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The Puma is a German infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) ( or short SPz) designed to replace the aging Marder IFVs currently in service with the German Army. Production of the first batch of 350 vehicles began in 2010 and was completed in August 2021. A second batch of 229 Pumas received funding. Mass production began on 6 July 2009. The companies responsible for this project are Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme, which created a joint venture, Projekt System Management GmbH (PSM). The Puma is one of the world's best-protected IFVs, while still having a high power-to-weight ratio.
History
Development
The Puma (formerly also named Igel (hedgehog) and Panther) started as a follow-up project to the German 1996 "NGP" project (Neue Gepanzerte Plattformen, "New Armored Platforms"). Its aim was to collect ideas for a common base vehicle that could be used for a variety of tasks including that of the APC, IFV, air defense and replacing and assisting the MBT in the frontline combat role. The NGP project was ended in 2001.
The lessons learned were incorporated into the new tactical concept named neuer Schützenpanzer ("new IFV") in 1998. Planning for the Puma as the successor of the Marder began in 2002. That same year, the German Army (Heer) placed an order for the delivery of five pre-production vehicles and their logistics and training services at the end of 2004. On 8 November 2007, a budget of €3 billion to acquire 405 Pumas (excluding the five Pumas that had already been delivered to the German Army for trials) was agreed upon.
On 6 December 2010, the first two serial vehicles were handed over to the German Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung.
The Puma successfully completed cold tests in Norway in 2012. In August 2013, two Pumas were airlifted to the United Arab Emirates for hot weather tests. Trials included suitability for hot weather operations, firing and driving maneuvers in desert conditions, as well as firepower and mobility evaluations. During the trials, the temperature profiles inside the vehicle were measured, then compared to the ambient temperature.
On 13 April 2015, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) granted authorization of use of the Puma IFV. This began a program to "train the trainers" on the first seven vehicles and additional ones until the end of the year, when a training center will be set up to put Panzer Grenadiers of mechanized infantry companies through a three-month course to familiarize them with their Pumas. The Puma officially entered service with the German military on 24 June 2015.
Future
Given the advanced age of the current Marder IFVs, and because the world market does not offer any vehicle comparable with the specifications to which the Puma is built, the acquisition of the new vehicles was unanimously voted for by the budget committee of the Bundestag.
350 Pumas were delivered to replace the more than 40-year-old Marders. Full operational readiness was to be achieved by 2024.
The German Army will use €500 million to modernize 40 Pumas by 2023, with more effective weaponry and communications technology capable of rapidly providing a situation image and GPS coordinates to fighter jets. This variant was cleared for operations in March 2021, after successfully completing the army's tactical evaluation in its second attempt. The German contribution to the NATO VJTF in 2023 is intended to include Pumas to this standard.
There are provisions for hard- or soft-kill systems to defeat hostile ATGMs or RPGs, or for future active/reactive armor. There are also mounts and interfaces for the inclusion of ATGMs on the right side of the turret.
The Puma's large weight reserves and the compact cabin make it very attractive for modification. Most vital integrals are situated in the front, floor, and side walls, which may remain unchanged during such a cabin-oriented modification.
On 28 June 2021, BAAINBw awarded the Rheinmetall-KMW joint venture PSM a EUR1.04 billion (US$1.23 billion) contract to upgrade 154 German Army Pumas to the S1 enhanced design status. The upgrade includes equipping the Puma with the Mehrrollenfähiges leichtes Lenkflugkörper-System (Multirole-capable Light Missile System: MELLS, the Bundeswehr's designation for the Spike-LR), integrating a turret-independent secondary weapon system, new digital radios, high-resolution day/night cameras for the driver and mounted squad, color-enabled optronics for the gunner and commander, and connecting the vehicle with the Infanterist der Zukunft - Erweitertes System (Future Soldier - Expanded System, IdZ-ES) and battle management system. The contract is scheduled for completion by 2029; an option to upgrade another 143 Pumas is included, which combined with the 40 already upgraded would bring all but 13 driver training vehicles in the German Army's inventory to S1-standard. That option was approved in December 2022.
In March 2022 the funding for a second batch of 229 Pumas of the latest standard was secured.
Eighteen Pumas took part in exercises in 2022, and all of them were inoperable at the end of the exercises. Major General von Butler, the commander of the 10th Armoured Division, described the situation as a "total failure." Consequently, the German government paused purchases of further Pumas.
The manufacturer described the damage as "minor damage" which "was caused by the crew through improper operation"
In May 2023, another batch of 50 Pumas was ordered.
Design
The Puma, while externally not very different from existing IFVs, incorporates a number of advances and state-of-the-art technologies. The most obvious of these is the incorporated ability to flexibly mount different armour (see below for details). Another feature is the compact, one-piece crew cabin that enables direct crew interaction ("face-to-face"; like replacing the driver or gunner in case of a medical emergency) and minimizes the protected volume. The cabin is air conditioned, NBC-proof with internal nuclear and chemical sensors and has a fire suppressing system using non-toxic agents. The engine compartment has its own fire extinguishing system. The only compromise of the otherwise nearly cuboid cabin is the driver station, located in a protrusion in front of the gunner, in front of the turret.
One measure to achieve the one-piece cabin is the use of an unmanned, double-asymmetrical turret (see photo): while slightly off-center turrets are common in IFVs, the Puma's turret is on the left-hand side of the vehicle, while the main cannon is mounted on the right side of the turret and thus on the middle axis of the hull when the turret is in the forward position.
The outer hull (minus the turret) is very smooth and low to minimize shot traps and the general visual signature. The whole combat-ready vehicle in its base configuration will be air transportable in the Airbus A400M tactical airlifter. Its 3+6 persons crew capability is comparable to other vehicles of comparable weight, like the US American M2 Bradley IFV, the Marder, and the CV9040, but smaller than the 3+8 of the CV9030 and CV9035.
Armament
Cannon
The primary armament is a Rheinmetall 30 mm MK 30-2/ABM (Air Burst Munitions) autocannon, which has a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute and an effective range of 3,000 m. The smaller 30×173mm cartridge offers major advantages over, for example, the Bofors 40 mm gun mounted on the CV9040 because of a much lower ammunition size and weight. The belt feed system provides a large number of rounds ready to fire, while the 40mm offers only 24 shots per magazine. This is not a problem in a CV9040, but would force the Puma off the battlefield to reload the unmanned turret.
There are currently two ammunition types directly available via the autocannon's dual ammunition feed. One is a sub-calibre, fin-stabilised APFSDS-T (T for tracer), with high penetration capabilities, mainly for use against medium armoured vehicles. The second is a full-calibre, multi-purpose, Kinetic Energy-Timed Fuse (KETF) munition, designed with a fuse setting allowing air burst capability for ejecting a cone of sub-munitions. The ammunition type can be chosen shot-to-shot, as the weapon fires from an open bolt, with no cartridge inserted until the trigger is depressed. The ammunition capacity is 400 rounds; 200 ready to fire and 200 in storage.
Anti-tank guided missile
To combat main battle tanks, helicopters, and infrastructure targets such as bunkers, the German Puma vehicles will be equipped with a turret-mounted EuroSpike Spike LR missile launcher, which carries two missiles. The Spike LR missile has an effective range up to 4,000 m and can be launched in either the "Fire and Forget" or "Fire and Observe" mode.
Machine gun
Keeping the weight within the 35-ton limit also led to a smaller calibre for the secondary armament, a coaxially mounted 5.56 mm HK MG4 machine gun firing at 850 rounds per minute and with an effective range of 1,000 m. The ammunition capacity is 2,000 rounds; 1,000 ready to fire and 1,000 in storage. While this is a smaller weapon than the western standard secondary armament (7.62 mm caliber MG), it offers the advantage that the crew can use the ammunition in their individual firearms. In situations where the lower range and penetration of the 5.56 mm rounds is an issue, the high ammunition load of the main gun enables the vehicle crew to use one or two main gun rounds instead. The gun housing can also host the 7.62 mm MG3. The MG4 is being replaced by the MG5 with the S1 variant.
Grenade launcher
In addition to the usual smoke-grenade launchers with 8 shots, there is a multishot 40 mm launcher at the back of the vehicle for close-in defence. The main back door can be opened halfway and enables two of the passengers to scout and shoot from moderate protection.
Protection
There is a single compartment for the whole crew, including the driver, and the turret is unmanned, which enabled the German Army to reach an impressive protection level, and for the driver, it means that there are safe ways to exit the vehicle if needed.
Passive protection / Armour
The Puma was designed to accommodate additional armor, initially planning to offer three protection classes which are wholly or partly interchangeable. Protection class A is the basic vehicle, at 31.5 metric tons combat-ready weight air transportable in the A400M. Protection class C consists of two large side panels that cover almost the whole flanks of the vehicle and act as skirts to the tracks, a near-complete turret cover and armor plates for most of the vehicle's roof. The side panels are a mix of composite and spaced armor. It adds about 9 metric tons to the gross weight. Originally, there was also a protection class B designed for transport by rail. However, it became obvious that class C lies within the weight and dimension limits for train/ship transportation, thus class B was scrapped.
The Puma is protected by AMAP composite armor, the AMAP-B module is used for protection against kinetic energy threats, while
AMAP-SC offers protection against shaped charges.
A group of four A400M aircraft could fly three class A Pumas into a theatre, with the fourth airplane transporting the class C armor kits and simple lifting equipment. The Pumas could be built-up to armor class C within a short time.
The basic armor can resist direct hits from 14.5 mm Russian rounds, the most powerful HMG cartridge in common use today (and up to twice as powerful as the western de facto standard 12.7 mm .50 BMG cartridge).
The frontal armor offers protection against medium caliber projectiles and shaped charge projectiles. In protection class C, the flanks of the Puma are up-armored to about the same level of protection as is the front, while the roof armor is able to withstand artillery or mortar bomblets.
The whole vehicle is protected against heavy blast mines (up to 10 kg) and projectile charges from below, while still retaining 450 mm ground clearance. Almost all equipment within the cabin, including the seats, has no direct contact to the floor, which adds to crew and technical safety. All cabin roof hatches are of the side-slide type, which make them easier to open manually, even when they are obstructed by debris. The exhaust is mixed with fresh air and vented at the rear left side. Together with a special IR-suppressing paint, this aims at reducing the thermal signature of the IFV.
Active Protection System
The Pumas of the German Army will be equipped with a soft-kill system called Multifunktionales Selbstschutz-System (multifunction self protection system), MUSS, which is capable of defeating ATGMs.
Other protection features
The engine compartment and the crew compartment are equipped with a fire suppression system.
The crew compartment is equipped with a full NBC system.
Another crew safety measure is that the main fuel tanks are placed outside of the vehicle hull itself, mounted heavily armoured within the running gear carriers. While this may pose a higher penetration risk to the tanks, it is unlikely that both tanks will be penetrated at the same time, enabling the vehicle to retreat to a safer position in case of a breach. There is also a collector tank within the vehicle, which acts as a reserve tank in case of a double tank breach.
Sensors and situational awareness
The Puma offers improvements in situational awareness. The fully stabilized 360° periscope (PERI RTWL by Hensoldt) with six different zoom stages offers a direct glass optic link to either the commander or the gunner. Since this is an optical line, it had to be placed in the turret center, one of the reasons why the main cannon is mounted off-center on the turret. Via an additional CCD camera the picture from this line can also be fed into the on-board computer network and displayed on all electronic displays within the vehicle. Besides that, the periscope offers an optronic thermal vision mode and a wide-angle camera with three zoom stages to assist the driver, as well as a laser range finder. The whole array is hunter-killer capable. The commander also has five vision blocks.
The gunner optics, which can be completely protected with a slide hatch, are mounted coaxially to the main gun. The gunner has a thermal vision camera and laser range finder (identical to those on the PERI) and an optronic day sight, rounded off with a glass block. The driver has three of vision blocks, as well as an image intensifier and a display for optronic image feeds. The passenger cabin has a hatch and three vision blocks on the rear right side of the vehicle, one of them in a rotary mount. The rear cabin also has two electronic displays.
All in all, the Puma has an additional five external cameras at its rear in swing-mounts for protection while not in use. Apart from the glass optic periscope view directly accessible directly by the commander and gunner and indirectly via the CCD camera, all optronic picture feeds can be displayed on every electronic display within the vehicle. The provisions for the rear cabin enable the passengers to be more active than previously in assisting the vehicle crew either directly through the vision blocks and hatches, or by observing one or more optronic feeds. The whole crew has access to the onboard intercom.
Mobility
Traditionally, IFVs are expected to interact with main battle tanks (MBTs) on the battlefield. In reality, many IFVs are not mobile enough to keep up with the pace of an MBT. The Puma aims to close this gap with several key technologies. Firstly, its compact, lightweight MTU Diesel engine is unusually strong at 800 kW nominal output. Even at the 43 t maximum weight in protection class C, it has a higher kW/t ratio than the Leopard 2 MBT it is supposed to supplement.
The vehicle prototypes have a five-road wheel decoupled running gear, and use a hydropneumatic "In Arm" Horstmann suspension to improve cross-country performance while reducing crew and material stress by limiting vibrations and noise. The road wheels are asymmetrical, mounted closer to each other at the front. This is to counter the front-heavy balance, inevitable because of the heavy frontal armor as well as the engine and drive train which are also situated at the front. The 500mm-wide steel tracks made by Diehl Defence are of new construction and lighter than previous designs.
The serial production vehicles will have a symmetrical arranged six road wheel running gear as shown on released pictures by the manufacturer.
Operators
Current operator
The Puma has been in service with the German Army since April 2015. 350 vehicles have been delivered as of August 2021. Originally 405 were ordered, but on 11 July 2012 the order was reduced to 350. In March 2022 the German Army secured financing for a second batch of 229 Pumas.: Puma orders were paused in December 2022 due to reliability issues, according to then defense minister Christine Lambrecht. In May 2023, a second order for 50 Puma was confirmed. It is to be delivered from end of 2025, until beginning of 2027.
Failed bids
The Australian Army sought a 'Mounted Close Combat Capability' within its Land 400 Phase 3 procurement program. The Puma IFV was one of the potential contenders. In November 2018, Project System & Management GmbH (PSM), the joint venture between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall announced the Puma would not compete in the Land 400 Phase 3 project.
The Department of National Defence was considering the purchase of vehicles meant to accompany the Leopard 2 into combat. The CV90, the Puma and the Véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie were the most likely candidates for the role. A contract of 108, with an option for up to 30 more was looked at. The project has since been cancelled.
Offered by the German Army to supplement the Leopard 2 and the possibility of manufacturing it under license by FAMAE, but the German offer didn't lead to any discussion for a purchase.
In 2016, the Croatian Army was looking at replacing the 128 M80A IFV that were in its inventory. Several contenders were considered, including the CV90 and the Puma. 108 vehicles were expected (88 IFV, 8 command and control vehicles, 8 armoured ambulances, and 4 driving training vehicles). It was expected to be purchased from 2021.
For budget reasons, the Croatian Army settled on 89 M2A2 Bradley (ODS variant) for $145.3 million. The Croatian Army decided its purchase in 2020, and the contract was signed in January 2022. It includes 62 fully equipped and fully restored (M2A2 ODS), 5 for training, 22 for spare parts, they will be delivered in 2023-26.
Czech Army is looking to buy 210 new infantry fighting vehicles for €2 Bln. between 2019 and 2024. All of them will replace aging BMP-2 in IFV and supporting variants. There will probably be an option to 100 more vehicles. In June 2017 five types of IFV (two versions of CV90, Lynx, ASCOD and Puma) were evaluated during a nine days testing.
Based on unofficial information from the Czech general staff, Puma might be selected based on its "technological superiority". In December 2018, Puma was shortlisted together with the ASCOD, CV90 and Lynx In October 2019 it was announced that the Puma was being withdrawn from the competition. The manufacturer said that the Czech Army requirements would require an expensive redesign to the existing Puma which it was unwilling to undertake.
The Czech army selected the CV9030 MkIV in July 2022 and signed the contract in December 2022.
The Hungarian Defence Forces was looking to buy 200 new infantry fighting vehicles between 2020 and 2026. All of them were to replace the aging BTR-80 APCs. Eventually the Hungarian government decided on the Lynx.
The United States Army sought a new family of vehicles to replace the aging fleet of M113 APCs and M2 Bradleys with the BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program. With modification, the Puma satisfied the technical requirements of the BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program and was offered by SAIC and Boeing. The SAIC-Boeing team was not awarded a technology development contract for their Puma-based vehicle in August 2011, and then filed a protest. The protest was denied in December 2011 based on concerns over the vehicle's force protection features, primarily the proposed active protection system and underbody armor, and 20 significant weaknesses which had potential solutions offered that were judged as inadequate. On 2 April 2013, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that advised purchasing current infantry fighting vehicles instead of developing a new vehicle for the GCV program. Buying the Puma would save $14.8 billion, and was called the most capable vehicle. The Army responded by saying no existing vehicle could match requirements to replace the Bradley.
See also
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Puma (German infantry fighting vehicle)
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The town of Wittlich (; Moselle Franconian: Wittlech) is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its historic town centre and the beauty of the surrounding countryside make the town a centre for tourism in southwest Germany.
Wittlich is the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with a population of roughly 64,000. With some 18,000 inhabitants, Wittlich is the biggest town between Trier and Koblenz and the fourth biggest between Mainz and the Belgian border.
Geography
Location
The town lies in the South Eifel on the River Lieser in a side valley of the Moselle on the northern edge of the Wittlich Depression. This stretch of country is bounded in the west by the low mountains of the Moselle Eifel and in the east by the Moselle valley.
Constituent communities
Wittlich's Stadtteile or Ortsbezirke (districts or suburbs), besides the main centre, also called Wittlich, are Bombogen, Dorf, Lüxem, Neuerburg, and Wengerohr, each of which was a self-administering municipality. until 7 June 1969.
History
The oldest known remnants of human settlement activity come from the third millennium BC.
