery in Melbourne then included the work in a major exhibition of Papunya Tula artworks. It was purchased for A\$1,200 by the Commonwealth Bank, which hung it in a bank training centre cafeteria on the Mornington Peninsula. The bank sold it by auction in 1996. The auction house trading the work expected it to fetch around \$5,000 and did not make a feature of it in the catalogue, but dealers including Hank Ebes, the successful bidder, recognised the painting's significance and it sold for \$36,000 plus commission. After hanging in Ebes's living room for eleven years, it was auctioned in Melbourne by Sotheby's on 24 July 2007. It sold for \$2.4 million, thoroughly eclipsing the previous record for an Indigenous Australian painting, set when Emily Kngwarreye's Earth's Creation was bought in May of the same year for just over \$1 million. Warlugulong's buyer was the National Gallery of Australia, which purchased the work as part of its 25th Anniversary Gifts Program. The Gallery considers the painting to be possibly the most important in its collection of Indigenous Australian art. As of 2016, the work is on display in the National Gallery.
When the Australian government in 2009 introduced a resale royalty scheme, the sale history of Warlugulong was frequently used to argue in favour of the scheme, designed to ensure that artists and their families continued to benefit from the appreciating value of old works.
|
[
"## Background",
"## The painting",
"## Sale history"
] | 1,720 | 42,310 |
2,055,321 |
Paul Bako
| 1,167,422,126 |
American baseball player (born 1972)
|
[
"1972 births",
"Atlanta Braves players",
"Baltimore Orioles players",
"Baseball players from Lafayette, Louisiana",
"Billings Mustangs players",
"Chattanooga Lookouts players",
"Chicago Cubs players",
"Cincinnati Reds players",
"Detroit Tigers players",
"Florida Marlins players",
"Houston Astros players",
"Indianapolis Indians players",
"Kansas City Royals players",
"Living people",
"Los Angeles Dodgers players",
"Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball players",
"Major League Baseball catchers",
"Milwaukee Brewers players",
"New Orleans Zephyrs players",
"Philadelphia Phillies players",
"Reading Phillies players",
"Toledo Mud Hens players",
"University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni",
"Wareham Gatemen players",
"Wichita Wranglers players",
"Winston-Salem Spirits players",
"Winston-Salem Warthogs players"
] |
Gabor Paul Bako II (/ˈbɑːkoʊ/; born June 20, 1972) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He is an example of a baseball "journeyman", having played for 11 different teams during his 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career. During his playing days, he was listed at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg).
Bako attended high school and college in his home state of Louisiana, winning two conference championships at the University of Southwest Louisiana. After reaching MLB with the American League's Detroit Tigers in 1998, Bako spent seven seasons in the National League, playing with six different teams. He returned to the American League with the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles, then played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies for one season each.
## Baseball career
### High school and college
In 1990, Bako was drafted out of Lafayette High School—who later retired his number 6—with the ninth pick of the sixth round by the Cleveland Indians. He chose not to sign, and attended the University of Southwest Louisiana. In his college career, Bako caught for the Ragin' Cajuns during two consecutive conference championship seasons: 1991 in the American South Conference, when they finished with a 49–20 record, 14th-best among Division I squads; and 1992 in the Sun Belt Conference, when Southwestern Louisiana's pitching staff amassed a 3.50 earned run average, 29th-best in Division I. After the 1992 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 1993, he was named to the second team of the all-Sun Belt Conference baseball team, and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round of the 1993 June draft.
### Minor leagues
Bako began his professional career with the Pioneer Baseball League's Billings Mustangs, a rookie-league farm team of the Reds located in Montana. During the 1993 season, Bako amassed a .314 batting average, second-highest on the team that season behind Chris Sexton. Bako walked 22 times, stole 5 bases, and batted in 30 runs, while excelling defensively compared to the other catcher on the team. His fielding percentage was .988, and he posted only four errors that season. He was also named a Pioneer League All-Star.
Bako moved on to the high-A Winston-Salem Spirits in the Carolina League for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He struggled during the 1994 season, batting only .204 with three home runs and 26 runs batted in (RBIs). 1995 was more successful, with an 81-point boost in batting average (.285), seven home runs and 11 doubles. After the season, Baseball America rated him the top-ranked catching prospect in the Reds farm system.
Bako's 1995 performance earned him a promotion to the Southern League's Chattanooga Lookouts, the Reds AA-level affiliate, for 1996, where he was named a Southern League All-Star. He was second on the team in strikeouts (93) and fifth among regulars with a .294 batting average. He hit a career-high eight home runs during that season, adding 27 doubles and 48 RBIs in 360 at bats. In 1997, playing for the Indianapolis Indians, Bako was a teammate of brothers Aaron and Bret Boone. That year, he batted .243 and matched his previous year's career-high home run total. He had 78 hits in 321 at-bats. Bako's game management earned him a reputation, even in the minor leagues. Brett Tomko, who played with Bako in the minors in 1996 as a member of the Lookouts and in 1997 with Indianapolis, recalled one of their mound conversations:
> Bako: Are you really trying out here?
> Tomko: What do you mean?
> Bako: Because your stuff is horrible today and if you don't try a little harder, you're not going to make it out of this inning.
On November 11, 1997, Bako was traded by the Reds to the Detroit Tigers in an offseason deal that included Donne Wall. After playing 13 games with the Tigers AAA-level affiliate—the Toledo Mud Hens—in 1998, Bako was called up to the Major League club.
### Major leagues
#### 1998–2000
Bako made his major league debut with the Tigers on April 30, 1998, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. His first Major League hit, a bases loaded double, came the next day off Bill Swift, when he went 2-for-5 against the Seattle Mariners in a 17–3 Tigers win. He hit his first major league home run on May 15 against the Oakland Athletics; it came off Mike Mohler in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runners (Damion Easley, Joe Randa) on base. He also went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees on July 21. Bako's rookie season was arguably his most successful: he posted a .272 batting average, hit three home runs, batted in 30 runs, and collected 106 total bases. After the season, the Tigers traded Bako to the Houston Astros in a seven-player deal that included Brad Ausmus.
Because of his last name, Bako gained temporary distinction as one of the Astros' "Killer B's", which included first baseman Jeff Bagwell and second baseman Craig Biggio, two formidable veteran players who helped established the Astros as perennial playoff contenders in the 1990s and 2000s. In fact, journalist Dayn Perry jocosely noted the 1999 Astros, "in pursuit of arcane history, used eight players whose last names began with 'B.'" The eight included Bagwell, Bako, Glen Barker, Derek Bell, Sean Bergman, Lance Berkman, Biggio, and Tim Bogar.
Bako appeared in 73 games for the 1999 Astros; he got at least one hit in his first six games with Houston after beginning the season in the minor leagues, highlighted by a 3-for-4 performance on April 30, the anniversary of his debut. He added another 4-for-4 game to his résumé on July 29 against the Colorado Rockies. Bako hit .256 with two home runs, 17 RBIs, and 16 runs scored in the 1999 season; he was part of Houston's roster for the 1999 National League Division Series, but did not play. After one game for the Astros in 2000, Houston traded Bako to the Florida Marlins. He played his first game for Florida on April 13, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Bako played for the Marlins until July 20, batting .242 with 14 RBIs. He was waived on July 21 and claimed by the Atlanta Braves, one of the Marlins' division rivals. He batted .190 with the Braves and played in his first career game at first base in the last two months of the 2000 season.
#### 2001–2004
Bako remained with the Braves for the 2001 season, where he was the backup to Javy López. He batted .212, amassing the third-highest (20) walk total among Atlanta's bench players and batting in 15 runs. His top performances of the season were a 3-for-4 game against the Montréal Expos in August and a 2-for-3 night—with 2 walks—in October against Florida. Bako appeared in three games during the 2001 National League Division Series (NLDS), his first playoff appearances, and three more during the National League Championship Series (NLCS). In Game 3 of the NLDS, Bako went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in the second inning; he also batted in a third run on a squeeze bunt in the fourth.
In a trade of catchers, the Braves acquired Henry Blanco from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Bako and José Cabrera. Bako played in 87 games for the Brewers in 2002, his most extensive playing time since his rookie season; behind him, the team used four additional catchers. Bako batted .235 with four home runs for the season. His top performance of the year was against the Minnesota Twins in interleague play; Bako went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning and a bases-loaded single to drive in a third run.
After the 2002 season, Milwaukee traded Bako to the Chicago Cubs, where he spent two complete seasons; 2003 and 2004 were the only consecutive seasons that Bako spent with the same organization. Over his two years, he backed up Damian Miller and Michael Barrett, and was reunited with former Braves teammate Greg Maddux in 2004. In his first Chicago season, Bako batted .229 with 22 walks and 13 doubles; a 4-for-5 performance in his second game of the year was his best of the season. In that game, he batted three times against the Reds with the bases loaded, notching a triple, two singles and six RBIs. Bako batted only .203 for the Cubs in 2004. He hit one home run and eight doubles, displaying his defense with a .989 fielding percentage. His top performance that year was in the second game of a doubleheader against Florida, when he went 3-for-3 and batted in two runs.
#### 2005–2009
As a free agent, Bako signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2005 season. He batted .250 for the Dodgers in 13 games with two doubles and four RBIs. He backed up both Jason Phillips and Dioner Navarro in 2005, but underwent season-ending surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament in June of that season. The Dodgers granted Bako free agency after the season, and he signed with the Kansas City Royals in December 2005. After beginning the 2006 season in the minor leagues, Bako returned to the majors with the Royals, where he batted .209 backing up John Buck. He played in 60 games with the Baltimore Orioles in 2007, amassing five extra-base hits and batting .205. He tied for the highest total of walks off the Orioles bench and batted in eight runs for the season.
On February 1, 2008, Bako signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds. At the end of spring training, he was added to the 40-man roster. Though he batted only .217, Bako appeared in a career-high 99 games in 2008, hitting six home runs and notching 35 RBIs. On January 30, 2009, the Chicago Cubs signed Bako to a one-year contract. However, he was unconditionally released near the end of spring training. On May 18, Bako signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, and was called up from the Reading Phillies to the Major League roster on June 9. He became the Phillies only backup catcher when the Phillies waived "folk hero" Chris Coste on July 10; Coste had broken into the big leagues for the first time with Philadelphia at age 33. The next day, Bako came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning against Pittsburgh Pirates closer Matt Capps with the score tied, 7–7; the Phillies had been behind by four runs before home runs by Matt Stairs and Ryan Howard tied the game. With the bases loaded, Bako hit a single through the left side of the infield, driving in the winning run (Raúl Ibañez) and sealing the Phillies fourth consecutive victory in a season-high ten-game winning streak. After the acquisition of starting pitcher Cliff Lee, Bako caught all of his first five starts with the Phillies, when Lee posted a 5–0 record and an 0.68 earned run average. Bako said, "With as many strikes as he throws and as many weapons as he has, it's a lot of fun to catch him." Manager Charlie Manuel, however, denied that Bako was scheduled to be Lee's personal catcher, as he had done for Maddux in 2001. "[Bako]'s [sic] not his personal catcher... Of course you guys will write whatever you want to write. If you want him to be his personal catcher, go right ahead. But I'll handle it anyway, so it doesn't matter."
As the 2009 season wore on, regular catcher Carlos Ruiz spent some time recuperating from an injury, allowing Bako expanded playing time near the end of the season. From September 18 to 29, Bako played in all but one of the team's games; his best stretch was from September 24 through September 27, when he went 6-for-13 with two RBI over three games. He finished the year with a .224 batting average. After winning the National League East for the third consecutive year, the Phillies faced the Colorado Rockies in the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, and the New York Yankees in the World Series; Bako did not appear in any games during the postseason. After the 2009 season, Bako filed for free agency; considered retirement, according to teammate Scott Eyre; and did not play during the 2010 season.
## After baseball
As of 2011, Bako was an equipment representative for the Marucci Bat Company, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He and former Orioles first baseman David Segui were part-owners of the company.
## Personal life
Bako lived in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, during the offseason, with his wife, Laurie, and two children.
|
[
"## Baseball career",
"### High school and college",
"### Minor leagues",
"### Major leagues",
"#### 1998–2000",
"#### 2001–2004",
"#### 2005–2009",
"## After baseball",
"## Personal life"
] | 2,927 | 36,691 |
54,192,345 |
Baizuo
| 1,171,625,248 |
Derogatory Chinese term: Western leftism
|
[
"2010s neologisms",
"Anti-LGBT sentiment",
"Anti-immigration politics in China",
"Chinese Internet slang",
"Criticism of feminism",
"Criticism of multiculturalism",
"Linguistic controversies",
"Political neologisms",
"Political pejoratives for people",
"Right-wing populism in China"
] |
Baizuo (, Mandarin pronunciation: ; literally "white left") is a derogatory Chinese neologism used to refer to Western liberals and leftists and to their values, especially in relation to refugee issues and social problems. The term originated in the 2010s, probably initially to mock American and Western communists who traveled to China to support the communist revolution and has since come into widespread use due to Chinese netizens' criticism of Western liberal to leftist ideologies and of European governments, particularly Angela Merkel and the German government, for their alleged over-tolerance during the refugee crisis, and to netizens' praise of Trump's populist policies. The term has begun to be widely used in English as well, most notably by American conservatives.
## Etymology
The word is made up of two Chinese characters, 白 (bái, "white") and 左 (zuǒ, "left"). Although the word is most commonly used in its literal sense, it is sometimes used to mean idiotic (白痴) liberals. It is believed that the word came from China's netizens. An article from the Southern Metropolis Daily goes further, referring to the term as originating from a 2010 article, "The Fake Morality of the Western 'White Left' and the Chinese 'Patriotic Scientists'", written by Li Shuo, a Renren Network user. He satirizes and blames the foreign left-wing youths who came to China before 1949 to help the Chinese revolution and who were sympathetic to the communist revolution in the article. However, Chenchen Zhang believes the term only dates back to about 2015 when, with the refugee crisis in Europe and the rise of right-wing populism in the United States, the term became popular as Chinese netizens criticized the leftist and liberal views in the West. Zhang summarizes the commonality of hundreds of relevant responses on Zhihu, which accuses baizuo of being hypocritical; of caring only about topics such as immigration, minorities, and LGBT rights; of tolerating the "regressive values" of Islam for the sake of multiculturalism; and of supporting the welfare state at the expense of tolerating lazy people. The initial popularity of the term has been attributed by several surveys to overseas Chinese communities, often high-technology practitioners or small business owners. As a result of their lack of education in humanitarian equality, per Yinghong Cheng, and their life experience of hard work in the West, they are uncomfortable and even hostile to new concepts and doctrines in religion, gender, sexuality and family.
Three meanings of the term have been specified through analysis: the term represents a perceived racial distinction in the global racial hierarchy by the Chinese people; through the term, the racial other has been identified as a racial traitor; the term refers to a group of people who are perceived to have a destructive influence on developed civilizations, including China, and Chinese nationalists must take the side of the global rightists against the damage leftists allegedly cause to civilization. It is also related to another term, shèngmǔ (simplified Chinese: 圣母; traditional Chinese: 聖母; pinyin: shèngmǔ; literally "Holy Mother"), a reference to those whose political opinions are perceived as being sympathetic towards immigration. These words have analogies with English words like libtard, but they also partially encompass the Chinese view of classical Western culture.
## Usage
### 2015 European migrant crisis
The term comes up often under topics related to the 2015 immigration crisis in Europe and is often used to accuse European politicians of being overly tolerant in their treatment of refugees. While some praised the decision of Austria and Germany to open their borders to refugees to welcome those stranded in Hungary after Alan Kurdi's death, just as many accused it of leading to chaos, with the subsequent New Year's Eve sexual assault considered a solid piece of evidence that Chinese netizens blamed on the "white left" ideology of Europe and compared to the parable of The Farmer and the Viper. In mid-2016, an Amnesty International questionnaire showed that 94 percent of Chinese were willing to accept refugees, yet already in mid-2015, a Weibo blogger observed that it was "politically correct" to mock Merkel or other "leftist" politicians on Weibo because of their moderate platforms for refugees. Amnesty International's paper elicited a fierce reaction, and an ensuing Global Times poll showed that 90.3 percent of Internet users did not want to accept refugees, leading Global Times to call Amnesty International's survey "peculiar" and an attempt to "incite antagonism against the government among the public".
World Refugee Day on June 20, 2017, experienced another similar event when Yao Chen, China's first UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, held a charity event in Beijing at which the film Welcome to Refugeestan was screened, and later that day, the UN Human Rights Office celebrated the event by making a post on Weibo, and official Chinese media outlets posted in support. However, a large number of netizens voiced their opposition and believed that the initiative was a way to pressure China to accept refugees, and some rumors claimed that the construction of refugee camps had already begun in some areas of China. On June 22, the Guangdong Communist Youth League created a similar questionnaire asking netizens if they were willing to support the Chinese government's acceptance of Middle Eastern refugees and this time, only about 0.5 percent said they did. On June 23, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a meeting with the Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, stressed that refugees are not migrants and that they will all eventually return to their home countries. On June 26, Yao apologized and expressed her agreement with Wang's view.
Several nationalist narratives—some of them identical to the right-wing populism of the West—have been observed alongside the term online, such as the belief that the introduction of immigrants will lead to the replacement of majority ethnic groups, anti-elitism, opposition to mainstream media sentiment, identitarianism, national rejuvenation, nativism, social Darwinism and pragmatism, with the term being used as a key rhetorical device to chain these ideas together. Chinese netizens have adopted the narrative that intervention from the United States and the West instigated the Syrian civil war and caused the refugee crisis and therefore accuse Western countries of hypocrisy on the refugee issue. In addition, due to the one-child policy implemented in China, the introduction of immigrants is more likely to be seen as an act, at least in the imagination, of displacing the majority ethnic groups.
### Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign
Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the U.S. presidency in 2015. His right-wing electoral strategy has appealed not only to Chinese nationalists but also to many Chinese liberals. For nationalists, Trump's populist, anti-immigrant campaign has appealed to them, though that appeal is also noted as more of an opposition to American liberalism or even liberal democracy itself. Over time, the term has come to be used to describe people who uphold similar policies, such as Barack Obama, rather than focusing on their race. For Chinese liberals, or at least some of them, Trump's toughness and conservatism toward China have appealed to them, and they want to use similar conservative ideas to promote a liberal democratic system in China. Both liberals who support Trump and those who criticize him invoke cases like the Cultural Revolution or the Great Leap Forward as an overall critique of leftists and believe that the American left will similarly lead to these happening in the United States. The former equate the removal of Confederate memorials with the destruction of the Four Olds, Black Lives Matter activists with the Red Guards, and MeToo with the big character poster or struggle session. They draw the conclusion that the "white left" is wreaking devastation on America through these analogies. The latter, though, connect Trump's populism to Maoism.
Similar to the case during the 2015 European migrant crisis, the support for American right-wing populism has also been seen as a result of Chinese pragmatism. For nationalists, the use of the term is accompanied by expressions of China's rise and sense of competition. For liberal intellectuals, the criticism of the "white left" and the praise of Trump also represent their non-nationalist sentiment and pro-market sentiment.
### Usage by American conservatives
Since the popularity of the term in China, conservatives in the United States, especially nationalist conservatives, have also begun to use the term. Prominent conservatives Tucker Carlson and Rod Dreher have used the term to criticize American leftist and liberal ideas. In March 2020, Carlson introduced the term on his television show, while Dreher used "baizuocracy" to describe "white leftist government". The use of the term has been described as embodying a shift in the attitudes among a section of the American right that now expresses admiration for China and believes that it will prevail over the liberal-leaning United States. There are claims that American conservatives misuse the term and ignore the debate about Chinese nationalism and "geopolitical Darwinism".
### Laissez-faire in usage
Despite its possible racist elements, the use of this term does not appear to be censored by the Chinese government, possibly because it contributes to the development of a sense of cyber-nationalism on the Chinese internet. Zhang Chenchen believes that this laissez-faire is due to the government's tolerance and even encouragement of discussions that portray the West as divided and in decline as a result of democratic politics. She states this means that the government wants to see netizens portray Western politicians as hypocritical and self-serving on human rights issues.
## See also
|
[
"## Etymology",
"## Usage",
"### 2015 European migrant crisis",
"### Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign",
"### Usage by American conservatives",
"### Laissez-faire in usage",
"## See also"
] | 1,979 | 21,876 |
981,989 |
Harry Glicken
| 1,172,857,284 |
American geologist and volcanologist
|
[
"1958 births",
"1991 deaths",
"20th-century American geologists",
"Academic staff of Tokyo Metropolitan University",
"American volcanologists",
"Deaths in volcanic eruptions",
"Filmed deaths during natural disasters",
"Natural disaster deaths in Japan",
"Stanford University alumni",
"United States Geological Survey personnel",
"University of California, Santa Barbara alumni",
"University of Tokyo alumni"
] |
Harry Glicken (March 7, 1958 – June 3, 1991) was an American volcanologist. He researched Mount St. Helens in the United States before and after its 1980 eruption, and was very distraught about the death of volcanologist David A. Johnston, who was Glicken's mentor and supervisor in Spring 1980 at Mount St. Helens. Glicken was initially assigned to the USGS observation post in the weeks leading up to the eruption but was called away the night before the eruption.
In 1991, while conducting avalanche research on Mount Unzen in Japan, Glicken and fellow volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft were killed by a pyroclastic flow. His remains were found four days later and were cremated in accordance with his parents' request. Glicken and Johnston remain the only American volcanologists known to have died in volcanic eruptions.
Despite a long-term interest in working for the United States Geological Survey, Glicken never received a permanent post there because there was a hiring freeze for federal agencies when he graduated with his PhD. While conducting research from sponsorships granted by the National Science Foundation and other organizations, Glicken accrued expertise in the field of volcanic debris avalanches. He also wrote several major publications on the topic, including his doctoral dissertation based on his research at Mount St. Helens titled "Rockslide-debris Avalanche of May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington" that initiated widespread interest in the phenomenon.
Since being published posthumously by Glicken's colleagues in 1996, the report has been acknowledged by many other publications on debris avalanches. Following his death, Glicken was praised by associates for his love of volcanoes and commitment to his field.
## Life and career
### Early work
Glicken was born in 1958 to Milton and Ida Glicken. He graduated from Stanford University in 1980. Later that year, while a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he was temporarily hired by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to help monitor the volcano Mount St. Helens in Washington state. St. Helens, dormant since the 1840s and 1850s, resumed activity in March 1980.
As seismic and volcanic activity increased, volcanologists working for the USGS in its Vancouver branch prepared to observe any impending eruption. Geologist Don Swanson and others placed reflectors on and around the growing lava domes, and, on May 1, 1980, established the Coldwater I and II observation posts to use laser ranging to measure how the distances to these reflectors changed over time as the domes deformed. Glicken monitored the volcano for two weeks, taking shelter in a trailer at the Coldwater II site located a little more than 5 miles (8 km) northwest of the volcano.
On May 18, 1980, after working for six days straight, Glicken took the day off to attend an interview for his graduate work with his professor, Richard V. Fisher, in Mammoth Lakes, California. His research adviser and mentor David A. Johnston replaced him at his post, despite expressing concerns about its safety given indications of mobile magma within the volcano. After a magnitude 5.1 earthquake centered directly below the north slope triggered that part of the volcano to slide at 8:32 a.m., Mount St. Helens erupted. Johnston was killed after he was enveloped by swift pyroclastic flows that traveled down the mountain's flanks at near supersonic speeds.
After the eruption, Glicken went to Toutle High School, the center for relief efforts, where he joined Air Force Reserve Rescue Squadron officials in a helicopter to look for Johnston or any sign of his post. Despite searching with three separate crews over a span of nearly six hours, Glicken found no trace. He attempted to enlist a fourth helicopter crew to aid his search, but they declined, fearing dangerous conditions. In his distraught state, Glicken refused to accept Johnston's death, and had to be comforted by Swanson before calming down.
In mid-1980, after the May eruption, USGS Survey scientists decided to establish the David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) in Vancouver, intending to closely monitor volcanoes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Glicken returned to St. Helens hoping to join the 'autopsy' team. However, every aspect of the eruption had been claimed by different survey scientists, and as a doctoral student at UC Santa Barbara studying with Richard Fisher, Glicken was not a survey employee.
Instead, he found work with newly appointed Survey employee Barry Voight, a specialist in landslides. Under Voight's guidance, Glicken absorbed himself in his work, motivated to earn a job at the Survey, and to relieve some of his anguish over Johnston's death. Glicken and a team of geologists mapped the debris field left over from St. Helens's structural collapse, which consisted of roughly a quarter of the mass of the volcano. Through extensive, meticulous analysis, the team traced the origins and the means of movement of each piece of debris, ranging from blocks 100 yards (91 m) in width to mere fragments.
With his group, Glicken compiled a landmark study in the field of volcanic landslides, establishing the principle that tall volcanoes have a tendency to collapse. The study garnered praise for its unique conclusions and attention to detail, inspiring volcanologists to identify similar deposit mounds at volcanoes around the world. After the findings from his dissertation were published in several shorter articles throughout the 1980s, Glicken earned recognition as the first geologist to explain the creation of hummock fields near tall volcanoes.
### Research after St. Helens and death
In the years following the eruption, activity at Mount St. Helens diminished, prompting USGS to reduce CVO's budget and contemplate closing the station. Glicken continued helping the Survey until 1989, also serving as an assistant researcher at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
From 1989 to 1991, Glicken continued his volcanological studies in Japan as a postdoctoral fellow at the Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo, supported by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Later, while a research professor and translator at Tokyo Metropolitan University, Glicken became involved with research at Mount Unzen. The volcano had recently resumed eruptive activity in November 1990, after being dormant for 198 years. In the months after its first activity, it erupted sporadically, and the government evacuated its vicinity near the end of May 1991.
On June 2, 1991, Glicken visited the mountain with Katia and Maurice Krafft. The three entered a danger zone near the base of the volcano the following day, assuming that any potentially hazardous pyroclastic flows would follow a turn in the landscape and safely bypass them. Later that day, a lava dome collapsed, sending a large flow down the valley at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The current reached the turn before separating into two parts, and the upper, hotter part swiftly overcame the volcanologists' post, killing them upon impact.
In total, 41 or 42 people died in the incident, including press members who had been watching the volcanologists. The volcano burned down 390 houses, and the remains of the flow extended 2.5 miles (4 km) in length. Glicken's remains were found four days later, and were cremated according to his parents' wishes. To date, Glicken and Johnston are the only American volcanologists known to have been killed by a volcanic eruption.
### Posthumous report
At the time of his death, Glicken had been seeking to publish his doctoral dissertation in one piece, having earlier published elements as shorter articles. He had already defined the criteria for debris avalanches on the slopes of volcanoes, and authored several publications on the subject; Swanson named him one of the foremost experts in the field. After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, research in the niche area grew as more studies identified debris at well-known volcanoes. His work on flows at Mount St. Helens is considered the most complete in the field to date. It was later published in 1996 as a single report by his acquaintances Carol Ostengren, John Costa, Dan Dzurisin, and Jon Major, among others, at the United States Geological Survey. In his preface to Glicken's publication, Major comments that "the Mount St. Helens deposit will never be mapped in such detail again."
Glicken's report is titled "Rockslide-debris Avalanche of May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington". It comprises his extensive laboratory and field work, supplemented by photographs of the eruption, writings that describe St. Helens before the eruption, and references to previous publications, including Voight's work. In the report, Glicken constructed a map of the landslide deposit at a scale of 1:24000, followed by a lithologic map describing rock varieties at a scale of 1:12000. The report also provides a conclusion for the movement of each slide block, using photographs and other data to estimate the velocity of each landslide, describing the composition of each, and recounting the interactions between blocks.
## Tributes and legacy
Despite their appreciation of his work, many of Glicken's associates considered him eccentric and highly disorganized. Chatty, noted for being extremely sensitive, Glicken also paid meticulous attention to detail. One of his friends writes, "Harry was a character his whole life. ... Everyone who knew him was amazed he was such a good scientist." Regarding Glicken's driving habits, the same acquaintance describes him as "a cartoon character" who "would drive at full speed down the road, talking about whatever was important to him, and ... come to a four-way stoplight and he'd sail through it, never knowing he'd just gone through".
Glicken's father said in 1991 that his son died pursuing his passion, and that he was "totally absorbed" with volcanology. United States Geological Survey co-worker Don Peterson adds that Glicken was keen in his enthusiastic approach to observation, and praises his accomplishments throughout his career and as a graduate student. Speaking about Glicken's personal passion for his field, his mentor and professor Richard V. Fisher writes, "What happened at St. Helens is something that troubled [Glicken] deeply for a very long time, and, in a way, I think it made him even more dedicated than he was before."
Associate Robin Holcomb remarks that "Harry was very enthusiastic, very bright, and very ambitious, ambitious to do something worthwhile on volcanoes." Many studies have utilized Glicken's criteria for volcanic landslide recognition, and many subsequent papers on avalanches have acknowledged or referenced Glicken's 1996 report. Reflecting on Glicken's body of work, USGS employee Don Swanson names him as "a world leader in studies of volcanic debris avalanches".
Glicken was closely connected to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned his doctorate and conducted research. To remember his association with the university, each year the Department of Earth Science awards an outstanding graduate geology student the "Harry Glicken Memorial Graduate Fellowship", established by the Harry Glicken Fund, which aims to support students "who will pursue research relating to the understanding of volcanic processes".
## Selected publications
Most of Glicken's published work centers around the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. He also coauthored works with other volcanologists that focused on debris avalanches. Colleague Jon Major writes that "The full scope of Harry's work ... has never been published."
|
[
"## Life and career",
"### Early work",
"### Research after St. Helens and death",
"### Posthumous report",
"## Tributes and legacy",
"## Selected publications"
] | 2,434 | 39,908 |
12,141,973 |
Cologne Central Mosque
| 1,173,000,990 |
Building commissioned by German Muslims
|
[
"2017 establishments in Germany",
"DITIB mosque",
"Ehrenfeld, Cologne",
"Mosque-related controversies in Europe",
"Mosques completed in 2017",
"Mosques in Germany",
"Religion and politics",
"Religious buildings and structures in Cologne"
] |
The Cologne Central Mosque (German: DITIB-Zentralmoschee Köln, Turkish: Köln Merkez-Camii) is a building commissioned by German Muslims of the Organization DİTİB for a large, representative Zentralmoschee (central mosque) in Cologne, Germany. This mosque was inaugurated by Turkish President Erdogan. After controversy, the project won the approval of Cologne's city council.
The mosque is designed in neo-Ottoman architectural style, with glass walls, two minarets and a dome. The mosque is proposed to have a bazaar as well as other secular areas intended for interfaith interactions. As the mosque will be one of Europe's biggest mosques, and the largest mosque in Germany, it has been criticized by some, particularly for the height of the minarets.
## Design
The 48,000-square-foot (4,500 m<sup>2</sup>) mosque cost £15–20 million to build, aiming to house 2,000 to 4,000 worshippers. The mosque is funded by Diyanet İşleri Türk İslam Birliği (DİTİB), a branch of the Turkish government's religious affairs authority, bank loans, and donations from 884 Muslim associations. Cologne's St. Theodore Catholic Church has also decided to fundraise for the mosque. The architects of the mosque are Gottfried Böhm and his son Paul Böhm, who specializes in building churches.
The mosque is in the Ottoman architecture style. It has a main hall of 36.5 meter, and two 55 meter high minarets. The mosque has the bazaar and entrance on the ground floor, lecture halls in the basement, the prayer area on the upper floor and include a Muslim library. A well is placed in the centre to connect the two levels and create a pleasant atmosphere. The mosque consists of flat-like wall screens which form a dome in the centre.
It also has glass walls, which according to DİTİB spokesman Alboga gives visitors a feeling of openness. According to the architect, openness is further enhanced by an inviting staircase from the street. The developers have required that the secular areas of the mosque (e.g. the restaurant, event halls and stores) be open to people of all religions. A plan welcomed by then mayor of Cologne Fritz Schramma to build shorter minarets was dropped after the architects said the plan would leave the minarets out of proportion with the rest of the building and surrounding structures.
## Opening
It was first used as a mosque in 2017. The inauguration of the mosque in September 2018 during the state visit to Germany by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was controversial as the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs neglected to provide a satisfying security concept for the event. Therefore Cologne only premitted a limited number of attendees of 500 invited guests to the inauguration. DİTİB also failed to allow the mayor of Cologne Henriette Reker to hold a speech at the inauguration, following which she declined to attend. Reker lamented the fact that the official inauguration took part in presence of Erdogan as the mosque was in use since quite some while also before. It was interpreted that DİTİB was more an extension to the Turkish Government and the it was not interested in a cooperation with german institutions. Armin Laschet, the Minister President of North Rhine Westphalia also declined to attend.
## Controversy
The project has been opposed by author Ralph Giordano, right-wingers, Jörg Uckermann [de], then local district's deputy mayor, has criticized the project saying that "We don't want to build a Turkish ghetto in Ehrenfeld. I know about Londonistan and I don't want that here."
Markus Wiener of the far-right activist group Pro Cologne, expressed his fear that the Cologne mosque will empower the Muslim population too much.
On June 16, 2007, 200 people gathered in a protest organized by Pro Cologne against the mosque including representatives from the Austrian Freedom Party and the Belgian Vlaams Belang. Then district deputy mayor Uckermann seconded that he thinks many residents reject the mosque because they believe that Cologne is a “Christian city”. Author Ralph Giordano stated that he opposed the project as the mosque would be “an expression of the creeping Islamization of our land”, a “declaration of war”, and that he wouldn't want to see women wearing headscarfs on German streets, likening their appearance to “human penguins”. Henryk M. Broder, a journalist, disagrees with Giordano's metaphor but said that “A mosque is more than a church or a synagogue. It is a political statement.” Giordano's remarks have turned the local dispute into a national debate about the place of Islam in Germany. and other prominent Germans criticized the project as well. District mayor Uckermann stated that Giordano's comments “broke down the wall. Before if you criticised this monstrous mosque you were a Nazi. But we have a problem with the integration of Muslims. It's a question of language and culture.” Uckermann left the conservative CDU for right-wing Pro Cologne in 2008 after being voted out of office as the district's deputy mayor and reportedly facing party exclusion.
The city's official for integration Marlis Bredehorst stated that "it is important that the Muslims here get dignified houses of prayer" and added that "two hundred years ago, the Protestants had to pray secretively in Catholic Cologne [...] that is something we can't imagine anymore today." The city's mayor, Fritz Schramma, who supports the project said that “For me, it is self-evident that the Muslims need to have a prestigious place of worship, but it bothers me when people have lived here for 35 years and they don’t speak a single word of German.” Christian leaders have taken similarly ambivalent stances: the Catholic Church has long supported the project, though recently Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne, has been more cautious: when asked if he was afraid of the mosque, he said, “I don't want to say I'm afraid, but I have an uneasy feeling.” He also stated that Turkey should allow its Christian minorities equivalent rights. He said the mosque would change the skyline of Cologne. Wolfgang Huber, Germany's top Protestant bishop, criticized the “male domination” he saw in Islam and said Muslims should be able to convert to Christianity without fearing reprisals and the penalty of death.
Public opinion seems “guardedly supportive, with a majority of residents saying they favor it”. A poll taken by a local newspaper among 500 Cologne residents showed that the project is supported by 63%, of whom 27% want its size to be reduced.
A protest planned by Pro Cologne for September 20, 2008 was canceled by police at the last minute in the interest of public safety, after clashes between police and protestors.
On August 28, 2008, the Cologne City Council voted to approve the construction of the mosque. This position was taken by all parties except the Christian democrats (CDU), except for Fritz Schramma, the CDU mayor, who approved the construction. Outside the hall, a group of 30 protesters demonstrated against the approval, while 100 demonstrated in favor of it.
The Cologne mosque project has been contrasted with a less controversial project in Duisburg, Germany: in Duisburg, there was co-operation and good communication from an early stage between German politicians, church and community leaders and the developers of the mosque.
## See also
- Controversies related to Islam and Muslims
- List of mosques in Germany
|
[
"## Design",
"## Opening",
"## Controversy",
"## See also"
] | 1,590 | 13,733 |
38,380,443 |
Becket Hill State Park Reserve
| 1,168,170,669 |
State park in Lyme, Connecticut, US
|
[
"1961 establishments in Connecticut",
"Lyme, Connecticut",
"Parks in New London County, Connecticut",
"Protected areas established in 1961",
"State parks of Connecticut"
] |
Becket Hill State Park Reserve is a public recreation area lying adjacent to Nehantic State Forest in the town of Lyme, Connecticut. The state park is as an undeveloped, walk-in park totaling 260 acres (110 ha) with no officially listed activities. It is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
## History
Becket Hill State Park Reserve is named for an early settler of the area named Beckwith; the land was part of the Nehantic tribe's territory. In 1961, the land for the reserve was given to the state by the George Dudley Seymour Trust, to become the 76th designated Connecticut state park. Beckett Hill was listed on the Connecticut Register and Manual for 1962 as having 260 acres of undeveloped land.
## Activities
The reserve is an undeveloped, walk-in park with access through the Lyme section of Nehantic State Forest, which is entered from Connecticut Route 156. Bushwhacking is required as no roads or trails cross from the forest to the state park reserve. The reserve's boundary with the state forest is created by 69-acre (28 ha) Uncas Lake and Falls Brook, a stream that connects Uncas Lake with 30-acre (12 ha) Norwich Pond. Boat launches for non-motorized craft are located on each. The waters are stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout; other fish include largemouth bass, yellow perch and sunfish.
|
[
"## History",
"## Activities"
] | 297 | 37,730 |
2,321,132 |
The Girl Is Mine
| 1,173,608,275 |
1982 single by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
|
[
"1980s ballads",
"1982 singles",
"1982 songs",
"American soft rock songs",
"British soft rock songs",
"Epic Records singles",
"Male vocal duets",
"Michael Jackson songs",
"Number-one singles in Spain",
"Paul McCartney songs",
"Pop ballads",
"Song recordings produced by Quincy Jones",
"Songs involved in plagiarism controversies",
"Songs written by Michael Jackson"
] |
"The Girl Is Mine" is a song recorded by American singer Michael Jackson and English singer and musician Paul McCartney. The track was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released as the first single for Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). The song was recorded at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. The year before, Jackson and McCartney had recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man" for the latter's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). Although "The Girl Is Mine" was released as a single, Jackson and McCartney never performed the song live.
"The Girl Is Mine" achieved success in the music charts. Aside from topping the R&B singles chart, the single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight in the UK. The song also reached number one in Spain. By 1985, it had sold 1.3 million copies, and was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of 1,000,000 units. Despite the song's success, it received generally mixed reviews from critics who considered it to be the weakest song on Thriller.
"The Girl Is Mine" has been the subject of two plagiarism lawsuits, the first in 1984 and again in 1993. Both instances required Jackson to testify in court, and each lawsuit was decided in favor of the singer and his record label.
In 2008, for the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller, Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am remixed "The Girl Is Mine". The remix received generally unfavorable reviews from music critics.
## Recording
The writing of "The Girl Is Mine" was completed by Jackson as he watched cartoons with Paul McCartney. Producer Quincy Jones had initially told Jackson to write a song about two men fighting over a girl. Inspired, Jackson awoke during the night and sang the song into a tape recorder. He later said, "I sang exactly what I heard in my head, starting with the melody and the keyboard and the strings and everything. So, I just orally put it all on tape." Jones also asked Jackson to add a rap verse. The song was then recorded by Jackson and McCartney at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. A year earlier, the duo had recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man," which were released after "The Girl Is Mine" on McCartney's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983).
Jackson said that the recording of "The Girl Is Mine" was one of his most enjoyable moments in the studio. He explained, "One of my favorite songs to record, of all my recordings as a solo artist, is probably "The Girl Is Mine", because working with Paul McCartney was pretty exciting and we just literally had fun. It was like lots of kibitzing and playing, and throwing stuff at each other, and making jokes. We actually recorded the (instrumental) track and the vocals pretty much live at the same time, and we do have footage of it, but it's never been shown." He concluded, "Maybe one day we'll give you a sneak preview of it." The footage of the pair was later shown at The Paul McCartney World Tour.
Several members of the band Toto participated in the recording of this song, including David Paich (piano), Jeff Porcaro (drums), Steve Lukather (guitars) and Steve Porcaro (synthesizer programming).
## Composition
The musical structuring of "The Girl Is Mine" uses the AABA form, in which the song's title serves as the main source of needed repetition. When used to the maximum, this structuring, also known as the thirty-two-bar form, has the title repeat itself in the same place, in at least two of the three A verses. Author Sheila Davis' book, The Craft of Lyric Writing, notes that "the repeated title line simultaneously outlines the framework of the design and drives home the main point of the lyric". Jackson's "She's Out of My Life" also uses this musical structuring, as does "Body and Soul", "Oh, Lady Be Good!" and "Try a Little Tenderness". The musical chords in "The Girl Is Mine" are seen in several songs written by Jackson. "Blues Away", from The Jacksons, and other songs ("Why Can't I Be" and "Thank You for Life") used the chords before "The Girl Is Mine".
## Release and reception
"The Girl is Mine" was the first single from the album to be released, despite recording "Say Say Say" and "The Man" a year prior. The single's cover photograph was taken by McCartney's wife, Linda. Listeners were not impressed by "The Girl Is Mine", and thought that Jackson's Thriller would also be a disappointment. The public felt that Jackson and the producer, Quincy Jones, had created a song for the white pop audience. Despite some of the public's concerns, "The Girl Is Mine" achieved success in the music charts. Topping the R&B singles chart, the single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 (behind "Maneater" by Hall & Oates and "Down Under" by Men at Work) and the Norwegian Singles Chart. "The Girl Is Mine" reached number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The song charted at number eight in the UK, peaking within the New Zealand Top 20. By 1985, the single had sold 1.3 million copies. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on January 13, 1983, for shipments of at least one million units.
Since its release, "The Girl Is Mine" has received mixed reviews from journalists and music critics. Journalist Robert Christgau described the pairing of McCartney and Jackson as "Michael's worst idea since 'Ben'". Rolling Stone stated that the song was a "wimpoid MOR [middle of the road] ballad" and that McCartney was "tame". Billboard called it a "breezy lighthearted love song capped by some playful superstar banter at the tag." Stephen Erlewine of AllMusic noted that the song had a "sweet schmaltz". Jackson's breakdown with the "irrepressibly silly Paul McCartney" was "disarmingly goofy", according to Stylus Magazine. Salon.com later described "The Girl Is Mine" as a "sappy duet". They concluded that McCartney had become a "wimpy old fart". The song garnered a favourable review from Jackson's biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli. The writer stated that the song was "cute" but lacked substance. He added that the track had a "middle-of-the-road calm" and was the antithesis of the "rambunctious" "Beat It".
## Charts
## Certifications
## Personnel
- Written and composed by Michael Jackson
- Produced by Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson
- Rhodes electric piano: Greg Phillinganes
- Acoustic piano: David Paich
- Synthesizer: David Foster
- Synthesizer programming: Steve Porcaro
- Guitar: Dean Parks and Steve Lukather
- Bass guitar: Louis Johnson
- Drums: Jeff Porcaro
- Vocals: Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
- Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones
- Rhythm arrangement by Quincy Jones and David Paich
- Synthesizer arrangement by David Foster
- Strings arranged and conducted by Jerry Hey
- Concertmaster: Jerry Vinci
## Plagiarism lawsuits
"The Girl Is Mine" has been the subject of two plagiarism lawsuits. Both instances required Jackson to testify in court, and each lawsuit was decided in favor of the singer and his record label. The first legal trial occurred in 1984, with Fred Sanford claiming that Jackson had cut a tape of his song, "Please Love Me Now". Jackson, however, insisted that he composed "The Girl Is Mine". The \$5 million copyright suit was closed after the jury of five men and a woman reached a verdict in favor of Jackson. Their verdict was reached after a three-day deliberation. Jackson was not a defendant in the trial but testified to maintain his credibility. James Klenk, Jackson's attorney, praised the singer upon the jury's verdict. "The man is a genius. He doesn't need anyone else's songs. His own words were the key." During the court proceedings, Jackson revealed how he composes his songs. "I put them in a tape recorder and I orally sing them into the tape, and that's how it happens." One juror stated, "His presentation indicated that he was well able to develop his own songs."
The song's second plagiarism trial was in 1993. Reynaud Jones and Robert Smith alleged that "The Girl Is Mine", along with "Thriller"—written by Rod Temperton—and "We Are the World", resembled their musical works. The pair added that they had been childhood neighbors of the Jackson family when they had resided in Gary, Indiana. Jackson, Lionel Richie—co-writer of "We Are the World"—and Quincy Jones were named as the defendants. The plaintiffs asserted that Joseph Jackson had received a demo tape from them. From the tapes, the defendants were alleged to have stolen the three hit songs. Reynaud Jones also claimed that he had considered suing Jackson over "Billie Jean". Jackson appeared in court via a taped testimony. Following the testimony, the nine-member jury found Jackson to be the writer and composer of "The Girl Is Mine" in early 1994. They also ruled that the defendants had not plagiarized "Thriller" or "We Are the World".
## The Girl Is Mine 2008
For Thriller 25, an album celebrating Thrillers 25th anniversary, Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am remixed "The Girl Is Mine". Entitled "The Girl Is Mine 2008", the remix features an original solo demo of the song by Jackson without McCartney. will.i.am added his own vocals and new verse. The song reached number 12 in New Zealand, 22 in France, in the top 50 of Denmark and Sweden, and number 51 in Switzerland.
Though the remix sampled the demo, The Daily Telegraph alleged that McCartney was omitted because he and Jackson had fallen out over Jackson's purchase of Sony/ATV Music Publishing and the Beatles' song catalogue in 1985. However, the original version of "The Girl Is Mine" was included on Thriller 25 with McCartney's vocals included.
### Reception
"The Girl Is Mine 2008" received mostly unfavorable reviews. Journalist Christopher Rees stated that will.i.am had "done a fantastic job of murdering a classic song". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote that at will.i.am's production was "dumb-thug bluster" and criticized him for trying to hide the "goofy 'doggone' hook"—"the whole point of the song". Music journalist Aidin Vaziri wrote that will.i.am "completely erases Paul McCartney's vocal track from the original duet to make room for himself spouting nonsense". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic claimed that will.i.am had turned "The Girl Is Mine" into a "hapless dance number". Kelefa Sanneh of Blender wrote that "will.i.am contributes beats (why?) and rhymes (why, oh, why?) to 'The Girl Is Mine 2008'". IGN's Todd Gilchrist stated that will.i.am's "The Girl Is Mine" remix was an offense. The offense was made even more "egregious" by the insertion of his own "atonal vocal presence" in place of McCartney's.
Pitchfork Media added to the unfavorable reviews, stating of will.i.am, "He takes Macca off 'The Girl Is Mine' but decides it can't work without someone sounding like an idiot and steps manfully in himself." The Times stated that whoever thought it was a good idea for will.i.am to participate in the song ought to be "locked in a windowless cell with nothing but those songs on a continuous loop". PopMatters, however, praised Thriller 25 and the remix of "The Girl Is Mine". They wrote, "Any album good enough to make you forgive (although maybe not forget) a song as bad as the Paul McCartney duet 'The Girl is Mine' has got to be damn good." They added that will.i.am had put a "breezy spin" on the track and that the song's omission of McCartney did not suffer because of it.
### Charts
### Track listing
- CD single'
1. "The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am" – 3:10
2. "The Girl Is Mine 2008 Club Mix with will.i.am" – 3:25
3. "The Girl Is Mine" Original Demo Recording – 3:13
### Remix credits
- Written by Michael Jackson, William "will.i.am" Adams, Keith Harris
- Produced by William "will.i.am" Adams
- Engineered by William "will.i.am" Adams
- Mixed by William "will.i.am" Adams
- Drum programming: William "will.i.am" Adams
- Keyboards: William "will.i.am" Adams, Keith Harris
- Synthesizers: Keith Harris
- Recorded in November 2007
## See also
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1982 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1983 (U.S.)
- "Just Good Friends" (song) – a 1987 song by Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder with similar subject matter
|
[
"## Recording",
"## Composition",
"## Release and reception",
"## Charts",
"## Certifications",
"## Personnel",
"## Plagiarism lawsuits",
"## The Girl Is Mine 2008",
"### Reception",
"### Charts",
"### Track listing",
"### Remix credits",
"## See also"
] | 2,861 | 36,521 |
43,990,854 |
Music of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
| 1,171,557,112 |
Music from the video game Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
|
[
"Final Fantasy XIII",
"Final Fantasy music",
"Video game music discographies",
"Video game soundtracks"
] |
The music for the 2013 action role-playing game Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, developed and published by Square Enix, was composed by Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Mitsuto Suzuki. Hamauzu was the leader composer for XIII and XIII-2, and Mizuta and Suzuki previously composed music for XIII-2. Musicians who had previously worked with the composers on XIII-2 and The 3rd Birthday worked on the project in Japan, while the main soundtrack was performed and recorded in Boston by the Video Game Orchestra, conducted by Shota Nakama. Along with including more percussion and ethnic elements, the soundtrack used "Blinded by Light", the main theme for main character Lightning, as a leitmotif. Unlike the previous XIII games, the soundtrack did not include a theme song, as the composers felt it would detract from the emotional impact of the ending.
Three albums have been released: the promotional Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Pre Soundtrack in July 2013, the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack in November, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Soundtrack Plus in March 2014. The music has received a mostly positive response from reviewers. The main soundtrack, despite some tracks being critiqued, was generally praised as a good selection of music and a fitting conclusion to the music of the Final Fantasy XIII series. It was also praised by reviewers of the game as a whole. The Soundtrack Plus album was reviewed less favorably. Both commercial albums sold well enough to be placed on the Oricon charts, with the Original Soundtrack reaching \#29 and remaining on the charts for four weeks.
## Concept and creation
The music of Lightning Returns was composed by Masashi Hamauzu, who composed the music for Final Fantasy XIII, Naoshi Mizuta and Mitsuto Suzuki, who co-composed the music for Final Fantasy XIII-2 with Hamauzu. Japanese band Language was also contracted by Suzuki to help with recording and remixing. Several of the musicians in Japan had worked with the composers before on XIII-2 and The 3rd Birthday. Recording took place at the Mixer's Lab recording studios in Tokyo. The Video Game Orchestra, founded by Shota Nakama, was contracted by Hamauzu to perform, record and mix the orchestral music at their studio on Boston. According to Hamauzu, they were his first and only choice for recording the score. Nakama received the final score in April 2013, and Hamauzu was regularly at the studios to help with the recording process. Nakama was told by Hamauzu that he was allowed to do as he wished unless he did something "really wacky", with Hamauzu relying on Nakama and mostly interacting and working on their tracks if he disliked some aspect of them. The orchestra worked on nearly all of Hamauzu's music, including the opening and ending themes.
The score was created with far more percussion than previous entries in the series, and featured "Blinded by Light", a recurring theme in the XIII games related to the series' central character Lightning, as a leitmotif. The theme was meant to emphasize the focus on Lightning, with several tracks relating directly to her. Unspecified ethnic musical elements were also incorporated. Each composer worked on one of the four game's key locations. Due to the game's day-night cycle, different music was composed for morning, afternoon, evening and nighttime. The thirteen-minute-long final boss theme was meant to reference the title's numeral. Hamauzu wrote "Crimson Blitz", the first piece of the score and one of the game's battle themes, while on tour in Switzerland. Unlike the previous two games, Lightning Returns did not feature a theme song as it was felt that this would diminish the emotional impact of the ending. Instead, the composers created a purely orchestral piece. The final theme, "Epilogue", was co-composed by Hamauzu and Nakama. It was based on the concept of the XIII games coming to an end, and so was intended to convey the themes and atmosphere of the soundtrack. Nakama created multiple versions of the piece and sent them to Hamauzu, who performed alterations and made the final choice. The game also featured multiple musical Easter eggs, including tunes from previous entries in the franchise.
## Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack
The main soundtrack album, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack, was released on four compact discs on November 21, 2013. It was released by Square Enix under the catalog number SQEX-10392\~5, and the album features seventy-four tracks spanning 5:07:27. The first disc is devoted to the opening section and the city of Luxerion; the second disc deals with the Dead Dunes and Wildlands; the third covers the city of Yusnaan and important themes leading up to the game's conclusion; the fourth disc covers the final section of the game. Three tracks from the album, "Crimson Blitz", "The Savior", and "Lightning Returns", were digitally released as singles on iTunes. Further samples from the track were released on a disc of Square Enix music sold as a promotion at Tokyo Game Show 2013. Tracks from Lightning Returns, along with XIII and XIII-2, were also included on a special disc released with the Japan-exclusive "Lightning Ultimate box", a package containing all three XIII games. The soundtrack album reached \#29 on the Oricon charts and remained on the charts for four weeks.
Reviews of the album have been positive. Derek Heemsbergen of RPGFan praised the consistency of the soundtrack both when compared to XIII-2 and the variety of locations. He said that the recurring motifs in the soundtrack "work to great effect", noting how the tracks related to Lightning helped explore her personality. His highest praise went to the final disc due to "its sheer emotional intensity". Despite the general praise, some tracks, such as "Marimba de Chocobo", came in for minor critiques. Christopher Huynh of Video Game Music Online was also positive, noting the high production values of the album. He also generally praised the themes used both in battle and for the various locations, though he felt that the Dead Dunes tracks were the weakest on the album. His reaction to the new and rearranged characters' themes were more mixed, with him praising "Snow's Theme" while calling "Fang's Theme" a "very odd and jarring failure". The final disc also received high praise, with Huynn saying that it "succeeds at closing out the series on an emotional high".
Reviewers of the game also noted and praised the soundtrack, despite giving more mixed opinions on other aspects of the game. Jeremy Parish, writing for USGamer, called the music "phenomenal from start to finish". Destructoid's Dale North called the music "fantastic, and even more varied than the previous Final Fantasy XIII games". Bradley Hale of Hardcore Gamer was also positive, saying that the music "does an effective job at blending old jams with new ones, with the arrangements of already known songs being interesting, and new tunes coming off as far more inspiring and emotion-filled than those found in XIII-2".
Track list
## Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack Plus
A bonus album, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Soundtrack Plus, was released on March 26, 2014. The album features remixes of tracks from the main album or tracks present in the game that were not released on the album. The remixes were done by Mizuta, Suzuki, Kengo Tokusashi, Wollny Andreas, Hiroshi Kaneko. Released under the catalog number SQEX-10430, the album features 25 tracks with a total running time of 1:13:31. The album reached \#211 on the Oricon charts, remaining there for one week.
RPGFan's Neal Chandran was mostly negative regarding the album. He called the majority of tracks "just plain boring", while he felt that the more exciting tunes "lack punch". Some pieces such as "Captive Saint" he called "superficially pretty, but that's really it", while the remixes of music pieces by Uematsu he called "brief, but awful". Huynh shared many points of criticism with Chandran, finding multiple tracks boring as they were just slight variations on tracks from the main soundtrack album, though some tracks such as "Dying World" and the piano version of "Serah's Theme" were praised.
## Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Pre Soundtrack
A promotional album, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Pre Soundtrack, was released on July 13, 2013. It contains six tracks from the game, three of which did not yet have an official title. The other three were the tracks that had then received a digital release. The album was available at a special Square Enix event at United States of Odaiba 2013 as a limited promotion for Lightning Returns.
|
[
"## Concept and creation",
"## Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack",
"## Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack Plus",
"## Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Pre Soundtrack"
] | 1,862 | 8,390 |
57,305,764 |
Constantine Komnenos Angelos
| 1,097,618,184 |
Byzantine aristocrat and military commander
|
[
"1150s births",
"12th-century Byzantine people",
"13th-century deaths",
"Angelid dynasty",
"Byzantine generals",
"Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Seljuk wars",
"Byzantine prisoners and detainees",
"Sebastokrators",
"Year of death unknown"
] |
Constantine Komnenos Angelos (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Κομνηνός Ἄγγελος; c. 1151 – after 1199) was a Byzantine aristocrat and military commander, and the older brother of the emperors Isaac II Angelos and Alexios III Angelos. He was blinded by the usurper Andronikos I Komnenos, and raised to sebastokrator by his brother Isaac upon the latter's accession to the throne in 1185.
## Early life and career
Constantine Komnenos Angelos was born c. 1151, the eldest son of Andronikos Doukas Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa. He was related to the ruling Komnenian dynasty through his paternal grandparents, Constantine Angelos and his wife, Theodora Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118). In c. 1169/70 he married, but the name or family of his wife is unknown. He must have had at least one son, whose name and life are unknown apart from his candidacy as heir apparent in 1199 (see below).
According to the court poet and megas droungarios tes vigles (senior judicial official) Gregory Antiochos, Constantine served in the wars against the Seljuk Turks of the Sultanate of Iconium, an activity that must be placed in the last years of Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180) or during the reign of Alexios II Komnenos (r. 1180–1183).
## Support and opposition to Andronikos I Komnenos
In spring 1182, Empress-regent Maria of Antioch and her chief minister, Alexios Komnenos, sent Constantine's father to confront another imperial relative, Andronikos Komnenos, who had rebelled and was marching on Constantinople. Constantine's father had reached the vicinity of Nicomedia, where many local people joined him. In a battle near Charax, Andronikos was defeated by the rebel's army even though that army was a hastily assembled force consisting only, according to Choniates, of "farmers unfit for warfare and a contingent of Paphlagonian soldiers", led not even by an experienced commander but by "a certain eunuch". On his return to Constantinople, Constantine's father was faced with accusations that he had misappropriated money meant for the army's salary. Fearing accusations of pro-rebel sentiments, at the advice of his six sons, "all young in heart and brave in deed" according to Choniates, he barricaded himself and his family in their walled palace at Exokionion, before fleeing the city altogether with his family and joining Andronikos Komnenos in Bithynia. Emboldened by this defection, Andronikos Komnenos moved to Chalcedon, across the Bosporus from Constantinople. Following the defection of the megas doux (commander-in-chief of the Byzantine navy) Andronikos Kontostephanos with the navy to the rebel, a revolt broke out in the city and the gates were opened to Andronikos Komnenos, who now became regent of the underage Alexios II.
Soon, however, the very same nobles who had aided Andronikos Komnenos in rising to power conspired against him, once it became clear that he did not intend to restore them to the privileged positions they had held under Emperor Manuel, and that he contemplated seizing the throne for himself. Like his brothers, Constantine participated in a conspiracy against Andronikos Komnenos, led by his father, Andronikos Kontostephanos, and the logothetes tou dromou (chief minister) Basil Doukas Kamateros. The conspiracy was quickly discovered by the Emperor's agents, however. Kamateros, Kontostephanos and four of his sons, as well as many other members of the conspiracy, were seized and blinded, but Andronikos Angelos and his sons escaped. According to Choniates, while fleeing from the pursuing imperial soldiers, Andronikos and his sons found a boat laden with empty amphorae; throwing the cargo overboard, they boarded it and sailed to safety in Acre. Constantine quickly grew tired of exile, and returned to Constantinople, making his peace with Andronikos Komnenos. Soon after his arrival, however, Andronikos Komnenos moved decisively to usurp power, by killing first the Empress-mother Maria of Antioch (August 1183), followed by his own elevation to co-emperor (September 1183), and finally the murder of Alexios II (October 1183), which left Andronikos Komnenos as sole emperor. Seeing these events, Constantine's younger brothers Theodore and Isaac launched revolts in Prussa and Nicaea respectively. Probably as a result of these, or due to his participation in some conspiracy, Constantine was blinded by the emperor's agents.
## Later life and death
Following the rise of his brother Isaac II Angelos (r. 1185–1195, 1203–1204) to the throne in September 1185, Constantine received the high rank of sebastokrator. He apparently played some role in court—Antiochos' laudatory poem was sent to Constantine in hopes of securing a significant official appointment—but according to Antiochos most of his time until the end of his life was devoted to charity.
His reaction to the overthrow of Isaac II in 1195 by his own brother, Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203), is unknown. In spring 1199, however, when Alexios fell ill with gout and the issue of his succession arose (Alexios had no son, only daughters), Constantine was among the imperial relatives who ardently competed with one another, either for themselves, or for their sons—since Constantine and his other two brothers were blinded, they were barred from the imperial office—even though they all were, according to Choniates, insignificant personages. Constantine's subsequent life and date of death are unknown. At some point, he dedicated a rich altar-cloth depicting the archangels, which was looted by the Fourth Crusade and was brought to the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice. A seal of his, with his dignity of sebastokrator, survives in Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum.
|
[
"## Early life and career",
"## Support and opposition to Andronikos I Komnenos",
"## Later life and death"
] | 1,416 | 14,637 |
41,058,282 |
Al-Kunduri
| 1,169,492,125 |
11th-century Seljuq Vizier (1055 – 1063)
|
[
"1024 births",
"1064 deaths",
"11th-century Iranian people",
"People from Razavi Khorasan Province",
"Viziers of the Seljuk Empire"
] |
Amid al-Mulk Abu Nasr al-Kunduri (Persian: عمیدالملک ابونصر الکندری; 1024 – 29 November 1064), commonly known as al-Kunduri (کندری; also spelled Kunduri), was a Persian bureaucrat, who served as the vizier of the first Seljuk Sultan Tughril (r. 1037–1063) and his nephew Alp Arslan (r. 1063–1072).
Kunduri was born in Kundur. He was recruited into the Seljuk bureaucracy as a secretary, at the suggestion of his teacher, Imam al-Muwaffaq al-Nishapuri. A natural schemer, Kunduri sought to exploit the power and influence over the Seljuk sultan.
Kunduri's first scheme was during his early vizierate when Tughril had tasked him to arrange a marriage between Tughril and a princess from the family of the Khwarazmshah. Instead, Kunduri arranged the marriage for himself. Kunduri subsequently went to Tughril, where he absolved himself by shaving off his beard and castrating himself. While Tughril was preparing a march towards Mosul to fight the local contender al-Basasiri in 1057, Kunduri plotted to install the son of Tughril's wife Altun Jan Khatun, Anushirwan, on the throne. However, the conspirators, including Altun Jan Khatun, quickly dissociated themselves from the conspiracy. Nevertheless, Kunduri was kept as vizier.
Kunduri's third scheme was against the Abbasid caliph al-Qa'im (r. 1031–1075), whom he successfully convinced to accept a marriage between his daughter and Tughril. After the death of Tughril in 1063, Kunduri attempted to install his infant nephew Sulayman (a son of Chaghri Beg) on the throne. It was, however, Chaghri Beg's more competent and elder son Alp Arslan, who ruled Khurasan, that ultimately ascended the throne. Kunduri was initially kept as vizier, but at the instigation of his peer Nizam al-Mulk, Alp Arslan had Kunduri imprisoned on 31 December 1063, and executed the following year, on 29 November 1064. Kunduri was succeeded by Nizam al-Mulk.
## Background
Kunduri was born in around 1024 as the son of a dehqan, possibly of Arab ancestry. His nisba suggests a connection to the profession of selling frankincense. The 12th-century Iranian author Sadr al-Din al-Husayni () says that Kunduri's place of birth is near Turaythith in Quhistan, the southern part of Khurasan. Kunduri has been referred to as a "Khurasani." Along with the poet Abu'l-Qasim Ali Bakharzi, Kunduri was educated in the Khurasanian principal city of Nishapur, by Imam al-Muwaffaq al-Nishapuri.
## Career
### Under Tughril
When the first Seljuk Sultan Tughril (r. 1037–1063) conquered Nishapur in 1038, he told Imam al-Muwaffaq that he wanted a secretary who could speak both fluent Arabic and Persian. The latter recommended Kunduri, who was subsequently appointed a secretary of the chancery. In July or August 1055, Tughril appointed Kunduri as his vizier, thus succeeding Nizam al-Mulk Dihistani. During his vizierate, Kunduri began to assemble a standard Perso-Islamic state and this was continued under the following Seljuk sultans, Alp Arslan (r. 1063–1072) and Malik-Shah I (r. 1072–1092). Kunduri also acted as an interpreter for Tughril, translating Arabic and Persian into Turkic for him. As part of the Seljuk propaganda, Kunduri instructed the poet and dabir (scribe) Ibn Hassul to write an article that criticized the Kitab al-Taji of Ibrahim ibn Hilal al-Sabi, which was composed in 978 as Buyid propaganda, and connected them with the Sasanian ruler Bahram V (r. 420–438). The work of Ibn Hassul, amongst other things, connected the Seljuk family with Tur, a son of the mythological Iranian king Fereydun.
Kunduri sought to exploit the power and influence over the sultan. During his early vizierate, Kunduri was tasked by Tughril to arrange a marriage between Tughril and a princess from the family of the Khwarazmshah. Instead, he arranged the marriage for himself. Kunduri subsequently went to Tughril, where he absolved himself by shaving off his beard and castrating himself. While Tughril was preparing a march towards Mosul to fight the local contender al-Basasiri in 1057, Kunduri plotted to install the son of Tughril's wife Altun Jan Khatun, Anushirwan, on the throne. Seeing that he only had 2,000 soldiers at his departure, Tughril reprimanded Kunduri; "Why did you not inform me so that I could wait until all the men were assembled?"
During the subsequent rebellion of Tughril's half-brother Ibrahim Inal, the sultan requested the aid of Kunduri. Altun Jan initially wanted to help, but was persuaded by Kunduri that their soldiers would desert to Inal and only bolster his forces, in return further weakening Altun Jan and Tughril's army. Kunduri once again attempted to place Anushirwan on the throne, now with the support of Altun Jan, the Abbasid caliph al-Qa'im (r. 1031–1075), as well as the merchants and the leading officials of Baghdad. This plot was opposed by two of Tughril's generals, Umar and Inanjil, who rejected Anushirwan. When Kunduri requested al-Qa'im to announce Anushirwan as sultan, he told him to postpone the plot and secure the city against al-Basasiri. Altun Jan also had a change of heart and instead rejoined Tughril. The following details regarding the plot are unclear. Kunduri and Anushirwan continued to serve under Tughril, fighting alongside him against al-Basasiri, who was killed by a clerk of Kunduri.
Kunduri was a key figure in the negotiations with the reluctant caliph al-Qa'im to arrange a marriage between his daughter and Tughril. According to the Arab scholar Ibn al-Jawzi (died 1201), Kunduri had incited Tughril with this idea to counterbalance the marriage already arranged between Tughril's niece Arslan Khatun and al-Qa'im. Tughril became somewhat obsessed with the idea of marrying an Abbasid princess, perhaps with the aspiration that one of his descendants one day might rule as caliph. Although Kunduri and al-Qa'im seemingly had a friendly relationship, they soon fell out due to the actions of the former. Between May and June 1061, Kunduri and al-Qa'im were in prolonged and resentful negotiations regarding the marriage, with Kunduri at some point even threatening to seize the iqta''' (estates) of the caliph. Between February and March 1062, Kunduri finally convinced al-Qa'im to agree, in exchange for lucrative payment, and on the condition that his daughter was not to leave the caliphal palace. Kunduri ignored the latter term as the caliph's daughter was transported to Tughril's residence in Baghdad. Regardless, the marriage was only nominal and ended abruptly after six months and twenty-three days due to Tughril's death on 4 September 1063.
### Downfall and death
Tughril had no children and thus had nominated his infant nephew Sulayman (a son of Chaghri Beg) as his successor. Kunduri supported this choice, and may have been the one to suggest it to Tughril to greatly expand his authority as the regent of the child. However, Chaghri Beg's more competent and elder son Alp Arslan, who ruled Khurasan, opposed this choice and had the support of the competent bureaucrat Nizam al-Mulk, as well as a powerful army in Khurasan. Kunduri quickly included the name of Sulayman in the khutba (Friday sermon) of the capital of Ray. He subsequently contacted Alp Arslan, threatening him and telling him to be satisfied with dominion over Khurasan. Tughril's cousin Qutalmish also emerged as a contestant for the throne, which led to peace and cooperation between Kunduri and Alp Arslan, who defeated and killed Qutalmish outside Ray. Alp Arslan thus succeeded to the sultanate, and retained Kunduri as vizier. However, at the instigation of Nizam al-Mulk, Alp Arslan had Kunduri imprisoned in Marw-Rud on 31 December 1063 and also had his property confiscated. Nizam al-Mulk was then made the vizier of the sultanate. After approximately a year in prison, Kunduri was murdered by two slave-soldiers sent by Alp Arslan on 29 November 1064. Kunduri's sister took his body to Kundur, where it was buried. Al-Kunduri was survived by a daughter.
## Beliefs
A fervid adherent of the Sunni Islam madhhab (school) of Hanafi, Kunduri included the cursing of the Ash'ari school in the khutba of Nishapur in 1053, which led to distinguished scholars, such as al-Qushayri and al-Juwayni to seek refuge in the Arabian region of Hijaz. Both medieval and modern sources largely agree that the act was political, done so that the Hanafi could occupy high offices. Kunduri seems to have later abandoned his zealotry.
## Legacy and assessment
A prominent figure in the Seljuk realm, Kunduri was praised by contemporary poets, such as Bakharzi. Kunduri composed Arabic poetry, supported the priests and poets of the realm, and was also an active builder. Kunduri was amongst the Iranian figures who helped the Seljuk rulers advance from that of tribal chieftains with limited power to that of "Most Exalted Sultans" (Salāṭīn-i A'ẓam'') with a fully structured court, an Iranian administration, and an obedient partly slave army of multiple ethnicities. However, this transition also alienated the Seljuk sultans from the Turkmen, who, as a result, often rallied around rebellions led by disgruntled Seljuk family members, such as Inal and Qutalmish.
|
[
"## Background",
"## Career",
"### Under Tughril",
"### Downfall and death",
"## Beliefs",
"## Legacy and assessment"
] | 2,367 | 6,063 |
8,952,150 |
Janszoon voyage of 1605–1606
| 1,166,167,715 |
European voyage of discovery to Australia
|
[
"1605 in the Dutch Empire",
"1606 in Australia",
"1606 in Oceania",
"1606 in the Dutch Empire",
"17th century in the Dutch East Indies",
"Dutch East India Company",
"European exploration of Australia",
"History of Queensland",
"Maritime exploration of Australia",
"Maritime history of the Dutch East India Company"
] |
Willem Janszoon captained the first recorded European landing on the Australian continent in 1606, sailing from Bantam, Java, in the Duyfken. As an employee of the Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC), Janszoon had been instructed to explore the coast of New Guinea in search of economic opportunities. He had originally arrived in the Dutch East Indies from the Netherlands in 1598, and became an officer of the VOC on its establishment in 1602.
In 1606, he sailed from Bantam to the south coast of New Guinea, and continued down what he thought was a southern extension of that coast, but was in fact the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula of northern Queensland. He travelled south as far as Cape Keerweer, where he battled with the local Aboriginal people and several of his men were killed. As a consequence, he was obliged to retrace his route up the coast towards Cape York and then returned to Banda.
Janszoon did not detect the existence of the Torres Strait, which separates Australia and New Guinea. Unknown to the Dutch, the Spanish or Portuguese explorer Luis Váez de Torres, working for the Spanish Crown, sailed through the strait only four months later. However, Torres did not report seeing the coast of a major landmass to his south and is therefore presumed not to have seen Australia. Because the two separate observations of Janszoon and Torres were not matched, Dutch maps did not include the strait until after James Cook's 1770 passage through it, while early Spanish maps showed the coast of New Guinea correctly, but omitted Australia.
Overall, his voyage was not immediately recognized as significant at the time, as the Dutch East India Company was primarily interested in finding a faster route to the Spice Islands. However, Janszoon's voyage paved the way for further exploration of the Australian continent by the Dutch and other European powers.
## Voyage
Janszoon travelled to the Dutch East Indies in 1598 for the Oude compagnies and became an officer of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) in Dutch) when it was established in 1602. After two trips back to the Netherlands, he returned to the East Indies for the third time in 1603 as captain of all the Duyfken. In 1605, he was at Banda in the Banda Islands, when—according to an account given to Abel Jansen Tasman, issued in Batavia on 29 January 1644—he was ordered by VOC President Jan Willemsz Verschoor to explore the coast of New Guinea. In September 1605, he left for Bantam in west Java—which the VOC had established as its first permanent trading in 1603—so that the Duyfken could be fitted out and supplied for its voyage.
On 18 November 1605, the Duyfken sailed from Bantam to the coast of western New Guinea. Although all records of the voyage have been lost, Janszoon's departure was reported by Captain John Saris. He recorded that on 18 November 1605 "a small Dutch pinnace departed here for the discovery of the land called New Guinea, which, it is said, may yield a great amount of wealth".
No original logs or charts of Janszoon's voyage have been located and it is not known when or how they were lost. Nevertheless, a copy was apparently made in about 1670 from Janszoon's map of his expedition, which was sold to the Austrian National Library in Vienna in 1737. It can be deduced from this map that Janszoon then sailed to Ambon (the headquarters of the VOC), Banda, the Kai Islands, the Aru Islands and Deyong Point on the coast of Papua.
After exploring the coast of Papua the Duyfken rounded Vals Point and crossed the eastern end of the Arafura Sea—without seeing the Torres Strait—into the Gulf of Carpentaria, and on 26 February 1606 made landfall at a river on the western shore of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, near the modern town of Weipa. Janszoon named the river R. met het Bosch, but it is now known as the Pennefather River. This is the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent. He proceeded over Albatross Bay to Archer Bay, the confluence of the Archer and the Watson Rivers, which he named Dubbelde Rev (lit. 'double river') and then on to Dugally River, which he named the Visch (lit. 'fish').
