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4317592

Archbishop Rummel High School

Archbishop Rummel High School is a Catholic, Lasallian secondary school for boys located in Metairie, a community in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The school is named after Archbishop Joseph Rummel, a former Archbishop in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. History Opened on September 10, 1962, Archbishop Rummel High School was one of four archdiocesan Catholic high schools established for students of Jefferson Parish, a New Orleans suburb, as a result of an archdiocesan campaign. On that first day of class, 225 freshmen formed the charter class of the school. In its second year, with the admission of nine freshman classes, the school had an enrolment of almost 600 students. Additional freshman classes were added each year until the 1965–66 school year when the school was a complete high school with 1,100 students. The charter class of 222 was graduated on May 27, 1966. The school operated as a four year high school until 1981 when the Archdiocese of New Orleans gave permission for the school to begin an eighth grade program for the 1982–83 academic year. The senior high school plant occupies one third of the campus and consists of five separate building adjoined by covered walkways. The remaining portion of the campus is structure-free for athletic programs and future development. The senior high campus is divided into the faculty office wing, the administration-library wing, and the classroom wings completing a quadrangle in the center of which is the school chapel. A senior wing was added in 1966 to accommodate the first senior class. Additionally, in 1985 the school purchased the former Stuart Prep property adjacent to the school to use for a junior high campus. The school cafeteria and gymnasium are located on the senior high campus. In memory of the Nelson-Smyth family of Chicago, the gymnasium was dedicated in May 1963. A building program that saw the construction of the senior wing also included the music building, an athletic field house, and an addition to the faculty office wing. During the 1980–81 school year, the school enclosed the area under the senior wing to make a student mall and also added a weight room to the field house. The Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) conducted Archbishop Rummel High School through June 1993, when they relinquished governance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. On September 16, 2009 Archbishop Rummel High School officially re-associated itself with the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Two Christian Brothers currently remain on staff for the school year. They and lay men and women comprise the administration, faculty, and staff of the school. Academics The Program of Studies at Archbishop Rummel High School complies with or exceeds the requirements of the Louisiana State Board of Education, the Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the general entrance requirements of universities and colleges. The Louisiana State Board of Education, the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Archbishop Rummel Curriculum Committee, have approved these requirements. The primary purpose of a Catholic high school like Archbishop Rummel is the faith development of its students. With this as its goal, the gospel values and teaching of faith are integrated throughout the school curricula and programs. Pre-professional programs Through the engineering, biomedical sciences, and law pre-professional programs at Archbishop Rummel High School, students learn both in the classroom and inside real world environments such as medical centers, engineering offices, and courtrooms. Through community partnerships, students learn from some of the metro area's top professionals in these industries. Dual enrollment In cooperation with Southeastern Louisiana University, Archbishop Rummel High School students complete college-level courses. These courses are taught by Archbishop Rummel High School teachers on the Archbishop Rummel High School campus, in partnership with Southeastern Louisiana University professors. The students earn both high school and college credit that goes on the Archbishop Rummel High School transcript and on a Southeastern Louisiana University transcript. The credit is transferable to all public universities and colleges in the state of Louisiana and to many other colleges - including private universities in Louisiana and colleges outside the state. The college credit counts towards the student's eventual college grade point average. Student organizations Academic: Chess Club Junior High Math Club Latin Club Mu Alpha Theta National Honor Society / National Junior Honor Society Raider Robotics Team Fine Arts: Art Club Band Genesian Players Guitar Club Literary: The Raider Yearbook Raiders' Digest Newspaper Service: Raider Ambassadors Big Brothers Campus Ministry Key Club Student Council Other: Fishing Club Fooseball Club Ping Pong Club Video Game Club Athletics Baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, powerlifting, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, ultimate frisbee, and wrestling. Notable alumni Jim Bullinger – Former professional baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners) Kirk Bullinger – Former professional baseball player (Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros); head baseball coach at Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, Louisiana Cethan Carter '13 – American football player Ja'Marr Chase '18 - 5th overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, 2019 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner O'Neil De Noux '68 – Author Thomas Diamond – Former professional baseball player (Chicago Cubs) #10 player selected in the MLB draft Steven Dunbar – CFL football player Kristian Fulton '16 – 2nd round pick (61st overall) in 2020 NFL draft to Titans Cyril Grayson '12 – Current member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team and Super Bowl Champion. Eddie Jemison – Actor, director, best known for roles in the Ocean's Trilogy and the HBO series Hung Omar Khan – Vice President of Football & Business Administration (Pittsburgh Steelers) Troy Kropog '04 – Offensive lineman (New York Giants, (Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings) Brian Palermo – Character actor, science communicator, and comedian Steve Scalise '83 – U.S. Representative from Louisiana; former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana State Senate Craig Steltz '04 – LSU 2007 All American, 2007 LSU Football Captain. Chicago Bears safety Amy Coney Barrett '90 (St. Mary's Dominican High School)- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Member of Archbishop Rummel Genesian Players.

4317593

Vayalar Ravi

Vayalar Ravi (born 4 June 1937) is an Indian politician, who served as the Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs from 2006 to 2014. He is a former member of the Rajya Sabha. Political life Ravi was born in Vayalar, Cherthala, Alappuzha District, Kerala. He was the first General Secretary of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the students' wing of Indian National Congress in Kerala. Ravi was elected to the 5th Lok Sabha in 1971 from Chirayinkil in Thiruvananthapuram district; he was re-elected to the 6th Lok Sabha in 1977, serving until 1979. He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982, and he served as Home Minister of Kerala from 1982 to 1986 before resigning from that position due to a disagreement with Chief Minister K. Karunakaran. He was re-elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1987, serving until 1991. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in July 1994 and again in April 2003. He became Union Cabinet Minister for Overseas Affairs on 30 January 2006. After the Congress reelection in 2009, Ravi was re-inducted to the Cabinet for the second UPA government and retained the portfolio of Overseas Indian Affairs. He was given the additional responsibility of Ministry of Civil Aviation on 19 January 2011. He resigned from the office after Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh succeeded him. Ravi was successful in getting to key official posts in Kerala and in center. He is a Rajya Sabha member from kerala for long time. Personal life Ravi met his wife Mercy, while they were both active in the Kerala Students Union and he married her after a brief courtship. Mercy Ravi died on 5 September 2009 following a kidney failure, aged 64. In February 2010, Vayalar Ravi along with Indian Ambassador Shamma Jain were injured in a car accident in Monrovia, Liberia, while on an official visit to African countries.

4317594

Human rights in Tajikistan

Human rights in Tajikistan, a country in Central Asia, have become an issue of international concern. The access to basic human rights remains limited, with corruption in the government and the systematic abuse of the human rights of its citizens slowing down the progress of democratic and social reform in the country. According to a report from the United States Department of State on human rights in Tajikistan, citizens are denied many of their rights and have limited ability to change the system of government. The report found this to be especially true in the case of prisoners, whose access to basic Human Rights was inadequate: there have been reports of torture, threats, and abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces due, in part, to their ability to act with impunity. The denial of the right to a fair trial for those who stand accused of a crime has been identified as another issue, which can often contribute to harsh and life-threatening prison conditions as well as the blocking of international access to Tajikistan prisons. Pre-trial detention is typically longer than needed, and court proceeding are controlled by the prosecution. Prisons are overcrowded, and the incidence of tuberculosis and malnutrition is high among inmates. Other restrictions include restrictions on media, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of worship, as well as restrictions on political opposition. Registration and visa difficulties, violence and discrimination against women, human trafficking, and child labour have also been reported. Tajikistan is also reported to be both a source and a transit point for human trafficking. Intimidation and killings of journalists It has been reported that, in the 1990s, dozens of journalists were killed or disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Tajikistan. Together with increasing attacks on journalists, the 2005 parliamentary elections brought increased closures of independent and opposition newspapers. In 2003, the government blocked access to the only internet website run by the political opposition and in June 2014, YouTube was partially blocked by the government. Name change law According to Ilan Greenberg, writing in the New York Times in 2007, The President of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon, stated that the Slavic "-ov" ending must be dropped for all babies born to Tajik parents. The policy came about in the wake of recent policies intended to remove vestiges of Russian influence on the country. In light of this, some Tajiks have expressed confusion or opposition at the denial of the freedom to choose the name for one's child. Freedom of religion Some activities of religious groups have been restricted by the requirement for registration with the State Committee on Religious Affairs. Islamic pilgrimages are restricted, and religious groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses have suffered occasional persecution: since October 22, 2007, Jehovah's Witnesses have had their practices banned by the government. Allegations of systematic violence against military conscripts In June 2014 Global Voices Online reported that the practice of systematic violence against military conscripts (referred to as dedovshina) had risen to public awareness following a recent increase in incidences of manslaughter and suicides in the Tajik Army, and the April 17, 2014 death of Akmal Davlatov, who was beaten to death by his lance sergeant. Kidnapping of recruits was said to be a common practice in Tajikistan and victims have sometimes videotaped their own kidnappings. Examples of human rights violations Within the country of Tajikistan, human rights violations have been a regular occurrence among the locals due to the refusal of rights from the government. These rights include religious rights, women's rights, journalists' rights, political rights and many more; these were established not only by the United Nations but the constitution of Tajikistan. When the country of Tajikistan became an independent nation after being under the control of the Soviet Union, a constitution was established in 1994. Chapter 2, Articles 14 to 47 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan is titled "Rights, Liberties, [and] Basic Duties of Individuals and Citizens". This chapter of the constitution states basic rights for the people of Tajikistan such as the rights to life and judicial protection. There have been many instances where the Government of Tajikistan has not upheld this constitution. During 2016, human rights within Tajikistan were frequently violated, including imprisonment of opposition party members and leaders and persecution of human rights lawyers. Modification of the constitution by President Emomali Rahmon paved the way for him to reign over the country until his eventual death. The government of Tajikistan has made multiple arrests of activists within other nations that oppose government policies and 'corruption'. In the year 2013, the Tajik government passed a law stating that torture while in custody was considered illegal, yet a UN report shows that these acts still occur. Men continue to violate the constitution by participating in physical, mental and sexual abuse against women. This has affected about a third of the women living in Tajikistan. Tajikistan continues to struggle with human rights. High rates of unemployment, poverty, and crime contribute to this ongoing problem.

4317599

Fellowship!

Fellowship! is a musical parody stage play based on The Fellowship of the Ring (the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings) and Peter Jackson's 2001 film adaptation of it. The book was written by Kelly Holden-Bashar and Joel McCrary with music by Allen Simpson. Lyrics and additional material by Brian D. Bradley, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden-Bashar, Joel McCrary, Edi Patterson, Steve Purnick, Cory Rouse, Allen Simpson, Ryan Smith, Peter Allen Vogt and Matthew Stephen Young (the original cast). The musical was first performed at the El Portal Forum Theater in North Hollywood, California. Synopsis The play follows the major events of the first part of Tolkien's story and the first of Peter Jackson's movies. It re-imagines Bilbo Baggins as an aged Catskill Jewish man, the Balrog as a sleep-deprived, lounge-singing diva, the battle on Weathertop as a West Side Story-style gang fight, and Rivendell as a Scientologist stronghold (primarily due to the similarity of names between 'Elrond' and 'L. Ron' Hubbard). Part live action, part puppet show and part animation, the show removes or summarizes parts of the story that would slow it down. While played for laughs, the music features original compositions instead of parodies, and the song styles range from cheesy 1980s rock to sleazy cabaret numbers. Productions The play had a successful six-week run in early 2005 at the El Portal Forum Theater in North Hollywood, California, and played several sold-out shows at the 2005 San Diego Comic Con. L.A. Weekly named it a "Pick of the Week", and both Backstage West and the Los Angeles Times listed it as a "Critic's Choice." The show was produced several other times with the original cast and crew, most notably at the Falcon Theater in Burbank, California, in 2009 and at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2010. In 2014, a completely different cast performed the play at the Circle Theatre in Fort Worth. They had a successful six week run with favorable reviews from critics in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Maverick Theater in Fullerton, California produced a well-received run of the show in June of 2019, and Slim Fisher Studios produced six performances in Dunkirk, Indiana, later the same year. Awards and nominations In 2005, the play won Musical of the Year and Best Comedy Ensemble at the 2005 LA Weekly Theater Awards. The show was also nominated for Best Musical Direction. At the 36th Annual Saturn Awards, held on June 24, 2010, in Burbank, California, the play won the award for Best Local Stage Production: Small Theatre. It was the first time an award in this category had ever been given at the Saturn Awards. Composer Allen Simpson and co-writers Matt Young and Ryan Smith (also cast members) accepted the award on behalf of the play. The award was presented by actor John de Lancie. The 2014 Circle Theatre production brought home four awards at the 16th annual COLUMN AWARDS for excellence in Dallas/Ft. Worth Theatre: BEST MUSICAL (equity,) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR went to Ben Philips for his portrayal of Gandalf/Galadriel, Kristin Spires won BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION, and composer Allen Simpson won BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL.

4317600

Natalia Bestemianova

Natalia Filimonovna Bestemianova or Bestemyanova (, born 6 January 1960) is a Soviet and Russian former competitive ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union. With her partner Andrei Bukin, she is the 1988 Olympic Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist, four-time World champion, three-time World silver medalist, and five-time European champion. Life and career Bestemianova was coached by Tatiana Tarasova and competed in ice dance with Andrei Bukin. In 1984, she was named an Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR. Bestemianova and Bukin capped their lengthy career by winning the gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics and that year's World Figure Skating Championships. The Besti Squat was Bestemianova's signature move and is unofficially named for her. In 1983, Bestemianova married Igor Bobrin. After she finished her career she performed in the Ice Miniature Theater, led by her husband. She is the stepmother of Maxim, Igor's son from his previous marriage. Together, they run Moscow Stars on Ice. In 2006–2008, Bestemianova appeared as a coach and show-host in the Russian version of the British show Dancing on Ice, shown on Russian RTR. In early 2007, she appeared as a member of the ice panel for the British show Dancing on Ice, shown on ITV1. In 2011—2012, Bestemianova was on the panel of judges for the Channel One Russia television show Cup of Professionals. Competitive highlights Ice dance with Bukin Ladies' singles Programs (With Bukin)

4317601

Orlando Cole

Orlando Cole (August 16, 1908 – January 25, 2010) was an American cello teacher who taught two generations of soloists, chamber musicians, and first cellists in a dozen leading orchestras, including Lynn Harrell, Jonah Kim, Ronald Leonard, Lorne Munroe, Peter Stumpf and Marcy Rosen. Early life Born and raised in Philadelphia, the son of Lucius Cole, a violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra, he entered the first class of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1924 as a pupil of Felix Salmond and graduated in 1934. He was a founding member in 1927 of what was then known as the Swastika Quartet. In 1932, shortly before Adolf Hitler's election and adoption of this symbol (albeit rotated), the fledgling quartet renamed itself as the Curtis String Quartet after the school's founder, Mary Louise Curtis. Collaboration with Samuel Barber During this time, Cole was a classmate and friend of the composer Samuel Barber, who dedicated his Cello Sonata, op. 6 to Cole. Mr. Cole and the composer collaborated closely on its composition, reading a page at a time as it was written, until they gave the work its premiere in New York's Town Hall in 1933. Barber wrote also wrote his Quartet, op. 11, with its famous adagio, for the Curtis Quartet. The ensemble played this work from manuscript for several years, and it was only when the time of publication arrived that Barber chose to make major changes: the first movement was shortened significantly, with its coda ultimately becoming the finale of what is now the third movement, and the original contrapuntal third movement was abandoned entirely in favor of a reprise of the first movement's basic thematic material. In the years since, several ensembles have sought to perform this original version, but Barber's longtime companion, Gian Carlo Menotti, the holder of his copyrights, forbade it. Barber acknowledged to Cole in a letter accompanying the manuscript score sent from Rome attesting to the composer's great confidence in the slow movement. The quartet's first performance of the work in Curtis Hall is testament to the same - so rapturous was the audience's response following the adagio that the ensemble was compelled to encore it right away before continuing on to the finale. Samuel Barber also composed for the Curtis String Quartet his work for voice and string quartet, Dover Beach, set to the lyric verse of the same name by Matthew Arnold. The vocal line was originally sung by Rose Bampton in its premiere in Curtis Hall and recorded in this form, but as the composer was dissatisfied with the work's dramatic impact given the male personage of the text, Samuel Barber chose to sing it himself for its recording in 1935. An earlier piece, the Serenade, was also written for the Curtis String Quartet, though it fell quickly from the composer's favor and is rarely played today. The Curtis Quartet The Curtis String Quartet was a pioneer in its time and earned great acclaim: as the foremost string quartet in America during the prewar years; the first touring quartet to be trained entirely in the United States; and as the first American quartet to tour Europe, including a command performance before Mary of Teck, Queen Consort of George V of the United Kingdom. The ensemble undertook two extensive and triumphant tours of the United Kingdom and the European continent during the seasons 1936-37 and 1937–38, and were scheduled to continue the same until the outbreak of World War II. At a time when gramophone recordings were still a rarity and chamber music had not yet taken hold in the United States, the Curtis String Quartet served as ambassadors, giving over 5000 concerts in its career and often presenting the first quartet performances heard by the communities in which they played. Before disbanding in 1981 due to the death of Max Aronoff, the founding nucleus of Brodsky, Aronoff, and Cole remained intact. The quartet was formalized in 1932 with members Jascha Brodsky, Benjamin Sharlip, Max Aronoff, and Cole, but shortly after, Sharlip resigned and they engaged Charles Jaffe as their second violinist; it was with him that they achieved many of the aforementioned milestones. Cole's primary instrument, the 1739 'Sleeping Beauty' by Domenico Montagnana, was a gift to him which had been purchased for $17,000 in 1952. It was with this instrument that the Curtis String Quartet's best known recordings for Westminster Records were made, among them Dvořák's American Quartet and Smetana's Quartet in E Minor From My Life; Mendelssohn quartets, opp. 12 and 44, no. 1; Schumann quartets, op. 41, nos. 1 and 3; Debussy and Ravel quartets; the Franck Piano Quintet; and two works of Ernő Dohnányi, the Quartet in Db-Major, and the Piano Quintet No. 2. In the two works with piano, the Curtis String Quartet was joined by their longtime friend and collaborator, the pianist Vladimir Sokoloff. Teaching career Cole taught at the Curtis Institute of Music for seventy-five years, first as Salmond's assistant while still a student and then in succession of his own teacher. There was a brief gap in his tenure at the school, however, during the years following World War II. The members of the quartet had grown dissatisfied with certain of the objectives and policies of the school and decided to found their own institution for the training of chamber and orchestral musicians, called the New School of Music which was located just a few blocks from Curtis and, for more than thirty years, served as an important training center. After returning to their duties at Curtis in 1953, Cole and the members of the quartet taught concurrently at both schools. After the 1981 death of the ensemble's violist, Max Aronoff, who was also director of the New School, the school was absorbed into Temple University where Cole and Brodsky continued to teach. Cole gave master-classes all over the world. In 2005 he was appointed to the emeritus faculty of the Curtis Institute. He died on January 25, 2010, aged 101. Honors In 1986, Cole received an honorary "Doctor of Music" from the Curtis Institute of Music of Philadelphia, and in 1990 was honored by the American String Teachers Association as "Teacher of the Year". Mr. Cole was also honored by the Philadelphia Art Alliance and the venerable Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. In 1999 he was given the first award by the Curtis alumni. Cole helped to found the Encore School for Strings in Hudson, Ohio, along with David Cerone, who had left his position as violin teacher at Curtis to assume the directorship of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

4317614

Hwamyeong-dong

Hwamyeong is a region in Buk-gu, northern Busan, South Korea. It is situated along the east bank of the Nakdong River, and since 2003 has been divided into three dong, Hwamyeong 1, 2, and 3-dong. The total area of the three dong is approximately . It was designed to serve as a commuter town for Busan, and was home to about 99,000 people as of February 2020. Name There are many different theories regarding the origination of the name Hwamyeong. The most reliable theory is that Mt. Geumjeong, the mountain surrounding Hwamyeong, was once called Mt. Hwa, or Hwasan. This names derives from the mountain being described as an ideal or bright place, and since the Chinese letter for ideal is pronounced 'myeong' in Korean, the name Hwamyeong thus refers to an "ideal bright place." Another theory is that the district's original name was Hwe-Bulgi, which means 'bright sun' or 'red sun'. The literal translation of Hwamyeong, as it is currently spelled, is 'brightly shining,' and is derived from Chinese characters. This name was first attached to the region in 1914, during the period of Japanese rule. At that time, it was known as Hwamyeong-ri, a subdivision of Gupo-myeon. In 1963, it became a dong under the administration of Busanjin-gu. In 1978, it was transferred to Buk-gu, of which it remained a unitary part until its division in 2003. Transportation Hwamyeong station lies on the Gyeongbu Line, and is served by several Mugunghwa-ho and Tonggeun trains daily. There are two subway station in Hwamyeong-dong, which are named Hwamyeong station(Busan Metro) and Sujeong station(Busan Metro). Hwamyeong is also served by Busan city bus lines 15, 59, 111, 111-1, 121, 126, 300, and 1009, Yangsan city bus 21, 23, and 23-1, and Busan town shuttle (마을버스) Gyeumjung 1, Bookgu 3, Bookgu 7, and Bookgu 7-2. Tourism Hwamyeong ecology park is located near Hwamyeong Station. It has walking trails, baseball parks, soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, an in-line skating rink, and many other amenities for the public to enjoy. At the southern end of the park, there is natural lotus habitat along with an adjacent aqua sports center and outdoor pool, which is open to the public during the Summer. Hwamyeong arboretum can be found along the banks of the Daechun stream, which traverses Hwamyeong-dong. It has over 200,000 varieties of plants for visitors to observe, and is conveniently located adjacent to the Geumjeongsan hiking trail network. Visitors can look up where certain plants are located using the electronic plant dictionary provided on the website.The Busan Fishing Village Folk Museum is located right in front of Hwamyeong station. It presents exhibitions detailing the fishing activity of Busan folk villages through the ages, traditional fishing technologies, historic sites, and folklore. The museum also has experiential learning programs for children to help them to understand life before Hwamyeong's rapid development and modernization. The Hwamyeong Rose Park is right next to the Busan Fishing Village Folk Museum. It is a botanical park divided into 49 sections containing different rose species, and is especially popular during May and June, when the roses are in bloom. A basketball court, a football field, and a multipurpose sports field can also be found within the park. School Hwamyeong highschool Korea Communications University Myungjin Elementary School Yongsu Elementary School Geumgok High school Geummyeng Middle school

4317616

Andrei Bukin

Andrei Anatolyevich Bukin (, born 10 June 1957) is a Soviet and Russian former ice dancer who represented the Soviet Union in his competitive career. With his partner Natalia Bestemianova, he is the 1988 Olympic Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist, four-time World champion, three-time World silver medalist, and five-time European champion. Career Bukin began figure skating at age seven, entering the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA in Moscow. The group trained at a small stadium in Chapayevsky Park near Pesochnaya Square. At age ten, he joined Spartak and began ice dancing, originally training at the Small Sports Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium. In his early career, he was coached by Nadezhda Shirokova and his ice dancing partner was Olga Abankinka, whom he married. In 1977, he joined the group of the famous coach Tatiana Tarasova, who paired him with Natalia Bestemianova. Bukin was the USSR Olympic Team Flag Bearer at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The duo capped their lengthy career by winning the gold medal there and at that year's World Championships. Personal life Bukin married former ice dancing partner, Olga Abankina, with whom he has a son Andrei (born 1983). With his current partner, Yelena Vasyukova, a former ice dancer, he has a son, Ivan Bukin, born in 1993, who is also a competitive ice dancer. Competitive highlights With Bestemianova With Abankina Programs (With Bestemianova)

4317618

Margaret Mather

Margaret Mather (1859-1898) was a Canadian actress. Biography She was born in poverty in Tilbury, Ontario as Margaret Finlayson, daughter of John Finlayson, a farmer and mechanic, and Ann Mather. She was one of the most famous Shakespearean actresses in the 1880s, although her reputation arose as much from clever publicity as from her skill. She premiered as Juliet in New York at the Union Square Theater in 1885. Heavy advance publicity guaranteed a large turnout, but response to her performance was mixed. While she was striking in her physicality and energy, many critics found her too indecorous and overbearing, particularly in the later acts. In the following years, she toured the country and returned to New York, to perpetually mixed reviews. Her noteworthy roles included Lady Macbeth, the title role in Bulwer-Lytton's The Lady of Lyons and in Augustin Daly's Leah the Forsaken. She was a manifest failure as Joan of Arc in a translation of Jules Barbier's play on that subject in 1890. She retired early in the decade, after marrying Gustave Pabst, scion of the Pabst Brewing Company, but they divorced after she threatened him with a whip. She returned as Imogen in Cymbeline. The production, at Wallack's Theatre, was lavish, costing forty thousand dollars, but it failed; the play was too little-known to attract large audiences, and Mather herself was judged too emotional to succeed in the role. She toured the US and Canada in 1883–1884 in the role of Juliet and As You Like It. She suffered from a chronic illness and died April 7, 1898 in Charleston, West Virginia. She was in performance of Shakespeare's Cymbeline and fell unconscious during the performance, dying that evening. Margaret was buried in a white gown from her role as Juliet on Easter Sunday. She is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.

4317621

E. Ahamed

Edappakath Ahamed (29 April 1938 – 1 February 2017) was an Indian politician who served as Minister of State for External Affairs in the Manmohan Singh government (2004–14). He represented the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency of Kerala and was the National President of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Personal life E. Ahamed was born on 29 April 1938 in a merchant family in Kannur, as the son of Abdul Khader Haji and Edappakath Nafeesa. After completing his studies, he graduated from Government Brennen College, Thalassery, Kerala and later obtained a law degree from the Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He has authored 4 books in English and Malayalam. Ahamed's wife Zuhara died in a car accident in 1999. He has two sons and a daughter. His son Ahamed Rayees is an educationalist and serves as the President of Muscat Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, which is a frontal organization of Indian Union Muslim League. He is also serving as President of Indian School Al Ghubra in Oman. Political life He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1987. From 1982 to 1987, he served as Cabinet Minister for Industries, Government of Kerala. From 1971 to 1977, Ahamed was the Founding Chairman of the Kerala State Rural Development Board. From 1979 to 1980 he was the Executive Chairman of the Kerala State Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. From 1981 to 1983 he was the Chairman of the Municipal Council in Kannur, Kerala. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009. During 2004 -2009, he served as the Minister of State for External Affairs. From April 2009 to January 2011, he was Minister of State for Railways. He assumed charge again as Minister of State of External Affairs on 24 January 2011. Ahamed also held the additional charge of the Ministry of Human Resource Development from July 2011 to October 2012. Ahamed was the National President of the Indian Union Muslim League from 2008 till his death in 2017. During his tenure in the Parliament, he has been a member of several parliamentary committees including External Affairs, Railways, Civil Aviation and Tourism, Public Undertakings, Science and Technology, Environment and Forests. Ahamed was also the Chairman of the Government Assurance Committee. He was nominated by the Government of India as co-chairman for the High Level Monitoring Mechanism (HLMM) between India and Qatar in November 2011. Ahamed widely travelled and has represented India in the United Nations 10 times between 1991 and 2014. In 1984, he was sent to GCC countries as an Emissary of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Ahamed has performed Hajj seven times - five times as Member of Government of India Haj Goodwill Delegation. Minister in different ministries Death Ahamed was admitted on 31 January 2017 at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest in a joint session of Parliament, addressed by President Pranab Mukherjee. He was shifted to the RML trauma centre's ICU where he was put on ventilator. He died in the early hours on 1 February 2017 at the hospital. He was buried with full state honours at Kannur City Juma Masjid Qabarstan. The election held on the constituency in which E. Ahamed was the MP, P. K. Kunhalikutty got elected in the election held in April 2017. |- |- |-

4317622

Vicente de Cadenas y Vicent

Vicente de Cadenas y Vicent (29 April 1915 – 21 December 2005) was a Cronista Rey de Armas ("Chronicler King of Arms") of the Kingdom of Spain. Biography A native of Madrid, Spain, Cadenas was born on 29 April 1915, the son of Francisco de Cadenas y Gaztañaga and Vicenta Vicent y Nogués. Beginning in 1932, he studied the fields of history and journalism, at the University of Madrid. He maintained dual professions as both the Chronicler of Arms and as a journalist. He was for many years a member of the Deputation of the Constantinian Order, of which he was Secretary and which he joined in 1960 upon the succession of the Infante D. Alfonso as Grand Master. Cadenas founded the Asociación de Hidalgos a Fuero de España in 1954 to obtain the recognition of the untitled nobility(nobleza llana). In 1953 he founded the review Hidalguía (with the particular aim of challenging false genealogies, fake titles and pseudo orders of chivalry) and the Instituto Internacional de Genealogía y Heráldica. The following year he founded the Instituto Luis de Salazar y Castro and in the following years the Colegio Mayor Marqués de la Ensenada, the Casasolar Santo Duque de Gandía, and the Casa Quinta Vita Natural Durante, each of which were dependent on the Association of Hidalgos. He also organized two meetings of the International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in Madrid (1955 and 1982) The 15th Congress met in Madrid from 19 to 25 September in 1982 under the presidency of His Royal Highness Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria (a cousin to King Juan Carlos I of Spain who opened the meeting) with Vicente de Cadenas serving as one of three vice presidents. He published books and articles on historical themes as well as heraldry, genealogy, chivalric orders and documentary sciences. Between 1976 and 1991, Vicente wrote articles on three of the four Spanish military orders: the Order of Alcántara, the Order of Calatrava, and the Order of Santiago. Actas del último consejo nacional de Falange Española de las J.O.N.S. (Salamanca, 18-19-IV-1937) y algunas noticias referentes a la Jefatura Nacional de Prensa y Propaganda, was a study of the last meeting of the Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista following the death of its founder José Antonio Primo de Rivera. Vicente reviewed the circumstances which led the Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista to fall under the control of Francisco Franco and the use he made of the movement. He wrote a multi-volume study of the life and achievements of the Emperor Charles V (who was also, King Charles I of Spain). Publications </ Honors and appointments Bailiff Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George with Collar Knight of the Order of St. Januarius Commander of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa Commander of the Order of Saint Sava Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

4317623

Goede tijden, slechte tijden

Goede tijden, slechte tijden (, ), also known as GTST or simply Goede tijden, is the longest-running Dutch soap opera, which began on 1 October 1990 on RTL4. The programme was the first daily (every workday) soap in the Netherlands and Europe. The soap is produced by Joop van den Ende and to date over 6,300 episodes have been broadcast. It was inspired by the Australian soap The Restless Years, although it started following its own course during the third season. GTST is broadcast Monday to Friday at 20:00. Around 1.5 million viewers watch each episode. It is the highest-rated soap opera in the Netherlands. The soap mainly revolves around the lives of the families Alberts, Sanders, De Jong, Van Houten and Bouwhuis. It all takes place in the fictional town of Meerdijk. Like any other soap, marriage, divorce, kidnapping and business are a few of the ingredients of GTST, although in recent years, GTST has become known for writing and producing more controversial storylines. GTST is also known for having a summer break each year, ending a season sometime in June with a cliffhanger, only to resume three months later in September. Although the early cliffhangers often revolved around family drama, later cliffhangers have often revolved around disasters and unexpected twists. Many former actors who once were part of the cast are now well known in the Netherlands and Europe, such as Katja Schuurman, Reinout Oerlemans and Antonie Kamerling. In 2014 a gay marriage took place in the soap opera, this was the first time this happened on the Dutch television. In 2016 the show got a spin-off called Nieuwe Tijden (English: New Times), which follows some of the younger characters from GTST and some new characters as they go off to college. Cast Present characters Recurring cast Original cast members

4317624

Michelle Kosinski

Michelle Kosinski is an American journalist, host, and public speaker. She most recently wrote and hosted the podcast The Perfect Scam. Previously she was a Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for CNN and White House Correspondent for CNN until 2019. She was a foreign correspondent for NBC News based in London (2010–2014); before that she was a correspondent based in Miami (2005–2009). She has covered numerous international news stories including the US war in Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Haiti earthquake, the BP oil spill, the Virginia Tech shootings, the Obama White House, the tenure and firing of Rex Tillerson, et al. Career overview Kosinski began work in broadcast journalism in Rockford, Illinois for WIFR while earning her BA and MA from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Leaving WIFR, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina at WSOC-TV and founded the Piedmont Bureau. In 2001, she was voted the Best Reporter in Charlotte by readers of the city's arts and entertainment magazine. In Fall of 2001, she left WSOC-TV for WTVJ in Miami. She is a 2003 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards Craft Winner for reporting on Haitian immigrants and was named Woman of the Year in 2005 by Women in Communications of South Florida. Kosinski has covered such world events as the War in Afghanistan, terrorist plots in Europe, international court cases, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2005, Kosinski was involved in video news scene while covering flooding in New Jersey. In the video she was seen paddling in a canoe, in what she claimed were in deep floodwaters, when two pedestrians walked through the shot exposing the water to only be a few inches deep; Kosinski declared at the time "O.K., this probably looks a little bad". But news reports from the time clearly showed chest-deep water and people using boats. Kosinski explained to the NY Observer that while the shot was originally in the deep water, the crew insisted on moving the boat to the edge of the water, so that they could light and mic it properly. The crew was also concerned for safety, as the water was moving quickly. This was visible in the taped piece that ran with the live element, but right-wing outlets purposely left that part out of clips that they posted on the internet. In 2009, she won a national Emmy award for live reporting during NBC News' special coverage of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. In 2010, Kosinski was named a foreign correspondent and moved from NBC's Southeast Bureau to London. In 2014, she became a White House correspondent for CNN. NBC News In 2005, Kosinski worked as a foreign correspondent for NBC News based in London. She covered numerous international events such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, terrorist plots and bombings in Europe, US-Russia relations, and Virginia Tech shooting. Other In August 2005, while covering the Natalee Holloway disappearance in Aruba, NBC arranged an interview with the director of Aruban prisons and a tour of suspect Joran van der Sloot's prison. During the tour, she ran into van der Sloot and conducted an off-camera interview. Prison director Fred Maduro appeared live on MSNBC and admitted that he offered her the tour. After Van der Sloot's attorneys called for a hearing on the matter, NBC declined to air the footage. In 2009, Kosinski purchased a $5.6 million, home in Coral Gables, Florida. Education Kosinski attended St. Charles Borromeo School and graduated from Holy Cross High School as valedictorian. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Originally in the magazine writing program, she later switched to the broadcasting division. Personal life Kosinski was born in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia. She is one of four children of Jeanette, a chemist, and Robert, a retired biologist who worked for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. While working as a television news photographer and reporter in Charlotte, North Carolina, she also performed with the award-winning Piedmont Players theater group, in roles such as Elvira in Blithe Spirit and Suzanne in Don't Dress for Dinner. she began living in London. In August 2013, Kosinski announced her engagement to retired investment banker and philanthropist Kimbell Duncan. They married on August 9, 2014. The Times reported allegations about a 2018 "passionate affair [lasting] at least several months" with an ambassador, that "resulted in impressive scoops for Kosinski." Kosinski denied the scoops originated with the ambassador, and hired Prince William's lawyer to combat reports of the affair. Community For several years, Kosinski has served on the executive host committee for Amigos For Kids, a charitable organization based in Miami. Kosinski has volunteered for and supported numerous community organizations. She has sought out and highlighted innovative charitable work around the United States, as a regular contributor to Nightly News' "Making a Difference" series, which has in turn positively impacted those efforts.

4317626

Environmental issues in Tajikistan

Environmental issues in Tajikistan, include concentrations of agricultural chemicals and salts in the soil and groundwater, poor management of water resources, and soil erosion. Additionally, because of inadequate sanitation facilities, untreated industrial waste (particularly from aluminum production) and sewage combine with agricultural runoff to cause water pollution in the Aral Sea Basin. Soviet-Era mining operations in Tajikistan extracted and processed uranium, gold, antimony, tungsten, mercury, and molybdenum, each of which is known to leave toxic waste that also threatens water quality. Pockets of high air pollution caused by industry and motor vehicles have resulted in Tajikistan ranking 133rd in the world in greenhouse gas emissions. Air pollution is a particular problem during times of the year when atmospheric conditions hold industrial and vehicle emissions close to the surface in urban areas. In summer, dust and sand from the deserts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan cause air pollution across the entire southwestern lowland region. Although a destructive civil war, budget shortfalls, poverty, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union reduced industrial and agricultural activity, these issues, as well as the destruction of infrastructure and loss of Soviet programs (such as the Committee on Nature Protection, state-owned agriculture, and region-wide networks of hydro posts) have amplified environmental concerns. Additionally, the Tajik government is hesitant to acknowledge these concerns, which has tensed its regional relationships. Water Scarcity In 2010, 64% of the Tajik population had access to potable water, 54% in rural areas and 92% in cities. Water shortage first became a threat in Tajikistan under the Soviet Union's pressure to expand cotton cultivation in Central Asia. During this time, minimal regulation on water use was implemented and much of it was allocated towards irrigation. The Tajik government has since expanded limits on water use, however the agencies involved in their application lack the effective judicial and legal systems necessary to implement them. Agriculture accounts for 90% of Tajikistan's water use, and 33% of Tajikistan's irrigated land is used to cultivate cotton. Much of Tajikistan's irrigation and water treatment systems have not been updated since the end of the Soviet Era, after which a catastrophic civil war ravaged much of the countryside and further damaged already corroding infrastructure. Cotton irrigation uses a majority of Tajikistan's water resources, however the equipment used for irrigation, being outdated, is inefficient and loses a majority of the water it carries. Tajikistan has been slow to update these water systems due to a multitude of political and economic factors, such as a limited budget and mounting debt since the conclusion of the civil war. Additionally, Tajikistan has undergone pressures to cultivate less resource-heavy crops, which have been met by resistance from a politically influential cotton industry. Climate change is expected to particularly affect Central Asia in terms of water scarcity. By 2030, demand for water sourced from glaciers in Tajikistan is projected to increase by a third, while glacial runoff is expected to decrease by 30%. As a result, Tajikistan's water use has complicated its relationship with its neighbors. Irrigation, in addition to the construction of hydroelectric dams like the Rogunon the Vakhsh, Panj, and Amu rivers without consultation, has resulted in water shortages and public outcry in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, as well as contributed to the shrinking of the Aral Sea. At present, projections by the World Bank indicate that annual average temperatures could rise 5.7 degrees Celsius by the year 2085. Pollution 13% of Tajiks have access to public sewage and 34% are without indoor plumbing or lavatories, resulting in 38% of the population depending on water from potentially contaminated sources and subsequent outbreaks of typhoid and cholera. This lack in infrastructure dates back to the Soviet Era and was exacerbated by poverty and civil war. Other causes of water and air pollution include pesticides (particularly DDT and HCH) and fertilizers in surface runoff (exacerbated by landslides from soil degradation), industrial waste, burning of fossil fuels, and tailings from former Soviet mining operations. Most polluted rivers in Tajikistan cross into several other Central Asian nations and are therefore a transnational problem; the Navruz experiment in 2000, which involved several Central Asian governments, discovered high levels of metals and radionuclides in the Aral Sea river basin. Otherwise, regional approaches to pollution have been limited. After the dissolution of the USSR, the region-wide network of data collection posts was fragmented, which, in combination with the destruction of hydroposts during the civil war, has restrained Tajikistan's access to information on pollution in its rivers and its subsequent response. Consequently, Tajikistan's regional relationships have become tense. In 2005 the Uzbek government blamed Tajikistan's industrial pollution for problems in its ecosystems, public health, and agriculture. Uzbekistan has since insisted on operating under a 1994 agreement that required the neighbors to manage transnational environmental problems together, however Tajikistan maintains that its industry has had no impact on the environment and that the operation of its industrial sector is an exercise of sovereignty. Industrial Aluminum is Tajikistan's top export and its production is piloted by TALCO, the state aluminum company and operator of the largest aluminum plant in Central Asia in Tursunzoda. Heavy metals such as antimony, arsenic, copper, and mercury are found in rivers near aluminum plants as well as greenhouse gases and mercury in the air. All heavy metals in water are known to cause health problems when consumed, particularly arsenic, which causes liver damage, dermal lesions, and anemia, as well as mercury, which also pollutes soil and the crops that grow in it. No longer a part of a Soviet-wide supply chain, pressure for TALCO to match Soviet-Era production levels has exacerbated the environmental effects of aluminum manufacturing. The Tajik government has historically denied any ecological or health impacts related to TALCO and made plans in 2017 to partner with China in the construction of a new plant in Tursunzoda. Uranium From 1945 to 1965, the development of the USSR Nuclear Program resulted in the opening of the Andrasman, Chkalovsk, Digmai, and Taboshar uranium mines. Comparatively minimal cleanup efforts by Soviet and Tajik governments since the abandonment of the mines, in conjunction with Tajikistan's steep mountain topography, have caused uranium tailings to be carried by landslides into soil, pastures and public water sources. Studies in Taboshar and Digmai pit lakes and surrounding areas showed Uranium concentrations to be significantly higher than international recommendations in drinking water and local fish used for consumption. In 2008, the Tajik government claimed to have 14% of the world's untapped Uranium reserves within its borders and drew interest from China, Iran, and Russia to partner with in opening new mines. Coal mining Lacking effective environmental controls and regulatory enforcement, along with high levels of corruption, coal mining remains a major polluter in the country. A particular problem is water pollution, which makes the water undrinkable and damages the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. Land Degradation Soil Erosion The combination of land inequality, water scarcity, deforestation, and overgrazing leads to an estimated 70% of irrigated cropland being affected by soil erosion. Because the majority of rural populations are near landless, stripping steep slopes of water in mountainous areas is common practice, causing landslides and soil degradation. The effects of soil erosion include agricultural inefficiency, ecological destruction, and lower water quality from nitrification and increased pesticide use. During the Soviet Era, agriculture was state owned and livestock was raised communally, permitting herds to migrate to remote pastures during seasons of extreme heat and cold; entire villages would often be emptied during summers and winters to migrate with livestock. Since the USSR's collapse, livestock numbers have dropped significantly, reducing pressure on grazing lands. However, under the Tajik government, territorial governments are responsible for the allocation of agricultural land, which has resulted in the private ownership of herds and pastures. Because it is less economically viable for an individual to move its herds to remote pastures and because pastures are often privately owned, livestock mobility is limited. Consequently, overgrazing has resulted in pastures without topsoil, vegetation, and ecological diversity. Deforestation 2% of Tajikistan's land is occupied by forest, a 23% decrease over the past century, two-thirds of which occurred since Tajik independence. The combination of increased population and poverty in rural areas is the main cause, which results in desertification, reduced watershed protection, and landslides. The rural population in Tajikistan has doubled since 1979, causing competition for arable land and farmers spreading to forested areas. Additionally, high energy prices caused by lacking infrastructure have forced rural populations to turn to illegal logging practices for fuel during the winter. Tajikistan had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.65/10, ranking it 21st globally out of 172 countries. Energy Due to high prices and dependence on imports from its Central Asian neighbors, Tajikistan faces significant energy shortages. During the Soviet Era, energy was shared regionally, however, since the dissolution of the USSR and fragmentation of its Central Asian territory, regional energy agreements did not continue, leaving Tajikistan with limited domestic energy resources. The destruction of infrastructure during the civil war and refusal of World Bank funds has also contributed. In 2010, 2% of Tajik households had access to central pipeline heating and 15% to pipeline gas. TALCO, Tajikistan's main aluminum producer, consumes 40% of output from Barqi Tojik, Tajikistan's national power company. Tajikistan has largely turned to hydropower to meet its energy demands. In 2010, hydropower accounted for 16% of Tajikistan's electric output. This shift included plans to complete the Roghun and Sangtuda dams on the Vakhsh river from the Soviet Era, in addition to expanding the Nurek hydroelectric plant and constructing several smaller dams. In addition to contributing to the shrinking of the Aral Sea and complicating Tajikistan's relationship with its neighbors, these plans have created concerns for siltation, lowering the water table, and changes to the river's ecosystem; accumulation of silt has already reduced the Nurek reservoir's capacity by 17%, and the Tajik government denies the prevalence of other ecological concerns, particularly those voiced by neighboring countries.