In Roman times there stood right on the River Lieser, where the autobahn bridge is now, a stately villa rustica or countryside villa.
In 1065, Wittlich had its first documentary mention. In 1300, Archbishop-Elector Diether von Nassau of Trier granted Wittlich town rights. It had long been assumed, however, that Wittlich had already been granted town rights in 1291, leading to the 700th-anniversary celebrations in 1991.
In the middle ages, the prince-electors of Trier constructed a castle in Wittlich, Burg Ottenstein. This castle was replaced in the 18th century by a hunting lodge, Schloss Philippsfreude, which was destroyed during the times of the French Revolution.
In 1912, Germany's first youth prison was built in Wittlich, which also still borders on the Justizvollzugsanstalt Wittlich (“Wittlich Correctional Facility”).
Building projects in town
In 2009, the town of Wittlich was included in the programme Aktive Stadtzentren (“Active Town Centres”) of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Since then, some investors have been interested in the town of Wittlich.
On 12 November of the same year, the Schlossgalerie was opened, in which C&A, Müller, Ernsting's Family and Depot all have locations. There is still somewhere between 600 and 1 500 m² of available free floor area.
In mid March, work began on the project Altstadt, die neue (roughly “New Old Town”). It comprises three new houses in which later, on the ground floors, there will be 220 m² of storage room and a passage, while upstairs there will be room for medical practices and flats. Furthermore, there will be an underground garage with 20 parking places. Work is set to finish on this project in mid-2011.
Planned for Schlossstraße in Wittlich is a new theatre-cinema with four big and modern cinema halls and one big theatre hall for 600 theatregoers. There is to be a further 500 m² for dining, 850 m² of commercial space and 1 500 m² for flats. A new four-floor building is foreseen for this project. Its name will be Schlosstheater.
Politics
Town council
The council is made up of 32 honorary council members, and a full-time mayor as chairman.
Recent municipal elections have yielded the following results:
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In rotem Feld parallel nebeneinander zwei aufrecht, mit dem Schlüsselbart nach oben voneinander abgekehrte silberne Schlüssel mit übereinandergelegten Griffen, wobei der linke über dem rechten angeordnet ist. Die Mauerkrone ist Zierelement des Wappens: ein Zinnenturm mit offenem Tor in der Mitte zwischen Mauern und Zinnen.
The town's arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Gules two keys palewise addorsed, the wards to chief and the bow of the dexter surmounting that of the sinister, argent, ensigning the shield a tower with an open gateway and flanking walls, the whole embattled, of the second.
The German blazon identifies the “left” key as the one that surmounts the other, although the example shown at the town's own website clearly shows the dexter key surmounting the sinister. This may arise from a common misunderstanding about heraldry, in which left and right – or sinister and dexter – are told from the armsbearer's point of view, not the viewer's.
The example of the arms shown at the town's own website shows the crenellated (“embattled”) tower on top of the escutcheon; however, the example at Heraldry of the World shows the arms without this. This same webpage also shows a coat of arms for Wittlich which apparently appeared in the old Coffee Hag albums. It might be described as “Argent two keys per saltire, the wards to chief, the one in bend sinister surmounting the other, azure.” In other words, the field tincture was silver (“argent”) instead of red (“gules”), and the keys were not only blue instead of silver, but also crossed to form an X (“per saltire”).
Whichever way the keys are arranged, they symbolize Saint Peter, who was the patron saint of the Electorate of Trier, to which Wittlich belonged until 1794. The current tinctures were the ones borne by Trier, whereas the ones in the Coffee Hag image were those borne by the House of Wittelsbach.
The town's first great seal, from the time just after Wittlich had been raised to town, showed a crenellated tower over an open gate between two turrets, each with a roundle high on its wall. The court seal from the early 14th century, on the other hand, showed a two-key charge quite similar to the one in today's arms, thus providing the model for the coat of arms now borne by the town.
The crenellated tower on top of the escutcheon was only “rediscovered” much later.
Town partnerships
Wittlich fosters partnerships with the following places:
Boxtel, North Brabant, Netherlands
Brunoy, Essonne, France since 1979
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom since 1993
Zossen, Teltow-Fläming, Brandenburg (“friendly relations”) since German reunification
Culture and sightseeing
Sightseeing
Old Town Hall on the marketplace with the Alten Rathaus museum for modern art. It was previously the Georg-Meistermann-Museum until the city held an exhibition there by Nazi artist Hans Schell. The Meistermann family withdrew his name in protest but many of his great works are still there - including the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse.
Former synagogue, today a cultural and conference centre with a permanent exhibit on “Jewish Life in Wittlich”
Türmchen (“Little Tower”), part of an old town gate
Baroque Saint Mark's Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Markus)
Remnants of a Roman villa between Wittlich and Altrich, beside the A 1
Saint Paul's Mission House (Missionshaus St. Paul) of the Divine Word Missionaries (closed in autumn 2005)
Haus Daus at Karrstraße 19-21, among Wittlich's oldest townsmen's houses
Regular events
Wittlich's Shrovetide festivities – Fastnacht – are outfitted each year by the two Carnival clubs, Schääl Saidt e.V. and Narrenzunft Rot-Weiß e.V. (“Fools’ Guild”). On the third weekend in August, the Säubrennerkirmes (“Sow Burner Fair”) is held; it is one of Rhineland-Palatinate's biggest folk festivals and was begun in 1951, based on the mediaeval Säubrennersage (a legend that tells of a sow that inadvertently allowed a siege force to enter Wittlich, sack it and burn it down after she ate the carrot that the gatekeeper had used instead of the bolt, which he could not find; all swine in the town were accordingly punished with burning – meaning, in effect, a huge pork barbecue). In October, Wittlich also holds Rhineland-Palatinate's biggest Oktoberfest.
Offener Kanal Wittlich
Wittlich also has a public access channel, the Offener Kanal Wittlich, which several times weekly reports on local news, events and suchlike.
Economy and infrastructure
Economy
In Wittlich, counting only workers on the social welfare contribution rolls, 14,500 people have jobs. This rises to more than 16,000 if officials and the self-employed are counted, making Wittlich's job density about 852 for each thousand inhabitants, and putting Wittlich itself in the very highest group of towns in Rhineland-Palatinate. Wittlich's importance as an economic and tourism centre is favoured by its location on two autobahns and by its mainline railway station on the Koblenz-Trier railway line.
Established businesses
Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel KG runs one of its biggest food freezing works in the outlying centre of Wengerohr.
Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany GmbH runs a plant in Wittlich which has been specialized in truck tire production.
On 12 November 2009, the Schlossgalerie opened in Wittlich in which C&A, Müller and Ernsting's Family, among others, have locations.
The Chinese firm Heng Feng, which makes furniture and fishing tackle, has its only European location in Wittlich through its daughter company Westfield Outdoors.
The Bungert department store is Rhineland-Palatinate's biggest family business.
Franklin Fueling Systems GmbH manages a major distribution warehouse supplying fueling and service station equipment to all of Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Transport
Through the municipal area runs the Autobahn A 1 between Cologne and Saarbrücken.
The Autobahn A 60, coming from Liège, thus far ends at the Wittlich Cross at the A 1.
A new four-lane highway, the so-called B 50 neu, is currently being built. It will run from the Wittlich Autobahn Cross, where currently the A 60 ends, towards the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and the Autobahn A 61. The first section, between Wittlich-Wengerohr and the Wittlich Autobahn Cross, will be completed in 2013, and the whole highway with its centrepiece, a long, high bridge over the Moselle (Hochmoselbrücke) is to be finished by 2016.
Also crossing in Wittlich are Bundesstraßen 49 and 50.
The railway station, Wittlich Hbf (Wengerohr station) with InterCityExpress connections lies in the outlying centre of Wengerohr on the Koblenz–Trier line. Regional services include the Mosel-Saar-Express from Koblenz by way of Trier to Saarbrücken, the Moseltal-Bahn from Koblenz by way of Wittlich to Trier and the Elbling Express from Wittlich by way of Trier to Perl. Long-distance services include ICE service between Luxembourg and Berlin and Intercityverkehr between Luxembourg and Emden. These trains all stop at Wittlich Hbf. The French railway operator SNCF is planning a long-distance service between Metz and Hamburg, which may stop at Wittlich.
Right near the station, spurs once branched off the mainline to Daun by way of Wittlich-Stadt and Bernkastel-Kues, which have now been converted into cycle paths (the Maare-Mosel-Radweg). The transport link has been replaced by a bus route.
The Maare-Mosel-Radweg (cycle path) is a tourist attraction that leads from Daun in the Vulkaneifel to the Moselle and Bernkastel-Kues. Bicycles can be transported on the cyclists’ bus from Bernkastel to Daun by way of Wittlich.
The nearest airports are Luxembourg – Findel Airport and Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, each of which can be reached in about 40 minutes.
Famous people
Honorary citizens
Louis Constans Berger (1829–1891), industrialist and politician, honorary citizen since 1884
Hans-Günther Heinz (1933– ), entrepreneur and politician, honorary citizen since 2004
Matthias Joseph Mehs (1893–1976), politician and local author, honorary citizen since 1966
Willi Schrot (1915–2016) master locksmith, municipal politician, 1948–1979 Member of the district council, 1967–1979 Member of the Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag, honorary citizen since 2004
Sons and daughters of the town
Mathias Agritius (b. 1545), poet, humanist
Max René Hesse (1877–1952), physician, writer, novelist
Georg Fischer (1881–1962), publisher and local author, owner of the Georg-Fischer-Verlag (publishing house) (1906–1956)
Matthias Joseph Mehs (1893–1976), politician and local author
Hans Kalbfell (b. 1930), professional boxer
Hans Friderichs (b. 1931), politician (FDP), Federal Minister for Economics (1972–1977)
Tony Munzlinger (b. 1934), painter and cartoonist
Hermann Schäfer (b. 1942), historian, former leader of the Culture and Media department in the German Chancellery
Reinhold Bohlen (b. 1946) professor, rector of the Trier Theological Faculty, cathedral capitulary, director of the Emil-Frank-Institut in Wittlich
Brigitte Bastgen (b. 1955), newsreader at ZDF
Christian Klippel (b. 1955), writer
Georg Holkenbrink (b. 1961), cathedral capitulary at the High Cathedral Church at Trier, episcopal vicar general, moderator curiae and economist of the Diocese of Trier
Jürgen Roth-Lebenstedt (b. 1962), two-time German amateur football champion with Eintracht Trier and shooter of ARD Sportschau's “Goal of the Month” in February 1996
Thomas Mussweiler (b. 1969), social psychologist, Leibniz Prize winner 2006
Hanin Elias (b. 1972), techno artist, founding member of Atari Teenage Riot
Julian Klein (b. 1973), composer and conductor
Alfons Heck (1928–2005), internationally published author and lecturer. Winner of a Peabody Award. Appeared in several documentaries aired on HBO and the BBC. Wrote about his experiences as a German youth during World War II.
Jordan Carver (b. 1986), fashion and glamour model
Further reading
Ernst Wackenroder: Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kreises Wittlich Düsseldorf 1934
Freckmann, Klaus: Stadt Wittlich. Neuss 1977
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Wittlich
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Sound FC is an American soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington. Founded in 2006, the team most recently played in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
History
2006–2009: Playoffs
The Tacoma team was introduced into the league at very short notice in 2006, when it was announced that the now-defunct Spokane Shadow franchise was suspending operations for the season. During their first season, they were simply referred to as Tacoma FC. Under the leadership of Mike Jennings as head coach, Tacoma finished 5th in the Northwest table, 16 points off the leaders. Rory Agu was the top scorer with 5 goals, while Spencer Schomaker registered 3 assists.
2007 began with a new official name, the Tacoma Tide. By the end of the regular season, Tacoma sat in second place in the Northwest division. Rory Agu was again one of Tide's top marksmen with 7 goals, while MLS-bound Ciaran O'Brien notched an impressive 7 goals and 5 assists.
Tacoma was looking to build on their impressive sophomore season in 2008. The Conference Final saw them face divisional rivals Vancouver Whitecaps Residency for a third time. Tacoma was on the receiving end of a 4–1 final score. Rory Agu and Spencer Schomaker ended the year as Tide's top marksmen, with 11 and 9 goals respectively, with Schomaker also contributing 5 assists.
2009–2010: Playoff-less seasons
O'Brien was replaced as head coach by former Rochester Rhinos and Seattle Sounders midfielder Greg Howes in 2009, and the change in leadership, combined with the excellence of the expansion teams in the Northwest, seemed to affect Tacoma on the field. A 4–3 loss to the Kitsap Pumas on the final day of the season left the Tide in seventh place, a full 20 points behind divisional champions Kitsap, and out of the playoffs for the first time in three years. Rory Agu was again Tacoma's top scorer, hitting the net 11 times, while Leighton O'Brien provided 4 assists.
2010 began with a change in coaching with former Canadian national team player Gerry Gray replacing Greg Howes. 2010 also saw the team acquire several new players, as well as see some players return from other teams. Chris Sanders joined after a stint with FC Nuremberg and Mark Conrad joined from Kitsap Pumas. Raphael Cox rejoined the team after a year with Real Salt Lake and an MLS Championship. With the two playoff spots locked up by Kitsap and Portland the last game of the season against Kitsap was for pride only. The season was nonetheless an improvement from 2009 with the team finishing third and only narrowly missing out on a playoff spot.
2011
In August 2011, ownership of the team was reorganized as the club sought new investors.
2012–2019: Sounders U-23
On January 25, 2012, it was announced that the Tide will re-brand as Seattle Sounders FC U-23.
2020: Sound FC
On January 9, 2020, it was announced that the Seattle Sounders FC had decided to terminate its branding agreement with the club. The club then decided to affiliate with youth club Sound FC. On March 13, 2020, it was announced that Sound FC would not be participating in USL League Two for the 2020 season, with Issaquah-based Sounders youth affiliate Eastside FC taking the team's place in the league instead.
Staff
.
Year-by-year
Honors
USL PDL Northwest Division champions 2008
USL PDL Northwest Division champions 2012
Head coaches
Mike Jennings (2006)
Fran O'Brien (2007–2008)
Greg Howes (2009)
Gerry Gray (2010–2011)
Darren Sawatzky (2012–2018)
Jason Prenovost (2019–)
Stadia
Sunset Chevrolet Stadium; Sumner, Washington
Franklin Pierce High School; Tacoma, Washington
Cheney Stadium; Tacoma, Washington
Tumwater High School; Tumwater, Washington
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Sound FC (men)
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Anthony Campbell (born May 7, 1962) is an American former professional National Basketball Association (NBA) player.
Campbell played prep basketball at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, New Jersey, graduating in 1980. A 6'7" small forward out of Ohio State University, Campbell was selected 20th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1984 NBA draft. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987.
Campbell became the first player to earn an NBA ring (1987–88 Lakers) and CBA ring (Albany Patroons) in the same season.
Campbell struggled for playing time during his stint in Los Angeles. In 1989 he was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Minnesota Timberwolves, for whom he averaged 23.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in their inaugural season. He held the Timberwolves' original all-time scoring record, scoring 4,888 points, before having his record later broken by Doug West.
After his time with the Timberwolves, Campbell played for the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers before leaving the NBA in 1995.
From 2007 to February 16, 2018, he was the director of athletics and head basketball coach at Bay Ridge Preparatory School in Brooklyn, New York. He has since left the school.
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Tony Campbell
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A mannequin is a life-sized model of the human figure, used especially in advertising and sales.
Mannequin may also refer to:
Film
Mannequin (1926 film), an American silent film starring Alice Joyce and Dolores Costello
Mannequin (1933 film), a British drama film directed by George A. Cooper
Mannequin (1937 film), a drama starring Joan Crawford and Spencer Tracy
Mannequin (1987 film), a comedy starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall
Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991 film), sequel to the 1987 film, starring Kristy Swanson
Music
"Mannequin", a DVD single by Cradle of Filth
"Mannequin", a song by Britney Spears from Circus
"Mannequin", a song by Culture Club from Waking Up with the House on Fire
"Mannequin", a song by Katy Perry from One of the Boys
"Mannequin", a song by The Kids from "Fame"
"Mannequin", a song by The Kovenant from Animatronic
"Mannequin", a song by Pop Smoke featuring Lil Tjay from Meet the Woo 2
"Mannequin", a song by Psyopus from Ideas of Reference
"Mannequin", a song by Wild Strawberries on the album Bet You Think I'm Lonely
"Mannequin", a song by Wire from Pink Flag
Other uses
Mannequin, a novel by J. Robert Janes
See also
Manikin (disambiguation)
Manakin, a family of bird species
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Mannequin (disambiguation)
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Spring Creek is a tributary of Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States.
Spring Creek passes through a water gap in Bald Eagle Mountain and joins Bald Eagle Creek at Milesburg.
The stream is the site of a kayak and canoe slalom training center, located along Sunnyside Boulevard in Bellefonte. Removal of the McCoy & Linn dam in 2007 now permits a Class I whitewater run of about 3 miles (at higher water levels) from Bellefonte to Milesburg.
Tributaries
Slab Cabin Run
See also
List of rivers of Pennsylvania
Wallace Run (Bald Eagle Creek)
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Spring Creek (Bald Eagle Creek tributary)
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The Palmyra New York Temple is the 77th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The site for the Palmyra New York Temple, atop a wooded hill in pastoral western New York, is in an area prominent in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Nearby is the grove of trees known as the Sacred Grove in which the founder and first prophet of the church, Joseph Smith, reported having a vision in which he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, an event known as the First Vision. The temple grounds, on the border between the towns of Manchester and Palmyra, are also on the grounds of the original Smith Family Farm. The church itself was organized thirty miles away in Fayette, New York in 1830.
History
At the groundbreaking ceremony, held May 25, 1999, LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley commented on the area's rich history, saying that it was in that locale that Mormonism truly began. Hinckley also marveled at how much the church had grown since its founding in 1830.