### Turnback
According to the VOC's instructions to Tasman (1644), Janszoon and his crew travelled along 350 kilometres (220 mi) of coast, from 5° south to 13° 45' south, but found
> that vast regions were for the greater part uncultivated, and certain parts inhabited by savage, cruel black barbarians who slew some of our sailors, so that no information was obtained touching the exact situation of the country and regarding the commodities obtainable and in demand there.
`He found the land to be swampy and infertile, forcing the explorers eventually to give up and return to Bantam due to their lack of "provisions and other necessaries". Nevertheless, it appears that the killing of some of his men on various shore expeditions was the main reason for their return—he turned back where his party had its greatest conflict with Aboriginal people, which he subsequently called Cape Keerweer, Dutch for "Cape Turnback".`
Cape Keerweer is on the lands of the Wik-Mungkan Aboriginal people, who today live in various outstations and in the nearby Aurukun Mission station. The book Mapoon, written by members of the Wik-Mungkan people and edited by Janine Roberts, contains an account of this landing passed down in Aboriginal oral history.
> The Europeans sailed along from overseas and put up a building at Cape Keerweer. A crowd of Keerweer people saw their boat sail up and went to talk with them. They said they wanted to put up a city. Well the Keerweer people said that was all right. They allowed them sink a well and put up huts. They were at first happy there and worked together. The Europeans gave them tobacco. They carried off the tobacco. They gave them flour—they threw that away. They gave them soap, and they threw away the soap. The Keerweer people kept to their own bush tucker.
According to this account, some of Janszoon's crew angered the local people, by raping or coercing women into having sex and by forcing men to hunt for them. This led the locals to kill some of the Dutch and burn some of their boats. The Dutch are said to have shot and killed many of the Keerweer people before escaping. However, events from a number of different encounters, over many years, with Europeans may have been combined in these oral traditions.
There is documented evidence suggesting that during this voyage, the Dutch landed near Mapoon and on Prince of Wales Island, with the map showing a dotted trajectory line to that island, but not to Cape Keerweer.
### Return to Banda
After the alleged conflict, Janszoon retraced his route north to the north side of Vliege Bay, which Matthew Flinders called Duyfken Point in 1802. He then passed his original landfall at Pennefather River and continued to the river now called Wenlock River. This river was formerly called the Batavia River, due to an error made in the chart made by the Carstenszoon 1623 expedition. According to Carstenszoon, the Batavia River was a large river, which in 1606 "the men of the yacht Duijfken went up with the boat, on which occasion one of them was killed by the arrows of the natives".
Janszoon then proceeded past Skardon, Vrilya Point, Crab Island, Wallis Island, Red Wallis Island to t Hooge Eylandt ("the high island", now called Muralug Island or Prince of Wales Island), on which some of them landed. The expedition then passed Badu Island to the Vuyle Bancken, the continuous coral reefs between Mabuiag Island and New Guinea.
Janszoon then sailed back to Banda via the south coast of New Guinea. On 15 June 1606, Captain Saris reported the arrival of
> ... Nockhoda Tingall, a Tamil from Banda, in a Javanese junk, laden with mace and nutmegs, which he sold to the Gujaratis; he told me that the Dutch pinnace that went to explore New Guinea had returned to Banda, having found it: but in sending their men on shore to propose trade, nine of them were killed by the heathens, who are man-eaters: so they were forced to return, finding no good to be done there.
A reference to the outcome of the expedition was made as a result of Willem Schouten's 1615 voyage on behalf of the Australische Compagnie from the Netherlands to the Spice Islands via Cape Horn. The VOC sought an order from the Dutch Government prohibiting the Australische Compagnie from operating between Ceylon and 100 miles (160 km) east of the Solomon Islands. In 1618, it presented a memorandum in pursuit of this order that included the following:
> ... seeing that the United East-India Company has repeatedly given orders for the discovering and exploring the land of Nova Guinea, and the islands east of the same, since, equally by our orders, such discovery was once tried about the year 1606 with the yacht de Duyve by Skipper Willem Jansz and sub-cargo Jan Lodewijs van Rosinghijn, who made sundry discoveries on the said coast of Nova Guinea, as is amply set forth in their journals.
## Torres Strait
Willem Janszoon returned to the Netherlands apparently in the belief that the south coast of New Guinea was joined to the land along which he sailed, although his own chart did not verify his claim to have continuously followed the coastline where the Torres Strait is found.
In 1622, prior to Jan Carstenszoon's 1623 exploration of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Hessel Gerritsz published a map, which included the coastline of part of the west coast of Cape York. Although this map shows this coast as an extension of New Guinea, it includes a note that refers to Spanish maps that differed from the Dutch understanding of the area. It noted that while the Spanish maps were inconsistent with each other, they would, if confirmed, imply that New Guinea did not extend more than 10 degrees south, "then the land from 9 to 14 degrees must be separate and different from the other New Guinea". The Spanish maps would have reflected Luis Váez de Torres's voyage through the strait named after him, which he completed in early October 1606, although the Dutch knew nothing of it.
Both Carstenszoon in 1623 and Tasman in 1644 were directed to attempt to find a passage in the area of Torres Strait, but failed. Following these explorations, the Dutch continued to wonder whether there was a passage:
> The Drooge bocht (shallow bay), where Nova-Guinea is surmised to be cut off from the rest of the Southland by a passage opening into the great South-Sea, though our men have been unable to pass through it owing to the shallows, so that it remains uncertain whether this strait is open on the other side.
However, some Dutch maps, but not others like Gerritszoon's map of 1622, still showed Cape York and New Guinea as being contiguous, until James Cook, who was aware of Torres' voyage through Alexander Dalrymple, sailed through the strait on his first voyage in 1770.
## Geographical coordinates
|
[
"## Voyage",
"### Turnback",
"### Return to Banda",
"## Torres Strait",
"## Geographical coordinates"
] | 2,548 | 15,662 |
41,172,105 |
Reformed baptismal theology
| 1,173,044,498 |
Practice of baptism in Reformed theology
|
[
"Baptism",
"Calvinist theology"
] |
In Reformed theology, baptism is a sacrament signifying the baptized person's union with Christ, or becoming part of Christ and being treated as if they had done everything Christ had. Sacraments, along with preaching of God's word, are means of grace through which God offers Christ to his elect. Sacraments are believed to have their effect through the Holy Spirit, but these effects are only believed to accrue to those who have been predestined to have faith in Christ.
In Reformed theology, baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the visible church, or body of people who publicly claim faith in Christ. Baptism also signifies regeneration and remission of sin. Reformed Christians believe that the children of those who express faith in Christ should be baptized. Because baptism is believed to be beneficial only to those who have faith in Christ, infants are baptized on the basis of the promise of faith which will come to fruition later in life.
## History
### Background
Christian baptismal theology prior to the Reformation taught that sacraments, including baptism, are means or instruments through which God communicates grace to people. The sacrament was considered valid regardless of who administered it. Not everyone who received a sacrament, however, received the grace signified by the sacrament. Some medieval theologians spoke of an obstacle of mortal sin which blocks the grace of the sacrament, while others insisted that the recipient be positively open and responding in faith to the sacrament in order to receive any benefit. Baptism was believed to be used by the Holy Spirit to transform the believer, and offered the benefits of remission of sins, regeneration, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament of penance was believed to be necessary for forgiveness for sins committed after baptism.
During the Reformation, Martin Luther rejected many of the Catholic Church's seven sacraments, but retained baptism and the Lord's Supper. He saw many practices of the medieval church as abuses of power intended to require work in order to merit forgiveness for sin after baptism rather than faith alone. Luther attached the promise of salvation to baptism, and taught that life after baptism should be spent in recollection of it and the dying to sin it signified.
### Reformation and Reformed orthodoxy
Huldrych Zwingli, the earliest theologian considered part of the Reformed tradition, was vigorously opposed to worship practices he believed to be based on tradition rather than the Bible. Nevertheless, he disagreed with Anabaptists, who refused to baptize their children on scriptural grounds. Through his arguments with Anabaptists, Zwingli arrived at the position that baptism was a sign of the covenant between God and his people, but that it did not convey grace to the baptized. He saw baptism as essentially identical to the circumcision of Israelites in the Old Testament in this respect, and used this idea in polemics against Anabaptists. Zwingli's emphasis on baptism as a pledge or oath was to prove unique in the Reformed tradition. Heinrich Bullinger, Zwingli's successor, continued the teaching of the continuity of God's covenants and circumcision with baptism. Bullinger also emphasized that baptism indicates duties to the baptized in response to God's grace.
John Calvin was influenced by Martin Luther's idea of baptism as God's promises to the baptized person attached to the outward sign of washing with water. Calvin maintained Zwingli's idea of baptism as a public pledge, but insisted that it was secondary to baptism's meaning as a sign of God's promise to forgive sin. He maintained that sacraments were effective instruments in bringing about the promises they represent, however he also maintained that the promises could be refused by the baptized, and would have no effect in that case. Calvin carefully distinguished between the outward sign of the washing of water with the promises that baptism signifies while maintaining that they were inseparable. Calvin's baptismal theology is very similar to that of Luther. It differs in the way Calvin subordinated sacraments to the preaching of the word of God. While Luther placed preaching and sacraments on the same level, Calvin saw sacraments as confirmation which is added to the preaching of the word of God.
From the end of the sixteenth century through the eighteenth century, a period known as Reformed orthodoxy, Reformed baptismal theology further developed the covenantal meaning of baptism. Theologians more carefully defined the sacramental union of baptism, or the relationship between the outward washing with that which it signifies. In the high orthodox period (middle to late seventeenth century), theologians such as Hermann Witsius expanded the covenantal meaning of baptism using analogies such as Noah's Ark and the crossing of the Red Sea, which carried the theological themes of the resurrection and eternal life. This period also saw the emergence of Reformed Baptists. Reformed Baptist theologians had much in common with the Reformed, but saw baptism as a sign of the baptized's fellowship with Christ rather than a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, and as a result did not baptize their children.
### Modern
Friedrich Schleiermacher, an influential nineteenth-century Reformed theologian, saw baptism as the way the church receives new members and taught that faith is a precondition for baptism. He was ambivalent about the practice of infant baptism, teaching that it was not an essential institution, but could be continued as long as the church was faithful in bringing children to confirmation. Schleiermacher also saw baptism as primarily individual rather than initiating one into a covenant community, and rejected the idea that baptism should be connected with Old Testament circumcision.
Scottish nineteenth-century Reformed theologian William Cunningham also sought to articulate a distinctively Reformed theology of baptism in the modern world. Cunningham preferred the writings of Zwingli on the sacraments, writing that Calvin and later Reformed orthodox theologians overly elevated the value of the sacraments. He argued that the efficacy of baptism only applies to adults expressing faith in the act of baptism.
In the twentieth century, Karl Barth, an influential Swiss Reformed theologian, argued that baptism should not be administered to infants because it represented a completed association with Christ which could only be accepted or rejected by adults. Further, Barth in his later years rejected the idea that baptism was actually used by God to accomplish anything, or could even properly be called a sacrament. Instead, he taught that water baptism is a human act of obedience. His views have been called "neo-Zwinglian" for this reason, and he himself identified Zwingli's views on sacraments as the believer's oath as his own. He continued to accept the validity of infant baptisms, and did not believe those baptized as infants should be rebaptized.
Later Reformed theologians reacted against Barth's views on baptism by appealing to Calvin, the idea that baptism is a promise rather than an accomplished reality, and the idea of baptism as a replacement of circumcision. Scottish Reformed theologian T.F. Torrance emphasized the idea that baptism is God's word establishing the church, and that the individual's response comes after rather than before God's act in baptism. German Reformed liberation theologian Jürgen Moltmann, on the other hand, saw infant baptism as inappropriately associated with the national church. He saw baptism as properly a free response God's call to discipleship. Reformed churches have generally maintained the practice of infant baptism despite these critiques.
## Sacramental theology
In Reformed theology, sacraments are held to be, along with the word of God preached, the means of grace. In the sacraments, God graciously condescends to use common material objects to communicate divine promises to people. The grace promised consists not only in benefits which God bestows on people, but Christ's person himself, to whom God unites the believer. Sacraments confirm or ratify the promises communicated in preaching. Both preaching and the sacraments are not merely symbolic and representative of the reality to which they refer, but actually create the reality of saving grace. The sacraments are made efficacious by the Holy Spirit in actually bringing into effect the promises signified in the sacraments. This efficacy is only beneficial, however, for those who have faith. The sacrament remains efficacious regardless of the recipient's response. Its effect is negative, resulting in judgement, for the faithless; while it confers Christ and his benefits for the faithful.
Reformed theologians believe sacraments to be instituted in the context of covenants between God and people. They believe that when God makes covenants, he provides physical signs associated with the covenant. Old Testament covenant signs include the rainbow which appeared following a covenant made with Noah. Circumcision is believed to be a sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Such signs entail blessings and sanctions on those with whom God covenants. In the New Testament period there are two such signs or sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
In Reformed sacramental theology, the sign (in the case of baptism the external washing with water) may be described in terms of the thing signified (regeneration, remission of sin, etc.), because of the close connection between them. For example, baptism may be said to save, and baptism is often called the "laver of regeneration". However, there is also a distinction between the sign and thing signified. The sign is seen as a pledge and seal of the inward washing of regeneration and purification. The sacramental union between the sign and thing signified means that the use or purpose of the visible action of the sacrament is changed even as its substance remains the same.
## Meaning
The Reformed tradition holds that baptism is primarily God's promise or offer of grace to the baptized. Baptism is said to signify union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. The baptized is made one with Christ's person, meaning God the Father treats them the same as he treats Christ. Baptism also unites the baptized with Christ's history, meaning that the person can be said to have died, been buried, and raised again just as Christ was. The baptized person's identity in Christ is based on Christ's action in baptism rather than the person's action. This union also unites Christians to one another. Through the words of institution used in baptism, Christians are also united to each of the members of the trinity.
In the Reformed tradition, baptism's function as a rite of initiation into the church is secondary to its function as a sign of God's promise of grace. Reformed theologians distinguish between the visible church, which consists of those who publicly claim to have faith in Christ as well as their children; and the invisible church, which consists of those who actually have faith and have been regenerated. Baptism is believed to make one a member of the visible, rather than the invisible church. It is believed to be impossible to know who is a member of the invisible church. As members of the visible church, baptized Christians are believed to have obligations to live in love and service to Christ and his people. The fulfillment of these obligations is referred to as the "improvement" of one's baptism.
Reformed Christians see baptism as a replacement of circumcision in the Old Testament. Baptism does everything for New Testament Christians that circumcision did for Jews in the Old Testament. Circumcision is seen as a ritual where God's judgement passes over the person circumcised, only to cut off a part of the flesh, sparing the rest of the person. The "cutting off" of Christ in death is seen as a perfection of circumcision, and in baptism similarly the entire body is subjected to judgement and death in order to be raised again in new life.
Reformed Christians believe baptism to be a sign of regeneration, or the making of one into a new creature, based on the connection found in the New Testament between regeneration and washing with water. Baptism also represents forgiveness or remission of sin by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, similarly to the sprinkling of blood of sacrificial animals. Baptism is held by almost the entire Reformed tradition to effect regeneration, even in infants who are incapable of faith, by effecting faith which would come to fruition later. However, Reformed theologians do not teach that baptism is necessarily bound to the forgiveness of sins, as opposed to the ex opere operato doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Not everyone who participates in the outward rite of baptism can be said to have had their sins forgiven. Rather, it is necessary that the baptized person participate spiritually by faith in order to receive this benefit.
## Infant baptism
With some notable exceptions such as Reformed Baptists, Reformed Christians baptize infants who are born to believing parents. Reformed Christians do so on the basis of the continuity from the old covenant between God and Israel and the new covenant with the church, since infants were circumcised under the old covenant. They also see God's saving purpose in the new covenant as having to do with families as well as individuals. Because Reformed Christians believe baptism must be embraced by faith to have any benefit, they recognize that faith may come later in life rather than preceding baptism. Infants may also be said to possess a seed of faith which will come to fruition later, or baptism may be administered based on a promise of faith offered by their sponsors (usually their parents) which will be kept at a later age.
## Mode and administration
Reformed Christians believe that immersion is not necessary for baptism to be properly performed, but that pouring or sprinkling are acceptable. Sprinkling is said to symbolize the sprinkling of the blood of Christ for the removal of the guilt of sin. Only ordained ministers are permitted to administer baptism in Reformed churches, contrary to the allowance for emergency baptism by midwives in Roman Catholic churches, though baptisms performed by non-ministers are generally considered valid. Reformed churches, while rejecting the baptismal ceremonies of the Roman Catholic church (such as the use of chrism, salt, and insufflation), accept the validity of baptisms performed with them on the basis that the substance of baptism remains. They do not rebaptize someone who has been baptized using these ceremonies because baptism is never to be repeated.
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"### Background",
"### Reformation and Reformed orthodoxy",
"### Modern",
"## Sacramental theology",
"## Meaning",
"## Infant baptism",
"## Mode and administration"
] | 2,913 | 30,084 |
35,109,539 |
Slamet Rijadi
| 1,173,305,518 |
Indonesian Army general
|
[
"1927 births",
"1950 deaths",
"Converts to Roman Catholicism",
"Deaths by firearm in Indonesia",
"Indonesian Christians",
"Indonesian Roman Catholics",
"Indonesian collaborators with Imperial Japan",
"National Heroes of Indonesia",
"People from Surakarta"
] |
Brigadier General Ignatius Slamet Rijadi (Perfected Spelling: Ignatius Slamet Riyadi; 26 July 1927 – 4 November 1950) was an Indonesian soldier.
Rijadi was born in Surakarta, Central Java, to a soldier and a fruit seller. Rijadi was "Sold" to his uncle and renamed as a toddler to cure his illnesses, Rijadi was raised at his parents' home and studied at Dutch-run schools. After the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Rijadi studied at a Japanese-run sailor's academy and worked for them upon graduation; he abandoned the Japanese army towards the end of World War II and assisted resistance operations for the rest of the occupation.
After Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1945, Rijadi led Indonesian forces in the Surakarta area during the revolution against the returning Dutch. Starting with a guerrilla campaign, by 1947, when he fought against Dutch offensives in Ambarawa and Semarang, he was in charge of the 26th Regiment. During a second Dutch offensive, Rijadi lost control of the city but soon retook it, later leading counter-offensives in West Java. In 1950, after the end of the revolution, Rijadi was sent to the Moluccas to put down a rebellion. After several months of planning and a month crossing Ambon Island, Rijadi was killed near the end of the operation by a rebounding bullet.
Since his death, Rijadi has received much recognition. The main street in Surakarta is named after him, as is a frigate in the Indonesian Navy, the KRI Slamet Riyadi. Awarded several medals in 1961 posthumously, Rijadi was given the title of National Hero of Indonesia on 9 November 2007.
## Biography
### Early life
Rijadi was born with the name Soekamto in Surakarta, Central Java, Dutch East Indies, on 26 July 1927; he was the second son born to Underlieutenant Raden Ngabehi Prawiropralebdo, an officer in the sultan's army, and Soetati, a fruit seller. When Soekamto was one year old, his mother dropped him; he afterwards became frequently ill. To help cure his illness, his family "sold" him in a traditional Javanese ritual to his uncle, Warnenhardjo; after the ceremony, Soekamto's name was changed to Slamet. Although formally Warnenhardjo's son after the ceremony, Slamet was raised at his parents' house. He was a Roman Catholic, and it is said that since he was young Rijadi liked "'tirakat' fasting and 'mystical' things'".
Rijadi's primary education was done at Dutch-run schools. His elementary school was taken at the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School Ardjoeno, a private school owned and run by a Dutch religious group. While at Mangkoenegaran Middle School, where numerous students were named Slamet, he received an additional name, Rijadi; it is also during middle school that his father bought him back. After middle school and the Japanese occupation in 1942, he attended a sailor's academy in Jakarta. After graduation, he worked as navigator on a wooden ship.
Rijadi, who when not at sea lived in a dormitory near Gambir Station in Central Jakarta, occasionally met with underground resistance. On 14 February 1945, with Japan facing defeat in World War II, Rijadi and other sailors abandoned their dormitory and took up arms; Rijadi moved back to Surakarta and supported resistance movements there. He was not captured by the Japanese military police or other units for the remainder of the occupation, which ended with Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1945.
### National revolution
After the Japanese surrender, the Dutch attempted to re-occupy the newly declared Republic of Indonesia; unwilling to be colonised, the Indonesians fought back. Rijadi began a guerrilla campaign against Dutch posts and quickly rose through the ranks. He was in charge of a Battalion of the 26th Regiment, 4th Division/Panembahan Senopati in Pacitan. During Operation Product, a general offensive by Dutch forces in mid-1947, Rijadi led Indonesian forces in several parts of Central Java, including Ambarawa and Semarang; he also led a cleansing force between mounts Merapi and Merbabu.
In September 1948 Rijadi was promoted and given control of four battalions of soldiers and one of student soldiers. Two months later, the Dutch launched a second attack, this time on the nearby city of Yogyakarta (then serving as the nation's capital). Although Rijadi and his troops launched attacks on Dutch forces approaching Solo through Klaten, ultimately the Dutch soldiers entered the city. Applying a divide and conquer policy, Rijadi was able to drive the forces out in four days.
During the remainder of the war, Rijadi was sent to West Java to fight against Raymond Westerling's Legion of the Just Ruler.
### Later life and death
Not long after the end of the war, the Republic of South Maluku (RMS) declared its independence from the nascent Indonesia. Rijadi was sent to the frontline on 10 July 1950 as part of Operation Senopati. To retake the island of Ambon, Rijadi took half his forces and invaded the eastern shores, while the other half was tasked with invading from the northern coast. Although the second group experienced heavy resistance, Rijadi's group was able to take to the beach in native canoes unopposed; they later landed more infantry and armour.
On 3 October, the troops, along with Colonel Alexander Evert Kawilarang, were tasked with capturing the rebel capital at New Victoria. Rijadi and Kawilarang led a three pronged assault, with forces approaching by land from the north and east, and naval forces pulling directly into Ambon harbour. Rijadi's forces approached the city through mangrove swamps, a journey which took a month. During the trip, RMS snipers armed with Jungle Carbines and Owen Guns shot constantly at the troops, often pinning them down.
Upon arriving in New Victoria, Rijadi's forces made short work of the RMS troops. However, he did not see the end of the battle. As Rijadi was riding atop a tank towards the final rebel stronghold on 4 November, a volley of machine gun fire erupted in his direction. A single bullet rebounded off the tank's armour and into Rijadi's abdomen. After being rushed to a hospital ship, Rijadi insisted on returning to the front; instead, the doctors gave him much morphine and attempted unsuccessfully to treat the wound. Rijadi died of wounds that night; the battle ended the same day. Rijadi was buried in Ambon.
## Legacy
Numerous things have been named after Rijadi. The 5.8-kilometre (3.6 mi) long main road of Surakarta is named after the brigadier general. The KRI Slamet Riyadi, a frigate described as one of the most sophisticated in the Indonesian Navy, is named after him.
Rijadi has received numerous awards. He received several medals posthumously, including the Bintang Sakti in May 1961, the Bintang Gerilya in July 1961, and the Satya Lencana Bakti in November 1961. On 9 November 2007, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gave Rijadi the title National Hero of Indonesia; Rijadi received the title along with Adnan Kapau Gani, Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung, and Moestopo based on Presidential Decree Number 66 / TK of 2007.
|
[
"## Biography",
"### Early life",
"### National revolution",
"### Later life and death",
"## Legacy"
] | 1,671 | 2,734 |
24,423,096 |
Competition (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
| 1,173,324,234 | null |
[
"2008 American television episodes",
"The Spectacular Spider-Man episodes"
] |
"Competition" is the fifth episode of the animated television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book character Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In it, Spider-Man must face the Sandman, a former petty thug who now can manipulate his sand body at will.
"Competition" was written by Kevin Hopps and directed by Troy Adomitis. Hopps and Adomotis each had their respective roles previously in "Interactions". Victor Cook, a developer, producer, and supervising director for The Spectacular Spider-Man, was thrilled to use Sandman because he felt he was "a perfect character for animation." "Competition" aired on March 29, 2008, on the Kids WB! block for The CW. The episode received warm reviews from television critics - IGN wrote that the fight scenes were the greatest of the series at the time.
## Plot summary
Peter, as Spider-Man, effectively defeats two common thugs - Flint Marko and Alex O'Hirn - and puts them in prison. While discussing their outrage towards Spider-Man, their bail is paid and they go into a limousine outside. Inside the limousine, Hammerhead tells them he has big plans for them, taking them to a secret base.
The next day, Peter practices his web slinging in his bedroom, when Aunt May walks in. He stops and she suggests he takes their neighbor Mary Jane Watson to the upcoming Fall Formal. Peter cringes at the idea and heads off to school. There, it is announced football practices will be held that day and Harry wants to try out. Peter passes on joining him as he feels it will reveal his abilities. When he hears Flash Thompson planning on specifically going after Harry during tryouts, he decides to keep him safe and try out anyway. They each do good at tryout - Harry impresses the coach and the other player, while Peter does the same using his extra abilities.
Meanwhile, Norman Osborn arrives at the warehouse to supervise an experiment on Marko. The restrained Marko will be given subdermal silicon transplants giving him a hardened untraceable silicon armor. Dr. Octavius says that the experiment has too many flaws but Osborn commands him to go with it anyway. The experiment malfunctions and the silicon violently mutates him. His body evaporates into sand and Octavius, terrified, thinks he has just killed him. Suddenly, Marko reshapes himself, still made of sand, and viciously thrashes against the walls for them to let him out. Hammerhead and Osborn take him outside in their limousine, where Marko is able to reform himself in his old appearance. When they tell him he will work for "the Big Man," but he decides to go alone and leaves. Hammerhead is fine with that as it means they will now have a distraction for Spider-Man.
Now codenamed "Sandman," Marko robs a bank and Spider-Man arrives immediately. He is overpowered by Marko's new powers and finds himself out of web fluid. After defeating Spider-Man, Sandman escapes through a sewer drain, after accidentally mentioning the "Big Man's" name. The next day, Peter wants to go find Sandman after school, but Liz Allan wishes him good luck on the football tryouts. Peter goes to tryouts again, doing well once more and being invited for the last day of tryouts along with Harry. Harry is upset that he outshined him and invites the other players to hang out at a soda shop. Meanwhile, Peter goes on the city bus and sits next to Gwen, whom he apologizes to for ignoring her lately and she accepts. She also hints that he should take her to the fall formal, but he does not get the clue and tells her he asked out Betty Brant, J. Jonah Jameson's secretary at the Daily Bugle.
After departing from the bus, Peter goes off as Spider-Man to an armored truck, which Sandman is robbing. In their struggle, the truck goes out of control and lands in a construction site. When Spider-Man tries to web him up, it proves to be ineffective as Sandman can slip through them; the villain then starts to attack Spider-Man with girders. Meanwhile, at the soda shop, Harry tries to impress the jocks, catching Kenny's girlfriend Glory's attention. Kenny plays a prank on Harry, which enrages Glory and she asks Harry to take her home. Back on the construction site, Spider-Man gets out from the pile of girders and gets the head on Sandman. He lures him up to the roof and encasing him in cement from the nearby cement maker.
That night, Harry comes home to tell his father that he's tried out for the football team, but he is unimpressed. Harry walks off, darkly remarking that he will "show them tomorrow." At final tryouts the next day, Harry makes the team along with Flash's friend Hobie Brown, and Peter purposely does terrible so he doesn't outshine his friend. Gwen then cheers him up with ice cream.
## Production
Hopps and Adomotis had written and directed the episode "Interactions," respectively, which featured the introduction of the villain Electro. The crew were very excited about working with Sandman. Victor Cook, supervising producer and story editor of the series, thinks that he was "designed for animation." Hopps "love[s] the ordinary-ness [sic] of the motivation for [him]" and finds that he is "just basically a crook who suddenly finds himself with super powers." John DiMaggio provided his voice for the character.
Thomas F. Wilson, known for playing the character Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future films, began his recurring role as policeman Stan Carter. In the comic books, Stan Carter was a vicious serial killer by the name of Sin-Eater. Due to the show being for youth-oriented audiences, it is highly unlikely the series will make him the murdering alter-ego.
"Competitions" originally aired on March 29, 2008, on the Kids WB! block for The CW.
## Cultural references
The title of the episode is referent to economics - the title scheme was used for the arc the episode fell inside and was pitched by Greg Weisman, story editor and producer for The Spectacular Spider-Man. It also refers to the episode's theme of people competing for glory. Several scenes from the episode were taken directly from the film Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man does a leg-sweep on Sandman in the same manner as in the film. Flint Marko's transformation into the Sandman was also based executed in the same manner as it was in the film's version of his transformation. A main focus in the episode features Peter and Harry trying out for high school football. The origin of this incarnation of Sandman shares similarities to his ultimate counterpart version while sharing similarities to the comics and the film.
## Reception
"Competition" was well received by television critics. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode an 8.6. ("Great") Goldman enjoyed Sandman's nonchalant behavior, favoring using his newfound powers for money over getting his revenge on Spider-Man. He wrote that the episode "delivered some of the best fight scenes yet," including the Spider-Man punching Sandman only to discover he is made of sand, which he called his favorite fight scene in the entire episode. On Peter's personal life being portrayed, Goldman wrote that he "had to deal with the age old superhero conflict regarding whether he could use his powers to help himself in everyday ways – not just whether it was 'right' but whether it might give him away."
## See also
- List of The Spectacular Spider-Man episodes
|
[
"## Plot summary",
"## Production",
"## Cultural references",
"## Reception",
"## See also"
] | 1,600 | 20,420 |
56,469,844 |
Say Less (Ashanti song)
| 1,163,046,544 | null |
[
"2017 singles",
"2017 songs",
"Ashanti (singer) songs",
"Song recordings produced by Mustard (record producer)",
"Songs written by Ashanti (singer)",
"Songs written by Ty Dolla Sign",
"Ty Dolla Sign songs"
] |
"Say Less" is a song recorded by American singer Ashanti that features fellow American singer Ty Dolla \$ign. It was released on November 6, 2017. Media outlets reported that it was the lead single from Ashanti's upcoming sixth album. The single was produced by DJ Mustard, and was written by two said artists. It is an R&B, club, and West Coast hip hop song whose lyrics are about someone telling critics to mind their own businesses; Ashanti and Ty Dolla \$ign also flirt with one another on the track.
"Say Less" was praised by critics following its release; its vocals were frequently cited as the highlights, though commentators were divided over the production. The song was used in a commercial for Cîroc vodka, and Ashanti further promoted it with live performances. A music video was released on April 6, 2018 on Ashanti's Vevo account. In the video, Ashanti confronts rumors around her career and experiences media scrutiny.
## Recording and release
Ashanti wrote "Say Less" with Ty Dolla \$ign while working with him in a recording studio; the song was produced by DJ Mustard. Ty Dolla \$ign provided collaborative verses for the song. Ty Dolla \$ign and Ashanti had agreed to work together after talking on a group text started by Ashanti's brother; they first met in Los Angeles. Ashanti said she thought his melody and cadence fit her music. "Say Less" was recorded in Tyrese Gibson's recording studio in Miami and was mixed in Atlanta.
"Say Less" was made available through her record label Written Entertainment. Media outlets reported that it was the lead single from Ashanti's upcoming sixth album, and referred to it as her comeback single. In a Billboard interview, Ashanti said that she considered releasing one or two other songs from her upcoming album instead of "Say Less". She picked it as a single since it was featured in an advertisement for Cîroc vodka.
The song was released on November 6, 2017, as a digital download. Ashanti first announced it during a conversation with a TMZ cameraman. Clean and explicit versions of the song were made available. The cover art shows Ashanti naked and covered only with an oversized checkered purse. The day following its release, the track was uploaded to WorldStarHipHop's YouTube account.
## Composition and lyrics
"Say Less" is an R&B, club and West Coast hip hop song, that lasts three minutes and 14 seconds. Carl Lamarre of Billboard wrote that the composition featured Mustard's "signature flavor", while Trevor Smith of HotNewHipHop identified it as having a West-Coast hip hop sound. Glenn Gamboa of Newsweek described it as an R&B take on Demi Lovato's pop music. Brooke Marine of W wrote that "Say Less" is an example of the album's "slew of fun party bops that fit in with Ashanti's idea of empowerment". Several music critics called the track "bouncy".
The song revolves around Ashanti telling critics to stay out of her business, and lyrics include "bitch, say less". Ashanti said about the song's lyrics: "I think nowadays we have to make it very clear that if it's B.S., say less, I'm a New Yorker. It's a very New York term. And I think it's just about being bold and getting to the point. I don't have time for you to waste it." During the song, Ashanti and Ty Dolla \$ign flirt with one another. In the single edit, she sings: "This is your body/ Ain't no way I could hide it/ I wanna be your top supplier/ Cause I'll provide this all to you". She also talks about acting like a boss: "If it ain't about the money, say less". Ty Dolla \$ign boasts about his wealth in the verses: "Young n---a got the pool with me / Make it rain, got a budget on me". He brags about stealing a man's girlfriend by rapping: "Pull up to the party / Jewels all on my body / Your chick on my body / And they can't tell me nothin'".
## Critical reception
"Say Less" received primarily positive reviews from music critics. Praising the song's composition and Mustard's production as "catchy", Carl Lamarre wrote "Ashanti's dulcet vocals are sweeter than ever". Emmanuel C.M. of XXL called it "a fun club record", and Claire Valentine of Paper praised Ashanti's confidence. Sydney Gore of MTV said the single "will definitely spark the fire of your desire this winter". A reviewer from Rap-Up praised Mustard's production and Ashanti's vocals, and referred to Ty Dolla \$ign's contributions as "soothing vocals". Trevor Smith described Ty Dolla \$ign and Mustard as "a proven hitmaking team", and wrote that they acted as "a strong support section" for Ashanti.
Other critics responded negatively to the song's composition. D-Money of SoulBounce.com praised "Say Less" as "the kind of frothy, club-ready R&B aimed straight for the mainstream", but criticized it for lacking "substance, memorability or staying power". Tom Breihan of Stereogum was more critical of the single, writing that it was stuck in "the hot sound of four years ago" and does not sound like an Ashanti song.
## Music video and promotion
### Promotion and live performances
On November 21, 2017, "Say Less" was featured in a 20-second advertisement for Cîroc vodka, in which Ashanti wears a bikini. She promoted the commercial with images posted to her Instagram account. Sean Combs had asked Ashanti to appear in the commercial during a meeting at a Las Vegas party. During the filming, Combs told her to create a "Bo Derek moment" for the video. According to Glenn Gamboa, Ashanti collaborated with Cîroc "to empower women by offering her keys to a successful career". Ashanti explained: "I think I always try to just give the message of being an empowered woman and being able to empower women". When discussing the wardrobe for the video, she said: "Women should just be proud without having to feel any pressure."
Ashanti performed "Say Less" as part of a co-headlining concert tour with Ja Rule. Victor D. Infante of Telegram & Gazette wrote that she "delivered with equal measures sass and style". She sang the track at Billboard Live as part of medley with her previous songs; Bryan Kess of Billboard included it in his list of the top 20 Billboard Live performances of 2017. Ashanti also appeared on Genius' YouTube channel to explain the song's meaning and lyrics. On May 21, 2018, she performed "Say Less" on Good Day L.A..
### Music video
In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Ashanti said a music video for the single was planned, and a preview clip was scheduled to be shown on Total Request Live. The video, directed by Noyz and LT Hutton, was released on April 6, 2018 on Ashanti's Vevo account. Throughout the video, Ashanti is confronted by media scrutiny, and Ty Dolla \$ign makes minor appearances in several scenes. Abby Jones of Billboard described the video as including "theatrical elements".
In the opening scene, Ashanti narrates: "Sometimes I feel like, 'Is it really all worth it, for people to attack you and judge you, without even knowing what kind of pain and suffering you might be going through behind closed doors?'". In the video, Ashanti reflects on her life while a television presenter discusses previous scandals involving her career. The reports include her interview with Joe Budden about a fan throwing money at her during a live performance, the indictment of Murder, Inc., and allegations of a hit and run. Ashanti also watches television host Wendy Williams on her daytime talk show and looks at gossip websites. According to the media, Ashanti pushed a fan into a pool; this is later proven untrue because the fan had accidentally fallen into the water. Ashanti responds to the media by saying: "Honestly, people need to just say less." The video ends with "to be continued".
## Track listing
## Credits and personnel
- Production – DJ Mustard
- Songwriting – Ashanti, Ty Dolla \$ign
## Release history
|
[
"## Recording and release",
"## Composition and lyrics",
"## Critical reception",
"## Music video and promotion",
"### Promotion and live performances",
"### Music video",
"## Track listing",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Release history"
] | 1,754 | 2,492 |
8,269,074 |
Red Museum
| 1,159,348,990 | null |
[
"1994 American television episodes",
"2012 phenomenon",
"Crossover television",
"Picket Fences",
"Television episodes set in Wisconsin",
"Television episodes written by Chris Carter (screenwriter)",
"The X-Files (season 2) episodes"
] |
"Red Museum" is the tenth episode of the second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 1994. It was written by Chris Carter, directed by Win Phelps, and featured guest appearances by Mark Rolston, Paul Sand, Bob Frazer, and Robert Clothier. The episode helps to explore the series' overarching mythology. "Red Museum" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.4, being watched by 9.9 million households in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed to positive reviews from 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. In the episode, Mulder and Scully travel to Wisconsin after several teens are found wandering in the woods in their underwear with “He Is One” or “She Is One” scrawled on their backs. However, the duo soon stumble upon a strange cult of vegetarian “walk-ins.”
Originally, the episode was slated to be a crossover episode with the CBS show Picket Fences. However, the networks nixed the idea before any filming could begin. A facet of the episode, that the adherents of the Red Museum believe that the year 2012 will bring about the dawning of The New Age, is later referenced in the series' finale "The Truth", seven seasons later.
## Plot
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are called in to investigate a number of kidnappings in Delta Glen, Wisconsin where local teenagers are recovered half-naked and drugged with either the phrase "He is one" or "She is one" written on their backs. Meeting with Sheriff Mazeroski, the agents initially suspect a nearby cult, the Church of the Red Museum, which was founded by vegetarian Richard Odin. Mulder, Scully and Mazeroski attend a ceremony of the Red Museum, causing Mulder to believe that they are walk-ins, people whose souls have been taken over by someone else. One of the kidnap victims claims to have felt an animal spirit enter him.
Katie, the girlfriend of Mazeroski's son Rick, is the latest to be found, and her blood is found to contain an unknown alkaloid substance and high levels of scopolamine, a controlled substance. This appears to link her to Odin, a former doctor. Meanwhile, the agents meet an old man who points to a pair of men injecting growth serum into cattle, which he believes is the cause of the trouble. That night, local doctor Jerrold Larson is killed in a plane crash. An investigation of the site turns up shipping orders that trace back to the kidnapped teens. One of the men injecting the cows is murdered by the Crew Cut Man. The other, a peeping tom named Gerd Thomas, is revealed to be the kidnapper after the agents find a hidden supply of videotapes in the home of one of the victims. Thomas claims that Larson had been turning the children into "monsters" with the drugs he had been injecting in them, which he claims to be unknown.
Meanwhile, Rick is murdered by the Crew Cut Man. Having passed by him on the road, Scully recognizes him as the assassin who killed Deep Throat. Her toxicology results on the victims show what she thinks is the mysterious substance known as "Purity Control". Mulder theorizes that Larson had been injecting the children with alien DNA, and convinces Mazeroski to round up all of the children who had been receiving treatment from Larson and hide them in the Church of the Red Museum. Mulder tracks the Crew Cut Man down at a beef processing plant that he is about to destroy. While Mulder wants him alive, Mazeroski kills him as revenge for Rick's murder.
Scully reports that the Crew Cut Man had no records on file with the FBI or other agencies. The material injected into the cows and children is found to be an unknown substance. All the children who were inoculated came down with a flu-like illness. But those in the Church of the Red Museum, being vegetarians, did not, causing her to think they may be being used as a control group without their knowledge. Scully declares the case open and unsolved.
## Production
The original draft of "Red Museum" functioned as a crossover episode with the CBS show Picket Fences—an idiosyncratic drama that ran from 1992 until 1996 and was set in the fictional Wisconsin town of Rome. This idea came about when David E. Kelley (the creator of Picket Fences) and Chris Carter (the creator of The X-Files) were talking in a parking lot about how interesting it would be to have Mulder and Scully visit Rome.
Kelley and Carter started to plan out ideas, agreeing that unlike traditional crossovers, the two shows would each air their own episode, featuring characters from the other series. However, CBS vetoed the crossover idea. Executive producer Robert Goodwin said of the experience: "I spent days on the phone with a producer of Picket Fences. We spent days organizing our schedules. Then at the very last minute, of course, we found out that no one had told CBS, and they said 'Forget it. We're having enough trouble on Friday nights without publicizing The X-Files.' It's too bad." The Picket Fences episode originally intended to crossover with The X-Files was called "Away in the Manger" and aired the week following "Red Museum." While every reference to Picket Fences was purged from The X-Files episode, the Picket Fences episode contains a few subtle references to the happenings in "Red Museum", including a mention of Dr. Larson.
Producer and writer Glen Morgan was disappointed with how the Crew Cut Man was killed off in the episode, saying, "My feeling is that to bring this guy back, his presence should have been better developed, and he's shot off screen. I thought 'Geez, this is the guy who killed Deep Throat, who the audience loved, and it's kind of tossed away.' The episode just seems like half of one thing for a while, then half of something else. I think that was a curious choice for Chris [Carter]. He wanted to take a real left turn, but I'd rather have seen a whole episode about that guy showing up and Mulder getting back at him." Morgan's writer partner James Wong disliked the episode, saying, "I think that was one of the most confusing episodes I've ever seen. It had some really neat ideas in it, but I don't think it pulled together finally."
Ladner, British Columbia served as a location for Delta Glen, while the beef processing plant was shot in a facility in Cloverdale; local employees at the latter were even used as extras in the butchering and cleaning up scenes. The episode is the first in the series to mention the concept of walk-ins, a plot device that would later be used five seasons later, when the truth about Samantha's abduction was finally revealed.
## Broadcast and reception
"Red Museum" premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 1994. This episode earned a Nielsen rating of 10.4, with an 18 share, meaning that roughly 10.4 percent of all television-equipped households, and 18 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. It was viewed by 9.9 million households.
The episode received mostly mixed reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly gave "Red Museum" a B, noting that the episode was "creative if convoluted." Reviewer Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club criticized the way "Red Museum" was written, writing that the episode, "tries the neat trick of combining what appears to be a [Monster-of-the-Week] ep with mythos; the results are intriguing, but not entirely successful." He concluded that the episode was "good" but ultimately "forgettable." Critical Myth's John Keegan gave the episode 5/10, criticizing the complexity of the plot. He wrote that "Fairly quickly, The X-Files gained a reputation for episodes that were so convoluted and confusing that few people could make sense of them. This episode stands as one of the shining examples of that trend, and it’s only appropriate that the episode was written by Chris Carter."
|
[
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"## Broadcast and reception"
] | 1,734 | 16,234 |
23,541,919 |
Siege of Svetigrad
| 1,173,576,523 |
1448 capture of the Albanian-ruled city of Svetigrad by the Ottoman Empire
|
[
"1448 in Europe",
"1448 in the Ottoman Empire",
"Battles involving Albania",
"Battles of Mehmed the Conqueror",
"Conflicts in 1448",
"Sieges involving the Ottoman Empire",
"Warfare by Skanderbeg"
] |
The siege of Svetigrad or Sfetigrad began on 14 May 1448 when an Ottoman army, led by Sultan Murad II, besieged the fortress of Svetigrad (now Kodžadžik, North Macedonia). After the many failed Ottoman expeditions into Albania against the League of Lezhë, a confederation of Albanian Principalities created in 1444 and headed by Skanderbeg, Murad II decided to march an army into Skanderbeg's dominions in order to capture the key Albanian fortress of Svetigrad. The fortress lay on an important route between present-day North Macedonia and Albania, and thus its occupation would give the Ottomans easy access into Albania.
At the same time, Skanderbeg had been at war with Venice. Realizing the magnitude of his challenge, Skanderbeg attempted to relieve the garrison by engaging in skirmishes with the Ottoman army. His forces succeeded in inflicting heavy casualties on the Turkish forces through guerrilla-style attacks. Efforts were made by Skanderbeg to use intelligence forces, operating as far as Constantinople, to gather information on Murad's plans of action. Meanwhile, near Scutari, he had been able to defeat a Venetian force and managed to considerably weaken the Venetian presence in Albania. Despite these efforts, on 31 July the garrison of Svetigrad surrendered due to a disruption in the water supply. The garrison was spared and a force of Ottoman Janissaries was stationed inside the fortress instead. Two years later, Murad would march against Krujë, only to suffer a heavy defeat.
## Prelude
In 1444 the major princes of the Albanian Principalities, which up to that point had been vassals of the Ottoman Empire, united and formed the League of Lezhë, an anti-Ottoman confederacy under Skanderbeg's lead. As a result, the Ottoman Empire sought to crush the League and re-establish control over Albania. As of 1448, all Ottoman expeditions into Albania had failed and Murad II chose to lead a force in person into Albanian territory and fragment the League. The sultan decided to capture the fortress of Svetigrad. This fortress served the strategic purpose of protecting the Albanian eastern frontier, while also allowing the Albanians to launch their own assaults on Ottoman territory. In late 1447, war began between Venice and the League, but had not yet escalated into full-scale conflict. Skanderbeg had declared war on Venice as a result of a diplomatic impasse. This left him open to invasion from the East.
Albanian intelligence groups informed Skanderbeg—the main leader of the revolt—that a large Ottoman army was preparing to march into Albania, the number of which was reported by some as being as high as 170,000. This army, however, is likely to have contained no more than 80,000 soldiers. Nevertheless, Murad marched his army into Monastir. Skanderbeg urgently called for material aid from Venice. The answer, however, was negative. Instead, the only aid received came from the Neapolitans and the Ragusans. Nonetheless, Murad soon marched into Ohrid and Black Drin valley, traveling near Svetigrad. In response, Skanderbeg strengthened the garrisons of Krujë, Stellushi, Svetigrad, and Berat by ordering the populations around these fortress to take up arms.
Shortly before the Ottoman siege began, Skanderbeg positioned himself, and 4,000 cavalry, 7 miles (11 km) from the Turkish camp. The force also included 8,000 other soldiers. Skanderbeg ordered that no campfires should be lit in order to keep his position secret. Moisi Arianit Golemi and Muzaka of Angelina were ordered, with thirty horsemen, to dress as peasants and enter the fortress. The plot was discovered, however, and the company was attacked, but the attackers were driven off. Upon returning to the main Ottoman camp, one of the commanding pashas saw that this was one of Skanderbeg's plots and sent 4,000 horsemen to find out where Skanderbeg was camping by following Moisi's band. Moisi led the Ottoman force into a valley, and Skanderbeg, who was ready for such an enterprise, surrounded the valley with his forces. When the Ottoman force was within distance, the Albanians sprung the ambush and the Ottoman force was annihilated. This happened on 14 May 1448, after which Murad ordered the siege to begin.
## Siege
### Ottoman arrival
Murad's force contained approximately 80,000 men and two cannons, which could fire 200 pounds (91 kg) balls. His army contained a fresh corps of Janissaries, and 3,000 debtors and bankrupts fighting to regain their freedom. The Count of Gurrica persuaded Skanderbeg to incorporate a scorched earth strategy, by destroying all supplies that might be used by the Ottoman army. The Ottoman force paraded around the fortress and offered 300,000 aspras (Turkish currency) to those who would open the gate and let the Ottoman army in the fortress without a fight. The heralds proposing these offers went into the fortress at night time and the garrison commanders gave them a splendid dinner, so that they would get the impression that the enemy was well prepared for a lengthy siege. After the dinner their offers were rejected and they were sent back to the Sultan. The size of the Ottoman army troubled Skanderbeg because of the effects it could have on the morale of his soldiers and on the local population which supported the princes. Skanderbeg thus moved from village to village, disguised as a common soldier, and invoked the fighting spirit of the population. As a result of this activity, the local chieftains agreed to fight the Ottomans and persuaded Skanderbeg to draw up his plans in concert with theirs.
### Albanian guerrilla attacks
To relieve the garrison of Svetigrad, Skanderbeg continually harassed the Ottoman army. Many of these attacks had been surprise ambushes of isolated Ottoman forces. Hoping to evade Ottoman patrols, Skanderbeg moved towards the Ottoman camp. On 22 June Skanderbeg led a night attack on the Ottoman camp which disillusioned the Ottoman soldiers who had been expecting a quiet campaign. Soon after, when the besiegers were taking their afternoon naps, Skanderbeg sent Moses with some men, again dressed as peasants, inside the Ottoman camp to reconnoiter for a future assault. Skanderbeg spoke to his troops, encouraging them not to take booty from the camp as this might give the Ottoman forces time to react and launch a counterattack. That night, the Albanians launched their attack, but the noise of the armor and the neighing of the horses inhibited a complete surprise. The periphery of the camp was thrown into confusion, but the bulk of the Turkish troops gathered and organized themselves, pushing the Albanians out of the camp but not before suffering heavy casualties. To prevent further attacks of this sort, Murad detached a contingent of troops under Firuz Pasha to watch the Albanians but it was prone to desertion and thoroughly destroyed with its baggage train being captured. A breach in the walls of Svetigrad was made, but the following infantry assault was repulsed. The Albanians began to hope that the sultan would now be returning to Edirne.
### Stalemate
The fighting had reached a stalemate and Murad contemplated his next move. He was advised to pillage the countryside, but the surrounding fields had already been burned by Skanderbeg. The sultan decided to stop chasing bodies of men into the forests to prevent further casualties. Mehmed, Murad's son, proposed leaving Svetigrad to strike at Krujë. Murad sternly rejected this, reasoning that the supplies to take Svetigrad would have been wasted and that Krujë would be more strongly defended than Svetigrad. The sultan thus decided to remain at Svetigrad in an attempt to starve the garrison into submission. Meanwhile, the garrison under the leadership of Peter Perlati made several successful sorties against the Ottomans, in order to ease the encirclement and strengthen his soldiers' morale.
### Surrender of the fortress
While campaigning against Venetian forces, Skanderbeg managed to inflict a serious defeat on 23 July 1448, seriously weakening Venetian power in Albania. The siege of Svetigrad continued, however, and Marin Barleti writes that the Ottomans bribed a soldier to throw a dead dog into the well of the fortress, forcing the garrison to refuse to drink out of it. It is more likely, however, that the Ottomans had cut off the water supply and induced the garrison to surrender. Given the circumstance, Perlati promised a surrender if the garrison were allowed a safe passage through the Ottoman lines. Prince Mehmed suggested that the garrison should be promised safe passage and then massacred, but Murad rejected his son's proposal, in fear that the rebellion would only be intensified through such an act; he decided to instead return the garrisoning force to Skanderbeg. On 31 July 1448 the garrison of Svetigrad surrendered.
## Aftermath
Once the fortress had been captured, Murad placed his own garrison of Janissaries and ordered his men to repair the walls. Perlati and his soldiers came to Skanderbeg, begging for mercy. Skanderbeg pardoned his soldiers for the surrender and even thanked them for holding out for as long as they did. Skanderbeg continued to shadow the Ottoman army as it headed back home in the hopes of dealing some serious damage, but his forces were not strong enough to risk provoking them. In October of the same year, Murad managed to inflict a serious a defeat on John Hunyadi's forces in Kosovo. Skanderbeg had planned to join Hunyadi's offensive with 20,000 men, but he was not able to get there in time due to Đurađ Branković blocking the roads to Kosovo.
The loss of Svetigrad allowed the Ottomans easy access into Albania from the northeast. They could now launch three coordinated invasions from south, southeast, and northeast into Albania. A few weeks after the siege, Mustafa Pasha led 15,000 men into Albania, as requested by Skanderbeg's Venetian rivals, only to be heavily defeated with Mustafa being captured. Skanderbeg tried to regain Svetigrad the next year, but he did not have the proper artillery to do so. He surrounded the fortress, but he realized that his position was hopeless and lifted the siege. In early 1450, the Turks would take Berat through a night-time stratagem and later that same year, Murad would besiege Krujë
|
[
"## Prelude",
"## Siege",
"### Ottoman arrival",
"### Albanian guerrilla attacks",
"### Stalemate",
"### Surrender of the fortress",
"## Aftermath"
] | 2,280 | 35,935 |
56,652,611 |
Cyclone Kelvin
| 1,168,114,994 |
Category 3 Australia cyclone in 2018
|
[
"2017–18 Australian region cyclone season",
"Category 3 Australian region cyclones",
"Tropical cyclones in 2018",
"Tropical cyclones in Western Australia",
"Tropical cyclones in the Northern Territory"
] |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Kelvin was a strong tropical cyclone that impacted Western Australia in February 2018, causing moderate damage. The system was first identified as a weak tropical low on the morning of 11 February over the Northern Territory's Tiwi Islands by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). The low moved southwestwards over land and emerged over the Indian Ocean near Broome on 16 February. The storm intensified into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the following day, becoming the sixth named storm of the 2017–18 Australian region cyclone season. Kelvin subsequently moved slowly eastwards and began to rapidly intensify in the hours prior to landfall. On 18 February, the storm crossed the coast along Eighty Mile Beach as a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, and a high-end Category 1 hurricane-equivalent cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Despite being over land, Kelvin weakened at a slow rate over the next few days, and was downgraded to a tropical low on 19 February. The remnant low of the system drifted over the Outback before being last noted by BoM on 21 February.
Kelvin brought widespread heavy rainfall to the Kimberley region which had already been saturated by other tropical cyclones earlier in the season. As a result, significant flooding occurred in parts of the Kimberley, including in the towns of Broome, which recorded a record annual rainfall total following the storm, and Kalumburu. Property damage was sustained at Broome and Nita Downs, where the cyclone made landfall. Additionally, the Great Northern Highway sustained infrastructural damage as a result of the heavy rainfall and flooding, cutting off access to the towns and leading to a shortage of supplies. Repairs were estimated to take months. Pastoral stations were heavily affected by the cyclone, including Anna Plains Station, which sustained property damage, and Mandora Station, half of which was completely flooded. Overall, Cyclone Kelvin incurred an estimated AUS\$25 million (\$25 million in 2018 USD) in losses.
## Meteorological history
During the morning of 11 February, the Bureau of Meteorology identified a developing tropical low pressure system near the Tiwi Islands, off the northwest coast of the Northern Territory. During the following days, the low, designated 17U, tracked over land on a general west-southwesterly course, gradually intensifying. As the system approached the coast, the BoM began issuing warnings on it, and forecast the low to potentially strengthen to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone over the following days. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on the low around this time. The system emerged over the Indian Ocean at about 8:00 am AWST on 16 February; however, contrary to previous forecasts, it was generally slow to develop.
About twelve hours later, the JTWC assessed the storm as having attained one-minute sustained winds of 65 km/h (40 mph); hence, the agency upgraded it to Tropical Storm 10S at 8:00 pm AWST. The cyclone continued to slowly strengthen, and was upgraded to a category 1 tropical cyclone by the BoM at 2:00 pm AWST on the following day, whereupon it was named Kelvin. Tropical Cyclone Kelvin's movement speed slowed considerably at this stage, and it proceeded to turn sharply to the east. Aided by favorable environmental conditions, the system began to rapidly strengthen as it approached the north coast of Western Australia. This intensification, fueled by a strong Rossby wave, continued until landfall.
Kelvin ultimately made landfall near Anna Plains Station along Eighty Mile Beach at 8:00 am AWST on 18 February as a category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, with 10-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph), and a minimum central barometric pressure of 955 hPa (28.20 inHg). The JTWC assessed the system as a high-end category 1 hurricane-equivalent cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson scale, with one-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph). After making landfall, Tropical Cyclone Kelvin turned to the south-southeast, and tracked inland over the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Despite losing the ocean as its primary source of energy, the cyclone was slow to weaken; this was partially due to the flat nature of the terrain and possibly a result of the brown ocean effect as well.
The system was downgraded to tropical low intensity by the BoM at 2:00 pm AWST on 19 February, after approximately 30 hours over the flat desert terrain of Western Australia. Gale-force winds did persist in the southeastern quadrant, however. The remnant low was last noted by the BoM at 2:00 pm AWST on 21 February as it was drifting over the Outback. Unlike the BoM, the JTWC maintained the system's classification as a tropical storm for another 36 hours after this, only declaring Kelvin dissipated at 2:00 am AWST on 21 February. The remnant moisture of the system continued to track south-southeastwards across the Nullarbor Plains on 22 February, and then emerged over the Great Australian Bight shortly afterward.
## Impacts
Severe Tropical Cyclone Kelvin and its precursor low brought widespread heavy rainfall to the regions of Western Australia across which it tracked. These parts of Australia had already experienced record rainfall totals prior to the arrival of Kelvin, with significant amounts being delivered by Tropical Cyclone Hilda, Tropical Cyclone Joyce, and Tropical Low 11U.
After Tropical Low 17U's formation, a tropical cyclone watch was issued for residents between Kuri Bay and Whim Creek, while a blue alert was issued for residents between Kuri Bay and Wallal, advising residents to be prepared for the upcoming storm. On the next day, Kununurra received 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain and Wyndham received gusts of 80 km/h (50 mph).
Prior to Kelvin's landfall, as it was hugging the coast at the time, Australian authorities issued a yellow alert in the area between Broome and Pardo Roadhouse, which advised residents to take shelter as soon as possible. Sustained gales were recorded north of Broome Port from 11:16 am to 2:11 pm AWST on 16 February. Broome Airport received 376.8 mm (14.8 in) of precipitation in the 24 hours prior to 9:00 am on 17 February, while West Roebuck received 370.0 mm (14.6 in) during this time. Around this time, Kelvin caused a house to be inundated with floodwater. Two wastewater plants overflowed, causing the Water Corporation to issue bans on fishing and swimming at Roebuck Bay and Dampier Creek. By 09:00 am on the next day, Nita Downs received 235.0 mm (9.25 in) and Wallal Downs received 223.5 mm (8.8 in) of rain. A red alert was issued for the residents from Bidyadanga to Sandfire, Western Australia as Cyclone Kelvin made landfall on 18 February, which ordered residents to go into shelters immediately. A cattle farmer reported property damage estimated to be AUS\$150,000. By 9:00 am on 19 February, Broome recorded a record annual rainfall total of 1506.0 mm (59.3 in), despite being less than two months into the calendar year. In addition to the heavy precipitation, Kelvin also generated a 0.5 metre (1.6 foot) storm surge at Broome Port, and higher-than-normal ocean tides were recorded in Cable Beach. The heavy rainfall caused the already saturated water catchments in the region to overflow, and significant flooding ensued in areas such as Broome, Roebuck Plains, Logue River, Kalumburu and along the Great Northern Highway.
Fallen trees and property damages were reported at Anna Plains Station and Nita Downs, where the cyclone made landfall. Minor damages was also reported in Broome as well. Infrastructural damage in excess of AUS\$16 million (US\$12.7 million) also occurred along the Great Northern Highway due to the heavy rainfall and flooding. The flooding caused some parts of the highway to be closed, especially between Broome and Roebuck Plains, as well as between Willare and Sandfire roadhouses. The closure cut off the supply chain between towns in Kimberley and caused shortages of food supplies in the region. Repairs were estimated to take months, due to repeated impacts from previous cyclones, which weakened road infrastructure. A bridge along the highway across the Logue River that had been damaged by previous cyclones was overtopped by flooding yet again, setting back progress in repairing the bridge and lengthening its closure. Initial repairs to the bridge ultimately cost AUS\$2 million, and permanent repairs were estimated to cost AUS\$16 million. Due to flooding, a man was stranded in Eco Beach Resort and had to be airlifted. More than half of Mandora Station was inundated by flooding.
Even as Kelvin weakened to a tropical low, thunderstorms impacted southern parts of the state. Cascade received 106 mm (4.2 in) of rainfall, Scaddan received 85 mm (3.3 in), Grass Patch 65 mm (2.5 in), and parts of Esperance about 50 mm (2 in). Overall, Cyclone Kelvin in caused an estimated AUS\$25 million (\$25 million in 2018 USD) in losses throughout Australia.
In the aftermath of the storm, floodwaters quickly hampered the relief efforts to the areas impacted by the cyclone. Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services had to charter a plane and dropped supplies from the plane to the Aboriginal Australians in Dampier Peninsula and Anna Plains Station as part of disaster assistance efforts. These efforts, which were jointly funded by the Australian federal government and state government of Western Australia, were made available to Laverton, Wyndham–East Kimberley, Derby–West Kimberley and Broome local government areas. Volunteers from State Emergency Service (SES) also took charter planes to assist efforts in Eighty Mile Beach region.
## See also
- Weather of 2017 and 2018
- Tropical cyclones in 2017 and 2018
- 2018 Broome flood
- Cyclone Rusty (2013) - the previous severe tropical cyclone to make landfall between Broome and Port Hedland.
- Cyclone Christine (2013-14)
- Cyclone Emma (2006)
- Cyclone Ilsa (2023) - the next severe tropical cyclone to make landfall between Broome and Port Hedland.
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Impacts",
"## See also"
] | 2,261 | 24,393 |
1,871,680 |
M-30 (Michigan highway)
| 1,168,267,458 |
State highway in Michigan, United States
|
[
"State highways in Michigan",
"Transportation in Gladwin County, Michigan",
"Transportation in Gratiot County, Michigan",
"Transportation in Midland County, Michigan",
"Transportation in Ogemaw County, Michigan",
"Transportation in Saginaw County, Michigan"
] |
M-30 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that runs in a north–south direction from M-46 near Merrill to M-55 in West Branch. The highway runs through rural parts of five counties in the Lower Peninsula. The southern end runs along the Michigan Meridian and parallel to the Tittabawassee River. The southern end of the highway has been truncated twice and re-extended twice back to its pre-1962 extent.
Prior to 1962, M-30's southern terminus was at the junction with M-46 in Merrill. Since then, the segment south of US Highway 10 (US 10) was returned to local control and decommissioned as a state highway. In May 2009, M-30 was extended southerly from US 10 to M-20, restoring some of the highway decommissioned in the 1960s to M-30. It was then extended back to M-46 in 2022.
## Route description
M-30 is a rural, two-lane highway. M-30 starts at an intersection with M-46 (Monroe Road/Gratiot Road) west of Merrill and follows Meridian Road on the Michigan Meridian, which is Gratiot–Saginaw county line. The road runs through farmland northward for about 14 miles (23 km) before crossing into Midland County. M-30 crosses the Pine River north of the community of Poseyville and then crosses the Chippewa River south of the intersection with M-20 (Isabella Road) outside of Midland. North of this intersection, the highway continues along the meridian through forest lands to a crossing of the Tittabawassee River near Sanford. M-30 passes through the community and crosses the US 10 freeway near the location where the latter crosses a narrow section of Sanford Lake. The road continues north running parallel to the lake along the meridian to a point near Edenville. There, the highway turns westerly along Curtis Road and then back northerly on Midland Road to a crossing of the Tittabawassee and Wixom Lake.
Past the river and lake crossings, M-30 angles to the northeast to return to the Michigan Meridian. The area adjacent to the lake is farm land, but continuing north, the highway returns to the woodlands of the Au Sable State Forest. M-30 intersects M-61 at Wooden Shoe Village near Smallwood Lake. The highway continues to parallel the Tittabawassee River, crossing several of its smaller tributaries, until a point south of the Gladwin–Ogemaw County county line. The trunkline passes through a small unnamed, unincorporated community northwest of Hockaday near Indian and Elk lakes as the road turns to the northeast between the lakes in the area. M-30 crosses the county line near Edwards and continues northward. The highway turns to the northeast as it approaches West Branch, crossing under Interstate 75 (I-75) without an interchange. M-30 ends at Business Loop I-75/M-55 on the west side of West Branch.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) maintains M-30 like all other parts of the state trunkline highway system. As a part of these responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic. For 2021, the highest traffic levels were observed on the section north of US 10 at 8,279 vehicles on average per day. The lowest levels were the 3,082 vehicles between the immediately north of the I-75 crossing. The survey did not include the section south of M-20. No segment has been listed as part of the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.
## History
M-30 was first designated by July 1, 1919. The original routing only ran from Winegars to West Branch. South of Winegars, the roadway is a portion of M-18. An extension of M-18 in 1928 or 1929 south of Beaverton led to the redesignation and extension of M-30 south through Edenville and Sanford to end at M-46. M-30 was completely paved as the last 15 miles (24 km) of gravel roadway were completed between Sanford and the Midland–Saginaw county line in 1961. The next year, when M-30 was truncated to end at the US 10 freeway in Sanford, the remaining portion south of US 10 was turned over to county control.
On May 13, 2009, the Midland County Road Commission (MCRC) and MDOT signed a memorandum of understanding that transferred control of Meridian Road south of US 10 to M-20 from the MCRC to MDOT. The roadway transferred included a newly constructed bridge over the Tittabawassee River and other segments of roadway rebuilt by the MCRC. On May 20, 2020, the bridge carrying M-30 over Wixom Lake collapsed after two dams on the Tittabawassee River failed, leading to severe flooding. A temporary bridge opened at the site in March 2021; this span is set to be replaced in 2024. In September 2022, the Saginaw County Road Commission transferred jurisdiction over Meridian Road to MDOT from M-46 north to the Midland County line. The next month, the MCRC transferred control of Meridian Road from the county line north to M-20. The extension was marked on the 2023 MDOT maps.
## Major intersections
## See also
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 1,176 | 13,242 |
11,094,733 |
Dougherty Valley High School
| 1,163,073,262 | null |
[
"2007 establishments in California",
"Educational institutions established in 2007",
"High schools in Contra Costa County, California",
"Public high schools in California",
"San Ramon, California"
] |
Dougherty Valley High School (commonly Dougherty, Dougherty Valley, Dougherty Valley High, DVHS, or DV High) is a public high school located in the Windemere development of San Ramon, California, United States. The valley name comes from James Witt Dougherty, a 19th-century landowner and local politician.
It is one of four high schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD), along with California High School, San Ramon Valley High School, and Monte Vista High School. Constructed by Shapell Industries of California and Windemere Ranch Partners BLC, Dougherty was the first developer-built school in the SRVUSD. The school opened its doors in 2007.
Dougherty's nickname is the Wildcats, and its school colors are navy, Columbia blue, and silver. It is known for its state-of-the-art campus, which features a performing arts center and aquatics center in a joint-use agreement with the city. Dougherty is the top school in the district based on Academic Performance Index. The school is also home to over 200 clubs and many afterschool activities.
## History
### Conception (1988–2006)
Dougherty Valley High School was built by Shapell Industries of California and Windemere Ranch Partners BLC, which were also the two main developers of the Dougherty Valley area in general. Shapell was obligated through a December 1988 agreement with the SRVUSD to "contribute its fair share of the cost of additional high school space needed to serve students generated by the project," with the project mentioned being the construction of 11,000 houses in the area. Dougherty is the first developer-built high school in the SRVUSD, in contrast with the typical method of a developer and the state funding the school district for construction of any necessary schools. The district and developers began further negotiations regarding the school's construction in 2001.
The school's name was chosen from more than 150 suggestions submitted to an online survey, although the name, school colors, and mascot had to be approved by the Board of Education. The school logo was designed in 2006 by Jennifer Wong, at the time a senior at Monte Vista High School, after winning a student logo design contest with 12 other entries.
Wong received \$500 for her design and was honored alongside the contest's runners-up at a school board meeting. Denise Hibbard, who had been an assistant principal at California High School for six years, was chosen as Dougherty's first principal.
### Construction (2005–2007)
An official groundbreaking at the school was held on September 23, 2005, with school board members Nancy Petsuch, Greg Marvel, and San Ramon Mayor H. Abram Wilson in attendance. The construction of the school was divided into two phases. The first phase, which involved site grading, utilities, and paving, commenced in May 2005 and was completed by January 2006; the second phase, which involved constructing buildings, landscaping and creation of ball fields, commenced in February 2006 and was completed by August 2007. In a December 2006 meeting, the San Ramon city council approved the construction of a performing arts center and aquatics center for joint-use between the city and the SRVUSD. Total construction took 16 months, five months less than predicted.
The construction of the school cost approximately \$128 million, and the total cost, including inspections and management, was about \$150 million. The costs of the performing arts center, to which the city contributed \$4 million, and the aquatics center, to which the city contributed \$9.2 million, were expected to exceed revenues by \$400,000 each.
According to city council member Scott Perkins, "Other cities have stand-alone [aquatic] facilities that cost \$35 million. Were getting 90 percent of that use for a quarter of the price." In addition, the city approved the \$4 million construction of an independent study school on Dougherty's campus, to replace the area's older independent study school built in the 1970s. The expenses of construction were shared between Windemere BLC, Shapell, the school district, and the city of San Ramon.
### Inauguration and beyond (2007–present)
The SRVUSD opened both Dougherty and Live Oak Elementary School on August 25, 2007. Dougherty began its inaugural school year on August 27, 2007, becoming the first high school in 34 years to open in the SRVUSD. History teacher James Corcoran noted that working at the first year school was an opportunity to develop its community, saying "You oftentimes will go into a school as a teacher, or even a principal, and it's 'This is the way we do it around here.' It's hard to change that once it's been set." Elaine O'Hanlon, founding president of the Dougherty Parent-Teacher Association, said that parent volunteering would be encouraged at the new school.
In 2009, the SRVUSD was affected by a major statewide school budget crisis. 236 layoff notices were sent to teachers within the district, more than half of whom worked at Dougherty. All permanent teachers were rehired with the help of a \$144 per-parcel tax measure passed in May 2009, expected to raise \$6.7 million yearly.
During the 2009 flu pandemic in the United States, one tenth grade student at Dougherty was known to have been infected with the Influenza A/H1N1 virus; however, closure of the school did not occur, as it was found to be unnecessary and inconvenient. According to Principal Hibbard, "We just have to make sure we educate parents", and the school administration reacted to the outbreak by sending out an email to parents with advice from the Center for Disease Control.
In the summer of 2011, SunPower began construction and installation of solar panels in the school parking lot. The school district used federal funds from low-interest qualified school construction bond as part of government stimulus from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the project. When completed, the panels will reportedly provide the school with between two-thirds to 80 percent of its energy needs.
## Enrollment
In the 2008-2009 year, 1,001 students were enrolled in Dougherty. Admission is based primarily on the location of students' residency, although birth date documentation and immunization records are also required from new students. The school opened in 2007 with 570 students, fitting the initial prediction of between 450 and 600 students. 95 of these students had transferred to Dougherty from another school in the district, and the majority of the freshmen came from Windemere Ranch Middle School. The school started with only ninth grade freshmen and tenth grade sophomores in 2007, and in each successive school year another grade was added until the standard ninth to twelfth grade range was reached in 2009.
In 2007, Dougherty had 277 female students, representing approximately 48.6% of the total student population, and 293 male students, representing approximately 51.4% of the total student population. Nestled in the culturally integrated Windemere development, Dougherty consists of students from many different backgrounds and is the most diverse in the district. Because of its diversity, San Ramon parks and community services division manager John Skeel said in 2007 that "We know that with the new high school (Dougherty Valley High School) and all the new schools, it's important to stay on top of race issues. With the mixture of middle- and low- income housing in newer neighborhoods, that could be an issue as well." Dougherty's 2007 enrollment included a large population of Asian students, accounting for 41.2% of the student body. 32.5% of the school identified themselves as White, 6.5% as Filipino, 6.1% as African American, 4.9% as Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% as Pacific Islander, 0.2% as American Indian or Alaska Native, and 7.9% with more than one ethnicity or no response.
## Academics
Greatschools.com awarded the school a perfect ten out of ten score, based on a comparison between the school's standardized test scores and those statewide; it is one of the few schools in California to be distinguished as such. In 2009, Dougherty had an Academic Performance Index rank of 905 out of a possible 1000, growing from the 2008 base score of 891. The school was the highest ranked high school in the SRVUSD, the 27th highest high school in the state, and the 744th highest school in the country by API score. In 2011, Dougherty Valley improved by 12 points the previous year with an API score of 921, making it the third highest high school in Contra Costa County as well as the top high school in SRVUSD. Dougherty Valley further improved with an API score of 937 in 2012.
In 2013, the school was awarded a gold medal, and ranked among the top 500 schools in the country by U.S. News.
## School facilities
Dougherty occupies approximately 54 acres (220,000 m<sup>2</sup>) of land and can accommodate up to 2,200 students. Space has been left open to potentially expand the campus in the future, which would allow for 200 more students to attend. Considered to be state-of-the-art, the campus received the award for best of California in the K-12 category for northern California from California Construction magazine.
There are 11 major buildings on campus, including four two-story classroom buildings, a career tech facility, a library, a commons building, an administration building, and two gymnasiums. The school has 80 classrooms. For athletic purposes, the school has a 2,800-seat stadium with lights, a press box, and a track. Also at Dougherty are two baseball fields, two softball fields and eight tennis courts. The campus is home to the area's 11,222 square feet (1,042.6 m<sup>2</sup>) venture independent study school.