4317633

Sue Tingley

Sue Tingley (born April 18, 1977 in Saint John, New Brunswick) is a field hockey player from Canada, who earned more than hundred international caps for the Canadian Women's National Team during her career. On national level the midfielder, a resident of Upper Cape, New Brunswick, played for the University of Alberta Pandas Team (1995-1999). She was named Most Valuable Player at the 1997 Junior World Cup Qualifier in Santiago, Chile, where Canada finished in second place. In 2002 Tingley moved to the Netherlands to play for Push in the Dutch top league, named Hoofdklasse. International senior tournaments 1997 – World Cup Qualifier, Harare, Zimbabwe (11th) 1998 – Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (not ranked) 1999 – Pan American Games, Winnipeg, Canada (3rd) 2001 – Pan American Cup, Kingston, Jamaica (3rd) 2001 – World Cup Qualifier, Amiens/Abbeville, France (10th) 2002 – Commonwealth Games, Manchester, England (7th)

4317634

Atar Arad

Atar Arad (Hebrew: עתר ארד; born 8 March 1945) is an Israeli American violist, professor of music, essayist and composer. Biography Arad and his brother, architect Ron Arad, were born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Arad began his training on the violin in Tel Aviv and received an Artist Diploma in 1966 from the Samuel Rubin Israeli Academy of Music. In 1968 he was selected for study at Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth in Waterloo, Belgium, earning a Laureate there in 1971 and a Diplome Superieure from Brussels Conservatory in 1973. Having decided to devote himself to the viola in 1971, he entered the Carl Flesch International Competition in 1972 as a violist, winning the City of London prize (second prize) in his first public appearance with the instrument. Two months later he repeated, winning first prize in the International Viola Competition in Geneva, Switzerland. Arad has performed around the world as a soloist with orchestras and as a member of the Cleveland Quartet from 1980 to 1987, taking the seat previously established by founding member Martha Strongin Katz. He was succeeded by James Dunham. Arad teaches at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, and the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois as well as the Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy in Quebec. Previously he was professor of viola at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He has also taught at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and has been an artist/lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Prior to 1980 he served on faculties at Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth and the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England. Performance venues Berlin Music Festival, Berlin, Germany Israel Festival, Caesarea, Israel Flanders Music Festival, Antwerp, Belgium Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland Salzburg Festival, Salzburg, Austria Mostly Mozart Festival, New York City, NY, United States Sitka Summer Music Festival, Sitka, Alaska, United States Aspen Music Festival, Aspen, Colorado, United States Chautauqua Festival, Chautauqua, New York, United States Ravinia Festival near Chicago, Illinois, United States Domaine Forget International Festival, Saint-Irenee, Quebec, Canada North Shore Chamber Music Festival, Northbrook, Illinois, United States Compositions and recordings His compositions include: Sonata for Viola Solo (1992) String Quartet (1993) Caprices for Viola Solo (2003) Concerto per la Viola (2005) His essays have explored compositional aspects of viola concertos: The Thirteen Pages (The American String Teacher, Winter 1988) Walton as Scapino (The Strad, February 1989) He has recorded, as featured soloist or with the Cleveland Quartet, on the RCA Red Seal, CBS Masterworks, Teldec Telefunken, Telarc and RIAX Records Classical labels.

4317640

Carlos Prieto (cellist)

Carlos Prieto was born in Mexico City and is a Mexican cellist and writer. He has received enthusiastic public acclaim and won excellent reviews for his performances throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union, Asia, and Latin America. The New York Times review of his Carnegie Hall debut raved, "Prieto knows no technical limitations and his musical instincts are impeccable." He plays a Stradivarius cello named the "Piatti" after Carlo Alfredo Piatti, affectionately nicknamed "Chelo Prieto" by the current owner. He is a promoter of contemporary, original classical instrument music by Latin American composers. The Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition is held every three years in Mexico. His son, Carlos Miguel Prieto, is music director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. Early years Prieto began playing the cello at age four, studying under the instruction of Hungarian cellist Imre Hartman, also with the Mexican cellist Manuel Garnica Fierro. Prieto was a longtime friend of Igor Stravinsky. When Stravinsky returned to Russia in 1962 after a fifty-year absence, he was accompanied in Moscow by Prieto, who was at that time studying at the Moscow State University in Russia. He also knew Shostakovich and has premiered his first Cello Concerto in different cities in Mexico as well as in Spain. He continued his instruction with Pierre Fournier in Geneva, and Leonard Rose in New York. He also studied engineering and economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), university which appointed him in 1993 member of its Department of Music and Theater Arts Visiting Committee. Music career He has played with orchestras from all over the world, the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Chamber Orchestra of the European Union, the American Symphony Orchestra in New York, the Boston Pops in Symphony Hall, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, the Spanish National Orchestra, the Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra, the Irish National Orchestra, the MAV Budapest Orchestra and many others. He has been invited to many of the world's most prestigious halls such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles; Roy Thomson in Toronto; Barbican Hall and Wigmore Hall in London; Salle Gaveau and Salle Pleyel in Paris; Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia; Auditorio Nacional in Madrid; The Beijing and Shanghai Concert Halls; the Europalia, Granada, Berlin Festivals, etc. He was appointed Honorary Member of the Fine Arts Advisory Council of the University of Texas at Austin. From 1995 to 2010 was Chairman of the Foundation of the Conservatory of Las Rosas, the oldest conservatory of the Americas and Mexico's most ambitious music education project. Every three years, the National Council for the Arts of Mexico and the Las Rosas Conservatory organize the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition, so named in recognition of his career and his work in the promotion and enrichment of Latin American cello music. The next competition will take place in August, 2019. In recent years he played a series of concerts with Yo-Yo Ma in Mexico, Caracas, New Orleans, Chicago Spain and Cuba. Writing career Prieto has recorded over 100 works and written ten books: Russian Letters, Around the World with the Cello, From the USSR to Russia, The Adventures of a Cello –translated into Portuguese, Russian, and English- Paths and Images of Music, Five Thousand Years of Words (with a foreword by Carlos Fuentes); Throughout China with the Cello with a foreword by Yo-Yo Ma; Dmitri Shostakovich, genius and drama; Short history of music in Mexico, and My musical tours around the world. Music in Mexico and autobiographical notes. Some of which have been translated into English, Russian and Portuguese and have appeared in audio book form. In 2011 he was elected Member of the Mexican Academy of the Spanish Language. In 2012 he was elected honorary member of the Ecuador Academy of the Spanish Language and, in 2016, of the Chile Academy of the Spanish Language. Discography Espejos (Mirrors) Ernesto Halffter. Canzona e Pastorella Tomás Marco. Primer Espejo de Falla Mario Lavista. Tres Danzas Seculares J. Gutiérrez Heras. Canción en el Puerto Manuel Castillo. Alborada Rodolfo Halffter. Sonata (urtext digital classics jbcc 015) Le Grand Tango Le Grand Tango Piazzolla. Le Grand tango Piazzolla. Milonga Piazzolla. Michelangelo 70 Piazzolla. Balada para mi Muerte Ginastera. Triste para cello y piano Villa-Lobos. Aria de Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5 Federico Ibarra. Sonata Robert R. Rodríguez. Lull-A- Bear Manuel Enríquez. Fantasía (urtext digital classics jbcc 014) Dmitri Shostakovich. Sonatas Sonata op. 40 Sonata op. 147 (transcrita por Carlos Prieto) (urtext digital classics jbcc 123) Conciertos y Chôro Camargo Guarnieri. Chôro for cello and orchestra Federico Ibarra. Concierto for cello and orchestra Carlos Chávez. Concierto for cello and orchestra (urtext digital classics jbcc 023) Azul y Verde (Blue and Green) Ginastera (Argentina) Pampeana (Uruguay) Piece for cello and piano Ricardo Lorenz (Venezuela) Cecilia en Azul y Verde (Venezuela) Golpe con Fandango Becerra Schmidt. (Chile) Sonata No. 5 for cello and piano Celso Garrido-Lecca (Perú). Soliloquio Joaquín Nin(España): Suite Española (urtext digital classics jbcc 024) Aprietos Samuel Zyman (México) Suite for two cellos (1999) Claudia Calderón (Colombia) La Revuelta Circular (2000) Xavier Montsalvatge (España) Invención a la Italiana (2000) Juan Orrego Salas (Chile). Espacios. Rapsodia (1998) Alberto Villalpando (Bolivia) Sonatita de Piel Morena (1999) Tomás Marco (España). Partita a Piatti (1999) (urtext digital classics jbcc 045) Tres siglos: tres obras para violonchelo y orquesta Ricardo Castro. Concerto for cello and orchestra (ca. 1895) Berlin Symphonic Orchestra. Jorge Velazco, director Samuel Zyman. Concerto for cello and orchestra (1990) Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, Enrique Diemecke, director Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras. Fantasía Concertante para cello y orquesta (2005) Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa. Carlos Miguel Prieto, director (urtext digital classics jbcc 178) Tres conciertos para cello y orquesta Dmitri Shostakovich. Concerto in E-flat major, op. 107 Celso Garrido-Lecca (Perú) Concerto for cello and orchestra John Kinsella. Concerto for cello and orchestra. 2000 (urtext digital classics jbcc 083) Sonatas y danzas de México Manuel M. Ponce. Three preludes for cello and piano Sonata en sol menor para violonchelo y piano Alfonso de Elías. Chanson Triste. Miguel Bernal Jiménez. Tres Danzas Tarascas (transcritas por Manuel Enríquez) Silvestre Revueltas. Tres Piezas (transcritas por Manuel Enríquez Manuel Enríquez. Sonatina para violonchelo solo Manuel Enríquez. Four pieces for cello and piano (urtext digital classics jbcc 033) Del barroco y del romanticismo al siglo XXI Haendel-Halvorsen. Passacaglia for violin and cello Tchaikovsky. Pezzo capriccioso for cello and piano Rajmaninov. Vocalise, op. 34, No. 14 for cello and piano Chopin-Feuermann. Introduction et Polonaise Brillante para cello y piano Lukas Foss. Capriccio for cello and piano Francisco Mignone (Brasil). Modinha for cello and piano Ernst Mahle (Brasil). Ocho Duos Modales for two cellos Marlos Nobre (Brasil). Partita Latina for cello and piano. (world premiere) Eugenio Toussaint (México). Pour les Enfants. (world premiere) (urtext digital classics jbcc 093) From Bach to Piazzolla Bach: Courante de suite No. 6 en re mayor Rajmaninov Vocalise op. 34 Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso, op. 62 Falla Tres movimientos de la Suite Popular Española Gutiérrez Heras. Canción en el Puerto Piazzolla; Dos tangos: Le Grand Tango; Michelangelo 70 Piazzolla Milonga Samuel Zyman. Dos movimientos de la Suite para dos violonchelos Shostakovich. Allegretto de Concierto, Op. 107 (urtext digital classics jbcc 101) Seven world premieres DONALD GRANTHAM. Son of Cimetière para cello y piano. (2006) EUGENIO TOUSSAINT. Bachriación. Estudio Bop No. 7 para cello solo (2005) Russell Pinkston. Summer Rhapsody para cello and piano (2006) Dan Welcher. Arietta para cello y piano (2006) Robert X. Rodriguez. Tentado por la Samba para cello y piano. Samuel Zyman. Suite para cello solo (2007) Roberto SIERRA. Sonata Elegiaca para cello y piano (2006) (urtext digital classics jbcc 183) Bach vol. I The Suites for cello solo. Suites Nos. 1, 2 y 3 (PMG CLASSICS DIGITAL 092104) Bach vol. II The Suites for cello solo. Suites Nos. 4, 5 y 6 PMG CLASSICS DIGITAL 092106) Sonatas y Fantasías Gerhard. Sonata Ginastera. Sonata Zyman. Fantasía (dedicado a Carlos Prieto) Cassadó. Sonata al estilo antiguo español Rodrigo. Siciliana Piazzolla. Three brief pieces (urtext digital classics jbcc 017) Conciertos para el fin del milenio Eugenio Toussaint. Concierto No. 2 Arturo Márquez. Mirrors in the sand Roberto Sierra. Four verses (urtext digital classics jbcc 047) Published works Spanish Russian Letters (1965) Around the World with the Cello Alianza Editorial México. (1987, 1988) From the USSR to Russia, foreword Isabel Turrent. Fondo de Cultura Económica (1993, 2013) The Adventures of a Cello –translated into Portuguese, Russian, and English- foreword Álvaro Mutis. Fondo de Cultura Económica. (1998, 2013) "Paths and Images of Music", Photographs by Miguel Morales (1999) Five Thousand Years of Words with a foreword by Carlos Fuentes, Fondo de Cultura Económica. (2005) Throughout China with the Cello, with a foreword by Yo-Yo Ma, Fondo de Cultura Económica. (2009) Dmitri Shostakovich, genius and drama, with a foreword byJorge Volpi. Fondo de Cultura Económica. (2013) "Short history of music in Mexico", Seminario de Cultura Mexicana (2013) My musical tours around the world. Music in Mexico and autobiographical notes with a foreword by Yo-Yo Ma, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2017 English The Adventures of a Cello – Prologue Yo-Yo Ma. Texas University Press (2006) The Adventures of a Cello, Revised edition." Prologue Yo-Yo Ma. Texas University Press (2011) Portuguese As aventuras de um violoncelo. Historias e memórias – Top Books and Univer Cidade. Rio de Janeiro. Brazil. (2006) Russian Prikliucheniya Violonceli. – Editorial Orenburgskaya Kniga. Perm. Rusia. (2005) Awards 1995: Mozart Medal from the Austrian Ambassador in Mexico 1999: Achievement Award of the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York 1999: France awarded the Order of the Arts and Letters in the grade of Officer 2001: Indiana University awarded the Eva Janzer Award, entitled "Chevalier du Violoncelle" 2002: School of Music of Yale University awarded the Cultural Leadership Citation 2006: The Order of Merit, awarded by the King of Spain. 2006 The title of Venezuelan Youth Emeritus Master granted by José Antonio Abreu, President of the Foundation for the National Network of Youth and Children Orchestras of Venezuela (FESNOJIV). 2007: The National Award for the Arts, given by the President of Mexico. 2008: The Pushkin Medal, awarded by the President of Russia. 2009: Professional Accomplishment Award by the University of Oviedo (Spain) and (ASICOM). 2012: The Commendation for Distinguished Leadership in the Arts awarded by TCU (Texas Christian University). 2012: The Fine Arts Gold Medal, awarded by the government of Mexico. 2014: The Robert A. Muh Award from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for outstanding contributions in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. 2018- ''Embajador Gilberto Bosques'' Award in recognition of his exceptional careers and contributions to the cultures of their countries. 2018- The Harold Gramatges Honorary Award given by the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.

4317641

Theresa Weld

Theresa Weld Blanchard (August 21, 1893 – March 12, 1978) was an American figure skater who competed in the disciplines of single skating and pair skating. Her pairs partner was Nathaniel Niles. As a singles skater, she won the gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships six times and competed three times in the Olympics, capturing a bronze medal in 1920. With Niles, she won the national pairs title nine times and also participated in the Olympics three times. Blanchard was also the long-time volunteer editor of the United States Figure Skating Association's official publication, Skating magazine; first jointly with Niles from the magazine's founding in 1923, and then as sole editor after his death in 1931, until 1963. The magazine was originally published out of her home. Her long competitive career gave her many contacts throughout the skating world. She also served as the first chair of the association's Professionals Committee from 1937 to 1947. Results Singles career Pairs career (with Niles)

4317654

Caryll Molyneux, 3rd Viscount Molyneux

Caryll Molyneux, 3rd Viscount Molyneux (1623/24 – 1700) was an Irish peer. Life He was the younger son of Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux and Mary Caryll, daughter of Sir Thomas Caryll of Bentone in Sussex. He inherited the title from his elder brother, Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux, in 1654. He married Mary Barlow, daughter of Sir Alexander Barlow of Barlow (elder brother of the Catholic martyr Ambrose Barlow) and his wife Dorothy Gresley, by whom he had one surviving son, William, and five daughters, Mary, Frances, Margaret, Elizabeth and Anne. Molyneux joined the Royalist army at the outbreak of the English Civil War, and served with his brother in the Lancashire Regiment, which was mostly Catholic, through almost all the fighting from Manchester (1642) to Worcester (1651). After the death of his brother in 1654, he succeeded to the viscounty and the constableship of Liverpool Castle. As a well-known Catholic Cavalier, he experienced harsh treatment from the victors; and the family estates suffered. It was not until the reign of James II that Molyneux's fortunes improved. He was then appointed Custos Rotulorum of Lancashire (1685–89), Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire (1687–1688) and Admiral of the Narrow Seas, and was one of the few who fought with any success on James's side against the Prince of Orange, seizing and holding Chester, until all further resistance was in vain. After using the castle to store arms, he was arrested on a fabricated charge of treason for a suspected Jacobite rebellion called "The Lancashire plot". Along with other Catholics, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, but was acquitted in 1694. He did not however recover the hereditary constableship, and the castle was leased to the burgesses, who in 1704 were authorised by the Crown to destroy it. After Viscount Molyneux's death at Croxteth in 1700 his title passed to his only surviving son, William Molyneux, 4th Viscount Molyneux.

4317658

Anjang of Goguryeo

Anjang of Goguryeo (died 531, r. 519–531) was the 22nd ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. With his original name of Heung-an, he was the eldest son of Munjamyeong. He was named Crown Prince in the seventh year of Munjamyeong's reign (498), and assumed the throne when his father died in 519. He was supposedly assassinated in 531 without heir, When Anjang died without heir, and was succeeded by his younger brother, Anwon. Under Anjang, Goguryeo continued to maintain close relations with the Chinese dynasties, notably Wei and Liang with constant 'tribute missions', to counterbalance the volatile relationship with the southerly Korean kingdoms of Baekje and Silla. He attacked Baekje in 523 and 529, slaying more than 2,000 Baekje soldiers. Historical records during the reign of Anjang are rarely found throughout East Asia with some erroneous marks on his death: the Book of Liang completed in 635 says Anjang died in 526 but it was about five or six years later; The Japanese chronicle Nihon Shoki quoting Baekje Bongi says Anjang was killed amid bloody chaos, which implies the final years of his reign were not fairly stabilized. Since series of chaos also sparked at the end of his brother, Anwon's reign, it is speculated the succession issue had already been entrenched as extreme affair of Goguryeo court among the aristocracy. Family Grandfather: Crown Prince Juda (고조다) Grandmother: Unknown Father: Munjamyeong of Goguryeo Wife Unknown Queen Son: Prince Boggwi (복귀군) Daughter-in-law: Japanese Women Grandson: Go Bul-yeon (고부련) The Love story of Go Heung-an and Lady Han Among the numerous historical Korean stories, there is the Love story of a Baekje woman and the 22nd Great King of Goguryeo. It shows many parallels to the Western culture's Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and also the story of Prince Hodong and Princess Nangnang, who also had a forbidden love.

4317704

Improv Institute

The Improv Institute was an improvisational comedy company in Chicago from 1984 until 1994. The mainstage show was improvised following audience suggestions. The troupe had two storefront-theaters, both on West Belmont Avenue on Chicago's North side, first at 2939 W. Belmont (1984–1990), and later at 2319 W. Belmont (1991–1994). Many theatrical productions had their debuts at the Improv Institute, including Flanagan's Wake on March 19, 1994. The Second City producer Kelly Leonard has stated that the Improv Institute was "my favorite place to see improv, other than The Second City." - Chicago Tribune, January 15, 2004 History The Improv Institute was founded at the end of 1983 by the late John Michael Michalski, who would go on to direct at The Second City in Chicago. The original cast included Michalski, Rick Hall (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, Factory), Kate Kirkpatrick, Patricia Musker ( Roxy Bellows, also a co-writer of Flanagan's Wake), Michael Raysses (The Drew Carey Show), Andrew J. Sten, and Jill Talley (Mr. Show, SpongeBob SquarePants). They were later joined by Ron West (3rd Rock from the Sun). Later incarnations of the mainstage cast would include Jack Bronis (Early Edition, Chicago Overcoat, director/co-writer of Flanagan's Wake), Mark Czoske (co-writer of Flanagan's Wake), Evan Gore (Futurama writer), Ross Gottstein (Babylon 5, Frasier), Laura Hall (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Tom Hanigan (Slice of Pie), Amy Hartl, Phil Lusardi (co-writer of Flanagan's Wake), Patricia Musker (a.k.a. Roxy Bellows, also co-writer of Flanagan's Wake), Bonnie Shadrake (co-writer of Flanagan's Wake), and Brad Sherman. Several Improv Institute performers went on to create The Noble Fool Theater Company. Other notable performers who made appearances at the Improv Institute have included Rose Abdoo (Gilmore Girls, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Sean Abley (Socket), Mark Belden (thirtysomething), Mark Belzman (According to Jim), Kevin L. Burrows (Naked States), Cindy Caponera (Drunkboat, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Will Clinger (Wild Chicago, ER, Early Edition), Kevin Crowley (CSI, Without a Trace), Paul Dinello (Strangers with Candy), Jon Favreau (Swingers, director of Elf and Iron Man, host of Dinner for Five), Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Chris Hogan (MADtv, 3rd Rock from the Sun), Bonnie Hunt (Cheaper by the Dozen, The Bonnie Hunt Show), Carlos Jacott (CSI, Big Love, Firefly), Jenna Jolovitz (MADtv writer), Jeff Kahn (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), John Lehr (10 Items or Less), Joe Liss (Less than Perfect, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Michael McCarthy (screenwriter), Adam McKay (Saturday Night Live), Susan Messing, Theresa Mulligan (Mr. Show), Joel Murray (Dharma & Greg, Mad Men), Aliza Murietta, Peter Murietta, Dave Pasquesi (Strangers with Candy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Factory), Paula Poundstone, John Rubano (According to Jim), Ruth Rudnick (NCIS), Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live), Lynda Shadrake, Casey Siemaszko (Young Guns, NYPD Blue, Biloxi Blues), Faith Soloway, Matt Tiegler (Gods and Heroes), Barb Wallace (screenwriter), Dan Johnson-Weinberger, George Wendt (Cheers), and Jim Zulevic (Seinfeld). The 30th anniversary of the Improv Institute was celebrated as part of the 2014 Chicago Improv Festival at Stage 773 in Chicago. Further reading The Art of Chicago Improv (Shortcuts to Long-Form Improvisation) by Rob Kozlowski (Heinemann Press, 2002) Improvisational theatre Theatre companies in Chicago History of Chicago 1980s in comedy 1990s in comedy 1990 Promotional video: https://vimeo.com/307159648

4317711

Llanvaches

Llanvaches or Llanfaches is a village and community parish within the boundaries of the city of Newport, Wales. It lies to the east of the urban area, in the historic county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent. The population rose to 402 by the 2011 census. Location Llanvaches is located roughly midway between the market town of Chepstow and the centre of Newport. The village lies just north of the A48 road and below Wentwood, with both Newport centre and Chepstow about distant. History The village is named after Saint Maches (Latin: Machuta), a daughter of Saint Gwynllyw or Woolos and sister of Saint Cadoc, who according to tradition lived a humble life as a shepherdess in the 5th century but was killed by robbers stealing her finest ram. Saint Tathan, Abbot of nearby Caerwent, to whom the murderers confessed their crime, built a church on the spot where she was killed, which became known as Merthyr Maches and later Llanfaches (the letter m mutating to -f- in Welsh). The parish church largely dates from the 14th century and is dedicated to Saint Dubricius (Welsh Dyfrig), with Bishops Transcripts dating back to 1725. The First Independent Church in Wales The first Independent Church in Wales was founded at Llanvaches in 1638 by William Wroth (1576–1642), Rector from 1617. In 1633, King Charles I, advised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, reissued the "Declaration of Sports". This listed the sports that were permitted on Sundays and other holy days, and was published to counteract the growing Puritan calls for strict abstinence on the Sabbath day. Wroth defied Charles' instruction to read the Declaration to his congregation, and in 1634 the Bishop of Llandaff reported him to the Court of High Commission, seeking to remove him from his position in the Church. In 1638 Wroth, along with fellow dissenter Walter Craddock, resigned, but continued to preach and gather followers. His preaching became so popular that people travelled from Somerset, Gloucester, Hereford, Radnor and Glamorgan to Llanvaches to hear him, and it became necessary for him to preach in the churchyard because the church was too small to accommodate all those who attended. By 1639, although he had not formally left the Church of England, Wroth is likely to have been ejected from his living. He set up his Congregationalist chapel, "according to the New England pattern", completed in 1639, with the help of the leading Dissenter, Henry Jessey. The historic meeting at Llanvaches in November 1639 marked the real beginning of Non-conformity in Wales. Wroth died shortly before the outbreak of the first English Civil War, and was buried beneath the church porch at Llanvaches. His will, at one time on display in the church vestry, concluded: "I leave my body to be buried where ye Lord shall please to call for mee praying him to bring my hoarie-head into the grave in his peace which passeth all understanding" The original church stood in the neighbouring hamlet of Carrow Hill and was rebuilt in Llanvaches in 1802, when a suitable plot of land was found. In 1854 the great linguist and traveller George Borrow passed the chapel on his walk from Newport to Chepstow, a journey later included in his 1862 Wild Wales. The current Tabernacle URC Chapel was built in the 1920s. Llanvaches Roman coin hoard In 2006 a hoard of 599 silver denarii, hidden in a locally made cooking pot, was found at Llanvaches by a metal detectorist. The coins, which are dated to about AD 160, are now held at the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon. Amenities Although Llanvaches is set in a quiet, rural area the need for more houses and the boom in housing development means that the village has a rising population. Governance The area is governed by the Newport City Council and the Llanvaches community council.

4317712

Racialization

In sociology, racialization or ethnicization is a political process of ascribing ethnic or racial identities to a relationship, social practice, or group that did not identify itself as such. Racialization or ethnicization often arises out of the interaction of a group with a group that it dominates and ascribes a racial identity for the purpose of continued domination and social exclusion; over time, the racialized and ethnicized group develop the society enforced construct that races are real, different and unequal in ways that matter to economic, political and social life. These processes have been common throughout the history of imperialism, nationalism, racial and ethnic hierarchies. History Racial categories have historically been used as a way to enable an oppressive figure or group to discriminate against other groups or individuals which were seen as different from that of the oppressor. In nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe, artwork was a common form of racialization which targeted countries in the Middle East and Asia. The artwork, predominantly paintings, were portrayed in order to instill prejudice in the Western populations through sexualizing and manipulating images. One of the most prominent examples of Orientalist work in art is a piece by Eugène Delacroix titled Women of Algiers in their Apartment. Dating back to 1834, it portrays three women resting in a harem in exotic clothing while an African woman is dressed in plain clothing, depicting her role as a servant. Fine textiles, hookahs, and other paraphernalia adorn the room, which represents a European fantasy of an exotic scene. Attempts to portray these cultures as strange, foreign and exotic through Orientalism led to intolerance towards the Arab and Asian communities in Europe and the United States. Others argue that Delacroix, who travelled in North Africa sketching extensively, was depicting a realistic scene of the era based on his first-hand knowledge and experience. In such an interpretation the clothing, for example, is consistent with the times, as Arab North Africans dressed differently from Europeans, and kept black slaves who would not have been treated as equals. Many North African and Middle Eastern countries, such as Tunisia, Algeria, and Syria, were colonized by European nations. These countries were not fully independent until the mid-twentieth century, a time in which globalization began to rise both economically and politically. With the rise of globalization came an expanding cultural influence and an increase in immigration to Western nations. New cultures, ethnic groups, and ideals have contributed to the process of racialization which is familiar in modern society. Racialization is a long process, and members of each group are categorized based on their perceived differences relative to those who are considered elite within a society. Another major contributor to the process of racialization is the media. News outlets, films, television shows, and other forms of public communication portray racial groups to often reflect stereotypes which contribute to the public's opinion of certain cultural groups. These opinions and stereotypes may become institutionalized and racial groups must then encounter the institutionalized racism that is a result. Dominant groups in a society tend to racialize others because new cultural and racial groups are seen as threatening to their society. These threats instill fear into the dominant members of the society due to the possibility of downward mobility or perceived loss of national security. While threats can be imagined or real, they are most prominent when there is some other issue in the nation, such as a poorly performing economy. The effects of racialization are often more harmful to racial and ethnic groups than the actual racialization itself, a few examples being systemic and structural racism. Further significant research in this area is aiding politicians and policy makers in creating a more equal society that embraces and supports different racial and ethnic groups. Racialized incorporation The process of racialization can affect newly arriving immigrants as well as their second-generation children in the United States. The concept of racialized incorporation bridges the idea of assimilation with critical race studies in general and the concept of racialization in particular. While immigrants may possess specific ethnic and cultural identities associated with their countries of origin, once they arrive in the U.S., they are incorporated into a society that is largely organized along the lines of race. The racial hierarchy in the United States is pervasive in many aspects of life including housing, education, and employment. The racialized incorporation perspective argues that regardless of the ethnic and cultural differences across immigrant groups, racial identification is the ultimate and primary principle of social organization in the United States. So an immigrant from Sweden and his/her U.S. born second-generation children are likely to be incorporated into the White mainstream, while an immigrant from Ghana and his/her U.S. born second-generation children are likely to be incorporated into the Black community. Because the lived experiences of Whites and Blacks in U.S. society diverge in most areas of social life, the racialized category that immigrants and their children are incorporated into will largely determine their experiences and opportunities in the United States. The concept of racialized incorporation is relatively new and was recently applied in a study of self-employment in the United States. Racialization of religion An ongoing scholarly debate covers the racialization of religious communities. Adherents to Judaism, Islam, and Sikhism can be racialized when they are portrayed as possessing certain physical characteristics, despite many individual adherents to those religions not visibly sharing in those characteristics. This racialization extends to the descendants of the adherents, even though those descendants may often convert away from active observance of the religion of their forebears but also retain the lingering cultural aspects of the religion for familial and community purposes. The most immediate effect of the racialization of religion is said to be the internalization of such racialization by the descendants of adherents, whereby the descendants of adherents accept and internalize their religiously-influenced familial culture as an ethnoracial distinction and identity. One of the applications of this racialization is nationalism, whereby the created race seeks to assert cultural and national aspirations which are compatible and accommodating to other groups. Another one of the applications of this racialization is racism and discrimination, whereby those who are racialized are barred from participation in any public or private function of society due to the negative "attributes" of the race assigned to them. Racialization of labor The racialization of labor is said to involve the segregation and appointment of workers based on perceived ethnic differences. This racialization of labor is said to produce a hierarchical arrangement which limits employee agency and mobility based on their race. The process of racialization is reinforced through presupposed, stereotypical qualities which are imposed upon the racialized person by the racializer. Racialization is then normalized by the promotion of "colorblindness" through the use of "soft" language which avoids highlighting ethnic differences. The racialization of labor specially limits upward mobility of a person based on race. Dominant racialized labor groups, mainly White/European workers, are generally presented more privileges than subordinate labor groups, mainly Black or Hispanic workers. The subordinate labor groups face the denial of basic citizenship rights, more exploitation, and inferior working conditions. Furthermore, they are less likely to move up in rank within a company or advance to a higher job position. Members of the dominant race (e.g., whites) benefit from the privileges of whiteness, whether these are material or psychological, and are maintained and reproduced within social systems As a result, immigrant workers, especially Latino and Black workers, experience poor working conditions in day labor work. Day laborers experience "race" and this has impacted their integration into the labor market. Furthermore, research by Edna Bonacich, Sabrina Alimahomed Jake B. Wilson, 2008 regarding the effects of race and criminal background on employment indicates that Black men need to work more than twice as hard as white men to secure the same job. Being Black in America today is about the same as having a felony conviction in terms of one's chances of finding a job. Specifically, "the combination of minority status and criminal background appears to intensify employers' negative reactions, leaving few employment prospects for black ex-offenders (200 applications resulted in only 10 callbacks)". Additionally, According to Chetty, Hendren, Kline, and Saez, the effect of race segregation impacts the labor market, saying "upward income mobility is significantly lower in areas with larger African American Populations". Race segregation may lead to divergent economic outcomes due to the fact that areas with larger black population tend to be more segregated by income and race and have adverse effects. Lastly, the decline of labor unions has negatively affected racialization of labor. Those who would have benefited from union membership no longer will as labor unions continue to diminish. In Jake Rosenfeld's article, Little Labor: How Union Decline Is Changing the American Landscape, he describes people who can no longer benefit from labor unions: "an immigrant employee who once would have been organized, a female African-American worker no longer able to rely on a union wage to reduce pay gaps with her white counterpart, or a less-educated worker lacking the training, resources, and knowledge to participate in politics". Racialization in education Racialization in an educational setting is apparent based on the teacher and the background they come from. The teacher's race along with their views that came along through socialization growing up can affect the way the students portray themselves in a classroom setting. It also has to do with the number of people who come from the same background because the majority of a population will dictate which group is being racialized. An example of students being racialized by their teachers and institutions can be seen through the way high schools teach in America today. Schools tend to teach classes that focus on a more Anglo-Saxon point of view without incorporating any diverse classes that would accommodate for the population of students that come from diverse backgrounds like Latinos, African, and Native Americans. For example, Desert View High School in Arizona has a great population of Native American students who wish to learn more about their cultural background and where they came from. However, author Timothy J. San Pedro who wrote "Truth, in the End, Is Different From What We Have Been Taught: Re-Centering Indigenous Knowledges in Public Schooling Spaces" found that the school mainly focuses on the "Americanized" perspective of history that does not tell the whole story on what came to be in the Native American population. For example, San Pedro describes how the Desert View High School has posters of history classes that glorify "explorers" that were really conquerors of people who initially settled in areas that were "discovered" (San Pedro 2016). That idea of limiting the Native American population from learning about themselves forces them to assimilate to the culture where they are being racialized in an educational setting. They are forced to conform and be put under a racial category among their American teachers and learn things that do not pertain to their culture or social identity. Racialization and gender Through the process of racialization, social groups are distinguished and subjected to different treatment on the basis of supposedly biological, phenotypic, cultural, and gender characteristics. Racialization can affect anyone in any race. Therefore, racialization and gender can often intersect (Elabor-Idemudia. 1999). Just as racism and gender intersect or discrimination and gender intersect it is easy for racialization to overlap with gender. During racialization, certain racial categories are created and distinctive and stereotypical characteristics are attributed to that specific category. Within these categories, there can also be subcategories of racialization such as Euro American men or African American women. Often immigrants who migrate to the U.S are affected by racialization if they are not white and fit more into a minority group. For example, African American women may often be stereotyped as uneducated, loud, or improper. Through racialization, if a woman of African descent immigrated to the U.S people will attribute those same stereotypes to her because through a racial lens, she fits the African American woman category. Therefore, those same stereotypes will be applied to her as well. Racialization combined with gender can also be seen through the actions of the person that is racializing the other. Racialization and incarceration Coming to fruition in the 1980s, the United States began to enact extensive legal reforms that worked to create a more punitive society. These reforms include mandatory minimum sentences, trying juveniles as adults, three strikes and you're out laws, truth in sentencing practices, and many other policies and practices which served to increase reliance on imprisonment in response to crime. As a result, U.S. society has been pegged with a "mass incarceration" structure. A recent report has concluded that nearly 1 in 100 U.S. adults are incarcerated and nearly 7.3 million Americans are either in prison or under parole. Although these reforms were intended to apply to all citizens regardless of race, this has not proven to be the reality. Statistically, these punitive reforms have disproportionately impacted African Americans. Specifically, those who are uneducated and/or live in low-income areas. Some have renamed the emergence of the "mass incarceration" society as rather the emergence of "racialized mass incarceration." The numbers are much more alarming for African Americans behind bars; nearly 1 in 15 African Americans are incarcerated and more narrowly 1 in 9 African American men are incarcerated. These numbers point to an obvious discrimination towards blacks in the U.S. criminal justice system. One clear reason for these disproportionate imprisonment rate can be tied to poverty and social structures. In particular, a pronounced weak attachment to labor among many working-age adults in black communities has fostered a common experience of poverty and economic hardship. Ultimately this has served to create social spaces where bonds of family and community begin to fray and fall apart. These types of environments have created higher levels of juvenile crime, drug use, and even violent and gang-oriented crimes. Although white Americans too have a history of living in poverty, the average national rate of family disruption and poverty among blacks is two to four times higher than among whites. Furthermore, another reason for the United States racialized prison system can be seen with the war on drugs. Despite similar rates of drug use among blacks and whites, blacks make up 50% of those incarcerated for drug use compared to only 26% of whites. While the two examples above point to definite explanations for the United States racialized prison system, ultimately the most salient explanation for disproportionate imprisonment rates is public opinion and prejudice. Social stereotypes and stigmas have created assumptions about African Americans that make them more susceptible to arrest and imprisonment. These latter factors are often influenced by society's outlook on the prison system. Most educated middle- or upper-class individuals are for things such as the death penalty, minimum sentences, and trying juveniles as adults, which combined with social stigmas make blacks unfairly disadvantaged in the realm of criminal justice. For example, in recent times, these effects can be seen in an increase in police brutality towards minorities. Statistically, it is 2.5 times more likely for blacks to be killed than whites.

4317724

Walter Plowden

Walter Charles Metcalf Chichele Plowden (3 August 1820 – 13 March 1860) was a British diplomat, consul at Massawa on the Red Sea coast from 1848 to his death. He played a role in Ethiopian politics in the mid 19th-century: during his tenure he cultivated the friendship of first Ras Ali, and later the Ethiopian emperor Tewodros II. J. R. Hooker remarks that "as a political agent, Plowden was valuable; as a writer of travel literature he was engaging and intelligent; but as a consul he was useless, his commercial reports being limited to three in 1852. He was never at his post after 1855." In 1860, Plowden was murdered aged 39 during a journey between Gondar and the Red Sea by a follower of Agew Niguse, a warlord hostile to Tewodros. Plowden was interred in the Royal Enclosure, next to the Gemjabet Mariyam church. His writings were published as Travels in Abyssinia and the Galla Country, with an account of a mission to Ras Ali in 1848 by his brother in London in 1868.