Local reaction to the new temple was positive and more than 30,700 visitors toured the new temple before its dedication. The temple serves about 18,000 members within seven stakes. The Palmyra New York Temple was dedicated on April 6, 2000, the 170th anniversary of the organization of the church. While only about 1,200 members attended the dedicatory sessions within the temple itself nearly 1.5 million members took part through media broadcasts throughout the United States and Canada.
The Palmyra New York Temple has a total of , two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. The exterior is white marble. Forty art glass windows inside the temple depict local events in LDS Church history. A gold statue of the angel Moroni tops the single spire. Ornate carved cherry wood railings, wainscoting, and moldings line the halls, along with hand-sculpted carpeting.
In 2020, the Palmyra New York Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gallery
See also
Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
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Palmyra New York Temple
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Kosmo is a desktop geographic information system (GIS) with advanced functions. It is the first of a series of developments that are being made available to the community.
Kosmo was implemented using the Java programming language and is being developed from the JUMP GIS platform and a series of free code libraries, all of which are well acknowledged and widely used in different free software projects (for example, Geotools and JTS). It is available for Windows and Linux operating systems.
It is a tool for visualizing and processing spatial data, characterized by its friendly user interface and access to multiple data formats, both vectorial (in a file, such as Shapefile, GML, KML, DWG and DXF, or a database, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Oracle) and raster (TIFF, ECW, MrSID, or other georeferenced image files, such as BMP, GIF, JPEG, or PNG). It can also edit and offer a variety of utilities to the GIS user, like support for [www.sextantegis.com/ Sextante] libraries for raster and vector analysis
One of its main characteristics is the possibility of increasing functionality, based on extensions.
Kosmo was developed by a company called SAIG S.L. (in Spanish Sistemas Abiertos de Información Geográfica - Open Geographical Information Systems), and is distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Kosmo offers several products:
Kosmo Server: Raster and vectorial cartography server
Kosmo Desktop: desktop GIS with powerful query, edition and analysis tools
Kosmo Web Client: cartographic browser for connection with services based on OGC standards
Kosmo Mobile: GIS software for mobile devices
Other way, how to get better raster data processing possibilities (gridding, interpolation, geostatistics) is to use Kosmo together with other gis software like SAGA GIS.
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Kosmo
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The Tarbat Ness Lighthouse is located at the North West tip of the Tarbat Ness peninsula near the fishing village of Portmahomack on the east coast of Scotland. It was built in 1830 by Robert Stevenson and has an elevation of and 203 steps to the top of the tower.
History
At the Battle of Tarbat Ness in the 11th century, Thorfinn the Mighty defeated "Karl Hundason", possibly a Viking name for Macbeth.
Further down the peninsula at Portmahomack, in the 1480s the Clan Ross slaughtered a raiding party from the Clan Mackay by locking them in the Tarbat Old Church and setting fire to it. This event is known as the Battle of Tarbat.
Lighthouse
A storm in the Moray Firth in November 1826 saw the loss of 16 vessels and brought many applications for lighthouses to be constructed at Tarbat Ness and at Covesea Skerries.
Tarbat Ness Lighthouse was engineered by Robert Stevenson for the Northern Lighthouse Board and the light was first exhibited on 26 January 1830. James Smith of Inverness was the contractor responsible for the building of the lighthouse which cost £9,361. The lighthouse tower is the third tallest in Scotland behind North Ronaldsay and Skerryvore and is notable for having two distinguishing broad red bands.
Bella Bathurst's 1999 'The Lighthouse Stevensons' refers to a rescue made by the principal keeper William Davidson of 4 of the 5 crew members of a Norwegian schooner. No date given for this. She mentions this in the context that Robert Stevenson required keepers to stay with the light and not risk rescuing shipwrecked people. It seems that even with the light, ships could still be driven ashore. She accessed the full entries of logs and diaries available at the Northern Lights Board.
Earthquake shocks were sometimes reported and Tarbat Ness once shook so that the shades and lamp glasses rattled.
Probably the lighthouse was built on the foundations of a Roman fortification, that were later identified in the Middle Ages as a "Roman landmark" near Port a' Chait (now called "Port a Chaistell").
See also
List of lighthouses in Scotland
List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
List of Category A listed buildings in Highland
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Tarbat Ness Lighthouse
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The Patriotic Traitors: A History of Collaboration in German-Occupied Europe, 1940–45 is a 1972 book by David Littlejohn. It is a history of the Europeans who took part in collaborationism with Nazi Germany. Individual chapters are devoted to Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the Soviet Union.
Littlejohn was later criticized for the book in the work The Kings and the Pawns in which Leonid Rein stated that it was wrong to "attribute all collaboration during World War II to fascist and fascist-like parties".
See also
Non-Germans in the German armed forces during World War II
Wehrmacht foreign volunteers and conscripts
Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts
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The Patriotic Traitors
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Prison Break: Proof of Innocence is a low-budget spin-off series of the American television series, Prison Break. Made exclusively for mobile phones, its first mobisode was published on May 8, 2006. Due to the success of the Fox network's television series Prison Break, the release of this mobisode series was an exclusive deal made between Toyota Motor and News Corporation's Fox network, allowing Toyota to sponsor exclusive content of the show and to obtain advertising exclusivity.
Each episode is approximately 2 minutes long. This series revolves around the conspiracy that put Lincoln Burrows in jail, but does not feature any of the actors or writers from the TV series, and the TV series does not acknowledge the events of this spin-off. It follows the character Amber McCall as she attempts to uncover evidence to exonerate her friend, L.J. Burrows. This mobisode series is produced by Eric Young, who also produced 24: Conspiracy, 24's mobisode series.
Promotion
The mobisodes advertise the Toyota Yaris. A ten-second advertisement of the car is shown at the beginning, and the car is incorporated into each mobisode. These are part of a campaign titled "Yaris vs. Yaris", inspired by Mad magazine's "Spy vs. Spy" with two endlessly dueling black hat and white hat spies. A total of eight different advertisements were featured in the series, which were re-used on subsequent episodes beyond the initial eight episodes.
Distribution
Aside from broadcasts on Fox Mobile on mobile phones, the episodes are published on Toyota's Prison Break webpage. They were all included in the Prison Break Season 1 DVD set bundle at Target and Best Buy.
List of mobisodes
Prison Break: Proof of Innocence was published in 26 episodes, on Toyota's Prison Break webpage on May 8, 2006.
Cast
Mandell Maughan as Amber McCall
John Patrick Jordan as Rob McCall
Dheeaba Donghrer as Buzz
Donn C. Harper as Detective Franklin
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Prison Break: Proof of Innocence
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Calling station is a poker term used to pejoratively describe someone who consistently calls bets and rarely (if ever) raises, regardless of the strength of his or her hand. In Texas hold 'em and other community card poker games, calling stations are sometimes rewarded for their poor play by lucky cards that come on the board, often encouraging unskilled players to overestimate their skill level. Many calling stations can be found on low stakes tables both on the Internet, in online poker rooms, and in traditional bricks and mortar card rooms.
In games (especially limit games) with many calling stations, an effect called schooling can cause calling stations to accidentally play less incorrectly. For example, it is often incorrect to draw to an inside straight because the probability of making the draw is too low to justify the expense of calling a bet to see the next card. However, the presence of many calling stations can inflate the size of the pot, making it correct, or at least less incorrect, to draw to inside straights and other longshot draws.
In poker tournaments with rebuys, calling stations are common as they will often call bets with marginal hands in order to gain chips as a result of outdrawing their opponents. If they lose the hand, they can simply stake their 'buy-in' again and re-enter the tournament with the designated amount of starting chips. This is even common among well-known and skilled players, with the mindset being that they will either accrue a large amount of chips or there will be a large amount of chips in play at their table after rebuying, and their presence in the tournament is not at risk during the rebuy period.
Correct play against calling stations can require strategy adjustments such as typically playing strong hands strongly (without deception), and not betting on marginal hands.
See also
Morton's theorem
Notes
Poker gameplay and terminology
de:Liste von Pokerbegriffen#C
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Calling station
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Hockey Nova Scotia is the governing body of all ice hockey in Nova Scotia, Canada. Hockey Nova Scotia is a branch of Hockey Canada.
History
The Maritime Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) was granted a branch membership within the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) in 1928, with its jurisdiction including the Maritimes provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
The New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association separated from the MAHA and became its own branch of the CAHA in 1968. The MAHA ceased to exist when the Nova Scotia Hockey Association was granted branch status in the CAHA in 1974, and then the Prince Edward Island Hockey Association was formed and also granted branch status in the CAHA.
Leagues
Maritime Junior A Hockey League (Tier II Junior "A")
Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League (Junior "B")
Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League (Junior "C")
Notable executives
Hanson Dowell – treasurer of the Nova Scotia Hockey Association from 1974 to 1986, and a past president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
See also
List of ice hockey teams in Nova Scotia
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Hockey Nova Scotia
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This article describes the contract bridge bidding convention.
Meckwell is a method for defending against an opposing strong one notrump (1NT) opening by intervening in the direct and passout seats. It features the following calls:
The convention is named based on the common sobriquet for the partnership of Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell, who popularized it.
See also
List of defenses to 1NT
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Meckwell convention
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Jean Poiret, born Jean Poiré (17 August 1926 – 14 March 1992), was a French actor, director, and screenwriter. He is primarily known as the author of the original play La Cage aux Folles.
Early career
Poiret was born in Paris, and first rose to prominence in 1951 playing the role of Fred Transport, one of the heroes of Pierre Dac and Francis Blanche's radio series Malheur aux Barbus. In 1952, he met his future co-star of La Cage Michel Serrault at the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre. They starred in the sketch "Jerry Scott, Vedette Internationale".
In 1961, Poiret, as a member of the French cinematic society Pathé, wrote and recorded "La Vache à Mille Francs", a parody of "La Valse à Mille Temps" by Jacques Brel.
In 1973, he married actress Caroline Cellier, with whom he had one child.
La Cage aux Folles
In 1973, Poiret wrote and starred in the stage play La Cage aux Folles. Its film adaptation in 1978 brought Poiret immense success. Although Poiret was replaced by Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi in the role of Renato Baldi, Serrault reprised his stage-role of Zaza Napoli and won a César Award for his work.
Later career
In 1992, Poiret directed Le Zèbre (The Zebra). his first and only film, an adaptation of Alexandre Jardin's novel. It starred Thierry Lhermitte and Caroline Cellier, and it was one of the top grossing films in France for the year and the highest-grossing debut European film for the year (with a gross of $12 million).
Poiret died of a heart attack in Paris on 14 March 1992, three months before the film's premiere. He is buried at the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.
Filmography
1953: Le Gang des pianos à bretelles (by Gilles de Turenne) - Le présentateur de 'La nuit brune' (uncredited)
1953: Les 3 Mousquetaires (by André Hunebelle)
1956: Cette sacrée gamine (by Michel Boisrond) - first inspector
1956: La Vie est belle (by Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thibault) - maracas player
1956: Assassins et voleurs (by Sacha Guitry) - Philippe d'Artois
1956: The Terror with Women (by Jean Boyer) - gendarme
1957: Adorables démons (by Maurice Cloche) - Julien Willis Jr
1957: Le naïf aux quarante enfants (by Philippe Agostini) - Master Bardine
1957: Ça aussi c'est Paris (Short, by Maurice Cloche) - reporter
1957: Clara et les méchants (by Raoul André) - Chantuer - un gangster
1959: Nina (by Jean Boyer) - Adolphe Tessier
1959: Oh ! Qué Mambo (by John Berry) - inspector Sapin
1959: Messieurs les ronds de cuir (by Henri Diamant-Berger) - René Lahrier
1959: Vous n'avez rien à déclarer ? (by Clément Duhour) - Robert de Trivelin
1960: La française et l'amour (by Charles Spaak) - Michel's lawyer (sketch Le divorce)
1960: Candide ou l'optimisme du XXe siècle (by Norbert Carbonnaux) - 1st policeman
1961: Ma femme est une panthère (by Raymond Bailly) - psychiatrist
1961: Auguste (by Pierre Chevalier) - Georges Flower
1962: Les parisiennes (by Michel Boisrond, Francis Cosne and Annette Wademant) - Jean-Pierre Leroy (segment "Antonia")
1962: The Dance (by Norbert Carbonnaux) - Old man
1962: It's Not My Business (by Jean Boyer) - Jean Duroc
1962: How to Succeed in Love (by Michel Boisrond) - Bernard Monod
1962: Les quatre vérités (by Hervé Bromberger) - Renard (Fox) (segment "Le corbeau et le renard")
1963: Les vierges (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - the banker Marchaix
1963: Un drôle de paroissien (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Raoul
1963: La foire aux cancres (by Louis Daquin) - Collin
1964: Les durs à cuire ou comment supprimer son prochain sans perdre l'appétit (by Jacques Pinoteau) - Louis
1964: Jealous as a Tiger (by Darry Cowl) - doctor Raymond
1964: La grande frousse (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Loupiac
1965: Les baratineurs (by Francis Rigaud) - André
1965: La bonne occase (by Michel Drach) - Grégoire
1965: La tête du client (by Jacques Poitrenaud) - Philippe / Monsieur Paul
1965: Le petit monstre (by Jean-Paul Sassy) - the godfather
1966: Your Money or Your Life (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Lucien Pélépan
1967: Le grand bidule by Raoul André) - Verdier
1967: Ces messieurs de la famille (by Raoul André) - Bernard Le Gall
1968: La grande lessive (!) (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Jean-Michel Lavalette
1969: Aux frais de la princesse (by Roland Quignon) - Santos
1969: Trois hommes sur un cheval (by Marcel Moussy) - Tout / Freddy
1969: Ces messieurs de la gâchette (by Raoul André) - Bernard Le Gall
1970: Le Mur de l'Atlantique (by Marcel Camus) - Armand
1971: Mais qu'est-ce qui fait courir les crocodiles ? (by Jacques Poitrenaud) - Gontran
1979: La Gueule de l'autre (by Pierre Tchernia) - Jean-Louis Constant
1980: Le Dernier Métro (by François Truffaut) - Jean-Loup Cottins
1982: (by Denys Granier-Deferre) - André Joeuf
1984: (by Claude Pinoteau) - Jean Michelis
1985: Poulet au vinaigre (by Claude Chabrol) - Inspector Jean Lavardin
1985: (by Jean Yanne) - the caliph
1986: Inspecteur Lavardin (by Claude Chabrol) - Inspector Jean Lavardin
1986: (by Gérard Krawczyk) - Orlando Higgin
1987: Le Miraculé (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Papu
1988: Les saisons du plaisir (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Bernard Germain
1988: Corentin (by Jean Marboeuf) - the exorcist
1988: Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Octave Leroy
1988: La petite amie (by Luc Béraud) - Martin Morel
1990: Lacenaire (by Francis Girod) - Aliard
1992: Sup de fric (by Christian Gion) - Cyril Dujardin
1991: (by Christoph Böll) - Herzog Max
2007: La méthode Barnol (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - M. Hubert
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Jean Poiret
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Giethmen is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is a part of the municipality of Ommen, and lies about 21 km east of Zwolle.
It was first mentioned between 1381 as 1383 Gheetmen. The etymology is unclear. In 1840, it was home to 149 people.
Giethemer Kerkpad
Giethmen is known for its kerkpad, or church path, an old trail which leads from Giethmen to Ommen. Because Giethmen does not have its own church, its inhabitants used to walk (and later bicycle) up and down to Ommen twice every Sunday. The trail's pedestrian bridge across the Regge, known as the Giethemerkerkbrug, has become an icon for Giethmen. Today the Giethemer Kerkpad is part of a popular hiking and bicycle trail.
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Giethmen
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Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva (; born 11 April 1986) is a Russian chess player. She was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2007. Kosintseva is a two-time European women's champion and three-time Russian women's champion. She was a member of the gold medal-winning Russian team at the Women's Chess Olympiads of 2010 and 2012, and at the Women's European Team Chess Championships of 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Career
Kosintseva started to play chess at 6 years old along with elder sister Nadezhda, when coming back home from dance lessons with their mother they happened upon a chess club and decided then and there to take up the game. As a youngster, she recalls being inspired by a book of former world champion Alexander Alekhine's games and was similarly impressed by the games of Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer.
At the World Youth Chess Championships, she earned silver medals at the Girls Under 10 (Cala Galdana, 1996) and Girls Under 12 (Cannes, 1997) events. Kosintseva won the gold medal in the Girls Under 10 category of the 1996 European Youth Chess Championships, held at Rimavska Sobota. Silver medals were added at the European events in Mureck (1998) and Kallithea (2000), at the Girls Under 12 and Girls Under 18 levels, respectively.
In 2002, 2004 and 2007 Kosintseva won the Russian Women's Chess Championship. In 2006, she finished a half point behind the winner, Ekaterina Korbut. Also in 2004, Kosintseva won the Accentus Ladies Tournament at the Biel Chess Festival.
She won the European Individual Women's Chess Championship in 2007 with a tournament performance rating (TPR) of 2774. She won again in 2009 after prevailing in a rapidplay playoff with Lilit Mkrtchian by 1½–½. Both players finished the tournament on a score of 8½/11 points.
In 2010 Kosintseva won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix event in Nalchik with a performance rating of 2735. Her score was 9/11 (+7−0=4), 1½ points ahead of her nearest rival, Hou Yifan. She gained 160 Grand Prix points in Nalchik.
In 2012, Kosintseva won the European Women's Rapid Chess Championship in Gaziantep, Turkey. In April 2014, she won the bronze medal at the Women's World Blitz Chess Championship in Khanty-Mansiysk. In July of the same year, she took the silver medal in the European Individual Women's Championship in Plovdiv, Bulgaria scoring 8½/11 points.
Personal life
Along with her sister Nadezhda, Kosintseva attended a law course at Pomor University in their hometown, Arkhangelsk. They both graduated in 2008.
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Tatiana Kosintseva
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West Branch Pine Creek is a tributary of Pine Creek in Potter County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Summit Township, West Branch Township, and Galeton.