Dougherty shares a performance arts center and aquatics center with the city of San Ramon under a joint-use agreement. The performing arts center includes a 600-seat proscenium theater, a 3,500-square-foot (330 m<sup>2</sup>) rehearsal room, a box office, lobby, dressing rooms, rooms for vocal and instrumental music, and city offices. In addition to school productions and concerts, alternative rock band Gin Blossoms, stand-up comedian Caroline Rhea, and others have put on shows at the performing arts center. The purpose of the performing arts center in relation to the school is twofold: students are able "to work with some of the professional artists in mentoring and master class programs", and, according to the school's principal, it allows for "larger presentations that can serve all our schools in the area". The aquatics center features a 50-meter Olympic-size swimming pool and locker rooms.
## Notable alumni
- Austin Larkin, NFL player
## Extracurricular activities
### Science Bowl
The DVHS National Science Bowl team has won multiple regional championships. It has won the regional championship again in 2019 and won the National Science Bowl in 2020.
### Athletics
The Dougherty Valley Athletic Department offers several sports, including cross country, football, golf, tennis, water polo, volleyball, cheerleading, basketball, soccer, wrestling, baseball, lacrosse, softball, swimming, diving, badminton, and track and field. Most of the sports have separate men's and women's teams, and golf and tennis for men occur in a later season than for women. Current coaches include former Major League Baseball player Darren Lewis for the varsity baseball team.
The school was part of the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) for its first year, but has since moved to the Diablo Foothill Athletic League (DFAL). Dougherty's main rival is considered to be Dublin High School, due to the close proximity of the two schools and past controversy between the schools' respective coaches. In 2016, Dougherty returned as a member of the East Bay Athletic League.
### The Wildcat Tribune
The Wildcat Tribune is Dougherty's official student newspaper. Published every three weeks in print and updated regularly online features sections on news, editorials, opinions, features, entertainment, and sports.
The Tribune was the first print publication to interview Chesley Sullenberger after the pilot's emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549, in a February 2009 special edition of the Tribune with an article titled "Heroism & Humility on the Hudson." Sullenberger and his wife, both residents of San Ramon, decided with CBS to grant his first interview to a student journalist, and Dougherty was attended by one of their daughters. Sullenberger met with the principal and Jega Sanmugam prior to the interview, and all preparation was done in secrecy. Sanmugam conducted the interview at Sullenberger's home hours before Katie Couric interviewed Sullenberger for 60 Minutes. An additional interview with Couric, about her career and the state of journalism, was also published in the Tribune. Alex Clemens, a representative of the Sullenberger family, said: "The Sullenberger family is grateful to CBS for actively demonstrating a commitment to student journalism."
|
[
"## History",
"### Conception (1988–2006)",
"### Construction (2005–2007)",
"### Inauguration and beyond (2007–present)",
"## Enrollment",
"## Academics",
"## School facilities",
"## Notable alumni",
"## Extracurricular activities",
"### Science Bowl",
"### Athletics",
"### The Wildcat Tribune"
] | 2,830 | 6,751 |
51,091,610 |
Hologram (Minmi song)
| 1,152,986,711 | null |
[
"2015 singles",
"2015 songs",
"Anime songs",
"Japanese-language songs"
] |
"Hologram" (Japanese: ホログラム;, "hologram") is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Minmi, taken from her seventh studio album Ego (2015). It was made available for digital download and physical consumption on June 10, 2015 through Universal J—a subsidiary label owned by Universal Music Japan—as her third stand-alone single. "Hologram" marks Minmi's second consecutive recording after "Ite Itai yo" to have been written, composed, arranged, and produced by herself. Musically, the song was described by a critic at Selective Hearing as a transition from her signature reggae music styles to electronic dance music, whilst retaining musical elements of dancehall music.
Upon its release, the single received generally positive reviews from music critics. Some pointed out the track as a highlight from the album, whilst acclaiming the song's composition. Minor criticism was outspoken towards the application of Auto-Tune to her vocals. Commercially, it under-performed in Japan, stalling at number 116 for a sole week on the Oricon Singles Chart, marking her lowest-selling release in that region. To promote the single, it was used for Japanese anime television series Jitsu wa Watashi wa (2015). Additionally, she appeared on Japanese music television shows Count Down TV and Refreshing!, with her as well performing the track at the 2016 Freedom Aozora concert venue.
## Background, composition and release
In June 2016, it was confirmed through Anime News Network that Minmi would release a new song titled "Hologram", which would serve as a featured track for the first season of Japanese anime television series, Actually, I Am... (Japanese: Jitsu wa Watashi wa) (2015). "Hologram" marks Minmi's second consecutive single to have been written, composed, arranged, and produced by herself, following her 2014 single "Ite Itai yo". Musically, it was pointed out by a writer for Selective Hearing as a transition from her signature reggae music styles from previous releases to dance-pop and electronic dance music, whilst retaining musical elements of dancehall music. It also incorporates synthesizers and keyboards in its instrumentation, with Minmi's vocals being processed with Auto-Tune and vocoder pyrotechnics.
"Hologram" was released as the singer's third stand-alone digital single on June 10, 2015 through Universal J, a subsidiary label owned by Universal Music Japan; its artwork featured blue, purple, pink and green confetti. The label distributed the recording for physical consumption as a DVD and CD in Japan, with a digital EP being made available in several other territories. All formats included the original mix of the single, with the addition of B-side track "#Yaccahaina" in collaboration with Japanese performer Mary Jane. The DVD release incorporated Minmi performing "Hologram" live at the 2014 Freedom Aozora concert venue. The accompanying cover sleeve for all three formats portrayed a pink-haired Minmi surrounded by digitally-superimposed confetti.
## Reception
Upon its release, the single received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic's Adam Greenberg, who contributed to Mimni's biography on the website, cited the track as one of her best works. In a similar review, CD Journal staff members pointed out "Hologram" as a highlight from her album Ego. Another critic from the same publication commended Minmi's transition to electronic dance music, labeling the recording's production as "bold" and "spacey". The review further acclaimed the singer's vocals and songwriting on the single. An editor from Selective Hearing enjoyed the track, concluding that, "In the end this is a slight deviation from Minmi's typical releases, but it's also refreshing to hear her branch a little bit." However, the publication negatively perceived the overuse of Auto-tune in the track and felt the corresponding B-side songs were better than the single. Commercially, "Hologram" under-performed in Japan. It debuted at number 116 for a sole week on the Oricon Singles Chart, marking Minmi's lowest-charting release since "La La La (Ai no Uta)" (2012), which peaked at number 58. As of July 2016, it is her lowest-selling single according to Oricon Style's database.
## Music video and promotion
An accompanying music video for "Hologram" was directed by Hideharu Ueki. It opens with a woman walking down a beach front, with her subsequently holding and letting go of her bikini strap by the pre-chorus. Over the rest of the visual, she is portrayed being engaged alone or with a man in the water or playing around the beach shore; several of the scenes repeat throughout the music video. The clip appeared on the DVD version of its parent album, Ego. To promote the single, it was used for Japanese anime television series Jitsu wa Watashi wa (2015). She also appeared on the Japanese television music shows Count Down TV and Refreshing! to perform the song, alongside providing an interview in each show. Minmi subsequently performed "Hologram" live at the 2016 Freedom Aozona concert venue; various other Japanese acts, such as Scandal and 10-Feet, were present at the venue.
## Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the CD liner notes of "Hologram".
Management
- Management done by record label Universal J.
Credits
- Minmi – lead vocals, producing, composing, songwriting, mixing, arranging
- Mary Jane – featured artist, backing vocals
- Hideharu Ueki – music video director
## Track list and formats
All lyrics written by Minmi.
## Charts
## Release history
|
[
"## Background, composition and release",
"## Reception",
"## Music video and promotion",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Track list and formats",
"## Charts",
"## Release history"
] | 1,192 | 6,104 |
27,370,607 |
Breathe (Taylor Swift song)
| 1,169,001,733 |
2008 song by Taylor Swift
|
[
"2000s ballads",
"2008 songs",
"Colbie Caillat songs",
"Song recordings produced by Chris Rowe",
"Song recordings produced by Nathan Chapman (record producer)",
"Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift",
"Songs written by Colbie Caillat",
"Songs written by Taylor Swift",
"Taylor Swift songs"
] |
"Breathe" is a song recorded and written by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, taken from Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the song is driven by an acoustic guitar and mandolin and features pianos and violins in the production. Lyrically, "Breathe" addresses heartbreak and the loss of a close friendship, though some critics interpreted it as a breakup song.
Released on October 21, 2008, as a Rhapsody-exclusive, the song received favorable responses from contemporary music critics. "Breathe" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2010. It peaked at number 87 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift performed the song live for the first time ever in Miami Gardens, Florida for the Reputation Stadium Tour.
Swift and Caillat released a re-recorded version, "Breathe (Taylor's Version)", as part of her 2021 re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version). The re-recorded version charted on the Canadian Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200.
## Background and release
Swift was very fond of Caillat's 2007 debut album, Coco. Swift explained, "When it came out, I fell in love with the way that she makes music." Swift later contacted her management and asked if she could write a song with Caillat. They confirmed Caillat would be available due to a then upcoming concert in Nashville, Tennessee and had a day off where she could meet with Swift. According to Swift, "Breathe" is about having to depart from a someone, however, not blaming anyone. Swift believed the scenario was one of the most difficult goodbyes, "when it's nobody's fault. It just has to end." Swift explained, "It was total therapy because I came in and I was like look, 'One of my best friends, I'm gonna have to not see anymore and it's not gonna be part of what I do. It's the hardest thing to go through. It's crazy listening to the song because you would think it's about a relationship and it's really about losing a friend and having a fallout." Caillat and Swift said one of the beauties of the song was that many people would be able to relate to it because it is never specific as why the departure is occurring or whose fault it was. Caillat said in an interview that Swift "was writing about something she was going through with a band member at the time, and she was pouring her heart out about it."
Swift desired for Caillat to sing background vocals but in a loud manner, enough for audiences to recognize who sang backup. Originally Swift and Caillat were only to harmonize in the chorus, but as Caillat recorded, Swift decided to include her voice more throughout the track because of how impressed she was. Swift first recorded the entire song, and Caillat then recorded background vocals separately. Swift was very pleased with the finished product: "I think she sounds beautiful on it. I'm so excited to have her voice on my album." The song was released for digital download exclusively through Rhapsody as a promotional single on October 21, 2008, through Big Machine Records.
On the Miami Gardens, Florida, concert as part of her Reputation Stadium Tour on August 18, 2018, Swift performed "Breathe" as part of a "surprise song" for the mid-show acoustic session; she told the crowd that she was "99 percent sure" she had never performed the song live before. On February 11, 2021, Swift announced on Good Morning America that a re-recorded version of "Breathe", titled "Breathe (Taylor's Version)", would be released on April 9, 2021 as the seventh track from Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recorded version of Fearless. Caillat returned as the song's feature.
## Composition
"Breathe" was recorded by Chad Carlson at Blackbird and Starstruck Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a ballad with a length of four minutes and twenty-one seconds. It was written in common time and has a ballad tempo of 72 beats per minute. It is written in the key of D major, and Swift and Caillat's vocals span one octave, from G<sub>3</sub> to B<sub>4</sub>. "Breathe" follows the chord progression D5–A–G. The song's instrumentation relies mainly on acoustic guitar and mandolin, which are often plucked, while, on occasion, piano and violins provide the accompaniment.
The lyrics for "Breathe" are about heartbreak and the loss of a close friendship. In the song's verses, the narrator acknowledges that people change and grow apart, though she is upset because she knows the person "like the back of her hand." In the song's refrains, she realizes the need to remain strong and breathe in order to live without the person. Ken Tucker of Billboard believed "Breathe" was a "love-gone-wrong song."
## Critical reception
The song received positive responses from contemporary music critics. Ken Tucker of Billboard said the song was suited for women of different age groups. Gary Trust, also from Billboard wrote, "this ballad, perhaps along with fellow potential singles such as 'You're Not Sorry' and 'Forever & Always,' could keep Swift's string of smashes stretching into 2011." Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine thought Swift should have chosen another collaborator as he believed Caillat was inert. Billboard's Taylor Weatherby considered the song Swift's seventh best feature. Weatherby complemented Swift's vocals, saying "she has a lovely voice that could practically sing you to sleep". He continued, describing Caillat's voice as "smooth". He concluded, "It may be the most soothing breakup song of all time."
"Breathe" was one of two songs featuring Caillat that was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2010, the other being Jason Mraz's "Lucky", the winner of the award. About "Breathe" not winning the award, Caillat said, "I love 'Breathe' with Taylor, but I've been performing 'Lucky' with Jason all around the world the last year, so I'm happy it won."
## Chart performance
On the week ending November 29, 2008, "Breathe" debuted and peaked at number eighty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, spending one week on the chart. Its appearance, along with six other songs, on the chart tied Swift with Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) for the female act to have the most songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week, a record later surpassed by Swift herself when she charted eleven songs at once in 2010. It was also one of six songs to debut that tied her with Cyrus, again, for the most debuts on the chart in the same week. In 2014, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
## Credits and personnel
"Breathe"
- Taylor Swift – lead vocals, producer, songwriter
- Colbie Caillat – lead vocals, background vocals, harmony vocals, songwriter
- Nathan Chapman – producer, acoustic guitar
- Jonathan Yudkin – string arrangement, composition, performance
- Chad Carlson – recording
- Justin Niebank – mixing
- Drew Bollman – mixing assistant
- Hank Williams – mastering
"Breathe (Taylor's Version)"
- Christopher Rowe – vocals engineering, producer
- Taylor Swift – producer, lead vocals
- Lowell Reynolds – assistant engineer, additional engineer
- David Payne – recording engineer
- Derek Garten – additional engineer
- John Hanes – engineer
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Mike Meadows – acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano
- Paul Sidoti – acoustic guitar
- Amos Heller – bass guitar
- Matt Billingslea – electric guitar
- Jonathan Yudkin – strings
- Colbie Caillat – guest vocals
## Charts
### "Breathe"
### "Breathe (Taylor's Version)"
## Certifications
|
[
"## Background and release",
"## Composition",
"## Critical reception",
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] | 1,755 | 5,669 |
961,424 |
Interstate 475 (Michigan)
| 1,167,638,725 |
Interstate Highway in Genesee County, Michigan, United States
|
[
"Auxiliary Interstate Highways",
"Interstate 75",
"Interstate Highways in Michigan",
"Transportation in Genesee County, Michigan"
] |
Interstate 475 (I-475) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of Michigan. I-475 is a 16.9-mile (27.2 km) bypass route that serves the downtown area of Flint while its parent, I-75, passes through the west side of the city. I-475 starts southwest of Grand Blanc and runs through suburbs of Flint before passing through downtown. There, it intersects I-69 and crosses the Flint River. The freeway turns westerly to connect back to I-75 north of Flint near Mount Morris.
This component freeway of the State Trunkline Highway System was planned in the 1950s and built in the 1970s. The trunkline was first named the Buick Freeway to honor David Dunbar Buick's contributions to Flint's early automotive industry as founder of Buick Motor Company. I-475 was renamed in 1981 the UAW Freeway, honoring the United Auto Workers, a labor union which was active in Flint. At the same time, the name of I-69 in Flint was changed from the "Chevrolet Freeway" to the "Chevrolet-Buick Freeway". Since 2001, I-475 has borne both the UAW and Buick names officially.
## Route description
I-475 starts at a partial interchange with I-75 in Grand Blanc Township, southwest of Grand Blanc. From this start at exit 111, the freeway proceeds northward through a suburban residential area next to a baseball field complex. As I-475 continues northward, it has an interchange with Hill Road near the Crestwood Memorial Gardens cemetery and several commercial properties. North of the Maple Avenue underpass, the freeway crosses into the suburb of Burton where it runs for about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) before crossing into the city of Flint. The freeway then curves around to the northeast near Thread Lake, crossing over Saginaw Street. I-475 follows the western shore of the lake as it turns northward to run into downtown Flint.
South of the four-level stack interchange with I-69, I-475 crosses over a line of the Canadian National Railway. North of this interchange, the freeway runs more northwesterly as it skirts the eastern edge of downtown Flint. Near the campus of the University of Michigan–Flint, I-475 curves to run parallel to the Flint River before crossing it next to an industrial area. There is an interchange complex on the northwest side of the river that provides access to Stewart Avenue and M-54 (Dort Highway). I-475 then runs north and northwesterly parallel to a rail line operated by Lake State Railway. North of Carpenter Road, the freeway exits the city of Flint and enters Genesee Township. The Interstate turns to the west to cross into Mount Morris Township before meeting an interchange for Saginaw Street. There is one more interchange for Clio Road before I-475 terminates at a full interchange at exit 125 on I-75 and US Highway 23 (US 23).
I-475 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. According to the department's surveys in 2010, the highest traffic levels along I-475 were the 57,400 vehicles on average daily north of the I-69 interchange in Flint; the lowest counts were the 18,637 vehicles per day west of the Clio Road interchange. As an Interstate Highway, I-475 has been listed on the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.
## History
A freeway along the I-475 corridor was proposed in the 1950s. The 1955 General Location of National System of Interstate Highways, an early proposal for what would become the Interstate Highway System, contained an inset of the proposed freeways in and around the Flint area, including a loop route freeway near the downtown area. Designated as part of the Interstate Highway System in 1957, I-475 construction was funded by the federal government.
I-475 was first opened to traffic in the early 1970s. The first section was built between I-75/US 10 northward to M-21/M-78. The second section was built from I-75/US 10/US 23 to Business M-54 (Bus M-54) along the north side of town. These two sections were opened on November 9, 1973, and September 26, 1974, respectively. The final section was opened between them in 1981.
## Memorial highway designations
I-475 has carried two different memorial highway designations in its history, the Buick Freeway and the UAW Freeway.
David Dunbar Buick was a Scottish-born immigrant who moved to Detroit with his parents at the age of two in 1856–1857. He quit school to supplement the family's income after his father's 1860 death. In the 1880s, he was a plumbing supplier in the Detroit area, inventing a process that created a cheaper white bathtub. Buick produced a method for permanently coating cast iron with vitreous enamel, which allowed the production of white baths at lower cost. He later sold his plumbing business and the patents to American Standard. Using the profits from this sale, Buick started working on gasoline engines, and later automobiles. He eventually moved his operations from Detroit to the Flint Wagon Works. William C. Durant managed the fledgling Buick Manufacturing Company, making it the number one car-building company in the country by 1908. Durant later built on the foundation of Buick's company to create General Motors. In honor of Buick's contributions to Flint's manufacturing base, the Flint City Commission proposed naming I-475 after Buick. The freeway passed by the city's Buick plant and many of the employees would use the new freeway on their commutes to work. The Michigan Legislature passed Concurrent Resolution 22 in 1969 to add the name.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) was founded in Detroit on August 26, 1935. The labor union struggled to gain members until the Flint sit-down strike in 1937. The strike started on December 30, 1936, when workers at the Fisher Body Plant No. 1 stopped loading tool dies on the night shift, locking themselves into the plant. The dies were destined for shipment to plants where union activity was much weaker than the UAW-organized plants in Flint. On January 3, 1937, workers at the plant sat down on the job; Fisher Plant No. 2 later joined in the sit-down strike. The heat was shut off at the plants, and, on January 11, food deliveries were stopped, sparking a riot. Governor Frank Murphy mobilized 4,000 National Guard troops to keep peace at the plants. A second riot occurred at Chevrolet Plant No. 4 on February 1. The National Guard troops surrounded the 12 striking plants in Flint, but the governor never ordered them into action. President Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraged the two parties to sit down once more, and an agreement was signed, recognizing the UAW in the 17 striking plants across the country.
A local politician wanted to honor not just the automotive pioneers in Flint but the workers that worked in the plants. Since the UAW came to maturity in Flint as a result of the strikes, it was the appropriate location for a memorial highway designation. In 1980, the Michigan Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 583, renaming Flint's east–west freeway (I-69) the "Chevrolet–Buick Freeway" and I-475 the "UAW Freeway". I-475 was dedicated with its new name on Labor Day 1981.
Public Act 142 of 2001 consolidated the memorial highway designations of the state. In passing this act, the Michigan Legislature expanded the Chevrolet–Buick Freeway to encompass all of I-69 in Genesee County; the act also restored Buick's name to I-475.
## Future
The Genesee County Board of Commissioners has proposed to MDOT that I-475 should be connected to US 23 in the southern part of Genesee County. The board approved a study to investigate the economic impact of such an extension. The study will also examine how such an extension will impact an existing intermodal transportation hub at Bishop International Airport and a rail terminal being built at the former Buick City complex. Proposals for the freeway connection have been around since the late 1990s, but they were indefinitely postponed in 2011.
## Exit list
## See also
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Memorial highway designations",
"## Future",
"## Exit list",
"## See also"
] | 1,795 | 31,343 |
20,750,176 |
E. A. Thompson
| 1,173,347,012 |
Irish-born British historian (1914–1994)
|
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"1994 deaths",
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"Academics of King's College London",
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"Classics educators",
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"Historians of Spain",
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"Irish communists",
"Irish medievalists",
"Irish people of Scottish descent",
"Scholars and academics from County Waterford",
"Writers from Waterford (city)"
] |
Edward Arthur Thompson FBA (22 May 1914 – 1 January 1994) was an Irish-born British Marxist historian of classics and medieval studies. He was professor and director of the classics department at the University of Nottingham from 1948 to 1979, and a fellow of the British Academy. Thompson was a pioneer in the study of late antiquity, and was for decades the most prominent British scholar in this field. He was particularly interested in the relations between Ancient Rome and "barbarian" peoples such as the Huns and Visigoths, and has been credited with revitalizing English-language scholarship on the history of early Germanic peoples. Thompson's works on these subjects have been highly influential.
## Early life
Edward Arthur Thompson was born on 22 May 1914 in the town of Waterford, Ireland, to a strictly Presbyterian family. His father, Robert James Thompson, who was of Irish descent, was the son of a weaver and worked for the National Health Insurance. His mother, Margaret Murison, was of Scottish descent. Her parents had settled in Ireland when her father became the manager of the estate of the Earl of Ormond in County Kilkenny. Thompson's family moved to Dublin in 1922. Having graduated from The High School, Dublin, Thompson entered Trinity College, Dublin, with a sizarship, a distinction he shared with Jonathan Swift. He was the first of his family to enter university. His father had probably intended for him to become a Presbyterian minister, but Thompson would come to reject the religious puritanism of his family. Thompson graduated with first-class honours in classics from Trinity College in 1936, later attributing his selection of the classics as a discipline to the choice of his headmaster at The High School. His BLitt on the Arcadian League was supervised by H. W. Parker.
From 1937 to 1938, Thompson was an exchange student in Berlin. While in Germany, being a communist himself, Thompson developed an intense dislike for Nazism. He claimed to have witnessed the smashing of a jeweler's shop and the beating of its proprietor by a Nazi mob. He said that these experiences had a major influence on his future cautious approach to the study of Germanic peoples, which was to characterize his approach to this subject.
## Early career
Thompson was appointed a lecturer in classics at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1939. Although initially appointed for one year, Thompson's contract was renewed, and he stayed on (though at a reduced salary) until 1941.
Already prepared to enter the Second World War with an enlistment in the British Army, Thompson secured an appointment at the University of Swansea in 1941 through the help of his friend Benjamin Farrington. From Swansea, Thompson transferred to King's College, London, teaching as a classics lecturer from 1945 to 1948. At Swansea, Thompson became a close friend of fellow historian Norman H. Baynes. His first book, Ammianus Marcellinus (1947), played a major role in reviving the study of late antiquity in the United Kingdom. His next book, A History of Attila and the Huns (1948), was inspired by his work on Ammianus Marcellinus. Both of these works were later reprinted and remained standard works on the subject for several decades. From the late 1940s, Thompson dedicated all his scholarly interest towards to late antiquity.
## Career at the University of Nottingham
Thompson moved again in 1948 – this time to direct the classics department at the University of Nottingham, where he worked from 1948 to 1979. During this time, Thompson was along with A. H. M. Jones a major figure in reviving the study of late antiquity in the United Kingdom. He was considered the leading scholar in the United Kingdom in the field, with the University of Nottinhgham emerging as one of its principal centers of study. At Nottingham, Thompson focused mainly on research and teaching rather than administrative work. Distinguished members of his department at this time included Harold Mattingly, W. Charlmers, G. R. Watson, Mollie Whittaker, A. H. Sommerstein and J. W. Rich.
In 1951, perhaps inspired by Farrington, Thompson published the book A Roman Reformer and Inventor, which examined the anonymous author of the De rebus bellicis. Thompson's book helped build the foundations for modern studies on this work.
By the early 1950s, Thompson's research was increasingly focused on the early Germanic peoples. At this time, very little research had been carried out in this field in the English-speaking world. Thompson sought to approach the subject without ideological ballast. Nevertheless, his revulsion towards Nazism probably influenced his research of this field. His works were pioneering in the field of Germanic studies, in which he was the leading scholar of his generation. He helped detach the field from the ideological bias which had characterized it in the past.
Thompson published his work The Early Germans in 1965, which was largely concerned with the changing structure of Germanic society through its encounter with Roman Empire. He attributed increasing social stratification among the Germanic peoples of the early centuries AD to the influence of the Roman Empire. He was particularly interested in the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples, and the differences between Germanic peoples who converted to Arianism and Roman Catholicism. His next major studies, The Visigoths in the Time of Ulfila (1965) and The Goths in Spain (1969), centered on the Visigoths. His works on early Germanic peoples, particularly those on the Visigoths, quickly became standard reference works on the subject, and were still considered unsurpassed at the time of his death. Thompson's studies on the Visigoths particularly examined the relations between various classes of Visigothic society with the Roman population among whom they lived. He maintained that while the Visigothic elite sought to adapt to and further develop Roman society, the Visigothic rank-and-file sought to overthrow it altogether. Thompson's reliance on literary evidence and aim to present a coherent account of history, distinguished him from many more recent historians, who are heavily influenced by critical theory and consider primary sources unreliable. Thompson was not afraid of controversy, and his criticism of others' views could be hard-hitting.
Until his retirement in 1979, Thompson served as the first Chairman of the Editorial Board of the scholarly journal Nottingham Medieval Studies, founded by Lewis Thorpe in 1957. Under Thompson's leadership, it rapidly emerged a major journal in its field. Thompson was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1964 – the first University of Nottingham academic to be so honoured. On the death of A. H. M. Jones in 1970, Thompson was made Chairman of the academy's committee supervising the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire project.
## Later life
Thompson retired from the University of Nottingham in 1979. After his retirement Thompson spent a year at the University of Wisconsin, during which he produced four major papers which were later printed in the collection Romans and Barbarians: The Decline of the Western Empire (1982). Thompson subsequently shifted his focus to the end of Roman Britain, on which he published the monographs Saint Germanus of Auxerre and the End of Roman Britain (1984) and Who Was Saint Patrick? (1985). In his studies of post-Roman Britain, Thompson argued that literary evidence implied that the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain was characterized by discontinuity and widespread upheaval. By the 1980s, this interpretation had fallen somewhat out of fashion, particularly among archaeologists. Thompson died in Nottingham on 1 January 1994.
## Politics
Thompson's revulsion towards Nazism, and his rejection of the strict Presbyterianism of his family, made him receptive towards Marxist ideology, which was popular among intellectuals in the 1930s. He was particularly impressed by the works of Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin. Influenced by Benjamin Farrington and the poet Roger Roughton, Thompson joined the Communist Party of Great Britain by 1941. The influence of Marxism is present in Thompson's works on a wide variety of subjects. This influence is particularly detectable in his studies on the rebellions of the Bagaudae.
Thompson left the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1956, the year of the Soviet Union's intervention in Hungary. In later life he referred to himself as a Thompsonist rather than a Marxist. His academic work continued to demonstrate a Marxist-oriented outlook on history. The class structure of societies continued to play a central role in his studies. No longer playing an active part in politics, he maintained an enthusiastic interest. He was strongly opposed to the Soviet handling of the Prague Spring, and criticised British policy in Northern Ireland, particularly sectarian violence.
## Personal life
While lecturing at King's College Thompson met his first wife Thelma Marjorie Phelps, a physician, whom he married in 1945. They had a son and a daughter, but separated in 1958. In 1964 he married Hazel Joyce Casken, with whom he had a daughter and lived until his death.
## Works
## See also
- Herwig Wolfram
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Early career",
"## Career at the University of Nottingham",
"## Later life",
"## Politics",
"## Personal life",
"## Works",
"## See also"
] | 1,920 | 35,641 |
24,498,742 |
Typos of Constans
| 1,138,896,584 |
648 theological edict issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II
|
[
"640s in the Byzantine Empire",
"648",
"650s in the Byzantine Empire",
"660s in the Byzantine Empire",
"670s in the Byzantine Empire",
"680s in the Byzantine Empire",
"7th-century Christianity",
"Christianity in the Byzantine Empire",
"Christology",
"Non-Chalcedonianism"
] |
The Typos of Constans (also called Type of Constans) was an edict issued by eastern Roman emperor Constans II in 648 in an attempt to defuse the confusion and arguments over the Christological doctrine of Monotheletism. For over two centuries, there had been a bitter debate regarding the nature of Christ: the orthodox Chalcedonian position defined Christ as having two natures in one person, whereas Miaphysite opponents contended that Jesus Christ possessed but a single nature. At the time, the Byzantine Empire had been at near constant war for fifty years and had lost large territories. It was under great pressure to establish domestic unity. This was hampered by the large number of Byzantines who rejected the Council of Chalcedon in favour of Monophysitism.
The Typos attempted to dismiss the entire controversy, on pain of dire punishment. This extended to kidnapping the Pope from Rome to try him for high treason and mutilating one of the Typos's main opponents. Constans died in 668. Ten years later his son, Constantine IV, fresh from a triumph over his Arab enemies and with the predominantly Monophysitic provinces irredeemably lost, called the Third Council of Constantinople. It decided with an overwhelming majority to condemn Monophysitism, Monotheletism, the Typos of Constans and its major supporters. Constantine put his seal to the Council's decisions, and reunited such of Christendom as was not under Arab suzerainty.
## Background
### Political background
In 628, the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire of Iran ended a harrowing twenty-six-year-long war. Both states were completely exhausted. The Byzantines had had the majority of their territory overrun and a large part of it devastated. Consequently, they were vulnerable to the sudden emergence of the Islamic Rashidun Caliphate in Arabia; the Caliphate's forces invaded both empires only a few years after the war. The Muslim, also known as Arab, forces swiftly conquered the entire Sasanian Empire and deprived the Byzantine Empire of its territories in the Levant, the Caucasus, Egypt, and North Africa. By 642, the Muslim armies had conquered all of Syria and Egypt, the richest parts of the Byzantine Empire.
For a variety of reasons, the Byzantine population of Syria did not put up much resistance. High taxes, the power of the landowners over the peasants, and the recently ended war with the Persians were some of the reasons why the Syrians welcomed the change. "The people of Homs replied [to the Muslims], 'We like your rule and justice far better than the state of oppression and tyranny in which we were. The army of Heraclius [Byzantium] we shall indeed ... repulse from the city.'" Another key reason for the welcome of the Arabs as rulers by the Christian Syrians and Egyptians, is that they found the strict monotheism of Islam closer to their own Monophysite Christian position than the hated doctrine of Constantinople, which they perceived as bitheism.
On 11 February 641 Heraclius, emperor for 31 years, who had pulled the Empire back from the brink of ruin, died. In the following three years, the Empire endured four short-lived emperors or usurpers before seventeen-year-old Constans II, grand-son of Heraclius, established himself on the throne of the diminished realm. In 643–644, Valentinus led a campaign against the Arabs, but his army was routed, he fled, and his treasury was captured. In 644 or 645, Valentinus attempted to usurp his son-in-law's throne. He failed, the populace of the capital lynching his envoy Antoninos before killing Valentinus himself.The Byzantine Empire seemed to be tearing itself apart with internecine strife, while the "human tsunami" of Arab conquest swept on.
### Theological background
The Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, was held in 451 and laid the basis of Christological belief; Christ was a single person possessing two natures: a perfect God and a perfect man united "unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly and inseparably". This was viewed as outright heresy by Monophysites who, briefly, believe that Jesus Christ is "one person and one hypostasis in one nature: divine". Monophysite belief was widespread in Egypt and, to a lesser extent, Syria. The Byzantine state had repeatedly attempted to stamp it out.
Emperor Heraclius spent the last years of his life attempting to find a compromise theological position between the Monophysites and the Chalcedonians. What he promoted via his Ecthesis was a doctrine which declared that Jesus, whilst he possessed two distinct natures, had only one will; the question of the energy of Christ was not relevant. This approach seemed to be an acceptable compromise, and it secured widespread support throughout the east. Pope Honorius I and the four Patriarchs of the East – Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem – all gave their approval to the doctrine, referred to as Monothelitism, and so it looked as if Heraclius would finally heal the divisions in the church.
The Popes in Rome objected. Pope Honorius I died in 638 and his successor Pope Severinus condemned the Ecthesis outright, and so was forbidden his seat by Constans until 640. His successor Pope John IV also rejected the doctrine completely, leading to a major schism between the eastern and western halves of the Catholic Church. When news of the Pope's condemnation reached Heraclius, he was already old and ill, and the news is said to have hastened his death.
Meanwhile, there were problems in the province of Africa. Since the fall of Egypt it was in the front line against Arab expansionism. Nominally a Byzantine province, in practice Africa was all but independent and a hotbed of dissent to Constantinople's Monotheletist policies. The threat of imminent invasion increased the local bishops' antipathy to Monophysitism, knowing that its adherents in Syria and Egypt had welcomed the invading Arabs. The compromise policy of Monotheletism was disliked as giving comfort to those seen theologically as heretics and politically as potential traitors. A monk named Maximus the Confessor had long carried on a furious campaign against Monotheletism, and in 646 convinced an African council of bishops, all resolutely Chalcedonian, to draw up a manifesto against it. This they forwarded to the new pope, Theodore I, who in turn wrote to Patriarch Paul II of Constantinople, outlining the heretical nature of the doctrine. Paul, a devoted Monothelete, replied in a letter directing the Pope to adhere to the doctrine of one will. Theodore in turn excommunicated the Patriarch in 649, declaring Paul a heretic. The divisions in Byzantine society and the open opposition to imperial authority were starkly exposed.
## Constans issues the Typos
Constans II was a young man of seventeen, and he was supremely indifferent to the religious debates convulsing the Church. However, he was certainly concerned about the effect the arcane debate was having on his empire. A key reason for the parlous position of the Byzantine Empire was the religious divide. He had just established an uncertain truce with the Arabs, and badly needed to rebuild his forces and to gain the full support of his empire. So he issued an imperial edict, called the Typos (Greek: τύπος, romanized: typos) in 648. This edict made it illegal to discuss the topic of Christ possessing either one or two wills, or one or two energies; or even to acknowledge that such a debate was possible. He declared that the whole controversy was to be forgotten.
During the proceedings of the Lateran Council of 649 the text of the Typos was read out in full and so is preserved in the recorded Acts. The first section expresses concern that some subjects of the empire consider Christ to have had one will, and some that he had two. This is discussed, and concluded with the observation that the debate is dividing society and that Constans intends to put a stop to this.
The Typos goes on to deny people "the licence to conduct any dispute, contention or controversy", explaining that whole matter has been settled by the five previous ecumenical councils "and the straight forwardly plain statements... of the approved holy fathers". The right of any individual to interpret their findings is explicitly forbidden. "The situation that existed previously... is to be maintained everywhere, as if no quibbling had arisen over them." There is to be an amnesty for any past comments on the topic, and all writings regarding it are to be destroyed.
In the third and final section, various penalties were prescribed for anyone who disobeys the imperial decree. Bishops or clerks of the church are to be deposed. Monks are to be excommunicated, while public servants or military officers are to lose their office. Private citizens of senatorial rank would have their property confiscated. Finally, if any of the great mass of the citizenry so much as mentioned the topic, they would face corporal punishment and banishment for life.
## Opposition
In Rome and the west, the opposition to Monotheletism was reaching fever pitch, and the Typos of Constans did nothing to defuse the situation; indeed it made it worse by implying that either doctrine was as good as the other. Theodore planned the Lateran Council of 649 to condemn the Ecthesis, but died before he could convene it; his successor, Pope Martin I, did. Not only did the Council condemn the Ecthesis, it condemned the Typos as well. After the synod, Pope Martin wrote to Constans, informing the emperor of its conclusions and requiring him to condemn both the Monothelete doctrine and his own Typos. However, Constans was not the sort of emperor to take such a rebuke of imperial authority lightly.
Constans sent a new Exarch of Ravenna, Olympius, who had authority over all Byzantine territory in Italy, which included Rome. He had firm instructions to ensure that the Typos be followed in Italy, and to use whatever means necessary to ensure that the Pope adhere to it. Arriving while the Lateran Synod was sitting, he realised how opposed the west was to the emperor's policy and set up Italy as an independent state; his army joined his rebellion. This made it impractical for Constans to take effective action against Pope Martin, until after Olympius died three years later.
Constans appointed a new Exarch, Theodore I Calliopas, who marched on Rome with the newly loyal army, abducted Pope Martin and brought him to Constantinople where he was tried for high treason before the Senate; he was banished to Chersonesus (present-day Crimea) and shortly after died as a result of his mistreatment. In an unusual move, a successor, Pope Eugene I, was elected in 654 by the College of Cardinals while Martin I still lived. The new pope normalized relations with Constantinople, and although he avoided pressing the issues of the Christological controversy, he ceremonially refused to accept a letter from the Patriarch of Constantinople when the imperial emissary attempted to deliver it. Constans viewed settling the dispute as a matter of state security, and persecuted anyone who spoke out against Monotheletism, including Maximus the Confessor and a number of his disciples. Maximus was tortured over several years; he lost his tongue and his right hand as Constans attempted to force him to recant. Constans even personally journeyed to Rome in 663 to meet with the Pope, the first emperor to visit since the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
## Condemnation
With Constans' death in 668, the throne passed to his son Constantine IV. Pope Vitalian, who had hosted the visit of Constans II to Rome in 663, almost immediately declared himself in favour of the doctrine of the two wills of Christ, the orthodox Chalcedonian position. In response, Patriarch Theodore I of Constantinople and Macarius, Patriarch of Antioch, both pressed Constantine to take measures against the Pope. Constantine, however, was fully occupied with military matters and saw no profit in reigniting this debate. In 674, the Arabs commenced the great siege of Constantinople which lasted four years before they were defeated. With the pressure from external enemies at least temporarily relieved, Constantine was able to turn to church affairs. With the predominantly Monophysitist provinces permanently lost to the Arabs, he was under less pressure to support any compromise which included their position.
He decided to put the Monotheletic question to a Church Council. Constantine suggested this to the Pope in 678, and the proposal was welcomed. This council, the Sixth Ecumenical Council, met for ten months from 680 to 681. It hosted 174 delegates from every corner of Christendom. The Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch were present in person, while the Pope and the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Jerusalem sent representatives. It held 18 plenary sessions; Constantine chaired the first 11, carefully expressing no opinion. On 16 September 681, it nearly unanimously condemned the Monotheletic doctrine and the Typos of Constans, with the exception of two delegates. Constantine personally signed the final declaration and was hailed as Destroyer of Heretics. Monotheletism was outlawed, and the non-Arab Christian world was united.
One of the patriarchs anathematised (excommunicated) as heretics for their support of the Typos was Pope Honorius. The issue of a Pope being disowned by his own successors has caused difficulty for Catholic theologians ever since, especially when discussing papal infallibility.
## See also
- Dyothelitism
- Miaphysite
## Notes, citations and sources
|
[
"## Background",
"### Political background",
"### Theological background",
"## Constans issues the Typos",
"## Opposition",
"## Condemnation",
"## See also",
"## Notes, citations and sources"
] | 2,911 | 8,572 |
748,595 |
Bridget Moynahan
| 1,173,193,571 |
American actress and former model (born 1971)
|
[
"1971 births",
"20th-century American actresses",
"21st-century American actresses",
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"American film actresses",
"American people of Irish descent",
"American television actresses",
"Female models from Massachusetts",
"Female models from New York (state)",
"Living people",
"People from Longmeadow, Massachusetts",
"People from Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles"
] |
Kathryn Bridget Moynahan (born April 28, 1971) is an American actress and former model best known for her role as Erin Reagan in the police drama Blue Bloods. She graduated from Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts in 1989 and began pursuing a career in modeling. She appeared in department-store catalogs and magazines, and after doing television commercials, began taking acting lessons. She made her television debut in a guest appearance in the comedy series Sex and the City in 1999, where she later had a recurring role as Natasha.
She made her feature-film debut in Coyote Ugly (2000). She had supporting roles in Serendipity (2001); The Sum of All Fears (2002); The Recruit (2003); I, Robot (2004); Lord of War (2005); Grey Matters (2006); Prey (2007); Noise (2007); Ramona and Beezus (2010); John Wick (2014); The Journey Home (2014) and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).
She starred in the ABC television series Six Degrees, which premiered in September 2006, and was taken off the schedule after just eight episodes. Since September 2010, she has starred as assistant district attorney Erin Reagan in the CBS drama Blue Bloods.
## Early life
Kathryn Bridget Moynahan was born April 28, 1971, in Binghamton, New York. She is the daughter of Irish Americans Mary Bridget (née Moriarty), a former school teacher, and Edward Bradley Moynahan, a scientist and former administrator at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Moynahan has an older brother, Andy, and a younger brother, Sean, who work as a computer programmer and potter, respectively. When Moynahan was around seven years old, her family moved to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where she later attended Longmeadow High School, and was captain of the girls' soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams, graduating in 1989. She has said that during her childhood, she was a "tomboy".
## Career
### Early work
After graduating from high school, Moynahan pursued a modeling career despite admitting she had never read fashion magazines growing up. She had accompanied a friend to a modeling audition in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was signed by the modeling agency instead of her friend. She began her career appearing in department-store catalogs in Springfield, during which time she attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Moynahan moved to New York City at age 18, and a year later, began appearing in magazines such as Vogue and Elle, and on covers of other widely known magazines. Her cover highlights include Vogue Paris (May 1993), Elle (October 1993), and Glamour (six times). Discussing her early work in an interview given in July 2004, Moynahan said, "It was a crazy world that paid a lot of money. I liked being a model, but I knew it would never last, so I looked into acting."
During that time, she began doing soap and shampoo commercials, in addition to taking acting and art classes. She studied acting at the Caymichael Patten Studio in New York, and in 1999, made her TV debut as Natasha in HBO's romantic comedy Sex and the City. She later had a recurring role in the show, until the divorce of her character from Mr. Big (Chris Noth). The following year, she appeared in smaller film roles, including having parts in In the Weeds and Whipped.
### Breakthrough
Moynahan made her feature-film debut in the 2000 comedy-drama Coyote Ugly as Rachel, a bartender and dancer in a wild New York bar, a role considered her breakthrough. She accepted the role because she "thought it was interesting that the whole movie revolved around five women...and my character was so strong and independent." The film received generally unfavorable reviews, but was a box-office success, earning \$133 million worldwide. Her next role was a supporting role in 2001 film Serendipity as Hally, the fiancée of John Cusack's character.
Moynahan began studying acting under Iris Klein, focusing on scene study and technique . Moynahan worked opposite Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman in the action film The Sum of All Fears, based on Tom Clancy's book of the same name. She played Dr. Catherine Muller, a love interest for Affleck's Jack Ryan. Dave Larsen of the Dayton Daily News reported the subplot involving Moynahan and Affleck was "the film's weakest point". The film received ambivalent reviews, but was a commercial success, earning \$193 million at the box office. Moynahan's next role was as a CIA trainee in The Recruit (2003). The movie was poorly received, with Mike Clark of USA Today calling it "a less-than-middling melodrama whose subject matter and talent never click as much as its credits portend".
In 2004, Moynahan worked alongside Will Smith in Alex Proyas' science-fiction movie I, Robot, loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. She portrayed Dr. Susan Calvin, a specialist in robot psychology. The film received mixed reviews, though critics enjoyed Moynahan's performance. Daniel Neman of Richmond Times-Dispatch disliked the film, concluding that Moynahan "turns in an able performance as Dr. Calvin, the convenient character." With revenue of \$347 million worldwide, the film remains Moynahan's most commercially successful picture to date. Her next movie was 2005's Lord of War, a political crime thriller, where she played Ava Fontaine Orlov, the wife of Nicolas Cage's character. In 2006, Maxim named Moynahan \#96 on its annual "Hot 100" list.
In September 2006, away from film, Moynahan worked as Whitney Crane in the ABC television drama series Six Degrees co-starring with Jay Hernandez, Erika Christensen, Hope Davis, Dorian Missick, and Campbell Scott. The series centered on six residents of New York City and their relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation. It debuted on September 20, 2006, and was watched by almost 13.3 million viewers. It debuted to varied reception, with David Hinckley of the New York Daily News writing, "In theory, it's an intriguing concept for a series. But in practice, Six Degrees doesn't work at all in drawing you in at the start." After one season, it was cancelled in May 2007.
Moynahan's next film role was in the November 2006 thriller Unknown, about a group of individuals kidnapped and trying to escape their captors together. She was next seen in 2007, in Gray Matters, working with Heather Graham and Tom Cavanagh, before being cast in Henry Bean's comedy-drama Noise as Helen Owen, the wife of David Owen (Tim Robbins). The movie was screened at a special presentation at the 2007 Rome Film Festival and released in theaters in 2008.
In December 2008, Moynahan guest-starred in two episodes of the ABC television comedy-drama Eli Stone as the titular character's (Jonny Lee Miller) ex-girlfriend. Returning to film, she appeared in Ramona and Beezus, as the mother to Joey King and Selena Gomez's characters. The film was directed by Elizabeth Allen and released in July 2010. The next year, Moynahan worked with Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Peña in the action science-fiction feature Battle: Los Angeles (2011), and starred in the CBS television show Blue Bloods, playing Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan together with Donnie Wahlberg, who had encouraged her to take the role after working with her on a 2008 TV pilot called Bunker Hill.
In November 2009, she signed a deal with Garnier to appear in television and print advertising promoting their Ultra-Lift skincare products.
In 2014, Moynahan appeared as the late wife of the title character in the action film John Wick, and appearing in the 2017 sequel. Most recently, in 2019, she starred in the action film Crown Vic.
## Personal life
Moynahan lived with screenwriter Scott Rosenberg from 2001 to 2003.
She dated NFL quarterback Tom Brady from 2004 to 2006. On February 18, 2007, Moynahan's representative confirmed that she was more than three months pregnant and that Brady was the father. On August 22, 2007, she gave birth to their son.
In 2010, she moved from Pacific Palisades, California, to New York City when she was cast in Blue Bloods. She began dating director McG in late 2010.
On October 17, 2015, she married businessman Andrew Frankel at a ceremony in the Hamptons. Frankel has three sons from a previous marriage.
## Filmography
### Film
### Television
## Books
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Career",
"### Early work",
"### Breakthrough",
"## Personal life",
"## Filmography",
"### Film",
"### Television",
"## Books"
] | 1,909 | 3,021 |
12,545,918 |
Oh Mother
| 1,166,129,965 |
2007 single by Christina Aguilera
|
[
"2000s ballads",
"2006 songs",
"2007 singles",
"Christina Aguilera songs",
"Pop ballads",
"RCA Records singles",
"Songs about domestic violence",
"Songs about mothers",
"Songs written by Christina Aguilera",
"Songs written by Kara DioGuardi",
"Sony BMG singles"
] |
"Oh Mother" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). The song was released on August 13, 2007, by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in European territories, while "Slow Down Baby" was serviced as the final single in Oceania. It was written by Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi. Production was done by Big Tank and Q, with L Boggie credited as co-producer and Aguilera serviced as additional producer.
"Oh Mother" is a downtempo piano ballad that talks about Aguilera's abusive childhood. It incorporates various musical instruments, from strings to keyboards. It contains a sample from "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coluais and Christopher Barratler. Upon its release, the song was met with mainly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. It also managed to enter charts in Europe with moderate success.
## Background and recording
After releasing Stripped (2002) and collaborating with many different artists, Aguilera decided to record new old-school style materials for her upcoming album. She later explained that the lengthy break allowed her to write a lot about what she had experienced during that time. Aguilera also explained that she wanted to bring something novel to her album, which has 24 songs on it. She wanted to try to evolve as an artist and a visionary. As a result, Back to Basics, Aguilera's fifth studio album, is made up of two discs. On the first disc, she worked with "more beat-driven" producers, such as DJ Premier and Mark Ronson, who included samples in the production. The second one was written and produced solely by longtime producer Linda Perry. Aguilera sent letters to different producers that she hoped could help her with the direction she was taking for the project, encouraging them to experiment, re-invent and create a modern soul feel. She described the first disc as "kind of a throwback with elements of jazz, blues and soul music combined with a modern-day twist, like hard-hitting beats".
"Oh Mother" was written by Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi. Production was done by Big Tank and Q, with L Boggie credited as co-producer and Aguilera serviced as additional producer. Piano and keyboards were provided by V. Young, while Rob Lewis served guitar and arranging. Lewis also played string instruments with Aroussiak Baltaian, Daniel Seidenberg, Garik Terzian, Ilana Setapen, Joel Pargman and Maia Jasper.
## Composition
"Oh Mother" is a piano ballad. Written in the key of C♯ minor, it is a downtempo track with a moderate tempo of 88 beats per minute. "Oh Mother" has a chord progression of C♯m–A/C♯–F♯m–G♯7 at the beginning. Aguilera's vocal range on the track spans from the low-note of F♯<sub>3</sub> to the high-note of E<sub>5</sub>. The track's instrumentation comes from guitar, strings, piano and keyboards. It also features a sample of "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coluais and Christopher Barratler. Spence D. for IGN called the track's melody "lulling" and "lithe".
According to Aguilera herself, "Oh Mother" talks about her abusive childhood. She revealed, "I think going through what I went through at a young age – the abuse that went on in my household – did affect me a lot. Domestic violence is a topic that is very hush-hush in society". Aguilera recalls the domestic violence of her childhood as she sings, "He took his anger out on her face, she kept all of her pain locked away". Nick Levine for Digital Spy said that "Oh Mother" is a "retread" of "I'm OK", a song with the same topic from Aguilera's 2002 album Stripped.
## Release
"Oh Mother" was serviced as the fourth and final single from Back to Basics in Europe: on September 28, 2007, it was available for digital downloads in Switzerland; on October 8, 2007, it was available for CD single sales in the United Kingdom. In Germany, the song was purchased as a CD single and as a digital download single on November 23, 2007. In the United Kingdom, "Oh Mother" was available for digital download on December 31, 2007. The single also impacted radio stations of countries in Europe including Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria in late 2007.
## Critical reception
Upon its release, "Oh Mother" was met with mainly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Lucy Davis from BBC Music wrote that the song "might mean a lot to some, those with the tiresome self defence lyrics should go – when she gets on with the singing, there's nothing to prove". Slant Magazine editor Sal Cinquemani deemed "Oh Mother" a "lovely" piano and string melody "that we're offered a reprieve". Amanda Murray of Sputnikmusic was also positive toward "Oh Mother", commenting that "another ode to her single mother and middle-finger to her abusive father, is yet more proof that Aguilera works best when the subject matter actually means something to her, when the song is more than just something to sing". Spence D. for IGN was positive toward the song's meaning, writing that it "resonates with a bittersweet energy that helps it rise above the standard young pop queen fare of the day". musicOMH's John Murray was not impressed with the song, calling it "good" but saying that it would "just make the bad moments feel so much worse". Digital Spy critic Nick Levine provided a negative review, giving it a two out of five stars rating and calling it "tremulous" with a "vibrato-fuelled conclusion". He also compared "Oh Mother" to Madonna's song "Oh Father" (1989) for the same sad melody as well as the same theme of child abuse. Reviewing Back to Basics, MTV Asia editor Gabriel Leong considered the song "a shining moment" on the album and "a touching paean to her [Aguilera's] mother in recognition of her strength and love".
## Commercial performance
On the Austrian Singles Chart, the single debuted at number 26 on December 7, 2007, and peaked at number 23 during the following week. There, the track remained for a total of nine weeks. In German, "Oh Mother" peaked at number 18 on the Media Control Charts. The single also peaked in the Netherlands and Switzerland at number 54 and 79, respectively.
## Live performances
To promote "Oh Mother" and Back to Basics, Aguilera performed the song on a number of occasions. On July 20, 2006, Aguilera performed the track at the Koko jazz club in London, which was held in front of 1,500 fans and invited guests. The 40-minute concert comprised songs from the then-upcoming Back to Basics and other songs, including "Lady Marmalade" (2001) and "Beautiful" (2002). MTV UK was positive toward the performance, wrote, "The gig reflected the jazz club mood of Christina's new album, with a swinging brass-heavy backing band and fit dancers bounding sexily around the stage". Later, "Oh Mother" was also performed during her worldwide Back to Basics Tour (2006–07). As she performed the track, the clip of a man repeatedly punching a woman as blood dripped from her face appeared on the screen. The tour was preceded by newspaper headlines that flashed across a big screen, such as, "Christina goes from 'dirrty' to demure" and "Christina cleans up her act". The performance is included on the video release Back to Basics: Live and Down Under (2008). A live video of the performance of "Oh Mother" during the tour, taken from the accompanying DVD, was premiered in late 2007. Nick Levine for Digital Spy called it a "cheap-looking" video.
## Track listings
CD single and German digital download
1. "Oh Mother" – 3:44
2. "Oh Mother" (instrumental) – 3:47
Swiss digital download
1. "Oh Mother" – 3:45
## Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Back to Basics, RCA Records.
- Contains a sample from the song "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coluais and Christopher Barratler.
- Songwriting – Christina Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi
- Producing – Big Tank, Q
- Co-producing – L Boggie
- Additional producing – Christina Aguilera
- Guitar – Rob Lewis
- Strings – Rob Lewis, Aroussiak Baltaian, Daniel Seidenberg, Garik Terzian, Ilana Setapen, Joel Pargman, Maia Jasper
- Piano, keyboards – V. Young
- Arranging – Rob Lewis
- Recording – Oscar Ramirez
## Charts
### Weekly charts
### Year-end charts
## Release history
|
[
"## Background and recording",
"## Composition",
"## Release",
"## Critical reception",
"## Commercial performance",
"## Live performances",
"## Track listings",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Charts",
"### Weekly charts",
"### Year-end charts",
"## Release history"
] | 2,007 | 20,953 |
2,771,173 |
Hugh McElhenny
| 1,172,594,906 |
American football player (1928–2022)
|
[
"1928 births",
"2022 deaths",
"American football halfbacks",
"College Football Hall of Fame inductees",
"Compton Tartars football players",
"Detroit Lions players",
"Minnesota Vikings players",
"National Football League announcers",
"National Football League players with retired numbers",
"New York Giants players",
"Players of American football from Los Angeles",
"Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees",
"San Francisco 49ers announcers",
"San Francisco 49ers players",
"Track and field athletes from California",
"Washington Huskies football players",
"Western Conference Pro Bowl players"
] |
Hugh Edward McElhenny Jr. (December 31, 1928 – June 17, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a halfback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1964 for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions. He was noted for his explosive, elusive running style and was frequently called "the King" and "Hurryin' Hugh". A member of San Francisco's famed Million Dollar Backfield and one of the franchise's most popular players, McElhenny's uniform number, No. 39, is retired by the 49ers and he is a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame.
McElhenny first rose to stardom as a standout all-around player for Compton Junior College in 1948. He then transferred to the University of Washington, where he was a two-time All-Pacific Coast Conference fullback for the Washington Huskies football team and set several school and conference records. He was drafted by the 49ers with the ninth pick in the 1952 NFL Draft, and his versatility made him an immediate star in the league, earning him five first-team All-Pro honors in his first six seasons. With the 49ers, he was selected for five Pro Bowls, and he earned a sixth Pro Bowl appearance with the Vikings. He finished his career after short stints with the Giants and Lions.
An all-around player who was a threat as a runner and a receiver and also returned kickoffs and punts, McElhenny had amassed the third most all-purpose yards of any player in NFL history when he retired. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, "Hugh McElhenny was to pro football in the 1950s and early 1960s what Elvis Presley was to rock and roll", a reference to both his popularity and his nickname.
## Early years and college
Born on December 31, 1928 and raised in Los Angeles, California, Hugh McElhenny attended its George Washington High School, where he set state high school records in the high and low hurdles and broad jump, and ran the 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds. He won both hurdles and the long jump at the 1947 CIF California State Meet. After graduating, he attended Compton Junior College (now El Camino College Compton Center), where he was a standout on Compton's undefeated football team in 1948 that won the Junior Rose Bowl. That year, he had a 105-yard kickoff return touchdown in a game played at the University of Mexico. Already being considered one of the best players in football, McElhenny drew high praise; Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon remarked he had "never seen such a combination of speed and size." One of his Compton teammates was 1952 Olympic gold medalist Sim Iness.
After a year at Compton, McElhenny attended the University of Washington in Seattle. He starred as a fullback for the Washington Huskies football team, forming a prolific offensive duo with quarterback Don Heinrich in 1950. He rushed for over 1,000 yards that season, and was the last Huskies player to eclipse that mark until 1977. In a game against rival Washington State, he set school records with 296 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The 296 yards remains a school record as of 2016. In three appearances against the Washington State Cougars, he rushed for 578 yards (10.1 yards per carry) and scored seven touchdowns to lead the Huskies to win the Apple Cup twice.
One of McElhenny's celebrated plays at Husky Stadium was an uncommon 100-yard punt return against USC in 1951. The following week, he successfully kicked nine out of nine extra points in a 63–6 blowout over Oregon. He was a first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) selection in both 1950 and 1951, and was selected for the Associated Press (AP) 1951 All-America team as a fullback. Following his senior season he played in a regional college all-star game. McElhenny led the team in rushing in each of his three seasons and set 16 school records, including season (1,107) and career (2,499) rushing yards.
## Professional career
### San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers selected McElhenny in the first round, with the ninth overall selection, of the 1952 NFL Draft. His first play as a professional was a 40-yard touchdown run which had been drawn in the dirt because he had not yet learned the team's playbook. He recorded the season's longest run from scrimmage (89 yards), the longest punt return (94 yards), and the top rushing average (7.0 yards per carry). He was unanimously recognized as the season's top rookie.
McElhenny was also an asset in the receiving game, becoming a favorite target of quarterback Y. A. Tittle on screen passes. His versatility drew praise from opposing coaches, including George Halas of the Chicago Bears and Steve Owen of the New York Giants. Former Bears quarterback Johnny Lujack lauded McElhenny as "the best running back I have seen in a long, long time." Also noted was his vision; he had an uncanny ability of seeing and reacting to tacklers in his peripheral vision. "If you ever watched McElhenny", explained Washington State coach Jim Sutherland, "you'd think he had eyes on the back of his head. I've seen him cut away from a tackler that 99 percent of the backs wouldn't even have seen. It wasn't instinct—he just saw the guy, out of the corner of his eye." McElhenny described his playing style as such:
> My attitude carrying the ball was fear—not a fear of getting hurt but a fear of getting caught from behind and taken down and embarrassing myself and my teammates.
McElhenny repeated as a Pro Bowler for 1953, joining his backfield teammates, Tittle and fullback Joe Perry. In 1954, with the addition of halfback John Henry Johnson, the 49ers formed their famed "Million Dollar Backfield" of McElhenny, Tittle, Perry, and Johnson. The team had championship aspirations, but McElhenny separated his shoulder against the Bears in the sixth game, ending his season. The offense struggled without McElhenny in the lineup. Before the injury, he led the league with 515 rushing yards and an 8.0 yards-per-carry average. He still managed to make the AP's second-team All-Pro team and was a first-team selection by the New York Daily News.
After a down year in 1955 for the 49ers and for McElhenny, he had his most productive rushing season statistically in 1956, picking up 916 yards and eight touchdowns. He was invited to his third Pro Bowl. John Henry Johnson was traded prior to the 1957 season, which broke up the Million Dollar Backfield. Led by McElhenny and Tittle, the 49ers finished the 1957 regular season tied for the Western Conference title with the Detroit Lions. In the Western Conference tiebreaker, McElhenny carried 14 times for 82 yards and caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, but the Lions won with a comeback victory to advance to the 1957 NFL Championship Game. Following the season, McElhenny was invited to the 1958 Pro Bowl and was named the player of the game.
After another Pro Bowl year in 1958, injuries over the next two seasons hampered his production. The 49ers placed the 32-year-old McElhenny on the 1961 NFL expansion draft list.
### Minnesota Vikings
McElhenny joined the newly formed Vikings in 1961 through the expansion draft. That year, he led the team in rushing and had seven total touchdowns, including his first punt return touchdown since his rookie season. He was invited to his sixth Pro Bowl following the season. In his second season with the Vikings in 1962, he was held scoreless for the first time in his career. The Vikings then looked to part ways with McElhenny as the team turned to an emphasis on youth. He described his time with the Vikings as a "dead end street," since he "didn't fit into their plans for the future."
### New York Giants and Detroit Lions
The Vikings traded McElhenny to the Giants in July 1963 for two draft choices and player to be named later. The trade reunited him with Tittle, who had been traded to the Giants two seasons earlier. On the reunion, McElhenny responded that it was "great to be with a winner," and he played with renewed enthusiasm. The Giants made it to the 1963 NFL Championship Game, where McElhenny carried nine times for 17 yards, had two receptions for 20 yards, and had a 47-yard kickoff return in the 14–10 loss to the Bears. He was released by New York during training camp in 1964, and he was soon picked up by the Detroit Lions, for whom he appeared in eight games before retiring after the season.
## Legacy
McElhenny gained 11,375 all-purpose yards in his 13-year career and retired as one of just three players to eclipse 11,000 yards. He was nicknamed "The King" while with the 49ers because he was "the most feared running back in the NFL." 49ers quarterback Frankie Albert gave him the nickname in the locker room following McElhenny's fourth game as a rookie, in which he returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown against the Bears.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970, an honor he described as the highlight of his life. Others inducted in the class were contemporaries Jack Christiansen, Tom Fears, and Pete Pihos. His jersey number 39 is retired by the 49ers, and by virtue of his membership in the pro hall of fame, he was automatically inducted as a charter member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame in 2009. NFL Network ranked him the fourth most elusive runner of all time in 2007.
McElhenny was inducted into State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 1963 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. In 1979, he became one of ten inaugural members inducted into the University of Washington Husky Hall of Fame in 1979. As of 2016, his 12 rushing touchdowns in 1950 and 13 in 1951 both remain in the top ten all-time for a Washington player in a single season, and his 28 career rushing touchdowns tie him for sixth in school history.
On January 20, 1985, McElhenny participated in the opening coin toss at Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium, along with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who participated by video feed from the White House after having been sworn into his second term of office earlier that day.
### Improper benefits
After denying rumors for decades, in 2004 McElhenny confirmed that he received improper financial benefits from the University of Washington during his time there, which included a \$300 monthly check. Per NCAA rules, the most a college can offer an athlete is a summer job and a scholarship covering boarding and tuition. A popular (albeit usually jocular) spin on the rumor was that McElhenny essentially took a pay cut when he left the university to play for the 49ers. This was not entirely untrue; all payments accounted for, including legitimate ones, McElhenny claimed he and his wife received a combined \$10,000 a year while at Washington—with the 49ers, his rookie salary was worth \$7,000.
## Personal and later life
After retiring as a player, McElhenny served as a color commentator on 49ers radio broadcasts from 1966 to 1972. In 1971, he signed a contract with a group called the Seattle Sea Lions in hopes of bringing an NFL franchise to Seattle. He proactively named himself general manager of the non-existent "Seattle Kings" in May 1972, and the next year the franchise gained the backing of entrepreneur Edward Nixon, brother of president Richard Nixon. However, McElhenny's plans fell through, as the Seattle Seahawks were founded in 1974.
McElhenny was related to the McIlhenny family of Louisiana, the makers of Tabasco sauce. In his later life, McElhenny was diagnosed with a rare nerve disorder called Guillain–Barré syndrome, which almost killed him. He was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down and had to use a walker for a year.
McElhenny died at his home in Henderson, Nevada, on June 17, 2022.
## See also
- Washington Huskies football statistical leaders
|
[
"## Early years and college",
"## Professional career",
"### San Francisco 49ers",
"### Minnesota Vikings",
"### New York Giants and Detroit Lions",
"## Legacy",
"### Improper benefits",
"## Personal and later life",
"## See also"
] | 2,752 | 33,851 |
11,189,188 |
Russian battleship Imperator Nikolai I (1889)
| 1,166,812,648 |
Russian Imperator Aleksandr II-class battleship
|
[
"1889 ships",
"Captured ships",
"Imperator Aleksandr II-class battleships",
"Maritime incidents in 1915",
"Naval ships captured by Japan during the Russo-Japanese War",
"Russo-Japanese War battleships of Russia",
"Ships built at Admiralty Shipyard",
"Ships sunk as targets",
"Ships with Belleville boilers"
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Imperator Nikolai I (Russian: Император Николай I) was a Russian Imperator Aleksandr II-class battleship built for the Baltic Fleet in the late 1880s. She participated in the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America in New York City in 1892. She was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron and visited Toulon in October 1893. She sailed for the Pacific Ocean during the First Sino-Japanese War and remained in the Pacific until late 1896, when she returned to the Mediterranean Squadron and supported Russian interests during the Cretan Revolt. She returned to the Baltic in April 1898 and had a lengthy refit, which replaced all of her machinery, before returning to the Mediterranean in 1901.
Returning to the Baltic during the Russo-Japanese War Imperator Nikolai I was refitted in late 1904 to serve as the flagship of the Third Pacific Squadron under Rear Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov. She was slightly damaged during the Battle of Tsushima and was surrendered, along with most of the Third Pacific Squadron, by Admiral Nebogatov to the Japanese the following day. She was taken into the Imperial Japanese Navy under the new name of Iki (壱岐) and she served as a gunnery training ship until 1910 and then became a first-class coast defense ship and training vessel. She was sunk as a target ship in October 1915.
## Development
Imperator Nikolai I was originally intended as a smaller ship than her half-sister Imperator Aleksandr II along the lines of the Brazilian battleship Riachuelo, but armed with 12-inch (305 mm) guns. A contract was signed on 6 November 1885 with the Baltic Works for a 7,572-long-ton (7,694 t) ship armed with two 12-inch guns in a forward barbette. However, this was quickly cancelled and a contract was quickly let with the Franco-Russian Works for a repeat of Imperator Aleksandr II even though the earlier ship had been built by the Baltic Works. The Franco-Russian Works had difficulties getting the drawings and was forced to redraft some of them. They took the opportunity to change the design in a number of relatively minor ways while doing so. However, the substitution of a gun turret for Imperator Aleksandr II's barbette mount was made in 1887, well after the start of construction and proved problematic. The design of the turret was not finalized until April 1889 and work on the forward part of the hull had to cease for more than six months because the dimensions of the turret were not yet known. The turret proved to be 44.9 long tons (46 t) heavier than the older ship's barbette and made Imperator Nikolai I slightly bow-heavy despite a reduction in the height of the belt armor in compensation.
## Description
Imperator Nikolai I was 333 feet 6 inches (101.65 m) long at the waterline and 346 feet 6 inches (106 m) long overall. She had a beam of 66 feet 11 inches (20 m) and a draft of 24 feet 3 inches (7.4 m), 1 foot 3 inches (0.4 m) more than designed. She displaced 9,594 long tons (9,748 t) at load, over 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) more than her designed displacement of 8,440 long tons (8,575 t).
Imperator Nikolai I had two triple-cylinder vertical compound steam engines, each driving a single propeller. Twelve cylindrical boilers provided non-superheated steam to the engines. They were built by Baltic Works and had a total designed output of 8,000 indicated horsepower (5,966 kW). On trials, the powerplant produced a total of 7,842 indicated horsepower (5,848 kW), and a top speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). She carried 847 long tons (861 t) of coal that gave her a range of 2,630 nautical miles (4,870 km; 3,030 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).
The main armament of the Imperator Aleksandr II-class ships was a pair of 12-inch (305 mm) Obukhov Model 1877 30-caliber guns. Imperator Nikolai I carried hers in a twin-gun turret forward. The four 9-inch (229 mm) Obukhov Model 1877 35-caliber guns were on center-pivot mounts in casemates at the corners of the citadel, the hull given a pronounced tumblehome to increase their arcs of fire ahead and behind. The eight 6-inch (152 mm) Model 1877 35-caliber guns were mounted on broadside pivot mounts. Four were fitted between the 9-inch guns and could traverse a total of 100°. The others were mounted at each end of the ship where they could fire directly ahead or astern. The ten 47-millimeter (1.9 in) Hotchkiss revolving cannon were mounted in hull embrasures of the ship, between the nine and six-inch guns to defend against torpedo boats. Four 37-millimeter (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolving cannon were mounted in each fighting top. Imperator Nikolai I carried six above-water 15-inch (381 mm) torpedo tubes. One was in the bow, two tubes were on each broadside and a tube was in the stern.
Most of Imperator Nikolai I's armor was imported from the United Kingdom and some deliveries were delayed which caused problems during construction. The height of the waterline armor belt was reduced 6 inches (152 mm) in comparison to that of her half-sister, being 8 feet (2.4 m) tall, of which 3 feet (0.9 m) was above the designed waterline and 5 feet (1.5 m) below. Most of the rest of the protection matched that of Imperator Aleksandr II other than the waterline belt forward which only reduced to a minimum of six inches rather than the 3.9 inches (99 mm) of the older ship and the walls of the conning tower were only six inches thick, 2 inches (51 mm) less than her half-sister.
## History
Imperator Nikolai I was named after the Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. She was built by the Franco-Russian Works at Saint Petersburg. She was laid down on 4 August 1886, launched on 1 June 1889, and completed in July 1891, although her trials lasted until the spring of 1892. She sailed in June 1892 for New York City to participate in the celebration honoring the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. Upon her departure she was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron and visited Toulon in October 1893 with the Russian Squadron to reinforce the Franco-Russian Alliance. She was then commanded by Captain Richard Dicker. She sailed for the Pacific Ocean during the First Sino-Japanese War and arrived at Nagasaki, Japan on 28 April 1895, before sailing for Chefoo in China. She remained in the Pacific until late 1896, when she returned to the Mediterranean Squadron. While there, she operated as part of the International Squadron, a multinational force made up of ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, French Navy, Imperial German Navy, Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina), Imperial Russian Navy, and British Royal Navy that intervened in the 1897–1898 Greek Christian uprising against the Ottoman Empire′s rule in Crete, and on 14 February 1897 she evacuated the island′s Ottoman vali (governor), George Berovich (also known as Berovich Pasha); she transported him to Trieste. She returned to the Baltic in April 1898 for an extensive, multi-year, refit. Her machinery was replaced with Belleville water-tube boilers and vertical triple expansion steam engines. Her after superstructure was cut down one deck abaft the mainmast and most of her 47 mm and 37 mm revolving cannon were removed. Only two 37 mm revolvers were retained and she received sixteen 47 mm and two 37 mm single-barreled guns in their place.
Imperator Nikolai I returned to the Mediterranean in September 1901 and remained there until the Russo-Japanese War when she was transferred to the Baltic to be refitted in late 1904 to serve as the flagship of the Third Pacific Squadron under Rear Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov. The squadron departed Liepāja on 15 January 1905 for the Pacific. She was slightly damaged during the Battle of Tsushima, receiving one hit from a twelve-inch gun, two from eight-inch guns and two from six-inch guns, and suffered only 5 killed and 35 men wounded. She was surrendered, along with most of the Third Pacific Squadron, by Admiral Nebogatov the following day.
## Japanese service
On 6 June 1905, she was taken into the Imperial Japanese Navy and renamed Iki, after Iki Island in the Sea of Japan, near the site of the Battle of Tsushima. She served as a gunnery training ship until 12 December 1910 when she was redesignated as a first-class coast defense ship and a training vessel. As Iki she was armed with her original 12-inch/30 caliber guns in a forward twin turret, six 6-inch/40 caliber Armstrong Pattern Z guns in single mounts, six 4.7-inch/40 caliber Armstrong Pattern T guns in single mounts, six 3-inch/40 caliber Armstrong N guns in single mounts and six 18-inch torpedoes. She was stricken 1 May 1915 and sunk as a target on 3 October 1915 by the battlecruisers Kongō and Hiei, although Watts and Gordon say that she was scrapped in 1922.
## See also
- List of battleships of Japan
|
[
"## Development",
"## Description",
"## History",
"## Japanese service",
"## See also"
] | 2,102 | 35,289 |
14,193,858 |
Washington State Route 971
| 1,135,534,767 |
Highway in Washington
|
[
"State highways in Washington (state)",
"Transportation in Chelan County, Washington"
] |
State Route 971 (SR 971) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. It runs for 15 miles (24 km) and primarily serves Lake Chelan State Park, with both of its termini at U.S. Route 97 Alternate (US 97A) southwest of Chelan. SR 971 has the highest highway number in the state.