4317728

Ladislav Lučenič

Laco Lučenič (born 23 November 1952) is a Slovak musician and music producer. He is known as a former member of such Slovak bands as Fermáta, Prúdy, Modus, and Limit. Most currently, he became popular for his role as a judge on the Slovak Pop Idol (Slovensko hľadá SuperStar). Growing up in the 1960s, he became fascinated by the "electrifying" music of the Beatles, Kinks, Rolling Stones, and others. In his project called "Satisfactory", he plays music from the 1960s. In November 2006, the show was released on DVD Satisfactory Live In Concert on the Lučenič's own label doubleL. Lučenič is also the author of a 1960s encyclopaedia, which is due to be released in 2007. As a guitarist, he has played with other musicians (Pavol Hammel, Marián Varga, Miro Žbirka), along with producing albums (HEX, IMT Smile, Peha, Slobodná Európa, and also Marika Gombitová). His own albums "Bodliak na plavkách", "Zastávky na znamenie" and "Svetlo (...a pocit bezpečia)" have now—after a long time—been released as a 2-CD set called Laco Lučenič Komplet. His new studio album is due to be released in 2007. Discography

4317740

Duryu-dong

Duryu is a dong in Dalseo-gu, western Daegu, South Korea. It is the site of Duryu Park and Woobang Tower Land, a popular Daegu amusement park. Although legally a single dong, Duryu-dong is divided into three administrative dong: Duryu-1[il]-, -2[i]-, and -3[sam]-dong. Together, the three administrative dong cover 2.44 km2. They were home to 34,280 people as of October 31, 2005. The region's name comes from Duryu-san, the hill on which Daegu Woobang Tower is situated. It is a hanja transcription of a dialect term meaning "round", referring to the hill's rounded shape. Daegu Subway Line 2 passes through Duryu-dong, as does the Dalgubeol Expressway. A large number of clinics and hospitals are located in the area.

4317748

Helen Mary

Helen Mary Innocent (born 14 March 1977 in Kerala) is a field hockey goalkeeper from India, who made her international debut for her native country in 1992 in the test series against Germany. In 2003, she saved two penalty strokes in final tie-breaker to win title for India at the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad. She also earned the Arjuna Award. International senior tournaments 1996 – Indira Gandhi Gold Cup, New Delhi 1997 – World Cup Qualifier, Harare (4th) 1998 – World Cup, Utrecht (12th) 1998 – Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur (4th) 1998 – Asian Games, Bangkok (2nd) 1999 – Asia Cup, New Delhi (2nd) 2000 – Olympic Qualifier, Milton Keynes (10th) 2001 – World Cup Qualifier, Amiens/Abbeville (7th) 2002 – Champions Challenge, Johannesburg (3rd) 2002 – Commonwealth Games, Manchester (1st) 2002 – Asian Games, Busan (4th) 2003 – Afro-Asian Games, Hyderabad (1st) 2004 – Asia Cup, New Delhi (1st) 2006 – Commonwealth Games, Melbourne (2nd) 2006 – World Cup, Madrid (11th)

4317752

Central Security Forces

The General Security and Central Security Forces (, often shortened to ) is an Egyptian paramilitary force which is responsible for assisting the Egyptian National Police (ENP) for the security of governmental fixed sites, foreign embassies & missions, riots & crowds control, publicly crowded events, high risk arrests, disaster response and SWAT operations. They are a vital arm of Egypt's National Security apparatus. History In 1969, a decision was made to create the Central Security Forces from well trained and equipped police forces on large scale covering the whole country under the command of the Ministry of Interior (Egypt) to conduct special police operations in response to operational needs. The creation of those forces followed the paramilitary model, and became close – in formation, training, equipment and operating procedures – to the Italian Carabinieri, Indian CRPF and the Russian OMON. The initial batch of recruits were drawn from the Police and had to undergo military training under the Army. Later on, in 1970, a separate training institute was set up for the CSF and the force started conscripting its recruits, just like regular Army conscripts. Formed in 1977 to obviate the need to call upon the armed forces to deal with domestic disturbances, the CSF grew rapidly to 100,000 members when Mubarak took office. The CSF was set up to deal with the growing unrest and public disorder following the Egyptian defeat in the Six day war. The CSF was deployed by the Sadat government to tackle large protests by Leftist and hardline Nasserist groups in January 1972 in Cairo, the protests were called to protest against Sadat's anti-Soviet and anti-Palestinian foreign policy, lack of action against Israel and right-wing economic measures such as cutting some subsidies and increasing some prices of welfare services like public transport. CSF units had to use force to disperse the rioting crowds in Tahrir Square which led to the shooting death of three protestors. Following the 1973 Arab Israeli War between Egypt and Israel – then settling the 1973 & 1974 Ceasefire agreements; the 1979 Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty was signed and the subsequent Israeli withdrawal from the rest of Sinai Peninsula occurred. The Treaty stipulated the Egyptian government refrain from deploying regular Egyptian Armed Forces units in the eastern part of Sinai that directly border Israel (Zone "C"). The Egyptian government then tasked the Central Security Forces to take up the task. The CSF force deployed is effectively a motorised light infantry force without the heavy weapons and equipment. In 1986, hundreds of third category, low ranking, CSF personnel (soldiers) staged a four-day mutiny, in the Egyptian Conscription Riot. The riot was a reaction to the spread of false rumours among its conscripts that their (three-year) conscription time will be extended by a year. The insurrection was suppressed by the Egyptian Army. They rampaged through the suburb of Giza burning some hotels and shops in tourist areas. They also burned dozens of cars and buses. Over 20,000 conscripts were dismissed from service with no benefits, and the agitators received correctional punishment after being tried before State Security Court for arson, violent riots, and insubordination according to penal code. Some reports related that mutiny to a conspiracy against the Minister of Interior in charge by then (Gen. Ahmed Roshdy) due to his policies. After the suppression the government promised to overhaul the force by raising its entry standards, increasing payment and bettering living conditions in their camps. The Egyptian government subsequently came to rely on the CSF to quell any source of instability within the country and to uphold the emergency laws imposed on Egypt since the 1981 assassination of the President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat. The CSF was especially deployed to tackle armed Islamist insurgents. From the 1990s onwards, CSF has become operationally coordinated with the State Security, meaning CSF units can be ordered to deploy by State Security officers, and has been called the "battering ram of State Security". Organization & Equipment The CSF is headed by a Director General, who is a 3-star Police General of the Interior Ministry, and is organised as follows: Main Headquarters (MHQ). Special Operations Command. (6) Specialized Training Institutes. (8) AOR Operational Regions – Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Central & Western Nile Delta, Eastern Nile Delta, Suez Canal & Sinai, Southern Upper Egypt, and Northern Upper Egypt List of Equipment of Central Security Forces ( Egypt ) Deployment and operating procedures Similar to other central paramilitary organizations in other countries, CSF deployment is divided into three parts - Baton, Gas, and Armed. The basic unit formation of the CSF is a company which is commanded by a Police Captain (naqib) or in some cases a Major who is a commissioned officer and a graduate of the Police College. A senior Lieutenant (mulazim awwal) (or Captain when the commander is a Major), is usually second-in-command. A CSF company consists of approximately 150 personnel and is composed of two Baton platoons, a Gas platoon, and an Armed platoon. Each platoon is also commanded by a Captain or a Lieutenant with a Sergeant (raqib) as second-in-command. Approximately 3 to 4 companies make up a CSF Battalion, which is commanded by an officer of full Colonel rank. The Baton platoons are equipped with batons and shields, the gas platoon is responsible for the deployment of Teargas, and the armed platoon usually carries Assault Rifles - usually the AK 47 variants, and is organized like a Light Infantry Rifles platoon. However, under emergency laws and martial law, the non-armed CSF units can be converted into armed units, and they are additionally equipped with LMGs, recoilless rifles and sniper rifles for anti-insurgency operations. Also, the three-part deployment of CSF is not applicable in regions like the North Sinai, where all units are armed at all times. Recruitment The Central Security Forces personnel consists of three categories; Commissioned Officers (graduated from the Police College of 4 Academic years), who enter the service with the rank of Lieutenant. They are recruited via national-level exams for Police officers, they receive their commission from the President; Sub-officers (graduated from Police School of 2 Academic years), they are equivalent to the Non-commissioned officers of the Army; and Conscripts (of 6 months training) recruited entirely from the low educated recruits, as the more educated and college graduates usually end up in the different branches of the regular military service. Conscripts can later be promoted to the ranks of sub-officers if they continue in the service beyond their compulsory terms and if they get a higher education and sit for the mandatory exams for entering sub-officer ranks. There is high competition among conscripts to extend their service and to become regularized troops, this is because of the high rate of unemployment in Egypt. A conscript enters the force as a "Private Recruit" and is promoted to "Private First Class" after 2 years of service. At the time of demobilization/release from compulsory 3 years' service, many who have passed their 10th grade in school, are at the rank of Areef or Corporal and can command a section of 10-12 conscripts and 1 riot vehicle. Less educated or illiterate conscripts, however, have to retire at the rank of Private First Class. Those among the Corporals who wish can sit for exams to extend their service and receive the rank of Deputy Sergeant or Junior Sergeant. Most of the conscripts/NCOs are forced to retire at 52 years of age with the rank of Sergeant with no chance of advancement if they do not have a college degree. Less than 2% of conscripts advance into the commissioned officer ranks. Ranks Officers - Director General (a Lieutenant General ranking officer) (Fariq) Major General (Liwa) Brigadier General (Amid) Colonel (Aqid) Lieutenant Colonel (Moqaddem) Major (Raed) Captain (Naqib) First Lieutenant (Mulazim Awal) Lieutenant (Mulazim) Sub-officers- Sergeant First Class (Raqib awwal) - this rank is held only by the two or three senior-most NCOs in a Battalion. Sergeant (Raqib) Deputy Sergeant/Junior Sergeant (Raqib Musaaed) - first NCO rank Corporal (Areef) - after 3 years of compulsory service, it is usually held by Section/Troop leaders. Conscripts - Private First Class/Junior Corporal/Squad Leader (Musaed areef) Private Recruit/Conscript (Mujannad)

4317766

Kosala Kingdom

Kosala Proper or simply Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Ayodhya district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava (Ramayana) and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Ayodhya and Kusa from the city called Kushavati. A colony of Kosala kings existed in Madhya Pradesh. It was called Dakshina Kosala. Rama's mother Kausalya was from this kingdom. King Rama extended his influence up to the island-kingdom of Lanka situated in the southern ocean. He had friendly relations with the southern kingdom of forest dwellers (Vanaras) called Kishkindha. Rama's brother Bharata, colonized the Gandhara kingdom and founded the city of Takshasila there. Gandhara lies close to Kekeya Kingdom, the native kingdom of Bharata's mother, Kaikeyi. Rama's second brother Lakshmana founded the city of Lakshmanapura near river Ganges which is now known as Lucknow. He colonized the Vanga kingdom and founded the city of Chandrakanta there. Rama's youngest brother Satrughna destroyed the forest called Madhu and founded the city of Mathura which later became the capital of the Surasena Kingdom. Nishadha king Nala's friend Rituparna was a ruler of Kosala. Brihadbala another ruler of Kosala during Dvapara Yuga, took part in Mahabharata war and was killed by Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna. An 1880 reference described Uttara Kosala was one of the five main divisions of the kingdom of Rama in prehistoric Awadh; the region was described as corresponding to the modern trans-Ghaghra districts including Bahraich, Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur. Kosala Kingdom through the ages Era of Treta Yuga The Indian epic Ramayana is the window to this era. Kosala Proper and Dakshina (Southern) Kosala During the period of the forefathers of Raghava Rama, there was only one Kosala kingdom. It had its capital at Ayodhya, identified as the Ayodhya town near Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh state of India. During the reign of Dasharatha, the father of Rama, Dakshina Kosala came into prominence. It was situated in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. Dasharatha married his eldest wife Kausalya from this kingdom. Kosala Proper splits into two Raghava Rama's son's Lava and Kusa, inherited each half of the Kosala kingdom, with Ayodhya as its capital. Thus, this Kosala split into two parts; one ruled by Lava, with capital at Sravasti, to the north of Ayodhya and the other by Kusa at Kusavati, believed to be towards the east of Ayodhya. Era of Dvapara Yuga The Indian epic Mahabharata is the window to this era. During the time of Kurukshetra War, and the reign of Pandavas and Kauravas, we find mention of numerous kingdoms with the name, Kosala (as per the references in Mahabharata). Kingdoms that sprang from Kosala Proper Raghava Rama's Kosala (Kosala Proper) was already split into two, owing to his two sons attaining kingship after his reign. During the era of Kurukshetra War it was split into five kingdoms. Eastern Kosala This was, probably the kingdom ruled by Kusa, with Kusavati as its capital. (see MBh 2.14, Mbh 2.21, referred below). They were described as fleeing to the southern country of Kuntis due to Magadha king Jarasandha. The route was taken by Bhima, Arjuna and Krishna from Kuru Kingdom to Magadha Kingdom was through this Eastern Kosala. Northern Kosala This was, probably the kingdom ruled by Lava with Sravasti as its capital. (see MBh 2.29 referred below). This kingdom was defeated by the Pandava general Bhima, in his military campaign to the east. Kosala Kingdom of Vrihadvala to the south of Ayodhya Vriahadvala was a Kosala king mentioned as a general under Duryodhana, in the Kurukshetra War. (MBh. 5.277, 5.198). This kingdom was defeated by the Pandava general Bhima, in his military campaign to the east. (MBh 2.29). It seems that this Kosala had its power extended to the neighbouring kingdom of Kasi to the south of it, because Vrihadvala sometimes commanded the troops from Kasi also in Kurukshetra War. This probably was the reason to consider Kasi-Kosala as a single kingdom. For a period of time in the past, Kasi would have been a vassal state of Kosala kingdom. The grandmothers of Kauravas and Pandavas were called sometimes as princesses of Kasi and some times as princesses of Kosala, attesting to this fact. Kosala with Ayodhya as its capital or Central Kosala This was the original Kosala ruled by king Raghava Rama. This was ruled by Dirghayaghna, during this era. This kingdom was defeated by the Pandava general Bhima, in his military campaign to the east. (MBh 2.29). Kingdoms that sprang from the Southern Kosala The native kingdom of Raghava Rama's mother Kausalya, considered as Dakshina Kosala Kingdom split at least into two during the era of Kurukshetra War. This became evident if we follow the passage in Mahabharata, describing the military campaign of the Pandava general Sahadeva, who led his troops to the southern direction. (MBh. 2.30) Western Kosala in Central India This kingdom was close to the Vidarbha Kingdom ruled by Bhishmaka, probably to the east of it. Sahadeva defeated this kingdom first and moved to the Eastern Kosala. (MBh. 2.30) Eastern Kosala in Central India After defeating the other Kosala kingdom Sahadeva defeated numerous kings in the Eastern Kosala, indicating that there were many kingdoms, and not one, however collectively known as Eastern Kosalas. (MBh. 2.30) References in Mahabharata The Mothers of Dhritarashtra and Pandu Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 114 The mothers of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, viz Ambika and Ambalika, were described to be Kosala princesses. They were some times described as princesses from Kasi Kingdom, Kasi and Kosala being a single kingdom (often denoted as Kasi-Kosalas) during the time of Mahabharata. Then Satyavati and Bhishma and the Kosala princesses were all gratified with the presents Pandu made out of the acquisitions of his prowess. And Ambalika in particular, upon embracing her son of incomparable prowess, became very glad. The Self-Choice event of Panchali Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 188 Kosala king was present in this event The impact of Magadha king on Kosala Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 14 The eighteen tribes of the Bhojas, from fear of (Magadha King) Jarasandha, have all fled towards the west; so also have the Surasenas, the Bhadrakas, the Vodhas, the Salwas, the Patachchavas, the Susthalas, the Mukuttas, and the Kulindas, along with the Kuntis. And the king of the Salwayana tribe with their brethren and followers; and the southern Panchalas and the eastern Kosalas have all fled to the country of the Kuntis. So also the Matsyas and the Sannyastapadas, overcome with fear, leaving their dominions in the north, have fled into the southern country. And so all the Panchalas, alarmed at the power of Jarasandha, have left their own kingdom and fled in all directions. The trip from Kuru Kingdom to Magadha Kingdom Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 21 The following was a route taken by Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima to reach Magadha Kingdom. It passes through the Eastern Kosala Kingdom. Having set out from the country of the Kurus, they passed through Kuru-janapada and arrived at the charming lake of lotuses. Passing over the hills of Kalakuta, they then went on crossing the Gandaki, the Sadanira (Karatoya), and the Sarkaravarta and the other rivers taking their rise in the same mountains. They then crossed the delightful Sarayu and saw the country of Eastern Kosala. Passing over that country they went to Mithila and then crossing the Mala and Charamanvati, the three heroes crossed the Ganges and the Sone and went on towards the east. At last those heroes of unfaded glory arrived at Magadha in the heart of (the country of) Kushamva. Reaching then the hills of Goratha, they saw the city of Magadha. Bhima's Military Campaign Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 29 Bhima then vanquished king Srenimat of the country of Kumara, and then Vrihadvala, the king of Kosala. Then the foremost of the sons of Pandu, by performing feats excelling in fierceness, defeated the virtuous and mighty king Dirghayaghna of Ayodhya. And the exalted one then subjugated the country of Gopalakaksha and the northern Kosalas and also the king of Mallas. Sahadeva's Military Campaign Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 30 Sahadeva, vanquishing the invincible Bhishmaka, then defeated in battle the king of Kosala and the ruler of the territories lying on the banks of the Venwa, as also the Kantarakas and the kings of the eastern Kosalas. Conversation of Nala and Damayanti Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 61 These many roads lead to the southern country, passing by (the city of) Avanti and the Rikshavat mountains. This is that mighty mountain called Vindhya; yon, the river Payasvini running seawards, and yonder are the asylums of the ascetics, furnished with various fruit and roots. This road leadeth to the country of the Vidarbhas—and that, to the country of the Kosalas. Beyond these roads to the south is the southern country. Rituparna, King of Kosala visiting Vidharbha Kingdom Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 73 The ruler of the Vidarbhas, approaching Rituparna, said, 'Welcome! What is the occasion of this thy visit?' And king Bhima asked this without knowing that Rituparna had come to obtain the hand of his daughter. And king Rituparna, saw that there were no other kings or princes. Nor did he hear any talk relating to the Swayamvara, nor saw any concourse of Brahmanas. And at this, the king of Kosala reflected a while and at length said, 'I have come here to pay my respects to thee.' And the king Bhima was struck with astonishment, and reflected upon the (probable) cause of Rituparna's coming, having passed over a hundred yojanas. Sacred Places in Kosala Kingdom Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 85 Sojourning next to the tirtha called Rishabha in Kosala and fasting there for three nights one earneth the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice, and of the gift of a thousand kine, and also delivereth his race. Arriving at 'Kosala, a man should bathe in the tirtha named Kala. Karna's Military Campaign Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 252 Having conquered the eastern quarter Karna then presented himself before Batsa-bhumi. And having taken Batsa-bhumi, he reduced Kevali, and Mrittikavati, and Mohana and Patrana, and Tripura, and Kosala,--and compelled all these to pay tribute. Ramayana inside Mahabharata Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 277 Behold my plight! The loss of thy kingdom, and then the death of our father, and then the abduction of Sita, and finally this disaster that hath overwhelmed me! Alas, I shall not behold thee return with the princess of Videha to Kosala and seated on thy ancestral throne as the ruler of the entire Earth! They only that are fortunate will behold thy face, like unto the moon emerged from the clouds, after thy coronation bath in water sanctified with Kusa grass and fried paddy and black peas!' And the intelligent Lakshmana uttered those and other lamentations in the same strain. Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 282 That descendant of Raghu, who ruleth at Kosala and whose renown hath spread over the whole world, sayeth unto thee these words suited to the occasion. Accept thou that message and act according to it. Vrihadvala or Brihadbala, the Ruler of Kosala Mahabharata, Book 5, Chapter 277 Bhishma rates the battle skills of every king who were to take part in the Kurukshetra War Endued with great impetus and prowess, king Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, is, in my judgment, equal to one Ratha (a grade of battle-skill). Kosala King supported Duryodhana in the war Mahabharata, Book 5, Chapter 198 King Vrihadvala of Kosala, supported Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War Then came Kritavarman at the head of his troops, and that mighty car-warrior, viz., the ruler of the Trigartas, and the king Duryodhana surrounded by his brothers, and Sala, and Bhurisravas, and Salya, and Vrihadratha, the ruler of the Kosalas. Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 16 And Suvala's son Shakuni, and Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, and the Kekeya brothers, and Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas and Srutayudha the ruler of the Kalingas, and king Jayatsena, and Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman of Satwata's race,--these ten tigers among men, stood each at the head of an Akshauhini of troops. These and many other kings and princes, mighty car-warriors conversant with policy, obedient to the commands of Duryodhana, all cased in mail, were seen stationed in their respective divisions. Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 45 The mighty bowman Abhimanyu battled with Vrihadvala. Soon, however, in that encounter, O king, the ruler of Kosala cut off the standard and overthrew the charioteer of Subhadra's son. The son of Subhadra then upon the overthrow of his charioteer, was filled with wrath and pierced Vrihadvala Abhimanyu slays Vrihadvala the king of Kosala Mahabharata, Book 7, Chapter 45 The ruler of the Kosala struck Abhimanyu, in the chest with a barbed arrow. Abhimanyu, however, quickly felled on the earth his antagonist's steeds and standard and bow and charioteer. The ruler of the Kosalas, then, thus deprived of his car, took up a sword and wished to sever from Abhimanyu's trunk his beautiful head, decked with ear-rings. Abhimanyu then pierced king Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, in the chest, with a strong arrow. The latter then, with riven heart, fell down. Beholding this, ten thousand illustrious kings broke and fled. Those kings, armed with swords and bows, fled away, uttering words inimical (to king Duryodhana's Interest). Having slain Vrihadvala thus, the son of Subhadra careered it battle. Connection with Saraswati Civilization Mahabharata, Book 9, Chapter 38 It was on that sacred region, the northern part of Kosala, that the sacrifice of high-souled Auddalaka was performed. Before Auddalaka began his sacrifice, he had thought of the Sarasvati River. That foremost of rivers came to that region for the sake of those Rishis. Worshipped by all those Munis clad in barks and deer-skins she became known by the name of Manorama, as those Rishis mentally called her. Arjuna's Post War Military Campaign Mahabharata, Book 14, Chapter 82 The sacrificial horse then, equipped with beautiful manes, proceeded at his will along the sea-coast, repairing to the countries of the Bangas, the Pundras, and the Kosalas. In those realms Dhananjaya (Arjuna), with his bow Gandiva, vanquished innumerable Mlechecha armies one after another Mahabharata, Book 14, Chapter 83 That best of steeds then proceeded to the realms of the Kasis, the Angas, the Kosalas, the Kiratas, and the Tanganas. Other References in Mahabharata Mahabharata, Book 12, Chapter 18 Mention of a Janaka king of Videha, with a wife from Kosala Mahabharata, Book 12, Chapter 67 There was a king of Kosala possessed of great intelligence, named Vasumanas. Mahabharata, Book 12, Chapter 81 It hath been heard by us that once on a time the sage Kalakavrikshiya came to Kshemadarsin who had ascended the throne of the kingdom of Kosala. Mahabharata, Book 13, Chapter 6 Saudasa, the king of Kosala, though dignified by the performance of Ashwamedha and other sacrifices, obtained the status of a man-eating Rakshasa, through the curse of a great Rishi. Krishna is also described to have married a princess of Kosala - Nagnajiti - who was the daughter of King Nagnajit of Ayodhya.

4317775

Milliken's tree theorem

In mathematics, Milliken's tree theorem in combinatorics is a partition theorem generalizing Ramsey's theorem to infinite trees, objects with more structure than sets. Let T be a finitely splitting rooted tree of height ω, n a positive integer, and the collection of all strongly embedded subtrees of T of height n. In one of its simple forms, Milliken's tree theorem states that if then for some strongly embedded infinite subtree R of T, for some i ≤ r. This immediately implies Ramsey's theorem; take the tree T to be a linear ordering on ω vertices. Define where T ranges over finitely splitting rooted trees of height ω. Milliken's tree theorem says that not only is partition regular for each n < ω, but that the homogeneous subtree R guaranteed by the theorem is strongly embedded in T. Strong embedding Call T an α-tree if each branch of T has cardinality α. Define Succ(p, P)= , and to be the set of immediate successors of p in P. Suppose S is an α-tree and T is a β-tree, with 0 ≤ α ≤ β ≤ ω. S is strongly embedded in T if: , and the partial order on S is induced from T, if is nonmaximal in S and , then , there exists a strictly increasing function from to , such that Intuitively, for S to be strongly embedded in T, S must be a subset of T with the induced partial order S must preserve the branching structure of T; i.e., if a nonmaximal node in S has n immediate successors in T, then it has n immediate successors in S S preserves the level structure of T; all nodes on a common level of S must be on a common level in T.

4317795

Ṣ

Ṣ (minuscule: ṣ) is a letter of the Latin alphabet, formed from an S with the addition of a dot below the letter. Its uses include: In the Alvarez/Hale orthography of the Tohono Oʼodham language to represent retroflex (Akimel O'odham and Saxton/Saxton use <sh> instead) the transliteration of Indic languages to represent retroflex the transcription of Afro-Asiatic languages (mostly Semitic languages) to represent an "emphatic s" as in Arabic ص (Ṣād) and as in the Hebrew צ (Tzadi/Ṣādī) spoken by the Jews of Yemen and North Africa the orthography of Yoruba in Nigeria to represent the voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant (the English "sh" sound) In HTML these are Ṣ: &#7778; and ṣ: &#7779;. The Unicode codepoints are U+1E62 for Ṣ and U+1E63 for ṣ in Latin Extended Additional range.

4317812

Étienne Parent

Étienne Parent (May 2, 1802 in Beauport, Lower Canada – December 22, 1874 in Ottawa) was a Canadian journalist and government official. He was editor of the newspaper Le Canadien and, as such, supported French Canadian journalism and writing. He was a close friend and supporter of Lord Gosford. For his eventual attacks on the government, he was briefly imprisoned, even though he did not actively join the Rebellion of 1837. After the union of Lower Canada and Upper Canada into the Province of Canada in 1841, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Saguenay. He resigned his seat a year later on appointment as Clerk of the Executive Council. Notes

4317833

Cobb Center

Cobb Center Mall (originally Cobb County Shopping Center) was a shopping mall in Smyrna, Georgia, United States. It was the second mall built in Georgia, and opened on August 15, 1963. Early years The mall was built in a post-World War II suburb of Atlanta by the parent company of Food Fair and featured nearly 50 stores including a Rich's department store (the fourth in the chain), Woolworths, Dunaway Drug (later Eckerd), Davis House restaurant (later Davis Brothers Cafeteria) and a Colonial supermarket. A six-screen movie theater, which later became King's Cinemas, was also opened on an outlot on the north side of the center. The mall was also originally an open-air center with covered walkways and the stores wrapped around the south and west side of the Rich's store, all facing it. For the first ten years, the mall was enormously successful and the two-story Rich's store was quickly expanded with a one-story north wing that greatly increased the total floor space. The mall was a major blow to downtown Marietta, Georgia to the north. When the mall first opened, nearly all of the major clothing stores in downtown Marietta also had branches at Cobb Center. It began to draw out its tenants, leaving the downtown mostly dead by the 1970s. Enclosing Cobb Center Ten years after the mall opened, Cobb Center struggled after the opening of Cumberland Mall, a mall far superior in size and quantity stores compared to the much smaller open-air mall. Cumberland Mall opened in 1973 and featured all of the major Atlanta anchors including Rich's, Davison's, Sears and JCPenney. Cobb Center just had Rich's. The owners of Cobb Center in reaction to the new mall, fully enclosed the structure and added a new anchor, Grant City on the northwest corner of the mall. Survival The changes worked and the mall survived. There were two major factors to the success. The first was that Cumberland was the only nearby competition. Second, the Rich's at Cobb Center remained extremely popular. Rich's was enormously successful in the 1970s and this was one of only two locations that existed on the northwest side of Atlanta at the time. When Grant's closed in 1976, a small low-end chain with a store downtown named Kessler's took over the location. Downturn, renovation, and closure Eventually, the mall was unable to continue to survive. The first blow came when Town Center Mall in Kennesaw, Georgia opened in 1986 in what had been a farming area. The mall also included Rich's. Town Center Mall was also much larger than Cumberland and was more convenient to the northern suburbs. The second blow was that the area around the mall was declining very sharply. The shopping base dwindled and so did the mall traffic. By then, Cobb Center looked very dated and small with its dark wood interior and very 1960s retro exterior. Once again, in 1987, the mall was renovated for its 25th Anniversary. This time, it was redesigned to the popular bright pastel look of the 1980s, skylights were improved and the mall was renamed "Four Seasons Mall" to attempt to remove the stigma of the mall that had been fading slowly for over a decade. As a short-term boost for the center, Howard's Restaurant, which had been a small bar and grill located across the street, located in the former Davis Brothers bringing business back to the center. Unfortunately, this renovation did not lead to expansion and many parts of the mall remained vacant, including the former Colonial/Big Star grocery store on the southwest corner, which closed at the mall somewhere in that period. In the late 1980s, the mall continued to operate with many vacancies and no customers. What kept the mall alive was the Rich's and Kessler's, both which looked little different from the days they opened. With the upscale shoppers avoiding the center, Rich's was downscaled to a clearance store by the early 1990s and Kessler's closed in 1990 with no replacement. Howard's moved to a new location, and all that remained for tenants was a few stores including Woolworth's, Eckerd Drugs in the former Dunaway Drugs and Friedman's Jewelry. One of the wings to the mall had burned and was closed off as well. The mall was finally demolished in 1995 except for the Rich's, which lingered until it closed in February 2004. Cobb Center redevelopment The former Rich's entrances to the mall were sealed except for the front entrance and a strip mall was attached to both sides of the Rich's store. The back parking lot of the mall was converted into a soccer park and the Rich's continued to operate there until it closed. The center was also renamed back to simply Cobb Center. In December 2008, the Smyrna city council unanimously approved a rezoning which would allow for Imagine International Academy to move its school into the two-story part of the Rich's building, covering of floor space. The classic façade will be destroyed and it will be made to look like a "modern school", to open in August for the 2009-2010 school year. Imagine International Academy is now open for business as of 2010. As of Thursday December 15, 2016 Publix closed down its doors officially and moved to Jonquil Plaza on Atlanta Road in Downtown Smyrna. The former Publix is becoming a Nam Dae Farmers Market as of Thursday, March 16, 2017. Gallery

4317851

University of Michigan Solar Car Team

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It is the most successful solar car team in North America, having won the North American Solar Challenge (NASC) nine times (out of a possible twelve). The team has also placed third in the World Solar Challenge (WSC) five times. Six of its former vehicles are on display in museums in the United States, including the Henry Ford Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and the Boston Museum of Science. Composition and history Founded in 1989 by Bill Kaliardos, an undergraduate student in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, the University of Michigan Solar Car Team is one of the largest and most successful student projects at the university. The inaugural 1990 team, which formed in 1989, was eventually managed by Susan Fancy, with Professor and Dean Gene Smith serving as the team's Faculty Advisor. Gene Smith was also Advisor for many other U-M Solar Car Teams to follow. The teams have built eleven solar cars and competed in 15 major races. Although it draws heavily on undergraduate students from the College of Engineering, students from any academic discipline or year of study are allowed to join the team. Students have also come from the College of LS&A, the Ross School of Business, and the Stamps School of Art & Design. In 1990, the team's first car, Sunrunner, finished in first place in the inaugural GM Sunrayce USA, and third place overall (first place in Student category) in the 1990 World Solar Challenge in Australia. Core team members of the 1990 team included Susan Fancy, Paula Finnegan, David Noles, Chetan Maini (Maini went on to become the founder of Reva which is one of the major electric car companies in India), David Bell, Jef Pavlat, Andy Swiecki, Chris Gregory, and many more. The second generation team built its car, Maize & Blue, and competed in Sunrayce 93 (the predecessor to the North American Solar Challenge) finishing in first place in the national race, and 11th in the World Solar Challenge. After 1993's races, all projects have run on a 2-year cycle. During those two years, the team is typically anywhere from 50 to 100 students. The vast majority of these students volunteer their time freely, although in the past a small percentage opt to receive credit via the university's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (or UROP). A race crew of approximately 20 students is selected to race the vehicle in competition. These students' function is similar to that of a pit crew in professional auto racing. As of 2016, UM's solar car project has won the North American championship nine times. Vehicles by year 1990: Sunrunner - Driven by Paula Finnegan and David Noles for GM Sunrayce: 1st place; WSC: 3rd place. On permanent display at The Henry Ford. 1993: Maize & Blue - Sunrayce USA: 1st place; WSC: 11th place. On permanent display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. 1995: Solar Vision - GM Sunrayce: DNF (did not finish). On permanent display at the Great Lakes Science Center. 1997: Wolverine - GM Sunrayce: 6th place. 1999: MaizeBlaze - GM Sunrayce: 17th place; WSC: 9th place. 2001: M-Pulse - ASC: 1st place; WSC: 3rd place. On display at the Peterson Automotive Museum 2003: Spectrum - ASC: DNQ (did not qualify) 2005: Momentum - NASC: 1st place; WSC: 3rd place. 2007: Continuum - WSC: 7th place in the Challenge class after recovering from a crash on the first day of racing. 2008: Continuum - NASC: 1st place. 2009: Infinium - WSC: 3rd place. 2010: Infinium - ASC: 1st place. 2011: Quantum - WSC: 3rd place. 2012: Quantum - ASC: 1st place. 2013: Generation - WSC: 9th place. 2014: Quantum - ASC: 1st place. 2015: Quantum - Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge: 1st place. 2015: Aurum - WSC: 4th place. 2016: Aurum - ASC: 1st place. 2017: Novum - WSC: 2nd place. (Best ever finish for an American student team) 2018: Novum - ASC: 2nd place. 2019: Electrum - BWSC: 2rd place. Publications The team has been featured in the following local, national, and international media: IEEE Spectrum: "Sun Kings Cross the Outback." G. Zorpette, Feb 2002, pp 40–46. Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International MSNBC (2005) 1,2, 3 NHRA article (2006): Grubnic compares kinetics with the U. of Michigan solar car team Cars.com Russian Automobile magazine Lakeshore Weekly News U-M News Service Popular Mechanics SAE International (April 2010) The New York Times Wired Discovery Channel (The Solar Car portion starts at 8:40) Seeker