Course
West Branch Pine Creek begins in Summit Township. It flows east-southeast for approximately half a mile before turning southeast in a valley. After several miles, the creek briefly turns east for a short distance before entering West Branch Township. It then turns southeast again before turning roughly east-northeast and receiving the tributary Hopper House Hollow. Slightly further downstream, the creek receives the tributary Sunken Branch. It picks up the tributaries Indian Run and Lyman Run and continues in approximately the same direction as its valley widens. The creek receives several more tributaries before entering the community of Galeton. After a few tenths of a mile, it reaches its confluence with Pine Creek.
Geography
West Branch Pine Creek is fairly similar to the upper reaches of Pine Creek. The valley of West Branch Pine Creek is fairly narrow and contains forests, pastures, abandoned farms, and some houses and camps. there are strainers and possibly some fences on the creek.
West Branch Pine Creek lacks a gauging station.
Recreation
It is possible to canoe on of West Branch Pine Creek during snowmelt and within four days of heavy rain. The difficulty rating of the creek is 2 and it is considered to be suitable for novice canoers. Edward Gertler describes the scenery along it as "good" in his book Keystone Canoeing.
See also
List of rivers of Pennsylvania
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West Branch Pine Creek
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Christian O. Aagaard (born 22 January 1937 in Hjallerup) is a Danish politician, who was a member of the Folketing for the Conservative People's Party from 1984 to 1994 and again from 1997 to 1998.
Political career
Aagaard was a member of Silkeborg Municipality's municipal council, as well as a member of the county council of Århus County.
Aagaard was a candidate for the Conservative People's Party from 1983 and was first elected into parliament at the 1984 Danish general election. He was reelected in 1987, 1988 and 1990. He did not get elected in the 1994 election, but became a substitute for the Conservative People's Party in the Århus constituency. He entered parliament as a substitute member from 29 October to 22 November 1996. On 1 May 1997 Hans Peter Clausen resigned his seat, and Aagaard entered parliament, taking over Clausen's seat.
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Christian Aagaard
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Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world.
Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjungha, Kanchanjangha or Khangchendzonga may also refer to:
Kanchenjungha (film), a 1962 film by Satyajit Ray
Kanchanjangha, a 2019 Assamese-language film by Zubeen Garg
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, a protected area in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal
Kanchenjunga National Park, a National Park and a Biosphere reserve in Sikkim, India
Khangchendzonga State University, government university in Sikkim, India
Kanchanjungha Express, a passenger train in India
Kanchenjunga, a mountain in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series
Kanchenjunga, the airliner which crashed on Mont Blanc on 24 January 1966 in Air India Flight 101
See also
Kanchana Ganga (disambiguation)
Abar Kanchanjungha, a 2022 Indian film
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Kangchenjunga (disambiguation)
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Dieppe station (French: Gare de Dieppe) is the train station for the town of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime and was built by Chemins de fer de Paris à Cherbourg on 28 July 1848. It used to have a direct connection with Paris-St. Lazare via Serqueux and Gisors, but this line was closed in 2006. Along with Dieppe-Port, it was a stop on the trains from Paris to London via Newhaven. The station is now the terminus of a line from Paris via Rouen.
Services
The station is served by fast and local trains to Rouen.
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Dieppe station
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The Eden growth model describes the growth of specific types of clusters such as bacterial colonies and deposition of materials. These clusters grow by random accumulation of material on their boundary. These are also an example of a surface fractal. The model, named after Murray Eden, was first described in 1961 as a way of studying biological growth, and was simulated on a computer for clusters up to about 32,000 cells. By the mid-1980s, clusters with a billion cells had been grown, and a slight anisotropy had been observed.
See also
Diffusion-limited aggregation
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Eden growth model
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In God We Tru$t is a 1980 American comedy film starring Marty Feldman, Andy Kaufman, Louise Lasser and Peter Boyle. Intended as a biting religious satire, it was also produced, directed and co-written by Feldman, his second directorial outing following The Last Remake of Beau Geste, and his final before his death in 1982.
Plot
A naive monk, Brother Ambrose (Feldman), is sent by the abbot on a mission to raise $5000 in order to save their monastery from closing. He goes to Hollywood, where he encounters a number of eccentric characters. He is at first robbed and later befriended by con artist Dr. Sebastian Melmoth (Boyle), and meets a prostitute named Mary (Lasser) who lets him stay at her apartment. Mary grows to care for Ambrose and seduces him while he is taking a cold shower to try to alleviate his lustful thoughts about her. While he is in Hollywood, he visits several churches including a service at the Church of Divine Profit, performed by the televangelist Armageddon T. Thunderbird (Kaufman) in which he sees the focus of the sermon being a request for money in exchange for salvation. Ambrose is angered by this message and tries to meet a number of times with Thunderbird, being ejected each time.
Dr. Melmoth and Ambrose travel the city in a modified school bus, in which they hold church services for donations. During one service, the brakes of the bus release and the bus rolls downhill into a river. The passengers escape safely in the river and are shown on the local news being baptized by the pair, which catches Thunderbird's attention. He prays to G. O. D. for guidance and it tells him to work with Ambrose to make more money because Ambrose is an innocent and has a clean image.
Thunderbird has his minions kidnap Ambrose and bring him to his office where he outlines a plan for his own brand of church on wheels. He says he will pay Ambrose the $5000 the monastery needs if he assists him. While they are talking, Thunderbird mentions that G. O. D. (Richard Pryor) audibly talks to him when he prays to him and Ambrose is surprised because he himself has never heard from God in this way. Ambrose agrees to work with Thunderbird and they go across the country from town to town holding services in their own bus.
One day at Thunderbird's headquarters, Ambrose overhears Thunderbird praying to G. O. D. in his private chamber and when he hears G. O. D. speak back to him, he is intrigued. When Thunderbird leaves, he sneaks into the chamber and discovers that G. O. D. (General Organizational Directivatator) is a sophisticated master computer, linked to all of Thunderbird's finances and operations. He talks with G. O. D. and reads the Bible to it, giving it morality and a conscience. G. O. D. decides to give all of Thunderbird's money away and tells Ambrose what to do to accomplish this, which results in bags of money being poured out of the office's window. Thunderbird discovers someone has been interfering with the computer and rushes back to headquarters where he tries to capture Ambrose and destroys the computer. Ambrose grabs the paid monastery mortgage certificate from Thunderbird's office and escapes in a chase through the city.
While Mary and Dr. Melmoth look for Ambrose during his escape, she learns that Melmoth is her father that left her family when she was a child, due to a distinctive tattoo she sees on his leg. They eventually find Ambrose and rescue him from the people chasing him.
Ambrose goes back to the monastery and gives the abbot the mortgage certificate, then leaves and marries Mary, who is pregnant from their single night together. The end titles show Melmoth's bus traveling down the road, saying they "all lived happily hereafter".
Cast
Marty Feldman as Brother Ambrose
Peter Boyle as Dr. Sebastian Melmoth
Andy Kaufman as Armageddon T. Thunderbird
Louise Lasser as Mary
Richard Pryor as G.O.D
Wilfrid Hyde-White as Abbot Thelonious
Severn Darden as The Priest
John Koshel as Twin Bodyguard
Peter Koshel as Twin Bodyguard
The name "Sebastian Melmoth" was a pseudonym used by Oscar Wilde.
Production
Principal photography occurred in Downtown San Diego. This was the second film in a five-film agreement between Universal and Feldman, following the moderate success of The Last Remake of Beau Geste. Feldman died in 1982, before the other three films could be made.
Reception
Roger Ebert gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4. Ebert criticizes the film for apparently believing Feldman himself is inherently funny, and for failing to have the necessary material to build on.
Peter Ackroyd of The Spectator described the film as "an agreeable, under-stated little comedy which, like all such affairs, runs out of steam before the close."
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In God We Tru$t
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The Sahara Desert ant (Cataglyphis bicolor) is a desert-dwelling ant of the genus Cataglyphis. It primarily inhabits the Sahara Desert and is one of the most heat tolerant animals known to date. However, there are at least four other species of Cataglyphis living in the Sahara desert, for example C. bombycina, , and C. fortis. Also, specimens of C. bicolor have been found well north of Sahara.
Background
Sahara Desert ants are scavengers. They forage for the corpses of insects and other arthropods which have succumbed to the heat stress of their desert environment.
While no known land animal can live permanently at a temperature over 50 °C, Sahara Desert ants can sustain a body temperature above , with surface temperatures of up to . Despite this, if out in the open, they must keep moving or else they will fry.
The ants navigate the desert terrain by using both visual spatial memory and patterns in skylight. When light strikes the ant's ommatidia, it is uniformly mapped along the ant's eye, creating a grid that can be used to determine its location.
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Sahara Desert ant
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Charles Henry Ferguson (born March 24, 1955) is the founder and president of Representational Pictures, Inc., and director and producer of No End in Sight (2007) and Inside Job (2010), which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Ferguson is also a software entrepreneur, writer and authority in technology policy.
Early life and education
A native of San Francisco, Ferguson was originally educated as a political scientist. A graduate of Lowell High School in 1972, he earned a BA in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1978, and obtained a PhD in political science from MIT in 1989. Ferguson then conducted postdoctoral research at MIT while also consulting to the White House, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Defense, and several U.S. and European high technology firms. From 1992–1994 Ferguson was an independent consultant, providing strategic consulting to the top management of U.S. high technology firms including Apple Inc., Xerox, Motorola, and Texas Instruments.
Charles Ferguson is bicoastal, splitting his time between New York City and California.
Career
Early career
In 1994, Ferguson founded Vermeer Technologies, one of the earliest Internet software companies, with Randy Forgaard. Vermeer created the first visual website development tool, FrontPage. In early 1996, Ferguson sold Vermeer for $133 million to Microsoft, which integrated FrontPage into Microsoft Office.
After selling Vermeer, Ferguson returned to research and writing. He was a visiting scholar and lecturer for several years at MIT and Berkeley, and for three years was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. Ferguson is the author of four books and many articles dealing with various aspects of information technology and its relationships to economic, political, and social issues. Ferguson is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a director of the French-American Foundation, and supports several nonprofit organizations.
Film Career
For more than 20 years, Ferguson had been intensely interested in film, and regularly attended film festivals such as the Telluride Film Festival for over a decade. In mid-2005, he formed Representational Pictures and began production of No End in Sight, which was one of the first feature-length documentaries on post-war Iraq.
No End in Sight won a special jury prize for documentaries at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar in 2008 in the documentary feature film category. Ferguson also received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay for the film.
Inside Job, a feature-length documentary about the financial crisis of 2007–2008, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and the New York Film Festival and was released by Sony Pictures Classics in October 2010. It received the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Ferguson credits narrator Matt Damon for contributing to the film, specifically the structure of the ending, in addition to his narration duties.
On May 1, 2011, The New York Times reported that Ferguson had agreed to make a film about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for HBO Films. According to IMDb the film was scheduled for release in 2013 but the project was eventually mothballed.
On September 30, 2013, Charles Ferguson wrote on the Huffington Post that he would be cancelling his CNN documentary on Hillary Clinton due, not just to pressure from the Clintons and their allies, but also from the Republican Party, to stop pursuing the project. In the article Ferguson lamented that "nobody, and I mean nobody, was interested in helping me make this film. Not Democrats, not Republicans – and certainly nobody who works with the Clintons, wants access to the Clintons or dreams of a position in a Hillary Clinton administration." In a June 2013 interview with former President Bill Clinton, Clinton told Ferguson that he and Larry Summers couldn't change Alan Greenspan's mind about the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which deregulated derivatives and helped fuel the financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent Great Recession. Congress then passed the Act with a veto-proof supermajority. Ferguson thought Clinton was "a really good actor" and that this was a lie. Actually, Ferguson wrote, the Clinton Administration and Larry Summers lobbied for the Act and, along with Robert Rubin privately attacked advocates of regulation.
Ferguson directed the first major documentary about the Watergate Scandal. Entitled Watergate, the 260-minute film had its European premiere at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival and received the 2019 Cinema for Peace award for Most Political Film of the Year.
Technology Investing
Starting in 2022, Ferguson has become an extremely active early stage technology investor and startup advisor. He is a limited partner in six early stage venture capital funds, and is an angel investor in early stage technology startups. Recent investments include placing the first money into ApertureData, Dicer.ai, and AOMNI.
Works and publications
This is a companion to the movie Inside Job, providing citations for many of the claims in that movie.
Filmography
No End in Sight (2007)
Inside Job (2010)
Time to Choose (2015)
Watergate (2018)
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Charles Ferguson (filmmaker)
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The SNR-300 was a fast breeder sodium-cooled nuclear reactor built near the town of Kalkar, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The reactor was completed but never taken online. SNR-300 was to output 327 megawatts. The project cost about 7 billion Deutsche Mark (about 3.5 billion or over $4 billion). The site is now the location of a theme park, Wunderland Kalkar, which incorporates much of the power plant buildings into the scenery.
Background
In France, CEA and EDF had started to build Phénix in 1968, which was powered up in December 1973.
It was a pool-type liquid-metal fast breeder reactor cooled with liquid sodium and a small-scale (gross 264/net 233 MWe) prototype fast breeder reactor, located at the Marcoule nuclear site, near Orange, France. Phénix had to be stopped for refueling every two months. Between 1990 and 1996, it was run sporadically.
When the project for the subsequent full-scale power-plant prototype Superphénix was started in 1986, it was generally felt that no more experimental FBT prototypes were needed. Superphénix, being a prototype reactor, demonstrated reliability issues and had a historical capacity factor of less than 14.4%. Many of these problems were solved over time, and by 1996 the prototype was reaching its design operational goals.
The Russian BN-600 reactor is a similar sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor, built at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station, in Russia. Designed to generate electrical power of 600 MW in total, the plant dispatches 560 MW to the Middle Urals power grid. It has been in operation since 1980 and represents an evolution on the preceding BN-350 reactor. In 2014, a larger version of the reactor, the BN-800, began operation and reached full commercial operation in August 2016.
Planning
In late 1972, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands charged the Siemens subsidiary Interatom to build a fast breeder. The German government wanted to limit energy import, and a breeder facility was required to use the limited resources efficiently as the uranium supply in Germany was limited.
The building commenced at the end of the same year.
On 20 May 1975, the Council of the European Communities established the Joint Undertaking 'Schnell-Brüter- Kernkraftwerksgesellschaft mbH' (SBK).
Timeline
1972: The project commences.
April 25, 1973: foundation stone ceremony
1977: Increasing public doubt about the safety of nuclear energy culminates in the first demonstration, involving about 40,000 people marching in the streets of Kalkar.
March 28, 1979: Three Mile Island suffers a partial meltdown and a local anti-nuclear movement causes open questioning of the project. This discussion leads to an inquiry by a commission of the Bundestag. Building is interrupted for 4 years as the commission concludes that the safety of the facility needs to be upgraded in light of the difficult to control process of fast breeders, along with concerns about the coolant (sodium, which can explode when in contact with water). The interruption along with the redesign of the safety features raise the costs of the project significantly. The local state government of North Rhine-Westphalia turns against the project.
1982: The Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Helmut Schmidt (SPD) is followed by Helmut Kohl (CDU).
1985: SNR-300 is completed. The reactor is taken into partial operation. The sodium coolant is already running through the coolant loop and has to be kept hot using electric heating elements so it does not solidify. The reactor is ready to receive nuclear materials. In this phase, the running costs are over 5 million per month. The state government (which has authority in matters of nuclear power and environmental issues) blocks the opening of the plant, against the wishes of the federal government. As elections are coming up (Bundestagswahl 25 January 1987), the German government unofficially decides not to take SNR-300 into operation just yet.
At this point neither the country government, nor the local state government (MP from 1978 to 1998 was Johannes Rau) want the facility to become operational. Plans for a second facility, SNR-2, planned to produce 1,500 megawatts, are officially cancelled around this time.
26 April 1986: Chernobyl disaster.
1991: The official cancellation of the SNR-300 is offered on 21 March. The demolition of parts of the facility costs another 75 million euros. The unused machinery is put on sale. The reactor core is transferred to storage elsewhere. The breeder material, already bought for the operation of the facility, is transferred to France where it is mixed into MOX fuel, which is used by a number of France's nuclear reactors.
early 1990s: 12 unused blanket fuel assemblies from SNR-300, containing depleted uranium, were transferred to James Acord and housed at Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
1995: The facility is put up for auction by way of an announcement in the newspapers. The Dutch investor/developer Hennie van der Most buys the property for 2.5 million euros. The site is transformed into an amusement park named Kernwasser Wunderland ("Nuclear water Wonderland"). It includes a hotel with 400 beds. In 2005 it was renamed into Wunderland Kalkar ("Wonderland Kalkar").
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SNR-300
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City Recital Hall in Sydney, Australia, is a purpose-built concert venue with the capacity for an audience of 1,238 people seated over three tiers of sloped seating. It is situated in the city centre in Angel Place, just off Martin Place.
City Recital Hall, opened in 1999, is the first specially designed concert venue to be built in the city since the Opera House in 1973. The role of City Recital Hall is to provide a high quality venue of international standing.
The venue was initiated by the City of Sydney and was specifically designed for solo recitals, chamber music and the spoken word. The auditorium's 1.8-second reverberation time is attuned for chamber music. The spoken word and amplified music are accommodated by the operation of specially designed acoustic banners. The entire auditorium is supported on rubber bearings to avoid vibration and street sounds and the air conditioning and lighting systems have been treated to minimise external noise.
The Hall was designed in a shoebox shape, based on the classical configuration of 19th-century European concert halls. The design includes gently sloping stalls and two galleries that wrap around both sides and rear of the auditorium. The décor is of grey, gold leaf, light timber panelling and plum-coloured upholstery. The main grand stairway is of white marble.