The highway traverses Navarre Coulee along the route of a 19th-century road that was later connected to Chelan in the 1910s. Both roads were paved in the 1960s and incorporated into SR 971 when it was established by the state legislature in 1991.
## Route description
SR 971 begins at a junction with US 97A on the Columbia River near the former town of Winesap, approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of Entiat. The highway travels northwest along Ficher Canyon and turns north to follow Navarre Coulee, which cuts through an arm of the Chelan Mountains at the eastern end of the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and near the Chelan State Wildlife Area. After passing several small farms, SR 971 climbs the Barrett Grade, which runs northeast and northwest in a narrower and heavily-forested part of the coulee. The highway then turns northeast in its descent towards Lake Chelan and rounds a hairpin turn to the northwest before reaching South Lakeshore Road near Lake Chelan State Park.
Adjacent to the state park entrance, SR 971 turns east onto South Lakeshore Road, which continues along Lake Chelan towards Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park. The highway travels east along the shore of Lake Chelan, passing small marinas as well as homes on the lakefront and on the steep cliffs to the south. Near Bear Mountain, SR 971 passes several vineyards and terminates at a junction with US 97A west of the town of Chelan.
SR 971 is the highest-numbered state highway in Washington. The highway is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), who conduct an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. Average daily traffic volumes on SR 971 in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 680 vehicles near the Barrett Grade to a maximum of 2,600 vehicles near its northern terminus.
## History
An unpaved road along Navarre Coulee from the Columbia River to the summit overlooking Lake Chelan was built in the late 19th century. The Chelan County government began surveying a new road along the south shore of Lake Chelan in 1910 with the intent of connecting it to a new route over Navarre Coulee. The two roads would serve as an alternative to the existing Wenatchee–Chelan road via the steeper Knapp Coulee.
The gravel road along Navarre Coulee and the lakeshore was rebuilt by the county government in 1947, with sections straightened and widened before being oiled. The road was paved over several stages in the 1960s, in part with funds from the state government. The state legislature established SR 971 on the corridor in 1991, allowing for WSDOT to take over maintenance of the road the following year. The state government funded a major resurfacing project in 1996 and the replacement of a fish culvert on First Creek in 1999.
## Major intersections
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections"
] | 727 | 35,953 |
44,941,018 |
2015 Clásica de San Sebastián
| 1,068,825,468 |
Cycling race
|
[
"2015 UCI World Tour",
"2015 in Spanish road cycling",
"August 2015 sports events in Spain",
"Clásica de San Sebastián"
] |
The 2015 Clásica de San Sebastián was a one-day cycling classic that took place in the Basque Country in Spain on 1 August 2015. It was the 35th edition of the Clásica de San Sebastián and was the nineteenth race of the 2015 UCI World Tour. The defending champion was Alejandro Valverde (), who won a solo victory in the 2014 race.
The race took place in and around the city of San Sebastián and was 219 kilometres (136 mi) in length. The principal difficulty in the race was the sequence of climbs in the final part of the course. Adam Yates () attacked on the final climb, the Bordako Tontorra. Greg Van Avermaet () was leading the race at the time, but he was hit by a race motorbike, forcing him out of the race. Yates went on to win a solo victory, 15 seconds ahead of the chasing group, becoming the first British rider to win the race. Valverde came third behind Philippe Gilbert (BMC).
## Route
The race began in San Sebastián with a 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) neutral zone and left the city to the west, along the coast of the Bay of Biscay. After 22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi), in Zarautz, the course turned to the south for another 24 kilometres (15 mi) to come to Azpeitia. Here the route turned to the east and began climbing towards the first categorised climb of the day. The road gradually climbed for over 13 kilometres (8.1 mi), but only the final 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) were categorised. This section of road, the Alto de Iturburu, had an average gradient of 5% and was a first-category climb. The summit of the climb came after 59.5 kilometres (37.0 mi).
After the descent, there was a fairly flat section of the course. This took the riders northeast for approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) through Hernani, Oiartzun and Lezo before the first of two ascents of the Alto de Jaizkibel. This was also a first-category climb; it was 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) in length at an average gradient of 5.8%. The summit of the climb came after 125 kilometres (78 mi), with 94 kilometres (58 mi) to go to the finish. There was then a descent and a fairly flat 20-kilometre (12 mi) section of road through Irun. The next climb was the second-category Alto Arkale. This was 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) at 6.3%; the summit came with 71.2 kilometres (44.2 mi) remaining. The descent took the riders through Oiartzun and then into a second loop through the climbs of the Alto de Jaizkibel and the Alto Arkale. At the second summit of the Alto Arkale, there were 30.8 kilometres (19.1 mi) remaining to the finish line.
The next section of the course was 20 kilometres (12 mi) of fairly flat roads. During this section of the race, the riders returned to San Sebastián and crossed the finish line; at this point there were still 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) remaining. The riders left the town again to face the final climb of the day, the second-category Bordako Tontorra. This was a 2.5-kilometre (1.6 mi) climb at 9%; at the summit there were 7.1 kilometres (4.4 mi) of descent and then flat roads to the finish. The final climb was introduced in the 2014 edition and included gradients up to 20%; the lead group was formed on this ascent in the 2014 race, with Alejandro Valverde attacking on the descent and maintaining a gap to the finish line.
## Teams
As the Clásica de San Sebastián is a UCI World Tour event, all seventeen UCI WorldTeams were invited automatically and obliged to send a squad. Two UCI Professional Continental teams, and , were given wildcard places to form a nineteen-team peloton. Seventeen teams started the race with eight riders; and started the race with seven men. There were therefore 150 riders in the peloton at the start of the race.
## Pre-race favourites
The Clásica de San Sebastián is the most important one-day race in Spain. It comes a week after the conclusion of the Tour de France. Some riders, including Chris Froome (), the winner of the Tour, chose not to participate in the race. Riders also arrived from the Tour in a variety of conditions: some were in good form, while others were exhausted. Another of the principal riders from the Tour de France, Alberto Contador (), originally planned to participate but was forced to withdraw because of a fever.
The principal favourite for the race was Alejandro Valverde (), who was third in the Tour de France. Valverde was the defending champion in the Clásica de San Sebastián, having won the 2014 edition with an attack on the final descent; he had also won the 2008 race from a small group sprint. As well as his podium place at the Tour, Valverde had also won La Flèche Wallonne and the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2015. The other principal favourite was Joaquim Rodríguez (). Rodríguez won two stages during the Tour and was expected to be in fresh condition, as he did not attempt a high position in the general classification.
Several other riders were considered to have a strong chance of victory. These included Philippe Gilbert (), the winner in 2011, Mikel Landa (), who had been third in the Giro d'Italia, and Julian Alaphilippe (), who had finished second to Valverde in both La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
## Race report
A breakaway of eight riders formed in the early part of the race. These were Manuele Boaro (), Valerio Agnoli (), Dennis Vanendert (), Nathan Haas (), Maarten Wynants (), Thomas Degand (), Lluís Mas () and Romain Hardy (). These riders stayed together for approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi); the controlled the peloton and kept the breakaway's lead to around three minutes. Boaro attacked the group on the second climb of the Alto de Jaizkibel and opened a gap on the other riders, but he was too far from the finish to make a solo attack last to the finish of the race.
On the final climb of the Alto de Jaizkibel, there were several attacks in the main peloton. These attacks came together on the penultimate climb of the day, the Alto Arkale, to form a sixteen-rider lead group. This group included Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin), Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin), Philippe Gilbert and Greg Van Avermaet (both ), Alejandro Valverde (), Joaquim Rodríguez () and Adam Yates (). There was significant confusion on the final climb: the last riders from the early breakaway were being caught and the television coverage failed, so the teams were relying on race radio to follow the riders' positions.
The first attacks on the final climb came from Barguil and Van Avermaet, followed by Yates, while Rodríguez and Valverde waited in the main group. Yates passed Barguil and was chasing Van Avermaet, who was in the lead of the race. Towards the top of the climb, however, Van Avermaet was hit from behind by one of the motorbikes providing television coverage of the race. He was knocked to the ground and the frame of the bike was broken; Van Avermaet was unable to finish the race. Yates therefore led the race alone at the top of the final climb as the race descended into San Sebastián. Unlike in the 2014 race, when he had crashed out of the lead group on the final descent, Yates extended his lead to 15 seconds as the road flattened out and was able to keep this advantage to the end of the race. As he crossed the finish line, Yates was unaware that he had won the race, as he believed that the initial breakaway had not been caught. It took some time for the message to come through from his team that he had won. In the group behind, Gilbert sprinted to second place ahead of Valverde.
Yates's victory was the first UCI World Tour victory of his career and the first ever victory by a British rider in the Clásica de San Sebastián. Van Avermaet and the BMC team, however, were unhappy with the crash that had eliminated him from the race and issued a statement from Jim Ochowicz, the team's manager, saying that "Greg was robbed and the BMC Racing Team was robbed" and that the team would "explore every legal option". Simon Yates – Adam's brother and his teammate at – described these comments as "quite disrespectful"; Van Avermaet later clarified that he considered Yates's victory well-deserved. The race organisers later wrote to Van Avermaet apologising for the incident; Van Avermaet was unable to read the letter, however, as it was written in Spanish.
## Results
|
[
"## Route",
"## Teams",
"## Pre-race favourites",
"## Race report",
"## Results"
] | 1,981 | 22,578 |
25,445,448 |
Andrew Ross (rugby union, born 1879)
| 1,154,596,495 |
Scotland international rugby union player
|
[
"1879 births",
"1916 deaths",
"British marine engineers",
"Burials at Ridge Wood Military Cemetery",
"Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers",
"Canadian military personnel killed in World War I",
"Cities District players",
"Edinburgh District (rugby union) players",
"Military personnel from Edinburgh",
"People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh",
"Royal HSFP players",
"Rugby union forwards",
"Rugby union players from Edinburgh",
"Scotland international rugby union players",
"Scottish emigrants to Canada",
"Scottish rugby union players"
] |
Pte. Andrew Ross (15 May 1879 – 6 April 1916) was a Scottish rugby union player from Edinburgh. He worked in the Merchant Navy as a marine engineer. He played for Royal High School FP and was capped several times for between 1905 and 1909.
In 1910, Ross moved to Vancouver and enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force after the First World War broke out, and was sent to Belgium with the 29th Canadians (Tobin's Tigers). Wounded during the Actions of St Eloi Craters, Ross risked his life to aid other wounded men under heavy fire when he was hit by a shell and killed. He is buried in Ridge Wood Military Cemetery, Belgium.
## Early life
Andrew Ross was born in Newington, Edinburgh, the oldest surviving son of solicitor Andrew Monro Ross, the Ross Herald, and his wife, William Frances Ross (née Gillon). He had seven siblings. He attended the Royal High School, Edinburgh, where he proved to be an all-round athlete, and an excellent swimmer.
Aged sixteen, he was apprenticed on the Glenfyne, sailing from Dundee, round Cape Horn, to Iquique. After returning to school for a year, he was apprenticed to a firm of engineers. He was also a keen oarsman, rowing with the East of Scotland Rowing Club of Leith.
## Rugby Union career
### Amateur career
After leaving school, he played for the Royal High School former pupils team, gaining a reputation as a fast and courageous forward.
### Provincial career
He earned selection for Edinburgh, and on 2 December 1899 played in the Inter City game against Glasgow: it was the first time in ten years that Edinburgh beat Glasgow.
Ross's career as a marine engineer took him overseas, but returning home in 1904, he played again for Edinburgh, beating Glasgow 6–3. Following this match, he was selected for the Cities District team to play against the Rest on 14 January 1905.
### International career
His performance earned him selection for in the Home Nations fixture against at Inverleith on 4 February 1905. Ahead of the game, the press was divided on which side would win, with the Scots having the home advantage and the better forwards, and the absence of Wales's Dick Jones at half back was seen as detrimental. Yet it was reckoned that if the Welsh backs got sufficient ball, they would be too clever for Scotland. The weather would also play a crucial role. For his part, Ross was expected to make "strong impressions in more than one sense". Before the game, the Evening Express said of him:
> Andrew Ross has a particular bulldog style of play, and is known among his opponents as "Hackenschmidt". This is his first honour, and it is pretty certain that some of the Welshmen will feel sore before the game is through.
In the event, the weather was fine and favoured Wales, which beat the home team 3–6, in front of 20,000 spectators. The Scottish forwards "looked a fine, powerful lot", with their average estimated to be 10 lbs greater than the Welsh. The Scots scored first, through Little, but the Welsh captain, Willie Llewellyn, evened the scores before half time, and sealed the Welsh victory with a second try in the second half.
Ross was kept on for the rest of the championship, playing against on 25 February, and on 18 March. Against England, he broke his ribs early in the game but played on to the end.
Returning once again to Scotland in 1909, Ross was recalled to the Scottish XV, playing against Wales on 6 February, and against Ireland on 27 February. Having lost to Wales at home for only the second time in 1905, Scotland repeated the defeat in 1909, losing 3–5 (a penalty to a converted try), in a game that was noted chiefly for poor refereeing.
#### International appearances
## Military career
Ross emigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1910, where he was working as a marine engineer. At the outbreak of the First World War, Ross was working near the Arctic Circle. He travelled back to Vancouver from Albert Bay, arriving on 14 November 1914. Two weeks later, according to his correspondence, he was in training with the Second Canadian Division, having joined the 29th Battalion (Vancouver), of the Canadian Expeditionary Force: the battalion was nicknamed "Tobin's Tigers" after Lt.-Col. Henry Seymour Tobin, who began recruiting on 14 October 1914. The 29th Canadians embarked for Britain on 20 May 1915, arriving in Devonport in June 1915. After a visit home, Ross joined camp on 30 July. He competed shortly after in the regimental sports at Stamford Bridge, London, before departing for the Western Front, reaching France on 17 September.
The normal practice for a division arriving in France was for it to be kept in reserve, for further training in trench warfare, but the 2nd Canadian Division was sent almost immediately into the front line, under the newly formed Canadian Corps. On 28 September, Ross writes that their line is 30 to 250 yards from that of the Germans. He writes again on 23 November of a ruse to bring out the Germans from behind their defences:
> We lit a fire in the trench and put plenty wet wood on it. That made a big smoke. Then two men made all the row they could, shouting at each other and hitting an empty biscuit tin with sticks. The result was, Fritz easily located the row by the column of smoke, and all the Fritzes within hearing peeped round their sandbags to have a look, and as everyone in our trench was on the lookout, it was the last look for most of them.
The role of the Canadians was to execute a policy of "wearing down" the enemy, and early on 31 January 1916, the 6th Brigade, including the 29th Battalion, staged a raid on the German position at the Spanbroekmolen salient. The 29th encountered little resistance, and it took them just four and a half minutes to capture three prisoners, bomb the dugouts and return to their own trenches. This action earned the battalion, and other units, recognition from Sir Douglas Haig in his first despatch for "good work in carrying out... local attacks and raids".
### Action at St Eloi Craters
On 27 March 1916, following an artillery bombardment, combined with the detonation of mines beneath the German trenches, the British 5th Corps attacked the St Eloi salient. On the night of 3–4 April, the Canadian Corps relieved the British, with the 6th Canadian Brigade taking up positions in front of the craters created by the detonations.
The last letter from Ross is dated 4 April 1916. He reports: "there's lots of fighting where we are at present, and just now we are in the German trenches, so have a busy time... I'd like to see you all again..." For the next two days, the Canadian front line was under almost continuous bombardment. The 27th Battalion fared particularly badly, and on the night of 5–6 April, the 29th began relieving them, slowed down by the mud, extra equipment and a congestion of troops.
The corporal of Ross's section reported his death: "On the morning of 6 April we were serving together in the trenches. While attending devotedly and most courageously, under heavy artillery fire, to our wounded men, he was himself hit, and falling over a man he was dressing, died instantly. Quite reckless as regarding his own life, he exposed it, and gave it to save, as his quick attention undoubtedly did, the lives of a great number of our men." It transpired later that Ross was already wounded before he was himself killed.
Ross is buried at the Ridge Wood Military Cemetery (Grave IR9), West Flanders, Belgium.
## See also
- List of international rugby union players killed in action during the First World War
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Rugby Union career",
"### Amateur career",
"### Provincial career",
"### International career",
"#### International appearances",
"## Military career",
"### Action at St Eloi Craters",
"## See also"
] | 1,711 | 37,828 |
2,317,280 |
Jean Brooks
| 1,161,996,635 |
American actress (1915–1963)
|
[
"1915 births",
"1963 deaths",
"20th-century American actresses",
"20th-century American singers",
"Actresses from Houston",
"Alcohol-related deaths in California",
"American film actresses",
"American people of Canadian descent",
"American people of Costa Rican descent",
"American people of English descent",
"Burials at sea",
"Catholics from Texas",
"Converts to Roman Catholicism from Protestantism",
"Deaths from cirrhosis",
"Hispanic and Latino American actresses",
"Hispanic and Latino American women singers",
"People from Harris County, Texas",
"RKO Pictures contract players",
"Singers from Texas"
] |
Jean Brooks (born Ruby Matilda Kelly; December 23, 1915 – November 25, 1963) was an American film actress and singer who appeared in over thirty films. Though she never achieved major stardom in Hollywood, she had several prominent roles in the early 1940s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures.
Born in Houston, Brooks spent her early life in Texas and Costa Rica. She began her career as a club singer and guitarist in New York City before being cast in several minor walk-on parts in films. She would later appear in supporting roles in the Universal Pictures serial productions Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940) and The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941). In 1942, Brooks signed a contract with RKO and appeared in multiple films by the studio, including Jacques Tourneur's The Leopard Man (1943), Mark Robson's horror noir The Seventh Victim (1943), and drama Youth Runs Wild (1944), as well as several films in the Falcon series.
Her later life and career were marred by struggles with alcoholism, and a series of drunken public appearances resulted in Brooks ending her contract with RKO. In 1948, she made her final film appearance in Women in the Night (1948) before abandoning her career as an actress and relocating to San Francisco, California. She died in 1963 of complications resulting from her alcoholism.
## Early life
Brooks was born Ruby Matilda Kelly on December 23, 1915 in Houston, Texas, the fourth child of Horace and Robina Kelly. Through her mother, Brooks was of English and Canadian descent. Her two older brothers, Horace Jr. and Ernest, were both teenagers at the time she was born; a third son had died in 1912 at age seven of tetanus.
Brooks spent her early years in Texas but after her father's death during her childhood, she and her mother relocated to Costa Rica, her mother's native country. There, they lived on Brooks' grandfather's coffee plantation. As a result, Brooks was bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. During her teenage years, Brooks relocated with her mother to New York City, with plans to attend college.
## Career
### Beginnings
Brooks began her professional career as a singer at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where she sang and performed as a guitarist in Enric Madriguera's orchestra. She adopted the name Jeanne Kelly for her entertainment career, so as not to be confused with actress Ruby Keeler. With the help of Erich von Stroheim, whom Brooks had met while working at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, she began her acting career. Her first screen role was in the Arcturus Pictures release Obeah! (1935), a film about Obeah curses.
After having bit parts in Frankie and Johnnie and Tango-Bar (both 1935), she starred alongside von Stroheim in The Crime of Dr. Crespi (1935). Brooks parted ways with von Stroheim some time after Crespi. She then acted in the stage melodrama Name Your Poison, opposite Lenore Ulric, which premiered at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre in Newark, New Jersey on January 20, 1936.
In 1938, Brooks attempted to get back into film acting. After a failed screen test with 20th Century Fox, and the collapse of Major Productions (who had signed Brooks three weeks before going out of business), she signed a contract to star in Spanish-language films for Paramount Pictures. She landed two starring roles with Paramount, acting under the stage name Robina Duarte; her fluency in Spanish allowed her to effectively play the parts.
After the Paramount contract was completed, Brooks spent another year taking bit parts. In 1940, she signed a contract with Universal Studios, playing bit parts and minor roles in features (she is seen briefly in Abbott and Costello's Buck Privates) and serials (again briefly, in Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe and The Green Hornet Strikes Again). Brooks was awarded with her first leading role in a feature film, playing Laura in the adventure thriller The Devil's Pipeline in 1940. Her performance was not well received: Variety described her as "flat." Universal still saw her potential, and gave her the feminine lead in the all-star western serial Riders of Death Valley.
### RKO films
In 1941, Jean met and married writer and future film director Richard Brooks. (Though this is known to have been her second marriage, there is no information on her first.) Shortly thereafter, Universal dropped Brooks' contract. She spent most of 1942 working bit parts, now performing under the name Jean Brooks. It is likely that she adopted her husband's name as a stage name because dancer Gene Kelly began acting in films in 1942.
In 1943, she signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures. At RKO, Brooks was to achieve her greatest success, though stardom eluded her. She appeared in six of The Falcon mystery movies before being cast as the heroine Kiki Walker in the Val Lewton-produced horror film The Leopard Man (1943), directed by Jacques Tourneur. The film received a dismissive review in The New York Times from critic Bosley Crowther, who wrote: "The most horrifying thing about it is that it actually gets on a screen."
After filming The Leopard Man, Brooks appeared in a second horror film produced by Val Lewton, playing the depressed devil-worshipper Jacqueline Gibson in The Seventh Victim (1943), the role for which she is most perhaps most widely remembered today. Though the film did not fare well with audiences at the time of its release, it would go on to receive acclaim from critics in the subsequent decades. Coincidentally, while portraying the depressed Jacqueline, Brooks' own life was falling apart: During the filming of The Seventh Victim, Brooks had separated from her husband; she and Richard Brooks divorced the following year in 1944. It was also widely rumored at the time that she had begun drinking heavily. (Cecilia Maskell, the daughter of Brooks' cousin, Gloria White, later claimed that alcoholism ran in her family).
### Alcoholism and retirement
After her much-publicized divorce from Richard Brooks in 1944, Jean remained in Los Angeles and attempted to resume her career. Though she continued to land prominent roles with RKO throughout 1944, most notably The Falcon and the Co-eds and Lewton's juvenile delinquency film Youth Runs Wild, her career began to unravel and she was noticeably gaining weight as a result of her heavy drinking. She arrived at the September 1945 premiere of First Yank into Tokyo intoxicated; Kurt Crivello, a film historian who was at the premiere, described her appearance: "Jean Brooks, sad to say, was smashed. She was very, very drunk; she must have been drinking all night on the train ... some of the people there were laughing at her. Anne Jeffreys and Jane Greer looked so embarrassed. It was really very sad." In other instances, Brooks would reportedly pass out in public.
By 1946, Brooks's stock at RKO had plunged to an all-time low: having played feminine leads in the Falcon pictures, she was now reduced to a bit part in The Falcon's Alibi. Her struggles with alcoholism and her disheveled public appearances resulted in friction with RKO executives, and Brooks reportedly tore up her contract before they could fire her. Film historian Doug McClelland referred to Brooks as "RKO's resident neurotic" based on her behavior while working for the studio. Her final film with RKO was the war drama The Bamboo Blonde, released in July 1946. Two years later, Brooks made her final screen appearance in the William Rowland-directed exploitation drama Women in the Night (1948).
## Personal life
Brooks married screenwriter Richard Brooks in 1941; they divorced on September 13, 1944 in Los Angeles. In 1946, Brooks met newly returned Marine Corps veteran, William Douglas Lansford, and they married. The marriage lasted 10 years, most of which were spent while Lansford was back in the armed forces (Army) and they were stationed at various bases in the U.S. It was a happy time for her while she formed amateur theater groups and worked in productions along with her husband, who was a writer, at the various places they were stationed. However, Brooks's alcoholism persisted. Lansford, too, was a heavy drinker and soon it overwhelmed the marriage. They were divorced in 1956 and Lansford remarried to Ruth Ketcham of Long Island, New York.
In 1956 Brooks wed San Francisco Examiner editor Thomas H. Leddy, to whom she was married until her death. A Protestant, Brooks converted to Roman Catholicism for the marriage. The couple resided in San Francisco, where Brooks worked as a solicitor for classified ads.
### Death
In November 1963, Brooks was admitted to Kaiser Richmond Field Hospital in Richmond, California, suffering from complications from Laennec's cirrhosis, which she had lived with her last five years. On November 25, 1963, Brooks fell into a hepatic coma, and died of the condition at 6:35 p.m. She was 47 years old. Her death certificate noted that she had suffered from "nutritional inadequacy" for 15 years, probably stemming from her alcoholism.
Brooks was buried at sea the following year, on September 10, 1964. Her burial was reported in the papers in Costa Rica, though there were no obituaries, and apparently no knowledge of her death in Hollywood. Her ex-husband, Richard Brooks, died in 1992 without knowing her whereabouts or death.
On August 7, 1990, 27 years after Brooks's death, the following appeared in The Hollywood Reporter: "Anyone know the whereabouts of Jean Brooks? Once married to director Richard Brooks, thus her name, she was aka Jeanne Kelly and under contract to both Universal and RKO in the 1940s ... Even Richard B[rooks] and several of the actress' former pals say they've lost all contact with her."
## Filmography
## Stage credits
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Career",
"### Beginnings",
"### RKO films",
"### Alcoholism and retirement",
"## Personal life",
"### Death",
"## Filmography",
"## Stage credits"
] | 2,141 | 10,763 |
42,351,247 |
Cyclone Hellen
| 1,167,542,972 |
2014 South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone
|
[
"2013–14 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season",
"Cyclones in Madagascar",
"Very intense tropical cyclones"
] |
Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Hellen of March 2014 was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones in the Mozambique Channel on record, as well as the most intense of the 2013–14 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. Hellen formed on March 26 in the northern portion of the channel, and the storm brought rainfall to coastal Mozambique while in its formative stages. While moving southeastward, it developed an organized area of convection over the center of circulation. Warm waters allowed Hellen to rapidly intensify while passing south of the Comoros, with a well-defined eye forming in the middle of the thunderstorms. The cyclone attained peak intensity March 30, with maximum sustained winds estimated 230 km/h (145 mph) according to the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center, Météo-France in La Réunion. Subsequently, Hellen weakened quickly due to dry air and land interaction with Madagascar, and the storm's eye dissipated. On March 31, the storm made landfall in northwestern Madagascar as a weakened cyclone, despite previous forecasts for the center to remain over water. By April 1, Hellen was no longer a tropical cyclone after most of the convection dissipated. The remnants turned to the west, moving over Mozambique without redeveloping, later dissipating on April 5.
Early in its existence, Hellen's rainfall in Mozambique destroyed hundreds of houses and a bridge. Flooding killed four people in the country, three of whom due to a home collapsing. Later, the cyclone passed south of the Comoros islands, causing flooding due to high storm surge and waves that killed one person. The storm forced 8,956 people to evacuate their homes due to the threat for landslides, while 901 houses were damaged or destroyed. On nearby Mayotte, high rainfall flooded rivers, sweeping one car away. In northwestern Madagascar, Hellen damaged or destroyed 611 houses, leaving 1,736 people homeless. The storm killed three people after capsizing a boat.
## Meteorological history
On March 25, 2014, a weak area of low pressure accompanied by broad, flaring convection became increasingly organized over Mozambique. Owing to favorable environmental conditions, featuring low wind shear, vorticity became more enhanced and symmetrical. A compact system, the low steadily organized as it emerged over the Mozambique Channel on March 26. Though continued land interaction initially hindered development, enhanced outflow supported convective development as it straddled the Mozambique–Tanzania border. With high sea surface temperatures in the storm's track, the JTWC anticipated further organization and issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert at 2000 UTC on March 26. Once further offshore on March 27, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center Météo-France in La Réunion classified the system as Disturbance 14. Drifting slowly eastward, a prominent feeder band developed along the system's eastern side; however, this band disrupted low-level inflow of warm, moist air, and suppressed convection over the circulation center.
Though convection later began to consolidate into a small central dense overcast (CDO) feature by March 28, continued disruption of the low-level inflow prevented much development. Météo-France noted that despite forecasting the storm to peak as a moderate tropical storm, with winds of 85 km/h (50 mph), there was potential for rapid intensification due to the storm's small size. Conversely, the JTWC noted that proximity to land and dry mid-level air, represented by surface outflow boundaries, could hamper significant development. Once further over the Mozambique Channel, the system became increasingly organized and the JTWC initiated advisories on the storm as Tropical Cyclone 21S. Météo-France followed suit at 0000 UTC on March 29 and classified the cyclone as a moderate tropical storm, with the tropical cyclone warning center in Madagascar assigning the name Hellen. Hellen soon assumed an east-southeast track toward Madagascar, as a ridge established itself to the northeast. Throughout March 29, the storm became increasingly organized with an eye apparent on microwave satellite imagery.
Rapid to explosive intensification ensued during the later half of March 29 into March 30 at a rate Météo-France later referred to as "astounding". Deep convective banding wrapped around a ragged eye, which soon contracted to "pinhole" size. This prompted Météo-France to upgrade Hellen to a tropical cyclone with winds estimated at 155 km/h (100 mph) at 0000 UTC on March 30. Six hours later, they further upgraded the storm to an intense tropical cyclone with winds of 195 km/h (120 mph). Hellen attained its peak intensity between 1100 and 1500 UTC as a very intense tropical cyclone, with winds of 230 km/h (145 mph), gusts reaching 325 km/h (200 mph), and a barometric pressure of 915 mbar (hPa; 27.02 inHg). This ranked it as one of the most powerful storms over the Mozambique Channel on record. The storm featured a 20 km (12 mi) wide eye embedded within a symmetrical and intense CDO, spanning 240 km (150 mi) across. The JTWC estimated Hellen to have attained one-minute sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph), making it a high-end Category 4-equivalent cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, although this was lowered to 240 km/h (150 mph) in reanalysis.
After peak intensity, the cyclone's eye soon began to fill and cool as weakening ensued. Defying previous forecasts, Hellen continued on a southeasterly track toward Madagascar and the likelihood of it making landfall became apparent. By the end of March 30, Hellen's eye had collapsed and disappeared from satellite imagery, as the combination of dry air and land interaction took their toll on the storm. At about 0800 UTC on March 31, Hellen made landfall on Mitsinjo with winds of 110 km/h (70 mph), and the previously unfavorable conditions coupled with land interaction to induce rapid weakening. The ridge to the east turned Hellen to a southwest drift over land. By early on April 1, the convection largely dissipated as the center became difficult to locate, with peak winds dropping to 45 km/h (30 mph). As a result, Météo-France discontinued advisories that day, as did the JTWC. The remnants moved back over open waters, but were not expected to reorganize due to the poor nature of the convection. As the low continued to the west, the convection increased on April 4 while approaching the coastline of Mozambique, although the system failed to redevelop before moving onshore.
## Preparations and impact
During its formative stages, Hellen meandered around northern Mozambique and produced prolonged heavy rains over the region. The city of Pemba in Cabo Delgado Province was the hardest hit area, with the Messalo River over-topping its banks. Tagir Carimo, mayor of Pemba, described the rains as the heaviest he had seen in 20 years. More than 100 poorly constructed homes collapsed in the floods while severe erosion exposed and destroyed water pipes. A major bridge connecting Pemba to surrounding areas was washed away by the Messalo river. This isolated the northern portion of Cabo Delgado Province from the rest of the country, forcing ferries to transport cars. Three people died in the district of Cariaco when their home collapsed while a fourth drowned in Chiuba. Distributing assistance following the storm was disrupted by damaged roads.
### Comoro Islands
Heavy rains and storm surge caused significant damage on all three islands of the Comoros, with the worst occurring on Anjouan. There, 901 houses were damaged, of which about 20% were destroyed. Flooding displaced 389 people in Salamani where 33 mud-built homes were destroyed. Landslides isolated the villages of Chiconi, Hamaba, Koni-Djodjo, Miringoni, and Nioumachioi, and damaged a road between Ngandzalé and Domoni. On the island, 7,879 people had to evacuate their houses due to the risk of further landslides, some of whom went to schools set up as shelters while others stayed with family or friends. Storm surge on Mohéli flooded parts of Tsamia, Walla, and Zirindani, resulting in one fatality. Several houses were damaged on the island, and Djandro lost power due to a damaged power line. The Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport in Moroni on Grande Comore was closed for about 24 hours due to the storm. Also on the island, a road was damaged, and one house was flooded. Shortly after the storm, workers began repairing roads and distributing aid.
Though the center of Cyclone Hellen remained south of Mayotte, it prompted an "orange alert" on March 30 for the area due to the potential for hurricane-force gusts. The storm's rapid intensification caught most residents on the island off-guard, with widespread disruptions to traffic and electricity taking place. Wind gusts up to 100 km/h (62 mph) downed trees and power lines, blocking off roads while heavy rains caused significant flooding. A peak 24‐hour rainfall of 239 mm (9.4 in) was measured in Mtsamboro between March 29 and 30. In M'Tsangamouji, cars were swept away by a swollen river. Along the coast, waves up to 5 m (16 ft) damaged marinas in Dzaoudzi, Hagnoundrou, and Mamoudzou where skiffs were smashed against rocks or stranded.
### Madagascar
On March 31, a boat capsized off the coast of northwest Madagascar, killing three and leaving nine others missing. High seas washed away 20 canoes along the coast. Initial assessments of damage across Madagascar were initially hampered by poor weather and inaccessibility. The storm flooded 7,795 ha (19,260 acres) of rice fields across the country, as well as 114 ha (280 acres) of other crops, threatening harvests after a locust outbreak had occurred in the months prior to the storm. The storm also killed 23 zebu and damaged two dams. Cyclone Hellen destroyed 437 houses and damaged or flooded 174 others, leaving 1,736 people homeless during its passage. The storm also damaged two health facilities and five schools. Overall impact from Hellen was less than expected due to its weakening, with most telephone lines still intact.
Due to the storm affecting water access in northwestern Madagascar, there was concern for a disease outbreak, with a flu outbreak noted in Mahajanga. The national Red Cross utilized 54 volunteers to assist in the storm's aftermath, such as distributing kitchen kits and agriculture units. Residents donated 2 million ariary (\$800 USD) to the Red Cross, which were used to purchase medicines, while the government provided 600 kg (1,300 lb) of rice for affected residents.
## See also
- Cyclone Gillian, which rapidly intensified from a tropical low to a Category 5 cyclone in less than 48 hours in the Australian region just one week before Hellen.
- Other intense tropical cyclones in the Mozambique Channel
: Cyclone Funso in 2012 – 205 km/h (127 mph) and 925 mbar (925 hPa; 27.3 inHg)
: Cyclone Fanele in 2009 – 185 km/h (115 mph) and 930 mbar (930 hPa; 27 inHg)
: Cyclone Japhet in 2003 – 175 km/h (109 mph) and 935 mbar (935 hPa; 27.6 inHg)
- Cyclone Idai – A devastating tropical cyclone that affected the same regions in 2019
- Cyclone Belna
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"### Comoro Islands",
"### Madagascar",
"## See also"
] | 2,526 | 7,643 |
9,365,369 |
Leona Woods
| 1,170,312,030 |
American nuclear physicist (1919–1986)
|
[
"1919 births",
"1986 deaths",
"20th-century American physicists",
"20th-century American women scientists",
"20th-century American women writers",
"American nuclear physicists",
"American women physicists",
"Fellows of the American Physical Society",
"Manhattan Project people",
"People from LaGrange, Indiana",
"University of Chicago alumni",
"Women nuclear physicists",
"Women on the Manhattan Project"
] |
Leona Harriet Woods (August 9, 1919 – November 10, 1986), later known as Leona Woods Marshall and Leona Woods Marshall Libby, was an American physicist who helped build the first nuclear reactor and the first atomic bomb.
At age 23, she was the youngest and only female member of the team which built and experimented with the world's first nuclear reactor (then called a pile), Chicago Pile-1, in a project led by her mentor Enrico Fermi. In particular, Woods was instrumental in the construction and then utilization of geiger counters for analysis during experimentation. She was the only woman present when the reactor went critical. She worked with Fermi on the Manhattan Project, and she subsequently helped evaluate the cross section of xenon, which had poisoned the first Hanford production reactor when it began operation.
After the war, she became a fellow at Fermi's Institute for Nuclear Studies at the University of Chicago. She later worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and New York University, where she became a professor in 1962. Her research involved high-energy physics, astrophysics and cosmology. In 1966 she divorced John Marshall and married Nobel laureate Willard Libby. She became a professor at the University of Colorado, and a staff member at RAND Corporation. In later life she became interested in ecological and environmental issues, and she devised a method of using the isotope ratios in tree rings to study climate change. She was a strong advocate of food irradiation as a means of killing harmful bacteria.
## Early life
Leona Harriet Woods was born on a farm in La Grange, Illinois on August 9, 1919, the second of five children of Weightstill Arno Woods, a lawyer, and his wife Mary Leona Holderness Woods. She had two sisters and two brothers. She graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange at 14, and received her BS in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1938, at the age of 18.
After passing her qualifying exams in chemistry, she approached the Nobel Prize for Physics laureate James Franck about being his graduate student, having been impressed by a talk he gave in 1939 on Brillouin zones. Franck accepted, but told her that when he was young his professor had warned him that as a Jewish academic, he would starve to death. Franck therefore warned Woods that "You are a woman and you will starve to death." Despite the fact that Franck did not look malnourished, she took the warning seriously, and decided to instead become a graduate student of Robert Mulliken, who would one day become a Nobel laureate himself.
Mulliken allowed her to choose her own research problem, and edited the final version before it appeared in the Physical Review. Her doctoral thesis, "On the Silicon Oxide Bands", prepared under the supervision of Mulliken and Polish chemist Stanisław Mrozowski was accepted in 1943. Mulliken, she later recalled, had twice told her "that perhaps not all he taught me was wasted." His students, she noted, "agree that this is his highest praise."
## Manhattan Project
By 1942, when she was finishing writing up her thesis, she was the youngest and last of Mulliken's pre-war students, and was working alone because all her fellow students had become involved with war work. She met Herbert Anderson, who was working for Enrico Fermi. The two would go swimming together in Lake Michigan every afternoon at 5 pm. Anderson discovered that Woods was adept with vacuum technology from her research, and as soon as her PhD was finished, he hired her to work with the boron trifluoride detectors used to measure neutron flux.
Fermi's group constructed a nuclear reactor known as Chicago Pile-1 under the stands of Stagg Field, the University's abandoned football stadium, where Woods had once played squash. Walter Zinn did not want a woman involved in the dirty work of placing the graphite blocks, but Woods had plenty of work to do with the detectors and thermocouples, and used a small stack of graphite of her own to measure the effects of a radium-beryllium source on manganese foil to obtain a measure of the neutron cross section in order to calibrate the detectors. Her skills in glassblowing were useful in constructing the neutron detectors. She was the only woman present when the reactor went critical, asking Fermi "When do we become scared?"
Laura Fermi remembered Woods as "a tall young girl built like an athlete, who could do a man's job and do it well. She was the only woman physicist in Enrico's group. At that time, her mother, who was also endowed with inexhaustible energy, was running a small farm near Chicago almost by herself. To relieve Mrs. Woods of some work, Leona divided her time between atoms and potatoes."
Like many scientists working on the project, Woods affected a casual attitude towards the danger posed by radiation. After a morning with Willard Libby soldering a canister containing a mixture of radium salt and beryllium metal, Woods absorbed about 200 roentgens, and her white blood cell count halved. The doctors gave her a lecture on how a woman has only a fixed number of egg cells, a proposition that Woods was skeptical of. She considered that the important thing was that the solder was done correctly. When the team moved to their new home at Argonne, Woods had a dormitory all to herself.
Woods married John Marshall in July 1943. Soon after, she fell pregnant. While she told Enrico Fermi, they agreed not to let Walter Zinn know, for fear that he would insist that she leave the reactor building. She covered up her pregnant belly with her baggy denim work clothes. She rode to work each day on an unheated Army bus, "arriving each morning barely in time to vomit before starting the day's work." The child, a boy called Peter, was born in 1944. She returned to work a few days later.
A team from Argonne was on hand for powering up the first reactor at the Hanford Site, where large reactors would produce plutonium for bombs. They watched the reactor in shifts, with John Marshall and others on the day shift, Enrico Fermi and Leona Marshall on the night shift, ending at midnight, and Don Hughes and John Wheeler on the swing shift. While the Marshalls were babysitting the reactor in Hanford, they left Peter with Leona's mother.
The reactor was powered up successfully, but after a few hours the power level dropped and the reactor shut down. Leona speculated that a water leak was the problem, rather than a radioactive poison. However, during the night the operators were able to power the reactor up again only to have it once more die away. The timings now pointed to a radioactive poison. After working through the numbers with slide rules and hand calculators, they determined the neutron cross section of the poison, which turned out to be xenon-135. Fortunately, the DuPont engineers had equipped the reactor with 50 per cent more fuel tubes than the physicists had called for, and by loading them up, they managed to get the reactor started.
Asked many years later about how she felt about her involvement in the Manhattan Project, she said:
> I think everyone was terrified that we were wrong (in our way of developing the bomb) and the Germans were ahead of us. That was a persistent and ever-present fear, fed, of course, by the fact that our leaders knew those people in Germany. They went to school with them. Our leaders were terrified, and that terror fed to us. If the Germans had got it before we did, I don't know what would have happened to the world. Something different. Germany led in the field of physics. In every respect, at the time war set in, when Hitler lowered the boom. It was a very frightening time.
>
> I certainly do recall how I felt when the atomic bombs were used. My brother-in-law was captain of the first minesweeper scheduled into Sasebo Harbor. My brother was a Marine, with a flame thrower on Okinawa. I'm sure these people would not have lasted in an invasion. It was pretty clear the war would continue, with half a million of our fighting men dead not to say how many Japanese. You know and I know that General (Curtis) LeMay firebombed Tokyo and nobody even mentions the slaughter that happened then. They think Nagasaki and Hiroshima were something compared to the firebombing.
>
> THEY'RE WRONG!
>
> I have no regrets. I think we did right, and we couldn't have done it differently. Yeah. I know it has been suggested the second bomb, Nagasaki, was not necessary. The guys who cry on shoulders, when you are in a war, to the death, I don't think you stand around and ask, "Is it right?"
## Post-war career
After the war, Leona Marshall returned to the University of Chicago, where she became a fellow at Fermi's Institute for Nuclear Studies. Working with the Chicago Pile 3 heavy-water reactor, she found a way to 100 percent spin polarize neutron beams, and determined the refractive index of neutrons for various materials. Her second child, John Marshall III, was born in 1949. She became an assistant professor in 1953.
After Fermi died in 1954, the Marshalls separated. John Marshall returned to the Los Alamos Laboratory, while Leona, now effectively a single mother, became a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey in 1957. The following year she became a fellow at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, at a time when the focus of research in physics was shifting away from the nucleus and towards elementary particles. In 1960, she joined New York University as an associate professor of physics. She became a professor in 1962.
Three years later, she became a professor at the University of Colorado, researching high-energy physics, astrophysics and cosmology. She then became a staff member at RAND Corporation, where she worked until 1976. In 1966, she divorced John Marshall, and married Willard Libby, who had won the Nobel prize in 1960. She later joined him at UCLA, where she became a visiting professor of environmental studies, engineering, engineering archaeology, mechanical aerospace and nuclear engineering in 1973.
Now known as Leona Marshall Libby, she became interested in ecological and environmental issues, and she devised a method of using the isotope ratios of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16, carbon-13 to carbon-12, and deuterium to hydrogen in tree rings to study changes in temperature and rainfall patterns hundreds of years before records were kept, opening the door to the study of climate change.
Like Willard Libby, she was a strong advocate of food irradiation as a means of killing off harmful bacteria, and advocated that legal and regulatory restrictions on its use be relaxed. She proposed that, instead of it being sprayed with malathion, fruit affected by the Mediterranean fruit fly could be treated with gamma rays.
She was a prolific author, publishing over 200 scientific papers. While at RAND she wrote a paper on Creation of an Atmosphere for the Moon (1969). Her works include the autobiographical '' (1979), a history of early atomic research. After Libby died in 1980, she edited his papers with Rainer Berger, and published The Life Work of Nobel Laureate Willard Libby (1982). Her last paper, on quasi-stellar objects, appeared in 1984.
She died at St. John's Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, on November 10, 1986, from an anesthesia-induced stroke. She was survived by her sons Peter and John, and four grandchildren. She also had two stepdaughters, Janet Eva Libby and Susan Charlotte Libby from her second marriage.
## Selected bibliography
- Libby, L., M. (1969) Creation of an atmosphere for the moon. Rand Corporation.
- Libby, L., M. (1970) Fifty environmental problems of timely importance. Rand Corporation.
- Libby, L., M. (1979) The Uranium People. Crane, Russak.
- Libby, L., M. (1980) The upside down cosmology and the lack of solar neutrinos.
- Libby, L., M. (1982) Life Work of Nobel Laureate Willard Frank Libby.
- Libby, L., M. (1982) Carbon Dioxide and Climate. Pergamon.
- Libby, L., M. (1983) Past Climates: Tree Thermometers, Commodities, and People.'' Texas: University of Texas.
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Manhattan Project",
"## Post-war career",
"## Selected bibliography"
] | 2,677 | 22,814 |
2,895,329 |
Bug!
| 1,168,073,721 |
1995 video game
|
[
"1995 video games",
"3D platform games",
"Beam Software games",
"Fictional actors",
"Fictional insects",
"Realtime Associates games",
"Sega Games franchises",
"Sega Saturn games",
"Sega protagonists",
"Sega video games",
"Single-player video games",
"Tiger Electronics handheld games",
"Video games about insects",
"Video games developed in the United States",
"Video games with pre-rendered 3D graphics",
"Windows games"
] |
Bug! is a platform game developed by Realtime Associates and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. It was first released in North America, in 1995, weeks after the Saturn's launch there; in Europe on September 15, 1995; and, in Japan, on December 8 the same year. It was also ported to Windows 3.1x and Windows 95 in 1996 by Beam Software. The game is one of the earliest examples of 3D platforming, as well as one of the first platform games released on the Saturn. Character movement is restricted to a track, unlike many in the genre that allow for unrestricted movement in all directions.
The game centers around Bug, a green bug – and Hollywood actor – who hopes to gain fame by defeating the villainous Queen Cadavra. The game was developed with the titular character being considered a possible mascot for the Saturn. Although Bug! failed to capture consumers' attention, it received positive reviews upon its release. Critics praised its graphics and colorful visual effects, but the game's music and voice acting were criticized.
A sequel, Bug Too!, was released for the Saturn in 1996.
## Gameplay
Bug! is a 3D platform game which revolves around the player safely progressing through various levels. The game is set on "Bug Island" and consists of six worlds made up of three levels each, with each last level culminating in a mandatory boss fight. Enemies come in the form of insects, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids. Enemies are defeated by jumping on them, as well as utilizing power-ups which include damage dealing spittle and electrical strikes. Each level ends when the player jumps on a "Bug Stop", which will then make the player proceed to the next level. Every level contains collectable items: 1-UPs supply the player with an extra life, collecting a heart will restore one hit point to the player whereas Bug Juice will fully replenish it, and a coin will allow the player to take part in a bonus round whereby they are given the chance to win more lives. If the player runs out of Bug Juice, they lose a life. The game will end once the player runs out of continues.
Collectable items in the form of blue crystals are found scattered throughout the game's levels. If the player collects 100 of them, they will earn an extra life along with a dragonfly icon, in which three icons are needed for the player to take part in a special bonus round involving a dragonfly ring chase. In addition, the player can collect power ups which will enable them to defeat enemies instantly. These come in the form of "spit" and "zap" attacks; the former allows Bug to fire missiles made out of saliva, and the latter unleashes a bolt of electricity. The levels featured in Bug! are linear – the player may only move in four directions despite the game appearing in full 3D. In addition to walking on a grid axis, the player-character can also walk up walls and upside down.
## Plot
The game's plot centers around the titular character, Bug, who is a Hollywood actor hoping to make his "biggest break". Bug decides to sign up for the lead role in an upcoming action film, in which his family, composed of his pet, Maggot Dog, his younger brother, his girlfriend, his mother and his father, is kidnapped by the villainous Queen Cadavra and must set out to rescue them.
## Development and release
Sega of America contracted Realtime Associates to create a Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Sega Saturn's North American launch. When Sega of Japan rejected the use Sonic, the Bug character, originally from a shelved Sega Genesis game, was chosen instead. Bug! was conceptualized as one of three candidates for mascots for Sega's upcoming Sega Saturn console in 1994. The other candidates were 2.5D platformers Clockwork Knight (which came out shortly before Bug! at the Saturn's North American launch) and Astal, which was released later in 1995. Realtime Associates developed the game using Silicon Graphics workstations, which were then used to pre-render the game's characters and then convert them into sprites – in similar vein to the process used in Donkey Kong Country.
According to producer Steve Apour, "Once we were working on Bug!, we'd meet twice a week to talk about gameplay, just to plow through it and decide what the system could do. Some ideas we weren't able to include, such as the 'wait animation' where Bug was going to leap up and come down right in your face."
Bug! was one of the earliest examples of a 3D platforming game. It was also the first platform game to be released on the Saturn in Europe. By the end of 1995, 150,000 copies of Bug! had been sold in the United States, making it the second most popular Saturn game behind Daytona USA. In Europe, "BUG!" was the number one CD game for all platforms (including PC) for two straight weeks. According to Sega, discussions were underway for an animated TV series, though this never materialized. Alliance Communications and animation studio Mainframe Entertainment planned to produce 13 half-hour time slot episodes for the TV series, each of which would consist of three standalone comedic shorts. A sequel, Bug Too!, was released for the Saturn in 1996.
## Reception
Bug! received positive reviews upon release. The Saturn version holds an average score of 84 percent at GameRankings, based on an aggregate of two reviews, whereas the PC version has an average score of 55%, based on an aggregate of two reviews.
The 3D graphics were praised by critics. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly all called them impressive, with Sushi-X elaborating that "The cute, high-tech graphics really show off what the Saturn can do." Andy McNamara from Game Informer thought that the game's visuals were its strongest feature, stating that the "amazing" graphics were "perhaps the best part of Bug!". In the same review, Paul Anderson commended the game's pre-rendered bosses and SGI cutscenes. Lee Nutter from the Sega Saturn Magazine felt disappointed that the game was not in true 3D, although he declared that it was a "really smooth and visually stunning" game. Mike Weigand from GamePro praised the game's large and visually detailed levels, whilst asserting the graphics were "excellent". A reviewer from Entertainment Weekly described Bug! as a showcase for the Saturn's "dazzling 3D-style graphics".
Mark Reed of Maximum thought that the game was graphically a "mixed bag", praising the well-defined sprites and animations whilst criticising the backdrops, writing that they looked "often too blocky" and repetitive, although he admitted that it improved in later levels. Neil West from the Next Generation Magazine thought the graphics were "solid", despite recognising that the game was mostly a direct transition from a 2D format into 3D. Chris Broesder of AllGame thought that the graphics added to the overall experience of the game, stating that the characters were colorful and of "cartoon quality", although he noted that some textures were "a bit blocky" when zoomed in on. Amalio Gomez of Hobby Consolas praised the sprite renderings and 3D environments as "beautiful", saying that the game took advantage of the Saturn's power and possibilities.
The game's music and sound effects were praised, although the dialogue was met with criticism. McNamara disliked the voice acting of the Bug character, stating that it was too "Gex-wanta-be". Weigand praised the game's jazz music, vocals, and underscore, although he too disapproved of Bug's annoying and "nasal one-liners". Reed was disappointed with the audio aspect of the game, opining that Saturn's chipset was not used to its full potential as it produced lacklustre music. In addition, Reed believed that Bug's voice samples were "very unfortunate" and irritating. Broesder, however, opined that the sounds add to the game's overall experience and was of high quality, although he felt bothered that the voices repeated themselves "over and over again". Gomez praised the sound effects and music, saying that the music was "intense" and the sound effects increased the "realness" of the player's actions.
Though they said that the levels can be overwhelmingly long, particularly in light of the lack of a save or password feature, the reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly were very pleased with the gameplay. Ed Semrad summarized that "Bug! is the type of game that will put the Sega Saturn on top. It controls well and has enough diversity to keep players' interests."
In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the game 58th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."
|
[
"## Gameplay",
"## Plot",
"## Development and release",
"## Reception"
] | 1,830 | 36,407 |
26,366,815 |
German submarine U-2336
| 1,172,027,825 |
German World War II submarine
|
[
"1944 ships",
"Maritime incidents in 1946",
"Maritime incidents in February 1945",
"Operation Deadlight",
"Ships built in Hamburg",
"Type XXIII submarines",
"U-boat accidents",
"U-boats commissioned in 1944",
"U-boats scuttled in 1946",
"World War II submarines of Germany"
] |
German submarine U-2336 was a Type XXIII U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
U-2336 had a very short career. She only conducted one war patrol and sank only three vessels, one of which was another German U-boat, during an accidental collision (). Despite her short time in service, U-2336 is known for sinking the last two Allied merchant ships lost to a submarine in the war, when she torpedoed and sank the freighters Avondale Park and Sneland I off the Isle of May inside the Firth of Forth.
After the war, U-2336 was surrendered to the Allies, taken to the British port of Lisahally and sunk in Operation Deadlight on 3 January 1946.
## Construction
U-2336 was the 16th U-boat of the Type XXIII class. She was ordered on 20 September 1943, and was laid down on 27 July 1944 at Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, as yard number 490. She was launched on 10 September 1944 and commissioned under the command of Leutnant zur See Jürgen Vockel on 30 September.
## Design
Like all Type XXIII U-boats, U-2336 had a displacement of 234 tonnes (230 long tons) when at the surface and 258 tonnes (254 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 34.68 m (113 ft 9 in) (o/a), a beam width of 3.02 m (9 ft 11 in) (o/a), and a draught depth of3.66 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by one MWM six-cylinder RS134S diesel engine providing 575–630 metric horsepower (423–463 kilowatts; 567–621 shaft horsepower), one AEG GU4463-8 double-acting electric motor electric motor providing 580 PS (430 kW; 570 shp), and one BBC silent running CCR188 electric motor providing 35 PS (26 kW; 35 shp).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) and a submerged speed of 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) for 194 nautical miles (359 km; 223 mi); when surfaced, she could travel 2,600 nautical miles (4,800 km; 3,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-2336 was fitted with two 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes in the bow. She could carry two preloaded torpedoes. The complement was 14–18 men. This class of U-boat did not carry a deck gun.
## Service history
U-2336 trained with the 32nd U-boat Flotilla from 30 September 1944 until 15 February 1945, and began her first voyage as a front boat of the 4th U-boat Flotilla on 16 February 1945. Two days later, she collided with , another Type XXIII U-boat, off Heiligendamm on the Baltic coast. U-2344 was sunk, with the loss of 11 crew. It took about two months for U-2336 to leave her home port of Kiel, which she did on 18 April 1945 under a new commander, Kapitänleutnant Emil Klusmeier. After traveling across the straits of Kattegat and Skagerrak, U-2336 reached Larvik, Norway on 24 April 1945. This was to be her home port for the remaining few days of the war.
### First patrol
On 1 May 1945, U-2336 left Larvik and headed out into the North Sea. On 7 May 1945, U-2336 sank the last Allied merchant ships to be lost to a German submarine in the war, when she torpedoed the freighters Avondale Park and Sneland I (in order) off the Isle of May inside the Firth of Forth. Sneland I exploded as soon as it was hit and sank two minutes later, killing seven crew members, including the captain. Avondale Park lost two crew members, with the rest entering lifeboat or jumping into the sea. U-2336 returned to Kiel on 14 May 1945 and then transferred to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, where she was surrendered to the Western Allies.
### Post-war
U-2336 was taken to Lisahally, United Kingdom on 21 June 1945 to take part in Operation Deadlight where she was sunk on 3 January 1946 by gunfire from the British destroyer HMS Offa.
## Summary of raiding history
## See also
- Battle of the Atlantic
- Actions of 7–8 May 1945
|
[
"## Construction",
"## Design",
"## Service history",
"### First patrol",
"### Post-war",
"## Summary of raiding history",
"## See also"
] | 1,072 | 2,723 |
8,343,343 |
Tropical Storm Dean (1995)
| 1,171,673,158 |
Atlantic tropical storm in 1995
|
[
"1995 Atlantic hurricane season",
"1995 in Oklahoma",
"1995 in Texas",
"1995 natural disasters in the United States",
"Atlantic tropical storms",
"Hurricanes in Oklahoma",
"Hurricanes in Texas"
] |
Tropical Storm Dean was a short-lived storm that formed in late July 1995 and lasted into early August. It was the fourth named storm of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. It spent most of its life as a tropical depression, and briefly gained tropical storm status before its landfall on the Texas coast on July 30. After landfall, it dissipated over central Texas on August 2. The impacts from Dean were minimal, mainly due to heavy rain in Oklahoma and Texas that caused localized coastal and inland flooding. Two F0 Tornadoes touched down in Texas as a result of Dean's landfall. Also, Twenty families had to be evacuated in Chambers County, due to flooding in the area. One fatality was recorded as a result of flooding in Oklahoma. Several highways were flooded out in Oklahoma, which impeded travel in the state. In addition approximately \$500,000 (1995 U.S. dollars) worth of damage was recorded in the aftermath of Dean.
## Meteorological history
The precursor system that would form Dean was a stationary front situated in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico in the last week of July. On July 27, it developed a weak upper-level circulation indicated by reports from buoys in the Gulf, its structure was disorganized but was in the process of organizing. The system continued to organize early on July 28, and that afternoon it developed a surface circulation. The tropical depression that spawned Dean was thought to have formed at around 1800 UTC, July 28. It was later declared Tropical Depression Four that same day with the center located about 345 miles (555 km) southeast of New Orleans.
At first, the depression slowly tracked westward because it was blocked by a ridge of high pressure to the north. The system was under frequent reconnaissance surveillance, and the depression remained poorly organized and continued to be at tropical depression status well into 29 July. The organization of the system hindered further development despite favorable conditions with low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. Late on July 29, the system began to execute a turn to the northwest with an increase in forward speed. It still remained a poorly organized tropical depression south of Louisiana.
On July 30, the system's circulation began to organize and the first reports of tropical storm-force squalls were reported as it moved closer to the Texas coast. Based on this the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued tropical storm warnings for much of the Texas and Louisiana coast, from Intracoastal City, Louisiana to Corpus Christi, Texas. Later that afternoon it strengthened into Tropical Storm Dean while located just 70 mi (110 km) off the coast. The Hurricane Hunters confirmed that Dean strengthened in the final hours before its landfall on the Texas coast to a 45 mph (75 km/h) storm, and made landfall near Freeport, Texas at 8:30 pm CDT (0130 UTC) July 31. Shortly after its landfall, Dean weakened back to tropical depression strength as it tracked further northwest into Texas. The depression stalled in central Texas on August 1 and remained there for 36 hours until the next day, dropping heavy rain over parts of the state. Late on August 2, it merged with a non-tropical front and dissipated.
The remnants of Dean eventually moved up into Oklahoma, where it caused heavy rainfall, forcing roads to close and rescues to be made. Dean also dropped heavy rain across the Midwest states as well. Some areas in Kansas received more than seven inches of rain. Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana each had areas that received more than 5 inches (127 mm) of rain from Dean.
## Preparations
Because of Dean's proximity to land upon formation, there was little warning in advance of the storm. Tropical storm warnings were issued at 0300 UTC on July 30 from Intracoastal City, Louisiana to Corpus Christi, Texas. The warnings were up for 23 hours before landfall, and were allowed to expire at 0300 UTC July 31.
## Impact
Most of the damage from Dean was concentrated in the states of Texas and Oklahoma. The damage, if any, was mainly due to the heavy rain across both states. The total cost of the damage totaled to \$500,000 (1995 USD; \$707,000 2008 USD).
### Texas
In Texas, most of the damage was due to inland flooding. Heavy rainfall of 6 to 18 inches (150 to 450 mm) was reported across a large swath of Texas. The heaviest measured amount was 17.4 inches (426 mm) near Monroe City, Texas. Rainfall amounts of two to six inches were common throughout the eastern part of the state. In total, 38 houses were flooded in southeast Texas. The freshwater flooding resulted in the evacuation of 20 families in Chambers County. 250 people had to evacuate from their homes near Abilene, Texas due to floodwater. The storm surge impacts were fairly minor, ranging from 3 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) above mean sea level. A portion of State Highway 87 was flooded from the storm surge, although no significant property damage was reported as a result of it. Minor beach erosion and street flooding was also reported on Galveston Island. The highest wind gust on land was 51 mph (82 km/h) at Scholes Field. There were two tornadoes confirmed as a result of Dean. One touched down on High Island in Galveston County, and the other touched down near Anahuac. Both tornadoes were rated as F0 on the Fujita scale, with minor damage.
### Oklahoma
Oklahoma also saw heavy rain as well from the remnants of Dean. Over 5 inches (130 mm) of rain fell in the town of Stillwater, and the highest amount, 12.07 inches (307 mm), was recorded at Great Salt Plains Dam, Oklahoma. Over 40 homes were flooded in the area by the heavy rain, and about 24 cars were found stranded in high water. Thunderstorms, associated with Dean's remnants, dumped heavy rain across the state, resulting in flash flooding in many areas. The flooding, in many areas, made travel near impossible. U.S. Highway 62 in Jackson County and Highway 5 in Harmon County were both closed due to flash flooding covering their roadways. State Highway 51 was under 1.5 feet (0.46 m) of water at times. Several other roads remained flooded and closed for several days after the arrival of Dean's remnants. One death, a small child, was reported in Hardeman County after the child had been swept away by flood waters.
### Rest of the United States
Other parts of the U.S. received significant rainfall from Dean. Heavy rain was recorded in Louisiana, where 7.04 inches (17.9 cm) of rain fell in Galliano. Coden, Alabama received 6.42 inches (163 mm) of rain, and Waveland, Mississippi got 5.84 inches (148 mm) of rain. Dean cut a swath of heavy rain throughout the Midwest: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan were primarily affected. Florida received heavy rainfall as well, with some areas in Central Florida getting as much as five inches of rain.
## See also
- Tropical Storm Abby (1964)
- Tropical Storm Danielle (1980)
- Other storms of the same name
- List of Texas hurricanes
- List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States
- Timeline of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations",
"## Impact",
"### Texas",
"### Oklahoma",
"### Rest of the United States",
"## See also"
] | 1,556 | 15,613 |
37,043,786 |
Inndia
| 1,171,228,910 | null |
[
"2012 singles",
"2012 songs",
"English-language Romanian songs",
"Inna songs",
"Song recordings produced by Play & Win"
] |
"Inndia" (stylized as "INNdiA") is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna from her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was released on 11 October 2012 through Roton and features Romanian trio Play & Win. The track was written by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea, Marcel Botezan and Joddie Connor, while production was handled by the first three under the name of Play & Win. "Inndia" is an Arabic and oriental-influenced song encompassing guitar accords and male vocals which complement Inna.
Critical response to "Inndia" was mixed, with one critic calling it passable, while another included it in their list of the best Inna songs. To promote the track, an accompanying music video was shot by Edward Aninaru and was uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel on 19 September 2012. It shows the singer helping a stripper to escape from her aggressive boss in a club. Multiple reviewers noted the inclusion of lesbian women in the visual and Inna's lascivious appearance. The singer also performed "Inndia" on various occasions. Commercially, it reached the top ten in Romania and number one in Turkey.
## Background and release
"Inndia" was written by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea, Marcel Botezan and Joddie Connor, while production was handled by the first three under the name of Play & Win. The trio was also credited as a featuring artist on the track. The song was made available for digital download on 11 October 2012 by Roton, featuring six remixes along with the original track. An accompanying artwork was unveiled in September 2012, with Alex from Romanian website Urban.ro noting that Inna looked "sexy and exotic" on the cover.
## Composition and reception
An editor from Italian website RnB Junk wrote that "Inndia" was an "oriental-like" song, noting that its title coincided with its style. He further pointed out that the song featured elements not approached by the singer in previous material. Alin from Urban.ro similarly thought that the recording was of a new style compared to Inna's previous work, noting Arabic influences, guitar accords and male vocals complementing the singer. Reagan Gavin Rasquinh of The Times of India wrote, "despite the title, [the track] has nothing to do with the subcontinent, in case you were wondering." According to Urban.ro, "Inndia" refers to the name of a woman who is portrayed in the music video.
Upon its release, music critics met "Inndia" with mixed reviews. An editor of Pro FM listed the recording in their list of "16 hits with which Inna made history". The Times of India's Gavin Rasquinh found "Inndia" was "another passable track with a thwacking snare sound". Commercially, the song reached number ten on Romania's Airplay 100 on 21 January 2013, becoming her ninth top ten hit in the country. It also topped the charts in Turkey on 6 July 2013.
## Promotion
An accompanying music video for "Inndia" was shot by Edward Aninaru, and was uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel on 19 September 2012. It was preceded by a lyrics video released on 28 June 2012 on the same platform. The visual begins with shots of a woman smoking and female strippers pole dancing in a club. Inna enterers the building and sits down at the bar starting a conversation with the female bartender. Subsequently, the singer is seen pole dancing for a gentleman. Later in the video, she cares for a female stripper named "Inndia" with a scar on her face, who sits in a bathtub next to her. Inna also secretly watches how Inndia is beaten by her boss in another scene. Both manage to escape the respective room after Inna breaks a glass over the man's head. Subsequently, they enter the club where the singer pole dances in front of a huge crowd along with other females. "Inndia" is shortly seen sitting on a couch with two other women, who write the words "rock" and "party" on her skin with eyeliner. Cut scenes show Inna wearing black lingerie on a bed with a female dressed similarly.
Reviewers were generally positive towards the music video. Fabien Eckert from 20 minutes wrote that it was appealing to the male audience, noting Inna's lascivious appearance. An editor from RnB Junk similarly said that the singer showed "her model physics" in the clip, and thought that "the clip will make the singer's [male] fans happy as the female audience can simply skip it". Edi of Urban.ro found that "Inndia" was Inna's sexiest and most explicit visual, further noting semi-nude dancers and Inna's portrayal of a lesbian. Echoing this thought, Spanish Lesbian-themed portal Lesbicanarios listed it at number three on their list the best music videos featuring lesbians.
Inna performed the song in a stripped-down version in the backyard of her grandmother's house on 11 September 2012, followed by an appearance on Romanian radio station Kiss FM on 27 November. The singer also performed live on the roof of a building in Istanbul on 7 December as part of the singer's "Rock the Roof" series. Inna also sang the song at Alba Fest held in Alba Iulia, Romania, and at the World Trade Center Mexico City. In December 2018, Inna performed "Inndia" on O Ses Türkiye.
## Track listing
- Digital download
1. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [Radio Edit] – 3:37
2. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [Ciprian Robu Dubstep Remix] – 3:13
3. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [DJ Turtle Remix Radio Edit] – 3:52
4. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [DJ Turtle Remix] – 5:23
5. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [Fork'n'Knife Remix] – 5:35
6. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [Salvatore Ganacci Remix] – 3:48
7. "Inndia" (feat. Play & Win) [Tony Zampa Mix] – 5:00
## Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Party Never Ends.
- Inna – lead vocals
- Sebastian Barac – composer, producer
- Radu Bolfea – composer, producer
- Marcel Botezan – composer, producer
- Joddie Connor – composer
## Charts
## Release history
|
[
"## Background and release",
"## Composition and reception",
"## Promotion",
"## Track listing",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Charts",
"## Release history"
] | 1,439 | 9,345 |
10,677,639 |
Oh What a Circus
| 1,149,885,392 | null |
[
"1976 songs",
"1978 singles",
"David Essex songs",
"Macaronic songs",
"Madonna songs",
"Song recordings produced by Mike Batt",
"Songs from Evita",
"Songs with lyrics by Tim Rice",
"Songs with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber"
] |
"Oh What a Circus" is a song from the 1976 musical Evita, which had lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was recorded by English singer David Essex and released as a single on August 19, 1978, by Mercury Records. Essex played the character of Che in the original London production of the musical, and the song is sung from his point-of-view. Produced and arranged by Mike Batt, "Oh What a Circus" is a mid-tempo song, comparing the musical's title character Eva Perón's life with a circus, and calling her actions fraudulent. The song is a contrafactum, and shares its tune with the better known "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the same show.
"Oh What a Circus" was a commercial success for Essex, who had been dropped by his previous record company due to his declining sales. The song reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, and the top-30 in Belgium and Netherlands. In subsequent productions of the musical, "Oh What a Circus" has been sung by numerous performers, including Mandy Patinkin, Ricky Martin and Scottish rock musician Marti Pellow. In the 1996 film adaptation of the show, the song was sung by Antonio Banderas and American singer Madonna, and received critical appreciation for its flamenco-infused composition.
## Background and release
"Oh What a Circus" was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice while they were developing Evita as a musical in between 1974 and 1976. Rice was extremely intrigued by the stories surrounding the life of Eva Perón while researching her during the mid-1970s. The duo were also on the lookout for various actors to play the part of the narrator for Evita.
In the meantime, English singer David Essex had completed his work on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, and was interested in theatrical productions. He received a call from Rice and Webber, and immediately accepted the part. Evita had already generated interest with its concept album of the same name, as well as the commercial success of singer Julie Covington's released single, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". Essex met director Hal Prince and talked about the character of Che, an Argentine everyman narrating and commenting on the events, including the vision that Rice and Webber had about him. Due to his Romany ancestry, Essex had the characteristic laconic nature and idealistic looks needed for the role of Che.
Evita was a success from its opening night, with Derek Jewell of The Sunday Times praising Webber's score, as well as Essex's portrayal of Che as a "brooding, enigmatic" character. Meanwhile, Essex had released a cover version of the Lorraine Ellison song, "Stay with Me, which reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart, thus CBS Records cancelled their contract with him. Essex's manager started looking for a new record deal for him, and signed one with Phonogram Records, who suggested that he release one of the songs from the Evita album as his single. They decided to release "Oh What a Circus", with another of Che's songs, "High Flying, Adored" as its B-side. The song was released on August 19, 1978, under the Mercury subsidiary of Phonogram in the United Kingdom.
## Composition and reception
Musically, "Oh What a Circus" is a contrafactum, and shares its composition with the better known "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the same show, but has a faster tempo and completely different lyrics. The song includes a choral chant in Latin, based on the Catholic anthem "Salve Regina". Alternative lyrics to "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" appear as a prelude to the song from Act 2, sung by a young girl characterizing Eva's younger self. The version of "Oh What a Circus" present on the Evita concept album was sung by Colm Wilkinson. However it was not used, instead Essex recorded a new version which was arranged and produced by Mike Batt, in the style of Phil Spector. A video for the song was filmed at Clifton Cathedral in Bristol and showed Essex singing the song as a crowd moves around inside a building carrying candles.
An uptempo version of the main melody for "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "Oh What a Circus" acts as an introduction to the whole musical and is sung after "Requiem for Evita", as Che ponders about the life of Eva. The song was composed in a key of E major with a medium tempo of 128 beats per minute. Essex's voice spans from C<sub>3</sub> to E<sub>5</sub> and the song follows a basic sequence of F/C–G<sub>7</sub>–C–Am/C–Dsus–C–D<sub>7</sub>/C–G/B as its chord progression. Lyrically, it talks about the news of Eva's death and her funeral, as well as Che's belief that the mourning for her was misplaced and Eva's life and preaching was fraudulent. It compares her life to that of a circus with a choir added during the middle section. The lyrics question the sainthood of Eva and her praise as a godly character among the Argentinians, while taunting her that she had failed her people by not being immortal. The words had rhyming across the verses like those of ("show/go") and ("town/down") which Rice explained was done intentionally to make the song appear asymmetrical.
>
> Oh what a circus, oh what a show, Argentina has gone to town
>
> Over the death of an actress called Eva Perón
>
> Oh what an exit, that's how to go, When they're ringing your curtain down
>
> Demand to be buried like Eva Perón
After its release in August 1978 as the third single from the Evita concept album, "Oh What a Circus" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 36. It progressed and climbed the charts rapidly, ultimately reaching a peak of number 3 in its sixth week. It was Essex's highest charting song, since "Hold Me Close" had topped the charts in 1975. "Oh What a Circus" was present within the top-100 of the UK Singles Chart for a total of 11 weeks. Across Europe the song charted in Belgium for 5 weeks, reaching a peak of number 26. In Netherlands, the song charted on both the Dutch Top 40 and Single Top 100 charts, reaching peaks of number 18 and number 20 respectively. The song also charted at number eight in Ireland. Although not released in Australia, the song managed to enter the Kent Music Report charts for one week at number 72.
## Other versions
Mandy Patinkin played Che for the American premiere production and recording, and sings the song. Author William A. Everett wrote in his book, The A to Z of the Broadway Musical that Patinkin's singing and portrayal of Che "interracted on a psychological level with the title character (played by Patti LuPone), challenging her actions and motivations." In the 1996 film Evita, the song is sung by actor Antonio Banderas and singer Madonna. In the film, Che muses while in an empty bar following the lavish funeral procession for Eva Perón, and then on the streets of Buenos Aires as the community mourns and later riots. Eva's lyrics come during a pan over her funeral casket and is not sung directly by Eva. It begins with Spanish guitars as Banderas takes the lead vocals, with a changing choir throughout.