4317858

Ni-Vanuatu

Ni-Vanuatu (informally abbreviated Ni-Van) is a large group of closely related Melanesian ethnic groups native to the island country of Vanuatu. As such, Ni-Vanuatu are a mixed ethnolinguistic group with a shared ethnogenesis that speak a multitude of languages. Ni-Vanuatu or Ni-Van is usually restricted to the indigenous population of Vanuatu. It contrasts with the demonym Vanuatuan, which in principle refers to any citizen of Vanuatu, regardless of their origin or ethnicity. (The form Vanuatuan is in fact rarely used in English, and is regarded as incorrect by some authors and style guides.) Indigenous people of Vanuatu have English and French influences due to the history of colonialism from the British and French, which leads to the main languages of English, Bislama and French being spoken. The cultural aspects of Ni-Vanuatu society have been instilled on the indigenous community and are expressed through clothing, rituals, ceremonies, music, performing and fine arts, and cuisine. The spiritual ties Ni-Vanuatu have with their land and ancestors are conveyed through these traditions and some of these remaining artefacts have been preserved and displayed in galleries of Vanuatu. Etymology Ni-Vanuatu is a recent coinage. It combines the name of the country (Vanuatu, etymologically "land that stands [by itself]", i.e. 'independent country') with a particle ni, which encodes the genitive in indigenous languages such as North Efate similar to "of" in English. Etymologically, the particle descends from Proto-Oceanic, Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and Proto-Austronesian *ni. The word Ni-Vanuatu thus simply means "of Vanuatu". The Bislama dictionary defines Ni-Vanuatu as a "Vanuatu citizen of Melanesian descent but not limited to". The term is mostly used in English and French, and is rarely used in Bislama, the country's lingua franca. The term is never used in the indigenous languages of the archipelago. The form Ni-Van is a colloquial abbreviation of Ni-Vanuatu. This form was pejorative in its original usage in the 1980s by Anglophone European expatriates, similar to its French equivalent , but according to New Zealand linguist Terry Crowley, by the 2000s the term Ni-Van saw increasing usage among Ni-Vanuatu. History The indigenous population of Vanuatu The first inhabitants of Vanuatu were Austronesian people, carriers of the Lapita culture, who settled the archipelago about 1200-1300BC. They were later followed by Melanesians around 500BC. European settlement European explorers discovered Vanuatu in 1606 by Captain Pedro Gernandez De Quiros, however settlement did not happen until Captain James Cook charted the islands and deemed it The New Hebrides. At the end of the 19th century, Ni-Vanuatu were regularly kidnapped and forced to work in plantations in Fiji and Australia, a practice now known as "blackbirding". In 1906, France and England established the Condominium of the New Hebrides. During the joint rulership from the two countries, the Ni-Vanuatu lived under French and British authorities. On 30 July 1980, the New Hebrides gained independence under the new name of Vanuatu. Land and nationalism During the Condominium period, European regulations sometimes resulted in land disputes, particularly around plantations. Upon independence, the new constitution determined that land ownership would belong to native ni-vanuatus: the land rights were given to the traditional owners and community to make decisions. Society Economic impact of economy on the people Workers on the copra plantations were generally Melanesian. Melanesian workers were occupied with their own plantations which led to European owners sourcing labour from foreign countries such as French Indochina for general agricultural labour and construction. After World War II, American soldiers introduced Eurocentric items such as camp supplies, construction aviation, electricity and running water. The two factors of introducing overseas workers in combination with the introduction of modern facilities led to Vanuatu's economic momentum which helped create the backbone of the island's copra production. Copra production such as was the main focus as other areas such as forestry, fishing and native crafts were underdeveloped at the time. Food crops, including yams, taro and cassava, are used for local consumption; copra production such as coconuts and cocoa make up the majority of Vanuatu's exports. Profiles of labour workers, miners and construction workers were mainly of Melanesian descent as labour job demands rose with the economic boom. In 1953, Vietnamese workers started returning to their home country, and most of them had done so by 1963. This caused a shortage in plantation workers which led to recruitment from other islands such as Tahiti. Temperamental weather strongly impacted plantations, as hurricanes destroyed the main copra of coconut plantations. Competition from overseas in combination with natural disasters led to a solution of sourcing different agricultural mediums such as cattle. Local demands of meat as well as international export welcomed another economic boom in Vanuatu. Education Prior to Vanuatu's independence in 1980, the French government offered additional effort into support the French population. Free education and buildings were developed whilst the British government required education fees from parents. The competition between the two ruling governments caused a division in the education system, as Ni-Vanuatu based their decisions on financial and political reasons. The French system was popular to Melanesians however the British system was still an option to many as Ni-Vanuatu parents say "Yumi no save yet se wanem saed bae i win" translating to "We don't know yet which side is going to win out". The rational of many feared the unknown of which ruling government would take over the nation. Tertiary education was often presented with a bias from the French government, based on the fears of higher education presenting ideas of anti-colonialism to the general population. English-medium to French-medium university scholars reflected this concept with a ratio of 120:1 in 1983, three years after the independence of Vanuatu. The Vanuatu Cultural Centre established a scheme whereby some of its researchers were indigenous; they were called "filwoka" (from Eng. fieldworker). Ni-Vanuatu women Recognition of Ni-Vanuatu women in the political, business and social bubble has been growing recently however there are barriers that impede this growth. Social standards of Pacific women heavily emphasise on the women's role as nurturers, which consists of domestic tasks of washing clothes, cooking, gardening and cleaning the house. Women who went overseas for their tertiary studies and returned have expressed the contrasting differences of Western and Vanuatu lifestyles. Particularly independence was viewed differently, as privacy in Western cultures was looser. Although there are no laws against women participating in politics, there were no women serving in parliament during the 2016 election. Hilda Lini of the Vanuatu's parliament puts promotes women participating in politics however she predicts that it would take time to convince to public to do so. In October 2020, "Vote for Women" campaign was coordinated to encourage and support women in the political scene. The municipal council reserves seats for women to represent the community and are encouraged to participate with government training programs readily available. Population Demographics 75% of the Ni-Vanuatu population live in rural areas, whereas the remaining 25% population live in urban areas. Port Vila and Luganville are the primary urban cities populated with Port Villa having a population of 35,901. The total land area is 12,189 km2 with a population growth rate of 1.67%. Christianity makes up the majority of the religious community as 93.5% of the population identify as Christians as of 2020. Languages Vanuatu is the country with the world's highest language density per capita, with 138 languages for a population of 0.3 million. These 138 indigenous languages are still used today by two-thirds of the country's population, mainly in rural areas. These are Oceanic languages, descended historically from the country's first Austronesian settlers. Despite the first European contact in Vanuatu in 1606, English was not introduced to Ni-Vanuatu until the 1840s when English-speaking missionaries arrived. This was around the same time when European sourcing of sandalwood in the Pacific turned to Vanuatu. During the time of the Condominium of the New Hebrides, French and English competed for the status of main language; the population spontaneously turned to Bislama as used as a tool of unity. Bislama is often essential as the privileged population are educated in English and middle to lower class population were often educated in French. Few people mastered both French and English, hence the use of Bislama. Upon independence in 1980, three languages have become official in Vanuatu: English, French and Bislama. French and English are used mainly for written communication whereas Bislama is widely used for verbal communication. Bislama serves as the country's lingua franca: it serves as a bridge between citizens educated in French vs. English; and it also allows speakers of different indigenous languages to communicate among themselves. Official welcoming speeches, opening of parliament and most official events use Bislama. Ni-Vanuatu of different ethnic backgrounds, such as Chinese and Vietnamese often use Bislama as greetings and opening introductions as a form of communication. Culture Kastom Indigenous Ni-Vanuatu communities describe their traditional values and beliefs using the modern (Bislama) term kastom. Kastom was expressed through religion, clothing, native arts, indigenous culture and languages. The development of kastom was a symbolism between the traditional native values compared to the foreign concepts of Eurocentric ideals. It represents the unity and national identity of Ni-Vanuatu. In 1979, a year before independence, the Vanua'aku Pati of Parliament vowed to promote the "preservation and promotion of New Hebrides culture and languages" and thereby sponsoring a first National Arts Festival in Port Villa to express the support of kastoms in the community. Parliament faced ongoing pressure from the community to preserve the traditions of Ni-Vanuatu, particularly in the post-colonial era leading to attempts of teaching indigenous culture being implemented in schools and development of art centres. Masks called Tamate are worn by men during ceremonies and rituals. These masks are used to hide the faces of dancers and the notion of the ancestral spirits will enter the dancer. After the ritual is complete, it is thought that the ancestor's spirit is rebirthed as a tamate spirit. Although the masks are no longer used, the aesthetics and representations of the ancestral world continue to embody the kastoms of ni-vanuatus. Clothing Women particularly had a unique perspective of differentiating traditional customs to colonial ideas. Island dresses represented a national connection to Vanuatu however many Ni-Vanuatu women consciously choose to shift their options to modern clothing as their attitudes towards convenience, aesthetics and gender equality are considered. Although modern clothing is preferred on most occasions, the respect for kastom in island dresses are incorporated into special events such as festivals, ceremonies and church gatherings. Pandanus Grass skirts are worn by women and men wore penis wrappers and bark belts. Barkcloths were also a staple of Ni-Vanuatu clothing and sleeping mats. Different styles and variations of draping the barkcloths indicated the different status of the individual. Men would wear the barkcloth around their waist or drape it between their thighs and women would wear it around their waist and drape it behind their back where European stories of "tailed women" would originate. Young tree bark was the choice of creating these barkcloths as they didn't break so easily and would generally take three to four days to make. The sheets of bark would be soaked with water and women would beat layers of barks together whilst singing a special song. The layers of bark would alternately be soaked, beaten and dried until it was deemed ready. Generally Ni-Vanuatu women would create barkcloth for the community. Penis sleeves worn by men are called yelau and they would hang down at various lengths depending on the man's status. In particular cases, some chiefs would have penis sleeves that hung down to their ankles. Music and Dance Musical instruments and traditional dances played a big role in the practicing rituals of indigenous Ni-Vanuatu. Dances were coordinated with specific anti-clockwise directions of circling dances to represent the notions of male "hardness" during ceremonies and clockwise directions were only accepted to a certain age for males. Musical instruments were created with organic material such as wood, bones, leafs, rocks, vegetables and fruits. Bamboo flutes were carved in a fashion that would represent a flute, a V-notch on one end and one to three holes on the other. These instruments would be blown on one end and played with their arms extended to their waist. Hollowed cylinders were also hung from tree branches and audible sounds created by the wind would be interpreted as ancestral voices. Dried seeds were tied to wrists and ankles by dried coconut fibres to act as rattles and coconut shells would be banged against the ground for some games. Literature Oral literature was common amongst Ni-Vanuatu as written literature wasn't introduced until European missionaries created formal schools. Folk tales, myths, legends, songs, and poetry were passes across generations by word of mouth until written literature was developed. Fine arts Kastom can be interpreted by different forms of visual and material arts by indigenous Ni-Vanuatu. Material forms of art are passed down generations as they represent customary practices such as fishing, rituals, clothing and food preparations. The Vanuatu Cultural Centre and National Museum displays artefacts collected by anthropologists and donations from 150 years ago. These artefacts are representations of cultural practices of the indigenous community of Vanuatu however disruption from colonialism have halted and destroyed records of these cultural and social remnants. Pottery could be dated back as early 1000BC on the islands of Efate and the pots were found to be decorated with different styles in different regions of Vanuatu. Two main techniques were used to make these pots. The first one being a long coil of clay being attached to a bamboo cylinder and continuously coiled until a circular sheet of clay was added to make the base of the pot. The bamboo base was removed and the result of this process created the conical shape of pots. The second technique was a ball of clay was hollowed out on moulded onto the knee which created the bowl shape. The pots were then dried out and fired. The hearth was prepared by hot stones and dried coconut fronds and bamboo were used to fuel the fire. Contemporary arts have been criticised due to the non-indigenous forms of using western media such as watercolour and acrylic paint to portray the kastoms of Ni-Vanuatu. However, contemporary Ni-Vanuatu artists have argued the representations of their cultural ties to Vanuatu are being represented in their artistic forms. Foundation Suzanne Bastien is a contemporary art gallery in Port Vila that Suzanne Bastien opened in hopes of "continued nurturing of contemporary art for future generations". The spiritual, social and physical connection expressed by contemporary artists have indicated different communities, regions and islands of Vanuatu with the onging Western influence on Melanesian culture. Cuisine Indigenous communities have diets that involved foraging and fishing as their main method of sustenance. It wasn't until European involvement of livestock a copra production that cattle meat and cocoa were introduced. Root vegetables such as taro and yams were a main staple of traditional ni-vanatu communities as they were considered as "strong foods" that make the people strong and energetic. Hunting and fishing were designated as a role for men due to cultural beliefs of women on a boat would make her infertile. Thus men would hunt for fish and women would feed pigs and forage for root vegetables. Roles for men and women would be divided equally in food preparation as they have different roles in the household hut or men's hut. However division of the food would be dependent on the ranking of female and males status in the community. Food prepared in the separate fire closest to the entrance of the household hut are reserved for women, children and ungraded boys and the fire closest to the back of the hut is reserved for men and graded boys. The food prepared in the men's hut would further be divided into four separate fires and subsequently, for the four different rankings of the men in the community. Kava drinking Kava is a beverage in the Oceanic regions of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. Kava plays a central role in spiritual, cultural and social practices of indigenous ni-vanatu. There are remedial notions of kava that it could be used for medicinal purposes. Kava bowls are used in preparation and serving of the beverage with different types of materials being used. Kava bowls are considered sacred and have been traditionally used exclusively for kava drinking.

4317869

Anthony Earnshaw

Anthony Earnshaw (9 October 1924 – 17 August 2001) was an English anarchist, artist, author and illustrator. Earnshaw was born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. His father, a watchmaker and jeweller, died before he was born. His mother ran the family shop until it went bankrupt in 1930, when they moved first to Redcar and then to Leeds. Earnshaw attended Harehills School in Leeds until the age of 14. He worked as an engineering fitter, and later as a lathe turner and a crane driver, while educating himself at Leeds City Library. At 20 he became interested in Surrealism and, with his lifelong friend Eric Thacker, devised surreal activities such as boarding and alighting from trains at random. In the early 1960s he met several other like-minded people, including Patrick Hughes, Ian Breakwell and Glen Baxter. Hughes persuaded Earnshaw to hold a retrospective at the Leeds Institute in 1966, which was followed by an exhibition in Exeter, The Enchanted Domain, to which he was invited by John Lyle. He began teaching part-time, first at the Harrogate School of Art, then at Bradford Art School, before leaving engineering altogether in 1972 to take up a fellowship at Leeds Polytechnic. He left teaching in 1985 to concentrate on art. In 1968 Earnshaw collaborated with Thacker on an illustrated novel, Musrum, which was not commercially successful, but has become a cult classic. The book is a fantasy, peppered with aphorisms ("Sudden prayers make God jump"), and tells the story of the title character's kingdom and of his battle with the nefarious Weedking. It was followed in 1971 by a sequel, Wintersol, about the secret criminal nature of Father Christmas. Both books were praised for their elegant writing, wit and wordplay, and especially for their sheer invention. Later publications included a cartoon in the Times Educational Supplement, a wheeled bird named Wokker, and books of aphorisms, the largest being Flick Knives and Forks in 1982. In the 1980s and 1990s Earnshaw began making art boxes, further exemplifying his loyalty to Surrealism. Earnshaw died in 2001. He was survived by his second wife, Gail, and by two daughters from his first marriage.

4317892

Ulrike Hanna Meinhof

Ulrike Hanna Meinhof is Professor in the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Southampton in Hampshire, previously having worked as a professor and Chair of Cultural Studies at the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire. She is a specialist in discourse analysis. Her main areas of research currently involve ethnographic research in European border communities and a comparative media-project about the 20th century on television. Meinhof is the author of Language Learning in the Age of Satellite Television, published by Oxford University Press. Works Text, Discourse and Context: Representation of Poverty in Britain. (with K. Richardson, eds.), London & New York: Longman, 1994 Masculinity and Language (with S. Johnson, eds.) Oxford: Blackwell, 1997 Language Learning in the Age of Satellite Television. Oxford University Press, 1998 Worlds in Common? Satellite discourse in a changing Europe (with Kay Richardson), London & New York: Routledge, 1999 Intertextuality and the Media: from Genre to Everyday life (with Jonathan M. Smith, eds.) Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2000

4317918

Nicolas Lebel

Colonel Nicolas Lebel (18 August 1838 – 6 May 1891), after whom the French military's Lebel rifle was named. Biography Nicolas Lebel was born in Saint-Mihiel (Meuse) near Verdun. Interested by the prospects of a military career he enrolled in the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in 1855. In 1857, he joined the 58th Infantry Regiment as a second lieutenant. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, he was a captain and company commander. In September 1870, he was captured after the Sedan encirclement and became a prisoner-of-war. Released from captivity after the Treaty of Frankfurt, he found a command in Tours, during the years of intense reorganization of the French Army which followed the 1871 defeat. He was appointed major in 1876, and dedicated himself to the improvement of infantry weaponry. His competence was soon recognized and in 1883, the Minister for War, General Thibaudin, entrusted him to direct the army's École Normale de Tir. The E.N.T. was the army's training center dedicated to improve shooting performance and recommend small arms improvements. In March 1884 he was made a member of the Commission des Armes à Répétition or Commission for repeating firearms. This commission was presided at the time by General Baptiste Tramond and included Colonel Basile Gras, Colonel Bonnet, Lt-Colonel Lebel, Castan, de Tristan, Captain Desaleux and last but not least Paul Vieille, the inventor of smokeless powder. It is this commission which formulated and supervised the execution of the fusil mle 1886 infantry rifle prototype. This project was carried out within slightly more than one year, between January 1886 and the date of formal adoption: April 1887. Lt-Colonel Lebel's direct contribution was the full-metal-jacket bullet or balle Lebel which had been formulated and extensively tested at the École Normale de Tir under his direction. He had been inspired by the promising results obtained somewhat earlier by Major Eduard Rubin of the Swiss Army who had invented the first copper-jacketed rifle bullets in 1882. Without the jacketed "Balle Lebel" ("Lebel bullet") the new Mle 1886 rifle's performance with Paul Vieille's smokeless powder, which imparted much higher velocities than black powder, would have been impossible to achieve. The new Fusil Mle 1886 was soon and informally designated as Fusil Lebel (Lebel rifle) "against the protestations of the Commission, including Colonel Lebel himself" as quoted verbatim from Challeat's classic Histoire Technique de l'Artillerie de Terre en France pendant un siècle, published in 1935. The historical record shows that the Lebel rifle was the result of teamwork carried out against time and under great pressure exerted from above by War Minister General Boulanger. The original bullet or "Balle M" designed under Colonel Lebel's direction was flat nosed in order to pose no risk of accidental ignition in the Lebel's tube magazine. The "Balle M" bullet has a full metal jacket made of cupro-nickel and a lead core. Its weight is . Its muzzle velocity is . Its maximum range is . It was propelled by of the new smokeless "poudre B". Its ballistic properties were superior to anything else in existence at the time (1887). Lebel was promoted to the rank of full colonel in 1887 but, because of cardiac problems, he took early retirement in 1890 and died on 6 May 1891 at the age of 53. He was decorated with the rank of Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

4317937

Ed Fast

Edward D. Fast (born June 18, 1955) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Abbotsford since 2006. A member of the Conservative Party of Canada, he was Minister for International Trade and Minister for the Asia–Pacific Gateway from 2011 to 2015 under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Early life and career Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ed Fast grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. After graduating from law school at the University of British Columbia in 1982, Fast co-founded the law firm currently known as Linley Welwood. He was elected in 1985 and served two terms as an Abbotsford School Board Trustee. He was elected to Abbotsford City Council in 1996 and served for three 3-year terms. During that time, he served as Deputy Mayor and as Chair of the Parks, Recreation & Culture Commission. Federal politics 2006 Harper government Fast won the 2006 federal election with 63.27% of the vote as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Abbotsford on January 23, 2006. During his first term, Fast was appointed to the Standing Committee of Canadian Heritage and the Standing Committee for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Fast was also the Chair of the B.C. Conservative caucus. In 2006, Fast introduced Private Member's Bill C-277 which doubles from 5 to 10 years in prison the maximum sentence for luring a child over the internet for sexual purposes. The Bill received royal assent on June 22, 2007. Only 2% of private member's bills are ever passed into law. 2008 Harper government In the 2008 federal election, Fast received 30,853 votes, 63.3% of the total in Abbotsford. He served as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and as a member of the Copyright Modernization Committee. In May 2009, Fast introduced a motion in the House of Commons to rename the Huntingdon border crossing to "Abbotsford-Huntingdon Port of Entry". The official renaming took place on May 28, 2010, preserving the historical significance of the "Huntingdon" name while at the same time more accurately reflecting the location of the border crossing within the Fraser Valley. From 2009–2011, Fast was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights. Minister of International Trade Fast was re-elected in the 2011 federal election with 32,493 votes, representing 65% of the popular vote. On May 18, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Ed Fast to Cabinet to serve as Canada's Minister of International Trade. Fast oversaw the negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union, which some saw as a giveaway to big pharma. As part of the newly-elected Liberal government in 2015, Chrystia Freeland one year later finalized the negotiations which had been ongoing since 2009. Fast was also responsible for the Canada-China Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments Agreement, which was signed in 2012 and came into force on 1 October 2014. This agreement ties Canada "to the terms... for a minimum of 31 years." On 3 December 2014 Fast announced the Canada-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), Canada's first free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region. In November 2013, Fast announced the Government of Canada's Global Markets Action Plan – a plan focusing on Canada's core strengths in priority markets through bold trade policy and vigorous trade promotion. He also released Canada's first International Education Strategy, a part of the Global Markets Action Plan, in order to attract international talent. The CBIE termed it an "ambitious strategy, with a goal to double the number of international students choosing to study here (in Canada) by 2022." On 9 April 2014, rising on a point of order, MP Dan Harris accused Fast of making a gun gesture and saying "boom" in the direction of Nicki Ashton during Question Period. Fast denied the claim and asserted that he was pointing in the direction of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Video from the House of Commons shows Fast making a pointing gesture. After the video circulated, Minister Fast acknowledged that he had made a pointing gesture with his hand, but said that his hand gesture was misinterpreted. Opposition to Trudeau government Under interim CPC leader Rona Ambrose then Andrew Scheer, Fast was appointed Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 42nd Parliament of Canada critic for Minister of the Environment and then, when Trudeau changed the job title, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change. Fast declined to join the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 43rd Parliament of Canada when, on 29 November 2019, CPC leader Andrew Scheer officially named his critics. Scheer was later removed from leadership and replaced by Erin O'Toole on 24 August 2020. On 11 February 2021, O'Toole appointed Fast as his finance critic. He replaced Pierre Poilievre who became critic for jobs and industry. Personal life Ed and his wife Annette have lived in Abbotsford for over 39 years and have four married adult daughters and eleven grandchildren. In December 2016, Fast suffered a stroke, but recovered. Electoral record

4317952

Dakshina Kosala

Dakshina Kosala (IAST: Dakṣiṇa Kosala, "southern Kosala") is a historical region of central India. It was located in what is now Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh along with some parts of Western Odisha. At its greatest extent, it may have also included a part of the Vidarbha region in present-day Maharashtra. Its capitals at various times included Bhadravati, Sirpur (ancient Shripura), Tuman (ancient Tummana), and Ratanpur (ancient Ratnapura). Extent Dakshina Kosala ("South Kosala"), sometimes simply called Kosala, is so-called to distinguish it from Uttara Kosala ("North Kosala") in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Epigraphic evidence suggests that the area bounded by the Shahdol, Raipur, Bilaspur, Anuppur Sambalpur districts was definitely a part of the Dakshina Kosala region. The inscriptions found in these districts record grants of villages located in the Kosala country, and the rulers mentioned in these inscriptions are given the titles indicating their lordship over Dakshina Kosala (such as Kosaladhisha, Kosaladhipati, and Kosala-narendra). According to the 7th century Chinese traveler Xuanzang, the extent of the contemporary Kosala kingdom was 6,000 li in circuit, that is, around 81,000 square miles in area. This suggests that in the 7th century, the Dakshina Kosala region encompassed an area much larger than the region bounded by the above-mentioned districts. The Somavamshi inscriptions suggest that other areas of present-day Odisha, bordering Sambalpur, were also part of the Dakshina Kosala. During Xuanzang's period, Kosala appears to have extended from 78th meridian east to the 85th meridian east in the east–west direction. The northern boundary of Kosala was located a little to the south of Amarakantaka, which was a part of the Mekala kingdom. The Puranas, including the Vayu Purana and the Matsya Purana, mention Mekala and Kosala as distinct regions. The ancient epigraphs, such as the Balaghat inscription of the Vakataka king Prithvishena II, also distinguish between these two regions. However, at one place, the Vayu Purana mentions the Mekalas as one of the Pancha Kosalas ("Five Kosalas"), which suggests that at some point, the chiefs of the Mekala region were subordinate to the rulers of the Kosala proper. In the south, the Dakshina Kosala region, at its greatest extent, appears to have included a part of present-day Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The legend of king Nala states that he reached the capital of Kosala: the description of the route of his march suggests that this capital was present-day Bhadravati. In the 19th century Alexander Cunningham, the founder of Archaeological Survey of India, mentioned Dakshina Kosala as a synonym of Mahakoshal (or Maha-Kosala), without mentioning any source for this claim. However, none of the ancient texts or inscriptions support the claim that Dakshina Kosala and Mahakoshal refer to the same geographical unit. The ancient Sanskrit texts frequently mention Dakshina Kosala, but do not mention Mahakoshal as the name of a region. In ancient times Dakshina Kosala (South Kosala) comprised modern Chhattisgarh and the adjoining territory in the State of Orissa up to the boundary of the Katak District. In the Puranas this country is mentioned with Traipura (the tract around Tripuri near Jabalpur), Kalinga (part of the state of Orissa) and Mekala (the region near the source of the Narmada). Capitals Besides Bhadravati, the other capitals of Dakshina Kosala at various times included Sirpur (ancient Shripura), Tuman (ancient Tummana), and Ratanpur (ancient Ratnapura). Bhadravati may have been the capital of Dakshina Kosala as late as during Xuanzang's time, although Sirpur is another candidate for the contemporary capital of the region. The 601 CE Arang inscription of king Bhimasena II suggests that Shripura was the capital of the local Rishitulyakula kings, possibly since the 5th century. In the subsequent period, it served as the capital of the Panduvamshi kings, who are described as the lords of Kosala in their inscriptions. Tummana and Ratnapura became the capitals of Dakshina Kosala centuries later. Tummana was founded by Kalingaraja, a descendant of the Tripuri Kalachuri king Kokalla I (c. 875 CE). Ratnapura was established by Ratnadeva, a later descendant of Kalingaraja and a king of the Ratnapura Kalachuri dynasty. Legends In ancient Indian literature as well as the epic Ramayana, Mahabharata & Puranas there are many references to the ancient Kosala Kingdom of northern India. Surya Vanshi Ikshvaku dynasty kings ruled Kosala with Ayodhya as their capital. Sri Ramachandra was a king of that clan, based on whose character and activities, the Ramayana was written. This work mentions that after Rama, the kingdom was divided among his two sons, Lava and Kusha. North Kosala went to Lava as his share with Shravasti Nagari as his capital while Kusha received South Kosala. He established his new capital, Kushasthalipura on the riverKushavrate near the Vindhya mountain range, which divides north and south India. Kushasthalipura is identified as near Malhar in the present-day Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh state. As part of his military campaigns, Sahadeva targeted the kingdoms in the regions south of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Vanquishing the invincible Bhismaka, Sahadeva then defeated the king of Kosala in battle and the ruler of the territories lying on the banks of the Venwa, as well as the Kantarakas and the kings of the eastern Kosalas. History After the fall of the imperial Guptas, the Dakshina Kosala region was ruled by a number of small dynasties, including the Amarāryakulas, the Panduvamshis of Mekala (Pāṇḍavas of Mekala), the Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala (Pāṇḍuvaṃśīs of Śripura), and the Sharabhapuriyas. The chronology of these dynasties not very clear, because their inscriptions are dated in regnal years instead of a calendar era. The only ancient inscription found in this region that appears to be dated in a calendar era is the Arang copper-plate inscription of Bhimasena II of Sura family. However, it is not connected to any other records from the area, and therefore, is not much useful for reconstructing the region's chronology. The Pāṇḍavas of Mekala are known from two Malhar inscriptions issued by king Śūrabala, the last member of the dynasty. The king claimed descent from the legendary hero Pāṇḍu of the lunar dynasty (somavaṃśa). The Amarāryakulas (Amarārya family) are known from the Malhar inscription of Vyaghraraja. D. C. Sircar believes this family to be same as the Sharabhapuriyas, Ajaya Mitra Shastri believes it to an independent dynasty, while Hans T. Bakker believes it to be a vassal of the Sharabhapuriyas. The Sharabhapuriyas initially ruled as Gupta vassals, and may have fought with the Nalas of Pushkari. They laid foundation of the distinct Dakshina Kosala style of art and architecture. The Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala seem to have been related to the Panduvamshis of Mekala, and initially served as feudatories to the Sharabhapuriyas. The early kings of the dynasty were Vaishnavites, but its last known king Mahāśivagupta Bālārjuna called himself a devotee of Shiva (parama-māheśvara), and also patronized the Buddhists. The Chinese traveler Xuanzang visited the region during his reign, and described his kingdom ("Kiao-sa-lo" or Kosala) as follows: The Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala may have been related to the later Somavamshi dynasty, who ruled in present-day Odisha.

4317957

The Wapping Project

The Wapping Project is a UK London-based arts organisation and a working name of Women's Playhouse Trust (WPT) since 2000. WPT is a registered charity (286384) established in 1981 and incorporated in 1982. The project works as a commissioner and producer of art. History Throughout the 1980s and the early 1990s, WPT worked predominantly at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The first WPT production was a revival of Aphra Behn's The Lucky Chance, performed at the Royal Court in 1984, starring Alan Rickman and Harriet Walter. In 1993 WPT began to mount work in the derelict Wapping Hydraulic Power Station in the East End of London. WPT purchased the building from London Development Agency and invested £4 million in converting it into an arts centre. The conversion was designed and overseen by architectural practice Shed 54. The new gallery space opened on the 10 October 2000. WPT sold the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station in 2013. WPT's founder and artistic Director, Jules Wright, who was diagnosed with cancer in February 2015 and died on 21 June 2015. WPT continues its artistic work under its working name The Wapping Project, headed by its former Deputy Director, Marta Michalowska, and a longstanding collaborator of Jules Wright, Thomas Zanon-Larcher. Recent work by The Wapping Project Andrea Luka Zimmerman's feature documentary Erase and Forget Shona Illingworth's installation Topologies of Air Mairéad McClean's installation Making Her Mark

4317967

Individual Learning Plan

Individual Learning Plan or ILP is a user (student) specific program or strategy of education or learning that takes into consideration the student's strengths and weaknesses. While normal classroom or distance education is based on the premise that all should get equal attention (a democratic principle), be exposed to same curriculum and evaluated on the same pattern ('One size fits all'), ILP presumes that the needs of individual students are different, and thus, must be differently addressed. Emphasis on the student's role in the learning experience has been shown in research to be crucial to a productive learning experience. The Individual Learning Plan can also be used by an individual on their own or as part of a community of interest, a team or an organization to manage learning over the course of their life. This is explored further in the article "Learning Plan." Adopted by many institutes as a teaching methodology, ILP for a student is generated after interaction between the student and the teacher, and is based upon assessment made therein. Further, ILP: • Incorporates long-term goals of the student • Synthesizes with the larger educational framework • Gives credence to the student's aspirations - cultural, artistic, social, or personal Individual Learning Plans are mandatory to complete for all students in Alaska (2010), Arizona (2008), Colorado (2010), Connecticut (2012), Delaware (2007), Georgia (2009), Hawaii (2009), Idaho (2011), Indiana (2006), Iowa (2008), Kentucky (2002), Louisiana (1998), Maryland (2008), Massachusetts (2007), Michigan (2009), Minnesota (2013), Missouri (2006), Oregon (2011), Rhode Island (2011), South Carolina (2006), South Dakota (2010), Virginia (2013), Washington (2000), West Virginia (1996), and Wisconsin (2013) in order to graduate. Purpose The Individual Learning plan has many purposes, including: • Discovery of many careers, beginning in the sixth grade • Career matching making services • Developing education plans • Creating, maintaining and changing resumes • Setting personal goals and keeping these insight as school progresses • Saving and reflecting on activity including community service, work experience, career planning activities, and extra curricular activities • Exploring colleges and postsecondary opportunities that fit with desired career, and other life goals • Collecting personal information including assessment results, advising activities demographic information and educational history • Keeping track of all courses taken Also, the Individual learning plan is set to establish college and career readiness throughout middle school and high school. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, the graduating classes were more prepared for college-level work (in all four content areas of Mathematics, Reading, English and Science) after students created/used and ILP. On the other hand, in this same research, it was determined that nearly 16,200 students did not graduate in 2012, a fact that equates to a $4.2 billion lifetime earning loss for that class of students. This could be due to the lack of College and Career Readiness throughout states that do not implement Individual Learning Plans. The lack of college and career readiness does not only affect the student themselves, but also communities as a group. The lack of these critical skills in high school students can deny the community jobs and business due to the unfulfilled need for qualified employees. Functions Resume Builder Tools located within the ILP can help you store and organize information more successfully, with no question about career development, activities, and experiences. Once a student saves information about a chosen career, school or other objective, students can record their opinion, interest, and thoughts. Also, through Career Matchmaker services students can save and name many different matchmaker results, and save which they feel they could be more successful doing. With this comes a tool very common and frequently used, the Resume Builder. This enables help on creating personalized, and more professional-looking resumes. Information saved to an individual's ILP is automatically shared with the Resume Builder. (Cite) Career Match Maker/Career Exploration The Career Exploration section offers a number of assessment tools to help you discover your skills, abilities, and learning preferences. With this it uses that information to identify suitable career options for the students using this tool. Career Cruising and Career Matchmaker can help a student better understand how interest and career choices go hand in hand, due to shared likes, skills, and interest to occupations in certain programs. Throughout the Career Cruising there are hundreds of occupations with profiles. These profiles include interviews with people within the career, salary information, job outlook, and locations. In the employee interviews, located in the profiles of each career, they ask key questions including about their typical workday, pros and cons, and advise for students interested in pursuing that career. There are a couple ways to search for careers, including by keyword, index, school, subjects, career cluster, or career selector given to you after using Career Matchmaker. College Search Individual Learning Plan provides detailed school profiles for thousands of 2 and 4 year colleges, career and technical schools across the country. You can either search for particular schools/ programs, or use the School Selector to find schools that meet a variety of criteria. You can see which schools offer your chosen program, cost of enrollment, and the type of the community. (Cite) Teacher's Point of View The process of advising students is a shared responsibility that can have a significant impact on transition to postsecondary education. Teachers are required to lead, guide and direct students in setting and reaching goals. This can be done through ILP or by day-to-day contact with students. This leads to several opportunities for teachers to share college and career readiness dialogue that assists students in focusing on their futures. This also enables students and teachers to focus on one specific goal for on student, therefore the conversations are more centered around that individual student. When teachers utilize the resources in the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) during classroom instruction, students can see the relevance of the content as it relates to their plans for life after high school. This may lead students to become more motivated on reaching their goals. There are many benefits of encompassing the ILP into classroom instruction include: • More obvious sight of direct connections between classes and future goals made for students • More individual centered learning for each student for more successful engagement • More motivated students and more willing to take the steps necessary to reach goals through focusing on the work and assignment, which will lead them to gain the skills and knowledge necessary for a career • Teachers see a more direct correlation between the content they are teaching and the students' goals for college and/or the workforce The role of Counselors, Teachers, and other staff who work with students is to guide, facilitate, and support in the process of developing their ILPs. Also, ensure that students are reflecting on their previous records in their ILP.

4317982

Kingdom of the Videhas

The Kingdom of the Videhas (also known as Mithila and Tirabhukti) was an ancient Indian kingdom in Late Vedic India which rose to prominence under King Janaka ( 8th-7th centuries BCE). The ancient kingdom's territory is located in Mithila region on the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, what is today northeastern Bihar of India and the eastern Terai of Nepal. History During the late Vedic period (c. 900 – c. 500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of Ancient India, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. Late Vedic literature such as the Brahmanas and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad both mention Janaka, as a great philosopher-king of Videha, renowned for his patronage of Vedic culture and philosophy, and whose court was an intellectual centre for Rishi (sages) such as Yajnavalkya. Raychaudhuri suggests 8th- to 7th-century BCE range, while Witzel suggests c. 750 to 500 BCE for the Brahmanas and Upanishads composition period in Videha. The Vedic school of Aitareyins probably moved to Videha and other centers of scholarship, during the late Vedic period. The region and culture of Videha is often mentioned in Hindu literature. The texts mention the idea of royal dynasty and the tradition of philosopher-kings who renounce, with examples including Nami (or Nimi in some texts), Janaka and other kings. Their stories are found in ancient surviving Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina texts, suggesting that renunciation by kings was a respected tradition before the birth of Buddha, and that this tradition was also broadly accepted in regions other than Videha, such as in Pancala, Kalinga and Gandhara. King Nimi or Nami of Videha is included as the 21st of the twenty four Tirthankaras in Jainism (not to be confused with closely spelled Nemi, the 22nd Tirthankara). Towards the end of the Vedic period, Videha likely became part of the Vriji (Pali: Vajji) confederation and subsequently into the Magadha empire. The Videha kingdom is also mentioned in the Sanskrit epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. In the Ramayana, Sita is the princess from Videha, who marries Rama creating an alliance between the kingdoms of Kosala and Videha. The capital of Videha is believed to be either Janakpur (in present-day Nepal), or Baliraajgadh (in present-day Madhubani district, Bihar, India). According to the Digambara Uttarapurana text, Mahavira was born in Kundpur in the Kingdom of the Videhas.

4317985

Crofts End Church

Crofts End Church is a nonconformist church, located in St George, Bristol, England. The specific area in which it is located is known locally as Crofts End. Formerly known as the Miner's Mission and Crofts End Mission, the church was established in 1895 by a young miner, George Brown, who felt called by God to start a Christian work for the many poor, ragged and barefoot children of the area. The church is now part of the Bristol City Mission Society, a registered charity. The full history of the church can be found in a book titled Miner to Missionary published in 2015 for its 120th anniversary, written by Alan Freke. It includes memories of Crofts End and historical details of life of the founder. The 1960s church building was due for demolition in early 2016, to be replaced with a new worship space and community hub. The current pastor is Andrew Yelland.

4317993

Susan Westerberg Prager

Susan Westerberg Prager (born December 14, 1942) is an American legal scholar and administrator. Prager is currently the dean of Southwestern Law School. Early life On December 14, 1942, Prager was born in Sacramento, California. Prager grew up in Sloughhouse, California, a small agricultural community. Education In 1964, Prager earned her B.A. degree in history from Stanford University. Prager also earned an M.A. degree in history from Stanford University. She received her J.D. degree from UCLA and was editor-in-chief of the UCLA Law Review. Career Before leading Southwestern Law School, Prager served as the sixth Executive Director and CEO of the Association of American Law Schools for six years. Prior to her service at the AALS, Prager was the provost of Dartmouth College. From 1982 through 1996, Prager was the dean of the UCLA School of Law, giving her the longest tenure of any dean in UCLA Law history. Prager was the 13th President and the first woman President at Occidental College. In 1982, Prager became the first female dean of a law school in the UC system and only one of two female law school deans in the country. When Prager left her deanship in 1998, the law school established a faculty chair in her name. In addition, during her tenure at UCLA, Prager became the second woman to serve as the president of the Association of American Law Schools. Prager served for 14 years as a trustee of Stanford University during which time she served as the Vice President of the Board and she chaired the board's Academic Policy Committee. Prager also worked for U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel of California, the minority whip in the Senate from 1959-1969, and for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the California State Assembly. She practiced law at Powe, Porter & Alphin in Durham, North Carolina before returning to the UCLA School of Law faculty, where she focused on family law, community property, and historic preservation law. Personal life Prager's husband is Jim Prager. They have two daughters.

4317997

Malla Kingdom

Malla Kingdom was situated in the Gangatic plain between the Kosala and Videha. The epic Mahabharata speaks about a Malla conquered by the Pandava Bhima during his military campaign through the eastern kingdoms to collect tribute for King Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice. Mall-Sainthwar (or Sainthwar-Malla) caste a group of Kshatriya Rajputs clans / clans and In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Hindustan he is known as Babu Saheb. That clans know as Suryvanshi, Mallsaithawar Vansh or Raghuvanshi. References in Mahabharata Bhima's military campaign Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 29 Bhima defeated the virtuous and mighty king Dirghayaghna of Ayodhya. And then he subjugated the country of Gopalakaksha and the northern Kosalas and also the king of Mallas. And the mighty one, arriving then in the moist region at the foot of the Himalayas soon brought the whole country under his sway. He next conquered the country of Bhallata, as also the mountain of Suktimanta that was by the side of Bhallata. Then Bhima vanquishing in battle the unretreating Suvahu the king of Kasi, brought him under complete sway. Then he overcame in battle, by sheer force, the great king Kratha reigning in the region lying about Suparsa. Then the hero of great energy vanquished the Matsya (Eastern Matsyas) and the powerful Maladas and the country called Pasubhumi that was without fear or oppression of any kind. And Bhima then, coming from that land, conquered Madahara, Mahidara, and the Somadheyas, and turned his steps towards the north. And the mighty son of Kunti then subjugated, by sheer force, the country called Vatsabhumi, and the king of the Bhargas, as also the ruler of the Nishadas and Manimat and numerous other kings. Then Bhima, with scarcely any degree of exertion and very soon, vanquished the Southern Mallas and the Bhagauanta mountains. Arjuna's list of kingdoms close to Kuru Kingdom Mahabharata, Book 4, Chapter 1 Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. Drupada's list of kings allied to the Pandavas Mahabharata, Book 5, Chapter 4 Quickly send word to Salya, and to the kings under him, and to king Bhagadatta of immeasurable valour residing on the eastern sea-coast, and to fierce Hardikya, and Ahuka, and the king of the Mallas of powerful understanding, and Rochamana. The list of provinces in Bharata Varsha (Ancient India) Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 9 .....the Goparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the Kuladyas, the Malla-Rashtras, the Keralas, the Varatrasyas, the Apavahas.....

4317999

Monument Mall

Monument Mall is a shopping centre in central Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Formerly owned by St Martins Property Group, it was acquired by the retail property company Hammerson for £28m in March 2011. The Mall opened in 1990 adjacent to the Monument station on the Tyne and Wear Metro. It is also directly in front of Grey's Monument and Grey Street, and has an entrance on Northumberland Street. Refurbishment In December 2011, planning permission was granted to reconfigure the shopping mall to provide an additional 14,000 ft² of retail floor space, infill the atrium and walkways at all levels, and create eight well-configured ground floor unit shops with flexible floor plates and with basement trading potential. The refurbishment cost £15 million. Since the refurbishment, all stores that were originally located in Monument Mall have closed, except for TK Maxx (which opened a new flagship store in November 2012) and the entrance to Fenwick (which was reopened in December 2013). The refurbishment has attracted high-end brands to open stores here: Molton Brown Hugo Boss opened a 450m² store. The White Company opened a 420m² store. Fat Face opened a 490m² store. Reiss opened a 334m² flagship store. Michael Kors Rox Jewellery and watches, a Scottish brand, opened their first store in England, a 286m², two-floor store Jack Wills opened a 453m², two-floor flagship. A Jamie's Italian restaurant, a brand owned by chef Jamie Oliver. The Botanist subsidiary to The New World Trading Company Kiehl's

4318006

Vineland Senior High School South

Vineland Senior High School South is a public high school located in Vineland, New Jersey, as part of the Vineland Public Schools. The school opened in 1963. It holds classes for 11th and 12th grade students, as well as a small number of students from other grades. It was considered to be a different school but on the same campus of Vineland Senior High School North, but as of 2010-11 operates on a consolidated basis as Vineland High School. As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,830 students and 198.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3. The school was the 222nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2008 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools. The school was ranked 194th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. A proposed dress code, slated to take effect for the 2006-07 school year, had given way to controversy and debate among students and parents. Demographics White - 35% Hispanic - 43% African American - 20% Asian - 2% American Indian - <1% Source: Curriculum Due to its large student body Vineland High is able to offer a wide range of elective classes topics include arts and design, computers, media, automobile repair, wood working, as well as a wide range of Advanced Placement courses. Courses such as English, mathematics, history, and science are tracked into general, college preparatory, and honors. Students are tracked into honors mathematics and science from middle school. Requirements for Graduation Requirements: 4 Years of English 3 Years of Math 3 Years of History 3 Years of Science 4 Years of P.E./Health 1 Year of a World Language 1 Year of an Art 50 Hours of Community Service Athletics The Vineland High School Fighting Clan compete in the Atlantic Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference consisting of both parochial and public high schools located in Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, and Gloucester County, New Jersey. The Cape-Atlantic League operates under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Vineland Senior High School South/Vineland Senior High School North have participated since 1893 in Annual Thanksgiving Football Game with Millville Senior High School, in Millville. The rivalry is the one of the oldest Public High School rivalry in the United States, meeting for the 135th time in 2006. Vineland leads the series, 61-55, with 19 games ending in ties. They also have a longstanding boys swim team rivalry between Vineland and Mainland Regional High School that has lasted many years. Standard of Dress Students from preschool to 12th grade are required to wear a uniform consisting of red, white, or black collared shirts and tan or black pants, shorts, or skirts. The regulation mandating school uniforms can be accessed at http://www.vineland.org/files/_qYAWW_/3b1b0cf308278a493745a49013852ec4/uniform_regs618.pdf Administration Core members of the school's administration are: Mrs. Suzette DeMarchi - Executive Principal Mrs Kimberly Rivera - Assistant Principal Richard Panas - Assistant Principal

4318007

Bob Murray (Australian footballer)

Robert W. "Bob" Murray (born 5 April 1942) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL. Murray played with St Kilda initially as a forward, kicking four goals on debut, but soon moved to full-back. He starred in St Kilda's 1966 Grand Final win, taking a mark in defence with seconds left in the game. He won the Trevor Barker Award as St Kilda's best and fairest player in 1969. Murray also played in the Victorian Football Association for the Sandringham Football Club. Prior to his time at St Kilda, he played 52 games for Sandringham, including (in the last game of that stint) Sandringham's 1962 premiership in which it came back from a 44-point three-quarter-time deficit to defeat Moorabbin by one point. After his time at St Kilda, he returned to play 2½ seasons with Sandringham from 1974 until 1976.