City Recital Hall has hosted the following companies:
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian String Quartet
Gondwana Voices
Musica Viva Australia
Pinchgut Opera
Selby & Friends
Sydney Children's Choir
Sydney Festival
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
Sydney Symphony
Sydney Writers Festival
See also
List of concert halls
Forgotten Songs (artwork)
Further reading
Dr Lisa Anne Murray, "Musical Chairs: The Quest for a City Recital Hall", Sydney 2006.
(The book was launched by Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, at the City Recital Hall at 6pm on Wednesday 31 May 2006).
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City Recital Hall
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Nepenthes masoalensis is one of two tropical pitcher plant species from Madagascar, the other being N. madagascariensis.
Nepenthes masoalensis is known only from eastern Madagascar; it occurs in the Masoala Peninsula and the Mount Ambato region. It has been recorded from Pandanus and Sphagnum swamps, mountain ridgetops, and xerophytic vegetation. Nepenthes masoalensis is a lowland species, growing at 0–400 m altitude.
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Nepenthes masoalensis
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Jeff Levy-Hinte (a.k.a. Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte) is an American film producer. He serves as the President of Antidote International Films (also known as Antidote Films), Inc. based in New York City. He produced The Kids Are All Right, co-written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, which won the 68th Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical, and Best Performance by an Actress for Annette Bening.
Biography
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte was born to a Jewish family in Santa Monica, California. He graduated from California State University, Northridge and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
He produced Mysterious Skin and The Hawk Is Dying. His other productions include Chain, Thirteen, Laurel Canyon, Wendigo, American Saint, and Limon. Prior to 2000, Levy-Hinte produced Lisa Cholodenko's film High Art and co-edited the Academy Award-winning documentary When We Were Kings. In 2003 Levy-Hinte was selected as one of Variety's "Producers to Watch".
Additionally, he produced the eco-horror thriller The Last Winter (released by IFC Films) and the documentary Bomb It, an investigation of graffiti covering street art from all around the world. He also produced Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, a documentary directed by Marina Zenovich. Winner of the Documentary Editing Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, the film was released domestically by HBO and THINK Films and internationally through The Weinstein Company and the BBC. He made several documentaries, including Soul Power (produced and directed by Levy-Hinte) and The Dungeon Masters, both of which premiered at the 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival, the 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival and the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2013, he produced Fading Gigolo, starring Woody Allen and Sharon Stone.
He serves as the Chair of the Board for the Independent Features Project in New York City.
In 2003, Daily Variety reported Antidote's plans for a film adaptation of the JT LeRoy novel Sarah, to be directed by Steven Shainberg. According to The New York Times, when Shainberg learned that LeRoy was a literary persona and that Laura Albert was the actual author of Sarah, he decided "to make a 'meta-film,' a triple-layered movie that would blend the novel with the lives of its real and purported authors in a project he took to calling 'Sarah Plus.'" The Times also reported that this new project "required the rights to Laura Albert's story, rights that she in no uncertain terms refused to grant." In June 2007, Antidote sued Albert for fraud, claiming that a contract signed with LeRoy to make a feature film of Sarah was null and void. After a Manhattan jury found Albert liable in monetary damages for the tort of fraud because she had signed her nom de plume to the movie contract, The New York Times noted that Levy-Hinte said, "if Ms. Albert, who never made a fortune from her literary works, could not afford to pay the judgment, he might have to consider laying claim to the rights to her past and future books." Levy-Hinte's chief lawyer insisted, "Neither Jeff nor I want to ruin Laura Albert. We just want her to behave with a little more integrity." After an appeal, the damages awarded were reduced by settlement with Antidote in 2009, and Albert retained the rights to her books and her life story.
Film productions
High Art (1998)
American Saint (2001)
Ghosts of Attica (2001)
Limon: A Life Beyond Words (2001)
Wendigo (2001)
Laurel Canyon (2002)
Thirteen (2003)
Mysterious Skin (2004)
Chain (2004)
The Hawk Is Dying (2006)
The Last Winter (2006)
Bomb It (2007)
The Dungeon Masters (2008)
Soul Power (2008)
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)
Cropsey (2009)
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Camp Victory, Afghanistan (2010)
Fading Gigolo (2013)
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Jeff Levy-Hinte
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Brett Blewitt (born 17 November 1975) is an Australian actor who played Brett Stark on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 1993 to 1996. Brett briefly returned to the show in 2005, when his character made a cameo appearance.
Prior to appearing in Neighbours, Brett starred in the Gary Reilly created Australian Sitcom My Two Wives alongside Kym Valentine who would be his co-star several years later on Neighbours.
Since leaving Neighbours, Brett has worked as a guest on television shows and starred alongside the Olsen twins in Our Lips Are Sealed. Brett has been writing for production companies and is in collaboration writing with former co-star Jesse Spencer in Los Angeles.
More recently Brett has started an enterprise showing off his home city of Sydney.
Great Race is a fun Sydney day tour.
Career
GP (TV series) ABC
My Two Wives
Home and Away
Neighbours
Our Lips Are Sealed
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Brett Blewitt
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Saint-Pierre-du-Chemin () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.
Personalities
It was the birthplace of Pierre Bersuire (c. 1290-1362).
Geography
The river Lay has its source in the commune.
See also
Communes of the Vendée department
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Saint-Pierre-du-Chemin
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Neverland Studios is an American recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee owned and operated by musician and songwriter Derri Daugherty. The studio is not connected to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
History
Neverland was originally built in Los Alamitos, California, but eventually settled in Nashville, Tennessee when Daugherty relocated there in the early 1990s. Daugherty's band The Choir has recorded nearly all of its albums at the studio, including Chase the Kangaroo, Wide Eyed Wonder, Circle Slide, Kissers and Killers, Speckled Bird, Free Flying Soul, the Grammy nominated Flap Your Wings and O How the Mighty Have Fallen.
Other albums to be recorded at the studio include the Lost Dogs albums Real Men Cry, Nazarene Crying Towel, MUTT, Island Dreams and The Lost Cabin and the Mystery Trees; parts of Daniel Amos' albums Kalhoun and MotorCycle; The Swirling Eddies' The midget, the speck and the molecule; The Drums for Mark Heard's Second Hand; Drums and Guitars for John Austin's The Embarrassing Young; Randy Stonehill's Wonderama, and Return to Paradise; the Various Artists series City on a Hill, and others.
Recording studios in Tennessee
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Neverland Studios
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MV Caledonian Isles (), usually referred to locally as the Cally Isles, is one of the largest ships operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which runs ferries to the Hebridean and Clyde Islands of Scotland. Caledonian Isles serves the Isle of Arran on the Ardrossan to Brodick route. As it is one of CalMac's busiest routes, Caledonian Isles has the largest passenger capacity in the fleet, and can carry up to 1000 passengers and 110 cars, with a crossing time of 55 minutes. She is used extensively by day-trippers to the Isle of Arran during the summer.
Layout
Modelled on the popular of five years earlier, Caledonian Isles incorporates a fully enclosed car deck with watertight ramps at either end. When closed, the bow ramp seals the car deck and when open, forms the bridge between the ship and the linkspan. The car deck incorporates a set of mezzanine decks, one down each side of the central casing and each divided into three sections. These can be moved up and down to their deployed or stowed positions. When deployed, these allow additional cars to be loaded. If the mezzanine decks are fully deployed, there is insufficient height to accommodate lorries and other high vehicles other than at the bow and stern. The central casing means that she can only carry one lane of commercial vehicles down each side of the car deck.
The passenger accommodation is similar to that onboard the Mull ship. Forward of the main entrance square is the cafeteria, with stairways leading up to the observation lounge and the outside deck. Aft of the entrance there are lounges down either side with toilet blocks, the shop and a bar lounge further towards the stern. The next deck up has the forward observation lounge at the bow and crew accommodation. An open deck extends right around the vessel on this level, including forward of the observation lounge and overlooking the bow. The upper deck has the bridge and outside seating from the huge red funnel towards the stern. Also on this level were the four enclosed lifeboats – 2 larger and 2 smaller boats mounted on davits. The 2 larger lifeboats were replaced in 2017 to make way for the new marine evacuation system, leaving one semi-enclosed lifeboat and one fast rescue craft.
Service
Caledonian Isles has only ever operated between Ardrossan and Brodick on Arran. She normally undertakes up to 5 crossings a day in each direction, leaving Ardrossan at 0700, 0945, 1230, 1515 and 1800, and leaving Brodick at 0820, 1105, 1355, 1640 and 1920. The 1920 Saturday departure was removed during the winter 2016/2017 timetable to facilitate a 0820 sailing from Brodick on Sunday, where a crew safety drill has been a normal occurrence since October 2016.
During the period of the summer timetable there is an additional sailing on Friday evenings, leaving Ardrossan at 2030, returning from Brodick at 2140.
Due to the demand for capacity, a second ferry has supplemented Caledonian Isles during the summer season since 2005. This peak summer service originally operated between June and August however, due to demand, operates from May to September since 2013. The additional service was provided by from 2005 until 2011, and by from 2012. During the summer 2012 period, the capacity was limited to 12 passengers for HGV drivers during the week, whilst a full passenger service was provided on Saturdays. From May to September 2013, could carry its full capacity throughout the week, doubling the service to Arran from Monday to Wednesday. Isle of Arran undertook services from Ardrossan to Campbeltown on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, returning on Friday, Saturday (via Brodick) and Sunday, whilst still operating from Ardrossan to Arran outwith its Campbeltown sailings.
On first coming into service, Caledonian Isles usually berthed overnight at Ardrossan in the summer and at Brodick in the winter timetable. Now, she usually berths overnight at Ardrossan all year. During periods of adverse weather, it is not uncommon for the vessel to berth overnight at Brodick, with either cancellation of the 1920 service from Brodick, or a return to Brodick after the 1920 eastbound sailing. The 0700 sailing from Ardrossan the following morning is then cancelled. During adverse weather conditions, Caledonian Isles has been diverted to Gourock. This happened on 4 January 2012, following storm damage to the linkspan at Ardrossan.
In February 2012, Caledonian Isles was in dry-dock to repair damage sustained in a collision with Winton Pier, Ardrossan. She was relieved by Isle of Arran which was often diverted to Wemyss Bay and Gourock. In February 2014, once again relieved Caledonian Isles after she broke down. In April 2015, had problems with her prop shaft which delayed the introduction of her additional Arran summer sailings, leaving Caledonian Isles to carry all the traffic and run additional sailings at night.
In August 2015, it was announced that two new ferries would be built at Ferguson Marine Engineering at Port Glasgow on the Clyde. The much delayed is now expected to serve Arran from 2024, with Caledonian Isles becoming the second ferry, replacing on the Ardrossan-Brodick and the Ardrossan-Campbeltown crossings. With new vessels under construction in Turkey, Transport Scotland announced in October 2022 that it was considering deploying to Arran; it was confirmed in August 2023 that Glen Rosa would operate alongside Glen Sannox when she enters service, releasing Caledonian Isles.
Before heading to Birkenhead for her overhaul in January 2018, Caledonian Isles called at Campbeltown to test the berth. The last sailing from the old Brodick pier was the 0820 to Ardrossan on Tuesday 20 March 2018. She started operating from the new Brodick ferry terminal later that day. The new terminal has two ferry berths: the west side berth and the east side berth.
On 16 March 2019, Caledonian Isles rammed the pier at Brodick after her bow thrusters failed, causing significant damage to her bow visor. During her repairs, took up service on the Arran crossing, while operated a shuttle service from Claonaig to Lochranza to clear the backlog of traffic unable to board the smaller Hebridean Isles at Ardrossan.
In October 2019, Caledonian Isles was diverted to Troon as the linkspans in both Ardrossan and Gourock - the vessel's usual port of diversion - failed, resulting in vehicles being unable to board or alight from the ferry there. During this period, operated additional services from Claonaig to Lochranza. Bad weather prevented Caledonian Isles from berthing in Troon, reducing the service to passenger-only from Ardrossan.
During her annual overhaul in 2022, unexpected steelworks were required, delaying the vessel's return to service. She was relieved by , thereby causing knock-on cancellations to services to South Uist, where the latter vessel was due to relieve next.
In April 2022, Caledonian Isles suffered a port engine failure and struck the breakwater. She was removed from service and relieved by Isle of Arran, with Loch Riddon providing additional capacity on the Lochranza - Claonaig route alongside Catriona. This caused significant disruption to the Arran service, with all vehicle bookings cancelled and a significant reduction in capacity. On Friday 22nd April, CalMac announced that Caledonian Isles would remain out of service for at least three weeks whilst undergoing repairs in Troon.
Caledonian Isles departed for annual overhaul in early January 2023. Initially scheduled to return to service on 2nd February, she experienced significant delays during overhaul due to additional steel work and engine repairs being required. CalMac initially announced a provisional return date of 28th February, but this was later pushed back to 31st March, and then pushed back further to mid-April. During Caledonian Isles absence, she was relieved by Isle of Arran. Hebridean Isles was scheduled to operate alongside Isle of Arran, however significant technical faults saw her providing a freight-only service between Brodick and Troon, before being withdrawn from service altogether in late February.
For summer 2023, Caledonian Isles ran alongside the chartered catamaran in place of , owing to disruption across the CalMac network caused by the absence of Hebridean Isles. On 27 October 2023, CalMac assigned Alfred back to the Arran route for her next period of resilience operations beginning on 4 November 2023, releasing Caledonian Isles for berthing trials at Oban and Craignure.
Sailings are met at by the ScotRail train service to .
During the winter season, Caledonian Isles goes for her annual overhaul, and is commonly relieved by and . Caledonian Isles has also been relieved by , , , and .
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MV Caledonian Isles
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David Berger National Memorial honors the memory of David Mark Berger, a 28-year-old U.S.-born Israeli weightlifter who was one of 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian terrorists in the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The memorial is dedicated to his memory and to the memory of the ten other athletes who were killed.
The black steel sculpture, a design of broken Olympic rings, is meant to symbolize the interruption of the Munich games by the tragic events, and the eleven segments on which the rings rest represent each athlete whose life was taken. The sculpture was fabricated by Romanian-born David E. Davis.
The sculpture was installed on the front lawn of the Mayfield Jewish Community Center at 3505 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights, Ohio in 1975. The national memorial designation was authorized on March 5, 1980. Because of the demolition of the Mayfield Center in 2005, the memorial was moved to the Mandel Jewish Community Center at 26001 South Woodland Road in Beachwood, Ohio. Although formally under the authority of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, maintenance of the memorial is handled by the community center.
See also
List of national memorials of the United States
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David Berger National Memorial
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The Bizkaia Delegation Palace is an eclectic mansion in the Ensanche area of Bilbao, Spain. It's the seat of the executive branch of Government of Biscay, the legislative assembly meets in Gernika. The Biscay Palace of the Foral Deputation (also known as simply The Foral Palace), located at 25 Gran Vía, Bilbao, is a free-standing rectangular building, of solid and majestic appearance. Designed by the architect Luis Aladrén Mendivil, it is considered “a pinnacle work of Alfonsine eclecticism” in Vizcaya.
It was built between 1890 and 1900 by the Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro avenue.
It bears resemblance to projected buildings at the end of the 19th century in its eclectic style, which is made self-evident in the use of elements of diverse historical styles and in, moreover, a great preoccupation with the composition of the facades in an ornamental way. The building consists of a basement, mezzanine, two floors, an attic, and a rooftop terrace.
The main façade on Gran Vía street stands out when one observes the advanced body from the line of the façade, which includes a covered entrance over which there are a balcony and a coat of arms. Inside, the main staircase distributes and organizes the annexes.
The ornamental riches grow as much on the exterior as the interior, for example, chair cushions knit with diamonds, where there are numerous works of art surrounded by lush furniture and pictorial ornamentation on the walls and ceilings.
It bears mentioning the so-called 'Throne Room', which houses two painted murals by José Echenaguisa Errazquin (1844-1912), a painter of international success born in Fuenterrabía, a border town in Gipuzkoa province in the Basque Country. These murals, “Juramento de los Fueros” (Swearing of the Foros) and “Pacificacion de oñacinos y gamboinos” (Peacemaking between the Oñazes and the Gamboinos), are often reproduced in textbooks and history books that discuss the Basque Country.
There are diverse pieces of art conserved in the Palace, like a pair of jars gifted by Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III of France.
Across the street on its back, there is the Library of Biscay.
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Biscay Foral Delegation Palace
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Zoids: New Century, or , is an anime television series created in 2001 by Shogakukan, Inc. It is the second Zoids series created, based on the range of mecha models produced by TOMY. The series has been dubbed and originally released in Western nations under the title Zoids, before being later rebranded as Zoids: New Century by Viz Media, and was the first Zoids series to be dubbed in English. The series has 26 episodes that run for 25 minutes each. In August 2014, a Blu-ray box set of the series was released in Japan. It optionally came with a limited-edition Liger Zero.
Series background
New Century Zero takes place a long time after the events of Zoids: Chaotic Century. Zoids are no longer used for warfare; instead, the combative natures of both Zoids and humans are focused and contained by a series of battle-competitions and tournaments, run by the Zoid Battle Commission.
The Zoid Battle Commission is a significant power on Planet Zi, fielding a considerable arsenal of armed Zoids, orbital platforms serviced by their own launch facilities as well as orbital-based weapons systems. It is not made clear in the series if the Helic Republic and Guylos Empire still exist, although the final battle upon the rusted Ultrasaurus, hinted to be the same one in Zoids: Chaotic Century, could suggest neither were left, and people had free rein to battle in old battlefields.
The series focuses on the Blitz Team, in particular the actions of the Liger Zero and Bit Cloud. The series charts the rise of the Blitz Team through various competitions of the Zoid Battle Commission, and the team's efforts to avoid conflict with the criminal organization known as the Backdraft Group.