A different rhythm and tempo occurs in the middle where the main composition has rock influences and piano, as Banderas uttered the line, "She didn't say much, but she said it loud". The choir is brought back towards the end, followed by an orchestral passage consisting of the main theme, accompanied by sounds of gong and timpani. Madonna sings the final verses, uttering the lines "share my glory, so share my coffin". Author J. Randy Taraborrelli complemented Madonna's singing in the book, Madonna: An Intimate Biography, describing her vocals as "supple and strong". This view was shared by author Lucy O'Brien in Madonna: Like an Icon who said that "the sweetness and the power of Madonna's voice comes out as never before on these tracks". It also received positive review from Paul Verna of Billboard, who listed the "flamenco flavored" song as a highlight from the soundtrack.
For the 2006 First West End Revival of Evita, actor Matt Rawle portrayed Che and sang the song. Michael Billington from The Guardian received it negatively, saying that "Lacking any coherent idea, the show is motored by a succession of Lloyd Webber songs: 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall', ... 'Oh What a Circus', 'High Flying, Adored' and all the rest." While reviving the play for Broadway in 2012, singer Ricky Martin was signed to play Che. According to Joe Dziemianowicz from Daily News, Martin's performance as Che gave it "a great big touch of star quality... He also gives an appealing performance in the role of Che," the writer added. James Hebert from The San Diego Union-Tribune complimented Martin for setting "the tone right away in the opening number 'Oh What a Circus'" with his "bemused, smilingly cynical" characterization of Che. In the 2014 Second West End Revival of the play, the role of Che was played by Marti Pellow from Scottish rock band Wet Wet Wet. Natalie Banyard complimented the choice of Pellow as Che, adding in an article for Bristol Post that "Never was there a more inspired piece of casting than that of [Pellow] as [Che Guevara] in Evita." Banyard also noticed that there was "no hint of Marti's Scottish brogue as he stops the show with his renditions of 'Oh What a Circus' and 'The Lady's Got Potential'." Hank Marvin performed an instrumental version of the song on his 1997 album Hank Marvin and the Shadows Play the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
## Track listing
\*; UK 7" single
1. "Oh What a Circus" – 3:54
2. "High Flying, Adored" – 3:19
## Credits and personnel
- David Essex – vocals
- Tim Rice – songwriter
- Andrew Lloyd Webber – songwriter, composer
- Mike Batt – producer, arrangement
- Tony Bridge – mastering at Pye Studios
Credits adapted from the 7" single liner notes.
## Charts
|
[
"## Background and release",
"## Composition and reception",
"## Other versions",
"## Track listing",
"## Credits and personnel",
"## Charts"
] | 2,235 | 12,466 |
4,370,165 |
Newcastle town wall
| 1,142,480,743 |
Medieval defensive wall in England
|
[
"Archaeological sites in Tyne and Wear",
"Buildings and structures in Newcastle upon Tyne",
"City walls in the United Kingdom",
"Grade I listed buildings in Tyne and Wear",
"History of Newcastle upon Tyne",
"Scheduled monuments in Tyne and Wear",
"Tourist attractions in Newcastle upon Tyne",
"Walls in England"
] |
The Newcastle town wall is a medieval defensive wall, and Scheduled Ancient Monument, in Newcastle upon Tyne, northern England. It was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, and helped protect the town from attack and occupation during times of conflict. It was approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) long, at least 2 metres (6.5 ft) thick, up to 7.6 metres (25 ft) high, and had six main gates: Close Gate, West Gate, New Gate, Pilgrim Gate, Pandon Gate and Sand Gate. It also had seventeen towers, as well as several smaller turrets and postern gates. The town wall was kept in good repair whilst there was a threat of invasion from Scottish armies, and the town was successfully defended on at least two occasions; but with the decline of the border wars between England and Scotland, the wall was allowed to deteriorate.
During the English Civil War, the Scots were able to breach the wall using mines and artillery. By the mid-18th century the wall had become obsolete and, as the town was redeveloped, large sections were demolished leaving only parts standing. The most substantial remains are the West Walls, on the western side of the city.
## Construction
The town wall was constructed during the 13th and 14th centuries to repel Scottish invaders. Newcastle is about 97 kilometres (60 mi) from the River Tweed, which marks the border between England and Scotland, as it did then. At that time there was a power struggle between England and Scotland, that eventually led to the Wars of Scottish Independence. The Scottish kings were always ready to take advantage of any weakness in English rule to invade the North of England. An example of this is David I of Scotland, who took advantage of the civil war between Stephen and Matilda to invade Northumberland in three successive years—1136–8. In the Treaty of Durham (1139), David's son Henry was given the earldom of Northumberland. Newcastle was not included in this grant but the Scots ignored this clause and occupied Newcastle until 1157. Although the town had a strong castle, built by Robert Curthose in 1080, and improved by Henry II between 1172 and 1177, it did not provide sufficient protection for the local merchants' properties, and so it was decided that a fortified town wall was needed.
A special tax, or "murage", was levied by the borough to pay for the construction, murus being Latin for wall. It was first levied in 1265, so it can be assumed that construction began soon after that date. The payment of murage continued for the next hundred years, so construction was probably not finished until at least the mid-14th century.
The plans for the route of the wall changed somewhat during construction. In the original plan, the castle was to be included in the wall as a strongpoint. However, the castle was set on high ground above the river bank and there were strong objections to this route, as it would miss out the area by the river where many of the principal burgesses lived, leaving their residences without protection. The route was therefore changed so that the wall turned southward at the Neville Tower and ran down to the river. A similar adjustment to the route was made to the east of the city. In 1299 the village of Pandon was formally incorporated as part of the city, and so the wall made a sharp turn to the east to skirt around Pandon until it reached the river. From Pandon, the wall ran westward along the river, separating the town from the quay. Here, the wall was pierced by a number of water gates that allowed access to the river for loading and unloading of ships. In 1616 it was ordered that these gates were to be closed at night to prevent servants from throwing rubbish into the river. One or two were left open to allow seamen to return to their ships, but these were watched all night.
When completed, the wall was approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) long, at least 2 metres (6.5 ft) thick and up to 7.6 metres (25 ft) high. It had six main gateways and seventeen towers as well as several smaller turrets and postern gates. The towers projected out from the walls and were within bowshot of each other, so that attackers trying to scale the walls were exposed to fire from both sides (i.e., from the towers), as well as from the front (i.e., from the walls). The postern gates were provided for institutions, such as the Dominican Order of Blackfriars and the Hospital of St Mary the Virgin (which still exists as an almshouse charity), so that they could access their property outside the walls. Even before the walls were complete, they were supplemented by an outer ditch, known as the King's Dyke. The ditch was over 11 metres (36 ft) wide and 4.5 metres (15 ft) deep in front of the Herber and Morden Towers. It was completed by 1317.
## Subsequent history
The town wall was kept in good repair whilst there was a threat of invasion from the Scots. In 1342, David II of Scotland invaded Northumberland and laid siege to Newcastle, without success. In 1388, another Scottish army under the Earl of Douglas assaulted the town, but was repulsed. As the border wars between England and Scotland became less frequent, and in particular following the union of the two crowns in 1603, the wall was allowed to deteriorate.
In 1640, during the Bishops' Wars and in 1644, during the English Civil War, Scottish armies were able to invade Newcastle despite the presence of the town wall. In 1648 the Parliamentarian governor had the wall repaired. Further repairs were carried out in 1667. During the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745, it was substantially strengthened in preparation for an invading Jacobite army, but there were no attacks on those occasions. A long decline then began, during which the wall was demolished piecemeal to make way for new developments and to create better access to the town centre. The last repairs to the wall were made in the early 19th century, during the Napoleonic Wars. After this it was thought that the town no longer needed a defensive barrier.
The first part of the wall to be demolished was the stretch on the quayside, as it was regarded as "a very great obstacle to carriages and a hindrance to the despatch of business". The quayside section was pulled down in 1763 and the Sand Gate followed in 1798.
## Gates
There were six main gateways through the wall, they were (clockwise from western end):
Close Gate – This gate was situated at the end of Close, the street that ran west from Sandhill, parallel with the river. In early times, Close was the principal residence of the wealthy traders of the town, and was lined with merchants’ houses backing on to the river, with their own wharves. It is believed that the town wall ran only a short distance eastwards along the river from the Close Gate. On the north side of the Close Gate was the Whitefriars Tower, and it was the section of wall near there that the Scottish forces under General Leven broke through in the siege of 1644, after breaching the wall by use of mines and artillery fire. Close Gate was demolished in 1797.
West Gate – This gate led to the West Road which followed the line of the old Roman Wall. It had large oak gates and iron doors, and was described by the antiquary, John Leland, as "a mightye strong thinge." It was, at one time, used as a prison, and later became the hall of the incorporated company of House Carpenters. 17 prisoners were held there during the Civil War, but they managed to escape. It was demolished in 1811.
New Gate – This gate had heavy fortifications, and from 1399, these were used as the town gaol. Condemned prisoners would be taken from there along Gallowgate to the gallows on the Town Moor. East and west wings were constructed in 1702 and 1706, respectively; a north gate was later added. By 1820, the gaol was considered to be in a poor state of repair and insecure. A new gaol was built in Carliol Square, and the demolition of New Gate began in June 1823. The east wing was pulled down first, followed by the west wing and the north gate; the oldest part of the structure remained standing but, despite opposition, it was removed the following September. New Gate is believed to have replaced an earlier gateway known as Berwick Gate.
Pilgrim Gate or Pilgrim Street Gate – This gate, at the north end of Pilgrim Street, led out towards Jesmond. Pilgrims would use this gate when travelling to St Mary's Chapel, which was situated overlooking what is now Jesmond Dene; the chapel's ruins survive. A room above the Gate was used by the Joiners' Company. It was demolished in 1802.
Pandon Gate – This gate led northeast from the village of Pandon and had folding iron gates, but no portcullis. Until 1648, it was used as a hall for the Barber Chirurgeons. It was demolished in 1795.
Sand Gate – This gate led to the riverbank to the east of the town. It was demolished in 1798.
Until 1695 the Gates were closed at night.
## The walls today
Large amounts of the wall were demolished during the 18th and 19th centuries; the most substantial remains are on the western side of the city. The longest continuous section runs the length of Back Stowell Street, in the Chinatown area. It includes three towers: Herber Tower, Morden Tower and Ever Tower; since 1964, Morden Tower has been used as a venue for poetry readings. At the northern end of this section, the wall has been cut through by St Andrew's Street, with fragmentary remains in St Andrew's churchyard, opposite; at the southern end, Stowell Street cuts through onto Bath Lane. The outer ditch has been recreated along this part of the wall. From Stowell Street, a complete section of wall, which includes Durham Tower, stretches southeast along Bath Lane, ending close to Westgate Road. The walls between Westgate Road and St Andrew's Street are known as the West Walls. Near the river, a partially demolished section of wall is visible on the steep bank between Hanover Street and Close which, between the 1840s and the 1980s, was covered by warehouses. Another substantial portion of the wall stands north of Hanover Street, adjacent to Orchard Street, and the excavated foundations of Gunner Tower can be seen in Pink Lane. On the eastern side of the city stand three towers: Plummer Tower in Croft Street, Corner Tower at the junction of City Road and Melbourne Street, and Sallyport Tower in Tower Street. Plummer Tower was modified by the Company of Cutlers in the 17th century, and the Company of Masons, who added an upper storey and a new western facade, in the 18th century. Sallyport Tower was altered by the addition of a banqueting hall on the first floor in 1716 which was used by the Shipwrights' Company. The walls are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
## See also
- List of town walls in England and Wales
|
[
"## Construction",
"## Subsequent history",
"## Gates",
"## The walls today",
"## See also"
] | 2,416 | 7,103 |
12,079,110 |
1891 Mino–Owari earthquake
| 1,170,107,851 |
Magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Japan
|
[
"1891 disasters in Japan",
"1891 earthquakes",
"1891 in Japan",
"Earthquakes of the Meiji period",
"Empire of Japan",
"History of Aichi Prefecture",
"History of Gifu Prefecture",
"History of Nagoya",
"Landslides in Japan",
"October 1891 events"
] |
The 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake (美濃・尾張地震, Mino-Owari Jishin) struck the Japanese provinces of Mino and Owari (present-day Gifu Prefecture) in the Nōbi Plain in the early morning of October 28 with a surface wave magnitude of 8.0 and moment magnitude of 7.5. The event, also referred to as the Nōbi earthquake (濃尾地震, Nōbi Jishin), the Great Gifu earthquake (岐阜大地震, Gifu Daijishin), or the Great Nōbi earthquake (濃尾大地震, Nōbi Daijishin), is the largest known inland earthquake to have occurred in the Japanese archipelago.
The earthquake came at a time when Japan was undergoing a transformation into a more industrial nation and while advancing its scientific understanding in many fields. Damage from the event was widespread and the loss of life was significant. The many kilometers of visible fault breaks on the surface of the earth presented scientists with opportunities for field investigations that ultimately led to an improved understanding of the fault scarps that earthquakes often generate.
## Preface
Records of historical earthquakes and tsunami extend further back in time in Japan than any other country that lies along the Pacific Rim (the first documented event occurred in 416 AD). These historical documents supported the date verification of the 1700 Cascadia earthquake that occurred off the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. The issue of earthquakes in Japan was made a priority following the 1854 Ansei-Nankai event that brought great destruction to the southwest portion of the country. With the onset of the Meiji period, the feudal government system was superseded by an empire that began to focus on advancing the Japanese society up to Western standards, especially in science.
While the government brought in foreign experts (yatoi) during the building of the country's modern infrastructure, the high seismicity in Japan proved to be an ideal laboratory setting during the establishment of the new science of seismology. In 1876, John Milne came from England to teach at the Imperial College of Engineering in Tokyo. Following the earthquake of February 22, 1880, Milne's attention turned to seismology as a primary area of study. That earthquake also triggered the formation of the Seismological Society of Japan, which was an organization to help foreign scientists stay coordinated in their efforts. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese had their own organization (the Japan Meteorological Agency) that had taken control of an earthquake reporting system that was initially created by Milne. Ultimately, the system and the 1891 earthquake provided data by which seismologist Fusakichi Omori developed a law of decay for aftershocks.
## Tectonic setting
The four main Japanese islands of Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu, and Hokkaido lie in a convex arrangement pointing to the Pacific Ocean, while the oceanic trenches that form the western boundary of the Pacific Plate are convex in the opposite direction, toward Eurasia. The continental crust above the subduction zones had previously been associated with the Eurasian Plate, but northern Honshu and Hokkaido have more recently been treated as part of the North American Plate, due to a poorly defined plate boundary between Eastern Siberia and Alaska and a newly forming boundary at the eastern perimeter of the Sea of Japan. This portion of the crust has been known locally as the Okhotsk Plate. The southwestern border of the plate is called the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line. It is a region of faulting that traverses the width of central Honshu, but it has not generated any large earthquakes. Moving westward, though, the Atera, Miboro, Atotsugawa, and Nobi faults have all produced large events. Two of those events occurred beyond the terminus of the 1891 rupture: the 1945 Mikawa earthquake that hit near Nagoya on the Fukozu Fault and the 1948 Fukui earthquake that occurred near the Sea of Japan.
## Earthquake
The October 1891 event was the largest recorded inland earthquake in Japan's history. Surface faulting stretched 80 kilometers (50 mi) with horizontal displacement up to 8 meters (26 ft) and vertical slip in the range of 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in). In that era, scientists believed that large shallow earthquakes were the result of magma moving underground or even subterranean explosions. Bunjiro Koto, a professor at Tokyo Imperial University, was so influenced by the extraordinary surface faulting that he diverged from the traditional belief and proclaimed that sudden fault slip had been the cause and not simply a secondary consequence of the event.
The earthquake was recorded on Gray-Milne-Ewing seismographs at weather observation stations at Gifu, Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo as well as a station housed at Tokyo Imperial University. Although the units went off scale after 8.5 seconds at Gifu and 13.5 seconds at Nagoya (probably due to an inundation of large S waves) the seismograms they produced have been beneficial for seismologists to develop an understanding of the fault rupture process. The records from the stations at Gifu and Nagoya were especially useful as they were the closest to the fault zone.
### Surface faulting
Within the first several decades of the event, Koto and Omori documented the comprehensive fault breaks that were visible on the surface, and a later investigation by T. Matsuda revealed that the breaks followed a general northwest-southeast trend. Matsuda's 1974 survey also documented intermittent and complementary conjugate faults that were aligned northeast-southwest and labeled the arrangement the Nobi fault system. The strike-slip breaks were described as primarily left-lateral offset of three major faults. The surface rupture did not extend over the full distance of the individual faults, but the Nukumi segment ran 20 km (12 mi) with a maximum offset of 3 m (9.8 ft). The Neodani and Umehara faults had rupture lengths of 35 km (22 mi) and 25 km (16 mi) and maximum offsets of 8 m (26 ft) and 5 m (16 ft) respectively.
### Damage
The shock occurred near Nagoya, and was felt throughout the country, but was the strongest in central Japan. The cities of Gifu and Ogaki experienced heavy damage, due largely to fire, but Osaka and Nagoya were also significantly affected. The earthquake was strong in Tokyo, lasting for many minutes, and knocked items off shelves and stopped clocks.
The initial report of the disaster in Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun gave only limited details. It stated that a new building for the Home Ministry in Tokyo lost several chimneys and that the reason for the loss of power in Yokohama was that a brick chimney had fallen at the power plant and had damaged equipment there. The following day though, the paper revealed that many homes had been lost and other industrial buildings were damaged or destroyed in Osaka, including the Naniwa cotton textile mill, a new western-style three-story brick building. On November 3, as the extent of the damage was becoming clearer, the same paper reported that more than 1,000 Japanese homes and other buildings had collapsed in Nagoya.
### Aftershocks
More than 3,000 aftershocks were reported by the Gifu weather observatory in the 14 months following the event. According to a 1976 study by Takeshi Mikumo and Masataka Ando, three or four shocks per year were still being detected. Several university studies of the microearthquake activity were undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s and the areas southwest of the Neodani fault and near Gifu and Inuyama were found to be experiencing elevated activity.
## See also
- List of earthquakes in Japan
- List of historical earthquakes
- 1586 Tenshō earthquake – A similar event occurring in the same region
|
[
"## Preface",
"## Tectonic setting",
"## Earthquake",
"### Surface faulting",
"### Damage",
"### Aftershocks",
"## See also"
] | 1,682 | 33,048 |
6,781,476 |
Tropical Storm Harvey (1999)
| 1,171,830,916 |
Atlantic tropical storm in 1999
|
[
"1999 Atlantic hurricane season",
"1999 in Florida",
"1999 in North Carolina",
"1999 natural disasters in the United States",
"Atlantic tropical storms",
"Hurricanes in Florida",
"Hurricanes in Georgia (U.S. state)",
"Hurricanes in North Carolina",
"Hurricanes in South Carolina"
] |
Tropical Storm Harvey was a moderately strong tropical storm that caused flooding across south Florida during the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. The tenth tropical cyclone and eighth named storm of the season, Harvey developed from a tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico on September 19. After forming, the system gradually intensified and became a tropical storm early on September 20. Throughout the rest of its duration, Harvey slowly intensified as it headed eastward. Late on September 21, Harvey made landfall in Southwest Florida with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Harvey emerged into the Atlantic early on September 22, but was absorbed by an extratropical cyclone. The remnants of Harvey reached Atlantic Canada before dissipating.
Harvey caused minor flooding in south Florida because of light to relatively heavy rainfall in that portion of the state and at least 34 houses and businesses in southern Florida were flooded. There were sporadic reports of tropical storm-force winds throughout the state, as well as two tornadoes. Damage estimates in Florida reached about \$15 million (1999 USD). Throughout the rest of the United States, impact was limited, confined to light rainfall in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Heavy rainfall was reported in Atlantic Canada and Harvey became the wettest tropical cyclone on record in that country. Significant flooding, especially to roads and houses, was reported due to the heavy rainfall and damage throughout Atlantic Canada totalled several million dollars.
## Meteorological history
A tropical wave first emerged from the west coast of Africa on late on September 4, 1999 and entered the Atlantic Ocean. The system trekked westward uneventfully and was unable to organize itself due to the influence of outflow from Hurricane Floyd. After Floyd moved northward, however, the system began developing convection as it traversed the Caribbean Sea. By September 16 the disturbance transitioned into a broad area of low pressure while tracking northwestward in the western Caribbean Sea. After two days the low had continued to intensify as it entered the southern Gulf of Mexico. Thunderstorm activity continued to increase in association with the weather system and a buoy in the eastern Gulf of Mexico recorded sustained winds of 35 mph (56 km/h). At 0600 UTC on September 19, the system finally developed into Tropical Depression Ten, while located approximately 400 miles (640 km) west-southwest of St. Petersburg, Florida. The National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on the depression approximately four hours later.
Upon its designation the depression was still relatively weak and disorganized and, due to a number of factors, further strengthening was expected to be gradual. Outflow over the cyclone improved throughout the day on September 19, however, as it drifted northward. At 0000 UTC on September 20 the depression was upgraded to the eighth named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Harvey, based on surface observations and reports from the Hurricane Hunters. Shortly thereafter the storm became nearly stationary while slowly beginning to turn eastward. Harvey remained disorganized due to persistent wind shear. Despite the strong wind shear, the cyclone managed to reach its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 994 mbar (hPa; 29.35 inHg) late on September 20.
By the early on September 21 Harvey accelerated slightly and turned southeastward. Although the center of the storm was poorly defined at the time and located to the northwest of the main area of thunderstorm activity, convection was strong in nature. Later that day the storm curved towards the east while approaching Florida. At around 1700 UTC on September 21 Harvey made landfall near Everglades City, Florida with sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm further accelerated across the Florida Peninsula and quickly merged with a developing storm off the coast of South Carolina at 0600 UTC on September 22. Although the remnants of Harvey became unidentifiable later that day, Environment Canada reported that the system crossed Newfoundland before dissipating on September 24.
## Preparations
Early on September 19 a tropical storm watch was issued for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach to the mouth of the Suwannee River, which was upgraded to a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch the next day. Tropical storm watches were posted for the state's Atlantic coast north of Jupiter Inlet to near Flagler Beach. A tropical storm watch, and later a warning, was issued for the northwestern Bahamas. The advisories were amended several times before being discontinued on September 20 through September 21.
In advance of the storm, public schools and many private schools closed, Although no mandatory evacuations were ordered, multiple shelters were opened in schools and churches and government offices shut down in anticipation of Harvey's onslaught. Several counties issued a state of emergency. Residents prepared individually by, for example, securing boats and lawn furniture. Free sand and sandbags were made available to the general public and inmates filled bags for those physically unable to do so themselves. Officials at Lake Manatee began lowering the water level to help avoid flooding. In Hillsborough County the threat of the storm forced the cancellation of local football programs.
## Impact
### Florida
Tropical Storm Harvey dropped moderate to heavy rainfall throughout much of Florida, although the highest amounts were concentrated near its landfall location. Precipitation peaked at 10.24 inches (260 mm) in Naples. The 4 to 7 inches (100 to 180 mm) of rain in southern Lee County caused minor flooding in homes and businesses in lowly-lying areas, mostly along U.S. Route 41 between Estero and Bonita Springs. Storm surge was light, with tides ranging from 1 to 2 feet (0.30 to 0.61 m) above normal in Levy, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties; the highest tide recorded was 2.41 feet (0.73 m) above normal in Fort Myers.
Some tidal flooding occurred at Everglades City, where a runway at the county airport was inundated. Throughout Collier County, coastal flooding caused major street flooding and water entered 34 homes and buildings, as well as six cars. No locations on the East Coast of Florida reported abnormally high tides, although a storm surge of 0.8 feet (0.24 m) and 1 foot (0.30 m) was reported in Key West and Vaca Key, respectively. Minor coastal flooding was reported elsewhere, including along the Florida Keys; part of State Road A1A was closed as a result. The surge combined with increased wave action to produce light beach erosion along the coast and in Everglades National Park.
The storm also spawned two tornadoes, in Collier and Miami-Dade counties, one of which tore the roof off a house. The highest sustained wind speed was 53 mph (85 km/h), which was recorded at the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, while the strongest wind gust was 68 mph (109 km/h) off the coast of Key Largo. Strong winds in the Florida Keys downed a few trees, but minimal damage occurred otherwise. Overall, damage in Florida totaled to approximately \$15 million (1999 USD; \$ 2023 USD).
### Canada
#### Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia the remnants of Harvey dropped torrential amounts of rainfall, peaking at 11.89 inches (302 mm) in Oxford. As a result, the system is, as of 2018, ranked as the wettest known tropical cyclone (or remnants) in Canada. Several other locations reported heavy, but lesser, amounts of precipitation, including 5.9 inches (150 mm) in Cumberland County and Annapolis Valley, 3.5 inches (89 mm) in Greenwood, and between 1.2 inches (30 mm) and 1.7 inches (43 mm) in South Shore and Halifax. Throughout the province there was widespread flooding, countless road closures, and numerous flooded basements. Most notably, a portion of Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 103 was inundated by water. Another major road was closed in Wolfville after Gaspereau River overflowed. A street in Amherst was closed due to sewer backups and, nearby, a culvert washed away, leaving a 49.2 feet (15.0 m) by 65.6 feet (20.0 m) hole in the road. Additionally, a bridge collapsed near Collingwood. In Oxford alone, damage to roads cost at least \$3 million (1999 CAD) to repair.
Flooding damage was also reported to infrastructure other than roads. After two rivers overflowed, at least 70% of Oxford was flooded, which included a hardware store and dozens of homes, while a senior citizens living complex were evacuated. The SOS Children's Village in Margaretsville sustained approximately \$25,000 (1999 CAD) in flood damage. Schools in Amherst and the University of Windsor canceled afternoon classes on September 24. In the Canning area, 1,500 people were left without power, while electricity was also lost in Annapolis Valley, Yarmouth, Truro, Westville, Amherst, and Stellarton. A woman required rescue by firemen after her van plunged into the swollen River Philip. In Maccan, a tractor trailer loaded with lumber went off the road. Damage in Nova Scotia likely exceeded \$5 million (1999 CAD).
#### New Brunswick
In New Brunswick, flooding also occurred throughout the province. Rainfall totals in the province include, 6.7 inches (170 mm) in Saint John, 6.5 inches (170 mm) in Fredericton, 5.9 inches (150 mm) in Moncton, 4 inches (100 mm) in Miramichi, 3.6 inches (91 mm) in Acadian Peninsula, 2.7 inches (69 mm) in St. Stephen, 1.9 inches (48 mm) in Campbellton, 2 inches (51 mm) in Bathurst, and 1.2 inches (30 mm) in Saint-Léonard. As a result, three roads were flooded in Saint John, three other streets were closed in Moncton, and one street each was inundated by water in Fox Creek and Riverview. In addition, the causeway connecting Moncton and Riverview was closed due to flood waters. In Dieppe a local state of emergency was declared because of the numerous washed out roads. Along Route 16 travelers rescued four senior citizens from their car, which soon sank into a ditch. Train service by Via Rail was temporarily suspended after the tracks were washed out near Memramcook. Damage in the province of New Brunswick came to several million dollars, most of it in Moncton.
#### Elsewhere in Canada
Strong winds were reported in Prince Edward Island, with gusts reaching more than 72 mph (116 km/h), while rainfall was relatively heavy, with a peak of 7 inches (180 mm) in Prince County. At another location, Charlottetown, precipitation totals only reached 2.1 inches (53 mm). Although potato fields were inundated by water, minimal damage occurred to that crop. In Summerside at least five roads were closed due to flooding and water entered the mechanical room via the telephone and electrical conduit at the local intermediate school. Road infrastructure was also affected, such as in Howlan, where a bridge slightly longer than 180 feet (55 m) washed away. Restrictions were imposed on the use of the Confederation Bridge during the height of the storm. Adverse conditions also prevented the Northumberland Ferry from docking in Prince Edward Island, causing it to return to Nova Scotia.
As rainfall in Newfoundland peaked at only 1.6 inches (41 mm), damage in the province was mostly from strong winds. At Channel-Port aux Basques, a sustained wind speed of almost 66 mph (106 km/h) and gust to nearly 80 mph (130 km/h) were reported. Strong winds left 4,500 people without electricity in St. John's and the Burin Peninsula, knocked down traffic lights in St. John's, and snapped and uprooted trees throughout the province. On the main land of Newfoundland and Labrador, rainfall was mostly between 2 and 3.9 inches (51 and 99 mm).
### Elsewhere
The Tropicale, then owned by Carnival Cruise Lines, was left disabled after a fire on board shut down the vessel's engines. The ship encountered 12 ft (3.7 m) seas in the Gulf of Mexico before restarting one of its engines and taking a path around the storm, having initially planned to return to Tampa. The ship provided meteorological reports from the storm that were used to evaluate its winds. In the Bahamas Harvey caused flooding in low-lying areas of three islands. In Georgia, much of the state reported rainfall, although totals did not reach 3 inches (76 mm), with a peak amount of 2.9 inches (74 mm) in Brunswick. Precipitation amounts were similar in South Carolina, peaking at 2.6 inches (66 mm) in Wagener. Rainfall was slightly heavier in North Carolina, with a few areas experiencing more than 3 inches (76 mm).
## See also
- List of Canada hurricanes
- List of Florida hurricanes (1975–1999)
- List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–1999)
- Other storms of the same name
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations",
"## Impact",
"### Florida",
"### Canada",
"#### Nova Scotia",
"#### New Brunswick",
"#### Elsewhere in Canada",
"### Elsewhere",
"## See also"
] | 2,790 | 32,508 |
61,294,086 |
Martha Watts
| 1,167,796,988 |
American Methodist missionary in Brazil
|
[
"1848 births",
"1909 deaths",
"19th-century American educators",
"19th-century American women educators",
"20th-century American educators",
"20th-century American women educators",
"American Methodist missionaries",
"Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery",
"Educators from Kentucky",
"Female Christian missionaries",
"Kentucky women in education",
"Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church",
"Methodist missionaries in Brazil",
"Missionary educators",
"People from Bardstown, Kentucky"
] |
Martha Watts (February 13, 1848 – December 30, 1909) was an American missionary and school teacher who established four educational facilities in Brazil. Educated in Kentucky at the Louisville Normal School, she was in the first graduating class in the early 1870s and became a teacher, working in the public schools. After joining the Broadway Methodist Church in 1874, Watts joined a youth missionary society and founded a Sunday school class. In 1881, after applying to the Women's Board of Foreign Missions, she was accepted as the second woman from the United States to act as a foreign missionary and was the first woman to be sent to Brazil.
Arriving in the state of São Paulo in 1881, Watts' mission was to establish a school in Piracicaba. Within months, though she only had one student, Watts had opened the Colégio Piracicabano and began by recruiting a French teacher, Marie Rennotte, in 1882. At the time, most educational materials had been translated into French, as it was the universal language of education. The two women worked together to design an innovative co-educational learning environment, which offered courses in languages, literature, mathematics, philosophy, and the natural and physical sciences. Though criticized by conservative sectors of society and the Catholic Church, Watts gained powerful supporters, including prominent progressive politicians, lawyers, masons, and abolitionists. By the 1890s, the school method and curricula had gained wide support, the student body had grown substantially, and their methods were being implemented throughout the state.
Watts remained at the Colégio Piracicabano for 14 years and then established three other schools in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Failing health led to her retirement in 1909 and a return to Louisville, Kentucky, where she died at the end of that year. She is remembered in Brazil as the pioneer in bringing Methodist education to the country. An annex of the Colégio Piracicabano is named in her honor, as is the cultural center of Piracicaba, one of several facilities which bear her name or pay homage to her role in the development of a modern educational system.
## Early life
Martha Hite Watts was born on February 13, 1848, in Bardstown, Kentucky, to Elizabeth Curtis/Curtiss (née Pixley/Paxley) and Elijah Searcy Watts. The ninth of 12 children, she received her early education from her older siblings. Around the age of nine, she enrolled in the Bardstown Female Institute of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her father was a well-known attorney and soon moved the family to Louisville, where Watts became engaged. Her fiancé was killed in the Civil War and when the war ended she continued her studies at the Louisville Normal School. The school opened in 1871 and Watts was in the first graduating class.
## Career
### Early career
Watts immediately began teaching in the public school system. In 1874, she joined the Methodist Church in Louisville and began regularly attending Sunday school. By 1877, she had established a youth missionary society at the Broadway Methodist Church. When asked by Mary Helm if she would be interested in missionary work in Brazil, Watts submitted an application to the Women's Board of Foreign Missions and was accepted in 1881, becoming the first woman to be sent to Brazil by the Women's Board and the second woman, after Lochie Rankin, who served in China from 1878, to be employed by the Women's Board. In May 1881, Watts arrived in Rio de Janeiro in the company of James L. Kennedy, James W. Koger and his wife Frances (née Smith), and John James Ransom. Her mission was to establish a school in Piracicaba in the state of São Paulo. While Koger and his wife were to found a church there, Kennedy and Ransom were to establish a church in Rio de Janeiro. By July, Watts had founded a Sunday school and the church was organized by September 11. Founding the school proved more difficult as Watts, who was not fluent in Portuguese, had to convince her neighbors to send their children to school. She also struggled to find a suitable property to rent.
### Colégio Piracicabano
On September 13, 1881, Watts opened the Colégio Piracicabano, having rented a space capable of serving 18 students. Only one pupil, Maria Escobar, was in attendance, as parents were reluctant to move their children in the last quarter of the year. She was criticized for her haste in trying to open the school so quickly with three teachers for the sole student, but pressure to succeed when two previous attempts to establish a Methodist mission school had failed, caused Watts to forge ahead. Watts did not speak French and neither teacher Mary Newman, nor Francis Joseph Christopher Schneider, who taught Portuguese, were prepared to teach classes in the French language, considered the universal language at that time. For students to study the classics in Brazil, they had to use French translations. This made securing a teacher who spoke French essential for the success of the school. Watts and Rev. Ransom, wrote several letters to the Women's Board asking them to secure an American teacher who spoke French, without success. On February 23, 1882, Ransom reported to the Board that he had found a "French woman" with teaching degrees who had accepted an offer of employment. Though the school term had already begun with 13 students, Marie Rennotte, a Belgian teacher, did not join the staff until early March.
Rennotte and Watts worked together to establish the educational vision of the school. Primarily Watts administrated the institution and Rennotte directed creation of the curricula and enhancing the reputation of the Colégio Piracicabano, becoming its spokeswoman owing to Watts' limited ability with Portuguese. Watts' approach to education was founded on Methodist ideology, which promoted a separation of church and state, individual and religious freedom, exploration of science and technology and democratic reforms aimed at producing faithful Christian servants to the nation. Rennotte's method was based upon the European philosophy and pedagogical theories of scholars like Fröbel and Pestalozzi. Together, they sought to implement innovative principles for women's education. The typical education available at the time prepared girls for domestic and social spheres and indoctrinated them into Catholicism. Providing a boarding school for girls, championing co-education and gender equality, Colégio Piracicabano offered a well-rounded curriculum, including courses in languages, literature, mathematics, philosophy, and natural and physical sciences. Classes were also open to boys, as lawyer Manuel de Moraes Barros [pt] sent four of his children there and encouraged others to do so.
Though their curricula was approved of by progressive factions of society, the conservative elements, and specifically the Catholic Church, were harsh critics of Watts and the education provided by Colégio Piracicabano. Nonetheless, by 1883, the enrollment had reached 30 students with the support of abolitionists, masons, and progressive politicians like Prudente Morais Barros (brother of Manuel), who would become governor of São Paulo and President of Brazil. He would later attempt to use the methods adopted for the Colégio Piracicabano as the model for the state's educational system and as governor, offered Watts a position as Minister of Education, to assist in founding a normal school in the state and reform education, though she declined. With growing enrollment, Watts embarked on the construction of a new school building, which was opened in 1884. Wanting the building ready for the start of the new school year, both she and Rennotte were closely involved in the building project to ensure both functionality and hygienic conditions as a basis for a good learning environment.
Taking a leave of absence as was typical for missionaries every five years, Watts spent much of the year 1886 in the United States. In her absence, the school was run by Mary Bruce, as Rennotte was also abroad gathering textbooks and class materials in Europe. Seizing the opportunity, in 1887 the Literary Inspector of Education, Abílio Vianna, filed a report that the school's co-education and its failure to instruct on the Catholic religion were in violation of the Education Laws of 1851 and 1869, and demanded that boys over age 10 be removed from admittance and that a teacher be hired for Catholic instruction. Reaction was swift, with prominent local newspapers and the press in Rio de Janeiro, publishing denouncements of the inspector's actions. When Bruce was subpoenaed, she responded that she would not comply and would not reject students on the basis of their religion or sex. In the end, the state legislature called for Vianna's resignation, allowing the school to continue with their programs. Watts returned after her year at home and resumed her post as director.
### Other schools in Brazil
After 14 years at the Colégio Piracicabano, in 1895, Watts was transferred to Petrópolis with instructions to build a new boarding school there. In effect, it meant starting her career over, building the Colégio Americano (American College) from scratch. The girls' boarding school began with three students and rapidly the enrollment expanded to 50 from some of the most prominent families in the area. As the school was somewhat remote and in the mountains, it gave relief from the heat and epidemics that often occurred in Rio de Janeiro at the time, allowing diplomats and officials in the nearby capital to send their daughters there for safety.
Watts remained at the school until 1900 and the following year took her pentennial leave, returning to the United States. Back in Brazil in 1902, she was assigned to Colégio Mineiro (Miner's College) in Juiz de Fora. She remained at the temporary location for two years while a building was secured for a new Methodist school in Belo Horizonte. In 1904, she inaugurated the Colégio Izabela Hendrix [pt] (Izabela Hendrix College) in the capital city of Minas Gerais with five students, but had over 60 enroll for the following year. In 1905, Blanche Howell was hired as Watts' assistant and the two worked together on the school's establishment. In 1907, Watts returned to Colégio Piracicabano for the dedication of an annex to the school which was named in her honor. Though the cornerstone was laid in 1907, the Martha Watts Annex was not completed until 1912. Suffering from ill-health, Watts returned to the United States in early 1909.
## Death and legacy
Watts fell when stepping out of a carriage in Greenville, Kentucky, in the spring of 1909 and never recovered from the complications of breaking her hip. She died on December 30, 1909, at her brother W. O. Watts' home and was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery on January 2, 1910. A memorial service for her life and work was hosted by the Methodist Missionary Society on January 5, 1910, in Louisville. Watts is recognized as the pioneer who brought Methodist education to Brazil and for her role in the development of a modern educational system in the country.
In 1947, the Escola Normal Livre Miss Martha Watts (Miss Martha Watts Free Normal School) was established next door to the Colégio Piracicabano. It operated until 1970, when the government abolished normal school training. The Colégio Piracicabano was eventually transformed into the Methodist University of Piracicaba in 1975, after having expanded its curricula to offer tertiary courses in 1964. There is a bronze bust of Watts in the hall of the Colégio Izabela Hendrix, recognizing her role in founding the school. The Centro Cultural 'Martha Watts' (Martha Watts Cultural Center) located on Rua Boa Morte in Piracicaba was established in 2003 and pays homage to her "ações que visavam transformar as pessoas, seus costumes, seus hábitos, suas crenças levando-as ao desenvolvimento, tanto intelectual como espiritual" (actions aimed at transforming people, their customs, their habits, their beliefs—leading them to both intellectual and spiritual development).
## See also
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Career",
"### Early career",
"### Colégio Piracicabano",
"### Other schools in Brazil",
"## Death and legacy",
"## See also"
] | 2,572 | 5,451 |
658,597 |
Rudaki
| 1,169,169,985 |
Persian poet (858–940/41)
|
[
"10th-century Iranian people",
"10th-century Persian-language poets",
"10th-century Persian-language writers",
"850s births",
"940s deaths",
"9th-century Iranian people",
"9th-century Persian-language poets",
"9th-century Persian-language writers",
"Blind poets",
"Iranian blind people",
"Samanid-period poets",
"Year of birth uncertain",
"Year of death uncertain"
] |
Rudaki (also spelled Rodaki; Persian: رودکی; c. 858 – 940/41) was a poet, singer and musician who is regarded as the first major poet to write in New Persian. A court poet under the Samanids, he reportedly composed more than 180,000 verses, yet only a small portion of his work has survived, most notably a small part of his versification of the Kalila wa-Dimna, a collection of Indian fables.
Born in the village of Banoj (located in the present-day Rudak area), the most important part of Rudaki's career was spent at the court of the Samanids. While biographical information connects him to the Samanid amir (ruler) Nasr II (r. 914–943), he may have already joined the court under the latter's predecessor, Ahmad Samani (r. 907–914).
Rudaki's success was largely due to the support of his primary patron, the vizier Abu'l-Fadl al-Bal'ami (died 940), who played an important role in the blooming of New Persian literature in the 10th-century. Following the downfall of Bal'ami in 937, Rudaki's career deteriorated, eventually being dismissed from the court. He thereafter lived his last years in poverty, dying blind and alone in his hometown.
In Iran, Rudaki is acknowledged as the "founder of New Persian poetry" and in Tajikistan as the "father of Tajik literature".
## Name
His full name was Abu Abd Allah Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Hakim ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Adam al-Rudhaki al-Sha'ir al-Samarqandi. The proper transliteration of his name is "Rōdhakī", while "al-Rūdhakī" is an arabicised form. Other transliterations include Rudagi, Rawdhagi and Rudhagi.
## Background
Little information is available about Rudaki's life, much which has been reconstructed from his poems. He lived during the era of the Samanid Empire (819–999), under which New Persian literature began to develop and flourish. Of Persian stock, Rudaki was born in c. 858, in the village of Banoj (Panjrud), located in the Rudak area between Samarqand and Bukhara. Rudaki's blindness is implied by the writings of early poets such as Daqiqi (died 977), Ferdowsi (died 1020/25), Abu Zura'ah al-Mu'ammari () and Nasir Khusraw (died after 1070). The historian Awfi (died 1242), even says that Rudaki was born blind, but this has been questioned by some modern scholars, due to the expressive picture of nature given by Rudaki in his writings.
Besides being a poet, Rudaki was also a singer and musician. Since the era of Sasanian Iran (224–651), poems were commonly carried out as songs used in music. Under the Sasanians, the official, religious and literary language was Middle Persian. Following the Muslim conquest of Iran, the language entered a new phase, known as New Persian. However, it is not descended from the literary form of Middle Persian (known as pārsīk, commonly called Pahlavi), which was spoken by the people of Fars and used in Zoroastrian religious writings. Instead, it is descended from the dialect spoken by the court of the Sasanian capital Ctesiphon and the northeastern Iranian region of Khurasan. During this period, New Persian was known as darī or parsī-i darī.
## Career
By the age of eight, Rudaki had reportedly memorized the Qur'an and was skilled in poetry. He was instructed on how to play the chang by a prominent musician named Abu'l-Abak Bakhtiar. In his early years, Rudaki became a popular figure due to his fine voice, skill with poetry and playing the chang. Surviving biographical information connects Rudaki with the Samanid amir (ruler) Nasr II (r. 914–943) or with his vizier Abu'l-Fadl al-Bal'ami (died 940). However, according to literary scholar Sassan Tabatabai, Rudaki had apparently already joined the Samanid court under Nasr II's father and predecessor Ahmad Samani (r. 907–914). Tabatabai states that this is proven in a poem by Rudaki, where he tries to comfort Ahmad Samani after the death of his father Ismail Samani in 907.
Rudaki's career at the Samanid court is regarded as the most important part of his life. The role of a court poet was more than just entertaining others, and was an essential aspect of the Persian court. According to the first Sasanian king Ardashir I (r. 224–242), a poet was "part of government and the means of strengthening rulership." Besides applauding the suzerain and his domain, a poet was also expected to give advice and moral guidance, which meant that Rudaki was most likely experienced in that field as well. Rudaki's success was largely due to the support of his primary patron, Bal'ami. The latter played an important role in the blooming of Persian literature in the 10th-century. Bal'ami regarded Rudaki as the best amongst Persian and Arab poets.
Rudaki was a close friend to his student Shahid Balkhi, a leading poet and scholar of the Samanid realm. Following Shahid Balkhi's death in 936, Rudaki wrote an elegy for him. Rudaki's career started to decline following the downfall of Bal'ami in 937. He soon fell out of favour with the amir and was dismissed from the court. Rudaki thereafter lived his last years in poverty, dying blind and alone in his hometown in 940 or 941.
The French Iranologist Gilbert Lazard considered Rudaki's first successor to have been Abu-Shakur Balkhi, who composed many mathnavis, notably the Afarin-nama.
## Works
According to Asadi Tusi, the divan (collection of short poems) of Rudaki consisted of more than 180,000 verses, but most of it has been lost. What little remains of Rudaki's writings, mostly single verses, can be found in Persian dictionaries, particularly the Lughat-i Furs of Asadi Tusi. A few complete poems have also survived, most notably a qasida (eulogy or ode) consisting of almost 100 verses quoted in the anonymous Tarikh-i Sistan. The qasida was dedicated to Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who ruled the region of Sistan as a Samanid governor from 923 to 963. In it, Rudaki calls Abu Ja'far an aristocrat of Sasanian ancestry and "pride of Iran", thus indicating a sense of continuity in Iranian identity from the Sasanian to the Samanid period. For this poem, Abu Ja'far rewarded Rudaki with 10,000 dinars.
Rudaki's best known work is his versification of the Kalila wa-Dimna, a collection of Indian fables. Nasr II had ordered Bal'ami to translate the book from Arabic to Persian, and then appointed "interpreters" to read it out loud, so that Rudaki, who was blind, could versify it. Only a few of the verses made by Rudaki have survived. Some of them have been identified in the Lughat-i Furs. Rudaki's surviving poetry is generally easy for literate native Persian readers to understand despite variations in terminology, word forms, and phrase and sentence patterns.
Although Rudaki displayed pro-Isma'ili sympathies in his writings, his poetry is fully secular in nature. Islam was firmly established by the 10th-century, however, Persians still remembered their deep-rooted Zoroastrian history. Rudaki was more prone to evoke ancient Iranian and Zoroastrian notions instead of Muslim ones. Some of Rudaki's poems were written in the pre-Islamic andarz style, i.e. ethical teachings, friendly criticism and advice for correct behavior in both private and public. An example of Rudaki's Zoroastrian roots can be seen in an excerpt where he is talking about his patron:
> > It's a puzzle, describing his grace and will: He is the Avesta in wisdom, the Zand in essence...
## Legacy and assessment
Rudaki is considered to have been the first major poet to write in New Persian. Albeit he was predated by other poets who wrote in New Persian, such as Abu Hafs Sughdi (died 902), most of their work has not survived. In Iran, Rudaki is acknowledged as the "founder of New Persian poetry" and in Tajikistan as the "father of Tajik literature", both claims which according to the Iranologist Richard Foltz are not contradictory. Rudaki's life is depicted in the 1957 film of A Poet's Fate, written by Satim Ulugzade (died 1997). The following year, the latter wrote a play focused on Rudaki, entitled Rudaki, which was the first Tajik biographical drama.
The 1100th anniversary of Rudaki's birth was commemorated by Iran and the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic in 1958, who together held a conference which was joined by several eminent Iranian and Tajik academics. It was during this period that Rudaki's burial place in Panjrud was discovered. The Soviet archaeologist and anthropologist Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov (died 1970) dug out and analyzed Rudaki's remains, which he used to recreate the latter's face on a sculpture. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Rudaki started to become a stronger representation of Tajik identity and also reinforced their ties to the rest of the Persian-speaking world.
According to Nile Green, Rudaki "heralded a new era for Persian letters." The Iranologist Francois de Blois states that Rudaki "was the most celebrated Persian poet prior to Ferdowsi." Following his death, Rudaki continued to remain a highly popular figure for around two centuries, until the Mongol period, where he became unpopular amongst the highly skilled poets of that time. However, he had not been forgotten, as demonstrated by the attribution of his name to the Pseudo-Diwan-i Rudaki, called "one of the notorious literary frauds" by de Blois. Scholars such as the 17th-century Hasan ibn Luft Allah al-Razi and 19th-century Reza-Qoli Khan Hedayat both easily recognized that the Pseudo-Diwan-i Rudaki was mostly composed of poems by Qatran Tabrizi (died after 1088), while the rest were already-known poems of Rudaki that had been mentioned in tadhkiras (biographical dictionaries).
During the 19th-century, Rudaki experienced a resurgence in popularity along with other ancient Khurasani poets.
|
[
"## Name",
"## Background",
"## Career",
"## Works",
"## Legacy and assessment"
] | 2,342 | 8,673 |
63,875,485 |
Never again
| 1,168,713,397 |
Phrase associated with the Holocaust and other genocides
|
[
"Aftermath of the Holocaust",
"English words and phrases",
"Genocide prevention",
"Holocaust terminology",
"Linguistic controversies"
] |
"Never again" is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The phrase may originate from a 1927 poem by Yitzhak Lamdan which stated "Never again shall Masada fall!" In the context of genocide, the slogan was used by liberated prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp to express anti-fascist sentiment. The exact meaning of the phrase is debated, including whether it should be used as a particularistic command to avert a second Holocaust of Jews or whether it is a universalist injunction to prevent all forms of genocide.
The phrase is widely used by politicians and writers and it also appears on many Holocaust memorials. It has also been appropriated as a political slogan for other causes, from commemoration of the 1976 Argentine coup, the promotion of gun control or abortion rights, and as an injunction to fight against terrorism after the September 11 attacks.
## Origins
The slogan "Never again shall Masada fall!" is derived from a 1927 epic poem, Masada, by Yitzhak Lamdan. The poem is about the siege of Masada, in which a group of Jewish rebels (the Sicarii) held out against Roman armies and, according to legend, committed mass suicide rather than be captured. In Zionism, the story of Masada became a national myth and was lauded as an example of Jewish heroism. Considered one of the most significant examples of early Yishuv literature, Masada achieved massive popularity among Zionists in the land of Israel and in the Jewish diaspora. Masada became a part of the official Hebrew curriculum and the slogan became an unofficial national motto. In postwar Israel, the behavior of Jews during the Holocaust was unfavorably contrasted with the behavior of the defenders of Masada: the former were denigrated for having gone "like sheep to the slaughter" while the latter were praised for their heroic and resolute fight.
Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its allies murdered about six million Jews in a genocide which became known as the Holocaust. The Nazi attempt to implement their final solution to the Jewish question took place during World War II in Europe. The first use of the phrase "never again" in the context of the Holocaust was in April 1945 when newly liberated survivors at Buchenwald concentration camp displayed it in various languages on handmade signs. Cultural studies scholars Diana I. Popescu and Tanja Schult write that there was initially a distinction between political prisoners, who invoked "never again" as part of their fight against fascism, and Jewish survivors, whose imperative was to "never forget" their murdered relatives and destroyed communities. They write that the distinction has been blurred in the subsequent decades as the Holocaust was universalised. According to the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 because "the international community vowed never again to allow" the atrocities of World War II, and the Genocide Convention was adopted the same year. Eric Sundquist notes that "the founding of Israel was predicated on the injunction to remember a history of destruction—the destruction of two Temples, exile and pogroms, and the Holocaust—and to ensure that such events will never happen again". The slogan "never again" was used on Israeli kibbutzim by the end of the 1940s, and was used in the Swedish documentary Mein Kampf [de] in 1961.
## Definition
According to Hans Kellner, "Unpacking the semantic contents of 'Never Again' would be an enormous task. Suffice it to say that this phrase, despite its non-imperative form as a speech act, orders someone to resolve that something shall not happen for a second time. The someone, in the first instance, is a Jew; the something is usually called the Holocaust." Kellner suggests that it is related to the "biblical imperative of memory" (zakhor), in Deuteronomy 5:15, "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm." (In the bible, this refers to remembering and keeping Shabbat). It is also closely related to the biblical command in Exodus 23:9: "You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt."
The initial meaning of the phrase, used by Abba Kovner and other Holocaust survivors, was particular to the Jewish community but the phrase's meaning was later broadened to other genocides. It is still a matter of debate whether "Never again" refers primarily to Jews ("Never again can we allow Jews to be victims of another Holocaust") or whether it has a universal meaning ("Never again shall the world allow genocide to take place anywhere against any group"). However, most politicians use it in the latter sense. The phrase is used commonly in postwar German politics, but it has different meanings. According to one interpretation, because Nazism was a synthesis of preexisting aspects of German political thought and an extreme form of ethnic nationalism, all forms of German nationalism should be rejected. Other politicians argue that the Nazis "misused" appeals to patriotism and that a new German identity should be built.
Writing about the phrase, Ellen Posman observed: "A past though often recent humiliation, and an emphasis on former victimhood, can lead to a communal desire for a show of strength that can easily turn violent." Meir Kahane, a far-right rabbi, and his Jewish Defense League made use of the phrase. To Kahane and his followers, "Never again" referred specifically to the Jews and its imperative to fight antisemitism was a call to arms that justified terrorism against perceived enemies. The Jewish Defense League song included the passage "To our slaughtered brethren and lonely widows: / Never again will our people's blood be shed by water, / Never again will such things be heard in Judea." After Kahane's death in 1990, Sholom Comay, president of the American Jewish Committee, said "Despite our considerable differences, Meir Kahane must always be remembered for the slogan 'Never Again,' which for so many became the battle cry of post-Holocaust Jewry."
## Contemporary usage
According to Aaron Dorfman, "Since the Holocaust, the Jewish community's attitude toward preventing genocide has been summed up in the moral philosophy of 'Never Again.'" What this meant was that the Jews would not allow themselves to be victimized. The phrase has been used in many official commemorations and appears on many Holocaust memorials and museums, including memorials at Treblinka extermination camp and Dachau concentration camp, as well as in commemoration of the Rwandan genocide.
It is in wide use by Holocaust survivors, politicians, writers, and other commentators, who invoke it for a variety of purposes. In 2012, Elie Wiesel wrote: "'Never again' becomes more than a slogan: It's a prayer, a promise, a vow ... never again the glorification of base, ugly, dark violence." The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum made the phrase, in its universal sense, the theme of its 2013 Days of Remembrance, urging people to look out for the "warning signs" of genocide.
In 2016, Samuel Totten suggested that the "once powerful admonition [has] become a cliché" because it is repeatedly used even as genocides continue to occur, and condemnation of genocide tends to only occur after it is already over. For an increasing number of critics, the phrase has become empty and overused. Others, including Adama Dieng, have noted that genocide has continued to occur, not never again but "time and again" or "again and again" after World War II. In 2020, several critics of the Chinese government used the phrase to refer to the perceived lack of international reaction to the Uyghur genocide. On 1 March 2022, after the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center was hit by Russian missiles and shells during the battle of Kyiv, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that "never again" means not being silent about Russia's aggression, lest history repeat itself.
Multiple United States presidents, including Jimmy Carter in 1979, Ronald Reagan in 1984, George H. W. Bush in 1991, Bill Clinton in 1993, and Barack Obama in 2011, have promised that the Holocaust would not happen again, and that action would be forthcoming to stop genocide. However, genocide occurred during their presidencies: Cambodia in Carter's case, Anfal genocide during Reagan's presidency, Bosnia for Bush and Clinton, Rwanda under Clinton, and Yazidi genocide for Obama. Elie Wiesel wrote that if "never again" were upheld "there would be no Cambodia, and no Rwanda and no Darfur and no Bosnia." Totten argued that the phrase would only recover its gravitas if "no one but those who are truly serious about preventing another Holocaust" invoked it.
## Other uses
In Argentina, the phrase Nunca más (never more) is used in annual commemorations of the 1976 Argentine coup, to emphasize continued opposition to military coups, dictatorship, and political violence, and a commitment to democracy and human rights.
In Brazil, "never again" has been used as a motif by groups that opposed the Brazilian military dictatorship since the 1980s, starting with the book Brazil: Never Again, the human rights organisation Torture Never Again, and the monument of the same name.
In the Philippines, "never again" has been used as a rallying cry for the commemoration and remembrance of martial law under Ferdinand Marcos, and is usually chanted alongside the phrase "never forget" on occasions such as the annual commemorations of the declaration of martial law on September 21, and on the anniversary of the People Power Revolution on February 25, which is a public holiday in the country.
"Never again" has also been used in commemoration of Japanese American internment and the Chinese Exclusion Act.
After the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush declared that terrorism would be allowed to triumph "never again". He referenced the phrase when defending the trial of non-citizens in military courts for terrorism-related offenses and mass surveillance policies adopted by his administration. Bush commented, "Foreign terrorists and agents must never again be allowed to use our freedoms against us." His words echoed a speech that his father had given after winning the Gulf War: "never again be held hostage to the darker side of human nature".
The phrase has been used by political advocacy groups Never Again Action, which opposes immigration detention in the United States, and by Never Again MSD, a group that campaigns against gun violence in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas shooting.
## See also
- Responsibility to protect
- The war to end war
- Never Forget (disambiguation)
- Lest we forget
|
[
"## Origins",
"## Definition",
"## Contemporary usage",
"## Other uses",
"## See also"
] | 2,269 | 6,514 |
65,352,366 |
Subtropical Storm Alpha (2020)
| 1,167,515,830 |
Atlantic subtropical storm in 2020
|
[
"2020 Atlantic hurricane season",
"Subtropical storms",
"Tropical cyclones in 2020"
] |
Subtropical Storm Alpha was the first subtropical or tropical cyclone ever observed to make landfall in mainland Portugal. The twenty-second tropical or subtropical cyclone and twenty-first named storm of the extremely active and record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Alpha originated from a large non-tropical low that was first monitored by the National Hurricane Center on 15 September. Initially not anticipated to transition into a tropical cyclone, the low gradually tracked south-southeastward for several days with little development. By early on 17 September, the low had separated from its frontal features and exhibited sufficient organization to be classified as a subtropical cyclone, as it approached the Iberian Peninsula, becoming a subtropical storm around that time. Alpha then made landfall just south of Figueira da Foz, Portugal during the evening of 18 September, then rapidly weakened as it moved over the mountainous terrain of Northeastern Portugal. The system degenerated into a remnant low on 19 September, when it was last noted.
At least two EF1 tornadoes were confirmed in Portugal, and one person was killed due to strong winds in Spain. Impacts from Alpha were rather minor as a subtropical cyclone, although Alpha produced some significant rainfall and gusty winds in both Portugal and Spain as a remnant low. Total damages from the storm were estimated to be greater than €20 million (US\$24.2 million), with a majority of the damage occurring in Portugal.
## Meteorological history
Alpha originated from a large, extratropical low-pressure area, which developed over the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean on 14 September. As a strong upper-level trough dug southeastward and became a cut-off low about 500 nmi (580 mi; 930 km) north of the Azores, the interaction between the low and a surface front promoted the formation of a strong frontal low, which rapidly deepened and reached its extratropical peak that day, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds as high as 112 km/h (70 mph) and a minimum central atmospheric pressure of 992 mbar (29.3 inHg). By this time, the extratropical cyclone had a very large radius of gale-force winds expanding over 500 km (270 nmi; 310 mi) from its center of circulation. The low was initially very slow-moving, but began to dip southeastward and weaken by 15 September when the National Hurricane Center (NHC) first began to monitor the system for possible development into a tropical or subtropical cyclone. This was because the system was expected to track close to a region of unusually-warm sea surface temperatures to the west of Portugal of around 22 °C (72 °F), though these temperatures would still typically be too cold to support tropical cyclogenesis.
The size of the low's wind field continued gradually decreasing on 16 September, as some of its frontal features gradually became less defined, although the NHC only highlighted a low (20%) chance of development at this time, operationally. Nonetheless, convection, or thunderstorm activity, became more concentrated and organized near the center of the low, and a newly formed central low soon became the dominant feature within the larger extratropical system. In post-season analysis, the NHC estimated that Alpha had developed as a subtropical storm at 06:00 UTC on 17 September, as the thunderstorm activity associated with the smaller low feature became well-organized. Alpha accelerated to the northeast, and a combination of radar imagery from Portugal, scatterometer passes, and satellite-derived wind data revealed Subtropical Storm Alpha had peaked around 00:00 UTC on 18 September, just about 417 km (225 nmi; 259 mi) off the coast of Portugal, while the storm was producing 1-minute sustained winds up to 80 km/h (50 mph).
Alpha maintained its intensity up to its landfall about 17 km (11 mi) south of Figueira da Foz, Portugal, around 18:40 UTC that day. The storm's final minimum central pressure estimate of 996 mbar (29.4 inHg) was based on a surface pressure of 999 mbar (29.5 inHg) being recorded in Monte Real, Portugal, well north of the cyclone's landfall point. After landfall, the small low-level circulation associated with Alpha began to quickly decay, as the storm moved inland, and the cyclone weakened to a subtropical depression at 0:00 UTC on 19 September. Alpha degenerated into a remnant low later that day, as it moved over the mountainous terrain of Northeastern Portugal.
## Preparations and impact
In preparation for Alpha in Portugal on 18 September, orange warnings were raised by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), due to the threat of high wind and heavy rain in the Coimbra and Leiria districts of Portugal. Winds due to Alpha caused widespread power outages, uprooted trees, and damaged dozens of vehicles. A squall line producing gusts as high as 80 km/h (50 mph) associated with the system spawned at least two confirmed tornadoes of EF1 intensity; one near the town of Palmela, which caused no reported damage, and one in Beja, which uprooted around 100 trees and damaged 30–40 vehicles. There were some reports of minor roof damage to some structures as well, deemed to be related to the Beja tornado. Street flash flooding, as a result of heavy rainfall became prominent in some cities in western Portugal; the flooding was most severe in Setúbal. 68.2 mm (2.69 in) of rain fell in Porto, while wind gusts reached as high as 90 km/h (56 mph) in Monte Real. High surf caused by Alpha in Carcavelos Beach (Portuguese: Praia de Carcavelos) caused minor coastal erosion. Winds brought down a radio tower in Leiria, where it was reported to have been damaged beyond repair. Throughout the country, there were 203 reports of trees uprooted, 174 reports of minor flooding, 88 structures damaged and 82 roads blocked by debris. Of these reports, 143 were in Leiria District and 135 were in Lisbon District. Alpha caused an estimated €20 million (US\$24.2 million) in damage in Portugal before the region would later be hit by another significant storm, Windstorm Barbara, in late October.
In Spain, orange warnings were also raised by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) for the Spanish autonomous communities of Madrid, Extremadura, Aragon, and Catalonia as Alpha moved into Portugal late on 18 September, citing a risk of heavy rain, hail, and strong wind gusts. Yellow alerts were also issued in Castile and León and Castilla–La Mancha. Rain and windy conditions spread further inland into Spain, while the remnants moved eastward. Castilla–La Mancha's news agency reported that uprooted trees and minor floods had occurred in the community during Alpha, while several water rescues were carried out around midday of 19 September. The fast-moving cluster of thunderstorms associated with the remnants of Alpha produced 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain in half an hour in Valencia before the remnants exited into the Mediterranean Sea. Wind gusts of up to 94 km/h (58 mph) were reported in the town of Coria, Cáceres. The remnants of Alpha caused a train with 25 passengers to derail in Madrid, although no one was seriously injured. A woman died in Calzadilla after the roof of a cattle shed collapsed on top of her. Alpha also caused lightning on Ons Island, which led to an isolated forest fire.
## Distinctions and naming
Alpha was the earliest 22nd Atlantic tropical or subtropical storm on record, surpassing the old mark of October 17, set by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It developed at an unusually eastern longitude – 18.0°W; only Tropical Storm Christine in 1973 developed farther to the east, at 14.0°W. Upon landfall, Alpha became the first recorded tropical or subtropical cyclone known to have made landfall in Portugal. Additionally, Cyclone Ianos was approaching its first landfall in Greece at the time; this marked the first time in recorded history that two storms of subtropical or tropical nature impacted continental Europe simultaneously.
The 2020 season was the second (along with 2005) in which an alphabetic list of 21 storm names had been exhausted, necessitating use of the Greek alphabet auxiliary list. In March 2021, the World Meteorological Organization replaced that auxiliary list with a new 21-name supplemental list. As a result, the name Alpha will not be used to name another Atlantic hurricane.
## See also
- Tropical cyclones in 2020
- Timeline of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Other storms of the same name
- 1842 Spain hurricane – only storm known to have made landfall in the Iberian Peninsula at hurricane strength
- Hurricane Leslie (2018) – long-lived Atlantic hurricane whose extratropical remnant made landfall in Portugal
- Hurricane Vince – made landfall in Spain as a tropical depression
- Hurricane Pablo – similar track and location
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"## Distinctions and naming",
"## See also"
] | 1,936 | 4,711 |
12,731,396 |
Seaplane Squadron RAAF
| 1,125,800,118 |
Royal Australian Air Force squadron
|
[
"Military units and formations disestablished in 1939",
"Military units and formations established in 1928",
"RAAF squadrons"
] |
Seaplane Squadron was a flying unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) between the wars. It operated Supermarine Southampton flying boats from January 1928, as well as other types. Along with Fighter Squadron, Seaplane Squadron was a component of No. 1 Flying Training School, based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. Seaplane Squadron was responsible for coastal reconnaissance, training aircrew to operate seaplanes, and supporting the Royal Australian Navy. It also conducted survey flights over remote parts of Australia and mapped the Darwin–Sydney section of the Empire Air Mail Scheme route. Seaplane Squadron was disbanded in June 1939.
## History
Although the first entry in Seaplane Squadron records is dated 16 February 1934, the official history of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) between the wars refers to the unit as having been in operation when Australia acquired two Supermarine Southampton flying boats, which entered service in January 1928. The Southamptons formed a coastal reconnaissance flight within Seaplane Squadron, which also operated other aircraft for seaplane training. Seaplane Squadron was one of two formations raised at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, under the auspices of No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS), the other being Fighter Squadron, which operated Bristol Bulldogs. No. 1 FTS had been the first unit to be formed as part of the new Australian Air Force on 31 March 1921 (the prefix "Royal" was added in August that year).
The Southamptons (nicknamed "Swamptons") were the biggest aircraft in the RAAF's inventory at the time and a new seaplane hangar was specially constructed for them at Point Cook. On 22 June, one of the flying boats was overturned by strong wind on the Torrens River en route to meet the four Southamptons of the Royal Air Force's Far East Flight near Adelaide. In their naval cooperation role, the Southamptons were required to locate and shadow "enemy" cruisers on exercises. They also trialled radio communications between aircraft and naval ships.
The Southamptons were used for parachute training with the "pull-off" technique, which involved standing on a small platform near the outer wing struts, opening the parachute and being dragged from the aircraft by the wind. In the early 1930s, the flying boats took part in several forestry surveys in Tasmania. From June 1935 to February 1936, a Southampton was employed to map the Darwin–Sydney section of the Empire Air Mail Scheme route; its survey work ultimately took it to New Guinea and around the Australian continent. Seaplane Squadron undertook search-and-rescue work with both the Southamptons and Supermarine Seagulls; the former were involved in the abortive search for the airliner Miss Hobart, a de Havilland DH.86 that vanished in Bass Strait on 19 October 1934. One of the Southamptons was taken out of service in 1937; the other continued flying until 1939.
In October 1929, Seaplane Squadron received a locally designed amphibian, the Wackett Widgeon II; it crashed into the sea off Point Cook on 6 January 1930, killing all three occupants. Another Wackett design, the Warrigal II landplane, was fitted with floats and assigned to Seaplane Squadron in September 1932 for trials and possible use as a trainer and patrol aircraft; it was considered successful in the latter role but maintenance issues led to its disposal in July 1933. The squadron also operated de Havilland Moths. In May 1934, one of these was flown to Darwin, Northern Territory, where it was fitted with floats and undertook reconnaissance and survey work in cooperation with HMAS Morseby, before being converted back to a landplane and returning to Point Cook in July. In December 1935, a Gipsy Moth fitted with skis embarked for Antarctica aboard the RRS Discovery II to locate missing explorer Lincoln Ellsworth. Seaplane Squadron began operating Avro Ansons for navigation courses and cross-country exercises in 1937; one exercise in November 1938 involved a round-Australia flight. A new headquarters building for the squadron was constructed at Point Cook in the late 1930s, as part of general improvements to RAAF facilities owing to the threat of war in Europe.
Throughout their existence, Seaplane and Fighter Squadrons remained under the control of No. 1 FTS and were "really little more than flights", in the words of the official history. The final entry in Seaplane Squadron records was made on 30 June 1939. The unit became the nucleus for No. 10 (Reconnaissance) Squadron, formed at Point Cook the following day.
|
[
"## History"
] | 1,010 | 37,309 |
36,348,228 |
Sarah Vinci
| 1,168,317,779 |
Australian wheelchair basketball player (born 1991)
|
[
"1991 births",
"Australian women's wheelchair basketball players",
"Living people",
"Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics",
"Paralympic medalists in wheelchair basketball",
"Paralympic silver medalists for Australia",
"Paralympic wheelchair basketball players for Australia",
"People with paraplegia",
"People with spina bifida",
"Sportspeople from Perth, Western Australia",
"Sportswomen from Western Australia",
"Wheelchair basketball players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics",
"Wheelchair basketball players at the 2020 Summer Paralympics"
] |
Sarah Vinci (born 4 December 1991) is a 1 point wheelchair basketball player who plays for the Perth Western Stars in the Australian Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League. She made her debut with the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team, known as the Gliders, in 2011, when she played in the Osaka Cup in Japan. Vinci represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London in wheelchair basketball, winning a silver medal. She represented Australia at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.
## Personal life
Vinci was born on 4 December 1991 in Perth, Western Australia. She has spina bifida. As of 2013, Vinci lives in Perth, Western Australia, and is a student. She has already attended a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute, where she earned a certificate in digital media.
Sarah volunteers at the Telethon community cinemas to help support children's charities.
## Career
Vinci is a 1 point wheelchair basketball player. She started playing wheelchair basketball in 2006. Vinci joined the Perth Western Stars in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) in 2009, and has been with the club into the 2013 season. In 2010, she won the league's junior championship, the Kevin Coombs Cup, when her team beat the New South Wales side 63–58.
Vinci was selected to participate in a national team training camp in 2010, and made her debut with the national team, universally known as the Gliders, the following year, when she played in the Osaka Cup in Japan. She competed in the 2011 Asia Oceania Regional Championships, the 2011 U25 World Championships, and the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup, competing in the final match against Germany.
Vinci was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in wheelchair basketball. The London Games were her first. She attended a Paralympic farewell ceremony at Perth's State Basketball Centre in late July.
In the group stage, the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics posted wins against Brazil, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, but lost to Canada. This was enough to advance the Gliders to the quarter-finals, where they beat Mexico. The Gliders then defeated the United States by a point to set up a final clash with Germany. The Gliders lost 44–58, and earned a silver medal.
At the 2013 Osaka Cup in Japan, Vinci and the Gliders successfully defended the title they had previously won in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012. She represented Australia at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship where the team came ninth. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, the Gliders finished ninth after winning the 9th-10th classification match. In June 2023, she was a member of the Gliders team at the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Dubai.
## Statistics
## Gallery
|
[
"## Personal life",
"## Career",
"## Statistics",
"## Gallery"
] | 644 | 4,577 |
20,037,261 |
Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control
| 1,152,621,340 |
Book by Kathleen Taylor
|
[
"2004 non-fiction books",
"Books about Jonestown",
"Books about cults",
"Books about mind control",
"Manson Family",
"Psychology books"
] |
Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control is a 2004 popular science book explaining mind control, which is also known as brainwashing, thought reform and coercive persuasion, by neuroscientist and physiologist Kathleen Taylor. It explains the neurological basis for reasoning and cognition in the brain, and proposes that the self is changeable, and describes the physiology of neurological pathways. It reviews case studies including Patty Hearst, the Manson Family, and the mass murder/suicide of members of Peoples Temple at Jonestown, and compares the techniques of influence used by cults to those of totalitarian and communist societies. It lays out a model FACET – Freedom, Agency, Complexity, Ends-not-means, and Thinking – which she believes can be used to negate the influence of brainwashing techniques.
## Contents
Taylor provides background on the development of the term brainwashing, from its use in 1950 by journalist Edward Hunter and its later usage as applied to the spheres of cults, marketing, influence, thought reform, torture, and reeducation. She references psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton's work Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism as a resource throughout the book. Lifton based his research on interviews he conducted with prisoners of war who had been subjected to indoctrination and torture during the Korean War. Taylor argues that the term brainwashing is useful to when used to refer to a more coercive form of persuasion.
She explains the neurological basis for reasoning and cognition in the brain, and brings the point across that the self itself is changeable. She describes the physiology behind neurological pathways which include webs of neurons containing dendrites, axons, and synapses; and explains that certain brains with more rigid pathways will be less susceptible to new information or creative stimuli. Taylor utilizes neurological science to show that brainwashed individuals have more rigid pathways, and that rigidity can make it unlikely that the individual will rethink situations or be able to later reorganize these pathways. She explains that repetition is an integral part of brainwashing techniques because connections between neurons become stronger when exposed to incoming signals of frequency and intensity. She argues that people in their teenage years and early twenties are more susceptible to persuasion. Taylor explains that brain activity in the temporal lobe, the region responsible for artistic creativity, also causes spiritual experiences in a process known as lability.