4318009

Tekko

The , are weaponized stirrups and horseshoes which originated in Okinawa, Japan, and they fall into the category of "fist-load weapons". By definition, a fist-load weapon increases the mass of the hand so that, given the physical proportionality between the fist's momentum and its mass, it increases the force the bearer can deliver. Some fist-load weapons may also serve, in the same manner, as the guard on a sword, to protect the structure of the bearer's hand. History The tekko evolved after five stages of development. The first, called the "yawara", consisted of nothing more than a stick or rod, held in the inside the hand. The "chize kun bo", a stick with a loop of rope, which the user could attach to the hand for control, came second. Third, the "tekko" resembled the "chize kun bo" but, rather than a rope, had a sharpened wooden extension of the stick, which fit between the first or second finger. An Okinawan tool to help fisherman weave, or haul in their nets without cutting their hand on coral, or a long hairpin used by Okinawan Bushi called a "kanzashi", quite possibly served as the inspiration for this design. The tekko appeared in hardwood form, and as soft molded metal so as to greater increase the mass of the hand. The fourth stage, or "tek chu", allowed for increased function over its predecessors in that it "extended beyond the clenched fist", "a distinct advancement in the evolution of fist-loaded weaponry". The design consisted either of a wooden stick carved with a wooden extension with a finger hole, or of a metal rod with and metal finger ring. The bearer held the rod in hand, with the ring around a finger. The tek chu often included a carved point or a metal spike protruding from the ring. Use of the true "tekko" per se started with the "horseshoe tekko". Because weapons were banned in Okinawa, the Okinawans sought to put otherwise agricultural implements to martial use. "The use of the horseshoe appears to have originated when Bushi in Okinawa used the shoes of their horses as makeshift weapons to defend themselves against surprise attack. "They simply put a horseshoe into the hand to punch with" (Ryukyu Hon Kenpo Kobjutsu Federation). Held as a "U" with the hand in the middle, the two ends extended outwards. Practitioners also tied two horseshoes together directly facing and overlapping each other. This design provided greater hand mass, and defensive guard, but resulted in larger weapons, not easily concealed, and more difficult to learn. The improved horseshoe tekko featured the two horseshoes welded together. However, the popularity of the horseshoe tekko faded, as attention turned to the smaller, more concealable horse stirrup. The horse stirrup ("abumi") version consists of a semicircle, with two ends connected by a bar. Some think of this as solely a fist-loaded weapon: primarily a form of knuckleduster (brass knuckles). However, stirrup of Okinawan lineage does not have dividers to separate the fingers. Furthermore, the traditional stirrup tekko consists of light metal and wood, whereas modern day manufacturers of the knucklebuster version tend to focus on heavy metals such as brass, although modern models made out of such diverse materials as aluminium, wood, steel, iron, and even plastic do exist. Construction Artisans crafted the traditional stirrup upon which the modern design evolved from either wood or metal and were often made from a piece of flat bar, bent into a horseshoe shape and held together by a bolt, to form a "D" shape. For weapons application, would-be combatants sometimes enhanced the design by embedding additional bolts into the horseshoe shape, to inflict greater injury. Other styles of tekko exhibit sharp protrusions at either end and three spikes representative of the position of the knuckles. As the most recent incarnation, the stirrup version remains the favorite of a predominance of kobudo practitioners. Controversy surrounds the stirrup tekko. because many kobudo practitioners liken them to "brass knuckles", the possession of which the jurisdiction of many states prohibit as concealed weapons. Owning, and carrying this brass knuckles, often has legal ramifications. However, "brass knuckles" have finger dividers; stirrup tekko do not. Although many kobudo practitioners claim that brass knuckles evolved from the tekko, brass knuckles more closely resembles the handle of the Western "trench knife". One cannot always distinguish between the appearance of the tekko and that of the knives. Westerners came in contact with Okinawan martial art in the 1940s. The trench knife, and Western brass knuckles, date back to World War I (with pictures of the "brass knuckle handle" trench knife dating back to 1917). Another controversy surrounds the desire of some kobudo practitioners to revive the horseshoe tekko. Differing schools advocate for the stirrup or horseshoe. Although advocates for the stirrup tekko emphasize near consensus, the horseshoe tekko practitioners concern themselves not so much with the forward evolution of the weapons as with the preservation of the original Okinawan cultural "jutsus" or "art forms". Advocates of the horseshoe version argue that the design best suits the functions as passed down in traditional kata for the weapon. Specific features of the horseshoe tekko, not found in the stirrup version, allow for new and interesting applications to emerge. In form and function, the horseshoe tekko more closely resembles a specialized knife such as a "double knife," a miniature "moon knife" or "duck knife". Unlike "brass knuckles" that rely primarily on "bludgeoning", the horseshoe tekko emphasizes "shielding against" (blocking) and "hooking" (capturing) incoming weapons attack, as well as "stabbing" an opponent or "hooking" anatomically vital points. Current practitioners Current practitioners of tekko kata include those in the lineage of Master Taira Shinken also called Ryukyu kobudo, which features the kata Maezato no tekko. Other tekko kata include Maezato no tekko (Ryu Kon Kai), Akamine, Takemyoshi, Miyazato, Kakazu, Kaneigawa, and Matayoshi (odo). The kata include heavy use of slashing and stabbing movements. The tekko of Okinawan kobudo (weapons kata) can be used to grip, squeeze and impale various parts of the anatomy at close quarters. The use of tekko remains an eclectic weapon used by select martial artists to practice discipline, and to express an ancient form of art. Current experts in the area usually will not teach the discipline unless the prospective student already has displayed appropriate demeanor over the course of many years for the training in other martial arts areas. A variant of the weapon, known as the tekkō-kagi (手甲鉤, lit. "back of the hand hooks"), whose shape has four iron nails like bear claws attached to a metal ring. Worn over the hands, the claws could be used for scraping and striking. It is used for both offensive and defensive purposes as the wielder can slash and defend with natural hand motions. On top of that, with proper technique, it could be used for ensnaring and disarming weapons.

4318024

Little Caesar (Kiss song)

"Little Caesar" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, featured on their 1989 album Hot in the Shade. It is the lone original song that drummer Eric Carr sang lead on during his tenure with Kiss (although he did sing lead on a remake of "Beth" on Kiss's Smashes, Thrashes & Hits album the year before). The song was written by Carr, Gene Simmons and Adam Mitchell. Background Carr submitted three songs to Kiss bassist Gene Simmons for selection for the then upcoming album, and according to Carr in 1990: Simmons actually loved the last song and suggested that Carr should make a complete demo of it. Carr and Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick went to the studio and completed a full recording. The track was originally titled "Ain't That Peculiar" (a version that is featured on 2001s The Box Set) and featured lyrics from the Marvin Gaye song of the same name until Carr and Simmons wrote a new set of lyrics together using the title "Little Caesar", which is what Simmons called Carr when he was acting like a tough guy. Live performance "Little Caesar" was played live once on the first night of the Hot in the Shade Tour, on April 26, 1990, at the Country Club in Reseda. Reception In Greg Prato's Allmusic review of Hot in the Shade, which he gave the album two out of a possible five stars, he stated that "Little Caesar" is one of the album's few bright spots". Personnel Drums, bass and lead vocals: Eric Carr Lead and rhythm guitars: Bruce Kulick Background vocals: Eric Carr, Bruce Kulick, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley

4318040

Sannin shogi

Sannin shōgi (三人将棋 three-person chess), or in full kokusai sannin shōgi (国際三人将棋 international three-person chess), is a three-person shogi variant invented circa 1930 by Tanigasaki Jisuke and recently revived. It is played on a hexagonal grid of border length 7 with 127 cells. Standard shogi pieces may be used, and the rules for capture, promotion, drops, etc. are mostly similar to standard shogi. (See that article for an explanation of these terms.) While piece movement differs somewhat from standard shogi, especially in the case of the powerful promoted king, the main difference in play is due to the rules for voluntary and mandatory alliance between two of the three players. Board and setup The board is thought to have originally been in the shape of an equilateral triangle bordered by three rectangles which contained the players' home territories and promotion zones. However, in terms of movement this was equivalent to a hexagon, and the modern form of sannin shogi is played on a hexagonal board, rather like the central portion of a Chinese checkers board. The three players occupy non-adjacent sides of the board; the three ranks nearest to them are their territories and their opponents' promotion zones. The 'international' arena inside the three territories remains triangular. The board is presented here with substitutions by standard shogi pieces; for the names actually used, see below. The central cell is called the Pleasure Garden and is an additional promotion zone, except for the king. It is drawn with a heavy or double border or otherwise made visually distinct. In the modern game, standard shogi pieces are used. Each player wields 18 pieces, the standard shogi set of 20 less one knight and one pawn. The pieces face away from the players: That is, they point toward the gap between the opposing players' territories. The three players represent three countries, and are called First, Middle, and Last. If two players start the game as allies, the remaining player is automatically First. Otherwise any random method may be used to determine the order of play. Play then precedes clockwise from First to Middle to Last. Board notation Standard shogi notation is used, with allowance made for the shape of the board. Numbering the ranks poses no problem: They are the rows that are horizontal from the viewpoint of Middle, and are given the letters a through m from top to bottom, with g being the central and widest rank. That is, the territories of First (top right player) and Last (top left player) span ranks a through i, and that of Middle (bottom player) occupies the three ranks k, l, m. The numbered "columns" are the rows that run from top left to bottom right from the viewpoint of Middle. They are given the numbers 1 to 13 from right to left, with 7 being the central and longest column. That is, First occupies columns 1 to 3, while the territories of Middle and Last span columns 5 through 13. The Pleasure Garden is thus cell 7g; the corners are at 1a, 1g, 7a, 7m, 13g, 13m; and at setup the three kings occupy 1d, 10m, and 10d; and the three knights 3e, 9k, and 9e. Movement on a hexagonal board Because each cell of a sannin shogi board is a hexagon rather than a rectangle as in other shogi variants, the pieces will necessarily move differently. Instead of four faces with adjacent squares and four corners, for eight directions total, there are six each for a total of twelve. However, except for castling and the promoted king, which is reminiscent of the queen of Western chess (indeed, it moves like the queen in Gliński's hexagonal chess), the pieces are fair analogues of their standard-shōgi counterparts. Except when castling, all pieces move in straight lines. These may be step moves, where a piece moves to the nearest cell in a particular direction, or ranging moves, where a piece may continue in a particular direction as long as it does not pass through an occupied cell. There are two kinds of paths along which pieces move: Passing through one of the faces of the starting cell to one of the six adjacent cells, or through this adjacent cell to continue straight in that direction. These six contiguous paths are called orthogonals in this article. They are equivalent to the four orthogonal directions on a rectangular board. Passing through one of the corners of the starting cell and between two adjacent cells to reach one of the six cells just beyond, or continuing in a straight line in that direction, alternatingly passing through and passing between the cells. These six skipping paths are called diagonals in this article. They are equivalent to the four diagonal directions on a rectangular board. A piece may travel along a diagonal even if the adjacent cells it passes between are occupied, since it doesn't actually pass through these adjacent cells, and this is not considered a jump, just as on a rectangular board. There are no jumping moves in sannin shogi except for the king when castling. These twelve directions correspond to the twelve hours on a clock: The orthogonals correspond to the odd hours (the direction of the hour hand at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 o'clock), and the diagonals correspond to the even hours (the hour hand at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 o'clock). Only the promoted king has the power to move in all twelve. The pieces and their moves Tanigasaki named the pieces after elements he considered basic to international affairs. However, they parallel the pieces of standard shogi, which are substituted for them in modern play; since the reader is likely familiar with these already, this article will use the piece names from standard shogi. {| border="1" class="wikitable" |- | colspan="2" style="background:#e0e0e0;" | Color coding for different types of movement |- | align=center width="20" style="background:#d0d0f0;" |   || The piece may step here, to the nearest cell (orthogonal or diagonal). |- | align=center width="20" style="background:#f0d0d0;" |   || The piece may range along these rows, crossing any number of empty cells. |- | align=center width="20" style="background:#ffdead;" |   || The promoted king may range in one of these directions, or illuminate (kill at a distance) in all. |} The king The king (K; "public opinion" in Tanigasaki's nomenclature) may step to any adjacent (orthogonal) cell (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 o'clock). A king may also castle on its first move, subject to certain restrictions (see below). A promoted king (+K; "rising sun" or "sunlight") may range along any of the twelve orthogonals or diagonals. A promoted king also gains the power to "kill by illumination": It may capture, without moving, any pieces that it could capture if it were to move. That is, it may capture more than one piece, but only one piece in any direction and only if they are unprotected by either opposing player. (It is not clear if it must capture all such pieces, or if it may be selective.) It cannot combine this power with a physical move. A king automatically promotes if the other two players enter into an alliance. A non-allied king (promoted or otherwise) that reaches the central cell of the board (the Pleasure Garden) wins the game. The rook The rook (R; "military education") may range along one of the forward or side orthogonals (9, 11, 1, or 3 o'clock), or along the diagonal directly backwards (6 o'clock). A promoted rook (+R; "heroism") has a more powerful retreat: It may range along any one of the six orthogonals. The bishop The bishop (B; "diplomacy") may range along any one of the six diagonals, and can reach only one-third of the board. (Compare Gliński's hexagonal chess, which has three bishops for this very reason.) A promoted bishop (+B; "witchcraft") gains the power to step to any adjacent (orthogonal) cell. That is, it may move as a bishop or as a king, and can therefore reach every cell on the board. The gold general and the knight The gold general, or simply 'gold' (G; "financial influence") may step to one of the orthogonal forward or side cells (9, 11, 1, or 3 o'clock), or to the diagonal cell directly forward or backward (6 or 12 o'clock). The knight (N; "customs") may step to any side cell, orthogonal (3 or 9 o'clock) or diagonal (2, 4, 8, or 10 o'clock). Neither has the ability to promote. The silver general The silver general, or simply 'silver' (S; "trade and industry") may step to one of the orthogonal forward or rear cells (11, 1, 5, or 7 o'clock), or to one of the forward side diagonal cells (10 or 2 o'clock). A promoted silver (+S; "treasure") gains the power to range along the forward and rear diagonals (12 and 6 o'clock). The lance The lance (L; "propaganda") may range along either of the two forward orthogonals (11 or 1 o'clock). As a consequence, it may run out of room to move, and will thus be required to promote so that it can move further, although it is always advantageous to promote a lance. As a lance can get stuck between the two promotion zones, it is unclear whether it's forced to promote, or simply stuck there until captured, since the former is true in shogi, and the latter is true in some of its variants. A promoted lance (+L; "transformation") gains the power to range along the rear orthogonals (5 and 7 o'clock) as well. The pawn The pawn (p; "colonist" or "pioneer") may step to either of the two forward orthogonal cells (11 or 1 o'clock). As a consequence, it may run out of room to move, and will thus be required to promote so that it can move further, although it is always advantageous to promote a pawn. As a pawn can get stuck between the two promotion zones, it is unclear whether it's forced to promote, or simply stuck there until captured, since the former is true in shogi, and the latter is true in some of its variants. A promoted pawn (+p; "dollar") moves like a gold general. Capture Capturing is done by displacement as in standard shogi. The one exception is the power of "illumination" of the promoted king. A piece may be captured regardless of any alliance the mover may have with its owner. A castling king may capture as any other moving piece does. Drops Captured pieces are truly captured in sannin shogi. They are retained "in hand", and can be brought back into play under the capturing player's control. On any turn, instead of moving a piece across the board, a player can take a piece he has previously captured and place it on any empty cell, facing away from himself. The piece is now part of the forces controlled by that player. This is termed dropping the piece, or just a drop. However, unlike in standard shogi, there being no proper files on a hexagonal board, there is no limit on the number of pawns per file. The restriction against dropping on the far rank (row a in the case of Middle) applies only to pawns and lances, as all other pieces can move from that position. Castling On its first move only, a king may jump to any vacant or enemy-occupied cell within its territory. There are two limitations to castling: The king must not be, or ever have been, in check. Once an alliance is formed, kings may no longer castle. Promotion Promotion rules are similar to standard shogi, except for the larger number of promotion zones and the restriction against allied players promoting. There are three promotion zones: Both of the opposing player's territories, plus the Pleasure Garden (the central cell of the board). In the case of the latter, only moves into or out of the Pleasure Garden are promotable moves: Passing through the cell does not count. Unlike standard shogi, the sannin shogi king can promote; indeed, when an alliance is formed, the non-allied king is automatically promoted. (However, a king cannot kill by illumination when it promotes. That requires an additional turn, as promotion does not take effect until the end of the promoting move.) When using standard game pieces, promotion entails turning the king blank side up. Checkmate and winning the game A player may not move into check or remain in check, even check by an ally. Likewise, a player may not check or checkmate an ally, and each player regardless of alliance must defend against check or threat of checkmate on the next move. (That is, if Middle and Last are allies, and First places Middle in check, Middle must answer the threat, even if he knows or thinks Last will come to the rescue.) A player loses the game upon checkmate, and is not given the opportunity to resign on his next turn. (That is, if Middle and Last are allied, and First checkmates Middle, the game is over, regardless of whether Middle or Last recognize this and resign.) When mated, all the player's pieces are removed from the board and from the game. They are not captured by the mating player. Play then shifts to the mating player, regardless of whose turn it would otherwise have been. There are three ways to win sannin shogi: If each player plays independently, the player remaining after the other two have been mated is the winner. If there is an alliance, then the non-allied player wins by mating either opposing player, and the game ends. That is, a player whose ally loses, loses as well. However, if the non-allied player is mated, the alliance is dissolved, and the two erstwhile allies continue the game between them. If any player not in an alliance (whether there is one or not) moves the king or promoted king (that is, the Public Opinion or the Sunlight) to the Pleasure Garden, that player wins and the game ends. (Note that the prohibition against moving into check holds for this move as for any other. This is similar to the King of the Hill chess variant.) Other rules Repetition of board positions is not allowed. Unlike standard shogi, it is the player who starts the repetitive sequence who must vary the move. There are no rules for various rare eventualities in sannin shogi, such as draws or revealed checkmate between allies. Alliances Two players may team up against the third, forming an alliance. They may attack each other, but not place each other in check until the third player is defeated, at which point the alliance is annulled. They may not move each other's pieces. Allies may attack each other to gain pieces-in-hand for drops, or to weaken each other in anticipation of the two-player end game. However, if either ally is checkmated by the third player, both lose, so these are dangerous tactics. Forming an alliance An alliance may be entered voluntarily before the start of the game. However, if two players gang up on the third at any time during the game, subject to the following definitions, an alliance is automatically formed. An alliance may not be broken except by defeat of the non-allied player. There are two types of coordinated attack that force an alliance: Discovered attack: One player moves out of the way of a second so that the second threatens the third with "material loss", and Dual attack: Two players in turn make threats of "material loss" against separate pieces of the third player, so that the third player cannot escape both threats. Material loss is defined as any exchange that materially benefits the attacking player. This includes check, threatened checkmate on the next move, threats against undefended pieces (something for nothing), and threats by less valuable (weaker) pieces on defended but more valuable (stronger) pieces (uneven exchange). Possible gain by the third player elsewhere is disregarded, even if this were to make up for the material loss caused by the coordinated attack. Likewise, the sequences of the moves are disregarded, even if they prove the loss of material is more apparent than real. For the purposes of calculating threats of uneven exchange, promoted values are ignored; the ranging pieces rook and bishop are considered equivalent and more valuable than the step movers gold, silver, knight, and the lance, which are in turn considered equivalent and more valuable than a pawn. Finally, check can be considered the extreme case of uneven exchange, so the value scale is K > (R = B) > (G = S = N = L) > p Regardless of whether the situation is a discovered or a dual attack, it does not force an alliance if any attacking move is a direct defense against a threat of material loss, as defined above. That is, if First attacks Middle, and Middle defends by moving in such a way that First now checks Last (a discovered attack), this does not force an alliance between First and Middle. Or, if Last attacks First, and First defends by checking Last, and then Middle threatens Last's rook, this does not force an alliance between First and Middle either. Rules that change in an alliance Several rules that change or come into force when an alliance is made have been mentioned above: Any of the three kings which has not already castled loses the ability to do so; The non-allied king is immediately promoted; Allied players lose the ability to promote their pieces, though any pieces already promoted remain so (it is not clear if the ability to promote returns once the alliance is dissolved); The two allied kings lose the right to win by reaching the Pleasure Garden (it is not clear if this ability returns once the alliance is dissolved); Neither ally may check or checkmate the other, and Both allies lose if either is checkmated. Sample game Here are the first six rounds of a game played at a meeting of the International Shogi Research Group on 28 May 1932. John Fairbairn describes some of the moves as "strange" considering the professional level of the players. The players were, First: Kimi Kinjiro (8-dan) Middle: Miyamatsu Kanzaburo (7-dan) Last: Yamamoto Kusuro (7-dan) The game began without an alliance.

4318047

355th Fighter Squadron

The 355th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Fightin' Falcons, is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. It is an active-duty unit assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing and operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. The squadron is tasked with the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. Between 2015 and 2019, the unit's assignment was that of a subordinate unit of the 495th Fighter Group based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas, flying the General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. History World War II Activated on 15 November 1942 at Hamilton Field, California, initially equipped with P-39 Airacobras and assigned to IV Fighter Command for training. Moved to several bases in California and Nevada then to Portland Army Air Base, Oregon in June 1943 and re-equipped with new North American P-51B Mustangs. Transitioned to the Mustang throughout the summer of 1943 the deployed to the European Theater of Operations, being assigned to IX Fighter Command in England. In late 1943, the strategic bombardment campaign over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany being conducted by VIII Bomber Command was taking heavy losses in aircraft and flight crews as the VIII Fighter Command's Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts lacked the range to escort the heavy B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers deep into Germany to attack industrial and military targets. The P-51 had the range to perform the escort duties and the unit's operational control was transferred to Headquarters, Eighth Air Force to perform escort missions. From its base at RAF Boxted, the unit flew long-range strategic escort missions with VIII Bomber Command groups, escorting the heavy bombers to targets such as Frankfurt, Leipzig, Augsburg, and Schweinfurt, engaging Luftwaffe day interceptors frequently, with the P-51s outperforming the German Bf 109 and Fw 190 interceptors, causing heavy losses to the Luftwaffe. Remained under operational control of Eighth Air Force until April 1944, when sufficient numbers of P-51D Mustangs and arrived from the United States and were assigned to VIII Fighter Command units for escort duty. Was relieved from escort duty and was re-equipped with P-47D Thunderbolts, and reassigned to RAF Lashenden on the southern coast of England. Mission was redefined to provide tactical air support for the forthcoming invasion of France, to support the Third, and later Ninth United States Armies. Flew fighter sweeps over Normandy and along the English Channel coast of France and the Low Countries, April–June 1944, then engaged in heavy tactical bombing of enemy military targets as well as roads, railroads and bridges in the Normandy area to support ground forces in the immediate aftermath of D-Day. Moved to Advanced Landing Grounds in France beginning at the end of June 1944, moving eastwards to combat airfields and liberated French airports supporting Allied Ground forces as the advanced across Northern France. Later, in 1944, the squadron became involved in dive-bombing and strafing missions, striking railroad yards, bridges, troop concentrations, and airfields. Participated in attacks on German forces in Belgium in the aftermath of the Battle of the Bulge, then moved eastward as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany. The squadron flew its last mission of the war on 7 May 1945 from the captured Luftwaffe airfield at Ansbach (R-45). Remained in Occupied Germany as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe XII Tactical Air Command occupying force after the German Capitulation, being stationed at AAF Station Herzogenaurach. Was inactivated on 31 March 1946. Cold War Reactivated by Tactical Air Command, United States Air Force on 19 November 1956, being assigned to the reactivated 354th Fighter-Day Group at the new Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina. Equipped with North American F-100 Super Sabre fighters, the squadron participated in exercises, operations, tests, and firepower demonstrations conducted by the Tactical Air Command within the US and abroad. The unit frequently deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy and Wheelus Air Base, Libya. Was deployed to Europe during the 1958 Lebanon crisis and was moved to McCoy Air Force Base, Florida in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Vietnam War On 3 February 1968, the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed to support the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phù Cát Air Base, South Vietnam for five months' Temporary Duty (TDY). At the end of the TDY on 5 July, the 355 TFS was permanently assigned to the 37th, with activated New Jersey and District of Columbia Air National Guard personnel from the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach replacing them and manning the unit. On 15 May 1969, with the reassignment of the 612th and 174th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, it was decided to convert the 37th to a McDonnell F-4 Phantom II wing. The F-100 equipped 355th, along with the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron were reassigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Tuy Hoa Air Base, replacing the Air National Guard 136th and 188th Tactical Fighter Squadrons which were returning to New York and New Mexico, respectively. At Tuy Hoa, the tail code of the 355th F-100s was changed to "SP", and deployed Air National Guard personnel from New York and New Mexico and regular Air Force personnel manned the 355th until its inactivation on 30 September 1970. During its time in Vietnam, the 355th flew more than 17,000 combat sorties flying close air support, interdiction, search and rescue, and helicopter support missions. The squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm for its service. On 1 November 1970, the 355 TFS was reactivated at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina as part of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing. Upon its return, the unit transitioned to the new LTV A-7D Corsair II aircraft before redeploying to Southeast Asia in the fall of 1972 as the first A-7 unit to fight there. In 10 weeks of combat before the end of that conflict, the squadron participated in the Linebacker II campaign, generated more than 4,000 sorties, and was credited with 22 rescues of downed airmen. The unit returned to Myrtle Beach in April 1974. A-10 Thunderbolt II (1978–2007) Post-Vietnam era In February 1978, the 355th TFS transitioned to the new Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, a close air support aircraft, becoming the second operational squadron in the nation's first A-10 wing. Duty called again in August 1990 when the unit deployed to King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. There, the squadron's pilots inflicted heavy damage to Iraqi armor and artillery emplacements, helped cut off enemy supply lines, and conducted search and rescue missions. The squadron contributed greatly to the 4,200 artillery, tank and other vehicle kills credited to A-10s during the war. Modern era Inactivated at Myrtle Beach on 31 March 1992, the 355 FS was reactivated on 20 August 1993, replacing the inactivating 11th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Eleison AFB, Alaska. The unit's primary missions included air strike control, close air support, interdiction, joint air attack team, escort, and combat search and rescue. With a dual role A/OA-10 Warthog squadron commitment and night vision goggles, the squadron had the ability to deploy forward air controllers with attack aircraft for a complete day and night employment capability. 355th FS deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy from January 1996 to March 1997, supporting Operation Joint Guard. No ordnance was employed, but pilots flew sorties and sat alert with combat loaded aircraft. The 355th FS also provided air liaison officers for the 172d Stryker Brigade Combat, providing advice, as ground forward air controllers, on the use of fighters and the tactical employment of close air support assets. In October 1998, the 355 FS deployed to support Operation Southern Watch. Only two months later, the Warthogs saw their second tour of combat duty over Iraq while participating in the 16–19 December 1998, Operation Desert Fox strike missions. In 2.5 months, the 355 FS flew 597 combat and combat support sorties leading up to, then conducting, National Command Authority directed strikes on Iraqi military facilities and suspected weapons of mass destruction storage areas. They achieved 100 percent target hit rate. The unit deployed to Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, in support of Operation Southern Watch, January–March 2001. The 355 FS also exercised at Hurlburt Field, Florida, to train with Special Forces units, October 2003. In Spring 2004 the unit deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit redeployed there again early 2006. During both deployments the unit was responsible to provide close air support to Army ground forces and convoys in Afghanistan. Base realignment and closure On 13 May 2005, The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program. The A-10 aircraft were to be distributed to the 917th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (three aircraft); to a new active-duty unit at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia (12 aircraft); and to backup inventory (three aircraft). Lt. Col. Quentin "Q-Tip" Rideout, 355th Fighter Squadron Commander, flew the last operational A-10 sortie at Eielson AFB on 31 July 2007. The last three A-10A aircraft departed Eielson AFB on 15 August 2007. Lt. Col. Kevin "Crotch" Blanchard flew 81-0944, Capt. Sean "Shark" Hall flew 79-0172, and Capt. Dale "Porkchop" Stark flew 80-0259. Fort Worth (2015–2019) In 2010, Detachment 457, a geographically separated unit of the 20th Operations Group at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, stood up at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The unit oversaw the integration of over 130 active-duty General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and maintenance personnel into the Air Force Reserve Command's 301st Fighter Wing under the Total Force Initiative. On 8 March 2013, the 495th Fighter Group was stood up at Shaw as a dedicated unit overseeing ten active associate fighter units, including Detachment 457. On 5 October 2015, Detachment 457 discontinued and was replaced by the 355th Fighter Squadron, which reactivated the same day. It was under the administrative command of the 495th Fighter Group and flying and maintaining General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcons assigned to the 301st's 457th Fighter Squadron at Fort Worth. Current Operations (2020–present) On 18 December 2020, the aircraft and personnel of the 355th were redesignated the 24th Fighter Squadron, the flag of the 355th returned to its historic base – Eielson Air Force Base. The 355th FS became the second Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II equipped unit in Alaska after the 356th Fighter Squadron. Lineage Constituted as the 355th Fighter Squadron on 12 November 1942 Activated on 15 November 1942 Redesignated 355th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 21 August 1944 Inactivated on 31 March 1946 Redesignated 355th Fighter-Day Squadron on 28 September 1956 Activated on 19 November 1956 Redesignated 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958 Inactivated on 30 September 1970 Activated on 1 November 1970 Redesignated 355th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 Inactivated on 31 March 1992 Activated on 20 August 1993 Inactivated on 15 August 2007 Activated on 5 October 2015 Inactivated on 25 October 2019 Activated on 18 December 2020 Assignments 354th Fighter Group, 15 November 1942 – 31 March 1946 354th Fighter-Day Group, 19 November 1956 354th Fighter-Day Wing (later 354th Tactical Fighter Wing), 25 September 1957 Attached to: Seventeenth Air Force, 15 July – 26 October 1958; 19 May – 17 September 1959; 10 September 1960 – 16 January 1961; 7 July – 14 October 1962; 3 July – 17 September 1963; 8 June – 28 August 1964; 2 July – 25 September 1965; and 4 December 1965 – 23 April 1966, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, 5 September – 19 November 1961, 2d Air Division Provisional, 21 October – 1 December 1962, Alaskan Air Command, 6–20 February 1963, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, 3 February – 22 April 1968 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, 22 April 1968 (remained attached to 37th Tactical Fighter Wing until 4 July 1968 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, 5 July 1968 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, 19 May 1969 – 30 September 1970 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (later 354th Fighter Wing), 1 November 1970 – 31 March 1992 (attached to 354th Combat Support Group, 15 – 16 August 1990, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing Provisional, 20 December 1990 – 2 August 1991 354th Operations Group, 20 August 1993 – 15 August 2007 495th Fighter Group, 5 October 2015 – 25 October 2019 354th Operations Group, 18 December 2020 – present Stations Hamilton Field, California, 15 November 1942 Tonopah Army Air Field, Nevada, 20 January 1943 Hayward Army Air Field, California, 4 May 1943 Portland Army Air Base, Oregon, 3 June – 6 October 1943 RAF Greenham Common, England, 4 November 1943 RAF Boxted, England, 13 November 1943 RAF Lashenden, England, c. 14 April 1944 Cricqueville-en-Bessin (A-2), France, c. 18 June 1944 Gaël (A-31), France, 14 August 1944 Orconte (A-66), France, 21 September 1944 Operated from Saint-Dizier/Robinson (A-64), France, c. 18 November – 1 December 1944 Rosieres en Haye (A-98), France, 1 December 1944 Mainz-Finthen Airdrome (Y-64), Ober-Olm, Germany, c. 4 April 1945 Ansbach Airdrome (R-82), Germany, 1 May 1945 Herzogenaurach Airdrome (R-29), Germany, c. 15 May 1945 – 15 February 1946 Bolling Field, District of Columbia, 15 February – 31 March 1946 Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, 19 November 1956 – 5 July 1968 Deployed to Adana Air Base, Turkey, 15 July – 26 October 1958; Aviano Air Base, Italy, 19 May – 17 September 1959, 10 September 1960 – 16 January 1961, 7 July – 14 October 1962, 15 June – 28 August 1964, 2 July – 25 September 1965; Hahn Air Base, West Germany, 5 September – 19 November 1961; McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, 21 October – 1 December 1962; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 6 – 20 February 1963; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 3 July – 17 September 1963, 4 December 1965 – 23 April 1966; Orland, Norway, 8 – 15 June 1964; Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, after 3 February 1968 Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, 5 July 1968 Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, 15 May 1969 – 30 September 1970 Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 November 1970 – 31 March 1992 Deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 10 October 1972 – 16 March 1973, 15 October 1973 – 26 April 1974; King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia, 15 August 1990 – 2 August 1991 Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, 20 August 1993 – 15 August 2007 Fort Worth Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Texas. 5 October 2015 – 25 October 2019 Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, 18 Dec 2020 – present Major aircraft assigned Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943 North American P-51 Mustang, 1943–1944; 1945–1946 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945 North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1956–1970 LTV A-7 Corsair II, 1970–1977 Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, 1978–1992; 1993–2007 General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 2015–2019 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, 2020–present Campaign streamers World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Vietnam War: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Vietnam Ceasefire. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. Decorations Distinguished Unit Citations: ETO, [Dec] 1943 – 15 May 1944; France, 25 August 1944 Presidential Unit Citations: Southeast Asia, 1 July – 31 December 1968; Southeast Asia, 10 October 1972 – 30 April 1973. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 October 1962 – 31 December 1963; 3 February – 30 June 1968; 1 November 1970 – 31 May 1972; 1 May 1974 – 30 April 1976; 1 January 1978 – 31 March 1979; 1 July 1985 – 30 June 1987; 1 May 1990 – 15 March 1992; 1 June 2017 - 31 May 2019. French Croix De Guerre with Palm: 1 December 1943 – 31 December 1944. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 22 January 1968 – 31 August 1970.

4318056

Avondale Mall

Avondale Mall, originally known as Columbia Mall, opened in 1964 as an enclosed mall in the state of Georgia, United States. The mall's original name came from its location at the intersection of Columbia & Memorial Drives near Avondale Estates. It was demolished in 2007. Anchors The mall's original anchors were Davison's and Sears. Macy's developed the mall, which consisted of of shop space on two levels and was the second-largest mall in Atlanta at the time. After Sears closed and before renovations began, some indoor and outdoor shopping mall scenes for the Chuck Norris movie "Invasion USA" were filmed here. The "entry" crash of the Chevy pickup into the mall was shot at the mall's main entrance. The scenes inside the mall with the Nissan pickup were inside the mall nearest the Davison's end. The escalator scene was inside the old Sears building, and the "exit" crash through the window was on the western side of Sears on the first level (the movie then cut to an exterior scene of a mall in South Florida). After the filming, Columbia Mall was purchased by Cadillac Fairview and Scott Hudgens Co. in 1983, who announced plans to renovate the space. At the same time, Sears announced that it would close its store there. The mall was expanded into both floors of the former Sears store, which were subdivided into smaller tenant spaces. At one time, the lower level of the old Sears building housed a new, smaller Sears Outlet Store, which became a Goody's for some time. The mall also featured a McCrory's. Later years The decline at the mall began in the 1970s and 1980s. When the two anchor stores left in 1984 and 1995, the mall was unable to attract replacements. Management tried in 1995 to increase foot traffic. After Davison's/Macy's left the mall, that anchor building's upper floor was converted to a 16 screen movie theater, while the lower floor remained vacant except for a newly built stairwell leading from the lower level mall to the upper level theaters. This addition to the mall may have helped keep them up and running for another 6 years, but the mall was closed at the end of 2001. Demolition Demolition of the mall began in February 2007. The last two walls of the old Sears came down on March 21, 2007. The former mall was replaced with a Wal-Mart Supercenter, as well as space for condominiums and commercial outlets. This plan met with strong resistance from residents of nearby Avondale Estates. However, the Wal-Mart opened in March 2008.

4318062

Les Twentyman

Leslie Jack Twentyman is a prominent youth outreach worker and community activist in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Raised in Braybrook, he is one of Victoria's best known social campaigners, on issues ranging from homelessness, drug abuse, prison reform and social welfare. Biography His rise to prominence began in 1989. Radio 3XY sport journalist Doug Ackerly first suggested his social worker friend Les as someone who could provide comment for the station's news about a story on youth. Melbourne newspaper The Sunday Age heard Les on the station and later interviewed him for its own story followed by Melbourne's Channel 9. Despite the random nature of his initial media appearance, from there Les went on to be considered a youth issues 'expert' and the first point of call for Melbourne journalists for comment on a range of community issues. Les became well known for his work at Open Family which helps street-children and runs a youth refuge house in Victoria that houses 200 young people a year. In 2009, Les left Open Family to work on his own 20thMan Fund which provides youth services in the western suburbs of Melbourne. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994, was a finalist for Australian of the Year in 2004, and was awarded Victorian of the Year in 2006. He has been an independent candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council in 1992 and 1996. He also stood in the 2008 Kororoit by-election for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Kororoit on 28 June 2008, coming second to Labor after the distribution of preferences. His campaign had been supported by the Electrical Trades Union and was managed by former independent MP Phil Cleary. He wrote an autobiography, The Les Twentyman Story, which was published by Hardie Grant in 2000.