Characters
The Blitz Team
Bit Cloud
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese), Richard Ian Cox (English), Peter von Gomm (English)
Formerly a junk dealer, Bit joins the Blitz Team after he is responsible for damaging one of the team's Zoids during a match. Bit discovers that he is the only person capable of piloting the rare Liger Zero owned by the team's manager. Bit makes both friends and rivals with a number of pilots, including Harry Champ, Jack Cisco, Leon Toros, and Vega Obscura. Bit has a close bond with the Liger Zero, treating the Zoid as a friend instead of just a machine. He is often seen in friendly conflict with Leena Toros, arguing over trivial matters like cookies, doughnuts, and the shower schedule.
It was initially thought to be useless, not allowing anyone to pilot it. After befriending Bit, it proved to be adept at close combat, using its superheated "Strike Laser Claw" attack to great effect in many battles. It was equipped with the CAS (usually Changing Armor System, also "Conversion" in parts of the dub) to allow switching to one of three incredible, mighty, and most powerful armors: Liger Zero Jager (German: hunter) unit and its ion boosters for speed and agility; Liger Zero Schneider (German: cutter) and its blades for close combat; and Liger Zero Panzer (German: armor/shield), with heavy armor, cannons, and missiles for beating multiple enemies at once. Over the course of the series, it is learned that the Liger Zero is one of a series of unique Ultimate X Zoids, equipped with an integrated Organoid system and possessing the ability to learn and adapt. This allows it to predict and react to enemy attacks far faster than regular Zoids.
Leena Toros
Leena Toros is the daughter of the Blitz Team's manager and is portrayed as a stereotypically loud and bubbly sixteen-year-old girl. She pilots two different Zoids over the course of the series, the De-bison and then the Gunsniper, and is regarded as notoriously trigger-happy in combat, bordering on psychotic. She's also known for her sensitivity and short temper, where she physically assaults others in a comical fashion (usually Bit). Leena is the target of Harry Champ's continual advances. She doesn't reciprocate his feelings and isn't above using them against him. For example, in episode 3, she used him just to get back at Bit for finishing off one of her targets in a previous match, or "stealing her prey", as she put it. In the original Japanese version, the character is named .
Brad Hunter
Brad Hunter is a pilot who began his career as a mercenary and was hired by the Blitz Team before the start of the series to boost their pilot number. He pilots a modified Command Wolf but is later forced to steal a prototype Shadow Fox from Dr. Laon and the Backdraft Group. After receiving the Shadow Fox, Brad engages in combat with Bit and the Liger Zero. After a brisk battle, it is stopped due to both pilots belonging to the Blitz Team, and the Shadow Fox officially becomes a member of the Blitz team thanks to Brad's deception—his plan all along. Brad possesses a notably high physical endurance, shown in one instance when Laon stuck him in a G-Force-esque simulator and he retained consciousness despite the deadly force exerted upon him. Because of his mercenary nature, Brad will rarely enter a fight without a promise of financial compensation, even if the other team members are in trouble. In the original Japanese version, the character is named Ballad. Brad's surname is never given in either the Japanese or English versions, but supporting materials give it as "Hunter".
Jamie Hemeros
Jamie Hemeros serves as Steve Toros' assistant, the Blitz Team's strategist, combat controller, and occasional backup pilot of the team's sole aerial Zoid. He is believed by the characters to be an orphan because of misinformation given by Dr. Toros, but in fact, his father still lives, and at fourteen years of age he is the youngest member of the team. He initially owns a Pteras, but this was traded in by Dr. Toros for a Raynos, the same kind of Zoid piloted by his father. Jamie is caring towards his fellow teammates, who often annoy him by ignoring his advice and battle plans. It is believed that his surname is derived from Hermes, the winged messenger god. His skills as a pilot are marginal; he crashes his Zoid in almost every engagement he participates in. In Atari's English-language ports of the Zoids video games, his name is given as Jimmy.
The Wild Eagle
The supersonic capabilities of the Raynos allow for the exposure of Jamie's alter-ego, the Wild Eagle. Wild Eagle is portrayed as the polar opposite of Jamie's personality, and can generally be considered a skilled pilot. However, his skill is often counterbalanced by his cocky hubris, which usually results in serious damage to the Raynos, and a period of unconsciousness for Jamie. The Wild Eagle alter-ego appears to be shared by members of the Hemeros family, as Jamie's father, Oscar, exhibited the same abilities and personality changes when flying certain Zoids. Unfortunately, this eventually led to a high-speed, uncontrolled landing of Oscar's Raynos. Oscar was both injured and seriously unnerved by the accident, as Dr. Toros said he "never flew a Raynos again". He was not, despite what the rest of the characters were led to believe, killed. In fact, he often drops by to check up on his son, though he unintentionally seems to make Jamie somewhat miserable (such as good-humouredly patting Jamie on the back when the latter was injured).
Steve Toros
Steve Toros is the Blitz Team's manager (but also serves as an inventor and occasionally a combat controller in Jamie's place), whose children are Leena and Leon Toros. He, Dr. Laon, and Oscar are old friends, but when Dr. Toros married the woman (Leena and Leon's mother) loved by Laon, Laon developed a grudge against Dr. Toros and refused to forgive him (his feelings do not extend to Leena, whom he says resembles her mother). Laon incinerated the place where the trio used to gather, completely ending the camaraderie between both of them (Oscar seems to be neutral in the situation). Dr. Toros is 38 years old, he seems to be impulsive (notoriously purchasing weaponry on the basis of being "big" and "shiny"), overdramatic and immature at times, but in all is a knowledgeable man. He built the CAS interchangeable armour system solely for the Liger Zero. He purchased the Liger Zero because white Ligers were rare, but the Zoid was deemed defective because of the scarcity of spare parts for maintenance, as well as its fickle, stubborn personality; it would eject pilots that were forced upon it or deemed unworthy. In many episodes, he is seen playing with model Zoids, of which he's very protective, and frantically panics in comedic fashion whenever he accidentally breaks off a part. He is so fond of them that he's been shown to keep a collection on his bed whenever he sleeps or relaxes.
Other characters
Oscar Hemeros
Voiced by Yukimasa Kishino (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
A good friend of Dr. Toros having grown up together with the joint ambition of entering the Zoid leagues, he had the misfortune of being the cause of the bitter feud between Dr. Toros and Dr. Laon. Oscar was supposed to write a love letter to a woman whom Dr. Toros and Dr. Laon were courting, but he didn't know that the note was supposed to be from Dr. Laon, not Steve Toros. Oscar was one of the greatest aerial Zoid pilots in his day, earning his moniker "Wild Eagle" for his sheer mastery of aerial stunts and maneuvers. However, one day, he lost control of his Raynos and crashed. The accident forced him into early retirement from the leagues, though he still pilots aerial Zoids in more casual settings. He sent his son, Jamie, to join Dr. Toros' Blitz Team, believing that between him and Toros, they could bring out some of that Wild Eagle blood in Jamie.
Dr. Laon
Voiced by Michael Dobson (English)
He was formerly friends with the Blitz Team's Steve Toros until an argument between the two involving being the future husband of a woman (Leena and Leon's mother) caused the irreparable rift. He is associated with the Backdraft Group, although he often tries to recruit pilots to challenge the Blitz Team and avenge him (Harry Champ, the Tigers Team, Brad Hunter). It is believed that his reason for joining the Backdraft Group was influenced by alcoholism. Although he hates Toros, he deeply cares for Leena (he claims she resembles her mother), as shown in the instance where he shoved all the other Zoids away with his Whale King to shield her from the massive explosion created by three charged particle cannons. The explosion bore a giant hole on his Whale King and severely injured him, thereafter he told Toros he will never stop seeking his vengeance. At the series finale, Oscar is seen visiting Laon in the hospital.
Harry Champ
Voiced by Wataru Takagi (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
He is "a man destined to be king," as he regularly states numerous times with each appearance. He is heir to half of the Champ's family fortunes, along with his elder sister, Mary Champ; but he couldn't care less about his fortune when it comes to his unrequited love for Leena Toros. He assumes that Leena returns his feelings, which is why in one instance Dr. Laon kidnapped him and used him as a hostage, assuming that Leena wouldn't fire on him but was proven wrong. At the end of the series, Harry planned on proposing to Leena but never got the chance. Harry also has two robots named Benjamin and Sebastian. Because of his wealth, he owns a menagerie of Zoids, claiming to have everything "from a Gojulas to Cannon Tortoises." His main Zoid is a customized Dark Horn, but he has also piloted an Iron Kong and a Cannon Tortoise. Many more Zoids are seen in his hangar, among them a Red Horn, a Shield Liger, and a Gordos.
Jack Sisco
Voiced by Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
A talented mercenary (having been stated to have never lost prior to his first battle with the Blitz Team) who pilots a cheetah-type Zoid, the Lightning Saix. His personality is depicted as arrogant and aloof. He was initially a free-lance mercenary, but was shown to be very picky with whom he worked for, and only worked for someone with enough money and "luck." Despite being a mercenary, he generally acts as an honorable if not gruff opponent. He later gained two teammates, Kelly and Chris Tasker who also pilot Lightning Saixes, and together, they were able to use a slipstream strategy to defeat the Blitz Team. Bit later defeated him during the Royal Cup.
Naomi Fluegel
Voiced by Rio Natsuki (Japanese), Saffron Henderson (English)
A female pilot under the alias of the "Red Comet" for being skilled in sniping and long-range combat. She pilots a red Gunsniper with a specialized sniping system that includes a gun within the Zoid's tail. At the beginning of the series, Naomi is a solo pilot, until Leon Toros joins her to form the Flugel Team. Prior to her defeat by the Blitz Team, it was claimed that nobody ever reached within of her Gun Sniper. It's implied she and Brad have a romantic interest in each other.
Leon Toros
Voiced by Susumu Chiba (Japanese), Ted Cole (English)
As Dr. Toro's elder son, he was formerly on the Blitz Team until Bit joined the group. Having been invigorated by Bit's latent potential as a Zoid pilot and confident that in his absence the team was in able hands with Bit, Leon left the group in hopes of becoming a better pilot. He later becomes Naomi Fluegel's partner. Leon pilots a Shield Liger at the beginning of the series and is later seen piloting a Red Blade Liger. The Zoids he pilots can serve as a parallel to Van Flyheight, Zoids: Chaotic Century's protagonist. He even mentions that he met his Blade Liger while travelling through a legendary valley where the greatest zoid pilots in history had travelled.
Chris and Kelly Tasker
Voiced by Kelly Sheridan (English)
Twin sisters who join Jack Sisco to form the Lightning Team. Both women pilot Lightning Saixes. The two can be distinguished by their outfits; Kelly wears green while Chris wears blue.
Kirkland, Omari, and Lineback
Known as the Tigers Team, and mockingly the Fuzzy Pandas Team, these three pilots have a reputation for being losers. Though they start out as capable opponents, they become "comic relief" characters as the series progresses, further supported by Bit's running gag of nicknaming them "The Fuzzy Pandas". In hopes of breaking their unlucky streak (a rather successful move), they rename themselves the Zabre Fangs. They lose in the final battle with the Blitz Team in comedic fashion, where the Judge also referred to them as the Fuzzy Pandas Team, causing their combat systems to freeze and thus allowing the Blitz Team to win by default. They are a reference to the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.
Mary Champ
Voiced by Lisa Ann Beley (English)
She is Harry's older sister who wants her brother to abandon his obsession with Zoid battles and return home to help their father with their company. After Harry once lost all his Zoids to the Backdraft Group, Mary personally arrived at his estate to demand that he return home, threatening to cut him out of the family fortune if he refused. But when Harry explained his problems to the Blitz Team, particularly Bit, she agreed to meet with them. Upon meeting the Blitz Team, she quickly disapproved of Leena as Harry's love interest but falls in love with Bit's Liger Zero (it was cute). She then challenged the Blitz Team to a battle with the Liger Zero at stake, offering ten times the normal prize money as an incentive. To assist the Champ Team, Mary purchased Iron Kongs. When the Champ Team lost the battle, Mary changed her opinion regarding Zoid battles and decided to leave Harry be.
Judge Robots
Voiced by Colin Murdock (English)
These robots serve as the umpires in every sanctioned Zoid battle in the series' world. Aside from having artificial intelligence, Judge robots were developed to be more anthropomorphic as the series progressed. Each Judge is dropped onto the battlefield from an orbital Judge Satellite, which also acts as a means of self-defence through orbital strikes. In episode 18, Benjamin falls in love with a Judge (censored in the English dub as a female Judge); in episode 20, the Judge wrestles a Dark Judge while declaring that Brad registered the Shadow Fox as a Blitz Team member; and the final three episodes where the Judge mistakenly calls the Zaber Fangs Team by their Fuzzy Pandas nickname, causing them to lose their balance and crashing their Zoids. The Judge sheepishly declares the Blitz Team victorious by default when he was shouted at by Kirkland.
Backdraft Organization
Also known as The Backdraft Group, The Backdraft Organization is a group that acts to undermine the Zoid Battle Commission by running unsanctioned battles. Their main goal is capturing Ultimate X Zoids. There are ranks distributed throughout the group; the backdraft is controlled by a "Committee of Seven" and is notorious for its ruthless, underhanded, and often dangerous battle tactics. Known members of the Backdraft include:
Vega Obscura
Voiced by Motoko Kumai (Japanese), Alex Doduk (English)
An eleven-year-old pilot under the command of the Backdraft Organization (Sarah in particular) who pilots the Berserk Fury (the original uncensored name being Berserk Führer). Because he is basically a child prodigy, his perspective of Zoid battling is mere of a competitive nature: where the next challenge is and the exhilarating high from battling. He and Bit eventually meet in the final rounds of the Royal Cup. He eventually reveals he is as cheerful as Bit and loves the rush of battle.
Sarah (overseer)
Voiced by Ellen Kennedy (English)
A high-ranking member, and also Vega's handler. Though usually cold and severe, she exhibits a maternal side towards Vega; he is the only thing she really cares about. Even after being shot down by the Zoid Battle Commission, she was only worried about whether Vega was all right.
Fuma Team
A four-member team, usually employed by Altail. Their team leader is a woman named Fuma and the remaining three pilots are Ehga, Koga, and Negola. They initially pilot War Sharks but are given Genosaurers by Altail to sabotage the Berserk Fury and demote Sarah, which ultimately failed. Fuma is also seen piloting a Hammerhead.
Pierce
Voiced by Alaina Burnett (English)
She is skilled in aerial combat, defeated only by Jamie (piloting the Raynos in his Wild Eagle persona) and Bit on two separate occasions, and under the direct command of Altail. She leaves the group after her defeat at the hands of Bit, deciding that Backdraft battles are getting old. She has shown to be quite honorable, debating Altail's orders to attack the innocent. She is last seen with Stoller and Sanders. She piloted a Zabat and later a customized Stormsworder.
Major Polta
Voiced by Scott McNeil (English)
Leader of the Gold Team and a subordinate of Altail, often seen wearing an odd-looking mask.
Captain Sanders (adjutant of Elephander Pilot)
Voiced by Matt Smith (English)
Stoeller's subordinate, a skilled pilot who looks up to Stoeller and defects from Backdraft along with Stoeller. Last seen celebrating the end of the Zoids tournament with Stoeller and Pierce.
Captain Stigma Stoeller
Voiced by Scott McNeil (English)
A senior member of the Backdraft, pilot of the Elephander, and highly respected, until he is defeated by Bit Cloud. A man bound by honour, he defects from the Backdraft Group in order to fight a fair battle against Bit. He is last seen with Sanders and Pierce.
Altail (Chief Executive Officer)
Voiced by Don Brown
The Chief Executive Officer of the Backdraft Group. He believes that Zoids known as Ultimate Xs exist and places his reputation on the line to find them. After recovering the Berserk Fury, he is brushed aside. Henceforth, he attempts to sabotage Sarah to jockey for favor again.
Count
Voiced by Colin Murdock
Boss of Chief Executive Officer
Brad Hunter
After stealing the Shadow Fox, he "joined" the Backdraft Group briefly in episode 20 upon Dr. Laon's proposal. He later reneged his deal, saying that he only pretended to betray his team for the Shadow Fox (and a chance to battle Bit one-on-one).
Dark Judge
Voiced by Samuel Vincent
The Backdraft Group employs their own Judges with their own satellites, colored black as opposed to the Zoid Battle Commission's white. They are greatly biased in favor of the Backdraft Group and will only announce an enemy team's victory begrudgingly.
Episodes
Theme songs
Opening
"No Future" by Nanase Aikawa
Ending
"Sasuraibito" by DASEIN
"No Future (Instrumental)" by Nanase Aikawa (U.S. Ending)
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Zoids: New Century
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Quanah may refer to:
Quanah Parker (1840s–1911), Native American leader
Quanah, Texas
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Quanah
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Constantin Popa (; born February 18, 1971) is a Romanian-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player.
Biography
Popa played for Dinamo Bucharest in his native Romania before going overseas to play college basketball in the United States for the University of Miami. The tallest person ever to play for the Hurricanes, he was twice a third team All-Big East selection.
In large part on the strength of a highly effective hook shot, he was selected by the L.A. Clippers with the 53rd pick in the 1995 NBA draft. In the same year he was selected by the Miami Tropics of the USBL as a first round territorial selection (4th pick overall). He never ended up playing a game in either league, although he did play for the Florida Beachdogs of the American CBA, where he developed somewhat of a cult fan following.
He also played in France with Pau-Orthez and with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem of Israel.
Although not Jewish, he obtained Israeli citizenship as his wife is Jewish.
Popa retired from professional basketball in 2001. He served 4 seasons as assistant coach of the University of Indianapolis Greyhound Women's basketball team, before becoming head coach in April 2011. Popa served five seasons as coach of the Greyhounds, compiling a record of 83–66. He was relieved of his duties in March 2016.