In the Part I of the book, titled: "Torture and seduction", Taylor analyzes how various parties have used certain techniques in influencing and brainwashing others, including a restriction of individual freedoms, deception, and methods that conflict with one's decision-making processes. She utilizes case studies including Patty Hearst, the Manson Family, and the mass murder/suicide of members of Peoples Temple at Jonestown to illustrate the neurology she explains in Part II, "The traitor in your skull". In the case of the Manson Family followers of Charles Manson carried out multiple murders in 1969, and with Peoples Temple over 900 followers of charismatic leader Jim Jones died in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana after consuming cyanide. Taylor asserts that the techniques used by cults to influence others are similar to those used by other social groups, and compares similar totalitarian aspects of cults and communist societies. These techniques include isolating the individual and controlling their access to information, challenging their belief structure and creating doubt, and repeating messages in a pressurized environment.
According to Taylor, cults emphasize positive aspects of the group over negative aspects of outsiders, endlessly repeat simple ideas in "highly reductive, definitive – sounding phrases", and refer to "abstract and ambiguous" ideas associated with "huge emotional baggage". Taylor writes that brainwashing involves a more intense version of the way the brain traditionally learns. In the final portion of the book, Part III: "Freedom and Control", Taylor describes an individual's susceptibility to brainwashing and lays out an acronym "FACET", a tool to combat influence and a totalist mindset. FACET stands for Freedom, Agency, Complexity, Ends-not-means, and Thinking. The FACET model is based on Lifton's eight criteria for thought reform, and Taylor emphasizes education and freedom of thought as a way to negate some of these criteria.
## Reception
Brainwashing was first published in hardcover format on 16 December 2004 by Oxford University Press, and again in paperback format on 24 August 2006. The book was "highly commended" and runner-up in the 2005 Times Higher Education Supplement Young Academic Author Award, and also made it to the shortlist for the 2005 MIND "Book of the Year Award". The book also made it to the longlist of the 2005 Aventis "Science Book Prize", where it was described as containing "elegant and accessible prose".
PD Smith gave the book a positive review in The Guardian, and concluded: "Her ambitious and well-written study celebrates human freedom through a history of attempts to destroy it." Joseph Szimhart reviewed the book for Skeptical Inquirer, and wrote: "I enjoyed the book as a challenge to think about a sorely neglected topic." Szimhart concluded: "Taylor's concern is with any human venture (be it science, religion, or politics) that restricts brain function from creative 'stop and think' activity, and which becomes little more than another exclusive cult."
In a review of the book for The Daily Telegraph, British doctor and science writer James Le Fanu was critical, and commented that Taylor did not acknowledge "the explanatory gap" between current understanding of the brain's structure and "what it does, how we think, feel and emote". Le Fanu concluded, "The paradox of Brainwashing is that it would have been a much more interesting book if Dr Taylor had pursued the contrarian view of seeking to explain why that 'explanatory gap' is not merely unbridged but, with the advance of the neurosciences, now seems to be unbridgeable. A brain that was simple enough to be fully known would be too simple to contain conscious observers who might know it." Nigel Hawkes of The Times criticized what he saw as Taylor's conclusion that "we are all a little bit brainwashed by our culture and experience" and noted that this assessment places Jim Jones of the Peoples Temple group in the same classification as the tabloid press. A review in Financial Times by Jerome Burne was also critical, and he commented that Taylor does not convey "a clear enough message" in the work.
Peter Knight believes that Taylor sufficiently "argues that there is no need to invoke the notion of brainwashing as a mysterious and fear-inducing explanation as a last resort" – to Taylor, "brainwashing is less scary than people might think because it is in fact not some magical, secret and ultra-efficient technique of thought control" but a "mundane and ubiquitous" neurological phenomenon that can be understood scientifically. Alan W. Scheflin, writing for Nova Religio, believes that the book is a "solid and welcome contribution to the brainwashing literature". He calls the book a "very valuable field manual" in the "battle" for people's minds in the twenty-first century.
## See also
- Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, by Robert Jay Lifton
|
[
"## Contents",
"## Reception",
"## See also"
] | 1,485 | 10,524 |
6,343,677 |
Pumpkin bomb
| 1,112,974,246 | null |
[
"Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki",
"History of the Manhattan Project",
"Nuclear warfare",
"World War II aerial bombs of the United States"
] |
Pumpkin bombs were conventional aerial bombs developed by the Manhattan Project and used by the United States Army Air Forces against Japan during World War II. It was a close replication of the Fat Man plutonium bomb with the same ballistic and handling characteristics, but it used non-nuclear conventional high explosives. It was mainly used for testing and training purposes, which included combat missions flown with pumpkin bombs by the 509th Composite Group. The name "pumpkin bomb" was the term used in official documents from the large, fat ellipsoidal shape of the munition casing instead of the more usual cylindrical shape of other bombs, intended to enclose the Fat Man's spherical "physics package" (the plutonium implosion nuclear weapon core).
## Development
Pumpkin bombs were a means of providing realistic training with non-nuclear bombs for the 509th Composite Group's Boeing B-29 Superfortress crews assigned to drop the atomic bomb. The pumpkin bomb had a similar size and weight distribution as a Fat Man plutonium bomb, giving it the same ballistic and handling characteristics. Specifications for the bomb required that it be carried in the forward bomb bay of a Silverplate B-29 bomber and be fuzed to be effective against actual targets.
Pumpkin bombs were produced in both inert and high-explosive variants. The inert versions were filled with a cement-plaster-sand mixture that was combined with water to 1.67 to 1.68 grams per cubic centimetre (0.060 to 0.061 lb/cu in), the density of the Composition B high-explosive versions. The filler of both variants had the same weight and weight distribution as the inner spherical "physics package" of the Fat Man plutonium bomb.
The concept for the high-explosive pumpkin bomb was originated in December 1944 by United States Navy Captain William S. Parsons, the head of the Ordnance Division at Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory, and United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, commander of the 509th Composite Group. Prior testing was carried out with an inert version.
The name "pumpkin bomb" originated with Parsons and Dr. Charles C. Lauritsen of the California Institute of Technology, who managed the development team. The name was used for the training bombs in official meetings and documents, and probably derived from its large ellipsoidal shape. On the other hand, anecdotal sources attribute the naming of the bombs to a pumpkin color: While the bombs were painted olive drab or khaki in the field, photographs show that at least the units delivered to Tinian were shipped in the same yellow zinc chromate primer color worn by Fat Man.
While many Manhattan scientists expected that the development of the means of delivery of the atomic bomb would be straightforward, Parsons, with his experience of the proximity fuze program, expected that it would involve considerable effort. The test program was initiated on 13 August 1943 at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia, where a scale model of the Fat Man plutonium bomb was developed. On 3 March 1944, testing moved to Muroc Army Air Field, California. The initial tests demonstrated that the Fat Man assembly was unstable in flight, and that its fuzes did not work properly.
## Production
The shells of the pumpkin bomb were manufactured by two Los Angeles firms, Consolidated Steel Corporation and Western Pipe and Steel Company, while the 'California Parachute' tail assembly was produced by Centerline Company of Detroit. After initial development, management of the program was turned over to the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance in May 1945. A total of 486 live and inert training bombs were eventually delivered, at a cost of between \$1,000 and \$2,000 apiece.
All of the inert versions went from the manufacturers directly to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah, by rail, where they were used by the 216th Base Unit in flight testing of the bomb. Some test drop missions were flown by the 509th Composite Group's 393d Bombardment Squadron as training exercises. The bombs intended as live ordnance were shipped to the Naval Ammunition Depot, McAlester, Oklahoma, for filling with explosives. The Composition B was poured as a slurry, solidified in a drying facility for 36 hours, sealed, and shipped by railroad to the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, California, for shipment by sea to Tinian.
## Description
The pumpkin bombs were externally similar to the Fat Man bomb in size and shape, and both had the same 52-inch (130 cm) California Parachute square tail assembly and single-point attachment lug. The pumpkin bomb had three contact fuzes arranged in an equilateral triangle around the nose of the bomb while the atomic bomb had four fuse housings. The atomic bomb had its shell sections bolted together and sealed with externally-applied, sprayed-on liquid asphalt, but most if not all of the pumpkin bombs were welded, with a four-inch hole used for filling the shell. The Fat Man also had four external mounting points for radar antennas which the pumpkin bombs did not have.
The pumpkin bombs were 10 feet 8 inches (3.25 m) in length and 60 inches (152 cm) in maximum diameter. They weighed 5.26 long tons (5,340 kg), consisting of 3,800 pounds (1,700 kg) for the shell, 425 pounds (193 kg) for the tail assembly, and 6,300 pounds (2,900 kg) of Composition B filler. The shells were made of .375-inch (9.5 mm) steel plate and the tail assemblies from .200-inch (5.1 mm) aluminum plate.
## Combat missions
Combat missions were flown by the 509th Composite Group on 20, 23, 26 and 29 July and 8 and 14 August 1945, using the bombs against individual targets in Japanese cities. A total of 49 bombs were dropped on 14 targets, one bomb was jettisoned into the ocean, and two were aboard aircraft that aborted their missions.
Mission parameters and protocols were similar to those of the actual atomic bomb missions, and all targets were located in the vicinity of the cities designated for atomic attack. The bombs were released at an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m) and the aircraft then went into the sharp turn required on a nuclear mission. After the war, the Strategic Bombing Survey concluded that the pumpkin bombs were "a reasonably effective weapon against Japanese plants when direct hits were scored on vital areas, or when the near miss was sufficiently close to important buildings to cause severe structural damage."
|
[
"## Development",
"## Production",
"## Description",
"## Combat missions"
] | 1,380 | 29,146 |
3,606,362 |
Congress Radio
| 1,141,691,920 |
1942 underground radio station in India
|
[
"Amateur radio history",
"Amateur radio in India",
"Indian National Congress",
"Indian independence movement",
"Pirate radio stations",
"Radio stations disestablished in 1942",
"Radio stations established in 1942"
] |
Congress Radio, also known as Azad Radio, was an underground radio station that operated for about three months during the Quit India Movement of 1942, a movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi against the British Raj for independence of India. Congress Radio was the broadcasting mouthpiece of the Indian National Congress and functioned from different locations in Bombay, present-day Mumbai, and briefly from Nashik. It was organized by Usha Mehta (1920–2000), then a 22-year student activist, with the help of amateur radio operators. Others who were involved included Vithalbhai Jhaveri, Vitthaldas Khakar, Chandrakant Jhaveri, and Babubhai Thakkar. The broadcasting equipment was supplied by Nanik Motwane of Chicago Radio, Bombay. Prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement like Ram Manohar Lohia, Achyutrao Patwardhan, and Purushottam Trikamdas were also associated with Congress Radio.
The radio station broadcast from 27 August through 12 November 1942 before being shut down by the authorities, with the operators being arrested.
## Background
During the Second World War, all amateur radio licenses were suspended throughout the British Empire, with operators having to surrender their broadcasting equipment. The move was intended to prevent illegal broadcasts across the country and also potentially to prevent the equipment from being used by enemies in case of capture. At the same time, All India Radio had already been set up in the country in 1923 and beamed programming that carried the then-imperial British Indian government's messages, with no space for the dissenting voices from the Indian independence movement which was rapidly gaining steam during the war time.
Between 5 and 8 August 1942, the Indian National Congress met in Bombay and issued the proclamation of Quit India Movement, demanding that the British Empire withdraw from India. During this session, Gandhi issued a cry, Do or Die in his Quit India speech. Gandhi and a few other leaders from the movement were immediately arrested, resulting in spontaneous violence across the country, demanding his release and the withdrawal of the British empire. It was at this time that student activist Usha Mehta and Congress leader Vithalbhai Jhaveri got together and decided to seek out amateur radio operators Nariman Abarbad Printer and 'Bob' Tanna to set up an underground radio broadcasting station that would broadcast messages related to the Indian independence movement and recorded speeches from some of the prominent leaders of the movement. Mehta was then twenty-two years old and a student at Wilson College studying for her master's degree.
Printer assembled the radio transmission equipment and set up the broadcasting unit with equipment being supplied by Bombay based Chicago Radio's Nanik Motwane. Some of the other founding members of the station included Ram Manohar Lohia, who would later go on to become a socialist leader in independent India; Chandrakant Jhaveri; and Babubai Khakhar. Khakhar was also instrumental in getting the funds for setting up the station. This was not the first of the underground radio stations broadcasting in India of the time. The famous Azad Hind Radio () broadcast anti-British messaging by the Axis powers from locations as wide as Germany, Japan, Rangoon, Saigon, and even Singapore which was held by Japan at that time. Tanna himself had set up an amateur broadcasting set up in 1940 that he called Radio Azad Hindi (), where he beamed messages of the Indian independence movement briefly before he was arrested by the authorities and his equipment seized.
## Operations
Congress Radio started with a broadcast on 27 August 1942 at 7:30 p.m. from the top floor of the Sea View building in Chowpatty Bombay with Usha Mehta, the founder of the station, announcing, "This is the Congress Radio calling on (a wavelength of) 42.34 metres from somewhere in India." The location was kept a secret and not disclosed in order to prevent the officials from cracking down. The station also separated the recording setup and the broadcast transmission setup to further reduce the probability of being caught.
The staff of the station would change their location every few days to avoid the police, moving from apartment to apartment. The station continued to broadcast recorded messages from prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement (including Mahatma Gandhi) from undisclosed locations. The station reported on incidents from across the country, countering the narratives from the official state broadcaster All India Radio. While the station started its broadcasts from the Sea View building in Chowpatty, it moved to many locations including Ajit Villa on Laburnum Road, Laxmi Bhavan on Sandhurst road, Parekh Wadi building on Girgaum back road, and finally from Paradise bungalow near Mahalakshmi temple where it ceased operations after being detected by the police. For a brief period, the radio station also moved to Nashik where it broadcast from the Shankaracharya math. Perhaps to avoid getting caught in a police raid, the transmission equipment was immersed into the nearby Godavari river.
Signals were broadcast on the then-unoccupied 40-metre band. The then-government was able to jam the radio signal occasionally, but the station's broadcasts were heard across the country and as far away as Japanese-occupied Burma.
### Programming
The station's programming started with a broadcast of Sare Jahan se Accha, written by Muhammad Iqbal, and ended the day with a broadcast of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Vande Mataram, a song that would go on to become the national song of Independent India. English news on the station was read by Ram Manohar Lohia, Coomi Dastur, Achyut Patwardhan, Moinuddin Harris, and Usha Mehta. Mehta also read the news in Hindustani.
The station initially broadcast recorded messages and talk by leaders of the Indian independence movement. The news broadcasts included sensitive subjects that were at that time not covered by the newspapers. Speaking about the role that the station played in covering the political movement, Mehta had said, "When the press is gagged and all news banned, our transmitter certainly helps a good deal in furnishing the public with the facts of the happenings and in spreading the message of rebellion in the remotest corners of the country."
In addition to these recorded messages, the station also broadcast messages linked to freedom, secularism, and internationalism. Congress Radio regularly spoke up on the atrocities committed by British soldiers and administrators. In one broadcast, it addressed the topic of mass rapes by British soldiers, calling them the "most bestial thing that one could imagine" and asking for citizens to stand up to rape; other broadcasts discussed the plights of one woman raped in a police van and another who had been carrying food to political prisoners before being sexually assaulted, both in the Central Provinces. Another broadcast touted the values of secularism and spoke about the need for unity between the Hindu and Muslim communities. The station also carried messages to workers and peasants, Indian soldiers, and students, directing their participation in the Quit India Movement. The station also took the message of the Indian movement beyond the country and preached internationalism.
### Detection and shutdown
The British imperial home ministry and the local All India Radio station learnt of the station's broadcasts within three days. However, they were not able to trace them to a source, as operators would mask their location. The special branch of the CID stepped in and started monitoring the broadcasts starting 8 October 1942. Stenographers from the police department were brought in to transcribe the broadcasts. Printer was captured by the authorities for his association with the station. He later led the police to Paradise bungalow near Mahalakshmi temple in Bombay, location of the final broadcast on 12 November 1942. It was noted that the station was playing "Vande Mataram", the song it used when signing off for the day, when it was shut down.
Mehta and the operating crew were arrested and imprisoned at the end of the last broadcast. Mehta was subjected to a secret trial in a special court, in what was called the Radio Conspiracy case, and was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment at the Yerawada prison in Pune on 13 May 1943. For his cooperation, Printer was provided immunity from prosecution for his support to the Crown.
## See also
- Amateur radio in India
- Usha Mehta
|
[
"## Background",
"## Operations",
"### Programming",
"### Detection and shutdown",
"## See also"
] | 1,744 | 37,269 |
44,725,804 |
Furniture & Meat
| 1,151,201,019 | null |
[
"2014 American television episodes",
"Adventure Time (season 6) episodes"
] |
"Furniture & Meat" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The episode was written by Cole Sanchez and Andy Ristaino from a story by Kent Osborne, Pendleton Ward, Jack Pendarvis, and Adam Muto.
The series follows the adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy, and his best friend and adopted brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In this episode, BMO (voiced by Niki Yang)—concerned that Finn and Jake's hoard of gold is threatening the structural integrity of their treehouse—talks Finn into spending the money in Wildberry Kingdom.
The episode was viewed by 1.9 million viewers, and ranked as the 52nd most-watched cable show on the day of its airing. Many reviews complimented the humor and tone of the episode, and Jason Krell of io9 Animation appreciated the return of the Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant.
## Plot
Outside their tree house, Finn and Jake snooze, while BMO (Niki Yang) and N.E.P.T.R. (Andy Milonakis) play out a spoof of Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The two break open Finn and Jake's treasure room, pouring their massive stash of gold out into the yard, as well as the Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant (Steve Agee). BMO talks Finn into spending the money at an expensive resort at Wildberry Kingdom. When they arrive in the town square, Jake unloads their treasure into the city's fountain. A guard scolds them for this, but they bribe him with a few shillings and a crown, freeing them from the law. Chaos follows shortly after Jake uses wealth to control the residents. When they disrespect her authority, Wildberry Princess (Maria Bamford) orders Finn and Jake to be arrested and for their money to be seized and melted down. Her punishment is for them to be covered in the molten gold, but BMO and N.E.P.T.R. arrive just in time and save the two.
## Production
"Furniture & Meat" was written and storyboarded by Cole Sanchez and Andy Ristaino. It was adapted from a story by Kent Osborne, Jack Pendarvis, Adam Muto, and series creator Pendleton Ward. Like most episodes of the season, the episode was produced in approximately nine months. Muto, Osborne and Pendarvis crafted a two-page outline, which was then sent to Sanchez and Ristaino for storyboarding in the course of two weeks (Sanchez and Ristaino are one out of four main storyboarding teams for the series). The final storyboard was drafted on December 17, 2013. Stamped with the production code "1025-171", the storyboard was then sent back to Osborne, for any final feedback, and to the network, for any final notes. The network approved it three weeks later.
## Broadcast and reception
"Furniture & Meat" first aired in the United States on June 19, 2014, on Cartoon Network. The episode was watched by 1.9 million viewers, receiving a Nielsen rating of 0.4 for adults in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic. It was 52nd most-watched television episode on the date of its airing, according to TV by the Numbers.
For io9 Animation, Jason Krell called it "pretty solid", albeit lacking in relation to the season's story arc. In his "additional musings" section, he hoped that the war elephant will make a "more meaningful" return, while questioning why nobody in the episode commented on the return of Finn's arm from "Breezy". Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave it a B+, referring it as a throwback to early episodes of the show where specific lessons were taught without dealing with the serial elements of surrounding episodes. He wrote that, while "not quite as substantial as recent installments, it's still very entertaining". Ryley Trahan of the online Entertainment Weekly praised the use of Ward's "best, most subversive humor", calling it a "great one-shot look" into the main duo's mischief; in the print publication, Ray Rahman summarized, "it's never too early to start saving, kids".
### Home video
The episode first saw physical release on the Finn the Human DVD set on November 25, 2014, containing 16 episodes from assorted seasons. In Geek Smash, Colin O'Boyle considered it one of many "great" episodes included in the release.
## See also
- "The Limit", an episode of the second season of Adventure Time that introduced the Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant
- "Something Big" (Adventure Time), his latest appearance this season
## Explanatory notes
|
[
"## Plot",
"## Production",
"## Broadcast and reception",
"### Home video",
"## See also",
"## Explanatory notes"
] | 1,013 | 8,313 |
36,942,111 |
Hurricane Leslie (2012)
| 1,171,889,397 |
Category 1 Atlantic hurricane in 2012
|
[
"2012 Atlantic hurricane season",
"2012 disasters in Canada",
"Cape Verde hurricanes",
"Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes",
"Hurricanes in Bermuda",
"Hurricanes in Canada",
"Natural disasters in Newfoundland and Labrador",
"Tropical cyclones in 2012"
] |
Hurricane Leslie was an Atlantic tropical cyclone that caused minor damage in Bermuda and Atlantic Canada in September 2012. The twelfth tropical cyclone of the annual hurricane season, Leslie developed from a tropical wave located nearly 1,500 miles (2,400 km) east of the Leeward Islands on August 30. About twelve hours later, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Leslie. Tracking steadily west-northwestward, it slowly intensified due to only marginally favorable conditions. By September 2, the storm curved north-northwestward while located north of the Leeward Islands. Thereafter, a blocking pattern over Atlantic Canada caused Leslie to drift for four days. Late on September 5, Leslie was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. However, due to its slow movement, the storm causing upwelling, which decreased sea surface temperatures (SST's), weakening Leslie back to a tropical storm on September 7.
The storm drifted until September 9, when it accelerated while passing east of Bermuda. Relatively strong winds on the island caused hundreds of power outages and knocked down tree branches, electrical poles, and other debris. Slight re-intensification took place, with Leslie becoming a hurricane again, before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone near Newfoundland on September 11. In Atlantic Canada, the storm brought heavy rainfall to both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. In the latter, localized flooding occurred, especially in the western portions of the province. Also in Newfoundland, strong winds from Leslie ripped off roofs, destroyed trees, and left 45,000 homes without power. Additionally, a partially built house was destroyed and several incomplete homes were damaged in Pouch Cove. Overall, Hurricane Leslie caused \$10.1 million (2012 USD) in damage and no fatalities.
## Meteorological history
A tropical wave, which was accompanied by a broad surface low pressure area, emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa late on August 26. Tracking generally westward, the system remained disorganized for the next several days. By August 29, the system became increasingly organized as showers and thunderstorms concentrated toward the center. Based on Dvorak satellite classifications and scatterometer surface wind data, it is estimated that Tropical Depression Twelve developed at 0000 UTC on August 30, while located about 1,495 miles (2,406 km) east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands. Situated to the south of a subtropical ridge, the system tracked west-northwestward over warm sea surface temperatures. As a result, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Leslie by 1200 UTC on August 30.
After becoming a tropical storm on August 30, the subtropical ridge caused Leslie to turn west-northwestward. By the early on August 31, the storm featured well-define outflow in all directions and the center of circulation was close to the main area of convection. Intensity estimates around that time indicated sustained wind speeds of 70 mph (110 km/h). However, intensification halted later on August 31 as wind shear increased over the storm, causing convection to become displaced from the center. Early on September 1, an eye-like feature appeared on satellite imagery; however, there was uncertainty as to whether or not the feature was displaced from the low-level center. The storm became increasingly disorganized, with the circulation displaced from the main convective area several hours later.
Relentless wind shear caused Leslie to weaken to slightly to a 60 mph (95 km/h) tropical storm, despite sea surface temperatures (SSTs) exceeding 84 °F (29 °C). Early on September 3, the storm decelerated and curved northwestward, while approaching a weakness in Bermuda high pressure ridge. Eventually, Leslie turned to a more northerly motion. A blocking pattern over Atlantic Canada caused the storm to drift at forward speeds under 5 mph (8.0 km/h) for four days. Wind shear also decreased, allowing Leslie to re-organize and strengthen into a hurricane at 1200 UTC on September 5. Six hours later, Leslie attained its maximum sustained wind speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). However, the slow movement of the storm caused upwelling – a process by which warm SSTs are replaced with colder waters. As a result, Leslie slowly began to weaken and fell to tropical storm intensity by early on September 8. Despite weakening, the storm's circulation expanded to a radius of more than 1,150 miles (1,850 km); the wind field also expanded, with tropical storm force winds reaching about 175 miles (282 km) in diameter from the center.
By early on September 9, the blocking pattern diminished as a broad mid- to upper-level trough and associated cold front moved off the East Coast of the United States. As a result, Leslie accelerated north-northeastward. Later that day, the storm passed about 130 miles (210 km) east of Bermuda. After leaving the region of upwelled waters, Leslie began to re-strengthen and became a hurricane again at 1200 UTC on September 10. Early on the following day, the storm reached its minimum barometric pressure of 968 mbar (28.6 inHg). However, a combination of cold SSTs, strong wind shear, and merging with a cold front caused the storm to become an extratropical cyclone at 0900 UTC on September 11, while located about 85 miles (137 km) south of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland. Leslie was operationally considered a tropical cyclone when it made landfall on the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland. The remnants of Leslie moved rapidly across Newfoundland and re-emerged into the Atlantic later on September 11. At 0600 UTC on the following day, the remnants of Leslie were absorbed into another larger extratropical storm over the Labrador Sea.
## Preparations and impact
### Bermuda
A few tropical cyclone warnings and watches were implemented in relation to Leslie. At 2100 UTC on September 6, a tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda. The watch was upgraded to a tropical storm warning at 0900 UTC on September 8. By early on September 10, the warning was discontinued. On September 6, officials in Bermuda urged residents to "prepare for the worst". Schools prepared to close Friday as residents got ready for the approaching storm. "Leslie could be a historic storm for Bermuda as it is very large and forecast to intensify rapidly as it approaches," the Bermuda Emergency Measures Organization said. "The island could experience hurricane force winds for a sustained period of time, possibly up to two days."
However, the storm passed further east of Bermuda than initially predicted, causing only minor impact. Nonetheless, sustained winds of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust up to 54 mph (87 km/h) was reported in St. David's Island. At the same location, 3.15 inches (80 mm) of precipitation was recorded. Throughout Bermuda, scattered power outages affected hundreds of residents and tree branches and other debris fell on roads; at least one street pole was toppled in Hamilton.
### Canada
At 0600 UTC on September 10, a tropical storm watch was issued from Indian Harbour southward to Stones Cove, Newfoundland, and from Fogo Island to Charlottetown. Simultaneously, a hurricane watch was put into effect from Stones Cove to Charlottetown. By 1500 UTC on September 10, the tropical storm watches were discontinued. Around that time, a tropical storm warning was implemented from Indian Harbour to Triton. By late on September 11, all watches and warnings were discontinued. As a precaution, the town of Badger declared a state of emergency.
While still a tropical cyclone, Leslie produced 2 to 4 inches (51 to 102 mm) of rain across much of Nova Scotia, peaking at 6.5 inches (170 mm) in Shubenacadie. The rainfall likely contributed to the ongoing flooding in some areas of Nova Scotia. Similarly, 2 to 4 inches (51 to 102 mm) of precipitation was reported throughout much of Newfoundland, with a peak total of 4.25 inches (108 mm) in Cow Head. Localized flooding left some roads and bridges impassable and briefly isolated the Port au Port Peninsula from the mainland of Newfoundland. Due to winds up to 85 mph (137 km/h), Leslie ripped off roofs, destroyed trees, and left 45,000 homes without power, particularly on the Avalon Peninsula, in the southeast portion of Newfoundland.
`In Pouch Cove on the Avalon Peninsula, the storm destroyed a partially built house and damaged incomplete homes in the Pleasantville neighborhood of St. John's. Within the latter, several streets were closed, as crews cleaned up scattered debris. A portion of Memorial University of Newfoundland's campus was closed after glass littered a pedestrian walk. Later, the remnants of Leslie brought rainfall to Nunavut, bring 1.4 inches (36 mm) of precipitation to Iqaluit during a three-day period. Damage in Atlantic Canada reached 10 million CAD ($10.1 million USD).`
### Elsewhere
While passing to north of the Lesser Antilles, Leslie generated rough surf on various Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Leslie, combined with the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, also produced rip currents along the east coast of Florida, mainly from Nassau County south to Martin County. Additionally, the storm also brought rip currents to coastal Delaware and New Jersey between September 5 and September 6.
## See also
- Other storms of the same name
- List of Bermuda hurricanes
- Hurricane Igor
- Hurricane Fabian
- Hurricane Florence (2006)
- Hurricane Maria (2011)
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"### Bermuda",
"### Canada",
"### Elsewhere",
"## See also"
] | 2,017 | 7,660 |
65,997,596 |
Wisconsin dairy industry
| 1,162,962,095 |
Overview of the milk producing industry in Wisconsin
|
[
"Agriculture in Wisconsin",
"Dairy farming in the United States",
"Economy of Wisconsin"
] |
Dairy is a major industry in the state of Wisconsin. Being known for its dairy production, the state is often called "America's Dairyland." The industry is prominent in official state symbols—being displayed on the state's license plates, state's slogan, and on the state quarter.
Dairying in Wisconsin includes the harvesting and processing of animal milk, usually from cows, and the processing into cheese, butter, or other dairy products. Dairy became an important industry in the late-19th century, following the invention of the refrigerated rail car. By 1915, Wisconsin had become the leading state for dairy production, only being surpassed by California in 1993. As of 2018, Wisconsin ranks 2nd in the United States in dairy production, with over 7000 dairy farms that produce 2.44 billion pounds (1.11×10^<sup>9</sup> kg) of milk per month.
## Farming
Dairy farming in Wisconsin became commercially viable in the late 19th century. Since its founding, most dairy enterprises were family-owned farms. Wisconsin dairy farms almost entirely hold dairy cows, typically in herds of over 100. The cows are usually kept in a pasture and milked in the barn, two or three times per day. Most dairy farms grow much of their feed to offset the price of buying it wholesale. Milking parlors, milking pipelines, and automated milking, while less common, are found in Wisconsin farms. Many family farms also produce cheese or butter, alongside milk.
Automatic milking systems were developed in the late 20th century and slowly introduced to Wisconsin farms. Since its introduction, Intensive dairy farming, also called factory-farms, has allowed farmers to keep upwards of 750 cows. These large-scale operations have been forcing smaller family farms out of business.
## Products
Wisconsin dairies produce a variety of products from processing milk. The most notable are cheese and butter.
### Cheese
Wisconsin has been making cheese since the start of its dairy industry. In the 19th century, much of the milk was made into cheese, because it kept longer than milk or butter. In the latter half of the 19th century, cheese production moved from the farms to specialized factories, resulting in higher quality cheese. In 1921, Wisconsin became the first state to grade cheese by its quality. As of 2020, Wisconsin produces 26% of all cheese in the US, totaling 3.39 billion pounds (1.54×10^<sup>9</sup> kg) of cheese in the last year.
Wisconsin cheesemakers produce hundreds of varieties. Settlers in Wisconsin brought their local cheese varieties with them. Swiss cheese being one of the first, alongside mozzarella and provolone. Some varieties were invented in Wisconsin, including brick and Colby cheese. Varieties of cheese produced in Wisconsin include cheddar, muenster, and feta, in which it leads the US. Within Wisconsin, mozzarella accounts for 31% of all cheese produced, while cheddar accounts for 21%.
Wisconsin requires cheese production to be performed or supervised by a licensed cheesemaker, being the only state in the US to require certification. The state also requires cheese sold to be graded for its quality, ranging from grade A to grade D. Producers must also label the age, moisture, and milkfat content.
### Butter
Butter is another common dairy product produced in Wisconsin. As of 2008, Wisconsin produces 22% of butter in the US, totaling 361 million pounds (164×10^<sup>6</sup> kg) of butter. Wisconsin requires buttermakers to hold a license to produce butter, also being the only state in the US to require certification.
## History
The Wisconsin dairy industry began in the latter half of the 19th century. The first farms in Wisconsin exclusively produced wheat. At their peak, Wisconsin farms produced 27 million US bushels (950,000 m<sup>3</sup>) of wheat. Rapidly, in the 1860s, the wheat farms began suffering mass soil depletion and insect infestations, lowering the quality and yield of the crop. During the 1880s, with pressure from the Wisconsin Dairymen’s Association, farms across the state began switching to producing dairy.
The invention and widespread use of the refrigerated rail car allowed many farms to switch to producing dairy products and raising feed crops instead of wheat. They were highly successful, and by the start of the 20th century, over 90% of farms were dairy.
During the late 19th century, cheesemakers in Wisconsin invented new varieties of cheese. These included brick and Colby, which are both derived from cheddar cheese. Brick cheese is created by using a higher temperature during the culturing process, leading to a softer texture. Brick cheese is traditional on Detroit-style pizza. Colby cheese forgoes the cheddaring process, instead partially draining the whey and adding cold water to the curds. This process gives it a mild flavor and a texture that is moister and softer than cheddar. Traditionally, Colby is pressed into a cylindrical from called a longhorn. The cheese was invented by Joseph Steinwand and was named after the township of their cheese factory, Colby, Wisconsin.
In 1890, Stephen Babcock from the University of Wisconsin–Madison developed a test to determine milkfat content. This innovation led to higher quality milk and dairy products. By 1915, Wisconsin became the leading state for dairy production, a lead it would maintain until 1993.
In 1895, the Wisconsin legislature prohibited the sale of yellow margarine, fearing that it would disrupt the state's dairy industry. So manufacturers switched to producing pink margarine. The margarine ban lasted for 75 years, until it was overturned in 1967. Wisconsin was the last state to repeal its margarine ban, the previous being Minnesota, which overturned theirs in 1963. But it is still illegal for restaurants to serve margarine, unless the customer requests it. While the ban was never enforced, it carried a \$6,000 fine.
The state requires all butter and cheese makers to hold a license. These rules were created in 1929, because of the amount of substandard product in Wisconsin.
In 1933, during the Great Depression, there was a series of strikes by Wisconsin dairy farmers attempting to raise the price of milk. The cooperative group of farmers attempted to coordinate their efforts with larger groups, including the Farmers' Holiday Association. However, the larger groups ended their strike early to avoid losses.
When states, such as California, started to experiment with new factory-farms, they saw great success, compared to Wisconsin's family farms. Throughout the late 20th-century, California dairy production started to grow rapidly, replacing Wisconsin as the leading state for milk production in 1993. Many of Wisconsin's family farms have been closing down, due to increased competition from large factory farms. Since 2005, about half of the dairy farms have closed, leaving Wisconsin with 7000 dairy farms in 2020.
Rising tariffs on dairy products have also been a major contributor to the decrease in productivity in Wisconsin. In 2018, China and Mexico imposed large tariffs on the US, making it harder for farms to sell their dairy products. Farmers across Wisconsin lost an estimated \$40,000 in yearly revenue due to these tariffs. The number of immigrant dairy workers is rising, from 5% in 2000 to 40% in 2010. This increase is due to many farmers looking to increase the size of their herds, which requires more workers. Another decrease of productivity resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during 2020. The decrease in demand forced farmers to dump excess milk, since they were unable to sell it. The industry quickly rebounded in late 2020, after Wisconsin loosened its lockdowns.
## Cultural significance
The prominence of the dairy industry in Wisconsin has led to Wisconsin being known as "America's Dairyland", which was made the official state slogan in 1940. After it was designated as Wisconsin's official slogan, "America's Dairyland" was printed on the state's license plates, at first replacing the "Wisconsin" text, but later both were included. In 1986 a graphic representing a dairy farm was added to the plate.
In 1971, the dairy cow was designated as the official state domesticated animal. Milk was designated as the official state beverage in 1987. Every year since 1967, Madison has held the World Dairy Expo: a five day-event showcasing the dairy industry, ranging from dairy cattle to ice cream. Since 1998, there has been an effort to make Colby the official state cheese, however no action has been taken.
"Cheeseheads" is a nickname for people from Wisconsin or fans of the Green Bay Packers NFL football franchise. Cheese-wedge shaped hats are a common sight at Packers games, especially since 1994. The dairy industry is prominently displayed on Wisconsin's state quarter, which features a round of cheese, head of a Holstein cow, and an ear of corn.
## See also
- 1933 Wisconsin milk strike
- Agriculture in Wisconsin
- Minnesota-Wisconsin price
- Wisconsin dairy barn
|
[
"## Farming",
"## Products",
"### Cheese",
"### Butter",
"## History",
"## Cultural significance",
"## See also"
] | 1,929 | 20,246 |
55,547,401 |
SMS Alexandrine
| 1,164,679,406 |
Screw corvette of the German Imperial Navy
|
[
"1885 ships",
"Carola-class corvettes",
"Ships built in Kiel"
] |
SMS Alexandrine was a member of the Carola class of steam corvettes built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) in the 1880s. Intended for service in the German colonial empire, the ship was designed with a combination of steam and sail power for extended range, and was equipped with a battery of ten 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns. Alexandrine was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Kiel in 1882, she was launched in February 1885, and she was completed in October 1886 before being laid up after completing sea trials.
Alexandrine was first activated in 1889 for a deployment to the Central Pacific, where competing claims to the islands of Samoa created tension between several colonial powers. The ship patrolled Deutsch-Neuguinea, Germany's colonial holdings in the Central Pacific, until 1891, when she joined the German Cruiser Squadron, which was sent to Chile to protect German nationals during the Chilean Civil War of 1891. The squadron thereafter cruised off East Asia in 1892, and by the end of the year, went to German East Africa. In 1893, she was sent to Brazil where the Revolta da Armada (Revolt of the Fleet) in that country threatened German interests. The ships were then sent back to East Asia to monitor the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895.
In March 1895, Alexandrine was recalled to Germany; while en route, she stopped in Morocco to pressure local authorities into paying reparations for the murder of two German citizens. On her arrival in Germany she was found to be in poor condition after several years abroad, and so she was decommissioned in June 1895. She served as a floating battery in Danzig from 1904 to 1907, when she was stricken from the naval register, sold and used temporarily as a floating workshop, and then broken up later in 1907.
## Design
The six ships of the Carola class were ordered in the late 1870s to supplement Germany's fleet of cruising warships, which at that time relied on several ships that were twenty years old. Alexandrine and her sister ships were intended to patrol Germany's colonial empire and safeguard German economic interests around the world. The last two ships to be built, Alexandrine and Arcona, were built to a slightly larger design, being slightly longer and slightly heavier than their sisters.
Alexandrine was 81.2 meters (266 ft 5 in) long overall, with a beam of 12.6 m (41 ft 4 in) and a draft of 5 m (16 ft 5 in) forward. She displaced 2,662 metric tons (2,620 long tons) at full load. The ship's crew consisted of 25 officers and 257 enlisted men. She was powered by two marine steam engines that drove two 2-bladed screw propellers, with steam provided by eight coal-fired fire-tube boilers, which gave her a top speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) at 2,289 metric horsepower (2,258 ihp). She had a cruising radius of 4,180 nautical miles (7,740 km; 4,810 mi) at a speed of 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph). Alexandrine was equipped with a three-masted barque rig to supplement her steam engines on extended overseas deployments.
Alexandrine was armed with a battery of ten 15 cm (5.9 in) 22-caliber (cal.) breech-loading guns and two 8.7 cm (3.4 in) 24-cal. guns. She also carried six 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannon. Later in her career, the 15 cm guns were replaced with more modern 30-cal. versions, and the 8.7 cm guns were replaced with four 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/35 guns.
## Service history
Alexandrine, ordered under the contract name "G", was laid down in February 1882 at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Kiel, and her completed hull was launched on 7 February 1885. Then-prince Wilhelm, the grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm I, gave the christening speech at her launching. The completed ship began sea trials in October 1886; these lasted until January 1887, when the ship was decommissioned in Wilhelmshaven. At the time, General Leo von Caprivi, the head of the Imperial Admiralty, had implemented a plan whereby Germany's colonies would be protected by gunboats, while larger warships would generally be kept in reserve, with a handful assigned to a flying squadron that could respond to crises quickly.
### Deployment abroad
#### 1889–1891
The ship remained laid up until 1889, when a major cyclone struck the islands of Samoa on 16 March and destroyed two German warships in Apia—the gunboats Adler and Eber. Conflicting claims on the islands from other powers led the German government to activate Alexandrine to defend German interests there. She was joined in that task by her sister ship Sophie and the gunboat Wolf, which had been in East African and East Asian waters, respectively. Alexandrine left Wilhelmshaven on 15 April, with now-Kaiser Wilhelm II aboard and steamed to Wangerooge, where Wilhelm II disembarked. The ship, using a combination of steam and sail power, proceeded through the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, stopping in Gibraltar along the way, before entering the Suez Canal at Port Said. She then continued through the Red Sea and stopped in Aden before crossing the Indian Ocean to Albany, Australia; from there, she went to Sydney, arriving there on 6 July.
By this time, the situation in Samoa had calmed, so Alexandrine was sent on a tour of German protectorates in Melanesia, beginning on 24 July. Stops included the North Solomon Islands, Matupi in Neu-Pommern, Finschhafen in Deutsch-Neuguinea, and the Hermit Islands. The trip culminated with Kapsu island off Neu-Mecklenburg, where Alexandrine sent a landing party ashore to punish local residents who had murdered a pair of German citizens. From there, Alexandrine sailed to Sydney, where she remained from 1 to 30 November for repairs and to rest the crew. In March 1890, a steamer arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, with a new crew to relieve the men aboard Alexandrine. The ship then went to Apia, where she remained until early May, when she was sent on a tour of the Marshall Islands with the local Reichskommissar (Imperial Commissioner) on board. While en route, she stopped in the Gilbert Islands to settle disputes between Germans and locals. In June, the ship's crew participated in the ceremony installing Malietoa Laupepa as the ruler of Samoa.
Alexandrine then sailed to Sydney for maintenance, where in July she learned she had been assigned to the Cruiser Squadron under Konteradmiral (KAdm—Rear Admiral) Victor Valois. After visiting Melbourne and Adelaide, Alexandrine joined the other two corvettes of squadron—the flagship Leipzig, and Sophie—in Apia on 16 September. On 6 January 1891, Alexandrine visited several islands in the Samoa group before continuing with the rest of the squadron for a cruise in East Asian waters. While in Shanghai, China in April, Alexandrine exchanged crews another time. In the meantime, the Chilean Civil War of 1891 had broken out, prompting the German high command to send Valois's ships there on 3 May to safeguard German nationals in the country. While on the way, Leipzig ran low on coal and had to be towed for much of the journey. The ships arrived off the coast of Chile on 9 July and Valois secured an agreement with the authorities in Valparaiso for landing parties from the vessels to secure the European quarter of the city.
#### 1891–1895
With the war over, the Cruiser Squadron left Chile in December and transited the Strait of Magellan into the South Atlantic. They stopped in Cape Town, where KAdm Friedrich von Pawelsz took command of the squadron on 23 February 1892. The three corvettes steamed to German East Africa, where Sophie was detached; Alexandrine and {{lang\|de\|Leipzig'' continued on to East Asia. While in Colombo, Alexandrine received another new crew, and she took replacements for men from the gunboats Iltis and Wolf aboard as well. Alexandrine then returned to Chinese waters and stopped in Chemulpo, Korea, where the ship's captain received an audience with Gojong, the King of Joseon. While cruising in the Gulf of Pechihli, several of the ship's crewmen fell seriously ill, forcing Alexandrine to put into Yokohama, Japan, where the German government operated a hospital.
The ship remained in Yokohama until 23 October, when she left to rendezvous with the flagship Leipzig, in Hong Kong. After arriving there on 4 November, the two ships proceeded to East Africa, where unrest due to a feared succession crisis on the island of Zanzibar. Following the death of Sultan Ali bin Said of Zanzibar in March 1893, power passed peacefully to his nephew, Hamad bin Thuwaini, and the crisis was averted. As a result, Alexandrine and Arcona were instead diverted to Cape Town, where on 6 April the Cruiser Squadron was disbanded. Both ships entered the dry dock in Cape Town for overhauls, after which they were sent to South America on 20 May. By mid-June, they had reached Brazil, and thereafter made stops in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. The outbreak of the Revolta da Armada in Brazil forced both ships to return to the country to protect German interests there. The two corvettes were tasked with protecting guarding German-flagged merchant vessels and protecting German nationals in Brazil.
While operating in Brazil, an outbreak of Yellow fever aboard Alexandrine forced her to go into a quarantine in the Montevideo roadstead. The Brazilian government suppressed the revolution in early 1894, and by that time, Alexandrine's sister Marie had joined the German ships in Brazil. Tensions between China and Japan had been rising steadily over control of Korea, and as a result, the German high command sent the three corvettes to East Asia. On 7 March, they rounded Cape Horn and entered the Pacific Ocean, but while en route, the ships were diverted to Peru on 13 July to protect German interests during a revolution in the country. A week later, First Sino-Japanese War broke out, and Germany formed the East Asia Division with the three corvettes. On 15 August, the situation in Peru had calmed enough to allow the division to return to its intended mission in East Asia. They arrived in Yokohama, Japan on 26 September, and Alexandrine proceeded to Nagasaki for maintenance. After completing repairs, Alexandrine steamed to the northern coast of China to protect German interests in the region.
### Fate
The ship's assignment to the East Asia Division did not last long; on 2 March 1895, she received orders to return to Germany. She left Singapore on 22 March, marking her departure from the East Asia Division. While in Port Said, she was ordered to go to Morocco to lend weight to German negotiators seeking compensation for the murder of two Germans in the country. After completing the task, she continued on to Wilhelmshaven, arriving there on 25 May. She was decommissioned a week later on 1 June; upon examination, it was found that her hull had badly deteriorated, and she was unsuitable for any further use. Alexandrine was towed to Danzig, where she was decommissioned. From 3 May 1904, she was employed as a floating battery, and on 27 May 1907, she was stricken from the naval register and sold for 148,000 marks. The buyer briefly used the ship as a floating workshop before breaking her up later that year.
|
[
"## Design",
"## Service history",
"### Deployment abroad",
"#### 1889–1891",
"#### 1891–1895",
"### Fate"
] | 2,583 | 34,328 |
51,410,668 |
Pakistan at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
| 1,002,744,832 | null |
[
"2016 in Pakistani sport",
"Nations at the 2016 Summer Paralympics",
"Pakistan at the Paralympics"
] |
Pakistan competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its seventh appearance in the quadrennial event. The delegation consisted of the long jump competitor Haider Ali who qualified for the Games by meeting the required standards for the men's long jump T37 in a March 2016 event held in Dubai. On 13 September, he won Pakistan's second Paralympic medal with a mark of 6.28 metres in his event, placing him third.
## Background
Pakistan has taken part in every Summer Paralympic Games since the 1992 edition in Barcelona. Entering the 2016 competition, the highest number of para-athletes sent by Pakistan was nine to the 2004 Games in Athens and the country had medalled once in athletics. The nation participated in the Rio Summer Paralympics from 7 to 18 September 2016. The National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan qualified three athletes for Rio but financial difficulties in March 2016 meant they only fielded one competitor for the Games. These problems were resolved five months later when the committee appealed to sponsors via Facebook to enable their delegation to be sent to Rio and received funding from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). The sole athlete to represent the country was the long jump competitor Haider Ali. He travelled with his coach Akbar Ali Mughal along with his manager and the Deputy Director Sports of the National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan Amna. Pakistan was one of several countries to send just one athlete to the Rio Paralympic Games. Ali was selected as the flag bearer for 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.
## Medallists
## Athletics
Haider Ali was 31 years old at the time of the Rio Summer Paralympics and it was his third appearance at the Games. He had previously contested the 2008 and the 2012 editions and won the silver medal in the men's long jump F37–38 at the 2008 Games. Ali qualified for the quadrennial event by meeting the required standards for the men's long jump at the Dubai Rio Paralympics Qualifiers in March 2016. He was classified as FT-37 because the muscles in his right leg are weak from being afflicted by cerebral palsy. In an interview with The News International five days before Ali's event, Imran Jamil Shami, the secretary of the National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan, expressed his confidence that the athlete would deliver the best performance of his career. On 13 September he competed in the final of the men's T37 long jump, setting a best mark of 6.28 metres, placing him third and earning the second Paralympic medal in Pakistani history. After the event, the director of the PSB Akhtar Ganjera stressed that Ali's achievement would help promote the Paralympics in Pakistan and inspire many others in the country to compete at the national and international levels.
### Men's Field
## See also
- Pakistan at the 2016 Summer Olympics
|
[
"## Background",
"## Disability classifications",
"## Medallists",
"## Athletics",
"### Men's Field",
"## See also"
] | 823 | 5,014 |
26,030,819 |
Peru at the 2010 Winter Olympics
| 1,053,396,794 | null |
[
"2010 in Peruvian sport",
"Nations at the 2010 Winter Olympics",
"Peru at the Winter Olympics by year"
] |
Peru sent a delegation to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 12–28 February 2010. This marked Peru's debut at the Winter Olympics. The Peruvian delegation consisted of three athletes: two alpine skiers—Manfred Oettl Reyes and Ornella Oettl Reyes—and the cross-country skier Roberto Carcelen. The nation's best performance in any event was 67th place in the men's giant slalom alpine skiing event by Manfred Oettl Reyes.
## Background
Peru first competed at the Summer Olympics at the 1936 Berlin Games, and with the exception of the 1952 Helsinki Games, has participated in every Summer Games since. These Vancouver Olympics, however, would mark the nation's first participation in a Winter Olympic Games. The Peruvian delegation consisted of three athletes, the alpine skiers and siblings Manfred Oettl Reyes and Ornella Oettl Reyes, and cross-country skier Roberto Carcelen. Carcelen was chosen as the flag bearer for both the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony.
## Alpine skiing
Manfred Oettl Reyes was 16 years old at the time of the Games. He was born to a German father, and a Peruvian mother, and at the time, said he had only been to Peru twice in his life. HIs first event, the giant slalom, was held on 23 February. He posted run times of 1 minute and 29 seconds and 1 minute and 32 seconds. This saw him in 67th place out of 81 competitors who finished the race. On 27 February, he was disqualified during the first run of the slalom.
Ornella Oettl Reyes was 18 years old at the time of the Vancouver Olympics. During 24–25 February, she took part in the weather-impacted giant slalom, finishing the first run in a time of 1 minute and 27 seconds, but she failed to finish the second run and went unplaced in the final standings. The next day, she had a similar experience in the giant slalom, finishing the first run in a time of 59 seconds, but failing to complete the second run.
## Cross-country skiing
Roberto Carcelen was 39 years old at the time of the Vancouver Olympics. He took up skiing at the age of 34, after meeting his wife on an online dating site and moving from Peru to Seattle, Washington. He secured qualification at an event held at the Silver Star Mountain Resort in British Columbia. In his race, the 15 kilometre freestyle, he finished with a time of 45 minutes and 53 seconds, placing 94th out of 95 competitors.
|
[
"## Background",
"## Alpine skiing",
"## Cross-country skiing"
] | 568 | 209 |
3,018,472 |
Japanese cruiser Agano
| 1,168,501,586 |
Agano-class cruiser
|
[
"1941 ships",
"Agano-class cruisers",
"Maritime incidents in February 1944",
"Ships built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal",
"Ships sunk by American submarines",
"Warships lost with all hands",
"World War II cruisers of Japan",
"World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean"
] |
Agano (阿賀野) was the lead ship of her class of four light cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Completed in 1942, she escorted a troop convoy to New Guinea in December. In early 1943 the ship participated in Operation Ke, the evacuation of Japanese troops from Guadalcanal. Six months later Agano transported troops and supplies to New Guinea and she played a minor role in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay in early November. A few weeks later, the ship was badly damaged by American airstrikes and she sailed for Truk under her own power the following day. While en route, Agano was torpedoed by an American submarine and had to be towed to her destination. After several months of repairs, she left for Japan, but was intercepted and sunk by another American submarine in February 1944. Most of her crew was rescued by her escorting destroyer, but that ship was sunk with the loss of most of her crew and all of Agano's survivors by an American airstrike the following day.
## Design and description
The Agano-class ships were intended to replace the obsolete light cruisers built in the 1910s and 1920s as flagships of destroyer flotillas. The ships measured 174.1 meters (571 ft 2 in) long overall with a beam of 15.2 meters (49 ft 10 in) and had a draft of 5.63 meters (18 ft 6 in). They displaced 6,652 metric tons (6,547 long tons) at standard load and 8,534 metric tons (8,399 long tons) at deep load. The ships had a crew of 51 officers and 649 enlisted men; assignment as a flagship added 6 officers and 20 more sailors.
The Agano class had four geared steam turbine sets, each driving a single propeller shaft, using steam provided by six Kampon Ro Gō water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 100,000 shaft horsepower (75,000 kW) and give the ships a speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 6,300 nautical miles (11,700 km; 7,200 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).
### Armament and protection
The main armament of the Agano class consisted of six 41st Year Type 15-centimeter (6 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, two superfiring in front of the superstructure and one aft. The secondary armament included four Type 98 8 cm (3 in) anti-aircraft (AA) guns in two twin-gun mounts amidships. The suite of light anti-aircraft weapons included a pair of triple mounts for Type 96 2.5-centimeter (1 in) AA guns and two twin-gun mounts for Type 93 13.2 mm (0.5 in) anti-aircraft machineguns. The ships also had two rotating quadruple torpedo launchers on the upper deck for Type 93 61-centimeter (24 in) (Long Lance) torpedoes on the centerline and had a reload system with eight spare torpedoes. The Agano-class ships were also fitted with a pair of Aichi E13A floatplanes and a catapult. To detect submarines, the Aganos were equipped with a Type 93 Model 2 hydrophone installation and a Type 93 Model 3 sonar. They were equipped with two depth charge chutes for 18 depth charges and could also carry three mines.
The propulsion machinery was protected by a waterline armor belt 60 millimeters (2.4 in) thick with 20-millimeter (0.8 in) transverse bulkheads fore and aft of the propulsion machinery and a middle deck of the same thickness. The ships' magazines were enclosed in armored boxes with 55-millimeter (2.2 in) sides, 20-millimeter tops and 20- or 25-millimeter ends.
## Construction and career
Agano, named for the Agano River, was laid down at Sasebo Naval Arsenal on 18 June 1940, launched on 22 October 1941 and completed on 31 October 1942. She was assigned as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 10 (Sentai 10) of the Third Fleet on 20 November after working up. The ship departed Kure six days later and arrived at Truk in the Caroline Islands on 1 December where Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura hoisted his flag aboard her the following day. On 16 December Agano escorted the aircraft carrier Jun'yō and a troop convoy to Wewak and Madang in New Guinea. The ships briefly covered the landing of Japanese forces at Hollandia before returning to Truk on 20 December.
Agano escorted the forces covering the evacuation of Japanese troops from Guadalcanal Island (Operation KE) from 31 January to 9 February 1943, during which 11,700 Japanese soldiers were removed. The ship was transferred to the 1st Mobile Fleet the following day. She returned to Kure Naval District in early May for her sea trials and was then assigned to the Combined Fleet preparing to counterattack the American offensive in the Aleutian Islands, but this operation was cancelled after the Allied victory on Attu on 29 May. Agano was refitted at the Kure Naval Arsenal from 3 June to 2 July. The ship exchanged her 13.2 mm machine guns for a pair of twin-gun Type 96 mounts and another pair of triple 25 mm mounts were added amidships, giving her a total of sixteen 25 mm guns. A Type 21 early-warning radar was also installed.
Agano departed for Truk on 9 July escorting the First Carrier Division while carrying troops and supplies. Despite numerous sightings by American submarines and an attack on the aircraft carrier Zuihō, the convoy made it safely to Truk on the 15th. Agano helped to ferry troops and supplies to Rabaul on 19–26 July. In response to the American carrier raid on Tarawa on 18 September, the ship and much of the fleet sortied for Eniwetok to search for the American forces before they returned to Truk on 23 September, having failed to locate them. The Japanese had intercepted some American radio traffic that suggested another attack on Wake Island, and on 17 October, Agano and the bulk of the fleet sailed for Eniwetok to be in a position to intercept any such attack, but no attack occurred and the fleet returned to Truk.
### Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
The ship, now the flagship of Rear Admiral Morikazu Osugi, departed Truk on 30 October for Rabaul just as the Americans were preparing to invade Bougainville Island on 1 November. The Japanese attempted to disrupt the landings on the night of 1/2 November with a force of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, including Agano, and six destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Sentarō Ōmori. The Japanese ships had been spotted by American aircraft around 21:00 and Task Force 39, which consisted of four light cruisers and eight destroyers, was ordered to intercept them.
Omori arranged his ships in three staggered columns; the outer ones were each led by one of the light cruisers followed by three destroyers and the two heavy cruisers were in the middle. Osugi in Agano led the southernmost column, which trailed the main body. One of the cruiser floatplanes claimed to have spotted a cruiser and three destroyers 20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi) south at 01:20 and Ōmori ordered his ships to make a 180-degree maneuver intended to buy time for the pilot to investigate Empress Augusta Bay for American shipping. Less than an hour later, he reported that American transports crowded the bay; the pilot had actually spotted three minelayers and their destroyer escort that were leaving the bay. Omori ordered his ships to reverse course at 02:25. In the darkness, and with most ships lacking radar, the Japanese formation of three columns was disordered by the maneuvers and commanders lost track of where their ships were in relation to each other.
American radar picked up the Japanese at a range of 36,000 yards (33,000 m) at 02:27 and Rear Admiral Aaron Merrill, commander of the task force, ordered his destroyers to attack with their torpedoes while his cruisers stood off to avoid Japanese torpedoes and would open fire when the torpedoes struck their targets to maintain the element of surprise. The leading division of four destroyers fired a salvo of 25 torpedoes by 02:46, but they were detected as they turned away and the Japanese turned into the torpedoes to makes themselves smaller targets. Their maneuvering caused Merrill to believe that his ships had been spotted and the first of his cruisers opened fire at the light cruiser Sendai, leading the northernmost column, three minutes later.
The abrupt maneuvers by the Japanese ships, both to evade the American torpedoes and to fire their own, led to one collision and several near misses early in the battle. Most of the American cruisers were firing at the heavy cruisers in the center column by 03:05 and Omori turned away in a 270-degree turn that cut across the path of Agano's column. The heavy cruiser Myōkō rammed and crippled the destroyer Hatsukaze while the heavy cruiser Haguro nearly struck the destroyer Wakatsuki. Incorrectly believing that he had sunk three of the American cruisers, Omori ordered his ships to cease fire at 03:29 and turned away to disengage four minutes later. Osugi, who had kept his ships on the disengaged side of the heavy cruisers after the collision, fired a parting shot of eight torpedoes at 03:40, all of which missed.
After returning to Rabaul, Agano was near-missed by a bomb when the aircraft carriers USS Saratoga and USS Princeton attacked the port on 5 November. The bomb damaged one anti-aircraft gun and killed one crewman. Agano and her sister Noshiro put to sea on the following day to destroy the American forces near Empress Augusta Bay, but this was cancelled and the ships returned to Rabaul on 7 November. Four days later, the American aircraft carriers of Task Group 50.2 attacked Rabaul. Agano was hit by a Mark 13 torpedo which blew off the very end of her stern and bent her rearmost propeller shafts. The ship's rudder was not damaged, although Osugi was injured in the attack. After emergency repairs were made by the ship's crew, Agano departed Rabaul under her own power the next day, escorted by the destroyer Urakaze. Not long after their departure, the ships were sighted by the American submarine USS Scamp, which launched six torpedoes. One of them struck the cruiser amidships, flooding all of the boiler rooms, which knocked out all power. While attempting to repair the damage, the submarine Albacore attempted to attack, but was prevented from doing so by depth charges from Urakaze. Noshiro and the light cruiser Nagara were ordered to her assistance on the 13th and her sister took Agano in tow upon her arrival. The tow parted the following day and Nagara took over the task. The damaged ship finally reached Truk on 16 November.
### Sinking
Temporary repairs by the repair ship Akashi began immediately upon her arrival and lasted until 15 February 1944. That evening she departed Truk to get permanent repairs in the Japanese home islands, escorted by the destroyer Oite and submarine chaser CH-28. On the afternoon of 16 February, about 160 nautical miles (300 km) north of Truk, Agano was attacked by the submarine Skate, which fired four torpedoes. Two struck the cruiser on the starboard side at 16:44, flooding Boiler Room No. 2 which gave her a list of 12° and started a large fire. The ship progressively flooded and Oite rescued 523 survivors between 20:00 and 23:30. Agano sank at at 01:50 on 17 February and was struck from the navy list on 31 March.
As Oite was approaching Truk the following morning, the destroyer was sunk by Grumman TBF Avengers of Task Force 58 in the course of Operation Hailstone, and sank within minutes, taking all but twenty of her own crew down with her. All of the Agano crewmembers originally rescued were lost.
|
[
"## Design and description",
"### Armament and protection",
"## Construction and career",
"### Battle of Empress Augusta Bay",
"### Sinking"
] | 2,673 | 21,467 |
3,948,634 |
California State Route 186
| 1,171,613,386 |
Highway in California
|
[
"Roads in Imperial County, California",
"State highways in California"
] |
State Route 186 (SR 186), also known as Algodones Road, is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects Interstate 8 (I-8) in Imperial County with the U.S.–Mexico border near the Colorado River. Its southern terminus is at the Andrade Port of Entry, which connects it to Los Algodones, Baja California, and its northern terminus is near Winterhaven, California in the location of Araz Junction. The route is only 2.070 miles (3.331 km) long, heading along the length of the Alamo Canal and the All-American Canal within the boundaries of the Fort Yuma-Quechan Reservation. The route was assigned in 1972 in Imperial County, and the interchange with I-8 was constructed a year later.
## Route description
SR 186 begins at the United States–Mexico border (near Avenue International) in the community of Los Algodones. The route heads to the northeast along the Alamo Canal and crosses the center of the Fort Yuma-Quechan Reservation. Most of the surroundings of SR 186 are desolate, compared to the developed region across the border in Mexico. The highway continues northward, crossing the All-American Canal, where it turns to the north. SR 186 continues northward to an interchange with I-8 in Araz Junction, where the route terminates at the northbound ramps. The route continues northward as locally maintained Araz Road. Near the interchange is a casino operated by the Quechan Native American tribe that opened in 2009.
SR 186 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. In 2014, SR 186 had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 3,800 vehicles at the southern end, and 8,200 vehicles at the junction with I-8, the latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway.
## History
A road south from the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway to the Mexican border just west of the Colorado River existed by 1917, and was paved between 1956 and 1965. The Andrade Port of Entry at the southern end of the highway was built in 1970. The current alignment of SR 186 was assigned in 1972 by the California State Legislature.
There are two bridges along the alignment of SR 186. The first one to be constructed was a concrete slab bridge over the All-American Canal, with the structure opening in 1938. The bridge is 140.09 feet (42.70 m) long, and is considered unable to sustain the traffic it was designed to handle. The second bridge is located at the interchange with I-8 in Araz Junction. This bridge, constructed in 1973 (a year after the route was assigned), is a 227.03-foot-long (69.20 m) concrete box beam structure. This structure, unlike the other, is recorded to be in usable shape.
## Major intersections
## See also
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 640 | 8,300 |
1,043,055 |
Port of Liverpool Building
| 1,158,349,472 |
Building located in Liverpool, England
|
[
"Domes",
"Edwardian architecture",
"Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool",
"Office buildings completed in 1907",
"Port of Liverpool",
"Restored and conserved buildings",
"Tourist attractions in Liverpool"
] |
The Port of Liverpool Building (formerly Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices, more commonly known as the Dock Office) is a Grade II\* listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head and, along with the neighbouring Royal Liver Building and Cunard Building, is one of Liverpool's Three Graces, which line the city's waterfront. It is also part of Liverpool's formerly UNESCO-designated World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City.
The building was designed by Sir Arnold Thornely and F.B. Hobbs and was developed in collaboration with Briggs and Wolstenholme. It was constructed between 1904 and 1907, with a reinforced concrete frame that is clad in Portland Stone. The building was the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) for 87 years, from 1907 to 1994, when the company relocated to new premises at Seaforth Dock. In 2001 it was sold to Downing, a Liverpool-based property developer, and between 2006 and 2009 underwent a major £10m restoration that restored many original features of the building.
The Port of Liverpool Building is in the Edwardian Baroque style and is noted for the large dome that sits atop it, acting as the focal point of the building. It is approximately rectangular in shape with canted corners that are topped with stone cupolas. At 220 feet (67 m) the building was the tallest building in Liverpool when built, and as of 2022 is the fourteenth tallest. Like the neighbouring Cunard Building, it is noted for the ornamental detail both on the inside and out, and in particular for the many maritime references and expensive decorative furnishings.
## History
In 1898 the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) decided to close down and infill George's Dock, which was located on the site of what is the Pier Head today. The land was sold to the Liverpool Corporation in 1900, although the MDHB opted to keep the southern section so that they could build a new central headquarters for the company, having been previously located at various sites around the city, including the Old Customs House.
In 1900 a committee was formed by the MDHB to plan and develop a new building for the company. Under the leadership of Robert Gladstone, a competition was launched for local architects to submit designs for the new building. Alfred Waterhouse, a renowned local architect, was brought in to help judge the competition and prizes of £300, £200 and £100 were offered for the three best designs. In total, seven entries were submitted, with the winning design being that of the architects Sir Arnold Thornely and F.B. Hobbs, which had been developed in collaboration with Briggs and Wolstenholme. Due to boundary changes of the land on which the building was to be built, amendments were made to the design, most notably with the central dome, which was only added at the last minute.
In 1903, with the design now confirmed, the MDHB requested that a number of builders submit a tender document for the construction of the building to the revised design. Over 30 builders were contacted, with William Brown & Son of Manchester winning the contract to construct the new building. Work began in 1904, with the first nine months of construction focusing on laying the building's foundations, which were dug to a depth of 30–40 feet (9.1–12.2 m) below ground level. The building's frame was built from reinforced concrete, which was then clad in Portland Stone, a design that meant the building was more fire resistant than with other structural forms. It was completed in 1907 at a cost of approximately £250,000, although when the cost of furniture, fittings and professional fees was taken into account, the total cost was nearer £350,000. Staff from the MDHB headquarters officially moved into the building on 15 July 1907, with staff from departments located in other areas of the city moving in throughout the rest of the year.
During the Second World War, Liverpool's importance as a major port saw it become a target for the Luftwaffe and during the May Blitz of 1941, a heavy bomb exploded in the basement, on the eastern side of the building. The damage from the explosion was significant with the eastern wing being seriously damaged by fire. Nonetheless the building's structural integrity meant that much of the building could be re-occupied with only temporary repairs. In the aftermath of the war the building was fully restored; the cost of restoration exceeding the original construction costs.
The building acted as the head offices of the MDHB (renamed the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company in 1972) for some 87 years. In 1994 the company moved to new headquarters at the Maritime Centre near Seaforth Dock in the north of the city, in order to be closer to what was now the centre of Liverpool's docking system. However, the company remained the owners of the building until 2001 when it was acquired by Downing, a Liverpool-based property developer.
Plans submitted in 2005 for the restoration of the building were approved by Liverpool City Council. The scheme involved major internal and external work that would fully restore the Grade II\* listed building. The plans included opening the building to the public, by creating a new viewing floor inside the dome and a publicly accessible sunken piazza on the riverside frontage that would provide a small parade of restaurants, cafes and shops. A sixth level of the building, which had been "dismantled" in the aftermath of the Second World War, was also to be restored, providing a series of luxury apartments. The first stage of the renovation was completed in early 2008, when the restoration of the Portland stone on the river facing side of the building was completed. The £10m restoration project was fully completed in early 2009, when the last scaffolding was removed from the outside of the building and 20,000 sq ft (2,000 m<sup>2</sup>) of refurbished office space was completed.
## Architectural design
The Port of Liverpool Building is the oldest of the three large Pier Head buildings and the architectural features were designed to be reflective of Liverpool's importance to the maintenance of the British Empire. However, the building that exists today is actually a modified version of the originally chosen design. Initially, the plan had called for the main entrance of the building to be located on the south-west corner, but boundary changes to land on which it was to be built meant that the design was significantly revised to give it the symmetrical look it has today. Notably, the initial design did not include the large dome that sits so prominently above the building today. Inspired by an unused design for Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, which had been developed several years earlier, the architects added the dome to the design in order to give the building a more imposing look. This decision, however, was not without controversy, as many board members believed that it was not part of the Port Authority's duty to "beautify the town". Nonetheless, it was added to the design, becoming the focal point of the building itself.
Designed in Edwardian Baroque style, the Port of Liverpool Building's structural form has been likened to those of Renaissance palaces. Approximately 264 by 216 feet (80 by 66 m) in size, the building rises to 220 feet (67 m) in height, making it the fourteenth tallest building in the city. Covering five floors, the main body of the building is 80 ft tall to the cornice. The main entrance is located in the centre of the river-facing side of the building and is flanked by two three-metre-high stone statues of women representing "Commerce" and "Industry", which were designed by Charles John Allen. Each corner of the building is canted and has a tall hexagonal turret that is topped by a stone cupola, which would have originally been crowned by a lantern. Because the building has a large central dome, it has been compared architecturally to many other buildings throughout the world, including Belfast City Hall, the Capitol Building, St. Peter's Basilica and St. Paul's Cathedral.
The Port of Liverpool Building was constructed using a reinforced concrete frame, which not only made the building structurally strong, but also much more fire resistant than buildings in the past. As a result of being built on the site of the former George's Dock, the building required deeper foundations than normal and in total some 35,000 tons of concrete were used. Due to the building's proximity to the River Mersey, extensive work was carried out during the development of the basement level in order to make sure it was water resistant. Asphalt was used extensively to coat the floors and walls of the basement, in order to make sure it stayed dry.
Internally, the building's form centres on a full-height, octagonal hall that sits below the central dome. The hall has round, arched openings from the first floor upwards, providing large gallery spaces, whilst its floor is decorated with a mosaic depicting the points of a compass. Office spaces are located off long central corridors, which are decorated with white Calacatta Marble. A large portion of the building costs (approximately 25%) were spent on decorations and fittings; the inside of the building is lavishly decorated using expensive materials including mahogany from Spain and oak from Danzig for the woodwork, bronze for the floor furniture and fittings, and white marble for the floors and walls. One noted interior feature is the grey granite grand staircase, which is lined with stained glass windows adorned with images of Poseidon, anchors, ships bells and shells and dedications to countries of the British Empire including Singapore, South Africa, Canada and Australia. The grand nature of the inside of the building's interior has meant that it has been used as a film set in several productions, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. episode "The Blue Carbuncle"
Throughout the building, there are numerous references to the sea and the maritime operations of both Liverpool and the British Empire. The main entrance gates are decorated with a globe supported by dolphins, while the cast iron gates and gate piers are decorated with mermaids, shells and anchors, and have shields with the initials "M.D. & H.B.". The outside light fittings are designed such that the lights themselves appear to be held in the hands of the Roman God Neptune. Similarly, the lifts are also decorated with maritime references, in the form of gilded emblems representing the globe, seahorses and anchors. In the central hall, the frieze between the ground and first floor is adorned with the words of psalm 107: "They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. Anno Domini MCMVII".
## See also
- Architecture of Liverpool
|
[
"## History",
"## Architectural design",
"## See also"
] | 2,245 | 3,062 |
54,807,848 |
Birds-1
| 1,133,329,954 |
First iteration of a multinational program to help countries build their first satellite
|
[
"CubeSats",
"JAXA",
"Satellites deployed from the International Space Station",
"Space program of Japan",
"Spacecraft launched in 2017"
] |
Birds-1 was the first iteration of a multinational program called the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project, or Birds project, to help countries build their first satellite. The Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) supported the design and fabrication of the satellites. The constellation was launched by a Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station on 3 June 2017, as part of CRS-11, where it was released from the Kibō module into space. Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh participated in the Birds-1 program, all building identical satellites for the constellation.
All of the Birds-1 satellites deorbited in May 2019.
## Background
The Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) in Japan supports non-spacefaring countries to build their first satellite through a program called The Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite project (BIRDS). Five countries participated in the first Bird program: Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. The Birds project logo was designed by Ghanaian student Ernest Teye Matey.
The Nigerian government had a background with satellites, but had never built one prior to Birds-1. Sometimes Mazaalai was referred to as Mongolia's first satellite, but it was launched by Bermuda-based company ABS and built by U.S. company Boeing. It was co-branded as MongolSat-1 after launch. Birds-1 successfully launched the first satellite for Bangladesh, Ghana, Mongolia, and Nigeria.
## Development and design
Five countries built identical satellites: Bangladesh (BRAC Onnesha), Japan (Toki), Mongolia (Mazaalai), Ghana (GhanaSat-1), and Nigeria (Nigeria EduSat-1). Each satellite cost about US\$500,000 to manufacture and launch. The satellites were 10 centimetres (3.9 in) cubes in the 1U CubeSat class, weighing around 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) each. Power was generated from solar cells and stored in batteries. They carried 0.3 megapixel and 5 megapixel cameras to image the Earth. The constellation could also transmit music and other sounds back to Earth. The satellites also contained provisions to measure the effects of solar radiation on commercial microprocessors and could measure air density. The satellites were expected to remain in orbit for 1.1 years.
## Mission
### Launch
SpaceX launched the constellation on its CRS-11 mission to the International Space Station on 3 June 2017. Birds-1 was carried in a Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket, launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Pad LC-39A, the 100th launch from that pad. This was the first time SpaceX had reused one of its Dragon capsules.
The satellites were ejected from the Kibō module of the International Space Station on 7 July 2017. On ejection, astronaut Jack Fischer said on Twitter, "Another great example of International Cooperation today on @Space_Station -- launched 5 micro-satellites from 5 countries off the JAXA arm!"