4318063

Beomeosa

Beomeosa (Temple of the Nirvana Fish) is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Cheongnyong-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, South Korea. Built on the slopes of Geumjeongsan, it is one of the country's best known urban temples. Origin of name The mountain where Beomeosa is found is said to have huge rock at the summit where there is a golden well which never, ever dries up. The water of this well is believed to have very special magical properties as one day a golden fish came from heaven and has lived there ever since. Beom(범;梵) = Nirvāṇa - eo(어;魚) = fish - sa(사;寺) = temple. Thus the name of the temple came to be ＂Heavenly Fish.＂ It is also claimed that the fish came from Nirvana, the Buddhist state of non-suffering. Therefore, the temple also became known as ＂The temple where fish from Nirvana Play.＂ On December 26, 2011, the Los Angeles Times printed a story of the fighting monks at this temple. South Korean Buddhist monk Ando demonstrates Sunmudo martial arts techniques. Monks from Beomeosa Temple are famed for defeating Japanese invaders during the late 16th century and again during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the early 20th century. History Beomeosa Temple (Korean: 범어사, Chinese: 梵魚寺, Pronounced "Beo-meo-sa") is located on Mt. Geumjeongsan in Busan, and was established in 678 as one of the ten major temples of the Avatamsaka School. According to the Sinjeung dongguk yeoji seungnam (新增東國輿地勝覽; Revised Academic Geography for the Eastern Country), a golden fish descended from heaven and frolicked in a well on this mountaintop. Thus, the mountain was named "Geumjeongsan (金井山; literally 'Golden Well Mountain')," and the temple built on it was named "Beomeosa (梵魚寺; literally 'Spiritual Fish Temple')." As it was established by decree of King Munmu, Beomeosa Temple began on 360 gyeol of land and had 360 dormitory rooms. However, it was almost reduced to ashes during the Japanese invasion (1592-1597). Later, in 1613, monks like Ven. Myojeon and Ven. Haemin renovated some of its Dharma halls and the dormitory. The Main Buddha Hall and One Pillar Gate are known to have been built at that time. Beomeosa Temple is considered one of the three major temples in southeast Korea, along with Haeinsa Temple and Tongdosa Temple. Its strong Seon Buddhist spirit has earned it the title "Great Headquarters Temple of Seon Buddhism." Seon Master Gyeongheo, an eminent monk of modern times, opened a Seon center at Beomeosa in 1900. Inspired by Ven. Gyeongheo, Seongwol, then abbot of Beomeosa, taught the Seon tradition by establishing Seon centers and Seon assemblies in Beomeosa's six hermitages in the span of 10 years as follows: Geumgangam in 1899; Anyangam in 1900; Gyemyeongam in 1902; Wonhyoam in 1906; Ansimnyo in 1909; and Daeseongam in 1910. Eminent monks who have lived at the temple include Great Masters Uisang, Pyohun, Nangbaek, Myeonghak, Gyeongheo, Yongseong, Manhae and Dongsan. Even today, Beomeosa Temple teaches serious Buddhist practice. In 2012, the temple was designated a Geumjeong Chongnim, one of eight comprehensive monastic training complexes for the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and its first spiritual patriarch is Master Jiyu. Landscape The superb scenery of Mt. Geumjeongsan and Beomeosa Temple are called the "three extraordinary sites of Beomeosa Temple" and "eight scenic wonders of Mt. Geumjeongsan." The three extraordinary sites are: the rock peak behind Wonhyoam Hermitage; two rocks in the shape of a chicken at Gyemyeongam Hermitage; and the legendary "golden well" on top of Mt. Geumjeongsan. The eight scenic wonders refer to: the pine forest around Eosan Bridge at the entrance of the temple; moonlit autumn nights at Gyemyeongam Hermitage; rain at night at Cheongnyeonam Hermitage; the sound of the temple bell heard from Naewonam Hermitage; the murmuring of the mountain stream at Daeseongam Hermitage; late autumn foliage at Geumgangam Hermitage; the view of the sea from Uisang Peak; and the clouds encircling Godang Peak, the summit of Mt. Geumjeongsan. Treasures Well before reaching the Beomeosa Temple compound, visitors first see Jogyemun (Treasure No. 1461), the One Pillar Gate. All of its four pillars have short wooden columns sitting on high stone bases. Around the temple is a mass of wild wisteria, consisting of over 6,500 plants (Natural Monument No. 176). Every year in late spring, their lavender blossoms create an extraordinary sight, unseen anywhere else in Korea. That's why this valley has been called since ancient times "Deungungok (藤雲谷; 'Wisteria Blossom Valley')." The temple complex has several buildings and other objects which are designated as official treasures: Treasure 250 - Three Story Stone Pagoda. This pagoda dates back to the Unified Shilla era probably erected as part of the original temple that was destroyed by fire in 1592. Only the top three-stories are from the Shilla where the base and fence are later additions. Treasure 434 - Daeungjeon, the main temple hall, was built in 1614 after the temple was burned down during the Japanese invasion of 1592. Major renovations of Daeungjeon were undertaken in 1713, 1814 and 1871. Tangible Cultural Asset 2 - Iljumun. The first gate to the temple, called the "One Pillar Gate" because when viewed from the side the gate appears to be supported by a single pillar, symbolizing the one true path of enlightenment, supporting the world. Tangible Cultural Assets 11 and 12 - Wonhyoam Eastern Pagoda and Wonhyoam Western Pagoda. Wonhyoam (hermitage) is located to the south of Beomeosa and is the site of these two pagodas. This the site of the former residence of the famous Shilla monk, Wonhyo. Tangible Cultural Asset 15 - Flag Pole Holder. These two very old stone structures, called a jiju, were used to support a flagpole between them. The stones are found on the path up to Beomeosa's main gate. Tangible Cultural Asset 16 - Stone Lamp. This lamp dates back to the Unified Shilla era and was part of the original temple that was destroyed by fire in 1592. Gallery - Main Temple Hermitages Chungryungam (Blue Lotus Hermitage) Naewonam (Buddha's Celestial Teaching Hall Hermitage) Kyemyongam (Rooster's Crow Hermitage) Daesongam (Great Saint Hermitage) Geumgangam (Diamond Hermitage) Anyangam (Peace Nurturing Hermitage) Mirukam (Maitreya Hermitage) Wonhyoam (Former hermitage residence of the famous monk, Wonhyo) Sajaam (Lion Hermitage) Mansongam (Great Teacher Hermitage) Chijangam (Ksitigarbha Hermitage) Tourism It also offers temple stay programs where visitors can experience Buddhist culture. Gallery - Chungryungam

4318074

Building and Wood Workers' International

The Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) is the global union federation of democratic and free trade unions in the building, building materials, wood, forestry and allied industries. History The federation was established in 2005, by the merger of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW) and the World Federation of Building and Wood Workers (WFBW). , it has 350 member organisations in 135 countries, representing a combined membership of more than 12 million workers. Organisation The BWI is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Regional Offices and Project Offices are located in Panama and Malaysia, South Africa, India, Australia, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Kenya, South Korea, Russia, Argentina, Peru and Brazil. The organisation works closely with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the other global union federations, and has a Special Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Committee of the United Nations. The BWI holds its World Congress every four years, consisting of delegates from the member organisations. The congress establish set the priorities and strategy for the organisation, and elects the World Council, which meets once a year. As supreme governing body during the intercongress period, it is responsible for all policies and operations of the BWI. The World Council subsequently appoints a World Board, which is responsible for the administration of the BWI and for the implementation of its policies. The World Board meets twice a year. The organisation's headquarters is located in Geneva, in Switzerland. Leadership General Secretaries 2005: Anita Normark 2009: Hör Ambet Yuson Presidents 2005: Klaus Wiesehügel 2013: Per-Olof Sjöö

4318078

Invisible Waves

Invisible Waves () is a 2006 crime film by Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, with screenplay by Prabda Yoon, cinematography by Christopher Doyle, and starring Tadanobu Asano – all people that Pen-Ek had worked with on his previous film, Last Life in the Universe. It had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and was also shown at the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival and the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. Plot Kyoji is a cook living in Macau. He works for a Thai restaurant in Hong Kong and has been having an affair with Seiko, the wife of his boss, Wiwat, who orders Kyoji to poison her. After the deed is done, Kyoji is ordered to leave Hong Kong. He consults with the mysterious Monk, who gives him money and advice to contact Lizard. Kyoji then boards a cruise ship, and is given a small, dreary cabin belowdecks, where nothing seems to work properly. In trying to find his way back topside, he gets lost. Finally, up on deck, he meets Noi. Noi has a baby named Nid, whom Kyoji finds hanging on the deck rail in a harness, where Noi left the child while she was swimming. Eventually, the ship reaches its destination, Phuket, Thailand, where real life-or-death adventures begin for Kyoji as he starts to put the pieces together about what he's done. Cast Tadanobu Asano as Kyoji Maria Cordero as Maria Toon Hiranyasap as Wiwat Kang Hye-jung as Noi Ken Mitsuishi as Lizard Eric Tsang as Monk Tomono Kuga as Seiko Awards and nominations 2006 Berlin International Film Festival – world premiere, nominated for Golden Bear. 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival – in competition and opening film. Oscar controversy Invisible Waves had been announced as Thailand's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards by the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand, but was then withdrawn and replaced with Ahimsa ... Stop to Run, which upset the Invisible Waves production company, Five Star Production. The film federation said that the reason for the change was that a print of the film wouldn't be available in time to send to the Academy for consideration, but Five Star, sales agent Fortissimo Films and distributor Palm Pictures stated that was not true. Earlier, the federation had opposed the film's opening of the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival, stating that since it was an international co-production it was not truly a Thai film.

4318106

Scaly-headed triplefin

The scaly-headed triplefin, Karalepis stewarti, is a triplefin, the only species in the genus Karalepis. It is endemic to New Zealand where it is found around North Island, South Island, the Three Kings Islands, Snares Island and Stewart Island. It is a nocturnal species It occurs at depths of about , in reef areas of broken rock. The specific name honours Andy Stewart of the Department of Fishes at the National Museum of New Zealand.

4318129

2006 AFL season

The 2006 Australian Football League season was the 110th season of the elite Australian rules football competition and the 17th under the name 'Australian Football League', having switched from 'Victorian Football League' after 1989. defeated defending premiers in the grand final to win their third premiership, in what was the first grand final since 1966 to be decided by one point. Pre-season competition 3.10.5 (92) defeated 1.10.15 (84) in the 2006 NAB Cup Final. The game was held at AAMI Stadium, with an attendance of 30,707. Premiership season Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Round 11 Round 12 Round 13 Round 14 Round 15 Round 16 Round 17 Round 18 Round 19 Round 20 Round 21 Round 22 Ladder Ladder progression Finals series Week one Week two Week three Week four Awards The Brownlow Medal was awarded 25 September 2006 to Adam Goodes from , for the AFL's best and fairest player. The Leigh Matthews Trophy was awarded to Chris Judd from as the AFL Players Association's most valuable player. The Coleman Medal was awarded to Brendan Fevola from . The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Andrew Embley from as the player best afield in the 2006 AFL Grand Final. The AFL Rising Star award goes to Danyle Pearce from . The McClelland Trophy was awarded to for finishing on top of the ladder after the regular season. The Wooden Spoon was "awarded" to for finishing 16th on the AFL ladder for the second straight year under Denis Pagan. The 2006 All-Australian Team has been announced, with 10 debutants and Brad Johnson named as captain. The AFL Mark of the Year was awarded to Brad Ottens from for his mark in round 5. The AFL Goal of the Year was awarded to Eddie Betts from for his goal in round 21. Best and fairests Adelaide: Simon Goodwin Brisbane: Simon Black Carlton: Lance Whitnall Collingwood: Alan Didak Essendon: Scott Lucas Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich Geelong: Paul Chapman Hawthorn: Sam Mitchell Kangaroos: Brady Rawlings Melbourne: James McDonald Port Adelaide: Brendon Lade Richmond: Kane Johnson St Kilda: Nick Riewoldt Sydney: Adam Goodes West Coast: Chris Judd Western Bulldogs: Brad Johnson Notable events The Melbourne Cricket Ground was unavailable until round 4, due to its use as the main athletics stadium at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which concluded just four days prior to the season starting. Matthew Lloyd, in only his third game as captain, injured his hamstring against the , ending his season. This marked the Bulldogs' first victory over Essendon since inflicting their only defeat of the 2000 season. Despite a first round thrashing of reigning premiers , in which Lloyd kicked eight goals on Leo Barry, Essendon would suffer its worst season since 1933, winning only two further matches and drawing one against , and just avoiding the wooden spoon to the Blues on percentage. In Round 5, and 's game ended in controversy after the final siren was not heard by umpires, with the extra time allowing St Kilda to level the scores – the result was changed by the AFL commission later in the week on the basis that the timekeeper had failed to perform his duties. The amended result proved crucial to the end-of-season ladder standings, because had the draw stood, St Kilda would have finished in the top four at the expense of reigning premiers Sydney, which would've finished fifth and therefore missed out on the double chance in the finals. suffered three 100-point losses in season 2006, against the in round 1 (115 points), in round 7 (118 points) and in round 17 (103 points). A struggling Richmond team defeated league-leaders Adelaide in round 8 in an often-discussed game. To counteract Adelaide's strong flood, Richmond slowly built up a lead by patiently controlling the football without ever kicking to a contest, a move described as both boring and brilliant. In the final quarter, Adelaide were forced to switch to man-on-man tactics, almost erasing the deficit, but falling three points short. In executing this plan, Richmond took 181 marks, which is the highest amount ever (recorded since 1987). In round 8, Brendan Fevola became the first player to kick all of his team's goals in a game since Mark Arceri in 1991 (also while playing for Carlton, kicking their only goal). Of Carlton's 4.10 (34), Fevola contributed 4.5 (29), Simon Wiggins scored two behinds, and three behinds were rushed. He also became the first player in 41 years to win a Coleman Medal from the wooden spoon winning side. St Kilda broke two long winning droughts at the SCG and the Gabba by beating Sydney and Brisbane in rounds 11 and 22 respectively. The latter match was Michael Voss' final game for the Lions. For the first time in VFL/AFL history, four non-Victorian teams filled the top four with , , and all earning the double chance. The remainder of the top eight were filled by teams based in Victoria. Bottom teams and had a draw in round 16, 2006. Carlton's Eddie Betts scored the match-tying goal with under one minute remaining to deny Essendon what would have been just their second win for the season. Essendon would eventually achieve that the following week. This match was dubbed the "Bryce Gibbs Cup", named after the young Glenelg midfielder who was expected to be, and ultimately was, drafted with the first pick at the end of the year, by the media as both teams were firmly rooted to the bottom of the ladder leading into their match. In the second Qualifying Final, beat minor premiers by a solitary point, the final scores reading 85 to 84. When the teams met again in the grand final, the final scores were also 85 to 84, but it was West Coast that claimed the victory. Rohan Smith and Scott West each played their 300th games for the in the club's 74-point defeat to in the semi final. For Smith, this was his final AFL game. Player changes Debuts Retirements End of season John Barker – Mark Chaffey – Barnaby French – Saverio Rocca – Jarrad Schofield – Brad Scott – Greg Stafford – Chad Morrison – Adam Kingsley – Stephen Powell – Justin Peckett – Michael Voss – (due to being contracted until the end of the 2007 AFL season he was still on Brisbane's list in 2007) Rohan Smith – Drew Banfield – Club captains Delistings Jayden Attard – Matthew Ball – Matthew Bishop – Luke Forsyth – Ben Hart – Clark Keating – Andrew Kellaway – Troy Makepeace – Marty Pask – Justin Perkins – Mark Powell – Cameron Thurley – Trades

4318141

Eton Montem

Eton Montem (or ad Montem – literally to the Mountain) was a custom observed by Eton College from at least 1561 until it was finally suppressed in 1847, at the Montem Mound (or Salt Hill) in Chalvey, Slough, Buckinghamshire (later Berkshire). The mound is situated some 2 miles from the college near the London to Bath coach road, now the A4. Montem is first reported in William Malim's consuetudinarium (book of customs) of 1561, when it seems to have been an initiation ceremony for new boys, who were scattered with salt (which can mean 'wit' as well as 'salt') at the mound. By the 18th century, the ceremony had changed to a glorified flag day. Salt was no longer scattered on scholars; instead, pinches of salt and little blue tickets were sold to passers-by (the blue ticket – inscribed on alternate celebrations with 'Mos Pro Lege' or 'Pro More et Monte' – acted as a ticket of exemption from further contributions) for 'salt' – money that went towards the anticipated expenses of the Captain of the School (the senior Colleger) at King's College, Cambridge. Collecting was restricted to two 'salt-bearers' (also senior boys at the college) and ten or twelve 'servitors' or 'runners' who between them covered all the roads around Eton and Windsor. Until 1758, Montem was held annually in January. The timing was then moved to the more clement weather of Whitsun Tuesday and the festival became biennial. In 1778, the frequency was reduced further so that Montem was only celebrated once every three years. As time passed, the event seems to have become bigger, becoming eventually a semi-military muster of the whole school. Crowds and royalty (including at various times Queen Charlotte, George IV, William IV, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) flocked to see the event. Towards the end of the ceremony's life, more than £1000 would typically be collected in salt, but this was before expenses, leaving substantially less for the Captain of the School to take to university. A feature of the later Montems was the publication of a "Montem Ode", composed for the occasion, and sold in the form of a broadside to visitors and Etonians. It typically consisted of doggerel punning rhymes, giving the names of the chief personages in the procession and alluding to their individual characteristics. It professed to be written by a local worthy who was styled the "Montem Poet", but in reality it was the production of some youthful wags in the school. The office of Montem Poet was held from the 1770s until 1834 by Herbert Stockhore of Windsor, an eccentric individual who had begun his career as a bricklayer. Arrayed in a tunic and trousers of patchwork, an old military coat, and a chintz-covered conical head-dress, with rows of fringe on it like the crowns on a papal tiara, he drove about in a donkey-cart, reciting his Ode, and flourishing copies of it in the air to attract the attention of possible customers. After his death, there was a contest for the vacant office, and a certain Edward Irwin was elected, the boys recording their votes as they came out of Church one afternoon. The final Montems in 1841 and 1844 followed the opening of the Great Western Railway and attracted large and rowdy crowds from London. In view of this (and the much diminished profit to be made), headmaster Edward Craven Hawtrey and Provost Francis Hodgson abolished the custom before the 1847 Montem. The reduced anticipated profit can be seen from the fact that the potential beneficiary was compensated with a payment of £200. In 1791, Arthur Atherley, later Member of Parliament for Southampton, had his portrait painted whilst at Eton College by Sir Thomas Lawrence – this portrait now hangs in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The portrait show Atherley in the uniform of captain of the Ad Montem club. In a novel interpretation of the ceremony the early 20th century neo-druidic writer E.O.Gordon suggested that the Montem was one of several ceremonies with pagan origins that the college founder Henry VI stipulated should be followed at Eton. Gordon cites college statutes for the celebration of May Day and the autumnal equinox and suggests that these and the Montem ceremony were instigated by Henry to show his links back to Celtic kings. Gordon describes the Montem mound (which she also calls Sol's Hill) as one of several important Druidic places of assembly around London. Description of Montem by Benjamin Disraeli from his novel Coningsby, circa 1840 Five hundred of the youth of England, sparkling with health, high spirits, and fancy dresses, were now assembled in the quadrangle. They formed into rank, and headed by a band of the Guards, thrice they marched round the court. Then quitting the College, they commenced their progress 'ad Montem.' It was a brilliant spectacle to see them defiling through the playing fields, those bowery meads; the river sparkling in the sun, the castled heights of Windsor, their glorious landscape; behind them, the pinnacles of their College.The road from Eton to Salt Hill was clogged with carriages; the broad fields as far as eye could range were covered with human beings. Amid the burst of martial music and the shouts of the multitude, the band of heroes, as if they were marching from Athens, or Thebes, or Sparta, to some heroic deed, encircled the mount; the ensign reaches its summit, and then, amid a deafening cry of 'Floreat Etona!' he unfurls, and thrice waves the consecrated standard.Further reading Fraser, Maxwell. "The Eton Montem", The History of Slough, Slough Corporation, 1973, pp. 74–78. Montem Lists from 1773 to 1832, Inclusive.'' London: T. Ingalton, 1835.

4318144

Bromodichloromethane

Bromodichloromethane is a trihalomethane with formula CHBrCl2. Bromodichloromethane has formerly been used as a flame retardant, and a solvent for fats and waxes and because of its high density for mineral separation. Now it is only used as a reagent or intermediate in organic chemistry. Bromodichloromethane can also occur in municipally-treated drinking water as a by-product of the chlorine disinfection process. Notes

4318145

Armenian Brotherhood Church

The Armenian Brotherhood Church (also known by names such as the Armenian Evangelical Brotherhood Church and the Armenian Brotherhood Bible Church) started within the Armenian Evangelical Church in the 19th century. The Armenian Orthodox Apostolic Church gave rise to the Armenian Evangelical Church; similarly the Armenian Brotherhood Church was born out of the Armenian Evangelical Church. In the beginning of the twentieth century, many people in some of the suburbs of Cilicia, including Harpert, Marash, Hasan Bay, Aintab, and Adana, joined the Brotherhood fellowship, a group that sprang out of the Evangelical Church which was having unofficial meetings. The Armenian genocide did not permit this group to prosper in Cilicia. After the massacres, the remaining Armenian people migrated to the Middle East and settled in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Those who migrated to Europe mainly settled in Greece and France. Among those who settled in these countries, some spiritual brothers began similar meetings, first at homes and later in rented halls, and finally, when the number of the constituency increased and funds allowed, they began to move into church buildings. Among those who migrated to Aleppo, Syria, were Brothers Abraham Seferian, Minas Bozoklian and Mihran Kasardjian. They gathered people of the three denominations, Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical, and began to have unofficial home Bible studies. In time this group grew and took more official status, and finally it was named as the Spiritual Brotherhood Church. This later spread into other countries, with names such as Armenian Evangelical Brotherhood Church, Armenian Brotherhood Bible Church, etc. Numerous Brotherhood Churches were established in the Middle East: Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad, Tehran, Cairo, Alexandria. In Europe: Valance, Paris, Athens. And in South America: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, São Paulo, and Montevideo. The brothers who migrated to North America, established churches in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Fresno, Los Angeles, and Pasadena. Organization The central committee of the Armenian Brotherhood Church is the Union of Armenian Brotherhood Bible Churches, headquartered in Pasadena, California in the United States. Regional Union of Europe and the Middle East Tehran (Iran) Beirut (Lebanon) Damascus (Syria) Yerevan (Armenia) Athens (Greece) Alfortville, Paris (France) Sydney (Australia) Valence (France) Regional Union of South America Buenos Aires (Argentina) Córdoba (Argentina) Montevideo (Uruguay) São Paulo (Brazil) Regional Union of North America Pasadena, California (United States) Hollywood, California (United States) Glendale, California (United States) New Milford, New Jersey (United States) Fresno, California (United States) Montreal, Quebec (Canada) Toronto, Ontario (Canada) Armenian Brotherhood Church - Yerevan The Armenian Brotherhood Church of Yerevan () was founded in 1999 by Pastor Hovhannes Halladjian. Starting only with couple of faithful members, the community grew into a center of Christian fellowship in the heart of the capital of Armenia. Pastor Hovhaness, originally from Beirut, spent seven years in Athens serving at the local Armenian Brotherhood Church. He was a skilled organiser, educated in theology, and helped to establish the first Brotherhood church in a post-Soviet breakaway country.

4318147

Dibromochloromethane

Dibromochloromethane is a colorless to yellow, heavy and nonflammable compound with formula . It is a trihalomethane. The substance has a sweet odour. Small quantities of dibromochloromethane are produced in ocean by algae. Applications Dibromochloromethane was formerly used as a flame retardant and as an intermediate in chemicals manufacturing. Today it is used only as a laboratory reagent. Dibromochloromethane is also a disinfection byproduct, formed by the reaction of chlorine with natural organic matter and bromide ions in the raw water supply. As a result, it is commonly found in chlorinated drinking water. Also, it is able to reduce methane production in ruminants by 79 %

4318159

Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers

Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers (JSE: CAT) is a South African newspaper company. History The company was founded in 1902 by Terry Moolman and Noel Coburn, two Pretoria businessmen who started a small stationery and general printing factory in Pretorius Street and named it after early English printer William Caxton. In 1947, Dr HJ van der Bijl became chairman of the board; he was the driving force behind the company going public the same year, as Caxton Ltd. In 1961, Caxton was purchased by Eagle Press and at the same time acquired its first newspaper, the South African Jewish Times. During the same year Caxton moved its operations to Doornfontein in Johannesburg. In 1968, Caxton again changed ownership, this time to Felstar Publications. During the same year, The Germiston Eagle was introduced as a weekly supplement to the South African Jewish Times. This was the forerunner of all community newspapers in South Africa. By 1978, Caxton were publishing the following newspapers either fortnightly, monthly or weekly: Sandton Chronicle, North Eastern Tribune, Northcliff and Blackheath Times, Randburg Sun, Southern Courier, Mayfair-Brixton, Newlands-Melville Telegraph, Rosebank Killarney Gazette and Roodepoort Record. In 1985, Caxton acquired CTP (Cape and Transvaal Printers), a R100-million printing company. This enabled Caxton to meet the growing demand for the high-speed, high-quality printing of newspapers and magazines. Caxton/CTP (as the company became popularly known) later consolidated their various subsidiary companies under the CTP banner and, post-1994, formed a partnership with the National Empowerment Consortium (NEC). Caxton and another publisher, Perskor, merged in July 1998, forming a company with a turnover in excess of ZAR R2 billion a year. As a result of the merger The Citizen, a daily newspaper, was also acquired. Magazines Caxton/CTP's magazine division publishes fifteen titles in the following sectors: family magazines, women's magazines, home, lifestyle and decor, lifestyle and entertainment, religion and farming. Of them, Bona, Country Life, Essentials, Food & Home, Garden & Home, People, Rooi Rose, Vrouekeur, Woman & Home and Your Family were all closed by the company in May 2020. Newspapers Caxton/CTP's newspaper division either owns or co-owns 88 titles, although a significant number of these are free community newspapers. The division's newspapers operate from fifty offices in eight of South Africa's nine provinces and have a combined print run of over two million copies. Websites Of the five newspaper titles which Caxton is involved with, 72 titles have websites which are regularly updated. This group of sites is known as the Local News Network; a network of hyperlocal websites which run daily community content. Local News Network and the success of The Citizen's website makes Caxton the second-largest digital publisher in South Africa, as per Effective Measure statistics from August 2018. Caxton also owns Looklocal, a news aggregator which delivers hyperlocal and international content, classifieds and events listings. List of Local News Network websites Alex News City Buzz Fourways Review Midrand Reporter North Eastern Tribune Rosebank/Killarney Gazette Sandton Chronicle African Reporter Alberton Record Bedfordview Edenvale News Benoni City Times Boksburg Advertiser Brakpan Herald Comaro Chronicle Germiston City News Joburg East Express Kempton Express Southern Courier Springs Advertiser Tembisan Krugersdorp News Randfontein Herald Roodeport Record Roodeport Northsider Northcliff/Melville Times Randburg Sun Pretoria Record Centurion Pretoria Record East Pretoria Record Moot Pretoria Record North Barberton Times Corridor Gazette Echo Ridge Hazyview Herald Lowvelder Mpumalanga News Nelspruit Post Ridge Times Steelburger/Lydenburg News White River Post Middleburg Observer Witbank News Estcourt /Midlands News Ladysmith Gazette Newcastle Advertiser Northern Natal Courier Vryheid Herald Berea Mail Highway Mail Northglen News South Coast Sun Southlands Sun Zululand Observer North Coast Courier Chatsworth Rising Sun Overport Rising Sun Phoenix Sun South Coast Herald Maritzburg Sun Public Eye Heidelberg/Nigel Heraut Lenasia Rising Sun Echo Ridge Highvelder Ridge Times Standerton Advertiser Standerton Ibis

4318171

Justine Frangouli-Argyris

Justine Frangouli-Argyris (Greek: Ιουστίνη Φραγκούλη-Αργύρη; born 1959) is a Greek author and journalist. She was born on the Greek island of Lefkada, where she completed her primary and secondary education. A graduate of the University of Athens Law School's Political Science department, Frangouli-Argyris has been a contributor to daily newspapers, radio, television and magazines in Greece since 1983. She is a member of the Journalists' Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers (ESIEA) and has periodically worked for major radio stations such as ERA, SKY, FLASH 9.61, Athens Municipality Radio 9.84 as well as for Greek state television (ET). Biography Justine Frangouli-Argyris has been living and working in Montreal, Canada since 1989 as a correspondent for the Athens News Agency (ANA), Eleftherotypia and Ethnos newspapers. During the same period, she also collaborated with local Greek-Canadian and American radio stations and publications. Frangouli-Argyris is a member of the Union of Journalists of Athens Daily Newspapers (ESIEA) and has been working in Montreal, Canada since 1989 as a correspondent for the Athens News Agency (ANA), She is a member of UNEQ (Union des Ecrivaines et Ecrivains Quebequois) and QWF (Quebec Writers' Federation). She is currently the Athens News Agency correspondent for Canada. She is a Huffington Post blogger writing weekly articles about Canada and Greece. As an author, she has written The Lonely Path of Integrity (Exandas Publishers, Athens, 2002), the authorized biography of Spyridon, former Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of America (1996-1999). Her second book Petaei, Petaei to Synnefo (Clouds Fly, Don't They?), a novel dedicated to a human story which plays out in 20th-century Greece on the island of Lefkada, was published by Psychogios Publishers (Athens) in 2003. Her third book, Shopping Around the World: Unbeatable Bargains and Bite-Sized Stories, a shopping guide spiced with short stories, was published by Ellinika Grammata (Athens) in 2004. The Legacy (Η Παρακαταθήκη), published by Ellinika Grammata in 2005, is a bilingual edition that includes selected speeches and writings by Spyridon, the former Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America, with editing, introduction and commentary by Justine Frangouli-Argyris. "Psila Takounia Gia Panda" (High Heels For Six ), a best-selling novel about women in the post-feminist era,(December 2006). Her work, Imerologio Avanas (Havana Diaries), is a journal about Havana just prior to Fidel Castro's resignation (April 2008). "For the Love of Others" is a best-seller novel based on the true story of John Catsimatidis' mother (Psihogios 2009) Her best-selling novel "Love in the Fog" is a psychological thriller (Psichogios 2011) Her children's book Pol and Lara are travelling is a book about the environmental issues (Psichogios 2011) In 2013, her novel High Heels For Six was published by amazon kindle, and her novel Psila Takounia Gia Panda'' was reprinted by Armos Publications.

4318176

Christie Lee Woods

Christie Lee Woods (born October 21, 1977) is an American model and actress who, in 1996, was the first Texan to capture the Miss Teen USA crown. Woods first came to prominence as a beauty queen, winning the titles of Miss Texas Teen USA and Miss Teen USA 1996. She later appeared as an actress and as a participant on reality television show, The Amazing Race. Pageants Miss Teen USA 1996 Woods won the Miss Houston Teen USA title in 1995, then competed in Miss Texas Teen USA 1996, winning the title. She represented Texas in the 1996 Miss Teen USA pageant broadcast live from Las Cruces, New Mexico in August 1996, and became the first woman from her state to win the Miss Teen USA title. As Miss Teen USA, her sister titleholders were, Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996, of Venezuela, and Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996, of Louisiana. She also reigned alongside Brook Lee, who briefly held the title of Miss USA 1997 before winning the 1997 Miss Universe pageant; and Miss Teen USA 1989 and 1st runner-up to Miss USA 1997, Brandi Sherwood, who succeeded Lee as Miss USA. During her reign, Woods traveled extensively throughout the United States and made appearances for charity, giving up her title in August 1997, when she crowned Shelly Moore of Tennessee as Miss Teen USA 1997 in her home state, Texas. Miss Texas USA 2002 In 2001, Woods returned to pageantry and competed in the Miss Texas USA 2002 pageant as Miss Central Texas. She was one of six former Miss Texas Teen USA titleholders to participate in the event. Woods won the swimsuit, interview, and Miss Photogenic awards, but only placed third runner-up. This was the first time that a former Miss Teen USA titleholder did not win a Miss USA state pageant on their first try. Woods' successor to the Miss Texas Teen USA title, Andria Mullins, also lost and placed second runner-up to eventual winner, Miss Dallas Fort Worth, Kasi Kelly, who was not even a former Miss Texas Teen USA. Miss Texas USA 2003 The following year, Woods tried and won the Miss Houston USA title, gaining the right to compete at Miss Texas USA 2003 and once again failed to win the crown, only placing as one of the semifinalists alongside Mullins, who also competed, but was not crowned either. This time Woods' predecessor to the Miss Texas Teen USA crown, Mandy Jeffreys, matched Woods' 2002 placement as third runner-up, only to lose to Nicole O'Brian, Miss Texas Teen USA 2000, who could not capture the Miss Teen USA 2000 or Miss USA 2003 crowns. Miss Texas USA 2004 Woods competed for the third time in Miss Texas USA 2004, and again only placed in the semifinals. This was her last attempt at the title, because of age restrictions imposed on contestants. Woods would represent the changing times, where none of the former Miss Teen USA titleholders would win a Miss USA state crown. Jamie Solinger of Iowa (3rd runner-up to Mrs. America 2005) and Shauna Gambill of California (first runner-up to Miss USA 1998 and Top 10 at Miss World 1998) would be the last in 1998. Television Acting Woods played Rowena in the TV series The New Adventures of Robin Hood in the late 1990s. She also had guest appearances on Malibu, CA (1998) and USA High (1998). The Amazing Race Woods appeared with her then boyfriend, now life partner, Colin Guinn on The Amazing Race 5 and placed second. Woods and Guinn were also expecting to be in the All-Star edition of the show; however, Woods was expecting the couple's first child and therefore could not participate. In 2019, Woods and Guinn competed on and won The Amazing Race 31.

4318189

Creation Ministries International

Creation Ministries International (CMI) is a non-profit organisation that promotes the pseudoscience of young earth creationism. It has branches in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. History In 1977 Carl Wieland organised the Creation Science Association (CSA) in Adelaide in South Australia. In 1978 the organisation began the magazine Ex Nihilo (from the Latin phrase Creatio ex nihilo, meaning "Creation out of nothing"). Soon after, the Creation Science Foundation (CSF) took over production of Ex Nihilo (later renaming it Creation Ex Nihilo, and eventually simply Creation). In 1984, CSF started the Ex Nihilo Technical Journal for more in-depth analysis of creation issues (it was later renamed Creation Ex Nihilo Technical Journal, then simply TJ, and now the Journal of Creation). In the mid-1990s Ken Ham, formerly of the Creation Science Foundation and then part of the Institute for Creation Research, formed an autonomous ministry in the United States. This ministry, along with the Australian Creation Science Foundation, were branded "Answers in Genesis" (AiG); eventually, legally-autonomous Answers in Genesis offices were opened in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In October 2005 Ken Ham separated the US and UK AIG offices from the other offices. In early 2006, the Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa re-branded as "Creation Ministries International". In late 2006 CMI established offices in the UK and United States. Since then CMI has distributed Creation magazine and the Journal of Creation in the United States itself. CMI publishes Creation magazine as well as the Journal of Creation. Creation has subscribers in more than 170 countries, with 60,000 copies of each issue produced. Creation is published four times a year. The Journal of Creation is published three times a year. The Voyage That Shook the World The Voyage That Shook The World is a 2009 dramatised documentary film commissioned by Creation Ministries International and produced by Fathom Media. It was released to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work On the Origin of Species. This 52-minute-long film includes interviews with proponents of intelligent design and young earth creationism along with some scholars, academics, and scientists who support the scientific consensus on evolution. Some of the mainstream scientists later said that the filmmakers deceptively edited their interviews and misled them. It features wildlife footage from the Galapagos Islands as well as on-location footage from Argentina, Chile, Tierra del Fuego, and the United Kingdom. The film's dramatised sequences were shot on location in Tasmania, Australia. The National Center for Science Education reviewed the film and found it misleading. Legal controversy with Answers in Genesis CMI's history is closely linked with that of its daughter ministry in the United States, Answers in Genesis (AiG), founded by former Australian colleague Ken Ham. A legal and personal dispute broke out between the Australian and US arms of AiG in 2005, involving claims of unethical dealing in the handling of magazine subscriptions and autocratic leadership on Ham's part. A more involved analysis of the situation is described in an account in the Reports of the National Center for Science Education. A lawsuit was filed on 31 May 2007, by CMI in Supreme Court of Queensland against Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis, seeking damages and accusing "unbiblical/unethical/unlawful behaviour" in Ham's dealings with the Australian organisation. CMI produces Creation Magazine and the Journal of Creation, formerly distributed by the US and UK AiG offices to their respective countries prior to the split. The Australian group maintains it was disconnected from all its American subscribers when the US office "announced on its web site (without telling us, the publishers) that it was ceasing to distribute both of these publications (and simultaneously announced its own magazine)". CMI further alleged in the lawsuit that AiG misrepresented their own magazine to subscribers as a replacement of Creation. CMI is claiming $252,000 (US) in damages for lost revenue by misleading and deceptive conduct in relating to lost subscriptions. The case also concerns use of the trademark "Answers in Genesis" within Australia, and alleged misuse by Ken Ham of his position as a director for the Australian group to cause it detriment. Answers in Genesis has had little to say in public to these accusations, but in comments to news reporters Ken Ham dismisses them all as "totally preposterous and untrue". In February 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ordered Australian-based Creation Ministries International into arbitration in the United States with Answers in Genesis (as sought by AiG) over copyrights and control of affiliates in other countries. In April 2009, the ministries reached a settlement and ended their dispute. Relationship with schools In 2011, a group of 30 UK scientists accused the organisation's representatives of falsely presenting themselves to schools as scientists.

4318191

Tinbe-rochin

The term Tinbe-Rochin refers to an arms and armor combination of a short spear (rochin) and a shield (tinbe). It is one of the least well-known Okinawan weapon systems. The tinbe can be made of various materials but is commonly found in vine, cane, metal, or turtle shell. The shield size is generally about 45 cm long and 38 cm wide. The length of the rochin is usually equivalent to the length of the forearm and can be found in many differing designs varying from spears to short swords and machete-style implements. In use, the techniques tend to be circular in order to avoid excessive contact with the shield. The short spear is predominantly used in an upward stabbing motion, piercing armor under the rib cage, armpits, and throat although dependent upon the type of Rochin used, slashing motions can also be employed.

4318192

Federal Bank

Federal Bank Limited is an Indian private sector bank headquartered in Aluva, Kochi. The bank has 1,272 branches spread across different states in India. It also has representative offices abroad at Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Dubai. With a customer base of over 10 million, including 1.5 million NRI customers and a large network of remittance partners around the world, Federal Bank handled more than 15% of India's total inward remittances of $79 billion in 2018. The bank has remittance arrangements with more than 110 Banks/Exchange Companies around the world. The bank is also listed in the BSE, NSE and London Stock Exchange and has a branch in India's first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City. History The Federal Bank Limited (the erstwhile Travancore Federal Bank Limited) was incorporated with an authorised capital of at Nedumpuram, a place near Thiruvalla in Central Travancore on 23 April 1931 under the Travancore Companies Act. It started business of auction-chitty and other banking transactions connected with agriculture and industry. The bank name was named Federal Bank Limited on 2 December 1949, after completing the formalities of Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and is a major Indian commercial bank in the private sector having more than thousand branches and ATMs spread across different States in India. Between 1963 and 1970, Federal Bank took over Chalakudy Public Bank (est. 20 July 1929 in Chalakudy), Cochin Union Bank (est. 1963) in Thrissur, Alleppey Bank (est 1964; Alappuzha), St. George Union Bank (est. 1965) in Puthenpally, and Marthandam Commercial Bank (est. 1968) in Thiruvananthapuram. In 1970, Federal Bank became a scheduled commercial bank and came out with its initial public offering in 1994. The bank became a Scheduled Commercial Bank in 1970, which also coincided with the Silver Jubilee Year, since the bank commenced its operation in Aluva and is currently the fourth largest bank in India in terms of capital base. In January 2008, Federal Bank opened its first overseas representative office in Abu Dhabi. In November 2016, Federal Bank opened its second UAE representative office, in Dubai. Sponsorships Federal Bank is the Lead Sponsor of NorthEast United FC in the 2019–20 season of Indian Super League. Board of directors Current Board of Directors are: Mr. C Balagopal –Chairman and Independent Director Mr. Shyam Srinivasan - Managing Director & CEO Mr. A P Hota – Director Mr. Siddhartha Sengupta - Director CA Manoj Fadnis - Director Mr. Sudarshan Sen - Director Ms. Varsha Purandare - Director Mr. Sankarshan Basu - Director Mr. Ramanand Mundkur - Director Mr. Ashutosh Khajuria - Executive Director Ms. Shalini Warrier - Executive Director

4318214

Alexander Popham

Alexander Popham (1605–1669) of Littlecote, Wiltshire, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1669. He was patron of the philosopher John Locke. Early life Popham was born at Littlecote House in Wiltshire, the son of Sir Francis Popham and Anne Gardiner Dudley, and grandson of Sir John Popham and wife Amy Games. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and admitted to the Middle Temple in 1622. Antebellum Popham was a prominent figure and Justice of the Peace in Somerset. In April 1640 he was elected Member of Parliament for Bath in the Short Parliament. He was re-elected MP for Bath for Long Parliament in November 1640. Civil War and Interregnum Popham came from a Presbyterian family and was himself an elder in the church. He supported the Parliamentary cause and fought in the Parliamentary army with the rank of colonel; he had a garrison stationed at Littlecote House. Despite his Presbyterianism, his sympathies lay with the Army during the Second Civil War, so he survived Pride's Purge in late 1648 and – after the execution of Charles I and the founding of the Commonwealth – he served on the Council of State. In 1654, he was elected MP for Bath again in the First Protectorate Parliament. He was elected MP for Wiltshire in the Second Protectorate Parliament and for Minehead in the Third Protectorate Parliament. He did not support the Protectorate and although he sat in the Protectorate parliaments he refused to take his seat in Cromwell's Other House (1657–1658). Restoration In April 1660, he was elected MP for Bath again in the Convention Parliament. After the restoration of the monarchy, he made his peace with Charles II and entertained him to a "costlie dinner" at Littlecote. He was re-elected MP for Bath in 1661 to the Cavalier Parliament. Family Popham inherited from his father in 1644, his older brother John (also an MP) having died in 1637. Popham married first Dorothy Cole (died 1643) and second Letitia Carre, daughter of William Carre of Ferniehurst, Scotland, half brother to Robert Carre, favourite of King James I. By his second wife, he had eight children, of whom six, three sons and three daughters, survived into adulthood: Sir Francis Popham (died 28 August 1674), of Littlecote, Wiltshire, who married Helena Rogers and had children: Alexander Popham, who married Anne Montagu, daughter of Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu. Their daughter, Elizabeth (died 20 March 1761), married firstly Edward Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, and secondly Francis Seymour, of Sherborne, Dorset. Letitia Popham (died 1738), who married Sir Edward Seymour, 5th Baronet, her aunt's step-son. Her son was Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset, who inherited the dukedom from his father's 6th cousin Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset who died in 1750 without male children. Alexander Popham (died 4 January 1718/19) who married Jane French and inherited the estates from his nephew Alexander. George Popham (died 28 January 1686/87), who married Dulcibella Ford and was the progenitor of the Pophams of Winchester and the Isle of Wight. Essex Popham, eldest daughter, who married on 17 August 1663 John Poulett, 3rd Baron Poulett and had children. Letitia Popham (died 16 March 1714), who became the second wife of Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet, of Berry Pomeroy in Devon. Ann Popham (died 20 April 1684), who married William Ashe of Heytesbury in Wiltshire. Deaf nephew This Alexander Popham is not to be confused with his nephew Alexander Popham, son of Alexander's brother Edward Popham, who was born deaf and was taught to speak by two scientists, John Wallis and William Holder. He is considered to be one of the earliest cases of a born deaf person learning to talk.

4318219

John Crysler

John Crysler (July 24, 1770 – January 18, 1852) was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada. He was born in Schoharie, New York in 1770, the son of German immigrants; the family name was originally spelled Krausler or Kruessler. His father served in the King's Royal Regiment of New York during the American Revolution under Sir John Johnson; and John Crysler was a drummer boy with Butler's Rangers. They both settled in Williamsburgh Township after the war. Crysler operated a tavern, cut timber to supply the Royal Navy with masts and built gristmills and sawmills. In 1804, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada representing Dundas. In 1806, he was appointed justice of the peace in the Eastern District. He served with the Dundas County Militia during the War of 1812, becoming captain. The Battle of Crysler's Farm was fought on his property and his farm sustained heavy damage during the battle. He represented Dundas in the Legislative Assembly from 1812 to 1820 and from 1825 to 1828. In 1825, some of his employees were jailed for cutting timber on clergy reserves. He became lieutenant-colonel in command of the Dundas County Militia in 1838 and led his regiment into combat at the Battle of the Windmill. He died in Finch Township in 1852. The village of Crysler was named after him. His son John Pliny served in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. The former location of his farm was submerged when the St. Lawrence Seaway was built; a monument erected on the site of the battle was moved to Upper Canada Village.