In 2019, he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
Awards and achievements
Romanian Junior National Team – 87–90
Romanian National Team – 87–92
European Championships – 87
FIBA U18 European Championship 4th – 90
Big East Conf. 3rd Team – 93, 95
French ProA Champion – 96
Israeli League Champion – 97, 98, 99, 00
Israeli Cup Winner – 98, 99, 00
Euroleague Finalist – 2000
Israeli State Cup Finalist – 01
Israeli League Finalist – 01
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Constantin Popa
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James Arthur Crumley (October 12, 1939 – September 17, 2008) was an American author. He was the author of violent hardboiled crime novels and several volumes of short stories and essays, as well as published and unpublished screenplays. He has been described as "one of modern crime writing's best practitioners", who was "a patron saint of the post-Vietnam private eye novel" and a cross between Raymond Chandler and Hunter S. Thompson. His book The Last Good Kiss has been described as "the most influential crime novel of the last 50 years."
Crumley's first published novel, 1969's One to Count Cadence, which was set in the Philippines and Vietnam, began as the thesis for his master's degree in creative writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1966. His novels The Last Good Kiss, The Mexican Tree Duck and The Right Madness feature the character C.W. Sughrue, an alcoholic ex-army officer turned private investigator. The Wrong Case, Dancing Bear and The Final Country feature another P.I., Milo Milodragovitch. In the novel Bordersnakes, Crumley brought both characters together. Crumley said of his two private detectives: "Milo's first impulse is to help you; Sughrue's is to shoot you in the foot."
Crumley had a cult following, and his work is said to have inspired a generation of crime writers in both the U.S. and the U.K, including Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, Dennis Lehane and Craig McDonald, as well as writers from other genres such as Neal Stephenson, but he never achieved mainstream success. "Don't know why that is," Crumley said in an interview in 2001, "Other writers like me a lot. But up until about 10 to 12 years ago, I made more money in France and Japan than in America. I guess I just don't fit in anyplace in the genre book marketplace."
Life
Crumley, who was born in Three Rivers, Texas, grew up in south Texas, where his father was an oil-field supervisor and his mother was a waitress. According to Crumley, his father was a gentle man, but his mother was a forceful and violent woman. She insisted that Crumley attend church, but did not do so herself because she could not afford clothes decent enough for church.
Crumley was a grade-A student and a football player, an offensive lineman, in high school. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology on a Navy ROTC scholarship for about a year before leaving to serve in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1961; during his service, he was assigned to the Philippines. He then resumed his higher education at the Texas College of Arts and Industries on a football scholarship, where he received his B.A. in history in 1964. He earned an M.F.A. degree in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1966. His master's thesis was published as One to Count Cadence in 1969.
In 1968, he signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
Crumley had not read any detective fiction until prompted to by Montana poet Richard Hugo, who recommended the work of Raymond Chandler for the quality of his sentences. Crumley finally picked up a copy of one of Chandler's books in Guadalajara, Mexico. Impressed by the oeuvres of Chandler and Ross Macdonald, Crumley began writing his first detective novel, The Wrong Case, which was published in 1975.
From the mid-1980s until his death, Crumley lived in Missoula, Montana, where he served on the English faculty of the University of Montana and found inspiration for his novels at Charlie B's bar. A regular there, he had many longstanding friends who have been portrayed as characters in his books. Following an earlier stint at the University of Montana (1966-1969), he held visiting professorships at a number of other universities, including the University of Arkansas (1969-1970), Colorado State University (1971-1974), Reed College (1976-1977), Carnegie-Mellon University (1979-1980) and the University of Texas at El Paso (1981-1984). From 1974 to 1976, he worked as a freelance writer.
Crumley died at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula on September 17, 2008, of complications from kidney and pulmonary diseases after many years of health problems. According to longtime friend and fellow writer Thomas McGuane, "He did cocaine six days a week. Ate five times a day. Drank a bottle of whiskey every day. He said, 'This is how I like to live. If I live 10 years less, so what?'" He was survived by his fifth wife of 16 years, Martha Elizabeth, a poet and artist. He had five children (including three from his second marriage and two from his fourth), eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Crumley's death prompted an "outpouring of affection" from the citizens of Missoula. Crumley's favorite seat in his favorite bar was put aside to honor him.
Response
None of the books that Crumley wrote ever became bestsellers, but he had a cult following devoted to his writing and received frequent critical acclaim. David Dempsey in the New York Times called Crumley's debut novel, One to Count Cadence, set during the Vietnam War, "...a compelling study of the gratuitous violence in men. ... It is a story of bars, brawls, and brothels—and I don't know of any writer who has done it better." In 1993, Marilyn Stasio, reviewing The Mexican Tree Duck in the same publication, wrote: "Characters as memorable as [Crumley's] don't come blazing down the interstate that often. Neither do writers like Mr. Crumley. Treasure them before they burn themselves out—and take the flame with them." Christopher Lehmann-Haupt described Crumley's work as being about "a violently chaotic world that can be seen as a legacy of Vietnam, of which his characters are nightmare-haunted veterans," while Ron Powers called it: the Big Sky Country [reimagined] as a kind of hard-boiled Lake Wobegon with bloodstains, a hellscape where all the women are tall ... the men sport pugnacious foreheads, brutal jaws and Indian braids, and all the children are away at camp. According to Patrick Anderson of The Washington Post, "You don't read Crumley for plot. You read him for his outlaw attitude, his rough poetry and his scenes, paragraphs, sentences, moments. You read him for the lawyer with 'a smile as innocent as the first martini'". Critic Maxim Jakubowski, who was a friend of Crumley, writing after Crumley's death, referred to Crumley's last two books, The Final Country and A Right Madness, as:...bittersweet adventures in which [Crumley] could evoke the skies over Texas and Montana and the landscapes of America like a veritable angel slumming amid the ferocious gunfire, the betrayals his characters always suffered and the trademark bruised romanticism that only he could conjure up without it sounding maudlin.
A number of writers view The Last Good Kiss as Crumley's best work. Its opening line is sometimes cited as the best in the genre:When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon.
Awards and honors
In 1985, The Wrong Case won a Falcon Award from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan for the best "hardboiled" novel published in that country. The Mexican Tree Duck won the 1994 Dashiell Hammett Award, given by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers for the best literary crime novel, and his last novel, A Right Madness was a finalist for the 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller.
In 2007, the magazine Men's Journal named The Last Good Kiss as number 12 on its list of "Top 15 Thrillers of All Time", and in Newsweek, George Pelecanos, crime author and co-producer of the HBO series The Wire, rated Crumley's The Last Good Kiss as number 3 in his list of the "Five Most Important Crime Novels".
However, despite claims made on a number of websites, Crumley does not seem to have been either a winner or a nominee for a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for The Last Good Kiss or any other novel.
The detective "Crumley" in Ray Bradbury's trilogy of mystery novels (Death Is a Lonely Business, A Graveyard for Lunatics, and Let's All Kill Constance) is named in tribute to him.
Film
For about a decade, Crumley worked intermittently in Hollywood, writing original scripts that were never produced, or acting as a script doctor. In that time he co-wrote with Rob Sullivan the screenplay for the Western film The Far Side of Jericho, which debuted at the Santa Fe Film Festival on December 10, 2006 and was released on DVD in the United States on August 21, 2007. He worked on a number of drafts of the screenplay for the film adaptation of the comic strip Judge Dredd (1995), though none of his ideas were used in the final film. His commissioned but unproduced screenplay for the film The Pigeon Shoot was published in a limited edition. Additionally, Crumley provided the commentary for the 2002 English-language French film L'esprit de la route by Matthieu Serveau.
Regarding his impression of the film industry, Crumley said: "If you back up into a room in Hollywood with your britches down and something odd happens to you, it’s not their fault!"
Works
One to Count Cadence (1969) – novel, Vietnam
The Wrong Case (1975) – novel, Milo Milodragovitch series
The Last Good Kiss (1978) – novel, C.W. Sughrue series
Dancing Bear (1983) – novel, Milo series
Pigeon Shoot (1987) – unproduced screenplay, limited edition
Whores (1988) – short stories
Muddy Fork and Other Things (1991) – short fiction and essays
The Mexican Tree Duck (1993) – novel, Sughrue series, winner 1994 Dashiell Hammett Award
Bordersnakes (1996) – novel, Sughrue and Milo series
The Putt at the End of the World (2000) – collaborative novel
The Final Country (2001) – novel, Milo series
The Right Madness (2005) – novel, Sughrue series
Quotes
It's done. This may not be my final country. I can still taste the bear in the back of my throat, bitter with the blood of the innocent, and somewhere in my old heart I can still remember the taste of love. Perhaps this is just a resting place. A warm place to drink cold beer. But wherever my final country is, my ashes will go back to Montana when I die. Maybe I've stopped looking for love. Maybe not. Maybe I will go to Paris. Who knows? But I'll sure as hell never go back to Texas again.The Final Country (2001)
When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon.The Last Good Kiss (1978)
Son, never trust a man who doesn't drink because he's probably a self-righteous sort, a man who thinks he knows right from wrong all the time. Some of them are good men, but in the name of goodness, they cause most of the suffering in the world. They're the judges, the meddlers. And, son, never trust a man who drinks but refuses to get drunk. They're usually afraid of something deep down inside, either that they're a coward or a fool or mean and violent. You can't trust a man who's afraid of himself. But sometimes, son, you can trust a man who occasionally kneels before a toilet. The chances are that he is learning something about humility and his natural human foolishness, about how to survive himself. It's damned hard for a man to take himself too seriously when he's heaving his guts into a dirty toilet bowl.The Wrong Case (1975)
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James Crumley
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Jules Timothy Brabants MBE (born 23 January 1977) is a British sprint kayaker who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won three medals with one gold (2008: K-1 1000 m) and two bronzes (2000: K-1 1000 m, 2008: K-1 500 m).
Early life and education
Tim Brabants was born in Chertsey. He first began his canoeing career at Elmbridge Canoe Club in Elmbridge.
Brabants was educated at the Salesian School, a Voluntary Aided co-educational Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Chertsey, Surrey, followed by the University of Nottingham.
Career
Brabants trained at Royal Canoe Club, the world's oldest canoe club located in Teddington, London.
Brabants won the K-1 1000 m European championship at Szeged, Hungary in 2002, the first time a British paddler had won the blue riband event.
The 2004 Olympics however were a disappointment. Brabants had won a European silver medal at Poznań earlier in the season and was the fastest qualifier for the Olympic K-1 1000 m final with the world's fastest time of 3:24.412. However, in the final itself he finished in fifth place.
He took a year off from competitive kayaking in 2005 to complete his medical studies at the University of Nottingham followed by a spell as a doctor in Jersey. However, he returned to action in 2006, winning the gold medal in Račice in the K-1 1000 m event at the European Championships and the silver medal in the same event at the World Championships in Szeged in August 2006, finishing just 0.06 seconds behind Sweden's Markus Oscarsson.
2007 was an even better year. Brabants competed in the K-1 500 m discipline as well and at the European Championships won Silver for the 1000 m and Gold for the 500 m. At the 2007 World Championships in Duisburg, Brabants won gold in the K-1 1000 m and silver in the K-1 500 m events, thus securing a place for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
At these games Brabants made his way into the history books by being the first Briton to win a gold medal in either the sprint or slalom kayak discipline. This he achieved by a convincing win in the K-1 1000 m, leading from start to finish.
Although best known as a sprinter, Brabants' first success as a senior international had in fact come in the marathon. He won a silver medal at the 1998 World Canoe Marathon Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.
Brabants is a member of the Nottingham Kayak Club and is a physician by profession. He is 188 cm (6'2) tall and weighs 85 kg (187 lbs).
Brabants was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to sport. In 2010, he won a silver in the K-1 1000 m event at the world championships.
Brabants was selected for the canoe sprint team for London Olympics 2012, where he finished 8th.
Notes
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Tim Brabants
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James Franklin Childress (; born October 4, 1940) is a philosopher and theologian whose scholarship addresses ethics, particularly biomedical ethics. Currently he is the John Allen Hollingsworth Professor of Ethics at the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia and teaches public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is also Professor of Medical Education at this university and directs its Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life. He holds a B.A. from Guilford College, a B.D. from Yale Divinity School, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University.
He was vice-chairman of the national Task Force on Organ Transplantation, and he has also served on the board of directors of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the UNOS Ethics Committee, the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee, the Human Gene Therapy Subcommittee, the Biomedical Ethics Advisory Committee, and several Data and Safety Monitoring Boards for NIH clinical trials. From 1996 to 2001, he served on the presidentially-appointed National Bioethics Advisory Commission. He is a fellow of the Hastings Center, an independent bioethics research institution.
His works include:
with Tom Beauchamp: Principles of Biomedical Ethics (1978; Oxford University Press, Oxford 2013, 7th ed.).
Practical reasoning in bioethics, Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Pr. 1997.
A new dictionary of Christian ethics, London: SCM Press 1986 (co-edited with John Macquarrie).
Who should decide? Paternalism in health care, New York: Oxford Univ. Pr. 1982.
Moral responsibility in conflicts. Essays on nonviolence, war, and conscience, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Univ. Pr. 1982.
Priorities in biomedical ethics, Philadelphia: Westminster Pr. 1981.
Civil disobedience and political obligation. A study in Christian social ethics, New Haven: Yale Univ. Pr. 1971.
See also
American philosophy
List of American philosophers
Principlism
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James Childress
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Lansdowne Road railway station () is a railway station in Dublin, Ireland. The station serves the Ballsbridge and Upper Baggot Street areas of Dublin 4.
Facilities and services
The station has two through platforms, 1 and 2, connected via a subway. Both have separate entrances as there is a level crossing adjacent to the station on Lansdowne Road. There are 2 automated ticket vending machines at both entrances. When there is an event at the stadium, additional access points are opened to allow for crowd control.
All DART services serve the station, as do several South Eastern Commuter (Dublin Connolly to Gorey) and a number of services to Drogheda and Maynooth.
History
The station was adjacent to its namesake Lansdowne Road Stadium before the stadium was demolished in 2007 and replaced on-site by the new Aviva Stadium, which the station now serves. It has disability access to both platforms. The information office is open at various times between 06:00-00:00 Monday to Friday and during events at the Aviva Stadium.
The station opened on 1 July 1870. It was electrified in 1983 with the arrival of DART services.
Gallery
See also
List of railway stations in Ireland
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Lansdowne Road railway station
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In 18th-century British politics, the broad bottom government (or broad bottom administration) is a government with cross-party appeal, according (among others) to John Stuart Shaw, "The Political History of Eighteenth-century Scotland", 1999, when he describes the time of the Seven Years' War.
When William Pitt and the Duke of Newcastle joined the (Whig) government in 1757, the war increased consent along party lines and enabled a quick integration of the various Whig parties as well as a quickened integration of the Scots into a British nation.
Other examples of such governments are the Fox–North coalition of 1783 and the Ministry of All the Talents. The first ministry of Henry Pelham, 1744 to 1746, was called the "Broad Bottom ministry"
See also
United Kingdom coalition government (disambiguation)
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Broad bottom government
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Ask the Dust is the most popular novel of American author John Fante, first published in 1939 and set during the Great Depression era in Los Angeles. It is one of a series of novels featuring the character Arturo Bandini as Fante's alter ego, a young Italian-American from Colorado struggling to make it as a writer in Los Angeles.
The novel is widely regarded as an American classic, regularly on college syllabi for American literature. The book is a roman à clef, much of it rooted in autobiographical incidents in Fante's life. The novel influenced Charles Bukowski significantly. In 2006, screenwriter Robert Towne adapted the novel into a film, Ask the Dust, starring Salma Hayek and Colin Farrell.
Publication
Initial publication of the novel followed Fante's successful publication of Wait Until Spring, Bandini and his short stories in prominent publications such as The American Mercury. Only 2,200 copies of the first edition of the novel were printed. Although sales were not extensive, a paperback edition was issued by Bantam in 1954. The novel's popularity did not reach its peak until poet Charles Bukowski led the reissue of the novel by Black Sparrow Press in 1980, alongside a foreword by Bukowski.
Synopsis
Arturo Dominic Bandini is a struggling writer living in a residential hotel in Bunker Hill, a rundown section of Downtown Los Angeles. Living off oranges, he unconsciously creates a picture of Los Angeles as a modern dystopia during the Great Depression era. His published short story "The Little Dog Laughed" impresses no one in his seedy boarding house except for one 14-year-old girl, Judy. Destitute, he wanders into the Columbia Buffet where he meets Camilla Lopez, a waitress.
Bandini falls in love with Lopez, who is herself in love with her co-worker Sammy. Sammy despises Camilla, telling Bandini that he has to treat Camilla poorly if he wants to win her over. Bandini struggles with his own poverty, his Catholic guilt, and with his love for an unstable and deteriorating Camilla. Camilla is eventually admitted to a mental hospital and moved to a second one before escaping. Bandini looks for her, only to find her waiting for him in his apartment. He decides to take her away from Los Angeles, and arranges to live in a house on the beach. He buys her a little dog and they rent a place in Laguna Beach. He leaves her there to retrieve his belongings from his Los Angeles hotel room, only to find the house empty when he returns. He receives a telegram from Sammy, who requests that he come and retrieve Camilla, as she has shown up at the desert shack he has been living in and is getting on his nerves. By the time Bandini gets there, Sammy has thrown Camilla out and she has wandered into the desert. Bandini looks for her with an agonizing fear that he won't find the woman he loves, a fear that is soon realized. He returns to Sammy's shack and looks out at the empty desert land. He takes a copy of his first novel that has recently been published, dedicates it to Camilla, and throws it into the desert.
Themes
Fante's most popular novel by far, the semi-autobiographical Ask the Dust is the third book in what is now referred to as "The Saga of Arturo Bandini" or "The Bandini Quartet". Bandini served as his alter ego in a total of four novels: Wait Until Spring, Bandini (1938), The Road to Los Angeles (chronologically, this is the first novel Fante wrote but it was unpublished until 1985), Ask the Dust (1939) and, finally, Dreams from Bunker Hill (1982). The last Fante dictated to his wife, Joyce, towards the end of his life after complications from diabetes brought about blindness and the amputation of both legs. Fante's use of Bandini as his alter ego can be compared to Charles Bukowski's character, Henry Chinaski.