The constellation orbited the Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometres (250 mi) and at an inclination of 51.61°. The satellites travelled around the Earth every 91 minutes at a velocity of 7.67 kilometres per second (4.77 mi/s).
### Operations
The satellites communicated with seven ground stations: one in each of the countries participating in the Birds-1 program, and one each in Thailand and Taiwan. The same radio frequency was used for all of the satellites. The constellation could have music uploaded via a digi-singer. It was processed on the satellite, then transmitted to Earth with an ultra high frequency (UHF) antenna as voice FM data.
Ghana intended to use the data to help monitor illegal mining and map the coastline. BRAC Onnesha's purpose was to image vegetation, water resources, and urbanization. The purpose of Nigeria EduSat-1 was more educational in nature; it was planned to be a technology demonstrator and to familiarize Nigerians with spacecraft design. Mazaalai's intended use was to conduct independent space studies and help mitigate natural disasters.
The five satellites deorbited in May 2019.
## Future work
Japan's work with non-spacefaring countries continued with Birds-2 in 2018 with the Philippines, Bhutan, and Malaysia. Mongolia planned to launch a second satellite in 2019. Ghana planned to build GhanaSat-2 and GhanaSat-3, with GhanaSat-2 focusing on water pollution, illegal mining, and deforestation.
|
[
"## Background",
"## Development and design",
"## Mission",
"### Launch",
"### Operations",
"## Future work"
] | 948 | 7,721 |
52,121,256 |
Paul Nahaolelua
| 1,161,673,240 |
Hawaiian high chief
|
[
"1806 births",
"1875 deaths",
"Governors of Maui",
"Hawaiian Kingdom Anglicans",
"Hawaiian Kingdom politicians",
"Hawaiian nobility",
"Lahainaluna School alumni",
"Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom House of Nobles",
"Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Privy Council",
"Native Hawaiian politicians",
"People from Hawaii (island)",
"People from Lahaina, Hawaii"
] |
Paul Nahaolelua (September 11, 1806 – September 5/15, 1875) was a Hawaiian high chief who served many political posts in the Kingdom of Hawaii, including Governor of Maui from 1852 to 1874. In his long political career, Nahaolelua served under the reigns of five monarchs: Kamehameha III, Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V, Lunalilo and Kalākaua.
## Early life
Nahaolelua was born on September 11, 1806, in Kawaihae, in the district of Kohala, on the island of Hawaii. He was given the name Nahaolelua meaning "the two haole" ("foreigners") in honor of John Young and Isaac Davis, the two foreign advisors to King Kamehameha I during his conquest of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
He started his career as a schoolmaster teaching Hawaiian at the royal school in Kaupo, Maui. He later became one of the first generation of Hawaiians to receive a western education at the Lahainaluna Seminary from the Christian missionaries who arrived in Hawaii in 1820.
## Political career
Nahaolelua began working for the government as a district magistrate and circuit judge on Maui. He also served as royal postmaster. During the governorship of James Kānehoa Young, Nahaolelua served as deputy governor of Maui. Shortly after Kānehoa's death in 1851, he succeeded as Governor of Maui, although the position was not officially confirmed until the following year on December 3, 1852. He served as Governor for twenty-two years until 1874.
As a royal governor, he also held a seat in the House of Nobles, the upper house of the legislature, traditionally reserved for the high chiefs. He sat during most of the legislative sessions between 1853 and 1874. He served as a member of the Privy Council of the King. He was elected the President of the Legislative Assembly during the sessions of 1870, 1872, and the special sessions of 1873 and 1874. During the reign of Kamehameha V, he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.
### Issue of succession, 1872–1874
In 1872, Nahaolelua was present at the deathbed of King Kamehameha V. Kneeling at the side of bed, with many of the members of the royal court present, he spoke with the monarch in his last attempts to name a successor to the throne. Kamehameha V, who regarded him as a close friend and business associate, asked Nahaolelua to choose an heir for him. He refused and answered, "Any one, may it please Your Majesty, of the chiefs now present." The King attempted to name his cousin Bernice Pauahi Bishop but she refused the offer, and he died the same day without naming a successor.
Because Kamehameha V died with no heir, the constitution called for the legislature, which Nahaolelua presided over as President of the Legislative Assembly, to select the next monarch. By both popular vote, and the unanimous vote in the legislature, Lunalilo became the first elected king of Hawaii in 1873. In private, Nahaolelua tried to persuade the new king to name a successor so the kingdom would not face another succession crisis. However, after a short reign, Lunalilo died in 1874 without an heir to succeed to him. In the election that followed, David Kalākaua, ran against Queen Emma, the widow of Kamehameha IV.
On February 12, 1874, for the second time in Hawaiian history, a special session of the legislature was called to elect a new monarch, and Nahaolelua was chosen again as the President of the Legislative Assembly. The assembly voted thirty-nine to six in favor of Kalākaua. The subsequent announcement caused a riot at the courthouse as Emmaite supporters attacked and beat the native legislators who had voted for Kalākaua. American and British troops were landed, and the rioters were arrested. Nahaolelua, a known supporter and friend of Queen Emma, had left the courthouse before the riot, to bring her the news of her defeat. She reportedly sent him back with the message: "If they could not obtain their desires now, perhaps they had better wait until the morrow, when a new election for Sovereign could be had." The next day Queen Emma asked Nahaolelua about the possibility of holding a second election which he refused.
## Later life and death
After the accession of Kalākaua, Nahaolelua resigned the Governorship of Maui and was appointed to the new monarch's cabinet as Minister of Finance on February 17, 1874. However, due to failing health, he resigned the post on October 31, 1874, and returned to his residence in Lahaina, on the island of Maui.
After being ill for a few months Nahaolelua died on September 5 or 15, 1875, at his residence in Lahaina at the age of sixty-nine. Forgoing a lavish state funeral traditionally given to a person of his rank, his funeral was held the same day as his death, and he was buried in a plain pine coffin in a prepared vault at the Anglican Hale Aloha Cemetery in Lahaina.
## Marriage and descendants
Nahaolelua married Helekunihi (died 1888) and had one son Obid (sometimes spelled Obed), who died shortly after birth on March 20, 1858. A second child, who also died young, is mentioned in Nahaolelua's obituary but not named. Under the Hawaiian tradition of hānai, they adopted Edward George Huakini (better known simply as "Kia"), the son of Helekunihi's brother Aki and Kaʻaiohelo. Kia Nahaolelua (1852–1901) became the sole heir of Governor Nahaolelua's estate after his death. Kia married Elizabeth Kahele Manawaola St. John (1852–1909), who served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Liliuokalani and accompanied her to Washington, DC during her 1897 trip to protest American annexation of Hawaii. They had nine children many of whose descendants are alive to this day.
## Honours
- Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Political career",
"### Issue of succession, 1872–1874",
"## Later life and death",
"## Marriage and descendants",
"## Honours"
] | 1,385 | 13,112 |
635,277 |
William Pogue
| 1,173,734,763 |
American astronaut
|
[
"1930 births",
"1973 in spaceflight",
"2014 deaths",
"American autobiographers",
"American flight instructors",
"American male non-fiction writers",
"American mathematicians",
"American people who self-identify as being of Choctaw descent",
"Apollo program astronauts",
"Aviators from Oklahoma",
"Collier Trophy recipients",
"Martin Marietta people",
"Oklahoma Baptist University alumni",
"Oklahoma State University alumni",
"People from Okemah, Oklahoma",
"People from Sand Springs, Oklahoma",
"Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal",
"Recipients of the Air Medal",
"Recipients of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal",
"Skylab program astronauts",
"Spacewalkers",
"U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni",
"United States Air Force Thunderbirds pilots",
"United States Air Force astronauts",
"United States Air Force officers",
"United States Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees",
"Writers from Oklahoma"
] |
William Reid Pogue (January 23, 1930 – March 3, 2014) was an American astronaut and pilot who served in the United States Air Force (USAF) as a fighter pilot and test pilot, and reached the rank of colonel. He was also a teacher, public speaker and author.
Born and educated in Oklahoma, Pogue graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and enlisted in the USAF in 1951 and served for 24 years. He flew combat during the Korean War and with the USAF Thunderbirds, then served as a flight instructor. Following graduation from Oklahoma State University with a Master of Science degree in 1960, he served as mathematics professor at the United States Air Force Academy, and after training at the Empire Test Pilots' School, he was a test pilot whose service included a two-years exchange with the Royal Air Force (RAF).
During his service as a flight instructor, Pogue was accepted as a trainee astronaut for NASA in 1966. His NASA career included one orbital mission as pilot of Skylab 4, whose crew conducted dozens of in-orbit research experiments and set a duration record of 84 days—the longest crewed flight—that was unbroken in NASA for over 20 years. The mission also had a dispute with ground control over schedule management that news media named The Skylab Mutiny. Pogue retired from the USAF and NASA a few months after he returned from Skylab, after which he taught and wrote about aviation and aeronautics in the U.S. and abroad. Pogue died in 2014, aged 84.
## Early life and education
William Pogue was born on January 23, 1930, in Okemah, Oklahoma, to Alex Wallis Pogue (1904–1998) and Margaret Frances Pogue (née McDow; 1906–1994) and he self-identifies as being of Choctaw descent. William had four siblings; two sisters and two brothers.
`Pogue attended Lake Elementary School and Sand Springs High School (now Charles Page High School) in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, completing his high-school education in 1947. He participated in the Boy Scouts of America, earning the rank of Second Class. Pogue attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1951. In 1960, he graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with a Master of Science degree in Mathematics.`
## Career
### Flight experience
Pogue was attracted to flying from an early age; he first flew an airplane while in high school. Pogue enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1951, underwent the aviation cadet training program in 1952. He was later commissioned into the USAF as a second lieutenant. While serving with the Fifth Air Force from 1953 to 1954 during the Korean War, he flew 43 combat missions in fighter bombers while completing a tour of duty. From 1955 to 1957, Pogue was a member of the USAF Thunderbirds as an aerobatics pilot.
Pogue piloted more than 50 types and models of American and British aircraft, and was qualified as a civilian flight instructor. Pogue served in the mathematics department as an assistant professor at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from 1960 to 1963. He applied to become an astronaut in 1962, but was rejected due to a lack of pilot experience. In September 1965, Pogue completed a two-year tour as test pilot with the British Ministry of Aviation under an exchange program between the USAF and Royal Air Force and graduated from the Empire Test Pilots' School in Farnborough, England. He was an Air Force major at the time, and went to the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, from an assignment at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he had been an instructor at the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School since October 1965.
### NASA career
In April 1966, Pogue was one of 19 astronauts selected by NASA in Group 5 of the Apollo program. He served as a member of the support crews for the Apollo 7, Apollo 11, 13 and Apollo 14 missions. He replaced Ed Givens, who died in a car accident, as Capsule Communicator for Apollo 7. No crew members were assigned to the canceled Apollo missions but if normal crew rotation had been followed, Pogue would have been assigned as command module pilot for the Apollo 19 mission.
Pogue was the pilot of Skylab 4, the third and final crewed visit to the Skylab Orbital Workshop, from November 16, 1973, to February 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, it was the longest crewed flight to that date. It held the record for the longest spaceflight until 1978, when the crew of Soviet ship Salyut 6 spent 140 days at the space station. Pogue was accompanied on the 34.5 million miles (55.5×10^<sup>6</sup> km) flight by Commander Gerald Carr and science pilot Edward Gibson. As a crew, they completed 56 experiments, 26 science demonstrations, 15 subsystem detailed objectives, and 13 student investigations across 1,214 revolutions of the Earth.
After around six weeks of flight, there were disagreements between crew and ground control. On December 28, 1973, radio transmission was turned off with the crew spending the time relaxing and gazing at the Earth from orbit. The incident was later referred to as the Skylab mutiny. Pogue later commented that the team was “studying the Sun, the Earth below, and ourselves.” Once radio transmission had resumed, an agreement for the flight to continue; with tensions being significantly diminished. Pogue commented in 1985 that the flight had made him more empathetic, saying “I try to put myself into the human situation, instead of trying to operate like a machine.”
The crew also acquired extensive Earth resources observations data using Skylab's Earth resources experiment package camera and sensor array, and logged 338 hours of operations of the Apollo Telescope Mount that made extensive observations of the sun's processes. Pogue and Carr viewed a comet transiting the sky during an extravehicular activity (EVA). He logged 13 hours and 34 minutes in two EVAs outside the orbital workshop. On September 1, 1975, Pogue retired from the USAF, as a colonel, and NASA, to become vice president of High Flight Foundation. Pogue logged 7,200 hours of flight time, including 4,200 hours in jet aircraft and 2,000 hours in space flight during his career.
### Post-NASA activities
After he retired from NASA, William Pogue was self-employed as an aerospace consultant and a producer of general-interest videos about space flight. In 1985, Pogue wrote a book called How Do You Go to the Bathroom in Space?, answering 187 common questions he received about spaceflight. In 1992, he co-wrote The Trikon Deception, a science-fiction novel, with Ben Bova. He also became a consultant for aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Martin Marietta, helping to create space station technology. Pogue continuously presented lectures over a 40-year career, working at more than 500 schools and 100 civic clubs.
## Personal life
William Pogue married three times; his first marriage was in 1952 to Helen Juanita Dittmar, with whom he had three children. The couple later divorced. He married Jean Ann Baird in 1979 and the marriage lasted until Baird's death in 2009. Pogue's last marriage was to Tina, whom he wed in 2012.
### Death
During the night of March 3, 2014, at the age of 84, Pogue died from natural causes at his home in Cocoa Beach, Florida. His ashes were sent into Earth orbit using Celestis, a memorial rocket service launch on a Falcon Heavy rocket on June 25, 2019. A plaque commemorating his life was erected at Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
## Special honors
Pogue and his crew members received many awards. Pogue won the Johnson Space Center Superior Achievement Award in 1970. Three Skylab crews, including Pogue, were awarded the 1973 Robert J. Collier Trophy. In 1974, President Richard Nixon presented the Skylab 4 crew with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale awarded the crew the De La Vaulx Medal and Vladimir Komarov Diploma that year. Pogue was among nine Skylab astronauts who were presented with the City of Chicago Gold Medal in 1974 after a parade with 150,000 spectators. The American Astronautical Society's 1975 Flight Achievement Award was awarded to the crew. Gerald P. Carr accepted the 1975 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy from President Gerald Ford, which was awarded to the Skylab astronauts, who also won the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award in 1975.
William R. Pogue Municipal Airport in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, was named in Pogue's honor in 1974. The Oklahoma Aviation and Space Museum awarded him the Clarence E. Page Memorial Trophy for "making significant and ongoing contributions to the U.S. aviation industry" in February 1989. Page died eight days before the award was presented and Pogue used most of his speech to memorialize Page's life. Pogue was awarded an honorary doctorate of science from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1974. Pogue received the City of New York gold medal and the General Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy for the same year.
Pogue has been inducted into three halls of fame. He was inducted into the Five Civilized Tribes Hall of Fame in 1975, and was one of five Oklahoman astronauts inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame in 1980. Pogue was one of 24 Apollo astronauts who were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997. As a member of the USAF Thunderbirds, he won the Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
## See also
- List of spaceflight records
- The Astronaut Monument
|
[
"## Early life and education",
"## Career",
"### Flight experience",
"### NASA career",
"### Post-NASA activities",
"## Personal life",
"### Death",
"## Special honors",
"## See also"
] | 2,204 | 16,891 |
31,486,036 |
Madonna (book)
| 1,129,600,825 |
Book by Andrew Morton
|
[
"2001 non-fiction books",
"American biographies",
"Biographies about actors",
"Biographies about businesspeople",
"Biographies about musicians",
"Biographies about writers",
"Books about Madonna"
] |
Madonna is a biography by English author Andrew Morton, chronicling the life of American recording artist Madonna. The book was released in November 2001 by St. Martin's Press in the United States and by Michael O'Mara Books in the United Kingdom. Morton decided to write a biography on Madonna in 2000. The release was announced in April 2001 by St. Martin's Press. President and publisher Sally Richardson described the biography to contain details about Madonna's ambitions, her relationships and her lifestyle.
Morton interviewed about 70 people who had known Madonna since her youth. He spent many evenings in bars and clubs in New York chatting to people—including artists, musicians, and directors—who had an interesting perspective on Madonna and the world. After its release, Madonna received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, who panned Morton's writing skills and felt that the book did not present anything new about the singer. The book was a commercial disappointment. In the United States, the book reached eight on The New York Times Best Seller list, and sold half of its initial print.
Madonna herself was critical of Morton writing a biography on her life, and sent a letter to him, asking him to stay away from her family and friends. Morton remained unabashed, saying that he wrote the book because of his interest in the star, not least because she has made a "difference" to pop culture and modern culture. In 2004, a lawsuit was filed against the author by Jim Albright, one of Madonna's ex-lovers mentioned in the book. The lawsuit regarded an image in the book, portraying one of Madonna's gay dancers—with Albright's name underneath. United States District Court ruled out the lawsuit explaining that stating someone is homosexual does not libel or slander them.
## Summary
The book opens with Madonna's birth, her early years in Michigan, and her 1977 move to New York City where she was involved with modern dance, two pop groups, composing, and releasing her 1983 debut album, Madonna. Her rise to superstardom as a pop icon is chronicled and her cutting edge music videos, albums, first concert tour, film roles, and marriage and divorce to Sean Penn are examined. The book investigates her controversial religious imagery and her erotic productions, Erotica, Sex, and Body of Evidence. The book describes a mellowing in her appearance and provocativeness, and, among other things, the release of her next several albums, her Golden Globe Award-winning musical film portrayal of Eva Peron, and her high-grossing Drowned World Tour. The birth of her daughter and son are chronicled and her marriage to Guy Ritchie. Madonna includes detailed descriptions of her relationships with people including John F. Kennedy Jr. and Michael Jackson.
## Writing and development
American journalist and celebrity biographer Andrew Morton is known for his works on Diana, Princess of Wales, Monica Lewinsky and footballer David Beckham and his wife, Victoria. In October 2000, Morton had hinted that he had American recording artist Madonna as his next project, when he responded to an Independent reader in "You Ask the Questions" section. Asked who he would most like to write a biography of, he said: "I've always admired Madonna as an intriguing and charismatic character who has been able to stay at the top for 20 years." A formal announcement was made by Morton's UK publicist Michael O'Mara in April 2001, that Morton had secured access to "those in her [Madonna's] inner circle, who have never been interviewed before, about her ambitions, lifestyle and relationships." O'Mara added the reason for choosing Madonna was because she was "one of the most enigmatic and fascinating women of our time, [and] is the undisputed female icon of the modern age."
The biography's American publishing rights were acquired by St. Martin's Press. President and publisher Sally Richardson described the biography to contain details about Madonna's ambitions, her relationships and her lifestyle. Richardson added that "Andrew loves complicated women, and has a genius for getting into their psyche and telling the world what makes them tick." Scheduled for release in November 2001, St. Martin's Press added that about 500,000 copies of the first print were ordered, and Morton received a six figure undisclosed amount as advance for writing the book. Madonna had always wanted to protect her privacy and reports had initially suggested that she was furious that Morton had decided to write the book, and commanded her friends and relatives not to give any interview to him. She added, "I don't want anyone talking to that snivelling little worm. How dare he invade my privacy?"
With the BBC, Morton detailed his "detective work" researching Madonna's life in New York, where she clambered her way up to fame and fortune. "Not only is she an interesting character, but all her friends and those who've known her are interesting characters too," he said. Morton spent many evenings in bars and clubs in New York chatting to people — including artists, musicians, directors — who had an interesting perspective on Madonna and the world. He interviewed about 70 people who had known Madonna since her youth. "I think I've come up with a very fresh picture," he said, adding that Dan Gilroy of Breakfast Club, who had introduced Madonna to the music world, had e-mailed him saying the biography had "really captured Madonna's spirit".
## Critical response
The book received mixed reviews. Richard Lautens from Toronto Star said that "Madonna is a thorough, if slightly workmanlike, retelling of its namesake's well-documented slog from lowly Midwestern beginnings to squeaky-voiced sex kitten to professional button-pusher to mother and respected, vaguely Bowie-esque, chameleonic figure, a cultural bloodhound always on the scent of the fresh, cool and credible." Helen Bushby from BBC commented that "[t]he book is certainly detailed, and will no doubt keep Madonna fanatics happy, although it is perhaps more of a reference book than a page-turner. But Morton is a good businessman, and is canny in his choice of subjects." Michael Sneed from Chicago Sun-Times gave a negative review of the book and felt that Morton's previous works had been better. George Rush from New York Daily News commented: "Despite her best efforts to discourage friends from cooperating with him, Andrew Morton has come forth with a book that portrays Madge as an insecure manipulator so ravenous for affection that she scared off some boyfriends, cheated on most of them and made a lot of foolish choices." In another review, Sherryl Connelly from the same publication was of the opinion that Madonna was mostly similar to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography on her, Madonna: An Intimate Biography. She added, "At least, it's the story made familiar by Madonna, a woman who has always taken for granted the world's interest in her life."
Rick Thames, editor of The Charlotte Observer, criticized the book's packaging calling the cover as "tacky, hot pink-and-acid green sleeves, featuring an unflattering photo of the dished artist." Barry Didcock from Sunday Herald felt that "Morton [had failed] to find the face of Madonna." He criticized Morton's sketchy portrayal of Madonna's relationship with deceased artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, saying "he commits an error by doing so because, unusually for Madonna, this was a relationship of equals." Gregg Barrios from Daily Star was critical of the book, saying " The fatal flaw of these quickie knockoffs is that they have no real ending or any way of predicting what the fates have in store for Madonna Louise Penn [Guy Ritchie] nee Ciccone. Once the next Madonna tour, CD, marriage or film appears, their shelf life is cut short." Barbara Ellen from The Guardian criticized Morton's writing by saying, "Andrew Morton achieves the implausible: he takes an interesting woman and an astonishing life and makes them both seem incredibly boring in his life of Madonna.... Once you get used to Morton's pace (dull plod, with occasional snooze), it becomes quite amusing joining him on the journey, a bit like watching someone dragging a dead body around, trying to find some place to hide it. Even luminaries such as Madonna exes Sean Penn and Warren Beatty are reduced to flailing around like disenfranchised phantoms in the shallows of Morton's blandly automatic insight."
## Commercial reception
Madonna was released in hardback in the United States in November 2001. It debuted at position 15 on The New York Times Best Seller list, and reached eight the next week, but was present there for only two weeks. Madonna was still livid that Morton wrote the book without her permission, even saying "It's not a well-written book. We all know he wrote it for financial gain and the truth had little to do with it", after the book was released. With Jo Whiley from BBC Radio 1, she added that "[Morton] really went through my Rolodex and that part was really annoying, and I ended up writing him a letter saying, 'I'm not interested in you writing this book, I don't want to have anything to do with it – and please leave my friends alone'." The singer said that she had even sent Morton a book of philosophy—The Power of Kabbalah—to try to dissuade him from continuing. "It's a beginner's crash course in what it's all about – that eventually in some way shape or form it would come back round to him, but he either didn't read it or didn't care," Madonna added.
During the Drowned World Tour of 2001, Madonna was asked whether she had really sent the book for Morton's well-being. She replied sarcastically: "Why yes, I always send bibles and philosophy books to my biographers." Motioning to her then husband Guy Ritchie she continued, "Just ask my husband, he'll tell you that my greatest concern these days is not this fucking tour, or him or even our kids, why, it's Andrew Morton's spiritual enlightment of course." Her publicist Liz Rosenberg released a statement that "None of this [things in the biography] is true. I never saw a groom walk down an aisle with a bigger smile than Guy Ritchie," adding that Morton's claims were a retread of "tired old gossip. It's same old, same old." Morton remained unabashed, saying that he wrote the book because of his interest in the star, not least because she has made a "difference" to pop culture and modern culture. He added:
> "I'm very proud of the book and I'm very disappointed at Madonna's reaction. I think the problem is that she wants control over everything – that's one of the themes of the book, and secondly she seems to be almost disowning her past at the moment. She's reinventing herself as an upper-class, English aristocrat, and the former vegetarian who now goes hunting, fishing and shooting. My door's always open – Madonna's welcome to my house for a cup of tea. She said she wasn't interested in doing any kind of biography or anything ever, which is a bit of a stern statement from someone who has been so out there. It doesn't matter whether it's me, Norman Mailer, whoever. I was disappointed because I felt that we've only ever seen the caricature, the cartoon version of Madonna and I really wanted to show that she is a considerable artist and that she is more than anything that has been written about her in the past. I think for her it is an opportunity missed."
## Lawsuit
Madonna faced a lawsuit in 2004 over an image in the book. Titled Amarak Productions, Inc. vs. Morton, Madonna's former bodyguard and ex-lover Jim Albright brought a defamation case against Morton and St. Martin's Press, based on an incorrect photo caption. Amarak Productions, Inc. had employed Albright as Madonna's bodyguard in 1992, and he had later become romantically involved with the singer. While writing the book, Morton had contacted Albright to gather information on their relationship. One of the picture's caption in the book identified the subject as Albright, but it was actually Madonna's gay back-up dancer Jose Gutierez. On discovering the misleading image, the lawsuit was filed by Albright who objected to the caption.
On 30 May 2004, US District judge Nancy Gertner ruled out the lawsuit explaining that stating someone is homosexual does not libel or slander them, particularly in light of new court decisions granting more LGBT rights. Gertner first rejected the idea that the mistake in the caption meant that it promoted Albright as gay. She added: "Private biases may be outside the reach of the law, but the law cannot, directly or indirectly give them effect. In this day and age, recent rulings by the Supreme Court and the Supreme Judiciary Court of Massachusetts undermine any suggestion that a statement implying that an individual is homosexual is defamatory."
## Publication history
|
[
"## Summary",
"## Writing and development",
"## Critical response",
"## Commercial reception",
"## Lawsuit",
"## Publication history"
] | 2,697 | 28,426 |
18,560 |
Leaf by Niggle
| 1,169,272,840 |
Short story by J. R. R. Tolkien
|
[
"1945 short stories",
"Fantasy short stories",
"Metafictional works",
"Short stories by J. R. R. Tolkien",
"Works originally published in Dublin Review (Catholic periodical)"
] |
"Leaf by Niggle" is a short story written by J. R. R. Tolkien in 1938–39 and first published in the Dublin Review in January 1945. It was reprinted in Tolkien's book Tree and Leaf, and in several later collections. Contrary to Tolkien's claim that he despised allegory in any form, the story is an allegory of Tolkien's own creative process, and, to an extent, of his own life, following the structure of Dante's Purgatorio. It also expresses his philosophy of divine creation and human sub-creation. The story came to him in a dream.
## Context
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. His professional knowledge of works such as Beowulf shaped his fictional world of Middle-earth, including his high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.
## Plot summary
In this story, an artist named Niggle lives in a society that does not value art. Working only to please himself, he paints a canvas of a great tree with a forest in the distance. He invests each and every leaf of his tree with obsessive attention to detail, making every leaf uniquely beautiful. Niggle ends up discarding all his other artworks, or tacks them onto the main canvas, which becomes a single vast embodiment of his vision.
However, mundane duties constantly prevent Niggle from giving his work the attention it deserves, so it remains incomplete and is not fully realised. At the back of his head, Niggle knows that he has a great trip looming, and he must prepare for it, but Niggle's next door neighbour, a gardener named Parish, frequently drops by asking for assistance. Parish is lame, has a sick wife, and genuinely needs help. Niggle, having a good heart, takes time out to help—but he is also reluctant because he would rather work on his painting. Niggle has other pressing work duties as well that require his attention. Then Niggle himself catches a chill doing errands for Parish in the rain.
Eventually, Niggle is forced to take his trip, and cannot get out of it. He has not prepared, and as a result the trip goes wrong, and he ends up in a kind of institution, in which he must perform menial labour each day. Back at the home to which he cannot return, Niggle's painting is abandoned, used to patch a damaged roof, and all but destroyed (except for the one perfect leaf of the story's title, which is placed in the local museum).
In time, Niggle is paroled from the institution, and he is sent to a place "for a little gentle treatment". He discovers that this new place is the country of the tree and forest of his great painting. This place is the true realisation of his vision, not the flawed and incomplete version in his painting.
Niggle is reunited with his old neighbour, Parish, who now proves his worth as a gardener, and together they make the tree and forest even more beautiful. Finally, Niggle journeys farther and deeper into the Forest, and beyond into the great mountains that he only faintly glimpsed in his painting.
Long after both Niggle and Parish have taken their journeys, the place that they created together becomes a destination for many travellers to visit before their final voyage into the mountains, and it earns the name "Niggle's Parish".
## Publication history
"Leaf by Niggle" was first published in the Dublin Review in 1945. It first appeared in a book in 1964 alongside "On Fairy-Stories" in Tree and Leaf. It has been republished in the collections The Tolkien Reader (1966), Poems & Stories (1980), A Tolkien Miscellany (2002), and Tales from the Perilous Realm (2021).
## Analysis
### Allegory
Tolkien made the general statement "I dislike allegory" in one of his letters, but in specific references to "Leaf by Niggle", he wrote that "It is not really or properly an 'allegory' so much as 'mythical'", and "I tried to show allegorically how [sub-creation] might come to be taken up into Creation in some plane in my 'purgatorial' story Leaf by Niggle."
#### Of the journey of death
The Tolkien scholar and fellow-philologist Tom Shippey states categorically that the story is "quite certainly" an allegory, and that its first words recall "to any Anglo-Saxonist" the opening lines of the Old Northumbrian poem Bede's Death Song. Those lines, he states, equate death to a journey, hinting to the reader to continue making such "equations" of things in the world to elements of the story; and further, that the reader of the story is meant to interpret the story in this way, every tiny detail exactly and entertainingly fitting the pattern.
A religious reading could lead to the conclusion that the allegory of "Leaf by Niggle" is life, death, purgatory and paradise. Niggle is not prepared for his unavoidable trip, as humans often are not prepared for death. His time in the institution and subsequent discovery of his Tree represent purgatory and heaven; Sebastian Knowles writes that the story "follows Dante's 'Purgatorio' in its general structure and in its smallest detail."
Michael Milburn argues that Charles Williams's view of Dante as romantic theology – which Milburn glosses as the serious theology of romantic experiences, including romantic love – can be applied to Tolkien's story. Dante, he writes, has a "glorious vision" of Beatrice that is "as real" as the actual Beatrice. She dies, leaving Dante with the inspiration to "be love", to stay faithful to his vision of her. This can be applied to art with "a source text that not only takes art for its subject but locates the vision of great art in the afterlife with Beatrice, includes an experience analogous to the death of Beatrice, and explores the relationship between artistic beauty and caritas. Milburn states that Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle" is just such a text, because Niggle's allegorical "journey" signifies death, the "Workhouse" signifies purgatory, and the place Niggle reaches after that is the Earthly Paradise, the place for Tolkien as for Dante of final purification before heaven, Niggle's "mountains". Tolkien had met Williams, as they were both members of the Inklings literary group. Further, Milburn notes, Tolkien, despite denying that Williams had been an influence, wrote a poem about him, in which he praises William's understanding of Dante, his romantic theology: "But heavenly footsteps, too, can Williams trace, / and after Dante, plunging, soaring, race / up to the threshold of Eternal Grace".
#### Of Tolkien's life
An autobiographical interpretation places Tolkien himself as Niggle—in mundane matters as well as spiritual ones. Tolkien was compulsive in his writing, his endless revisions, his desire for perfection in form and in the "reality" of his invented world, its languages, its chronologies, its existence. Like Niggle, Tolkien came to abandon other projects or graft them onto his "Tree", Middle-earth. Like Niggle, Tolkien faced many chores and duties that kept him from the work he loved; and like Niggle, Tolkien was a confirmed procrastinator. Shippey comments that whereas Tolkien had once felt that one could return to Faërie in some way, later in his life he came to doubt that he would "[rejoin] his own creations after death, like Niggle; he felt they were lost, like the Silmarils." He adds that when Tolkien presents images of himself in his writings, as with Niggle and Smith, there is "a persistent streak of alienation". Shippey lists several elements of the allegory in "Leaf by Niggle".
#### Of creation and sub-creation
"Leaf by Niggle" can be interpreted, too, as an illustration of Tolkien's religious philosophy of creation and sub-creation. In this philosophy, true creation is the exclusive province of God, and those who aspire to creation can only make echoes (good) or mockeries (evil) of truth. The sub-creation of works that echo the true creations of God is one way that mortals honour God. This philosophy is evident in Tolkien's other works, especially The Silmarillion—one Vala, Morgoth, creates the Orc race as a foul mockery of the Elves. Another Vala, Aulë, creates the Dwarf race as an act of subcreation that honoured Eru Ilúvatar (the analogue of God in Tolkien's writings), and which Eru accepted and made real, just as Niggle's Tree was made real. Niggle's yearnings after truth and beauty (God's creations) are echoed in his great painting. After death, Niggle is rewarded with the realisation (the making-real) of his yearning; or, alternatively, Niggle's Tree always existed and he simply echoed it in his art. From a metanarrative viewpoint, Tolkien's Arda is itself a subcreation designed to honour the true stories of the real world. Thus, The Lord of the Rings, despite its lack of overt religious elements, can be interpreted as a profoundly religious work.
### Surrealistic dream memory
Michael Organ, writing in the Journal of Tolkien Research, notes that Tolkien stated in a letter that the story came to him one morning in 1939, shortly before the start of the Second World War, when he woke up with the story, which he called "that odd thing", in his mind "virtually" complete. Tolkien stated in another letter that he then wrote it out "almost in a sitting and very nearly in the form in which it now appears", commenting that looking back at the story, he thought it "arose" from a combination of his love of trees and his concern that The Lord of the Rings would never be finished. Organ describes the birth of "Leaf by Niggle" as "a frenzy of activity" resembling the automatic writing "popularised by proponents of Dada and Surrealism" in the early 20th century. He notes, too, that Tolkien knew that dreams had an irrational side, and had commented that it was "exceptional" for fantasy to appear in dreams, as "Fantasy is a rational, not an irrational, activity". Organ comments that Tolkien may have resisted "what he saw as the morbidity of surrealism" in connection with his story, precisely because "Leaf by Niggle"'s message is so positive.
### Visual imagery
Jeffrey MacLeod and Anna Smol write in Mythlore that while Tolkien defines sub-creation "in linguistic terms", he often links such verbal creation to visual images. For instance, in his poem "Mythopoeia", he mentions "script and limning packed of various hue", which they gloss as "writing and drawing, alphabet and image, the linguistic and the visual ... side by side." Similarly, they comment, in "Leaf by Niggle", the allegory uses the image of a painter. In his own life, Tolkien combined the writing of fiction with his artwork, while he defined imagination visually as the "mental power of image-making".
|
[
"## Context",
"## Plot summary",
"## Publication history",
"## Analysis",
"### Allegory",
"#### Of the journey of death",
"#### Of Tolkien's life",
"#### Of creation and sub-creation",
"### Surrealistic dream memory",
"### Visual imagery"
] | 2,397 | 31,648 |
67,647,937 |
MV Missourian (1921)
| 1,149,492,241 |
Early American motor cargo ship
|
[
"1921 ships",
"1965 in Saudi Arabia",
"Empire ships",
"Maritime incidents in 1965",
"Merchant ships of Belgium",
"Merchant ships of Israel",
"Merchant ships of Italy",
"Merchant ships of Saudi Arabia",
"Merchant ships of the United States",
"Ministry of War Transport ships",
"Passenger ships of Israel",
"Passenger ships of Italy",
"Passenger ships of Saudi Arabia",
"Ships built in Chester, Pennsylvania",
"Troop ships of Australia",
"Troop ships of France",
"World War II merchant ships of Belgium"
] |
Missourian was an early American motor cargo ship which was built in 1921 in Chester, Pennsylvania, for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. She was sold to the British Ministry of War Transport in 1940 and renamed Empire Swan. Transferred to the Belgian government in 1942, she was renamed Belgian Freighter. She was sold to the Compagnie Maritime Belge in 1946 and renamed Capitaine Potié.
She was sold to the Compagnia Genovese d'Armamento in 1948. Renamed Genova, she was rebuilt as a passenger ship. A further rebuild in 1955 and the fitting of new engines increased her service speed from 12 to 14.5 knots (22.2 to 26.9 km/h). She was renamed Flaminia. In 1964, she was sold to Saudi Lines and renamed King Abdelaziz. She served until 1970 when she was scrapped in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
## Description
As built, the ship was 461 ft 8 in (140.72 m) long overall, 445 ft 1 in (135.66 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 59 ft 10 in (18.24 m). She had a depth of 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m), and a draught of 28 ft 7 in (8.71 m). She was assessed at 7,899 GRT, , and had a displacement of 16,500 tons.
The ship was propelled by two Burmeister & Wain four-stroke single acting diesel engines, which had six cylinders of 29+1⁄8 inches (74 cm) diameter by 45+1⁄4 inches (115 cm) stroke driving twin screws, of 14 feet 0 inches (4.27 m) diameter and having four blades each. The engines were built by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were each rated at 2,250 ihp at 115 rpm and could propel her at 12 knots (22 km/h).
The ship had five cargo holds, covered by seven hatches. The holds had a total capacity of 650,000 cubic feet (18,000 m<sup>3</sup>). She had one 30-ton, one-10 ton, eleven-5 ton and eight-3 ton derricks. Hatches were 18 feet (5.49 m) wide, and up to 35 feet (10.67 m) long. Auxiliary power was provided by four 65-kilowatt (87 hp) generator sets, each driven by a two-cylinder diesel engine. No funnel was provided, two of her masts carried exhaust from her engines.
## History
### Missourian
Missourian was built as yard number 386 by the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation, Chester, Pennsylvania, for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. Her keel was laid down on 10 February 1921. Originally scheduled for launching on 28 November 1921, she was launched on 14 December and delivered to William Cramp & Sons in June 1922 for the installation of her engines. The port engine was started for the first time on 1 July, and the starboard engine the next day. The engines not having been previously run before installation, a change to established practice. At the time of her launch, she was the largest motor vessel afloat. The United States Official Number 222236 and code letters MDQP were allocated. Her port of registry was New York. Her sea trials took place on 6 July after which final completion work was done. On 10 July Missourian left the shipyard for New York.
Initially operated between ports on the west coast of the United States, Europe and New York, Missourian made her maiden voyage, from New York to California, on 23 July 1922. Her first round trip was completed in December and was pronounced a success. The ship had sailed for more than 20,000 nautical miles (37,000 km), consuming between 112 and 114 barrels of oil a day. On the last leg, from Hamburg, Germany, to New York, her average speed was in excess of 12 knots (22 km/h). In 1923, she was withdrawn from the San Pedro – New York –- Hamburg route to operate between ports on the west coast and the east coast of the United States. In November 1923, Missourian was drydocked at San Francisco for minor repairs. On 3 June 1928, Missourian hosted a luncheon for officers and members of the Associated Traffic Clubs of America at San Pedro.
In May 1932, Missourian sprang a leak whilst on a voyage from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon. She put back to San Francisco and was drydocked for repairs. Her code letters were changed to WACM in 1934. On 1 November 1935, the steamship Nevadan lost her propeller 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km) south east of San Francisco. She was subsequently taken in tow by Missourian, which later handed over the tow to the tug Peacock.
### Empire Swan
In summer 1940, Missourian was one of 90 American ships sold to the British Ministry of War Transport. Sailing under the British flag, she reached the United Kingdom as part of Convoy HX 59, which departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada on 19 July and arrived at Liverpool, Lancashire, on 3 August. Missourian was carrying a cargo of ammunition and scrap metal. She was renamed Empire Swan and placed under the management of Runciman (London) Ltd. Her port of registry was London. The United Kingdom Official Number 167635 and code letters GMQC were allocated.
Empire Swan departed from the Clyde on 8 September to join Convoy OB210, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at sea on 10 September. She was carrying general cargo. Over the next 20 months, Empire Swan sailed between the United Kingdom and North America. She was a member of convoys HX 79, OB 235, OB 291, HX 123, OG 65, HX 150, ON 9, HX 152, ON 32, HX 165, BB 117, ON 63, HX 179, ON 83 and HX 189, which was her last convoy under the British flag. Convoy HX 189 departed from Halifax on 10 May 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 20 May. She was carrying general cargo.
### Belgian Freighter, Capitaine Potié
Empire Swan was one of seven ships sold in 1942 to the Belgian government to replace war losses. She was renamed Belgian Freighter. She was placed under the management of the Compagnie Maritime Belge. Her port of registry was Antwerp and the code letters ONVQ were allocated.
Belgian Freighter spent much of the war sailing between the United Kingdom and North America, with a visit to Gibraltar in December 1942 and Casablanca, Morocco in January 1943. She visited Antwerp in March 1945. Belgian Freighter was a member of convoys ON 109, ON 111, BX 34, HX 204, ON 133, HX 213, KMS 5G, CG 10, MKS 7, WN 397, FS 1048, FN 969, EN 206, ON 174, HX 236, ON 187, HX 247, ON 196, HX 256, HX 257, ONS 21, XB 82, SC 148, ON 221, HX 283, ON 231, HX 292, WN 590, FS 1483, FN 1409, FN 1416, HX 304, ON 254, HX 355 and TAM 183. In 1946, Belgian Freighter was sold to the Compagnie Maritime Belge and was renamed Capitaine Potié. She sailed between Belgium, the Belgian Congo and South America.
### Genova
In May 1948, Capitaine Potié was sold to the Compagnia Genovese d'Armamento (Cogedar), the first ship to be purchased by Cogedar. She was rebuilt at Monfalcone as a passenger ship and renamed Genova. Accommodation for 860 passengers was provided. Her port of registry was Genoa and the Code Letters IBNI were allocated. She operated on the Genoa – River Plate route. Passengers were carried southward and freight was carried northward, the conversion being designed to allow this.
### Flaminia
In 1955 Genova was again rebuilt at Monfalcone. Her Burmeister & Wain engines were replaced by two five-cylinder Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico-Sulzer diesel engines. Rated at 7,200 bhp, they increased her service speed to 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h). Her draught had been reduced to 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) and she was now assessed at 8,776 GRT. Renamed Flaminia, She accommodated 1,024 passengers. She was used on the Genoa – Australia route. Flaminia retained Genoa as her port of registry and IBNI as her Code Letters.
Flaminia made her first voyage post-rebuild from Venice to Cairns, Queensland, Australia, arriving in June 1955. She transported 800 Italian migrants. She was then chartered by the French government as a troopship. In July 1955, as she passed through the Suez Canal, 67 legionnaires deserted by jumping overboard as they were being transported from France to French Indo-China. In February 1957, a vibration in her starboard propeller shaft forced that engine to be shut down whilst the ship was in the Indian Ocean, bringing 946 Hungarian migrants to Australia. She put in to Fremantle, Western Australia. Alternative transport by air or rail was arranged for her passengers. In 1958, Don Gonzalo, Prince of Spain travelled on Flaminia to Australia on holiday. He left the ship at Sydney, rejoining a week later at Perth to return home. In July 1959, Flaminia was caught up in a worldwide strike by Italian seamen when she arrived at Melbourne. Her crew were not members of the striking Italian Maritime Union and did not join the strike. Victualling the ship was severely affected by picketing strikers. Her passengers were sent on to Sydney and Brisbane by air or rail. A police guard was placed upon the vessel. In August, she was chartered by the Australian government as a troopship to return soldiers from Malaya to Australia for Christmas. The troops had been taking part in the Malayan Emergency, fighting against communist insurgents of the Malayan National Liberation Army. Flaminia sailed from Penang for Australia on 5 October with the first of the returning troops. She arrived at Brisbane on 18 October.
In February 1960, Flaminia transported the 25,000th emigrant, Alfred Bayliss, under the Malta-Australia assisted passages agreement from Malta to Australia. On departure from Valletta, 29-year-old Bayliss, his wife and their two children were given VIP treatment by the Maltese government. Flaminia was again chartered by the Australian government as a troopship in 1961. Flaminia caught fire off the Italian coast in the early 1960s, but was repaired. In 1962, Flaminia was chartered to Zim Line, operating on the Marseille – Haifa route. Whilst on charter, she was sold to Covena S.p.A, Genoa. Codega buying Media from Cunard Line to replace her. In March 1963, Flaminia was chartered to transport Jewish migrants from Argentina to Israel. In September 1964, she was chartered to transport Jewish migrants from Tunisia to Israel.
### King Abdelaziz
In October 1964, Flaminia was sold to Saudi Lines, Jeddah. She was renamed King Abdelaziz. On 30 April 1965, she ran aground on the Alagham Reef, 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) west of Jeddah. Her passengers were taken off. She was refloated a few days later and taken to La Spezia, Italy, for repairs, which took until September to complete. With their introduction in the 1960s, she was allocated the Lloyd's Register Number 511605. King Abdelaziz was sold in 1970. She arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 23 March, or 23 April for breaking.
## See also
- sister ship
|
[
"## Description",
"## History",
"### Missourian",
"### Empire Swan",
"### Belgian Freighter, Capitaine Potié",
"### Genova",
"### Flaminia",
"### King Abdelaziz",
"## See also"
] | 2,723 | 23,782 |
51,703,861 |
August Kork
| 1,136,720,421 |
Estonian Soviet general (1887–1937)
|
[
"1887 births",
"1937 deaths",
"Burials at Donskoye Cemetery",
"Case of the Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization",
"Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union members",
"Commandants of the Frunze Military Academy",
"Communist Party of the Soviet Union members",
"Estonian communists",
"Great Purge victims from Estonia",
"Imperial Russian Army officers",
"Members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union executed by the Soviet Union",
"People from Kastre Parish",
"People from Kreis Dorpat",
"People of the Polish–Soviet War",
"Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 2nd class",
"Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 3rd class",
"Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class",
"Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class",
"Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 4th class",
"Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner",
"Russian Provisional Government military personnel",
"Russian military personnel of World War I",
"Soviet expatriates in Germany",
"Soviet komandarms of the second rank",
"Soviet military attachés",
"Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War",
"Soviet rehabilitations"
] |
August Ivanovich Kork (Russian: Август Иванович Корк, also Аугуст Яанович Корк; – 11 June 1937) was an Estonian Red Army commander (Komandarm 2nd rank) who was tried and executed during the Great Purge in 1937.
Kork became an officer of the Imperial Russian Army and graduated from the General Staff Academy. He served as a staff officer during World War I and in February 1917 was at the Western Front headquarters. Kork became a Bolshevik and joined the Red Army. He fought in the Russian Civil War, initially as chief of staff of the Bolshevik-sponsored Estonian Red Army and then as assistant commander of the 7th Army. In July 1919 Kork became commander of the 15th Army, defeating Nikolai Yudenich's Northwestern Army and defending Petrograd. He led the army in the Polish–Soviet War and in October 1920 became commander of the 6th Army, which defeated the last White Army in Crimea, led by Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel.
After the end of the campaign, Kork took command of the Kharkov Military District and later became the assistant commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Crimea. In October 1922 he took command of the Turkestan Front, fighting against Basmachi rebels. During the late 1920s, Kork commanded the Caucasus Army, several military districts, and was the Soviet military attaché in Germany between 1928 and 1929. Returning from Germany, Kork became commander of the Moscow Military District. In 1935 he became head of the Frunze Military Academy with the rank of Komandarm 2nd rank. At this time he was the highest-ranking Estonian Red Army officer. During the Great Purge, Kork was arrested and shot as part of the Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization. He was acquitted twenty years later.
## Early life and career
Kork was born on 2 August 1887 in the village of Aardla in the Governorate of Livonia to a peasant family. After graduating from four years of college in Tartu in 1905, Kork entered the Vilna Cadet School on 31 August. In 1907, he transferred to the Chuguyev Military School after the educational system was reorganized. Kork graduated on 15 June 1908 as a Podporuchik and served in the 98th Yuryevsky Infantry Regiment in Dvinsk. On 14 June 1911, he was promoted to Poruchik. In 1911, he entered the General Staff Academy, from which he graduated in 1914 in the first class. For his academic achievements, Kork received the Order of Saint Stanislaus 3rd class on 8 May. He was seconded to the Vilno Military District headquarters.
Kork fought in World War I on the Northwestern Front and the Western Front. In October 1914, he was awarded the Order of Saint Anna 3rd class with Swords. On 1 April 1915, he was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus 2nd class with Swords. Kork became an adjutant on the staff of the 3rd Siberian Army Corps and was promoted to Staff captain on 14 June. On 16 November, Kork received the Order of Saint Anna 4th class. At the same time, he became an adjutant at the headquarters of the 8th Siberian Rifle Division. On 25 or 30 December he was transferred to the 10th Army headquarters. He also served with the 20th Army Corps and the Office of the Quartermaster General on the Staff of the Western Front. On 15 August 1916, he was promoted to Captain. In 1917, he graduated from the Observer-Pilot Military School. On 25 February, Kork became an officer for Aircraft Orders on the Staff of the Western Front. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On 31 March, Kork was awarded the Order of Saint Anna 2nd class with Swords. Between August 1917 and February 1918 he was chairman of the Soldiers' Committee of the Western Front.
## Russian Civil War
In June 1918, Kork joined the Red Army. He worked at the Vseroglavshtab (All-Russian Main Staff) and from October headed the Operations section and the 9th Army's Operational-Surveillance Department. In December, Kork became an advisor to the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs of the Bolshevik-sponsored Estonian Workers' Commune. Between February and May 1919, he was chief of staff of the Estonian Red Army. In June, he became the assistant commander of the 7th Army. Between 31 July and 15 October 1919 and 22 October, 1919 and 16 October 1920 Kork led the 15th Army. The army fought against the White Northwest Army led by Nikolai Yudenich. Mikhail Tukhachevsky repeatedly noted Kork's ability to manage troops in combat and Sergey Kamenev considered him the best of the Western Front army commanders. On 26 October 1919 Kork began an attack on Luga, capturing it on 31 October. The army advanced north towards Volosovo, forcing the Northwest Army to retreat. On 6 November the army linked up with the 5th Latvian Regiment and captured Volosovo. For operations around Gdov in October 1919 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Kork led the 15th Army in the Polish–Soviet War. On 17 May 1920, the army attacked Minsk. By 23 May, the army had crossed the Berezina River, advancing 70 miles (110 km). Polish resistance stiffened the next day, stopping the army's advance. After Polish counterattacks had pushed back the 15th Army and other Red Army units, Mikhail Tukhachevsky launched a second Soviet offensive. By 22 July the army had crossed the Neman. After the Polish counteroffensive, two of the army's divisions were interned in East Prussia. For actions in the Polish-Soviet War in July 1920 Kork was awarded a second Order of the Red Banner.
He became commander of the 6th Army on 26 October 1920, fighting against the last White Army led by Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel in Crimea. The 6th Army's attack began two days later. On 29 October it had captured Perekop in an attempt to encircle White forces north of the isthmus, but the Soviet cavalry units that were to complete the encirclement failed and many of Wrangel's troops escaped. On 8 November the 6th Army captured the Turkish Wall and began its advance south. Wrangel issued evacuation orders and by 16 November most of the White troops had evacuated. Kork was awarded an Honorary Revolutionary Weapon on 30 December 1920 for the capture of Perekop and Yushunskaya positions and the occupation of Crimea.
## Interwar
On 16 May 1921 Kork became commander of the Kharkov Military District. Between 30 June and 4 October, 1922 Kork was the assistant commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Crimea. On 4 October 1922 he took command of the Turkestan Front, fighting against the Basmachi. From July to December 1923 Kork was the First Assistant Chief of the Air Fleet of the Soviet Union. He became assistant commander and then commander of the Western Military District. Between February and November 1925, Kork led the Red Banner Caucasus Army. In November 1925, he became commander of the Western Military District again. In 1927, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Between May 1927 and May 1928, he led the Leningrad Military District. In June 1928, Kork was sent to Berlin as the Soviet military attaché there. After his return to the Soviet Union in May 1929, Kork became head of the Red Army's supply. In November of that year, he was appointed commander of the Moscow Military District. Kork became a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union. He commanded the Frunze Military Academy and was a Komandarm 2nd rank from November 1935. Kork lived in an apartment in the House on the Embankment.
Kork was arrested on 12 May (16 May according to Robert Conquest) 1937. Kork initially denied the charges but signed a confession on 18 May. The confession stated that Avel Enukidze had involved him in a "rightist conspiracy" connected to Vitovt Putna and Vitaly Primakov's "Trotskyite group". Four days later, Robert Eideman was arrested for signing Kork's party recommendation. After the arrest of Ieronim Uborevich on 29 May, Kork had a confrontation session with him. At the secret trial on 11 June, known as the Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization, Kork did not answer when asked if he had conducted spying. He was convicted of "involvement in a military conspiracy in the Red Army and in preparing to overthrow Soviet power through an armed uprising and the defeat of the Soviet Union in a future war." He was shot in Moscow the next day and buried in the Donskoye Cemetery. The Frunze Military Academy was purged. On 31 January 1957 Kork was "rehabilitated" (acquitted) for "lack of evidence."
## Personal life
Kork married Yekaterina Mikhailovna (born 1894). In June 1937, after Kork's arrest, Yekaterina was exiled to Astrakhan, where she was arrested on 5 September. She and other wives of executed military leaders were moved back to Moscow and subjected to torture and interrogation. On 13 July 1941 she was sentenced to death and was shot at the Kommunarka shooting ground on 28 July.
|
[
"## Early life and career",
"## Russian Civil War",
"## Interwar",
"## Personal life"
] | 2,154 | 19,737 |
14,953,016 |
Tute
| 1,131,104,916 |
Trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family
|
[
"19th-century card games",
"Italian card games",
"Spanish card games",
"Spanish deck card games",
"Tute"
] |
Tute () is a trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family for two to four players. Originating in Italy, where it was known as Tutti, during the 19th century the game spread in Spain, becoming one of the most popular card games in the country. The name of the game was later modified by Spanish speakers, who started calling the game Tute. The game is played with a deck of traditional Spanish playing cards, or naipes, that is very similar to the Italian 40-card deck.
The classic version of the game is Two-player Tute, while the most played is Tute in Pairs, where four players form two teams. The object of the game is to score the most points in the baza (a pile next to a player that contains the cards that the player gets after winning a trick) and by declarations (holding certain combinations of cards). Due to its wide popularity, several variations of the game exist.
## Overview
Tute originated in Italy. The game belongs to the same family as Brisca and has similar rules of play and final count of points. The name of the game originated from the Italian word Tutti (all), the declaration that a player announces when holding the four kings,or four Jacks. The game spread to Spain during the 19th century, brought back by Spanish troops who returned from missions in Italy. As the popularity of the game increased, its name was modified over time by Spanish speakers, who started calling the game Tute. The game became one of the most popular in Spain, leading to the later appearance of regional variations of the game. In Mexico, the game was known as Tuti.
The game is played with a Spanish deck of cards, which is divided into four suits: Oros (coins), Espadas (swords), Copas (cups) and Bastos (batons). The 8s and 9s of each suit are excluded, leaving forty cards in the deck. The object of the game is to score the most points in the baza and from declarations (see Scoring below).
## Rules
### Two-player Tute
This variation of Tute is called "Tute Habanero". Each player is dealt eight cards and the next is turned for trumps. The upcard is placed perpendicular and beneath the stock.
The non-dealer leads any card to the first trick. The second player must follow suit and head the trick if possible. If the second player is void in the led suit, but has one or more trump cards, he must play a trump. Only if the second player has no cards of the led suit and no trumps, may any other card be played. The trick is won by the higher trump or, if no trumps are played, the higher card of the led suit.
The winning player takes both cards of the trick, and places them face down in separate pile on the table, called the baza. These cards remain out of play until scores are calculated at the end of the round.
The winner of the trick takes the first card from the stock, and the loser the second. The trick winner may then make any announcements before leading to the next trick. Thus, until the stock runs out, so that, until that point, they each hold eight cards at the start of every trick. When the trump upcard is higher than a 7 (Ace, Three, King, Knight, or Knave), the player that holds the 7 of trumps may able exchange it for the upcard. The 7, and cards of lesser value (6, 5, and 4), may later be exchanged only by a 2. The trump exchanges are allowed anytime in the game until only two cards remain in the stock.
After a player makes the first baza, that player is allowed to make declarations. Declaring is allowed until the last two cards are left in the stock (the last face-down stock card, and the trump upcard below it). After these last two stock cards are picked up, all of the cards the players hold must be played in order to finish the deal. When the deal is over, the players tot up their scores (see Scoring below). After the counting ends, and their scores are calculated, the cards in the bazas are mixed again in a single stock to be dealt at the start of the next deal.
### Tute in pairs
Tute in Pairs is played by four players—two teams of two players each—and every player receives ten cards (since there are 40 cards, this means that all of the cards in the deck are dealt). The last card to be dealt is shown to the rest of the players and becomes the trump. This card belongs to the player it was dealt to. The four people sit in a circle, with opponent players to the right and left of each player, and players sitting opposite their team members.
One person plays a card, and the player to the right of this person, from the opponent team, plays a card. As with Two-player Tute, if the second player has one or more higher cards of the same suit as the first player's card, one of these must be played. If the second player has cards of the same suit, but only ones of less value than the first card, one of these must be played. If the second player does not have any cards of the same suit but has one or more trump cards, one of these must be played. If the second player has no cards of the same suit and no trumps, any other card can be played.
Now, the next player to the right plays a card following the same rules as the second player: if possible, a card of the same suit as the first player's card must be played, higher than the first two cards if possible; or if this is not possible, then lower; if no card of the same suit is held, then if possible, a trump card must be played; if no trump card is held, then any card may be played. The fourth player likewise plays a card following these same rules.
When all four cards of the trick are on the table, the pair that played the card with the strongest card wins the hand. The trump suit beats the other three suits, with the ranking of trump cards from strongest to weakest as follows: Ace-3-King-Knight-Knave-7-6-5-4-2. The next strongest suit is the one the first player played, again with the card rankings being Ace-3-King-Knight-Knave-7-6-5-4-2. Cards of the other two suits always lose to trumps and the first player's suit. The winning team places the four cards from the trick into their baza. The rules for the declarations are similar to Two-player Tute, but it is mandatory to declare the cards after a player or the partner begins a baza. Only the scoring team can declare. To declare their cards, the opposing team has to begin a baza. Declaring cards in the plays that follow the beginning of a baza is not allowed. After the hand is over, the counting starts (see Scoring below). When the counting ends, and after the score is calculated, the cards in the bazas are mixed again in a single stack to be dealt at the start of the next round. The deal of cards rotates counter-clockwise during the subsequent hands.
## Scoring
Tute games are played until an established number of game points is reached. Each time one of the competitors wins a round, one point is added to the total score of the player or pair. New rounds are played until a player or pair reaches the game points goal (three and six point games are the most common). When the number is reached the player or pair wins.
The winner (or the pair of winners) of the round is determined by the total of round points each player (or pair) collects. These points are calculated as the sum of card values in baza, bonus points for declarations and the final trick bonus.
### Card values
The values of cards are associated with their ranks:
The rest of the cards (7-6-5-4-2) are called cartas blancas (white cards) because their value is zero round points.
### Declarations
A player (or a pair), who wins at least one trick receives an ability to gain more round points upon declaring the card combinations. In Tute in Pairs the declarations can be performed until the end of round; in Two-player Tute this ability persists until only two cards are left in the deck.
The player, who collected all the four Kings, is entitled to declare tute (all), which automatically ends the round with a collector's victory. Having both King and Knight of the trump suit, one can declare las cuarenta (forty), scoring additional 40-round points. The combination of King and Knight of any other suit can be declared as veinte (twenty); it adds 20 round points to the player's score. If possible, a player can declare several combination. In such cases the declarations with the higher round point value must be made first. For example, after declaring veinte the player loses right to declare las cuarenta, though declaring another veinte is still allowed. In Two-player games the declaration order rule only applies to declarations between each trick is played, so the player can declare las cuarenta after veinte if the combination is collected by picking the previously missing card from the stock.
The total of the round points the player (or pair) has gained is calculated as the sum of values of the cards collected in the baza and the values of the declared combinations. The winner of the last trick also receives ten bonus round points. The total value of the deck (and thus the maximum number of round points) is 230 points.
## Variants
Due to the popularity of the game in Spain, modifications to the traditional rules have appeared regionally, creating variations. The variants are played with similar rules to normal Tute, but differing in the number of cards, rules for declarations, and other minor modifications of the traditional rules.
|
[
"## Overview",
"## Rules",
"### Two-player Tute",
"### Tute in pairs",
"## Scoring",
"### Card values",
"### Declarations",
"## Variants"
] | 2,091 | 32,986 |
39,427,794 |
Chef (2014 film)
| 1,173,025,541 |
Comedy film by Jon Favreau
|
[
"2010s American films",
"2010s English-language films",
"2010s road comedy-drama films",
"2014 comedy-drama films",
"2014 films",
"2014 independent films",
"Album chart usages for Spain",
"Album chart usages for Spain",
"American independent films",
"American road comedy-drama films",
"Cooking films",
"English-language independent films",
"Films about chefs",
"Films about food and drink",
"Films about social media",
"Films about trucks",
"Films directed by Jon Favreau",
"Films produced by Jon Favreau",
"Films scored by Lyle Workman",
"Films set in Austin, Texas",
"Films set in Los Angeles",
"Films set in Miami",
"Films set in New Orleans",
"Films set in restaurants",
"Films shot in Austin, Texas",
"Films shot in Los Angeles",
"Films shot in Miami",
"Films shot in New Orleans",
"Films with screenplays by Jon Favreau",
"Food trucks",
"Open Road Films films"
] |
Chef is a 2014 American road comedy-drama film directed, written, co-produced by, and starring Jon Favreau as a chef who, after a public altercation with a food critic, loses his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant and begins to operate a food truck with his young son. It co-stars Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, and Dustin Hoffman, along with Robert Downey Jr. in a cameo role.
Favreau wrote the script after directing several big-budget films, wanting to go "back to basics" and to create a film about cooking. Food truck owner and chef Roy Choi served as a co-producer and oversaw the menus and food prepared for the film. Principal photography took place in July 2013 in Los Angeles, Miami, Austin and New Orleans.
Chef premiered at South by Southwest on March 7, 2014, and was released theatrically on May 9, 2014, by Open Road Films. It was well received by critics, who praised the direction, music, writing, story, and performances, and grossed \$46 million against a production budget of \$11 million.
## Plot
Miami-born Carl Casper is the head chef of Gauloises in Brentwood, Los Angeles. While popular with his kitchen staff and hostess Molly, Carl clashes with the restaurant's owner, Riva, who wants him to stick to classical cuisine rather than innovative dishes. Carl also has a strained relationship with his tech-savvy preteen son, Percy, and his rich ex-wife, Inez.
When Carl has the chance to serve prestigious food critic and blogger Ramsey Michel, Riva demands he prepare old favorites at the last minute; Carl concedes, leading to a scathing review. Carl insults Ramsey on Twitter, not realizing that his reply is public, and gains a large online following. Carl comes up with a new menu that his staff loves and invites Ramsey to a "rematch", but leaves after confronting Riva, who wants the old menu again.
At home, Carl prepares the menu he wanted, while his sous-chef Tony serves Ramsey the same dishes from his prior visit. Ramsey tweets negatively about Carl, provoking Carl into confronting him at the restaurant. Videos of Carl's meltdown go viral, leaving him humiliated and unemployable.
Carl reluctantly accepts Inez's invitation to accompany her and Percy to Miami, where he rediscovers his love for Cuban cuisine. At Inez's encouragement, her ex-husband Marvin offers Carl a dilapidated food truck. Carl and Percy bond while restoring the truck and buying groceries, and Carl gives him a chef's knife. Martin, Carl's friend and former line cook, turns down his promotion at Gauloise to join Carl, who has reignited his passion as a chef.
Carl, Martin, and Percy drive the truck across the country to Los Angeles, serving Cuban sandwiches and yuca fries. Percy promotes them on social media, and they find success in New Orleans and Austin, where their daily specials include po' boys, beignets and barbecued brisket, made with local ingredients.
Back in Los Angeles, having strengthened his relationship with Percy, Carl accepts his son's offer to help with the food truck, with Inez also joining them. Ramsey visits the truck to explain his bad review: though an early fan of Carl, he was disappointed by a meal he felt was beneath Carl's skills. Impressed with the chef's return to form, Ramsey offers to bankroll a new restaurant where Carl will have full creative control.
Six months later, the successful new restaurant is closed for Carl and Inez's remarriage ceremony.
## Cast
- Jon Favreau as Carl Casper
- Emjay Anthony as Percy Casper
- John Leguizamo as Martin
- Sofía Vergara as Inez Casper
- Bobby Cannavale as Tony
- Scarlett Johansson as Molly
- Oliver Platt as Ramsey Michel
- Dustin Hoffman as Riva
- Amy Sedaris as Jen
- Robert Downey Jr. as Marvin
- Russell Peters as Miami cop
Musician Gary Clark Jr, Franklin Barbecue owner Aaron Franklin and general manager Benji Jacob cameo as themselves.
## Production
### Development
Jon Favreau, the writer, director and star of Chef, wrote the film's script in about two weeks. He had long wanted to make a film about food and chefs, and felt that the subject was suited to a small-scale independent film rather than a big-budget production. He cited Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Eat Drink Man Woman and Big Night as inspirations for creating a food-centric film.
The script was semi-autobiographical, incorporating parts of Favreau's life into the main character, such as being a father while having a busy career and coming from a "broken home". Favreau also drew a comparison between his career as a director and Carl's career as a chef; he stepped down from directing major studio films to go "back to basics" and create Chef on a smaller budget, much like Carl's resignation from a popular restaurant to work in a food truck.
Favreau contacted Roy Choi, a restaurateur who created the Kogi Korean BBQ food truck, to serve as a consultant on the film; Choi was eventually promoted to co-producer. While the film was in pre-production, Favreau shadowed Choi in his restaurants and worked as part of Choi's kitchen crew after training at a culinary school. Choi oversaw the menus prepared for the film and created the Cuban sandwiches that form a central part of the storyline.
### Casting
In addition to Favreau, the first actors cast in main roles were Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo and Bobby Cannavale. To prepare for his role as Martin the line cook, Leguizamo spent time working as an actual line cook at The Lion in the West Village. It was announced that Robert Downey, Jr.whom Favreau had previously directed in two Iron Man filmshad joined the cast in May 2013. Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman were cast later that month. Favreau felt the casting was one of the film's biggest successes, which provided him with "a tremendous amount of confidence"; in particular, he was impressed by Emjay Anthony, who was ten years old at the time of filming.
### Filming
Principal photography of the film began in July 2013 in Los Angeles. Subsequent filming took place in Miami, Austin and New Orleans—cities that Favreau chose to work into the story because they all "possess a rich food and music culture". Filming locations in Miami included the Versailles restaurant, the Fontainebleau Hotel, and the Cuban restaurant Hoy Como Ayer in Little Havana. In New Orleans, some scenes were filmed at Café du Monde in the city's French Quarter.
In Austin, filming locations included Franklin Barbecue and Guero's on South Congress. Filming of the shopping scene took place in Los Angeles at Charlie's Fixtures. Food prepared for the shoot was eaten by the cast and crew after filming. Much of the dialogue in the food truck scenes between Favreau, John Leguizamo, and Emjay Anthony was improvised in order to capture the banter of a kitchen environment.
## Soundtrack
Milan Records released a Chef soundtrack on May 6, 2014, three days before the film's release. The soundtrack is a combination of Latin jazz, New Orleans jazz and blues, which serve as background to the storyline as it moves through Miami, New Orleans and Austin, respectively. The film's music was chosen by music supervisor Mathieu Schreyer, while additional incidental music was scored by Lyle Workman.
## Release
Chef premiered on March 7, 2014, at South by Southwest, where it was the opening film of the festival and was attended by Favreau, Leguizamo, Anthony, and Platt. It was subsequently screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. On August 19, Open Road Films announced to re-release the film nationally on August 29 for a Labor Day weekend, which would grow 100 screens to 600–800.
### Box office
The film was released theatrically on May 9, 2014, beginning in limited release in six theaters and expanding throughout May and June to a peak of 1,298 theaters. Its total gross in the United States as of November 2, 2014 is \$31.4 million.
Outside of the U.S., Chef performed best in Australia (earning \$2.8 million), the United Kingdom and Spain (\$2.6 million in each country) and Mexico (earning a little over \$1 million). In total, Chef has grossed almost \$15 million outside the United States.
### Critical response
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 87% based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Chef's charming cast and sharp, funny script add enough spice to make this feel-good comedy a flavorful—if familiar—treat." Metacritic gave the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, describing it as "an artful surprise and an exuberant gift" and "deliciously entertaining, comic, touching and often bitingly true". Ty Burr of the Boston Globe also awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars; he thought it was "funny and heartfelt" and that, despite its weaknesses, the strengths "overpower the parts of the meal that are undercooked". Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper gave Chef 3 out of 4 stars, finding it "funny, quirky and insightful, with a bounty of interesting supporting characters" but also noting the lack of plot and character development in some parts. Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times gave particular praise to the "terrific supporting cast" and the script's lack of cliché, such as in its presentation of family dynamics.
Joe Leydon from Variety found the film's plot predictable and slow-paced, but noted "the trip itself is never less than pleasant, and often extremely funny". The New York Times' Stephen Holden described Chef as "aggressively feel-good" and "shallow but enjoyable". Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and found it "deeply satisfying, down to the soul", praising the "incredible" food photography, the "colorful supporting cast" and the "wryly observant" humor, raving, "There's nothing terribly profound about "Chef". But its messagethat relationships, like cooking, take a hands-on approachis a sweet and sustaining one." San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle opined that Chef was Favreau's best film to date, highlighting the "natural and convincing" chemistry between Favreau and Anthony and the "vivid" scenes featuring big-name actors in small roles.
USA Today's Scott Bowles gave Chef 3.5 out of 4 stars and called it "a nuanced side dish, a slow-cooked film that's one of the most heartwarming of the young year". Ken Choy of Wide Lantern noted the structural problems but admitted, "If you ever saw the Kristen Bell sloth video on Ellen, that was me during the entire 2nd half of the movie. Non-stop tears. It was happy-crying because Favreau's character was doing what he wanted."
Slant Magazine critic Chris Cabin, gave Chef a 1.5 out of 4 stars and described it as Favreau's "most self-satisfied, safe, and compromised film to date", chiefly criticizing the film's lack of realism and credibility. Writing for The Village Voice, Amy Nicholson agreed that the storyline was implausible and summarized the film as "so charmingly middlebrow that it's exactly the cinematic comfort food it mocks". Indiewire's Eric Kohn opined that with Chef, "Favreau has no sweeping thematic aims", and that the end product was a "self-indulgent vanity project".
## Television series
In 2019, Favreau and Choi released a documentary television spin-off on Netflix, The Chef Show, that sees Jon Favreau and Roy Choi, "experiment with their favorite recipes and techniques, baking, cooking, exploring and collaborating with some bold-face names in the entertainment and culinary world". A second season was released in 2020.
## Remake
In 2017, the film was remade into an Indian comedy-drama, also titled Chef, by Raja Krishna Menon, featuring Saif Ali Khan and Padmapriya Janakiraman in the lead roles.
[Album chart usages for Spain](Category:Album_chart_usages_for_Spain "wikilink") [Album chart usages for Spain](Category:Album_chart_usages_for_Spain "wikilink")
|
[
"## Plot",
"## Cast",
"## Production",
"### Development",
"### Casting",
"### Filming",
"## Soundtrack",
"## Release",
"### Box office",
"### Critical response",
"## Television series",
"## Remake"
] | 2,706 | 4,533 |
1,017,692 |
She of Little Faith
| 1,172,924,666 | null |
[
"2001 American television episodes",
"American Christmas television episodes",
"Television episodes about Buddhism",
"Television episodes about religion",
"The Simpsons (season 13) episodes"
] |
"She of Little Faith" is the sixth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on December 16, 2001. In the episode, Bart Simpson and his father Homer accidentally launch a model rocket into the Springfield church, causing the church council to accept funding plans from Mr. Burns for reparation. Discontent with how commercialized the rebuilt church has become, Lisa abandons Christianity and seeks out to follow a new religion.
The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Bill Freiberger, whom executive producer and show runner Al Jean had met while working on the television series Teen Angel. The plot idea for the episode was pitched by Jean, who wanted to expand on Lisa's personality, even though some of the Simpsons writers were concerned over the episode's originality. Lisa has remained a Buddhist since this episode. The episode features actor Richard Gere, who agreed to star as long as Buddhism was portrayed accurately, and as long as Lisa would say "Free Tibet".
The episode was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour) in 2002, which it ultimately lost to the Futurama episode, "Roswell That Ends Well".
Following the thirteenth season's release on DVD and Blu-ray, the episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
## Plot
While watching a 1950s science fiction movie, Bart and Lisa see a commercial for a model rocket kit and Bart orders it by using Homer's credit card number. Homer helps Bart and Milhouse build it, but it blows up before launching. Jealous that Ned Flanders built a superior rocket, Homer enlists the help of his former nerdy college roommates, Gary, Doug, and Benjamin, to build a rocket piloted by the hamster Nibbles. The rocket lifts off successfully, but it develops complications and Nibbles bails out. Homer attempts to shoot down the rocket with a 12 gauge shotgun, but the rocket crashes into the church. The church council meets up to decide how to come up with money to fund the repairs to the church. With no other aid available, they accept help from Mr. Burns and Lindsay Naegle, who wish to run the church as a business. The two rebuild the church as a commercial monstrosity, complete with advertising signs, a currency exchanger, a Lard Lad statue, a photo booth for the churchgoers to put their faces in a cut-out of Jesus from The Last Supper, and a Jumbotron known as "Godcam". Lisa is appalled at this and after Lovejoy welcomes The Noid to hold a sermon "on the sanctity of deliciousness," she abandons the church, feeling her religion has lost its soul.