4318221

Philipp von Jolly

Johann Philipp Gustav von Jolly (26 September 1809 – 24 December 1884) was a German physicist and mathematician. Born in Mannheim as the son of merchant Louis Jolly and Marie Eleonore Jolly, he studied science in Heidelberg, Vienna and Berlin. After his studies, he was appointed professor of mathematics in Heidelberg in 1839 and in physics in 1846. He moved to Munich in 1854 where he took the position once held by Georg Simon Ohm. In 1854 he was knighted (and henceforth referred to as von Jolly). Jolly was first and foremost an experimental physicist. He measured the acceleration due to gravity with precision weights and also worked on osmosis. One of his students at the University of Munich was Max Planck, whom he advised in 1878 not to go into physics, saying, "in this field, almost everything is already discovered, and all that remains is to fill a few unimportant holes." Planck replied that he didn't wish to discover new things, only to understand the known fundamentals of the field. Nevertheless, Planck's work opened up the field of quantum physics. Jolly died in Munich. Selected works Anleitung zur Differential- und Integralrechnung, 1846 – Manual of differential and integral calculus. Die principien der mechanik, 1852 – Principles of mechanics. Die Anwendung der Waage auf Probleme der Gravitation, 1878 – Application of the scale to problems of gravitation.

4318225

Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilbash

Nawab Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilbash () was born in 1908. He was a politician (of Turkic Qizilbash descent) from the Punjab region and a minister in the governments of the Punjab, West Pakistan and Pakistan. Muzaffar Qizilbash started his legislative career as a Unionist, later joining the Muslim League and subsequently the Republican Party. He later served as Minister for Industries in the cabinet of Prime Minister Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar (Muslim League) from October 18, 1957 - December 16, 1957. Afterwards, he served as Minister for Industries, Commerce and Parliamentary Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon (Republican) from December 16, 1957 - March 18, 1958, when he was appointed Chief Minister of West Pakistan. His successor as Minister for Industries and Commerce was Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan, the incumbent Chief Minister of West Pakistan, while the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio was assigned to Sardar Amir Azam Khan. Qizilbash was later Chief Minister of West Pakistan from March 1958 - October 7, 1958 when the cabinet was dismissed on the declaration of Martial Law by President Iskander Mirza. After the fall of the Ayub Khan government, Qizilbash served as Finance Minister of Pakistan in the presidential cabinet of President and Chief Martial Law Administrator General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan from August 4, 1969 - February 22, 1971. Shahtaj Qizilbash was the niece of Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilbash. Nawab Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilbash owned the historically significant Nisar Haveli in the Walled City of Lahore area for a while after the Independence of Pakistan in 1947.

4318226

National Institute of Environmental Research

The National Institute of Environmental Research, or NIER, is a research agency operated by the South Korean government. Its president is Seong-Kyu Yoon. It is charged with environmental research, education, international cooperation, and setting criterion levels for various pollutants. The main building for the institute is located in Gyeongseo-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon. NIER was first established in 1978 as the National Environment Protection Institute. It gained its current name and status in 1986.

4318243

Joseph Charles Fowell

Joseph Charles Fowell (2 August 1891 – 3 July 1970) was a prominent Australian 20th century architect. Renown for his ecclesiastical architecture, Fowell was primarily responsible for the design of over forty churches in New South Wales and Victoria, including Catholic churches at (1937), (1939) and (1941). Born in Albany, Western Australia and educated in England, Fowell returned to Australia in 1919 where he worked with Professor Leslie Wilkinson at Sydney University. In 1926 Fowell became an assistant to Henry Budden. Fowell created a number of architectural partnerships including: Fowell and McConnel: 1928-1939, with Kenneth McConnel Fowell and Mansfield: 1939-1946 with J. L. S. Mansfield Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan: 1946-1962 with D. C. B. Maclurcan Fowell, Mansfield, Jarvis & Maclurcan: 1962-1970 with O. R. Jarvi Notable works

4318244

Electoral district of Doncaster

The Electoral district of Doncaster was a metropolitan electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, located approximately 13 kilometres north-east of Melbourne. It was part of the Upper House Eastern Metropolitan Region and sat entirely within the City of Manningham. It was abolished and divided between the Electoral district of Bulleen and the Electoral district of Warrandyte The seat was abolished due to new boundary changes in preparation for the 2014 election. Profile Doncaster covered 25 square kilometres and comprised the majority of the suburbs of Doncaster, Doncaster East and Donvale, excluding portions of the northern parts of these suburbs, which all lie within the City of Manningham in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. A residential suburban electorate, Doncaster was a moderately hilly area north of the Koonung Creek and west of the Mullum Mullum Creek. Its urban features included predominantly low-density suburban dwellings, gardens and reserves, shopping centres and an abundance of sports amenities. History Prior to 1976, the area of Doncaster/Templestowe was included in the seats of South Bourke, Evelyn, Mernda and Box Hill. In 1976, rapidly increasing population led to the split-up of the seat of Box Hill into Doncaster and Box Hill. Members for Doncaster Election results

4318245

Miliou

Miliou (Greek language: Μηλιού) is a village on the island of Cyprus, situated on the Laona plateau near the road from Paphos to Polis. Miliou is one of the smallest villages in Cyprus and has a population of about 60. It is also one of the greenest villages in the area, thanks to an abundant supply of spring water, surrounded by citrus groves, almond trees and vineyards. Miliou is one of the villages involved in the Laona Project, a non-profit organisation established to implement rural regeneration and ecotourism and to help introduce the concept of agrotourism to Cyprus. Although Miliou's limestone houses are examples of traditional rural architecture, more have been restored in the traditional Cypriot style through the Laona Project. The village is home to the restored monastery of 'Agii Anargyri, now used as a spa hotel. The monastery was built in 1649 and was among the first to be built on the island. It was founded by two brothers who cared for the sick and dying without payment, leading to the monastery acquiring its name, from the Greek meaning "without payment".

4318260

Mt. Spokane High School

Mount Spokane High School is a public high school located in Mead, Washington. It is located several miles north of Spokane and has a student body that currently enrolls 1,382 students in grades 9-12. The school opened in 1997, and had its first graduating class in 1999. Mt. Spokane is one of two high schools in the Mead School District, the other being Mead High School who has lost two consecutive Battle of the Bells. Throughout its history, Mt. Spokane has shown excellence through its academics. In the 2007-08 school year, Mt. Spokane had an on-time graduation rate of 95.1%, beating the Washington state average of 72.0% during the 2007-08 school year. In the first semester of the 2009-10 school year, Mt. Spokane had 478 of its students qualify for the honor roll, which required students to get a 3.5 GPA or higher. History Mt. Spokane High School opened its doors in the fall of 1997 as "Mt. Spokane-Mead High School". The name was changed to Mt. Spokane High School by request of the attending students during the first two years of being open. Mt. Spokane saw its first graduating class in 1999. The class of 2012, with 413 students, is the largest class to attend the high school as of 2010. Location and structure The school is located several miles from Mount Spokane among the many wheat fields populating the Mead area. The school itself has a functional, quarter-circle design with a courtyard in the center. The sculptures within the courtyard, known as "The Circle of Friends", were designed by local sculptor Harold Balazs, also known for designing the Rotary Fountain at Riverfront Park. Band The Mt. Spokane High School Band comprises five ensembles, including two concert band ensembles, one percussion ensemble, and two jazz bands. Since its inception in 1997, the band program has received dozens of awards at local, regional, national, and international levels. A majority of the funding for the program comes from the Mt. Spokane Bandstand, which is a parent-run organization that raises funds to provide uniforms, instruments, equipment, and travel expenses for the program. An annual craft fair is the main fundraiser for the program and includes a raffle for baskets that are designed by the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes. Athletics Mt. Spokane offers a wide variety of athletics, including sports such as: baseball, football, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, softball, track and field, wrestling, and volleyball. Notable alumni Jess Roskelley, class of 2001, became the youngest American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, via the North Col route in 2003. Julianna Peña, class of 2007, winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, sister of Grace Pena. Sam Sicilia, Class of 2004, mixed martial artist currently competing in the featherweight division, formerly with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Competed on The Ultimate Fighter: Live. Drew Rasmussen, Class of 2014, pitcher for the Oregon State Beavers baseball team. Threw the only perfect game in the team's history, and was drafted 31st overall in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Rays

4318261

Badr-1

Badr-A (, meaning Full Moon-A) was the first artificial and the first digital communications satellite launched by Pakistan's national space authority — the SUPARCO — in 1990. The Badr-A was Pakistan's first indigenously developed and manufactured digital communications and an experimental artificial satellite which was launched into low Earth orbit by Pakistan on 16 July 1990, through a Chinese carrier rocket. The launch ushered new military, technological, and scientific developments in Pakistan and also provided data on radio-signal distribution in the ionosphere. Originally planned to be launched from the United States in 1986, the Challenger disaster furthered delayed the launch of the satellite which changed the plan. After the People's Republic of China offered Pakistan to use its facility, the Badr-A was finally launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 1990 on Long March 2E. Badr-A travelled at , taking 96.3 minutes to complete an orbit, and emitted radio signals at the 145 to 435 MHz bands which were operated by Pakistan Amateur Radio Society (PARS). The Badr-A successfully completed its designed life, and a new satellite was proposed to be developed. Before the launch The history of the Badr-A project dated back to 1979, when Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched her first satellite, Aryabhata in year 1975. After four years, on 13 December 1979, Munir Ahmad Khan managed a cabinet-level meeting with Chief Martial Law Administrator General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and gained Suparco's status as an executive authority. In 1981, Salim Mehmud addressed Munir Ahmad Khan proposing the development of an Earth-orbiting artificial satellite, the task previously achieved by India. Munir Ahmad Khan took the matter to General Zia-ul-Haq who gave approval of this project. As part of the development of this project, Suparco sent a number of its engineers to University of Surrey to participate in the development of UO-11 which was launched in 1984. After participating in various projects with University of Surrey, the team returned to Pakistan in 1986. Munir Ahmad Khan then returned to General Zia-ul-Haq and obtained his approval to begin practical work on Badr-1. The project was started by Suparco's Dr. Salim Mehmud as director of the project and was supported by the members of Pakistan Amateur Radio Society. The Suparco began building the satellite at the Instrumentation Laboratories (IL), with Dr. Muhammad Riaz Suddle serving as its project manager. This project was called "Project Badr" and the Project Badr was initially funded financially by Ministry of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Science. In short span of time, the Project Badr was completed, and the first satellite was named Badr-1. Design The technical director of Badr-1 was dr. Salim Mehmud, Director of SUPARCO and the project was overseen by Dr. Muhammad Riaz Suddle, who served as its project manager. The satellite was slightly bigger than Soviet Sputnik 1 satellite in size. The Badr-1 was an indigenously built and developed satellite of Pakistan. The major contractor was Instrumentation Laboratories and the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society, supported by Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Telecommunications. The satellite shaped as a polyhedron with 26 surfaces or facets, was about 20 inches in diameter. The polyhedrons, covered with highly polished heat shield, made of aluminium-magnesium-titanium. The satellite carried two antennas designed by Instrumentation Laboratories. The power supply, with a mass of 52 kg. The satellite was powered with solar power panels with a 12.5 W electricity. The satellite was designed in SUPARCO's Satellite Research and Development Center in Lahore. The satellite had one radio channel for digital store-and-forward communications. A transponder uplink was near 435 MHz, and the downlink was near 145 MHz. The telemetry beacon was near 145 MHz. Data from 32 telemetry channels, including information from 9 temperature sensors, 16 current sensors, and 5 voltage sensors, was stored in an 8k memory bank and transmitted at 1200, 600, 300 and 150 baud.<reference doesn't contain this info>Originally designed for a circular orbit at 250–300 miles' altitude, Badr-1 actually was inserted by the Long March rocket into an elliptical orbit of 127–615 miles. The cost of development and preparation of satellite was no more than Rs. 1.2 million.<reference doesn't contain this information > Launch vehicle preparation and launch site selection The SUPARCO negotiated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the launch of the satellite and approval required from the United States Government for the launch of the Badr-1. The Air Force Strategic Command decided to fly the satellite by using one of its C-130 aircraft in 1986 to Florida, United States. The Delta 3000 was selected by NASA's administration as its launch vehicle. Preparation was made and its crew and satellite was stored at the aircraft, however, it was delayed due to unknown reasons. The Badr-1 was never shipped to United States and its launch was delayed for until next four years. As aftermath of the Challenger disaster in 1986, the United States Government and NASA had halt all the flights of the rockets carrying spacecraft and satellite payloads until the investigations were thoroughly completed. The satellite was stored at the Instrumentation Laboratories (IL) and SUPARCO began to negotiate with other space powers. In 1990, representatives of Chinese government offered Government of Pakistan to launch the satellite on one of its Long March Rockets and its facility. SUPARCO did not want to wait any longer, therefore, the Air Force Strategic Command flew the satellite, in sub-assembly form, to People's Republic of China. The satellite was re-assembled by Air Force Strategic Command and Suparco's official who visited the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The satellite was load at the Launch Area 2 and final preparations were made. The Chinese Government used Long March 2E, a three-stage orbital carrier rocket designed to commercial communications satellites, to launch the Badr-1 who also took its first maiden flight with the launch of Badr-1 on 16 July 1990. Launch and mission On 16 July 1990, the Badr-1 was launched as a secondary payload on a Long March 2E rocket from Area No. 2 at XSLC. Badr-1, a low-Earth orbit satellite, circled the Earth's orbit every 96 minutes, passing over Pakistan for 15 minutes three to four times a day. Scientists, engineers, technicians, and designers who developed the satellite watched the launch from range. They waited about 93 minutes to ensure that the satellite had made one orbit and was transmitting, before dr. M. Shafi Ahmad called Prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The downlink telemetry included data on temperatures inside and on the surface of the sphere. The satellite itself, a small but highly polished polyhedron, was barely visible at sixth magnitude, and thus more difficult to follow optically. The satellite completed its designated life successfully. On the first orbit, the Suparco globally announced the launch of the satellite, and the Science ministry confirmed the launch of the satellite. As the satellite completed its life, a new project was launched, more ambitious, advanced, and difficult than Badr-1. However, even after the Badr-1I was completed, the satellite could not be able to launch until 2001. Achievement With the successful development and launch of the Badr-1, Pakistan became the first Muslim country, and second South Asian country after India, to place a satellite in orbit. The satellite gave Pakistani scientists an academic, scientific, and an amateur community experience in telemetry, tracking, control and data communications as the satellite successfully completed store and dump message tests for 5 weeks. Despite the international success gained, the Pakistans' accomplishments were kept quiet in the homeland to prevent any exploitation of their failures or loss of secrets, which undermined the propaganda opportunity. The Pakistan Television, a state-controlled media authority, announced the first launch in televisions never made a headline, and only fewer details were projected. The Badr-1 crushed the global perception that the country had not space program, and the space program was only dedicated to its military applications. The launch of the satellite united the people of Pakistan, and scientists who were involved in this project, were bestowed with national honours in public, and increased the pride of Pakistan. The satellite formed the derivatives and the basis of the Badr-B satellite. The Badr-B was more sophisticated than Badr-l, with a CCD camera for pictures of Earth and a system that allowed ground stations to change the satellite's direction in space. Mission goals acquiring know-how for indigenous development of satellites creating an infrastructure for future satellite development activities testing the performance of indigenously developed satellite subsystems in space environment performing experiments in real-time voice and data communications between two user ground stations demonstrating store-and-forward type message communication educating the country's academic, scientific and amateur community in the tracking and use of low-earth-orbiting satellites Technical configuration

4318274

Joseph Runningfox

Joseph Runningfox (born 1955 in Santa Fe, New Mexico) is a Pueblo actor. He was featured in Ravenous as George (credited as Joseph Running Fox) and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Runningfox played Geronimo in a 1993 television movie of the same name. It premiered on TNT five days before Geronimo: An American Legend was released theatrically and was shot in Tucson, Arizona. He is currently a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada. Theatrical Roles Not One More Foot of Land Major Ridge (2012) directed by Kristina Lloyd Filmography

4318279

Seymour (surname)

Seymour is an English toponymic surname of Norman origin (de Saint-Maur). Notable individuals with this surname include: A. J. Seymour (1914–1989), Guyanese poet, essayist, memoirist and editor Alan Seymour (1927–2015), Australian playwright and writer Algernon Seymour (disambiguation) Archibald Seymour, 13th Duke of Somerset (1810–1891) Beauchamp Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester (1821–1895), British admiral Benjamin Seymour (c. 1806–1880), Canadian politician Brett Seymour (born 1984), Australian rugby league player Cara Seymour, English actress Carolyn Seymour (born 1947), English actress Charles Seymour (disambiguation) Cy Seymour (1872–1919), American Major League Baseball player David Seymour (disambiguation) Edward Seymour (disambiguation) Elizabeth Seymour (disambiguation) Eliza Seymour Lee (1800–1874), American pastry chef and restaurateur Evelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset (1882–1954) Felipe Seymour (born 1987), Chilean football player Forrest W. Seymour (1905–1983), American journalist Frances Seymour (disambiguation) Francis Seymour (disambiguation) Frederick Seymour (1820–1869), Irish-born colonial administrator, Governor of the Colony of British Columbia George Seymour (disambiguation) Gerald Seymour (born 1941), British writer Gordon Seymour, pseudonym of Charles Waldstein (1856–1927), Anglo-American archaeologist and short story writer Henry Seymour (disambiguation) Hezekiah C. Seymour (1811–1853), American civil engineer, New York State Engineer and Surveyor Horatio Seymour (disambiguation) Hugh Seymour (disambiguation) James Seymour (disambiguation) Jane Seymour (disambiguation) John Seymour (disambiguation) Katie Seymour (1870–1903), British burlesque and vaudeville entertainer Kelly Seymour (born 1936), South African cricketer Ken Seymour (born 1930), Australian rules footballer Kevon Seymour (born 1993), American football player Lynn Seymour (born 1939), Canadian ballerina and choreographer Mark Seymour (born 1956), Australian musician Mark Seymour (1897–1952), English golfer Mary Seymour (1548–1550?), daughter of Catherine Parr and Thomas, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley Mary Foot Seymour (1846–1893), American law reporter, business woman, school founder, journalist Matthew Seymour (1669–1735), member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk, Connecticut, and founding settler of Ridgefield, Connecticut Michel Seymour (born 1954), Canadian philosopher and professor Michael Seymour (disambiguation) Miranda Seymour (born 1948), English literary critic, novelist, and biographer Nick Seymour (born 1958), Australian bass guitarist Paul Seymour (American football) (born 1950), American footballer Paul Seymour (mathematician) (born 1950), mathematician Paul Seymour (basketball) (1928–1988), American basketball player and coach Percy Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset (1910–1984) Phil Seymour (1952–1993), American power pop musician Phil Seymour (American football) (1947–2013), American football player Richard Seymour (born 1979), former American National Football League player Richard Seymour (18th-century writer) (died c.1750), English editor and author Richard Seymour (21st-century writer) (born 1977), British Marxist writer Ruth Seymour, American retired public radio station manager Ryan Seymour (born 1990), American National Football League player Sally Seymour (died 1824), American pastry chef and restaurateur Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour (born 1982), heir apparent to the title of Duke of Somerset Silas Seymour (1817–1890), American engineer, New York State Engineer and Surveyor Silas J. Seymour (1824–?), American politician Stephanie Kulp Seymour (born 1940), U.S. court of appeals judge Stephanie Seymour (born 1968), supermodel Terri Seymour (born 1973), British television presenter and sometime actress Thaddeus Seymour (1928–2019), American educator Thomas Seymour (disambiguation) Truman Seymour (1824–1891), American Civil War general and painter Webb Seymour, 10th Duke of Somerset (1718–1793) Whitney North Seymour (1901–1983), American lawyer Whitney North Seymour Jr. (1923–2019), American politician William Seymour (disambiguation)

4318300

Hatstand

A hatstand (UK), hatrack (US), coat rack or coat stand is a device used to store hats and often coats on, and umbrellas within. Some upscale European catalogues market it as a portmanteau. from the French porter (carry) and manteau (cloak). The front hall was the introduction to the house, and as such was an important part of the Victorian home. Furnishings were selected not only to make it a useful place to hang a hat and coat, store an umbrella and leave a calling card, but also to show family wealth, social position and knowledge of current styles. A hall stand or a hatrack was the most important piece of furniture. These were new forms that appeared about 1840, such as the hall tree, as homes became larger and social visits became more structured. As well as holding hats and coats, a hall tree could be used to store bags, umbrellas, walking sticks, boots and other items. Usually made of wood and standing at least tall, they have a single pole making up most of the height, with a sturdy base to prevent toppling, and an array of lengthy pegs at the top for placement of hats. Smaller houses had smaller front halls, so a hanging hatrack was the answer to the problem of storing visitors' coats and hats. The complicated shapes of the spindles and hooks of both varieties created an interesting pattern on the wall. By the 1920s, houses had become smaller, and hall furnishings were usually just a chair, a table and perhaps a mirror - a closet or cupboard held hats and coats. A coat rack often refers to a set of hooks that are attached to a wall and is mainly used to hang coats and jackets. The self-standing variant is more often referred to as a hatstand, and is mostly used to hang coats, jackets, umbrellas and hats.

4318321

Gymnaslærer Pedersens beretning om den store politiske vekkelse som har hjemsøkt vårt land

Gymnaslærer Pedersens beretning om den store politiske vekkelse som har hjemsøkt vårt land is a novel by Dag Solstad published in 1982. The title translates as Gymnasium Teacher Pedersen's Account of the Great Political Awakening Which Has Haunted Our Country. The novel tells the story of the young history teacher Knut Pedersen and his involvement with the Maoist movement, more specifically that associated with Workers' Communist Party in Larvik in the early 1970s.

4318341

Mojmir II of Moravia

Mojmir II (Latin: Moymirus, Czech and Slovak: Mojmír II., born after 871, died after 901) was a member of the House of Mojmir and since 894 the last known ruler of Great Moravia. He probably died in the beginning of the 10th century in a battle against the Magyars. Biography Mojmir succeeded his father Svatopluk I as the king of Great Moravia in 894. At the same time, the Principality of Nitra was given as an appanage to his brother Svatopluk II. But Svatopluk II, supported by Arnulf of Carinthia, king of East Francia, rebelled against Mojmir II in 895 and again in 897, when he concluded an agreement of cooperation with Arnulf. As a result, Mojmir II attacked his brother, but was defeated by East Frankish troops sent to support Svatopluk II's rebellion. Weakened by internal conflict, Great Moravia lost its peripheral territories: It ceded the Balaton Principality to the Eastern Franks in 894, after Magyar tribes had looted this region. Bohemia, seceding from Great Moravia in the following year, became Arnulf's vassal, and Lusatia followed suit in 897. Another danger emerged, when Magyars crossed the Carpathians to settle permanently in the Carpathian Basin (895/896). In 896, they settled or were settled in the scarcely populated territories of Great Moravia, residing around the upper/middle Tisza River in 900/901. After several looting raids in Europe, they moved to Transdanubia. Despite these disasters, Mojmir managed to consolidate his power. In 898 he asked the Pope to consecrate new Great Moravian clerics in order to decrease the influence of Bavarian clerics in his country. The Bavarians (Eastern Franks), upset by the 898 demand, sent troops to Great Moravia, which Mojmir defeated. Moreover, Mojmir captured the still rebellious Svatopluk II, but the latter was eventually rescued by the Bavarian troops, with whom he fled to Germany. After the death of Arnulf, the Pope finally sent his legates to consecrate a Great Moravian archbishop and three bishops in 899, thus decreasing the influence of the Bavarian clergy. The only thing we know about them is that the archbishop allowed liturgies to be conducted in Old Church Slavonic again (i.e., as opposed to Latin liturgies) and one of them had his seat in Nitra. As mentioned above, in 900 the Magyars invaded Transdanubia (a former Great Moravian territory occupied by Franks) and raided Bavaria together with Mojmir's troops. Eastern Francia was compelled to conclude a peace treaty with Great Moravia in 901 and Mojmir was reconciled with his brother, who is assumed to have returned to Great Moravia about this time. The peace treaty with the Eastern Franks also put an end to wars between Great Moravia and the Frankish vassal Bohemia lasting since 895. When and whether the territory that is now southern Poland seceded from Great Moravia is unknown. Mojmir II and Svatopluk II probably died in 906. In 907, the Magyars routed the Bavarian army at the three battles of Bratislava. Mojmir or any name of a successor is not mentioned in connection with these important battles. After 907 the Great Moravian Empire began to disintegrate. The remnants of the core territory of Great Moravia were divided between the newly established states of Bohemia and the Kingdom of Hungary, and small local rulers continued to rule for some decades in the mountains of what is now Slovakia.

4318352

Husband

A husband is a male in a marital relationship, who may also be referred to as a spouse. The rights and obligations of a husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between societies and cultures, and have varied over time. In monogamous cultures, there are only two parties to a marriage, which is enforced by laws against bigamy and polygamy. Traditionally, the husband was regarded as the head of the household and was expected to be the sole provider or breadwinner, a role that continues in some cultures (sometimes described as paternalistic). Today, a husband is not necessarily considered the breadwinner of the family, especially if his spouse has a more financially rewarding occupation or career. In such cases, it is not uncommon for a husband to be considered a stay-at-home father if the married couple have children. The term continues to be applied to such a man who has separated from his spouse and ceases to be applied to him only when his marriage has come to an end following a legally recognized divorce or the death of his spouse. On the death of his spouse, a husband is referred to as a widower; after a divorce a man may be referred to as the "ex-husband" of his former spouse. Origin and etymology The term husband refers to Middle English , from Old English , from Old Norse (, "house" + , , present participle of , "to dwell", so, etymologically, "a householder"). See also torp. Related terms At the conclusion of a valid wedding, the marrying parties acquire the status of married persons and, while the marriage persists, a man is called a husband. In heterosexual marriages the woman is called a wife; in same-sex marriages between males, each male is called a husband. Although "husband" is a close term to groom, the latter is a male participant in a wedding ceremony, while a husband is a married man after the wedding and for the duration of the marriage. The term husband refers to the institutionalized role of the married male, while the term father refers to the male in context of his offspring, a state which may or may not indicate that a marriage ceremony has taken place. In some cases of heterosexual marriage, before the marriage, the forthcoming husband or his family may have received a dowry, or have had to pay a bride price, or both were exchanged. The dowry not only supported the establishment of a household, but also served as a condition that if the husband committed grave offenses upon his wife, he had to return the dowry to the wife or her family. For the time of the marriage, they were made inalienable by the husband. He might leave his wife (or wives), then widow (or widows), a dower (often a third or a half of his estate) to support her as dowager. As an external symbol of the fact that they are married, each spouse commonly wears a wedding ring on the ring finger; whether this is on the left or right hand depends on the country's tradition. "Husband" further refers to the institutionalized form in relation to the spouse and offspring, unlike father, a term that puts a man into the context of his children. Also compare the similar husbandry, which in the 14th century referred to the care of the household, but today means the "control or judicious use of resources", conservation, and in agriculture, the cultivation of plants and animals, and the science about its profession. Western culture Historical status In premodern heterosexual unions (ancient Roman, medieval, and early modern history), a husband was obliged to protect and support not only his wife and children, but servants and animals of his domain. The father (as the "patron") was awarded with much authority, differing from that of his wife (in these cultures, no polygamy existed). In the Middle Ages and Early Modern European history, it was unusual to marry out of love, but then doing so became an influential ideal. During this period, a husband in a heterosexual marriage had more opportunities in society than his wife, who was not recognized as legally independent. Contemporary status In contemporary secularized Western culture, the rights of the spouses have been made equal. The civil marriage generally forces the wealthier spouse "breadwinner" to provide alimony to the former spouse, even after separation and also after a divorce (see also Law and divorce around the world). The legal status of marriage allows each spouse to speak on the other's behalf when one is incapacitated (e.g., in a coma); a husband is also responsible for his spouse's child(ren) in states where he is automatically assumed to be the biological father. Religion Islam In Islamic marital jurisprudence, husbands are considered protectors of the household and their wives. As protector, the husband has various rights and obligations that he is expected to fulfill and thus is offered opportunities different from that of his wife or wives, not only in legal and economical affairs of the family but within the family as well. As in most cases in Islam law and culture, everything is being related to the Qur'an. Many Muslims may agree on a perfectly equal relationship. Islam is the only major religion that puts a cap on polygamy, limiting the number of a man's wives to four—provided the husband can do justice to all of them. Although some religions, such as Catholicism for instance, puts a cap on polygamy all together, or even serial monogamy, allowing one spouse until death does them apart, not even accepting divorce. According to the teachings of Islam a Muslim man should have a valid reason and have to get permission from his existing wife (without any force) if he requires to marry again. Islam vehemently abhors any intimate relationship outside the bond of marriage. There is no external sign to show his status as a husband, unless he adopted the tradition of wearing a wedding ring. Hinduism A Hindu husband traditionally takes his wife to his home. He is expected to provide for her and to prove his abilities to do so. The marriage in Hinduism is a relationship for Seven births (सात जन्मों का रिश्ता). Before 1951 there was no divorce allowed in Hindu marriage. In modern times once again after 1951, equal rights for women through society and law jurisdiction is given. In Hinduism, based on the different regions, marriage process is observed differently with the same Saat Pheras around agni kund (light pyre) to be taken to become a husband and wife. The Encyclopædia Britannica mentions that "In Hindu law, the male members of a joint family, together with their wives, widows, and children, are entitled to support out of the joint property." Buddhism and Chinese folk religions China's family laws were changed by the Communist revolution; and in 1950, the People's Republic of China enacted a comprehensive marriage law including provisions giving the spouses equal rights with regard to ownership and management of marital property. Christianity In Christianity, according to the Bible, a husband in a heterosexual marriage has a number of duties: To present his bride to God throughout their lives as perfectly holy and virtuous as can be. To protect his wife with his own life, physically, emotionally and "spiritually". To "lay down" his life, counting her more important than himself. To lead his wife and his family into the best things for them. To be the best that he can be in God's power. To not withhold his body from her. Other cultures In Japan, before enactment of the Meiji Civil Code of 1898, all of the woman's property such as land or money passed to her husband except for personal clothing and a mirror stand. Expectation of fidelity Although there is generally an expectation for a spouse not to have sexual relations with anyone other than his spouse(s), historically, in most cultures, this expectation was not as strong as in the case of wives, a situation which was evident in legal codes which prohibited adultery, with male adultery often being criminalized only if "aggravating" circumstances existed, such as if he brought his mistress in the conjugal home, or if there was public scandal. The double standard was also evident in divorce laws of many countries, such as the UK or Australia, which differentiated between female adultery, which was a ground of adultery by itself, and male adultery, which was a ground only under certain circumstances. This double standard continues to be seen today in many parts of the world. For instance, in the Philippines, a wife can be charged with the crime of adultery (for merely having one act of sexual intercourse with a man other than her husband), while a husband can only be charged with the related crime of concubinage, which is more loosely defined (it requires either keeping the mistress in the family home, or cohabiting with her, or having sexual relations under scandalous circumstances). A breach of this expectation of fidelity is commonly referred to as adultery or extramarital sex. Historically, adultery has been considered a serious offense, sometimes a crime. Even if that is not so, it may still have legal consequences, particularly a divorce. Adultery may be a factor to consider in a property settlement, it may affect the status of children, the custody of children, etc.

4318357

Bond credit rating

In investment, the bond credit rating represents the credit worthiness of corporate or government bonds. It is not the same as an individual's credit score. The ratings are published by credit rating agencies and used by investment professionals to assess the likelihood the debt will be repaid. Credit rating agencies Credit rating is a highly concentrated industry with the "Big Three" credit rating agencies – Fitch Ratings, Moody's and Standard & Poor's (S&P) – controlling approximately 95% of the ratings business. Credit rating agencies registered as such with the SEC are "nationally recognized statistical rating organizations". The following firms are currently registered as NRSROs: A.M. Best Company, Inc.; DBRS Ltd.; Egan-Jones Rating Company; Fitch, Inc.; HR Ratings; Japan Credit Rating Agency; Kroll Bond Rating Agency; Moody's Investors Service, Inc.; Rating and Investment Information, Inc.; Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC; and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. Under the Credit Rating Agency Reform Act, an NRSRO may be registered with respect to up to five classes of credit ratings: (1) financial institutions, brokers, or dealers; (2) insurance companies; (3) corporate issuers; (4) issuers of asset-backed securities; and (5) issuers of government securities, municipal securities, or securities issued by a foreign government. In Asia, the regulated and recognized credit rating agencies in the domestic markets are – in China: China Chengxin International (CCXI), China Lianhe Credit Rating (Lianhe Ratings), New Century Zixin Assessment Investment Service, Pengyuan Credit Rating; in Japan: Rating and Investment Information (R&I); in India: ICRA (ICRA), Credit Analysis and Research (CARE) and CRISIL. Credit rating codes and classes The credit rating is a financial indicator to potential investors of debt securities such as bonds. These are assigned by credit rating agencies such as Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch, which publish code designations (such as AAA, B, CC) to express their assessment of the risk quality of a bond. Moody's assigns bond credit ratings of Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, Ba, B, Caa, Ca, C, as well as WR and NR for 'withdrawn' and 'not rated' respectively. Standard & Poor's and Fitch assign bond credit ratings of AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CC, C, D. Currently there are only two companies in the United States with an AAA credit rating: Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson. These individual codes are grouped into broader classes described as "investment grade" or not, or in numbered tiers from high to low. In addition to the rating codes, agencies typically supplement the current assessment with indications of the chances for future upgrades or downgrades over the medium term. For example, Moody's designates an Outlook for a given rating as Positive (POS, likely to upgrade), Negative (NEG, likely to downgrade), Stable (STA, likely to remain unchanged), or Developing (DEV, contingent on some future event). Rating tier definitions Investment grade A bond is considered investment grade or IG if its credit rating is BBB− or higher by Fitch Ratings or S&P, or Baa3 or higher by Moody's, the so-called "Big Three" credit rating agencies. Generally they are bonds that are judged by the rating agency as likely enough to meet payment obligations that banks are allowed to invest in them. Ratings play a critical role in determining how much companies and other entities that issue debt, including sovereign governments, have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest they pay on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for issuers' borrowing costs. Bonds that are not rated as investment-grade bonds are known as high yield bonds or more derisively as junk bonds. The risks associated with investment-grade bonds (or investment-grade corporate debt) are considered significantly higher than those associated with first-class government bonds. The difference between rates for first-class government bonds and investment-grade bonds is called investment-grade spread. The range of this spread is an indicator of the market's belief in the stability of the economy. The higher these investment-grade spreads (or risk premiums) are, the weaker the economy is considered. Criticism Until the early 1970s, bond credit ratings agencies were paid for their work by investors who wanted impartial information on the credit worthiness of securities issuers and their particular offerings. Starting in the early 1970s, the "Big Three" ratings agencies (S&P, Moody's, and Fitch) began to receive payment for their work by the securities issuers for whom they issue those ratings, which has led to charges that these ratings agencies can no longer always be impartial when issuing ratings for those securities issuers. Securities issuers have been accused of "shopping" for the best ratings from these three ratings agencies, in order to attract investors, until at least one of the agencies delivers favorable ratings. This arrangement has been cited as one of the primary causes of the subprime mortgage crisis (which began in 2007), when some securities, particularly mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) rated highly by the credit ratings agencies, and thus heavily invested in by many organizations and individuals, were rapidly and vastly devalued due to defaults, and fear of defaults, on some of the individual components of those securities, such as home loans and credit card accounts. Other countries are beginning to mull the creation of domestic credit ratings agencies to challenge the dominance of the "Big Three", for example in Russia, where the ACRA was founded in 2016. Municipal bonds Municipal bonds are instruments issued by local, state, or federal governments in the United States. Until April–May 2010, Moody's and Fitch were rating municipal bonds on the separate naming/classification system which mirrored the tiers for corporate bonds. S&P abolished its dual rating system in 2000. Default rates The historical default rate for municipal bonds is lower than that of corporate bonds. A potential misuse of historic default statistics is to assume that historical average default rates represent the "probability of default" of debt in a particular rating category. However, [...] default rates can vary significantly from one year to the next and the observed rate for any given year can vary significantly from the average.

4318359

Bermagui, New South Wales

Bermagui is a town on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Bega Valley Shire. It lies on the shores of the southern end of Horseshoe Bay. The name is derived from the Dyirringanj word, permageua, possibly meaning "canoe with paddles". History A wharf was built in Horseshoe Bay in 1888 for the coastal trade. The port was serviced by the Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company. A 1910 article, "Bermagui – In a Strange Sunset", published by Henry Lawson in The Bulletin describes a steamer journey from Bermagui to Sydney. Lawson was probably travelling with the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company. In 1880, the Government geologist, Lamont Young, and four others disappeared while on a boat trip from Bermagui. Their boat was found near Mystery Bay, which is about 15 kilometres north of Bermagui, midway between Bermagui and Narooma, near Tilba. The bay received its name because of the disappearance. Zane Grey, the well-known big-game fisherman of the 1930s and author of Westerns, was patron of the Bermagui Sport Fishing Association for 1936/37 and anchored his yacht, the "Avalon" in Horseshoe Bay. He returned briefly for a visit in 1939. He wrote of his experiences in the town. In 1943, the Japanese submarine I-21 sank the iron ore carrier SS Iron Knight off the coast of Bermagui. Local fisherman had tangled their nets on the wreck deep below the surface in 125 metres of water, but did not know the ship lay there until a team of divers confirmed its existence on 4 June 2006. On 29 July 2006 relatives and descendants of the ship's crew came to Bermagui for a memorial and commemorative service. A fishing harbour was built at Bermagui in 1959, the first in a new series by the Public Works Department. Population In 2016, there were 1,536 people in Bermagui. 77.9% of people were born in Australia and 89.0% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 35.2%, Anglican 22.5% and Catholic 15.5%. Geography It is said that offshore from Bermagui the edge of the "continental shelf is at its closest point to the mainland and hence there is good fishing. anglers were allowed to catch, or tag and release marlin, and tuna such as yellowfin, bluefin, and albacore, which are sought after "game fish". Gulaga National Park is about north of Bermagui. Transport There is a fishing harbour. Bermagui is served by sealed road connections to Tathra (44 km south), Cobargo (20 km west) and the Princes Highway (15 km to the north) near Tilba. Facilities Bermagui Public School is a primary school, which has taught local Aboriginal languages, the Dhurga and Djiringanj languages, and associated cultures since 2019. In the arts Zane Grey filmed part of his shark film White Death (1936) and wrote the storyline for Rangler River (1936) while camped at Bermagui. His book of his game fishing adventures here An American Angler in Australia was published in 1937. He also worked on his epic Australian Western novel Wildness Trek while in Bermagui, which was not published until after his death in 1944. During the 1940s and 1950s, detective writer Arthur Upfield lived in the town and made it the setting for one of his novels, The Mystery of Swordfish Reef, published in 1943. Dorothy Hewett (author and well known feminist and communist) wrote her gothic love story Neap Tide (1999) set in the fictional town of "Zane" while camped at Umbi Gumbi, Cuttagee to the south of Bermagui. Outdoor scenes from the film The Man Who Sued God (2001) starring Billy Connolly were shot in Bermagui. There are scenes of the Bermagui Boat Harbour, the main street, and surrounding beaches. Many locals are in the movie, and the classic boat is a local charter fishing boat. Bermagui locals thoroughly enjoyed Billy Connolly's visit . In January 2005, the Leader of the Opposition, Mark Latham, and his family retreated here from the media, before his decision to resign as ALP leader and from Parliament, writing in The Latham Diaries that "God has given us Bermagui, let's enjoy it". The historic wooden Wallaga Lake Bridge north of Bermagui was the setting for a scene in the 2014 film Unbroken.

4318365

Armenian Evangelical Church

The Armenian Evangelical Church () was established on July 1, 1846, by thirty-seven men and three women in Constantinople. History In the 19th century there was intellectual and spiritual awakening in Constantinople. This awakening and enlightenment pushed the reformists to study the Bible. Under the patronage of the Armenian Patriarchate, a school was opened, headed by Krikor Peshdimaljian, one of the leading intellectuals of the time. The principal aim of this school was to train qualified clergy for the Armenian Apostolic Church. The result of this awakening was the formation of a society called the "Pietistical Union". The members held meetings for the study of the Bible. During these meetings and Bible studies, questions were raised regarding the practices and traditions of the church, which to them seemed to conflict with biblical truths. These reformists faced strong retaliation from the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Eventually, after Patriarch Matteos Chouhajian excommunicated the reformists, they were forced to organize themselves into a separate religious community, the Protestant Millet. This separation led to the formation of the Armenian Evangelical Church in 1846. Today, there are approximately 100 Armenian Evangelical churches in the following countries: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, England, France, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Uruguay, and the United States of America. Armenian Evangelical Unions Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE, 1924) Armenian Evangelical Union of North America (AEUNA, 1971) Armenian Evangelical Union of France (AEUF, 1924) Union of Evangelical Churches in Armenia (1995) Armenian Evangelical Union of Eurasia (1995) Armenian Evangelical Fellowship of Europe Union of Armenian Evangelical Unions in Bulgaria (1995) Armenian Brethren Groups of Brethren assemblies exist in Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, the United States, and Australia.

4318366

Dion Beebe

Dion Beebe A.C.S. A.S.C. ( ; born 18 May 1968) is an Australian-South African cinematographer. Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, his family moved to Cape Town, South Africa in 1972. Dion studied cinematography at the Australian Film Television and Radio School from 1987 to 1989. Beebe was nominated for an Academy Award and BAFTA for his work on Rob Marshall's Chicago, and won the 2006 Academy Award for his work on the director's later Memoirs of a Geisha. He is known for his use of stylized, highly saturated colour palettes and for his experimental use of high-speed digital video on Michael Mann's Collateral (for which he won a BAFTA for Best Cinematography) and Miami Vice. He is also a member of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). Dion was inducted into the Australian Cinematography Society's Hall of Fame at the National Awards on the 16 May 2020. Filmography

4318371

Shurab, Tajikistan

Shurab (; ) is a town in the Sughd Region, Tajikistan. It is part of the city of Isfara. The population was about 2,900 in 2020. The town was established in 1952 in Tajik SSR. In Soviet time it had a population of 8,400 (1991), most people worked in coal-mining industry. There were several factories, Palace of Culture, a stadium, a library, a movie theater, a park, etc. The town was supplied by Moscow, wages of local people were higher than in many other Tajik towns, and housing there was considered prestigious by many citizens of the USSR. After the breakup of the USSR in 1991, most of the coal mines, factories, culture institutions were closed and the town lost about a half of its population. As of 2003, the town, with many buildings went to ruins, looked as if there were bombings, water supply system was almost broken, water was supplied to people for about ten minutes a day, a three-room flat there cost about 150 rubles (5 USD). Notable residents Shurab is the birthplace of the decorated gold medal Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim. Transport Shurab was the terminus of a branch railway of the former Soviet Railways system.

4318377

Levius Peters Sherwood

Levius Peters Sherwood (December 12, 1777 – May 19, 1850) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada. He was born at St. Johns in Lower Canada, the son of Justus Sherwood. He studied law and was called to the bar in 1803. In 1804, he was appointed registrar for Grenville, Leeds, and Carleton and customs inspector. In the same year, he married Charlotte Jones, daughter of Ephraim Jones. In 1812, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada representing Leeds. In 1818, he successfully defended two Métis against charges of murdering Robert Semple in the Red River Colony. In 1820, he was appointed judge in the Johnstown District court. He was reelected to the Legislative Assembly in 1820 and he was chosen as speaker the following year. In 1825, he was appointed to the Court of King's Bench. He played an important role in the trials for treason that followed the Upper Canada Rebellion. He retired from the bench in 1840. Sherwood was named to the council of King's College in 1841. He was appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada in 1842 and the Executive Council in 1843. He died at Toronto in 1850. His son Henry became a member of the Legislative Assembly, a judge and mayor of Toronto. His brother Samuel served in the legislative assemblies of Upper and Lower Canada.

4318380

Gastric-brooding frog

The gastric-brooding frogs or platypus frogs (Rheobatrachus) is a genus of extinct ground-dwelling frogs native to Queensland in eastern Australia. The genus consisted of only two species, both of which became extinct in the mid-1980s. The genus is unique because it contains the only two known frog species that incubated the prejuvenile stages of their offspring in the stomach of the mother. The combined ranges of the gastric-brooding frogs comprised less than . Both species were associated with creek systems in rainforests at elevations of between . The causes of the gastric-brooding frogs' extinction are not clearly understood, but habitat loss and degradation, pollution, and some diseases may have contributed. The assignment of the genus to a taxonomic family is hotly debated. Some biologists class them within Myobatrachidae under the subfamily Rheobatrachinae, but others place them in their own family, Rheobatrachidae. Molecular genetics finds it sister to Mixophyes. Scientists at the University of Newcastle and University of New South Wales announced in March 2013 that the frog would be the subject of a cloning attempt, referred to as the "Lazarus Project", to resurrect the species. Embryos were successfully cloned, and the project eventually hopes to produce a living frog. The southern gastric brooding frog has been listed as Extinct by the IUCN because it has not been recorded in the wild since 1981, and extensive searches over the last 35 years have failed to locate this species. Taxonomy The genus Rheobatrachus was first described in 1973 by David Liem and since has not undergone any scientific classification changes; however its placement has been controversial. It has been placed in a distinct subfamily of Myobatrachidae, Rheobatrachinae; in a separate family, Rheobatrachidae; placed as the sister taxon of Limnodynastinae; and synonymized with Limnodynastinae. In 2006, D. R. Frost and colleagues found Rheobatrachus, on the basis of molecular evidence, to be the sister taxon of Mixophyes and placed it within Myobatrachidae. Both species of gastric-brooding frogs were very different in appearance and behaviour from other Australian frog species. Their large protruding eyes and short, blunt snout along with complete webbing and slimy bodies differentiated them from all other Australian frogs. The largely aquatic behaviour exhibited by both species was only shared (in Australia) with the Dahl's Aquatic Frog and their ability to raise their young in the mother's stomach was unique among all frogs. Common names The common names, "gastric-brooding frog" and "platypus frog", are used to describe the two species. "Gastric-brooding" describes the unique way the female raised the young and "platypus" describes their largely aquatic nature. Southern gastric-brooding frog (R. silus) Distribution The southern gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus) was discovered in 1972 and described in 1973, though there is one publication suggesting that the species was discovered in 1914 (from the Blackall Range). Rheobatrachus silus was restricted to the Blackall Range and Conondale Ranges in southeast Queensland, north of Brisbane, between elevations of above sea level. The areas of rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and riverine gallery open forest that it inhabited were limited to less than . They were recorded in streams in the catchments of the Mary, Stanley and Mooloolah Rivers. Depending on the source, the last specimen seen in the wild was in 1979 in the Conondale Range, or in 1981 in the Blackall Ranges. The last captive specimen died in 1983. This species is believed to be extinct. Description The southern gastric-brooding frog was a medium-sized species of dull colouration, with large protruding eyes positioned close together and a short, blunt snout. Its skin was moist and coated with mucus. The fingers were long, slender, pointed and unwebbed and the toes were fully webbed. The arms and legs were large in comparison to the body. In both species the females were larger than the males. The southern gastric-brooding frog was a dull grey to slate coloured frog that had small patches, both darker and lighter than the background colouration, scattered over dorsal surface (back). The ventral surface was white or cream, occasionally with yellow blotches. The arms and legs had darker brown barring above and were yellow underneath. There was a dark stripe that ran from the eye to the base of the forelimb. The ventral surface (belly) was white with large patches of cream or pale yellow. The toes and fingers were light brown with pale brown flecking. The end of each digit had a small disc and the iris was dark brown. The skin was finely granular and the tympanum was hidden. The male Southern Gastric Brooding Frog was in length and the female in length. Ecology and behaviour The southern gastric-brooding frog lived in areas of rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and riverine gallery open forest. They were a predominately aquatic species closely associated with watercourses and adjacent rock pools and soaks. Streams that the southern gastric-brooding frog were found in were mostly permanent and only ceased to flow during years of very low rainfall. Sites where southern gastric-brooding frogs were found usually consisted of closed forests with emergent eucalypts, however there was sites where open forest and grassy ground cover were the predominate vegetation. There is no record for this species occurring in cleared riparian habitat. Searches during spring and summer showed that the favored diurnal habitat was at the edge of rock pools, either amongst leaf litter, under or between stones or in rock crevices. They were also found under rocks in shallow water. Winter surveys of sites where southern gastric-brooding frogs were common only recovered two specimens, and it is assumed that they hibernated during the colder months. Adult males preferred deeper pools than the juveniles and females which tended to inhabit shallower, newly created (after rain) pools that contained stones and/or leaf litter. Individuals only left themselves fully exposed while sitting on rocks during light rain. The call of the southern gastric-brooding frog has been described as an "eeeehm...eeeehm" with an upward inflection. It lasts for around 0.5 s and was repeated every 6–7 seconds. Southern gastric-brooding frogs have been observed feeding on insects from the land and water. In aquarium situations Lepidoptera, Diptera and Neuroptera were eaten. Being a largely aquatic species the southern gastric-brooding frog was never recorded more than from water. Studies by Glen Ingram showed that the movements of this species were very restricted. Of ten juvenile frogs, only two moved more than 3 metres between observations. Ingram also recorded the distance moved along a stream by seven adult frogs between seasons (periods of increased activity, usually during summer). Four females moved between and three males covered . Only three individuals moved more than (46 m, 46 m and 53 m). It appeared that throughout the breeding season adult frogs would remain in the same pools or cluster of pools, only moving out during periods of flooding or increased flow. Northern gastric-brooding frog (R. vitellinus) Distribution The northern gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus vitellinus) was discovered in 1984 by Michael Mahony. It was restricted to the rainforest areas of the Clarke Range in Eungella National Park and the adjacent Pelion State Forest in central eastern Queensland. This species, too, was confined to a small area – less than , at altitudes of . Only a year after its discovery, it was never seen again despite extensive efforts to locate it. This species is considered to be extinct. Description The northern gastric-brooding frog was a much larger species than the southern gastric-brooding frog. Males reached in length, and females in length. This species was also much darker in colour, usually pale brown, and like the southern gastric-brooding frogs its skin was bumpy and had a slimy mucus coating. There were vivid yellow blotches on the abdomen and the underside of the arms and legs. The rest of the belly was white or grey in colour. The tympanum was hidden and the iris was dark brown. The body shape of the northern gastric-brooding frog was very similar to the southern species. Ecology and behaviour The northern gastric-brooding frog was only recorded in pristine rainforests where the only form of human disturbance was poorly defined walking tracks. As with the southern gastric-brooding frog, the northern gastric-brooding frog was also a largely aquatic species. They were found in and around the shallow sections of fast flowing creeks and streams where individuals were located in shallow, rocky, broken-water areas, in cascades, riffles and trickles. The water in these streams was cool and clear, and the frogs hid away beneath or between boulders in the current or in backwaters. Male northern gastric-brooding frogs called from the water's edge during summer. The call was loud, consisting of several staccato notes. It was similar to the southern gastric-brooding frog's call although deeper, shorter and repeated less often. The northern gastric-brooding frog was observed feeding on caddisfly larvae and terrestrial and aquatic beetles as well as the Eungella torrent frog (Taudactylus eungellensis). Reproduction What makes these frogs unique among all frog species is their form of parental care. Following external fertilization by the male, the female would take the eggs or embryos into her mouth and swallow them. It is not clear whether the eggs were laid on the land or in the water, as it was never observed before their extinction. Eggs found in females measured up to 5.1 mm in diameter and had large yolk supplies. These large supplies are common among species that live entirely off yolk during their development. Most female frogs had around 40 ripe eggs, almost double that of the number of juveniles ever found in the stomach (21–26). This means one of two things, that the female fails to swallow all the eggs or the first few eggs to be swallowed are digested. At the time the female swallowed the fertilized eggs her stomach was no different from that of any other frog species. In the jelly around each egg was a substance called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which could turn off production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This source of PGE2 was enough to cease the production of acid during the embryonic stages of the developing eggs. When the eggs had hatched the tadpoles created PGE2. The mucus excreted from the tadpoles' gills contained the PGE2 necessary to keep the stomach in a non-functional state. These mucus excretions do not occur in tadpoles of most other species. Tadpoles that don't live entirely off a yolk supply still produce mucus cord, but the mucus along with small food particles travels down the oesophagus into the gut. With Rheobatrachus (and several other species) there is no opening to the gut and the mucus cords are excreted. During the period that the offspring were present in the stomach the frog would not eat. Information on tadpole development was observed from a group that was regurgitated by the mother and successfully raised in shallow water. During the early stages of development tadpoles lacked pigmentation, but as they aged they progressively develop adult colouration. Tadpole development took at least six weeks, during which time the size of the mother's stomach continued to increase until it largely filled the body cavity. The lungs deflated and breathing relied more upon gas exchange through the skin. Despite the mother's increasing size she still remained active. The birth process was widely spaced and may have occurred over a period of as long as a week. However, if disturbed the female may regurgitate all the young frogs in a single act of propulsive vomiting. The offspring were completely developed when expelled and there was little variation in colour and length of a single clutch. Cause of extinction The cause for the gastric-brooding frogs' extinction is speculated to be due to human introduction of pathogenic fungi into their native range. Populations of southern gastric-brooding frogs were present in logged catchments between 1972 and 1979. The effects of such logging activities upon southern gastric-brooding frogs was not investigated but the species did continue to inhabit streams in the logged catchments. The habitat that the southern gastric-brooding frog once inhabited is now threatened by feral pigs, the invasion of weeds, altered flow and water quality problems caused by upstream disturbances. Despite intensive searching, the species has not been located since 1976 or 1981 (depending on the source). The Eungella National Park, where the northern gastric-brooding frog was once found, was under threat from bushfires and weed invasion. Continual fires may have destroyed or fragmented sections of the forest. The outskirts of the park are still subject to weed invasion and chytrid fungus has been located within several rainforest creeks within the park. It was thought that the declines of the northern gastric-brooding frog during 1984 and 1985 were possibly normal population fluctuations. Eight months after the initial discovery of the northern gastric-brooding frog, sick and dead Eungella torrent frogs, which cohabitat the streams with gastric brooding frogs, were observed in streams in Pelion State Forest. Given the more recent understanding of the role of the amphibian disease in the decline and disappearance of amphibians, combined with the temporal and spatial pattern of the spread of the pathogen in Australia, it appears most likely that the disease was responsible for the decline and disappearance of the gastric-brooding frogs. Despite continued efforts to locate the northern gastric-brooding frog it has not been found. The last reported wild specimen was seen in the 1980s. In August 2010 a search organised by the Amphibian Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature set out to look for various species of frogs thought to be extinct in the wild, including the gastric-brooding frog. Conservation status Both species are listed as Extinct under both the IUCN Red List and under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; however, they are still listed as Endangered under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992. De-extinction attempt Scientists are making progress in their efforts to bring the gastric-brooding frog species back to life using somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), a method of cloning. In March 2013, Australian scientists successfully created a living embryo from non-living preserved genetic material. These scientists from the University of Newcastle Australia led by Prof Michael Mahony, who was the scientist who first discovered the northern gastric-brooding frog, Simon Clulow and Prof Mike Archer from the University of New South Wales hope to continue using somatic-cell nuclear transfer methods to produce an embryo that can survive to the tadpole stage. "We do expect to get this guy hopping again," says UNSW researcher Mike Archer. The scientists from the University of Newcastle have also reported successful freezing and thawing (cryopreservation) of totipotent amphibian embryonic cells, which along with sperm cryopreservation provides the essential "proof of concept" for the use of cryostorage as a genome bank for threatened amphibians and also other animals.

4318386

Margaret Gardner

Margaret Elaine Gardner (born 19 January 1954) is an Australian academic who is the current Vice-Chancellor of Monash University, in office since 2014. She was previously Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University from 2005 to 2014, and has a background in economics. Education Gardner earned a Bachelor of Economics with first class honours from the University of Sydney, and later a PhD with a thesis on Australian industrial relations. Following the completion of her PhD, she was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship and studied in the United States at the University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University. Career as an academic Gardner has had a prominent career as an academic, and has served in executive positions with Deakin University, Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology. Prior to her appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of RMIT, she was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Gardner was appointed Vice-Chancellor of RMIT on 4 April 2005, taking over from care-taker Vice-Chancellor Chris Whitaker. She has been Vice-Chancellor of Monash University since 1 September 2014. Vice-chancellor of RMIT At the time of Gardner's appointment as vice-chancellor, RMIT was at a crucial point in its 118-year history. RMIT's previous vice-chancellor, Ruth Dunkin, resigned after only four years in the position and the university was fighting to overcome a A$24 million budget shortfall in 2004 that left it teetering on the edge of disaster. By the end of her first year as vice-chancellor, RMIT had posted a A$23.2 million surplus for 2005 which increased to a A$50.1 million surplus by 2007. The fast turn around in finances at RMIT was achieved through the sale of property in the university's extensive real estate portfolio, a 9% increase in student fees and cutting 180 staff positions. Other current leadership roles Executive: Chair of Universities Australia President of RMIT International University Holdings Pty. Ltd. President of the Museum Board of Victoria Chair of the Australian Technology Network Chair of the Education Advisory Group of the Council for Australia-Latin America Relations Director of the Australian Teaching and Learning Council Membership: Business-Higher Education Collaboration Council of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Learning and Teaching Performance Fund Advisory Committee of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Enterprise-Connect Centre Advisory Board of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Melbourne Graduate School of Business' LH Martin Institute for Leadership and Management Australian Defence Force's Reference Group on Women Professional works Gardner has authored, co-authored and edited a number of texts in the fields of industrial relations and human resource management, which have been widely used as course texts in Australian universities. She's also a regular contributor to a wide range of international journals and speaker at various academic and government conferences. Between 1998 and 2002, as Chair of two major Queensland Government taskforces, Prof. Gardner also authored three government reviews: Queensland Industrial Relations Legislation, Pathways Articulation Through the Post-Compulsory Years of School to Further Education Training and Labour Market Participation. A selection of Gardner's research is available from the RMIT Research Repository. Controversy In 2011 whilst Vice-Chancellor of RMIT, Gardner overturned the findings of an internal RMIT Redundancy Review Committee (RRC) and unlawfully terminated the employment of Social Sciences Professor Judith Bessant. The RRC found that fair process had been not been followed by the university and that there had been a failure of natural justice. Despite these findings, Gardner decided to proceed to make Professor Bessant redundant. On behalf of Bessant, the National Tertiary Education Union launched an "adverse action" claim against RMIT and Gardner in the Federal Court of Australia. The presiding judge, Justice Gray, was critical of Gardner's management of the case, especially given her considerable experience in industrial relations. In deciding the case, Gray also said he took into consideration the "apparent determination" by Gardner to "ignore her knowledge of Professor Hayward's animosity towards Professor Bessant". He also found that Gardner displayed a lack of contrition for what the court found to be a blatant contravention of workplace laws. The Federal Court reinstated Bessant, and indicated that she would be entitled to approximately $2 million in compensation if she was not reinstated. The Court also ordered RMIT to pay a civil penalty of $37,000 for two contraventions of the Fair Work Act 2009, as a warning to employers of the risks of using "sham" redundancies as a means for dismissing difficult employees. The case was reported in the national media, in addition to becoming an important case study that is widely discussed on legal websites. Bessant later published a personal account of the case. Honours In 2007, Gardner was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours, for her "service to tertiary education, particularly in the areas of university governance and gender equity; and to industrial relations in Queensland". In 2020, she was upgraded to Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to tertiary education through leadership and innovation in teaching and learning, research and financial sustainability. Gardner is also an Honorary Doctor of Griffith University, and in September 2018 was elected as a Fellow to the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia for distinguished contribution to discipline and to society. Gardner was advanced to Companion of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Honours for "eminent service to tertiary education through leadership and innovation in teaching and learning, research and financial sustainability." Personal life When her husband Glyn Davis was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, together they were regularly referred to as "Melbourne's top academic couple".

4318389

2006 Belgian local elections

The Belgian provincial, municipal and district elections of 2006 took place on Sunday 8 October 2006. The electors have elected the municipal councillors of 589 cities and towns (308 in the Flemish Region, 262 in the Walloon Region and 19 in the Brussels-Capital Region) as well as the ten provincial councils. The voters in the town of Antwerp have also been able to vote for the city's district councils. In seven Flemish municipalities with a special language statute (Drogenbos, Kraainem, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Wemmel, Wezembeek-Oppem and Voeren) and in the Walloon municipality of Comines-Warneton the aldermen and the members of the OCMW/CPAS council have also been directly elected. It was the first municipal and provincial elections since the transfer of the competence with regards to the municipalities and provinces to the regions, also residents without E.U. citizenship could vote for the first time if they had registered to vote. The previous municipal and provincial elections took place on Sunday 8 October 2000. City and provincial councillors are elected to a six-year term. Newly elected councillors took office in January 2007, with the term ending in 2013. Points of notice are the result of the governing federal government coalition (liberal/social-democrat) - for whom a bad result could spell defeat in the federal general elections to be held no later than June 2007 - and the result of the Vlaams Belang party in Antwerp and the other Flemish towns. Organisation The municipal and provincial elections of 2006 were the first of its kind to be organized by the Regions instead of the federal government. The competence with regards to the municipalities and provinces was transferred from the federation to the Regions by special law of 13 June 2001. The Flemish minister of the Interior Marino Keulen announced that the results of the elections held in the Flemish Region would be available in real time on the official dedicated government website www.vlaanderenkiest.be. Municipal elections These have taken place in Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels Capital Region. The municipal councils were elected by a very rare form of party-list proportional representation, the Imperiali highest averages method. The parties presented themselves with lists of candidates. The number of candidates on the list usually was the total number of seats to be taken in the council. Each list received a random number, which was assigned by a lottery. Parties that had representatives in the regional parliaments, could receive a number that is the same in the entire region. Other parties' numbers varied from municipality to municipality. These numbers started after the regional numbers (8 and higher in Flanders, 14 and higher in Brussels, 6 and higher in Wallonia). The regional list numbers: Provincial elections These have taken place in Flanders and Wallonia. In the Brussels Capital Region no provincial elections were held as Brussels is not part of any Belgian province, the provincial competences almost entirely being assumed by the Region, the Agglomeration and the Community Commissions. The list numbers used were the same as for the municipalities. Polls Flemish region Het Laatste Nieuws The polls conducted by the Stemmenkampioen site of Het Laatste Nieuws and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, yielded the following overall result for Flanders, compared to the 2004 regional elections (the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result): The last poll not taking into account alliances dates from September 2006 and showed these results: Standaard - VRT The latest poll by De Standaard and VRT yielded the following overall results for Flanders, compared to the 2004 regional elections (the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result): Antwerp Poll by the Gazet van Antwerpen and VRT, taken between 31 January and 23 February 2006, compared to the 2000 municipal elections (the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result): July and September 2006 polls conducted by the Stemmenkampioen site of Het Laatste Nieuws and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, yielded the following result for Antwerp, compared to the 2000 municipal elections (the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result): Walloon Region A poll conducted by the RTBF and the Sud Presse in June 2006 showed the following results, compared to the 2000 municipal elections (the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result): Charleroi Results Flanders Provinces The provincial elections are the only 2006 elections that allow for a national comparison, since in municipal elections not all parties run in all municipalities. Municipalities Most important conclusions are that Vlaams Belang achieves status quo in large cities as Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent but advances strongly in the countryside. The CD&V-N-VA gains nearly everywhere, VLD and Groen! lose nearly everywhere. The VLD was able to consolidate where they put forth nationally known candidates, like Guy Verhofstadt in Ghent and Vincent Van Quickenborne in Kortrijk. The SP.A-Spirit puts strong results in cities like Antwerp, Ghent and Ostend but has mixed results in other places. Most coalitions before the elections can continue with a stronger backing, most notably in Ghent and Mechelen. An exception to this general 'rule' is Vilvoorde, where former prime minister Jean-Luc Dehaene loses his majority. Antwerp In 2001 the VU-ID split up in 2 wings: the centre-right Flemish nationalist NVA, which formed a cartel with the Christian Democratic CD&V and the social-liberal Spirit which formed a cartel with the Socialist SPA. Bruges Ghent Ostend Districts (Antwerp) Heavily anticipated were the results for Merksem, Deurne and Hoboken, where it was believed Vlaams Belang could obtain an absolute majority. This however did not turn out to be the case, even though the party does advance in all but two districts (Antwerp and Borgerhout). Most notably, in Hoboken a majority without Vlaams Belang will only be possible by including the extreme left PVDA, although another party, N-VA, has already ruled out such a coalition. Wallonia Provinces Municipalities Namur In Namur, the capital of Wallonia, the Socialist Party (PS) lost 7.4% of its votes, enough for the local Christian-democrats (cdH), Liberals (MR) and Greens (Ecolo) to start a coalition, breaking with the 30-year Socialist hegemony there. Jacques Etienne of chH will become the new mayor. Brussels

4318397

Southborough, Bromley

Southborough is an area of South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley and the historic county of Kent. It is located south of Bickley and Bromley, east of Bromley Common, north of Locksbottom, and west of Petts Wood. History The area gets its name from South Barrow, a house that stood where Birdham Close now is in the 1600s. By the mid-19th century it remained a hamlet, with a few large houses and about 16 cottages. A description of Southborough is given in Charles Freeman's History, Antiquities, Improvements, &c. of the Parish of Bromley, Kent, published in 1832. Southborough is situated from Bromley nearly two miles: it contains about sixteen houses, among which are the pleasant seats of Abraham Welland, Esq., the late Governor Cameron, and others. Some of the premises here, from their appearance, would indicate their erection to have taken place many years ago. "Local tradition had it the hamlet had once been the court of a baron with the right to carry out executions, and that a gatehouse that had once stood on a farm there had been his prison. However John Dunkin, writing in 1815, believed that the fact that the Southborough had been part of a manor belonging to the Bishop of Rochester made the story "fabulous, or at least exaggerated by the mistakes of the ignorant rustics." Further development occurred following the opening of Southborough Road train station in 1856, later renamed Bickley station. South Barrow went through a number of changes: it became Belmont School in 1901, Cloisters old people's home in 1922, and then later an office of the War Damage Commission, before being demolished in 1954. In 1977 Jubilee Country Park was opened to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Amenities The identity of the area has merged somewhat with the contiguous areas of Bromley Common, Bickley and Petts Wood. It is centred on Southborough Road, which contains shops, two pubs (The Chequers and The Crooked Billet), a library and various places of worship. Gallery

4318403

VFA-101

Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101), also known as the "Grim Reapers", was a United States Navy Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) based at Eglin AFB, Florida. After the West Coast FRS for the F-14 Tomcat, VF-124, was disestablished in the mid-1990s, VF-101 became the sole F-14 FRS. At the time it was based at NAS Oceana in Virginia. With the retirement of the F-14, VF-101 was deactivated in 2005. It was reactivated in 2012 and redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101). It was one of two F-35C Lightning II FRS before being deactivated in 2019. It was based at Eglin AFB, Florida with the joint 33d Fighter Wing (33 FW), as a subordinate unit of the U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet. History Two distinct squadrons have been called the Grim Reapers, VF-10 and later VF-101, which is the main subject of this article. Officially, the US Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new squadron is formed with the same designation or nickname. Often, the new squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, and traditions of the earlier squadrons. 1950s On 1 May 1952, VF-101 was established at NAS Cecil Field, Florida. This new squadron assumed the nickname and traditions of the previous Grim Reapers and flew the FG-1D Corsair in the Korean War. Later in 1952, VF-101 received the jet-powered F2H-2 Banshee. The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 1 aboard the and circumnavigated the globe between 27 December 1954 and 14 July 1955. In 1956, VF-101 transitioned to the F4D-1 Skyray, their first radar-equipped aircraft. The squadron was only once deployed for a short time during NATO Operation Strikeback from 3 September to 22 October 1957, this time being assigned to Carrier Air Group 7 aboard the . In April 1958, VF-101 was merged with the Fleet All Weather Training Unit Atlantic and began to train all weather fighter pilots on both the F4D-1 and the F3H-2 Demon. In becoming part of the training structure, VF-101 became part of Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4 and ceased to be a deployable unit. 1960s In June 1960, VF-101 established "Detachment A" at NAS Oceana which operated the F4H-1 Phantom II. By the end of 1962, the Skyray and the Demon had been phased out in favor of the F-4. Detachment A was disestablished and F-4 training moved to NAS Key West, Florida. On 1 May 1966, a new detachment was formed at NAS Oceana primarily to train replacement pilots and Radar Intercept Officers in the areas of aerial refueling, carrier qualification and conventional weapons. The Key West unit concentrated on air-to-air combat, missile firing and radar intercept techniques. In August 1967, VF-101 received the F-4J. 1970s VF-101's administrative command, Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4, was disestablished on 1 June 1970, with VF-101 shifting control of Command to Fleet Air Key West. This moved lasted only a year, and the squadron moved from NAS Key West to NAS Oceana under the command of Commander Fighter Wing One. A detachment remained at Key West until the 2000s. From 6 July to 16 December 1971, VF-101 Det.66 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard the for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. In January 1976, VF-101 began operating and instructing aircrews and maintainers in the F-14 Tomcat. In 1975 and 1976 the squadron was awarded the CNO Aviation Safety Award and in November 1976 the unit received its fourth Safety Citation due to 36 continuous months without accident. On 5 August 1977, the F-4 training department of VF-101 was split into a separate new squadron, VF-171, which continued to train F-4 crews until disestablishment in 1984 after the last two Oceana F-4 squadrons (VF-74 and VF-103) began to transition to the Tomcat. VF-101 continued to train F-14 crews. 1980s In 1986, VF-101 had completed 3 years of accident free operations earning them another Safety Citation, and in March 1988 they received a third CNO Safety Award. The same year, VF-101 began to receive the F-14A+ (later redesignated F-14B), which upgraded the F-14A's underpowered and troublesome engines with new engines that improved fuel economy and added 14,600 pounds-force (65,000 newtons) of thrust over the F-14A. The new fuel economy gave the F-14B one third more time on-station and sixty percent more range. 1990s Following a year of dedicated fleet efforts, led primarily by VF-24 at NAS Miramar, California, the first-ever bomb-dropping mission conducted by fleet Tomcats occurred on August 8, 1990 (a joint VF-24/VF-211 division of aircraft). Following that, on 12 September 1990, a VF-101 Tomcat dropped bombs from a "fleet aircraft" for the first time on the east coast. Previously, although initially designed as both a fully capable fighter and strike aircraft, the Tomcat had been assigned strictly to the air-to-air role. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and continuing to build on the earlier groundwork at both VX-4 and the west coast squadrons, VF-101 continued to add to its air-ground weapons training, eventually encompassing a whole range of air-to-ground weapons, from general-purpose bombs, cluster bombs, laser-guided bombs, air-launched decoys, and JDAM. VF-101's West Coast counterpart, VF-124 at NAS Miramar, was disestablished in 1994, making VF-101 the sole F-14 FRS. A VF-101 detachment was created at Miramar to continue F-14 crews and ground personnel training. When NAS Miramar became Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in 1996, all F-14 squadrons were moved to NAS Oceana and the VF-101 detachment was disestablished. Around this period the squadron also receive their first group of F-14D airplanes, which was the penultimate version of the Tomcat. 2000s As F-14 squadrons began to transition to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, VF-101's mission diminished. During this time, several VF-101 aircraft featured the markings of disestablished F-14 squadrons—among them were VF-1, VF-21, VF-24, VF-33, VF-74, VF-84, VF-111 and VF-142. As the only F-14 FRS until its disestablishment in 2005, VF-101 at one point had as many as 130 F-14s of all three variants, as well as a small number of T-34 Mentors for currency training and range safety. VF-101 was deactivated on 30 September 2005, at a ceremony at NAS Oceana. Honored guests at the ceremony were the surviving members of the Flatley family (three generations of which were VF-101 pilots), who were presented with the squadron flag. Reactivation and redesignation to "VFA-101" as F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron On 1 May 2012, the squadron was reactivated at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida and redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101), The "Grim Reapers" are still an FRS; this time for the F-35C Lightning II, the aircraft carrier-capable variant of the F-35 that will serve in the U.S. Navy and selected carrier-deployable squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps. The squadron administratively fell under Commander, Naval Air Forces and Commander Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet. In November 2014, VFA-101 passed 1,000 mishap-free flight hours in the F-35C. Deactivation On 10 September 2018, the Chief of Naval Operations promulgated a notice of the "Deactivation of Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero One." . On 23 May 2019, VFA-101 completed deactivation, and was consolidated into the remaining F-35C FRS, VFA-125, the "Rough Raiders". Its assets and support personnel were moved to NAS Lemoore, home of VFA-125.

4318409

Dvārakā

Dvārakā, also known as Dvāravatī (Sanskrit द्वारका "the gated [city]", possibly meaning having many gates, or alternatively having one or several very grand gates), is a sacred historic city in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. It is also alternatively spelled as Dvarika. The name Dvaraka is said to have been given to the place by Bhagavan Krishna, a major deity in Hinduism. Dvaraka is one of the Sapta Puri (seven sacred cities) of Hinduism. In the Mahabharata, it was a city located in what is now Dwarka, formerly called Kushasthali, the fort of which had to be repaired by the Yadavas. In this epic, the city is described as a capital of the Anarta Kingdom. According to the Harivamsa the city was located in the region of the Sindhu Kingdom. In the Hindu epics and the Puranas, Dvaraka is called Dvaravati and is one of seven Tirtha (pilgrimage) sites for spiritual liberation. The other six are Mathura, Ayodhya, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Avantika (Ujjain) and Puri. Description in the Harivamsa In Harivamsa, Dvaraka is described as largely built on "submerged land", "released by the ocean" (2.55.118 and 2.58.34). The city was the former "sporting ground of the King Raivataka" called "Dvāravāti", which "was squared like a chess board" (2.56.29). Nearby was the mountain range Raivataka (2.56.27), "the living place of the gods" (2.55.111). The city was measured by Brahmins; the foundations of the houses were laid and at least some of the houses were built by the Yadavas (2.58.9 - 15). It was built by Vishwakarman in one day (2.58.40) "mentally" (2.58.41 and 44). It had surrounding walls (2.58.48 and 53) with four main gates (2.58.16). Its houses were arranged in lines (2.58.41) and the city had "high buildings" (2.58.50 and 54) (2.58.53), which "almost touched the sky" (2.58.50), and had "doors that had the colour of white clouds" (2.58.48). The fort walls of the city were "shining with the colour of the Sun and pots of gold" and "sounds emanating from grand houses sparkling with golden colour" (2.58.53). It had a temple area with a palace for Krishna himself, which had a separate bathroom (2.58.43). "The city is beautified on Earth by the ocean" like Indra's heavenly city is "beautified by an assembly of important jewels" (2.58.47 - 66, (2.58.49). Dvaraka in Hindu scripture Description The following description of Dvaraka during Krishna's presence there appears in the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad-Bhagavatam; 10.69.1-12) in connection with the sage Narada's visit. The City was filled with the sounds of birds and bees flying about the parks and pleasure gardens, while its lakes, crowded with blooming indivara, ambhoja, kahlara, kumuda, and utpala lotuses, resounded with the calls of swans and cranes. Dvaraka boasted 900,000 royal palaces, all constructed with crystal and silver and splendorously decorated with huge emeralds. Inside these palaces, the furnishings were bedecked with gold and jewels. Traffic moved along a well laid-out system of boulevards, roads, intersections, and marketplaces, and many assembly houses and temples of demigods graced the charming city. The roads, courtyards, commercial streets, and residential patios were all sprinkled with water and shaded from the sun's heat by banners waving from flagpoles. In the city of Dvaraka was a beautiful private quarter worshiped by the planetary rulers. This district, where the demigod Vishvakarma had shown all his divine skill, was the residential area of Lord Hari Krishna, and thus it was gorgeously decorated by the sixteen thousand palaces of Lord Krishna's queens. Narada Muni entered one of these immense palaces. Supporting the palace were coral pillars decoratively inlaid with vaidurya gems. Sapphires bedecked the walls, and the floors glowed with perpetual brilliance. In that palace Tvashta had arranged canopies with hanging strands of pearls; there were also seats and beds fashioned of ivory and precious jewels. In attendance were many well-dressed maidservants bearing lockets on their necks, and also armor-clad guards with turbans, fine uniforms, and jeweled earrings. The glow of numerous jewel-studded lamps dispelled all darkness in the palace. My dear king, on the ornate ridges of the roof danced loudly crying peacocks, who saw the fragrant aguru incense escaping through the holes of the latticed windows and mistook it for a cloud. Events Pandu's sons lived in Dwaraka during their exile to woods. Their servants headed by Indrasena lived there for one year (the 13th year) (4,72). Bala Rama mentioned about a sacrificial fire of Dwaraka, before he set for his pilgrimage over Sarasvati River (9,35). One should proceed with subdued senses and regulated diet to Dwaravati, where by bathing in "the holy place called Pindaraka", one obtaineth the fruit of the gift of gold in abundance (3,82). King Nriga, in consequence of a single fault of his, had to dwell for a long time at Dwaravati, and Krishna became the cause of his rescue from that miserable plight.(13,72). Sage Durvasa resided at Dwaravati for a long time (13,160). Arjuna visited Dwaravati during his military campaign after the Kurukshetra War (14,83). When the Pandavas retire from the world they visit the place where Dvaraka once used to be and see the city submerged under water. Related archaeology During 1983-1990, the Marine Archaeology Unit of India's National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) carried out underwater excavations at Dwarka and Bet Dwarka. According to S. R. Rao "The available archaeological evidence from onshore and offshore excavations confirms the existence of a city-state with a couple of satellite towns in 1500 B.C." He considered it reasonable to conclude that this submerged city is the Dvaraka as described in the Mahabharata. Submergence In the Mausala Parva of the Mahabharata, Arjuna witnesses the submergence of Dvaraka and describes it as follows:

4318420

Mickael Turtle

Mickael Turtle (A.K.A. Mickael the Turtle) from New Caledonia (France) is a fictional turtle who reached #5 in the French music charts with a reworking of the Ghostbusters theme. He has also made a teaser video (Wacky Animals). Discography Singles 2006 Ghostbusters (Universal Licensing Music, 983 644 7) 2006 Super Freak Appearances 2006 Wacky animals (Universal, 0602498360262), published in Ukraine.

4318422

Kunti Kingdom

The Kunti Kingdom was the kingdom of Kunti-Bhoja, one of the prominent kings among the Bhoja Yadavas. Kunti, the mother of Pandavas and the first wife of Kuru king Pandu, was the adopted daughter of Kuntibhoja. Her given name was Pritha and she was a sister of Vasudeva, the father of Vasudeva Krishna. The Kunti kingdom was neighbour to the Avanti Kingdom. It was probably to the north of Avanti. References in Mahabharata The 18 tribes which fled due to attacks from Jarasandha Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 14 Jarasandha was a powerful Ancient Indian king who ruled Magadha. The eighteen tribes of the Bhojas, from fear of Jarasandha, have all fled towards the west; so also have the Surasenas, the Bhadrakas, the Vodhas, the Salwas, the Patachchavas, the Susthalas, the Mukuttas, and the Kulindas, along with the Kuntis. And the king of the Salwayana tribe with their brethren and followers; and the southern Panchalas and the eastern Kosalas have all fled to the country of the Kuntis. So also the Matsyas and the Sannyastapadas, overcome with fear, leaving their dominions in the north, have fled into the southern country. And so all the Panchalas, alarmed at the power of Jarasandha, have left their own kingdom and fled in all directions. Kingdoms near Kuru Kingdom Pandavas thought about selecting one among these kingdoms to spend their 13th year of exile in anonymity, forced upon them by Duryodhana. Mahabharata, Book 4, Chapter 1 Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious '-Rashtra (Kingdom). List of Kingdoms in Bharata Varsha (Ancient India) Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 9 From the extract below, it seems there were two kingdoms with the name Kunti, one Kunti proper and the other Apara Kunti, which means a Kunti Kingdom farther away. .......the Chedis, the Karushas, the Bhojas, the Sindhus, the Pulindakas, the Uttamas, the Dasharnas, the Mekalas, the Utkalas; the Panchalas, the Kausijas, the Nikarprishthas, Dhurandharas; the Sodhas, the Madrabhujingas, the Kasis, and the further-Kasis; the Jatharas, the Kukuras, the Kuntis, the Avantis, and the Apara-Kuntis; the Gomantas, the Mandakas, the Shandas, the Vidarbhas, the Rupavahikas; the Aswakas, the Pansurashtras, the Goparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas,..... Bhargava Rama's Annihilation of Khsatrias Mahabharata, Book 7, Chapter 68 The valiant son of Jamadagni, Bhargava Rama, proceeding against the Kashmiras, the Daradas, the Kuntis, the Kshudrakas, the Malavas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Videhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshovahas, the Vitahotras, the Trigartas, the Martikavatas, counting by thousand, slew them all by means of his whetted shafts. Kurukshetra War Mahabharata, Book 8, Chapter 6 The Kuntis''' possessed of great prowess in battle, endued with great energy and great might, have been slain in fight by Bhishma, with all their kinsmen and advisers.