That night, Lisa prays to God and assures him she has not turned her back on Him, but plans to seek a new path to “Him” (or “Her,” she says). While on a walk around town, passing many sacrilegious signs, she finds Springfield's Buddhist temple. Inside she sees Lenny and Carl meditating, and Hollywood actor Richard Gere teaches the core concepts of Buddhism to her. An intrigued Lisa takes a pamphlet on Buddhism and studies it at home. It convinces her of the virtues of the faith, and Lisa announces out her window she has become, and forever will be, a Buddhist. Lisa plants her own bodhi tree in the back yard and begins to meditate, but Marge grows increasingly worried about Lisa's soul and tries to convince her to come back to Christianity.
At the church council meeting, Reverend Lovejoy tells Marge to use Christmas to bribe her back. Homer places a tasteless animatronic angel on top of Lisa's bodhi tree, and Marge bakes cookies, decorates the home, and has Ralph and Milhouse dress as a pony in wrapping paper to tempt her, but Lisa runs from the home when she realizes what is happening. At the Buddhist temple, she tells Gere her family tried to trick her, but Gere informs her that while Buddhism is about one finding inner peace, it is also about respecting the diversity of other religions based on love and compassion. Thus, Lisa is free to celebrate any holiday with her family, including Christmas. Lisa goes back home, falling asleep beside the Christmas tree and tells everyone that she will be celebrating Christmas with them and continue paying lip service to Christianity while practicing Buddhism for the rest of her life. As Marge takes her to the kitchen to get some cookies for her, Lisa asks about her pony, and Marge tries unsuccessfully to change the subject as Lisa calls out for her gift.
## Production and themes
"She of Little Faith" was directed by Steven Dean Moore and was the only episode Bill Freiberger wrote for The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 16, 2001.
Before returning to work full-time on The Simpsons, Jean had worked on a television series called Teen Angel together with Mike Reiss and Freiberger. While working on Teen Angel, Freiberger suggested that, if Jean was ever to run The Simpsons, he should hire Freiberger as a writer on the series. For the thirteenth season, Jean became show runner and assigned Freiberger to write the episode. Freiberger wrote the first draft as a freelance script at his parents' barn in Pennsylvania, and when he returned to the writing staff to rewrite the story, Freiberger took so many notes that the script became 106 pages long. As a result, Freiberger spent more time editing down the script rather than writing it. The episode's main plot, in which Lisa becomes a Buddhist, was pitched by Jean, who wanted to expand Lisa's personality. When he pitched the plot idea to the Simpsons writing staff, they became concerned about the episode's originality. They argued that the series had already explored religious themes in earlier episodes, but Jean assured them that the episode would be about Lisa first-and-foremost, rather than Buddhism. Unlike several other episodes in the series in which a character undergoes a change in their personality, Lisa has remained a Buddhist since this episode, much like her conversion to vegetarianism in "Lisa the Vegetarian".
Freiberger pitched the subplot involving the model rockets in the beginning of the episode. He based it on a real-life experience, in which he, as a child, accidentally launched a model rocket into a window in his house. A scene from this subplot was removed from the episode following the September 11 attacks. The scene would show a man named Hassan Jay Salam being arrested by policemen (who tells them to call his cousin Casey Kasem), who think the rocket Bart and Homer launched was launched by him (The rocket bears the abbreviation HJS, which stands for Homer J Simpson). After the attacks, the scene was considered too offensive by the Fox censors, so the scene was removed. Originally, the subplot would involve Marge trying to get Homer to build model rockets with Bart. Homer would not want to at first, but after Marge convinces him, he would soon get more into it than Bart. The plot idea was encouraged by some of the writers who thought that Marge had "gotten short shrift," and, according to Freiberger, Marge would have had a "really big part motivating the story" had the subplot remained intact.
The renovated church in the episode is built like a mall; several stores and merchandising is located inside, and Reverend Lovejoy plugs products and television programs during his sermons. The scene is used to satirize the so-called "megachurches" and the commercialization sometimes associated with these institutions. The episode also argues that, even if Christmas has lost most of its meaning, it is more important to "keep these thoughts to oneself in order to make the family happy." It also comments on what the writers believe to be the "all or nothing, we're right, you're all going to hell mentality" of some Christian movements. Even though "She of Little Faith" is a Christmas episode, the holiday is not mentioned until the episode's third act. Jean stated in the DVD audio commentary for the episode that the writers did not want to make a conventional Christmas episode, and instead wanted to "slide into" the subject.
The episode features actor Richard Gere as himself. Gere agreed to guest star under three conditions, the first being that Buddhism should be portrayed accurately, the second, that Lisa remain a Buddhist for the rest of the series, and his third and strongest request being that Lisa should say "Free Tibet" in the episode. Jean agreed, but Gere ended up with the line. However, Lisa did yell out "Free Tibet" in an episode in the following season. Gere's lines were recorded in New York City by Jean who, in the DVD audio commentary for the episode, stated that Gere was "great" and that he "didn't mind being made fun of" in the episode. He also mentioned that Gere was one of the only guest-stars they had that "looked handsome simpsonized."
## Release
In 2002, "She of Little Faith" was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour), but it ultimately lost to the Futurama episode "Roswell That Ends Well". Matt Groening, creator of both series, joked that the award "gave [him] a chance to be bitter either way". On August 24, 2010, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD and Blu-ray set.
Following its home video release, "She of Little Faith" received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Dominic von Reidermann of Suite101.com considered the episode to be a "comedy gem" and Casey Burchby of DVD Talk wrote that it "offers its fair share of laughs".
Stuart O' Conner of Screen Jabber was also favorable, calling it a "first-rate" episode.
Writing for Obsessed With Film, Adam Rayner derided Gere's performance as being "bland and dreary", however he went on to write that it couldn't ruin the episode, which he described as "great". He especially liked Flanders' line "My Satan sense is tingling."
Jennifer Malkowski, who gave the episode a B−, wrote that the episode's "highlight" was a scene in which "Milhouse mourns his 'beautiful eyebrows'" that were burned off by Bart and Homer's model rocket.
In 2007, Simon Crerar of The Times listed Gere's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show.
Ron Martin of 411Mania, who consider episodes about Lisa to be "traditional channel changers", wrote that it "offers one of the worst ‘Lisa episodes’" of the series.
Colin Jacobsson of DVD Movie Guide criticized the episode for being "little more than a retread" of earlier episodes of the series. He argued that the episode borrows plot elements from both "Lisa the Vegetarian", "Lisa's Pony" and "Grift of the Magi", and went on to write that the episode is "a pretty unoriginal piece of work". He concluded his review by writing that the episode "fails to deliver more than a chuckle or two".
## Cultural references
The episode title is a reference to the common phrase "O ye of little faith".
|
[
"## Plot",
"## Production and themes",
"## Release",
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69,963,756 |
Venla Luukkonen
| 1,162,374,814 |
Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from Finland
|
[
"1984 births",
"Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champions (women)",
"European No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists",
"Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners",
"Finnish practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu",
"LGBT Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners",
"Living people",
"People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu",
"Sportspeople from Espoo",
"World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists",
"World No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists"
] |
Venla Luukkonen (born 2 March 1984) is a Finnish grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor and instructor. In 2014, she became the first Finnish female black belt and the first Finn to win the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship at black belt level. Since 2014, in addition to winning several major tournaments, Luukkonen reached the world championship final three more times, winning gold again in 2018.
## Early life
Venla Orvokki Luukkonen was born on 2 March 1984 in Espoo, Finland. When she was one year old her family moved to Kuopio in Northern Savonia. After secondary school she started training in Capoiera followed by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2008 at Jyväskylän Fight Club (internationally known as Hilti BJJ Jyväskylä) while studying for a PhD in education. She received her blue belt from Kimmo Rautiainen in 2009 then won silver the following year at the 2010 IBJJF World Championship. After receiving her purple belt from Sauli Heilimö she won bronze at the 2011 World Championship and silver at the 2011 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship European Trials. The following year Luukkonen won gold at the 2012 European Championship. Luukkonen received her brown belt from Marko Leisten in 2012, becoming world champion for the first time in 2013 and winning silver again at the 2013 ADCC European Trials. In 2014 she received double gold by winning both heavyweight division and absolute (openweight) at the European Championship.
## Black belt career
Luukkonen received her black belt from former World champion Pedro Duarte on 22 February 2014, becoming the first Finnish female black belt. In 2014 she won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship after submitting Andrea McComb Pereira via armlock in the final. She became the first Finn to win a world championship at black belt level.
In 2015 Luukkonen won gold at the European No-Gi Championship in two categories, superheavy and absolute, she also won silver at the European Championship then won bronze at the World Championship fighting under team Hilti BJJ Jyvaskyla. In 2016 and 2017 Luukkonen reached the World Championship and the European Championship finals, winning silver both years. Returning to No-Gi, she won bronze at the 2nd 2017 ADCC European Trials in the +60 kilograms (130 lb) division and was invited to compete at the 2017 ADCC World Championship taking place in Finland that year.
Luukkonen became world champion for the second time in 2018 after her opponent in the final, Tayane Porfírio, was disqualified by the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) for testing positive for nandrolone, a prohibited substance. In July 2018, competing in grappling at Polaris 7, Luukkonen won a No-Gi match against Samantha Cook via split judges decision.
In addition to the Swedish Open that she won in 2018, Luukkonen won silver at the 2018 European Open. Luukkonen trains in both Finland and Sweden, she represents Hilti Akademi Nord, where she is one of the head instructors. In 2019 she won silver at the World Championship after facing Claudia do Val in the final. In 2019 and 2020 she won bronze at the European Open. In January 2022 Luukkonen won the ADCC Sweden Tournament 8 that took place in Eskilstuna, Sweden, that same year, competing under Grapplingverkstan Örebro IF, she became Swedish champion after winning in September the SBJJF BJJ 2022.
## Personal life
Luukkonen is married to fellow black belt Hanna Hirvonen. Together, they run Grappling Verkstan, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Submission Wrestling academy that they founded in 2022, as part of Hilti BJJ, based in Örebro, Sweden.
## Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary
Main Achievements at black belt level:
- 2 x IBJJF World Champion (2018 / 2014)
- 2 x IBJJF European Champion No-Gi (2015)
- 2nd place IBJJF European Championship (2018 / 2017 / 2016 / 2015)
- 2nd place IBJJF World Championship (2019/2017/2016)
- 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2015)
- 3rd place IBJJF European Championship (2020 / 2019)
Main Achievements (Coloured Belts):
- IBJJF World Champion (2013 brown)
- 3 x IBJJF European Champion (2014 brown, 2012 purple)
- 2nd place IBJJF World Championship (2012 purple, 2010 Blue)
- 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2011 purple)
|
[
"## Early life",
"## Black belt career",
"## Personal life",
"## Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary"
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405,443 |
Cyril Stanley Smith
| 1,166,629,681 |
British metallurgist (1903–1992)
|
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"1992 deaths",
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"Alumni of the University of Birmingham",
"Cold War history of the United States",
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"Manhattan Project people",
"Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni",
"Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty",
"Medal for Merit recipients",
"Members of the American Philosophical Society",
"Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences",
"People educated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School",
"Scientists from Birmingham, West Midlands",
"University of Chicago faculty"
] |
Cyril Stanley Smith (4 October 1903 – 25 August 1992) was a British metallurgist and historian of science. He is most famous for his work on the Manhattan Project where he was responsible for the production of fissionable metals. A graduate of the University of Birmingham and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Smith worked for many years as a research metallurgist at the American Brass Company. During World War II he worked in the Chemical-Metallurgical Division of the Los Alamos Laboratory, where he purified, cast and shaped uranium-235 and plutonium, a metal hitherto available only in microgram amounts, and whose properties were largely unknown. After the war he served on the Atomic Energy Commission's influential General Advisory Committee, and the President's Science Advisory Committee.
Smith founded the Institute for the Study of Metals at the University of Chicago, the first interdisciplinary academic organization devoted to the study of metals in the United States. He studied the details of faults and grain boundaries in metals, and developed theoretical models of them. In 1961, he moved to MIT as an Institute Professor with appointments in both the Departments of Humanities and Metallurgy. He applied the techniques of metallurgy to the study of the production methods used to create artefacts such as samurai swords.
## Early life
Smith was born in Birmingham, England, on 4 October 1903, the third of four children of Joseph Seymour Smith, a commercial traveller for Camp Coffee, and his wife, Frances, née Norton. He was educated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield. He read metallurgy at the University of Birmingham, having not met the requirements in mathematics to study his first choice, which was physics, and was awarded a second-class BSc in 1924.
That year Smith entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a ScD in 1926. He was a research associate at MIT from 1926 to 1927, then left to take up a position as a research metallurgist at the American Brass Company. His research there was mainly involved with the electrical, thermal, and mechanical and magnetic properties of copper alloys. He published numerous papers, and was awarded 20 patents.
He married Alice Marchant Kimball, a student of English social history at Yale University, from which she earned a PhD in 1936, on 16 March 1931. Of the marriage, Alice's sister remarked that: "If he didn't go to Oxford or Cambridge, isn't Church of England, and doesn't like sports, you might as well marry an American". He became a naturalized American citizen in 1939. His wife sparked an interest in history, a subject that he had disliked at school. He acquired old texts, and in 1945 he produced a translation of a classic metallurgical text, Vannocio Biringuccio's Pirotechnia (1540).
## World War II
In 1942, during World War II, he was called into service at the War Metallurgy Committee in Washington, D.C. In April 1943 he went to work on the Manhattan Project, joining the Chemical-Metallurgical Division at the Los Alamos Laboratory as the head of its Metallurgy Group. When the laboratory was reorganized in April 1944, he became the Associate Division Leader in charge of metallurgy. His first task was recruiting metallurgists, who were in great demand by the war effort. He also had to arrange for the transport of their metallurgical equipment to Los Alamos under wartime conditions.
Smith's metallurgists found ways of fabricating boron, producing beryllium bricks, and heat-treating steel. They also had to work with uranium. Frank Spedding had developed a large-scale process for producing pure uranium metal at the Ames Laboratory which was fine for producing tons of feed for the nuclear reactors, but enriched uranium could not be handled in this way, as it would form a critical mass. Smith was initially asked to produce cubes of uranium hydride, which he did, but the 1950s uranium hydride bomb tests were found to be inefficient, and the idea was set aside for the duration, although further work was carried out after the war. By July 1944, they were producing pure uranium metal in 200g amounts with a newly devised process.
But by far the biggest challenge for Smith and his group was plutonium, a metal hitherto available only in microgram amounts, and whose properties were largely unknown. It was initially assumed that plutonium would have properties similar to that of uranium, but this assumption turned out to be invalid. Plutonium proved to be "the most complicated metal known to man". There were found to be six allotropes of plutonium, more than any other metal, and its melting point turned out to be hundreds of degrees lower than uranium. The metallurgists found that at around 125 °C, plutonium expanded in volume by 20 percent, which is unusual.
Plutonium was delivered to Los Alamos in the form of what was found to be a mixture of plutonium trifluoride (PuF<sub>3</sub>) and plutonium tetrafluoride (PuF<sub>4</sub>). Work with plutonium was carried out in gloveboxes for safety reasons. The metallurgists figured out how to purify the plutonium, and found that heating it to 250° allowed them to work it in the malleable γ phase. It was also found that alloying it with 3 percent gallium would stabilize it in the δ phase. When plutonium at last began to arrive in quantity from the Hanford Site in February 1945, they were ready for production. In a race against the clock, the metallurgists produced plutonium spheres for the Trinity nuclear test by 23 July 1945.
Smith was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry S. Truman for these activities in 1946.
## University of Chicago
After the war Smith founded the Institute for the Study of Metals at the University of Chicago, the first interdisciplinary academic organization devoted to the study of metals in the United States. He considered it "a natural outgrowth of the close association of metallurgists with chemists and physicists on the Manhattan Project." He developed methods for deriving the three-dimensional shapes of the crystalline structures of metals from the two-dimensional microscope images of the grains of the metals. He also studied the propagation of induced phase changes in metals. He was fascinated by the details of faults and grain boundaries in metals, and developed theoretical models of them. Perhaps his most influential paper was on "Grain Shapes and Other Metallurgical Applications of Topology" (1952), an explanation of metallic microstructure. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1955 to study the History of Science and Technology.
From 12 December 1946 to 10 January 1952, Smith served on the influential General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Chaired by Robert Oppenheimer, the wartime director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, the General Advisory Committee provided policy as well as technical advice to the commissioners. One of Smith's first papers for the commission recommended that it concentrate on the development of fast breeder reactors and high flux reactors. A 1948 visit to England to discuss plutonium metallurgy with British scientists nearly escalated into an international incident, as Senator Bourke Hickenlooper and Secretary of Defense James Forrestal feared that he would give atomic secrets away to the British. Smith did no such thing; but AEC Commissioner Sumner Pike faced severe criticism for authorizing Smith's visit. In common with other members of the General Advisory Committee, Smith opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb on technical and moral grounds. He also served on the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy and the President's Science Advisory Committee. Smith was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1950, the American Philosophical Society in 1955, and the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1957.
## Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In 1961, Smith moved to MIT as an Institute Professor with appointments in both the Departments of Humanities and Metallurgy. His focus was to transplant the techniques of metallurgy into the study of the production methods used to create artefacts discovered by archaeologists such as samurai swords. In his role of teaching the history of science, he argued that important advances were often the result of curiosity rather than the pursuit of defined goals. He was interested in the scientific aspects of fine arts, and published several works linking the arts with the sciences. He lectured about this at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC.
Smith received numerous awards, including the Franklin Institute's Francis J. Clamer Medal in 1952, and the History of Science Society's Pfizer Medal and American Society for Metals' Gold Medal in 1961. He was awarded the Society for the History of Technology's Leonardo da Vinci Medal in 1966, and the Institute of Metals' Platinum Medal in 1970. In 1981, Cyril Stanley Smith received the Dexter Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. In 1991 he received the American Institute of Physics' Andrew Gemant Award for "pioneering the use of solid state physics in the study of ancient art and artefacts to reconstruct their cultural, historical and technological significance." He was also a member of the editorial board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
On retirement from MIT in 1969, Smith became a professor emeritus of the History of Science and Technology, professor emeritus of Metallurgy and Humanities and Institute Professor Emeritus, an unusual title "reserved for only a few whose work transcends the boundaries of traditional departments and disciplines". He died of colonic cancer in his Cambridge, Massachusetts home on 25 August 1992. He was survived by his wife of sixty years, Alice Kimball Smith, his two children, Anne Smith Denman, chair of the Department of Anthropology at Central Washington University, and Stuart Marchant Smith, a marine geologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and a sister, Mary Smith. His papers are in the Niels Bohr Library in College Park, Maryland. His collection of antiquarian metallurgical texts was left to the Burndy Library at the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology.
## Selected works
- 20th Century translation by Cyril Stanley Smith and Martha Teach Gnudi
|
[
"## Early life",
"## World War II",
"## University of Chicago",
"## Massachusetts Institute of Technology",
"## Selected works"
] | 2,191 | 23,757 |
68,388,430 |
Pixel 6
| 1,173,042,606 |
2021 Android smartphones developed by Google
|
[
"Android (operating system) devices",
"Flagship smartphones",
"Foxconn",
"Google Pixel",
"Google hardware",
"Mobile phones introduced in 2021",
"Mobile phones with 4K video recording",
"Mobile phones with multiple rear cameras"
] |
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successor to the Pixel 5. The phones were first previewed in August 2021, confirming reports that they would be powered by a custom system-on-chip named Google Tensor. The cameras are housed in a horizontal bar on the back, while the front features a hole-punch display notch in the center. They shipped with Android 12, with Google announcing numerous artificial intelligence and ambient computing features during the phones' launch event.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were officially announced on October 19, 2021, at the Pixel Fall Launch event, and were released in the United States on October 28, following an extensive marketing campaign. They received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its Tensor chip, cameras, performance, design, and price, though the fingerprint sensor and battery life received mixed reactions. The phones became Google's fastest-selling Pixel devices, allowing the company to become the fifth-largest smartphone manufacturer in North America and the United Kingdom during the first quarter of 2022. They were succeeded by the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in 2022.
## History
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were previewed by Google on August 2, 2021, confirming the phones' new designs and the introduction of its custom Tensor system-on-chip (SoC). Previous Pixel devices had used Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, with Google having begun developing its own chips codenamed Whitechapel as early as April 2016. The devices were approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in September. Google officially announced the phones on October 19, 2021, at the Pixel Fall Launch event, and they became available in nine countries on October 28. The phones were manufactured by Foxconn, and were originally intended to be produced in Vietnam before shifting back to China due to the Chinese government's stringent border controls imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Google doubled the production of its phones compared to last year in attempt to boost its market share, manufacturing approximately seven million devices. The phones were not made available in India at launch due to supply chain issues.
During the launch event, Google also announced the phones' official cases, which became available for pre-order on the same day with three color options for the Pixel 6 and four color options for the Pixel 6 Pro, as well as the second-generation Pixel Stand wireless charger, which went on sale on November 18 and began shipping on December 13. Pre-orders for the phones began on the same day as the announcement, with shipping commencing on October 25. The Google Store did not offer any discounts for the devices on Black Friday, a departure from prior years. In February 2022, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro became available in Italy and Spain in "limited quantities", with a limited launch in Singapore two weeks later.
## Specifications
### Design
### Hardware
The Pixel 6 has a 6.4 in (160 mm) FHD+ 1080p OLED display at 411 ppi with a pixel resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio, while the Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7 in (170 mm) QHD+ 1440p LTPO OLED curved edges display at 512 ppi with a pixel resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Both displays have HDR10+ support; the Pixel 6 has a 90 Hz refresh rate and the Pixel 6 Pro has a 120 Hz variable refresh rate. Both phones contain a 50 megapixel wide rear camera and a 12 megapixel ultrawide rear camera, with the Pixel 6 Pro featuring an additional 48 megapixel 4× optical zoom telephoto rear camera. The front camera on the Pixel 6 contains an 8 megapixel wide lens, while the one on the Pixel 6 Pro contains an 11.1 megapixel ultrawide lens. The new Tensor chip also brought Live HDR+ to video as well as enhancements to the Night Sight and Super Res Zoom features on the devices.
The Pixel 6 has a 4614 mAh battery, while the Pixel 6 Pro has a 5003 mAh battery. Both phones support fast charging, Qi wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 6 is available in 128 or 256 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM, and the Pixel 6 Pro is available in 128, 256, or 512 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. In addition to the Tensor chip, both phones are also equipped with the Titan M2 security module, which is based on the RISC-V open standard, along with an under-display optical fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, and Gorilla Glass Victus. In April 2022, 9to5Google reported that the Pixel 6 Pro was originally planning to be launched with a Face Unlock facial recognition feature, similar to that of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL's but solely relying on the phone's front camera rather than on Project Soli radar technology; the feature was canceled for unknown reasons shortly prior to the launch event.
### Software
As with prior generations of the Pixel phone, Google placed heavy emphasis on artificial intelligence and ambient computing capabilities during the Pixel Fall Launch event, debuting features such as Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, Motion Mode, Real Tone, Direct My Call, Wait Times, and Live Translate. Additionally, Assistant voice typing and grammar correction serve as exclusive features on the Pixel 6 series, while Google Pay's digital car key feature launched first on the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21 in November. Material You, a more personalized variant of Google's Material Design design language, was also a major focus in Google's marketing efforts.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro shipped with Android 12 at launch, coinciding with the stable release of Android 12 on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), along with version 8.4 of the Google Camera app. It will receive at least three years of major OS upgrades with support extending to 2024, and at least five years of security updates with support extending to 2026. Continuing the Pixel 5a's trend, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro did not come with unlimited photo storage in "high quality" on Google Photos, being the second Pixel phone not to include the offer. Concurrently with the Pixel Fall Launch event, Android 12 became available on older Pixel phones, while the Security Hub and Privacy Dashboard were introduced. Google also announced Pixel Pass, a subscription bundle similar to Apple One and Xbox All Access which bundles the Pixel 6 series with Google One, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, Google Play Pass, and an extended warranty; the service was discontinued two years later, ahead of the launch of the Pixel 8.
## Marketing
Google kickstarted the phones' marketing campaign early, beginning with online commercials, billboards in major cities, and magazine advertisements in September 2021. Pixel 6-themed potato chips were made available in Japan. Additionally, the company partnered with Channel 4, the NBA, and Snapchat to promote the phones. Models of the phones were also available on display at the Google Store Chelsea in New York City prior to the launch event. Google CFO Ruth Porat had previously revealed during parent company Alphabet's quarterly earnings investor call in August that the company was planning to substantially increase its marketing and sales expenses in anticipation for the phones' launch, while Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh declared their intention to "invest in marketing".
In November 2021, it was announced that actor Simu Liu, who portrays Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, would serve as the Pixel 6's brand ambassador in Canada, days after Liu shot a video as part of Google TV's "Watch with Me" marketing campaign. NBA athletes Giannis Antetokounmpo and Magic Johnson also serve as brand ambassadors for the phones in the U.S., with tennis player Leylah Fernandez doing the same in Canada. In February 2022, Google released a commercial titled "Seen on Pixel" which advertised the Pixel 6's Real Tone feature, ahead of its airing during Super Bowl LVI. It featured a then-unreleased song by Lizzo entitled "If You Love Me". Directed by Joshua Kissi and created in collaboration with advertising agency Gut Miami, the 60-second advertisement marked the company's first Pixel-related Super Bowl spot, and was noted by GLAAD as the only Super Bowl LVI commercial featuring LGBTQ people. Other promotions include Pixel 6 socks and a Tensor sticker for "Pixel Superfans", as well as a Pixel 6-themed tarot deck for \#TeamPixel members ahead of Christmas in 2021.
## Reception
### Critical response
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro received much attention prior to its launch. Ben Schoon of 9to5Google highlighted the potential of the new Tensor chip, finding Google's premature reveal of the devices to be a "show of confidence" in the Pixel 6 series. Michael L. Hicks of Android Central believed that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could appeal to iPhone users, urging Google to rethink its marketing strategy, while Sareena Dayaram of CNET opined that the phones were "more exciting" than Apple's iPhone 13. Commentators also noted the increased anticipation of the Pixel 6 series in comparison to earlier generations of the Pixel smartphone line, attributing this to its early reveal as well as the announcement of the Tensor chip.
Both phones received generally positive reviews following their release. Julian Chokkattu of Wired and Dan Seifert of The Verge praised their performance, cameras, and battery life, but criticized the speed of the fingerprint scanner and the large sizes of both models. On the contrary, Patrick Holland and Andrew Laxon of CNET took issue with the phones' battery life, though they both praised the phones' camera and design. Lanxon also highlighted the premium specifications of the Pixel 6 Pro, including the triple-camera setup, and believed it to be on par with the iPhone 13 and Samsung's Galaxy S21. Similarly, Jacon Krol of CNN Underscored and Sam Rutherford of Gizmodo appreciated the phones' design and cameras, with Krol declaring them "the best Android phones you can buy", though Rutherford also noted the slow fingerprint sensor and lack of a headphone jack. Philip Michaels and Jordan Palmer of Tom's Guide praised the phones' affordable pricing, the Tensor chip, and the debut of Android 12, but criticized the fingerprint scanner and battery life. Writing for TechRadar, David Lumb and James Peckham commended the phones' design, build, and cameras but found the battery life and storage subpar. Marques Brownlee praised the phones' competitive pricing, selfie cameras, and software features, but also noted the slow fingerprint sensor and poor battery life.
### Commercial reception
Google accommodated the increased interest for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro by signing partnership agreements with more than 45 wireless carriers and retailers across nine countries. Shortly after the phones became available for pre-order, both the online Google Store and the Google Fi store suffered temporary outages. Google attributed delayed shipping times for the Pro model to unexpectedly high demand on the Google Store, with other carriers also facing shipping delays.
In December 2021, a report indicated that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro experienced greater carrier sales numbers during its first month of availability in comparison to prior models, while smartphone accessory manufacturer Bellroy announced that its phone cases for the Pixel 6 series were its most popular products of all time. During Alphabet's quarterly earnings investor call in February 2022, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai touted "record" sales numbers for the company's 2021 Pixel phones, especially the Pixel 6 series; however, a later study conducted by Counterpoint Research revealed that the Pixel line may have only experienced moderate year-over-year growth in comparison to the Pixel 5. In March, the International Data Corporation (IDC) analyzed that the introduction of the Tensor chip on the Pixel 6 series had been a factor in allowing MediaTek to overtake Qualcomm as the most popular Android chip manufacturer in the U.S., though the latter disputed the report. Another report published by Counterpoint Research the same month revealed that Tensor made up approximately one to two percent of the high-end system-on-chip market.
In April 2022, a report from market research firm Wave7 claimed that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro had experienced low carrier sales, with Google offering unusually high "kickbacks to salespeople" and Verizon finding the most success with the phones. Pichai stated that the Pixel 6 series were the fastest-selling Pixel devices ever, with the company further revealing during the 2022 Google I/O keynote on May 11 that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro had been sold more than the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 combined. Data from the IDC in October 2022 revealed that Google had sold approximately 3.75 million units of the Pixel 6 series globally by then. The Pixel 6 series was instrumental in allowing Google's smartphone market share in North America to increase by 380 percent during the first quarter of 2022, becoming the fifth-largest smartphone manufacturer in both North America and the United Kingdom for the first time; the next quarter, Pixel sales increased by 230 percent in North America, acquiring 2 percent of the smartphone market on the continent.
## Future
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were succeeded by the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in October 2022, with the phones first previewed during the 2022 I/O keynote. They were powered by the second-generation Tensor chip and shipped with Android 13. At I/O, Google also announced the Pixel 6a, a mid-range variant of the Pixel 6 series, which launched in July.
|
[
"## History",
"## Specifications",
"### Design",
"### Hardware",
"### Software",
"## Marketing",
"## Reception",
"### Critical response",
"### Commercial reception",
"## Future"
] | 2,913 | 3,513 |
961,749 |
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
| 1,173,516,947 |
1983 TV film directed by Doug Williams
|
[
"1980s American films",
"1980s Canadian films",
"1984 films",
"1984 television films",
"Alliance Atlantis films",
"American Playhouse",
"American science fiction television films",
"Canadian science fiction television films",
"Dystopian films",
"English-language Canadian films",
"Films about telepresence",
"Films based on short fiction",
"Films set in the future",
"New World Pictures films"
] |
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank is a 1984 science fiction television film, starring Raul Julia and Linda Griffiths. Based on the 1976 John Varley short story by the same name, the film takes place in a dystopian future where an employee for a conglomerate gets trapped inside the company's computer and ends up affecting the real world. It was co-produced by Canada's RSL Productions in Toronto and New York television station WNET. Because of its limited budget, the film was shot on videotape instead of film and was pre-sold to small American cable companies.
It premiered on the CBC in 1984 and was later broadcast on American Playhouse in 1985. The film received mixed reception from critics. Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was featured in the eighth-season finale episode of the comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 1997.
## Plot
In a future dystopia, Aram Fingal, a programmer working for conglomerate Novicorp, is caught watching Casablanca at his workstation. To rehabilitate him, the company assigns him mandatory prophylactic rehab, where subjects are "doppeled" into wild animals to experience relaxation. Aram is sent into a baboon and is monitored by controller Apollonia James. Aram begins to enjoy his existence until he is threatened by an elephant shaking the tree he is perched on. He activates an escape clause that is supposed to return his mind to his original body. However, during his doppel preparation, a tour of young students had visited the transfer center and one student switched the routing tag on Aram's body. Due to the tag swap, no one can locate his body. Aram's mind must be kept active by storing it in Novicorp's central computer – the HX368 which controls everything from finances to the weather. His mind can only be maintained in such a way for a limited time before it is destroyed.
Aram's disappearance is reported to a rival corporation. The news is broadcast worldwide, causing Novicorp's share price to crash. Majority shareholders force Novicorp's Chairman to divert resources to keep Aram alive and find his body. Apollonia is assigned to locate and keep him from hacking into Novicorp's mainframe. With Apollonia's help, Aram creates a virtual world where he encounters characters from Casablanca, including a version of Humphrey Bogart's character, Rick. Aram quickly grows bored, eventually plotting to bring down Novicorp's finances without being removed and killed. Apollonia tries to keep him out of trouble, placing herself in opposition to Novicorp's leaders, eventually finding herself falling in love with Aram and develops a conflict of interest.
With Apollonia's help, Aram eventually "interfaces" with the mainframe and defeats his antagonists. He also returns to his body, which has been discovered before undergoing a sex change operation. Finally corporeal and reunited with his accomplice, Aram has taken complete control of the HX368. After ordering bonuses and stocks for every employee, committing Novicorp's Chairman to a month of "compulsory rehab" via doppeling and changing both his and Apollonia's identity to those of Rick and Ilsa from Casablanca, Aram vows to fight against the dystopian government. The film ends with the new couple walking out the door and, now free from Novicorp's oppression, talking about opening a club on the other side of town: Rick's Place.
## Cast
- Raul Julia as Aram Fingal/Rick Blaine
- Linda Griffiths as Apollonia James
- Donald C. Moore as Novicorp Chairman/The Fat Man
- Wanda Cannon as Felicia Varley/Lola
- Helen Carscallen as Dr. Darwin
- Chapelle Jaffe as Djamilla
- Gary Farmer as Tooby
- Louis Negin as Pierre
- Maury Chaykin as Gondol
## Production and release
Based on the 1976 John Varley short story by the same name, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was co-produced by New York television station WNET and Toronto-based production company RSL Films, Ltd. It was shot between August 20 to September 12, 1983. Co-producer Robert Lantos said that the film's budget "exceeded well into seven figures". To alleviate the costs, it was pre-sold to small American cable companies. The film was shot on videotape, with Lantos claiming that if it was shot on photographic film, it would have been as expensive as Blade Runner. It was directed by Douglas Williams with the film treatment written by Corinne Jacker.
The film premiered on the CBC on September 22, 1984. It was later shown on PBS's anthology series American Playhouse on February 4, 1985. It was released on VHS by New World Video and LaserDisc by Image Entertainment.
## Reception and legacy
Tom Brinkmoeller for The Cincinnati Enquirer called Overdrawn at the Memory Bank a "tongue-in-cheek and imaginative 90-minute delight". LA Weekly, acknowledging the low production values, gave praise for its ideas and the strong romantic relationship between Julia's and Griffiths' characters. The Washington Post's Sandy Rovner described the film as "certainly inoffensive, occasionally funny and altogether watchable". Jim Murphy from The Age considered the plot to be "quite torturous" but thought it to be imaginative enough to sustain interest. In his book The Sci-Fi Movie Guide, Chris Barsanti assessed Overdrawn at the Memory Bank as being one of the better film translations of cyberpunk, while also being one of the least known. Barsanti also called the film a "fun lark" despite its confusing ending. In a negative review by Bruce Malloch for Cinema Canada, he remarked that if it was a feature film rather than on TV, it would be a failure. Malloch was critical of its plot and special effects, and its attempts to balance both drama and comedy.
### Mystery Science Theater 3000
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was featured in the eighth-season finale episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), a comedy television series in which the character Mike Nelson and his two robot friends Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo are forced to watch bad films as part of an ongoing scientific experiment. The episode was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel on December 6, 1997. MST3K cast member Bill Corbett disliked the film, calling it an "extraordinarily dumb movie whose relentless 'funny' techno-futuro-jargon was the screenwriting equivalent of water torture." Corbett also noted difficulties in mocking the film due to the death of Raul Julia, resulting in them barely making riffs on the actor. Paul Chaplin voiced his hatred towards Overdrawn, equating his disdain with later "experiment" Hobgoblins. PBS and its pledge drives were also satirized throughout this episode.
The episode was considered one of the best episodes in the series, both by critics and by fans of the show. Jim Vorel for Paste ranked it as the 40th best in the entire series, saying the film was ahead of its time and gave praise for the acting. Vorel was irritated by its soft focus appearance but overall considered it to be one of the most interesting films featured on the show. A fan poll for the top 100 best episodes in the series voted it as eleventh. Elliott Kalan, the head writer for the Netflix era of the series, placed it as one of his favorite episodes in the series. In 2003, Rhino Entertainment released the MST3K episode as part of the "Volume 4" DVD collection, along with episodes focused on Girl in Gold Boots, Hamlet, and Space Mutiny. It was soon re-released by Shout Factory in 2017.
|
[
"## Plot",
"## Cast",
"## Production and release",
"## Reception and legacy",
"### Mystery Science Theater 3000"
] | 1,652 | 32,284 |
6,892,738 |
New York State Route 227
| 1,161,703,994 |
Highway in New York
|
[
"State highways in New York (state)",
"Transportation in Schuyler County, New York",
"Transportation in Tompkins County, New York"
] |
New York State Route 227 (NY 227) is a state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The highway extends for 9.84 miles (15.84 km) in a northeast–southwest direction from an intersection with NY 79 south of the hamlet of Reynoldsville in the town of Hector to a junction with NY 96 in the village of Trumansburg. In between, NY 227 intersects NY 228 in Perry City by the east town line of Hector and passes through the town of Ulysses. Part of NY 227 straddles the Schuyler–Tompkins county line.
When NY 227 was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, it extended from just east of Watkins Glen to Perry City. The route was extended northward to Trumansburg in the early 1940s, replacing part of NY 79; however, it was replaced by NY 79 from Watkins Glen to Reynoldsville in the early 1960s. Prior to 1930, the sections of NY 227 near Reynoldsville and north of Perry City were part of Route 46, an unsigned legislative route.
## Route description
NY 227 is signed as east–west at its terminus with NY 79 and north–south at its terminus with NY 96.
NY 227 begins at a fork off NY 79 in the town of Hector. The route bends northward, passing the eastern extremities of Finger Lakes National Forest before turning eastward into the hamlet of Reynoldsville. It serves as the main east–west road through Reynoldsville, remaining two lanes wide as it runs through the small community. After leaving the hamlet, the route keeps its gradual northeastern progression, running parallel with the nearby Updyke Road, which forks off toward NY 228. Not far from the junction, NY 227 bends eastward for a short distance near a farm, the first in a series of eastward and northeastward turns over the next 2.5 miles (4.0 km). It finally heads due east into the hamlet of Perry City, where it passes some houses ahead of the northern terminus of NY 228. At this intersection, NY 227 turns to the north on NY 228's right-of-way while NY 227's alignment continues eastward as County Route 3 (CR 3), a short 0.1-mile (0.16 km) connector to CR 142 at the nearby Tompkins County line.
Continuing north from Perry City, NY 227 straddles the Schuyler–Tompkins county line, with the northbound lane in Tompkins County. After 1 mile (1.6 km), NY 227 turns northeastward, leaving the border and completely entering Tompkins County in the town of Ulysses. Here, directional signage along the route switches from east–west to north–south. The backdrop remains rural for another mile to an intersection with Mayo Road, where the land surrounding the highway begins to become more populated. NY 227 continues its northeastern progression into the village of Trumansburg, initially passing the local golf course and intersecting with the eastern terminus of CR 149 (Searsburg Road). The area around the road becomes primarily residential, a trend that follows the route to its northern end at a junction with NY 96 (West Main Street) in downtown Trumansburg.
## History
In 1911, the New York State Legislature created Route 46, an unsigned legislative route extending from Coopers Plains in Chemung County to Trumansburg in Tompkins County via Watkins Glen. East of Watkins Glen, Route 46 proceeded generally northeastward through Burdett, Reynoldsville and Mecklenburg on its way to Trumansburg. On March 1, 1921, the Route 46 designation was reassigned to another highway in Allegany and Steuben counties as part of a partial renumbering of the legislative route system. The 2-mile (3.2 km) segment of pre-1921 Route 46 that ran alongside Seneca Lake became part of NY 78 c. 1927; however, the remainder of old Route 46 between Watkins Glen and Trumansburg went unnumbered until 1930.
NY 78 was replaced by NY 44 (now NY 414) in the vicinity of Watkins Glen as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. At the same time, two parts of the pre-1921 routing of Route 46 east of Seneca Lake were assigned posted route numbers for the first time. From just northeast of Watkins Glen to Reynoldsville, the old road became part of NY 227, which initially extended from NY 44 (now NY 414) near Watkins Glen to NY 79 in Perry City. While Route 46 veered southeast from Reynoldsville to serve Mecklenburg, NY 227 proceeded northeast from the former to connect to Perry City. The portion of old Route 46 north of Perry City became part of NY 79.
NY 227 was extended north to Trumansburg in the early 1940s, replacing NY 79, which was truncated south to its junction with NY 227 in Perry City. NY 79 was rerouted west of Mecklenburg in the early 1960s to end at NY 414 near Watkins Glen. The realignment supplanted NY 227 from Watkins Glen to Reynoldsville and utilized the old Route 46 corridor from there to Mecklenburg. NY 227 was truncated to its junction with NY 79 south of Reynoldsville at this time.
## Major intersections
## See also
|
[
"## Route description",
"## History",
"## Major intersections",
"## See also"
] | 1,201 | 31,894 |
16,353,970 |
82nd Sustainment Brigade
| 1,158,241,242 | null |
[
"Military units and formations established in 2006",
"Military units and formations in North Carolina",
"Sustainment Brigades of the United States Army"
] |
The 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. It provides logistical support to and is part of 82nd Airborne Division.
Formed out of the Division Support Command of the 82nd Airborne Division, the brigade has a long history of supporting the 82nd Airborne Division in numerous contingencies throughout the world. The sustainment brigade supported the division in operations including Operation Just Cause, Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Power Pack and Operation Desert Storm. Recently, the brigade has seen multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade's mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan came to an end when responsibility was handed to the 101st Sustainment Brigade during a ceremony at Bagram Airbase on 2 December 2010. For the first time since the Global War on Terror began in 2001, with the exception of Delta Detachment, 82nd Finance, all the elements of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade were home in Fort Bragg. Since then, the 82nd Sustainment Brigade has once again been called upon to assist in OEF Afghanistan by establishing and controlling CENTCOM Materiel Recovery Element (CMRE) operations. On 21 May 2015, the brigade realigned back under the 82nd Airborne Division and became the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade.
## Organization
The 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade is composed of a special troops battalion, a financial management support unit, and a combat sustainment support battalion:
- Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade
- 82nd Financial Management Support Unit
- 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
- 11th Quartermaster Company
## History
### Origins
The 82nd Sustainment Brigade traces its lineage to the 82nd Support Group, which was constituted 1 September 1957 at Fort Bragg. It was composed of units with long histories with the 82nd Airborne Division, dating back to World War I and World War II.
On 25 May 1964 the unit reorganized as the 82nd Division Support Command, or DISCOM. It was merged with the 82nd Airborne Division's band. A year later, the unit deployed to the Dominican Republic with the 82nd Airborne Division in support of Operation Power Pack. The Division was charged with the mission of quelling civil unrest and restoring order to the country, and the DISCOM provided logistical support during this mission. In 1972, the band was removed from the Division Support Command.
In 1983, the unit again deployed to combat, this time to Grenada in support of Operation Urgent Fury. It provided logistical support to the 82nd Airborne Division as the division deployed in the island, supporting US Special Forces operating within. Then in 1989, the unit supported the first combat jump since World War II while supporting Operation Just Cause in Panama. It provided logistical efforts to the division once again in the region.
In August 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, paratroopers from the unit protected the XVIII Airborne Corps' left flank during the subsequent Operation Desert Storm. It then advanced on the western flank of the invasion force along with the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and other units of the XVIII Airborne Corps, striking some of the deepest incursions into Iraq of the war. The Division eventually advanced to Tallil while the majority of the attacking force moved into Kuwait. The formation earned its first campaign streamers for this action.
The unit returned to combat again in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The 101st Airborne Division and the 3rd Infantry Divisions made the main attacks into Iraq, while elements of the 82nd Airborne Division supported them. The initial push was a rapid success, but the insurgency that followed saw convoys become a primary target for Iraqi insurgents. For the first time, these service and support paratroopers found themselves on the front lines, as supply convoys became the central target of resistance fighters.
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 provided a unique and unexpected mission for the paratroopers of the unit, as they were deployed to provide assistance to the citizens of Louisiana. The supporting units were deployed to New Orleans International Airport along with the division's 3rd Brigade and division Artillery units, a force of some 5,000 soldiers. They conducted security operations and search and rescue missions throughout New Orleans, Louisiana.
### Activation
On 16 February 2006 the unit reorganized as the 82d Sustainment Brigade under the Army's modular transformation redesign. As a part of this redesign, the brigade was removed from the command of the 82d Airborne Division and made a separate, independent unit. It would continue to support the 82d Airborne Division, but it would be able to take on different missions when deployed. Instead, its mission is to support all US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) units stationed at Fort Bragg while generating sustainment capabilities to meet rotational demand and respond to future contingencies.
In August 2006, the newly reorganized unit deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom VI. On 26 September 2006, it uncased its colors at Tallil Airbase in Iraq, to provide support services for coalition forces and Iraqi security forces in southern Iraq. They took this responsibility from the 16th Sustainment Brigade, which was rotating out of the theater. Throughout the deployment and into 2007, the brigade's medical staff was rotated into hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq for thirty day tours for each unit. The medical staff, including many of the brigade's field medics, treated American forces injured in fighting around Baghdad. In August 2007, the brigade participated in a large coalition athletic competition hosted by the US Air Force's 407th Air Expeditionary Group at Ali Air Base, Iraq. The brigade took second place in the competition, in which it competed in various sports against other US military units as well as Australian and Romanian forces.
During its deployment to Iraq, the brigade undertook many responsibilities, including providing logistics for airdrops and major combat operations including Operation Marne Torch. The brigade also created a Combat Logistics Patrol academy, training for combat situations during convoy operations, including improvised explosive device detection and removal, and first aid. The brigade also dispatched optometry teams to soldiers in the region to ensure they had all the eyesight testing they needed. The brigade returned to the continental United States in early 2008 along with the rest of the 82d Airborne Division, and was recognized by President George W. Bush in a welcome home speech.
The brigade received its shoulder sleeve insignia on 19 March 2007 and its distinctive unit insignia on 8 November 2007. The insignia alludes heavily to the unit's history with the 82d Airborne Division. In 2015 the brigade ceased being a separate unit and became part of the 82d Airborne Division. As a division unit, its personnel adopted the division's shoulder sleeve insignia and the maroon beret with a brigade-specific flash; however, most of the brigade's personnel are not on jump status and only wear the maroon beret and shoulder sleeve insignia because these are unit uniform items.
On 29 February 2008 the 82d Sustainment Brigade added the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion as a subordinate unit. The 264th has a long history of supporting the United States Army in a myriad of campaigns dating back to World War II. On 16 December 2007 the brigade was detached from the 82d Airborne Division and attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps as a separate brigade. One month later, the 507th Support Group (Corps), XVIII Airborne Corps, was inactivated and three of its battalions were reassigned to the 82d Sustainment Brigade. This addition gave the brigade a total of five battalions, making it the largest brigade on Fort Bragg, and one of the largest in the United States Army.
New building facilities for the 82d Sustainment Brigade have been completed. Two new barracks built specifically for the unit are now occupied by the Soldier who spent the past 12 months at Bagram Army Airfield.
## Honors
### Unit decorations
### Campaign streamers
|
[
"## Organization",
"## History",
"### Origins",
"### Activation",
"## Honors",
"### Unit decorations",
"### Campaign streamers"
] | 1,760 | 2,250 |
48,461,551 |
Smartsheet
| 1,157,084,174 |
Collaboration software application
|
[
"Cloud applications",
"Collaborative software",
"Project management software"
] |
Smartsheet is a software as a service (SaaS) offering for collaboration and work management, developed and marketed by Smartsheet Inc. It is used to assign tasks, track project progress, manage calendars, share documents, and manage other work, using a tabular user interface.
## Features
Smartsheet is used to collaborate on project timelines, documents, calendars, tasks, and other works. According to IDG, it is "part office productivity, part project management, part document sharing... [it] is trying to be the central hub for how people work." Smartsheet competes with Microsoft Project. It combines some of the functionality of Microsoft Project, Excel, Access and SharePoint.
According to Forbes, Smartsheet has "a relatively simple" user interface. The interface centers on "smartsheets," which are similar to spreadsheets typically found in Microsoft Excel. Each smartsheet can have its rows expanded or collapsed to see individual tasks or large-scale project progress respectively. Tasks can be sorted by deadline, priority or the person assigned to them. If a spreadsheet contains dates, Smartsheet creates a calendar view.
Each row in a smartsheet may have files attached to it, emails stored within it, and a discussion board associated with it. When a new smartsheet is created, notifications are pushed out to staff to populate its rows and columns. As information is updated, other smartsheets tracking the same task, project or data-point are updated automatically. The service also has alerts for when a task deadline is coming up, and keeps track of document versions.
Smartsheet can import data from Microsoft Office or Google applications. It integrates with Salesforce.com, Dropbox and Amazon Web Services. There is also a Smartsheet mobile app for Android and iOS operating systems. The service is offered on a subscription basis with no free tiers.
## History
Smartsheet was developed by Smartsheet Inc, in 2005 and introduced to the public in 2006. According to the company's co-founder, Brent Frei, initial adoption was slow because the offering was too difficult to use. At the end of its first year, it had 10,000 users. The company began making changes to the SmartSheet in 2008, eventually cutting 60 percent of its features for the purpose of making it more user-friendly. Following the 2010 launch of the redesign, the adoption grew to 1 million users at 20,000 organizations by 2012.
Integration with Office 365 and Microsoft Azure were added in 2014. In August of that year, version 2.0 of the Smartsheet iOS app was introduced. The spreadsheet-like user interface, which was part of the web service, was introduced to the iOS app in this version; the developers had not been able to build this feature in the mobile version before. In October 2014, the Account Map tool was introduced, which uses an algorithm to visualize the flow of work across groups of employees.
In 2015, Smartsheet started introducing closer integrations with Microsoft Office products, following the changes Microsoft had made in their products to work better with third-party software. In January 2015, Smartsheet added support for Azure Active Directory, Microsoft's cloud-based directory service that allowed users to log into products like Excel and Smartsheet with the same login. This allowed users to make changes to smartsheets directly from Microsoft Outlook. In 2016, Smartsheet introduced Sights, a configurable dashboard that shows metrics such as how a team is performing against key performance indicators.
In November 2021, McLaren announced a partnership deal with Smartsheet as the team's official technology partner at the 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix.
In 2022, Miro introduced an integration with Smartsheet.
|
[
"## Features",
"## History"
] | 777 | 12,120 |
46,355,520 |
Barrhill, New Zealand
| 1,137,332,448 | null |
[
"Ashburton District",
"Populated places in Canterbury, New Zealand"
] |
Barrhill is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the Canterbury Plains, on the right bank of the Rakaia River, about 17 kilometres (11 mi) inland from Rakaia. It was founded by Cathcart Wason in the mid-1870s and named by him after his old home Barrhill in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Wason set it up as a model village for the workers of his large sheep farm. The population of the village peaked in the mid-1880s before the general recession initiated a downturn for the village. Wason had expected for the Methven Branch railway to run past Barrhill, but the line was built in 1880 on an alignment many miles away, which caused Barrhill population to decrease.
Three of the original buildings of Barrhill plus the gatehouse at Wason's homestead were constructed of concrete, and they still exist to this day. One of those buildings, St John's Church, is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category II heritage building, and the gatehouse is a museum that is open on request. Today, few buildings exist in the village, but the formal layout of avenues still exists, giving the setting a charming appearance.
## Geography
Barrhill is a small settlement between the Rakaia Barrhill Methven Road and the Rakaia River, located 210 metres (690 ft) above sea level. It is about 17 kilometres (11 mi) from the town of Rakaia and 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Methven. The four outer streets, one of which is the Rakaia Barrhill Methven Road, form a trapezoid with the longest side at 200 metres (660 ft). Two internal roads run at right angles to one another, dividing the area into four quadrants. The intersection of the internal roads forms the market place.
Apart from the main road, there are five avenues, each planted in its own species and named accordingly: oak, poplar, birch, lime, and sycamore. The tree-lined avenues give Barrhill a charming appearance. Wason had trees planted in an unusual pattern around the market square. Residents only noticed in 1975 when viewing an aerial photo that those trees form what appears to be the three circles of Trinity, with the two inner avenues possibly symbolising a crucifix.
## History
Wason emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand in late 1868. In February 1869 or April 1870 (sources vary), he bought the Lendon sheep run (Run 116) in mid-Canterbury. Lendon was a 20,000 acres (81 km<sup>2</sup>) run on the south bank of the Rakaia River. The land had first been taken up by John Hall, but had changed ownership several times before Wason bought it, including 1,250 acres (5.1 km<sup>2</sup>) of freehold land. Wason renamed his property Corwar after his father's lands in Scotland, and the first advertisement placed in newspapers by Wason mentions Corwar in October 1869, hence the April 1870 date appears less likely. Wason set about trying to create an estate village on land bought from the adjacent Lavington run (Run 117). He also bought part of the Hororata Station on the other side of the Rakaia River from John Cordy (Run 67).
His planting of pine trees and of oaks, walnuts and poplars extended over 600 acres (2.4 km<sup>2</sup>) and allowed shelter from the prevailing north-west winds to allow sheep farming and the growing of wheat, while water power was used for agricultural machinery. He bought and sold land, and by 1882 Corwar was consolidated as a freehold estate of just over 5,000 acres (20 km<sup>2</sup>) with a large mansion overlooking the river, complete with gate lodge and gate-keeper.
On the estate, Wason built a model village called Barrhill, with avenues forming a grid layout and a central market square. Barrhill had 28 sections, including a post office, bakery, school, church, other facilities, and fifteen cottages were built. Wason named the village after his old home in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The post office opened in 1876 and in the same year, construction of the church began, and these buildings mark the beginning of Barrhill.
However, Wason had expected the Methven Branch railway to be built near Barrhill, but when it was built on a more southerly route along Thompsons Track and what was later to become known as Lauriston, the village began to decline. Dwindling population forced the closure of the school in 1938, although the Church of St John the Evangelist is still in use. Most of the buildings were constructed from pine wood grown on the estate, but the three original concrete buildings remain: church, school and schoolhouse.
Without the railway, Wason saw his project as doomed, and sold up in 1900. A rural mail service was discussed for the Ashburton District in September 1924 and after the contracts were let in February 1925, the Barrhill post office was closed. The school closed in 1938.
The Ashburton Branch of New Zealand Historic Places Trust, since renamed to Heritage New Zealand, unveiled an information panel on Anzac Day in 2012 in Barrhill's market square. It was their last project as a branch committee before the pending disestablishment of branch committees through the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Bill, and they chose Barrhill to relaunch themselves as the Historic Places Mid Canterbury regional society as part of the unveiling of the historic panel.
### Population
Barrhill flourished until about 1885, when population in the village itself peaked at 50, and two effects caused a population decline. Firstly, a recession set in across New Zealand that made people move to where work opportunities presented themselves, and locally those opportunities were created near the stations of the Methven Branch railway. Wason began to gradually sell off parts of his land holdings from the mid-1880s.
More recent population data can be obtained from Statistics New Zealand. The smallest unit for which data are available is a meshblock, and Barrhill is located within the meshblock with ID 2750400. This meshblock has an area of 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi), i.e. a rural area much larger than just the village, and 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) is within the river bed. Population in this meshblock was recorded at 60 in the 1996 New Zealand census, 60 in 2001, 69 in 2006, and 66 in 2013.
## Notable places
Three buildings in the township remain from the time of its founding. In addition, there is the historic gatehouse some 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) northwest of Barrhill. Those buildings remain partly because they were built in concrete, with some of the walls 30 centimetres (12 in) thick. The cement was landed in barrels on Kaitorete Spit, barged across Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, and then transported by dray overland and along the bed of the Rakaia River. All four buildings are registered as Category A ("high value") heritage structures by Ashburton District Council.
St John's Church was mostly paid for by Wason, and construction started in 1876, with the first service held on 8 July 1877 by the vicar of Ashburton, W. E. Paige. A vicarage was also envisaged, but it was never built. A lych gate was added as a centennial project. St John's belongs to the Rakaia parish of Te Pīhopatanga o Te Waipounamu (the south island Māori bishopric) of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, with services each second Sunday of the month. The church was registered as a heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (since renamed to Heritage New Zealand) on 23 June 1983 with registration number 1765 classified as C. With the change of the classification system, the building later became a Category II listing. The church is owned by Church Property Trustees (i.e. the Anglican Church).
After the land had been surveyed, the first buyer was the Education Board, securing land for a school in the market square, and a teacher's house on the adjacent section. Both these buildings were also built in concrete and exist to this day. The school was built to a northern hemisphere design and has windows on the south side only to stop children from becoming distracted, but the windows are on the wrong side to utilise the sun. Since the school closed in 1938 it has been used for functions and as a hall. The former teacher's house is used as a bach. Both buildings are owned by Ashburton District Council.
The other remaining 1870s concrete building is the gate house, located some distance away on the Rakaia Barrhill Methven Road. Wason's homestead was at the end of a drive starting at this gate house, on a cliff top overlooking the Rakaia River. The homestead burnt down not long after Wason had left the country, and a new homestead was built nearby. The gatekeeper's lodge originally had a slate roof, but this was later replaced by iron. The last family moved out in 1935. During the second world war, the iron was stripped off the empty building, and it fell into ruin. A later owner, Colin McLachlan, donated the land and the ruin to the people of the district; it is now vested in the Ashburton District Council. The renovation began in 1970, with work carried out and financed by descendants of previous inhabitants of the building. A plaque on the building states that it was reopened in March 1979 by the Prime Minister of the time, Robert Muldoon, but his plane ran late and the opening ceremony was conducted by Colin McLachlan. The gate house is fitted out as a museum, and viewing can be arranged through the Ashburton or Methven information centres.
Barrhill Cemetery is located 200 metres (660 ft) south-west of the village on Lauriston Barrhill Road. It is one of 11 open cemeteries in the Ashburton District. The oldest recorded burial was in 1881.
## Notable people
Barrhill's founder, Cathcart Wason, was a member of parliament in two countries: first in New Zealand for a total of six years, and then in the United Kingdom for twenty years. New Zealand actress Tania Nolan, born in nearby Rakaia, lived in Barrhill for two years as a child.
|
[
"## Geography",
"## History",
"### Population",
"## Notable places",
"## Notable people"
] | 2,280 | 24,526 |
21,573,151 |
Tropical Storm Wukong (2006)
| 1,164,647,429 |
Pacific severe tropical storm in 2006
|
[
"2006 Pacific typhoon season",
"2006 in Japan",
"Tropical cyclones in 2006",
"Typhoons in Japan",
"Western Pacific severe tropical storms"
] |
Severe Tropical Storm Wukong was a slow-moving tropical cyclone which produced torrential rains over Japan. The tenth named storm of the 2006 Pacific typhoon season, Wukong developed out of a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean. On August 13, both the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) classified the depression as a tropical storm. The storm traveled along a curving path south of Japan, absorbing the remnants of Tropical Storm Sonamu on August 15 before turning towards the west. Wukong made landfall at peak intensity late on August 17 near Miyazaki City in southern Kyūshū. The cyclone remained over land for about 24 hours before moving out over the Sea of Japan. The storm weakened to a tropical depression before dissipating on August 21. Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced heavy rains, peaking at 516 mm (20.3 in). Two people were killed due to rough seas produced by the storm and three others were injured.
## Meteorological history
On August 12, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began monitoring a tropical depression located to the south of Chichi-jima island. The depression formed within a monsoonal gyre which also spawned Tropical Storm Sonamu. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) classified the system as Tropical Depression 11W several hours after the JMA while the system was located about 140 km (85 mi) south of Iwo Jima. The depression gradually strengthened as it moved towards the northwest. Early on August 13, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and given the name Wukong; a name which was contributed by China. The names means "the king of the monkeys" and was featured in the novel Journey to the West. The storm slowed significantly as a ridge built eastward over Japan. On August 14, Wukong turned towards the northeast and reached its peak intensity with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph 10-minute winds) as a severe tropical storm.
At the same time, the JTWC assessed Wukong to have reached its initial peak intensity with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph 1-minute winds). The next day, the storm began to accelerate due to an interaction with the nearby Tropical Storm Sonamu. Wukong absorbed the weakening Sonamu later in the day before turning towards the west. On August 16, the storm turned towards the northwest due to a weakness in the ridge near Japan. Wukong made landfall late on August 17 near Miyazaki City in southern Kyūshū. As the storm made landfall, the JTWC assessed Wukong to have winds of 100 km/h (65 mph 1-minute winds). The cyclone slowly traveled across land, entering the Sea of Japan about 24 hours after landfall. Several hours after entering the Sea of Japan, the JMA downgraded Wukong to a tropical depression. The depression persisted for two more days before dissipating near the Russian coastline.
## Preparations and impact
According to Japanese weather officials, heavy rain, flood, storm and high wave warnings were put into effect for all of Kyūshū and adjacent areas in Honshū. The two largest air carriers in Japan, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, cancelled at least 36 domestic flights ahead of the storm. Several of the largest oil refineries halted oil product shipments from three refineries. Kyushu Railways postponed services on five lines, one of which crossed the entire prefecture. Long distance ferries were also shut down. Iwakuni, Yamaguchi was placed under Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3 and Sasebo, Nagasaki was placed under Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness Storm Watch.
Wukong produced torrential rains over Japan, peaking at 516 mm (20.3 in) in Hinokage, Miyazaki Prefecture. Flooding in Kyūshū and the Yamaguchi Prefecture caused the evacuation of about 300 households. At least 200 residences were left without power in Kyūshū. Two people were killed by rough seas produced by Wukong, and three others were injured in storm-related accidents. A total of seven landslides occurred, one of which damaged several homes. As the storm brushed the Korean Peninsula, it produced heavy rains, but caused no known damage.
## See also
- Other tropical cyclones named Wukong
- Timeline of the 2006 Pacific typhoon season
|
[
"## Meteorological history",
"## Preparations and impact",
"## See also"
] | 949 | 2,490 |
5,579,615 |
Khosrovidukht
| 1,170,554,263 |
8th-century Armenian hymnographer and poet
|
[
"8th-century Armenian women",
"8th-century Armenian writers",
"8th-century poets",
"8th-century women composers",
"8th-century women writers",
"Armenian composers",
"Armenian nobility",
"Armenian women composers",
"Armenian women poets",
"Christian hymnwriters",
"Medieval Armenian woman writers",
"Women hymnwriters"
] |
Khosrovidukht (Armenian: Խոսրովիդուխտ, lit. 'daughter of Khosrov'; ) was an Armenian hymnographer and poet who lived during the early 8th century. After her slightly earlier contemporary Sahakdukht, she is the first known woman of Armenian literature and music, and among the earliest woman composers in the history of music. Daughter of the king of Goghtn, Khosrov Goghtnatsi [hy], her father was killed and she was imprisoned in a fortress of Ani-Kamakh (modern-day Kemah) for twenty years. Her brother was imprisoned and eventually killed; Khosrovidukht's only surviving work, the šarakan "Zarmanali e Ints" ("More astonishing to me") was dedicated to him. Its authenticity has occasionally been doubted, with some scholars attributing it to Sahakdukht. The work did not enter the general repertory of šarakan liturgy but was eventually approved by the Armenian Church for religious use.
## Life
Extremely little is known about Khosrovidukht, also spelled as 'Xosroviduxt'. Active in the 8th century, she is recorded as being a member of the royal family. Her father was king Khosrov Goghtnatsi [hy], who ruled Goghtn a province of Vaspurakan. Her given name is unknown; the 'dukht'/'duxt' of Xosroviduxt/Khosrovidukht means 'daughter of'. Other names include Khosrovidukht Goghnatsi (Khosrovidukht of Goghtn), Khrosovidoukht Koghtnatsi, and Khosrovidoukht Koghnatsi.
In 708, Khosrov was killed during conflicts in Nakhjavan. Khosrovidukht's brother, Vahan Goghtnatsi [hy], was then abducted by Muslim Arabs and brought to Syria, while she was taken to the fortress of Ani-Kamakh, now known as Kemah. She remained there in isolation for twenty years. Her brother converted to Islam, before gaining his freedom years later and returning to Armenia. Vahan then converted back to Christianity and the same Muslims, who considered his abjuration a crime, had him killed. His death was in either 731 or 737. The 1978 Anthology of Armenian poetry reports that Khosrovidukht died in 737 as well, though this is not corroborated in other sources.
## Works
The work of Khosrovidukht was not known to scholars until the 19th century. After its discovery, she was recognized as the second (after her earlier contemporary Sahakdukht) woman composer and poet of Armenia. A modern recording of the piece exists, performed by the Sharakan Early Music Ensemble.
The only work attributed to Khosrovidukht is "Zarmanali e Ints" ("Զարմանալի է ինձ"), a šarakan (or sharakan), or a canonical hymn. The title is variously translated as "More astonishing to me", "Wondrous it is to me", and "It is amazing to me". The piece has been described by historian Agop Jack Hacikyan as evidencing "a great deal of literary skill", and by ethnomusicologist Şahan Arzruni as "florid". Like the work of Sahakdukht, Khosrovidukht's piece was not included in the collection of official šarakans; however, despite its secular nature, "Zarmanali e Ints" eventually became approved by the Armenian Church for use in services. Later sources record that the work is dedicated to her brother, following his death. Some scholars, including Ghevont Alishan, Malachia Ormanian and Grigor Hakobian attribute the work to Sahakdukht instead. See for an English translation of the piece.
|
[
"## Life",
"## Works"
] | 886 | 12,208 |
1,069,945 |
Jesse Hubbard
| 1,153,483,488 |
Lacrosse player (born 1975)
|
[
"1975 births",
"American lacrosse players",
"Chesapeake Bayhawks players",
"Lacrosse forwards",
"Living people",
"Los Angeles Riptide players",
"Major League Lacrosse players",
"National Lacrosse League major award winners",
"National Lacrosse League players",
"New Jersey Pride players",
"Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse players",
"Sportspeople from Washington, D.C.",
"St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.) alumni"
] |
Jesse Hubbard (born September 18, 1975) is a former professional lacrosse player who played professional box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and professional field lacrosse in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL).
## Background
Hubbard starred as a member of the Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse team from 1995 through 1998, where he earned Ivy League Player of the Year, Ivy League Rookie of the Year, three All-American recognitions from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), four Ivy League championships, and three national championships. He holds Princeton's lacrosse scoring records for both career and single-season goals. In high school, he had set the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) scoring record, while playing for St. Albans School and becoming The Washington Post boys' lacrosse player of the year.
As a professional, he was the MLL's leading goal scorer for its first three seasons and its all-time goal leader as recently as the 2010 MLL season. His 54 goals in 2002 continue to be a league single-season record. He is a five-time Major League Lacrosse All-Star. In August 2010, he was selected to the MLL 10th Anniversary team. He has represented Team USA in the World Lacrosse Championships and is an ambassador of the sport both through service with Warrior Sports and his own annual youth camps.
Hubbard got his first lacrosse stick when he was 11 or 12 years old. Hubbard played middle and high school lacrosse at St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)., where he was a captain and earned All-Metropolitan and All-American honors. The Washington Post named Hubbard to the 1993 All-Met Boys' Lacrosse First Team as a midfielder after he led the IAC in goals with 59 as a junior. Then, when as a senior Hubbard became the All-time IAC goal scorer with 217, they named him the 1994 All-Met Boys' Lacrosse Team Player of the Year.
## College career
When Hubbard went to Princeton, he was expected to be one of the key incoming midfielders. Hubbard became was part of a trio of revered attackmen who were Princeton classmates along with Jon Hess and Chris Massey. As starters, the trio of All-Americans, which retired second (Hess), third (Hubbard) and fourth (Massey) in career points at Princeton, had a 43–2 record and combined for 618 points. He was a first team USILA All-American Team selection in 1996 and 1998 and second team selection in 1997. He was also first team All-Ivy League in 1996 (when he was Ivy League Player of the Year), 1997 and 1998 and a second team selection in 1995 (when he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year). The 1995 team, which earned the school's sixth consecutive NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship invitation, was Ivy League co-champion, while the 1996–1998 teams were 6–0 undefeated outright conference champions. These undefeated league champions won the 1996, 1997 and 1998 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championships, becoming the first team to threepeat since Syracuse from 1988–90 and the first to be recognized to have done so without an NCAA scandal since Johns Hopkins from 1978–80.
In 1996, he earned co-Ivy League Player of the year by recording six or more goals four times during the regular season. In the 1996 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament quarterfinals 22–6 victory over Towson State, Hubbard again scored six goals. Hubbard added three more goals in the championship game against Virginia including the first goal and the final goal in overtime of the 13–12 victory. In the 1997 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament quarterfinals, he again scored six goals in an 11–9 victory over the UMass. He scored in the semifinal 10–9 victory over Duke, and he scored four goals in the 19–7 championship victory against Maryland. The 1997 team is regarded as the best in school history with a record number of wins during its 15–0 season. He served as co-captain of the 1998 team. He scored three goals in the 1998 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament 11–10 semifinal victory over Syracuse. He also scored four goals and added six assists in the 15–5 championship game victory over Maryland.
When Hubbard was on the field, the Princeton offense was explosive. Hubbard holds the Princeton University single-season (53, 1996) and career (163, 1995–98) goals records. He also broke Kevin Lowe's school single-season points record of 69 in 1996 by three, but Hess broke the record in 1997 with 76 points. Hubbard's 23 goals as a freshman was a Princeton freshman record until B. J. Prager posted 25 in 1999. Hubbard threatened the Ivy League record for career goals in conference games needing just eight in his final two games, but as of 2010, Jon Reese's 1990 record remained on the books. He was named number 11 of the top 20 athletes in Princeton Tiger history by the Daily Princetonian.
## Professional career
Hubbard represented Team USA in the 1998 World Lacrosse Championship. Hubbard also played in the National Lacrosse League for the Baltimore Thunder (1999), Pittsburgh CrosseFire (2000) and Washington Power (2001). In 1999, he was named NLL Rookie of the Year. In the 1999 World Cup, Hubbard scored a goal to give Team USA and 8–7 lead over Team Canada in a 20–10 victory to sweep the event.
Hubbard was a member of the New Jersey Pride from 2001 until 2007. Prior to the 2008 MLL season, Hubbard was traded to the Los Angeles Riptide in exchange for a first round 2009 MLL Collegiate Draft pick. Hubbard played for the Los Angeles Riptide during the 2008 season. After the 2008 season, Hubbard was assigned to the Washington Bayhawks (now Chesapeake Bayhawks). Prior to the start of the 2009 season with the Bayhawks, Hubbard suffered a herniated disc and was unable to play the 2009 season. Hubbard has not played in the MLL since.
In 2000, the MLL organized a Major League Lacrosse Summer Showcase, which was a seven-game promotional series to introduce the first outdoor professional lacrosse league set to begin play the following year. Hubbard was one of the 40 players selected to promote the league. When the MLL began its first season in 2001, Hubbard was instrumental in marketing the league looking to showcase premium talent. Hubbard led the MLL in scoring each season from 2001 to 2003, and was named to the MLL All-Star Team 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006. In the 2002 All-Star game he scored a goal to break a 16–16 tie in a 21–16 victory for the National Division All-Stars over the American Division All-Stars. When he surpassed his 2001 total of 44 goals with 54 at the end of the 2002 season, it established a league single-season goals record that continues to survive through the 2010 MLL season and his 2003 season total of 50 goals continues to be the only other 50-goal season in league history. The MLL schedule was reduced from 14 games to 12 in 2003, meaning that Hubbard's 50 goals is the record for a 12-game season. The closest anyone has come to his single-season goal scoring record was John Grant's 47-goal 2008 season. As a result of having been the goals scored leader for the MLL's first three-season, he built up a career goals scored lead that stood up until during the 2005 season when Mark Millon took a 206–193 lead in career goals scored. However, Millon only scored five goals in 2007 when his career came to an end. In July 2008, Hubbard surpassed Millon's career total of 239 by reaching 247. On August 1, 2010, Tim Goettelmann surpassed Hubbard with his 246th, 247th and 248th career goals. In August 2010, Hubbard was selected to the MLL 10th anniversary team.
Hubbard is a spokesman for Warrior Sports and annually runs the Jesse Hubbard Experience, a youth lacrosse camp for boys ages 9–17 held each summer at George Mason University.
## Personal
Hubbard has an older brother named Andy. Andy was a midfielder on the 1992 and 1994 teams that earned Princeton's first two NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships.
## Statistics
### NLL
### MLL
### Princeton University
## Awards and achievements
## See also
- NCAA Division I men's lacrosse records
|
[
"## Background",
"## College career",
"## Professional career",
"## Personal",
"## Statistics",
"### NLL",
"### MLL",
"### Princeton University",
"## Awards and achievements",
"## See also"
] | 1,914 | 13,819 |
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