Recurring themes in Fante's works are poverty, Catholicism, family life, Italian-American identity, sports, and the life of a writer. Ask the Dust has been referred to over the years as a monumental Southern California/Los Angeles novel by many (Carey McWilliams, Charles Bukowski, and Los Angeles Times Book Review). More than sixty years after it was published, Ask the Dust appeared for several weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Reception
Initial reception of the novel was mixed, resulting in poor sales. Distribution was hampered because Fante's publisher was embroiled in a legal dispute over publication of an unauthorized version of Adolf Hitler's biography Mein Kampf that left it short of funds.
Legacy
Fante was one of the first writers to portray the tough times faced by many people in Depression-era Los Angeles. Robert Towne has called Ask the Dust the greatest novel ever written about Los Angeles.
The American author Charles Bukowski cites John Fante's work as a significant influence on his own writing, in particular Ask the Dust, which he had stumbled upon in the public library as a young writer. Bukowski's enthusiasm for the novel helped ensure that the novel didn't fall into obscurity in the 1970s. Bukowski, who befriended the older author towards the end of Fante's life, wrote a foreword to this novel for the Black Sparrow Press reprint edition. Bukowski states in this foreword: "Fante was my god". Bukowski chronicled their relationship in his short story "I Meet the Master", although in the story, the author is referred to as "John Bante" and his book is called Sporting Times? Yeah?.
Ask the Dust contains thematic similarities to Knut Hamsun's 1890 novel Hunger. Fante was a great admirer of Hamsun. The title Ask the Dust derives from Knut Hamsun's novel Pan from 1894, in which Lt. Glahn tells the story about the girl in the tower:
"The other one he loved like a slave, like a crazed and like a beggar. Why? Ask the dust on the road and the falling leaves, ask the mysterious God of life; for no one knows such things. She gave him nothing, no nothing did she give him and yet he thanked her. She said: Give me your peace and your reason! And he was only sorry she did not ask for his life."
In David Foster Wallace's 1987 novel The Broom of the System, Lavache "Stoney" Beadsman has a wooden leg with a hidden drawer in which he keeps marijuana cigarettes and other illegal substances. Chapter 4 of Ask the Dust refers to a character named Benny Cohen, who "had a wooden leg with a little door in it. Inside the door were marijuana cigarettes. He sold them for fifteen cents apiece."
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Ask the Dust
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Frida Sophia Hallgren (born 16 December 1974) is a Swedish actress, internationally known from As It Is in Heaven.
She got her start in acting as a child in Hasse Funck's children's acting school and participated in Vår teater, a children's theater. After finishing her degree, Frida attended the theater university in Malmö. This training was connected to a practical course at the city theater of Gothenburg. Thereafter, Frida received several theater roles in Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Uppsala. She attained international fame with the leading role of Lena in Kay Pollak's Oscar nominated film As It Is in Heaven. In 2007, she was at the side of Walter Sittler and Inger Nilsson (Pippi Longstocking) in the Second German Television miniseries Der Kommissar und das Meer. She starred in the Swedish film Agent Hamilton: But Not If It Concerns Your Daughter in 2012. Since 2013, she acts in the series Fröken Frimans krig.
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Frida Hallgren
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Trond Hans Farner Kverno (born 20 October 1945, in Oslo) is a contemporary Norwegian composer. He received degrees in church music, music theory and choir direction from the Norwegian Academy of Music. He is known for his liturgical compositions.
He also serves as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Christ Catholic Church International.
Church music has spearheaded major new developments in music in Norway throughout the post-war period, in terms of both musical innovation and institutional renewal. At the same time church music composers have enjoyed growing popularity among musicians and listeners alike. Trond H.F. Kverno has been an exponent of this tradition since the 1970s, and his compositions are today among the finest and most frequently performed in Norway.
Trond H.F. Kverno was born in Oslo in 1945. He took his degree in church music from the Oslo Conservatory of Music in 1967. The following year he took a degree in music theory and choir direction. He was ordained deacon of music in 1975, and has served as an organist in a number of churches in Oslo and elsewhere.
After beginning his teaching career at the Oslo Conservatory of Music in 1971, Trond H.F. Kverno transferred to the Norwegian State Academy of Music in 1973, the year of its founding, where he has been a prominent figure in the teaching of music theory. Since 1978 he has been senior lecturer in church music and composition theory. He has been particularly involved in the more creative, performance-oriented aspects of the latter, focusing on liturgical organ playing, improvisation and composition for use in church services. Since the introduction of a graduate programme in church music at the academy in 1983, he has also taught within the fields of liturgiology and hymnody. In 1994 he was appointed professor in church music, with church music composition as his main subject.
Trond H.F. Kverno has also gained national recognition in the latter field. He was a member of the liturgical commission (1976–78) appointed to reform the liturgical books of the Church of Norway. He has drawn on his experience from the commission in the fields of composition and practical liturgy in positions connected to the Oslo Cathedral and Gamle Aker Church, Oslo. Norsk Høymesse 1977 (The Norwegian Morning Service) includes several melodies composed by Kverno in its general series.
The liturgical commission was also responsible for laying the groundwork for Norsk Salmebok (Norwegian Hymnal), written in 1983. Kverno finds it especially challenging to compose for gatherings with no particular musical expertise, and regards every melody which is included in a songbook or hymnal as a small triumph. In this respect he has a good deal to be proud of: Norsk Salmebok of 1983 includes 27 of his hymns, and his compositions are also to be found in hymnals in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Germany.
Trond H.F. Kverno regards his career primarily in terms of his church music accomplishments. In his view, the concept "absolute music" is a rare occurrence, as most works are generally part of an ideological or aesthetic context. The individual work may also reflect the person who commissioned it, its users or its listeners. In Kverno's opinion, music performed in a church differs significantly from that played in a concert hall: "The performer is the entire congregation where everyone sings, or where some sing while others pray. The congregation is also an instrument. The music resounds through the faith of the universal church as a sacrifice to the Holy Trinity. The goal is the congregation's prayer, rather than aesthetic pleasure. The essential point is that the music hears us and interprets us before the throne of God, not that we hear the music. This is the fundamental assumption on which my work is based. I would liken my work to that of the painter of icons, where each icon is a window to a reality other than that which surrounds us."
Production
Selected works
Psalms
Vi skal se deg, Herre Jesus
En dag skal Herrens skaperdrømmer møte
I dine hender, Fader blid
Vi rekker våre hender frem
Noen må våke i verdens natt
Dagsens auga sloknar ut
Choir works and church music
Livets tre (1972)
Deus noster refugium (1972)
Jesu Kristi syv ord på korset (1973)
Tu solus Dominus (1974)
Rydd vei for Herren (1975)
Jesus satt i båten(1976)
Nunc dimittis (1976)
Ave maris stella (1976)
Missa fidei mysterii (1983)
Jeremia, kirkespill (1984)
Missa orbis factor (1985)
Passio secundum Matthaeum (1986)
Triptychon II (1989)
Sett meg som segl på hjertet ditt (1997)
Hallvard fra Huseby(2000)
En ny himmel og en ny jord (2000)
Markuspasjonen (2004)
Judica me Deus (2014)
Myrra og røykelse angar (2014)
Discography
Salmekameratene, Sterk & Ny (2010)
Kammerkoret Ultima Thule, Trolldom (2010)
Martin Enger Holm (2009)
Kammerkoret Nova (2008)
Oslo Gospel Choir, Salmeskatt (2003)
Vokal Nord, Advenio (2003)
Torbjørn Dyrud, Cor (2001)
Skruk, Stjernen Ledet Vise Menn (1998)
Konrad Ruhland, Carl Orff - Ante-post (1998)
Ole Paus, Det begynner å bli et liv: det begynner å ligne en bønn (1998)
Barnekoret Levende Lys, Fortell - fra det nye testamente (1998)
Grex Vocalis, Crux (1997)
Matteuspasjonen (1996)
Oslo Domkor, Contemporary Church Music from Scandinavia (1987)
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Trond Kverno
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Marcus Bourne Huish (25 November 1843 – 4 May 1921) was an English barrister, writer and art dealer.
He was the son of Marcus Huish of Castle Donington and his wife Margaret Jane Bourne. His mother died in 1847 and in 1849 his father remarried Frances Sarah Darwin, daughter of Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin. Bourne was the editor of The Art Journal from 1881 to 1892 and was the first managing director of the Fine Art Society. He was a Japanophile and was given the honour of Chevalier of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. He was the Honorary Librarian of the Japan Society of the UK.
Books
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Marcus Bourne Huish
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Queen's Tower is a house in Sheffield, lying on Park Grange Road in the Norfolk Park area of the city. It was designed by Woodhead & Hurst for Samuel Roberts, a local cutler, as a tribute to Mary, Queen of Scots, and completed in 1839.
The two-storey building is in a Tudor style, with battlements and several turrets. Its grounds were designed by Robert Marnock and incorporated walls and a window from Manor Lodge, where Mary had been imprisoned.
On completion, Roberts gave the Tower to his son as a wedding present. He enlarged the structure in the 1860s. His descendants, who lived in the Tower for several generations, included Samuel Roberts, the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Ecclesall, and his son, also Samuel Roberts, and also a politician.
The Tower was converted to flats in 2004.
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Queen's Tower, Sheffield
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A snuff spoon is a tiny spoon used for nasal insufflation of powdered substances. In the ancient time the spoons were used to ingest psychotropic substances, in the 18th century − tobacco, in the 20th century − cocaine (the spoon is thus also known as a cocaine spoon or coke spoon). Some local statutes in the US treat this spoon as drug paraphernalia, defining it as a spoon that is too small and thus "unsuited for the typical, lawful uses of a spoon".
These spoons are so small that they are frequently mistaken for the toy ones. The designs of the snuff spoons closely followed that of the larger ones, and thus can be used to date the étuis containing them.
History
Snuff spoons have a very long history. Archeologists found them, for example, at Chavín de Huántar site in Peru (presumably used for consumption of psychoactive preparations of Anadenanthera colubrina more than 2000 years ago), as well as in South Africa, where a combination of a tiny comb and a little spoon had made some researchers to assume that the spoon was used as an earpick or head-scratcher.
In England, powdered snuff appeared at the end of the 17th century, and quickly became popular along with the devices for its consumption. The user extracted the snuff with the spoon in the right hand, placed the substance onto the back side of the left hand, and sniffed from there. The combination of a little vial and a snuff spoon that acted like a stopper was a precursor of the snuff-box. By the end of the 19th century the snuff spoons went completely out of use.
In the US, McDonald's provides straight swizzle sticks to stir the coffee, while in the rest of the world a small plastic stirring spoon is used. According to Graybosch, this is due to the 1960s rumor that the spoons can be used to snort cocaine.
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Snuff spoon
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National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, also known as Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 43,672 interments. It is one of two national cemeteries in Arizona (the other is Prescott National Cemetery).
History
A state law passed in 1976, by then-Governor Raul Hector Castro, authorized the establishment of a large veterans' cemetery. The location in Phoenix was chosen and the cemetery was dedicated on December 9, 1978. The first interment took place the following spring. It was officially transferred to the control of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and became a National Cemetery in 1989. In 1999, over 13 million dollars was spent on improving the facilities and developing the area with the intent of serving the burial needs of veterans until the year 2030.
Notable monuments
Eternal Flame monument (shaped like a pyramid)
World War II Submarine Torpedo Monument
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial [Field Cross Memorial]
Notable interments
Lee Aaker, actor
Thomas Bonner, president of Union College and Wayne State University, author
Nathan E. Cook, the last surviving veteran of the Spanish–American War, died at the age of 106
Morris Courtright, Arizona state legislator
Doyle "Porky" Lade, major league baseball player, for the Chicago Cubs
Evan Mecham, former governor of Arizona
Donnie Owens, singer, guitarist and music producer
Henry Polic II, Vietnam War U.S. Army veteran and actor
Eldon Rudd, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona
See also
Camp Navajo – site of another veterans' cemetery
Footnotes
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National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
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Mermaid Kiss is an English band formed in Kington, Herefordshire, England, in 2000, with influences ranging from contemporary folk music to progressive rock.
Biography
The initial line up was: Evelyn Downing (voice and flute) Jamie Field (guitar and bass) and Andrew Garman (keyboard, bass, and drums). In the beginning the band was envisaged purely as a studio project, and in June 2003 they released a 14 track debut album, The Mermaid Kiss Album, and following many requests they made their live debut on 21 December 2003, at The Rock Cafe 2000, Stourbridge supporting Karnataka.
In September 2004, Downing left Kington to further her studies at University in Manchester, and two guest vocalists, Kate Belcher and Kate Emerson, were recruited by Field and Garman. Guitarist Nigel Hooton also joined the band at this time. The band's second release in February 2006, a 7 track EP entitled Salt On Skin, contained songs featuring vocals by both Downing, Belcher, and Emerson. The artwork and photography for the CD was by Chris Walkden. One of the songs on the EP, "The Blushing Bride", featured guitar work of Panic Room (and former Karnataka) guitarist, Paul Davies.
A second album, Etarlis, was released on 18 June 2007. Etarlis was described by the band as a series of musical illustrations of the fantasy story of the same name, written by Field and Downing over the past years. The album's eleven tracks were written and arranged by Field and Garman. Kate Belcher once again featured as a guest vocalist on this album, in addition to which a range of woodwind instruments were played by Wendy Marks. Further guest appearances from Troy Donockley (Iona) on uilleann pipes and Jonathan Edwards (Panic Room and ex Karnataka) on keyboards were also featured.
Following her contribution to Etarlis, Wendy Marks joined the band as a full member in 2008. Garman and Hooton subsequently departed the band, and the new line-up was augmented by Colin Henney (keyboards), Peter West (bass), and Steve White (drums). With this lineup the band released their third full-length album, 'Another Country', in 2012.
Shortly after the release of 'Another Country' Downing departed the band and was replaced by Maria Milewska. The band subsequently dissolved in 2013, with Field, Marks, and Milewska forming new band Zero She Flies with keyboardist Jeremy Robberechts and bassist Shane Webb.
Personnel
Former members
Evelyn Downing - vocals, flute (2000-2012)
Jamie Field - guitars, bass (2000-2013)
Andrew Garman - keyboards, bass, drums (2000-2010)
Nigel Hooton - guitars (2004-2010)
Wendy Marks - cor anglais, flute, oboe, recorder, backing vocals (2008-2013)
Colin Henney - keyboards (2010-2013)
Peter West - bass (2010-2013)
Steve White - drums (2010-2013)
Maria Milewska - vocals, flute, piano (2012-2013)
Guest musicians
Kate Belcher - vocals (Salt on Skin, Etarlis)
Paul Davies - guitars (Salt on Skin)
Kate Emerson - vocals (Salt on Skin)
Troy Donockley- uilleann pipes (Etarlis)
Jonathan Edwards - keyboards (Etarlis)
Richard Northwood - bass (Another Country)
Discography
Studio albums
The Mermaid Kiss Album (2003)
Etarlis (2007)
Another Country (2012)
EPs
Salt on Skin'' (2006)
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Mermaid Kiss
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Thurso railway station is a railway station located in Thurso, in the Highland council area in the far north of Scotland. It serves the town of Thurso and its surrounding areas in the historic county of Caithness. It is also the nearest station to the port of Scrabster (about to the northwest), which has ferry services linking the mainland with Stromness on the Orkney Islands. It is the northernmost station on the National Rail network.
The station is situated at the end of a short branch line off the Far North Line. It is down the line from (the other end of the branch), and from .
Thurso station is managed by ScotRail, which also operates all trains serving the station.
History
The station opened on 28 July 1874. A wrought-iron turntable, in diameter, was built at the station by the Railway Steel and Plant Company of Manchester.
The station was threatened with closure in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe.
Until 2000, trains from would split in half at , with one portion going to and the other to Thurso. In the age of locomotive-hauled trains prior to the introduction of diesel multiple units by British Rail, a locomotive was based at Georgemas Junction to take the Thurso portion to and from the junction. The practice of splitting trains ended when s were introduced on the line since then all services run in full between Inverness and Wick via Thurso, in both directions, meaning they call at Georgemas Junction twice.
Facilities
There is one platform, which is long enough to accommodate a nine-carriage train. The station is fully wheelchair-accessible, but it is not monitored by CCTV. The station has a ticket office, although there are no self-service ticket machines , except for some smartcard validators. Other facilities include: a small car park, a sheltered bike stand, a payphone, waiting rooms, toilets and a post box.
There is a bus stop located directly outside the station, although the majority of bus services call at the nearby Miller Academy stop, to the north.
Services
Despite being located at the end of the branch line, Thurso is not the terminus for any passenger services. On weekdays and Saturdays, the station is served by eight trains per day to , of which four continue to (via , , , and ), and four continue to . On Sundays the frequency drops to just two trains per day to Georgemas Junction, of which one goes to Inverness and one to Wick.
An hourly shuttle between Wick and Thurso making use of Vivarail's Class 230 Battery Multiple Units was proposed by the Friends of the Far North line.
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Thurso railway station
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Dicing is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into small blocks or dice. This may be done for aesthetic reasons or to create uniformly sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Dicing allows for distribution of flavour and texture throughout the dish, as well as a somewhat quicker cooking time. Dicing usually applies to vegetables prepared in this way but it can also apply to the preparation of meat or fish and fruit. Brunoise is an especially small size, produced from further cutting of julienne-style food.
See also
Russian salad and macédoine de légumes, foods based on cooked diced vegetables.
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Dicing
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Butcher Hollow (also known and most commonly pronounced as Butcher Holler) is a coal-mining community located in Johnson County, Kentucky, United States.
History
The town is the birthplace of country singer Loretta Lynn, who paid tribute to the community in the song "Coal Miner's Daughter", which begins with the lyrics
Later in the song, she also mentions Van Lear, the larger community in which Butcher Hollow is located:
Butcher Hollow took the name of a nearby valley which was named for the local Butcher family. Butcher Hollow is a part of the community of Van Lear, which was constructed by the Consolidation Coal Company in the early part of the 20th century. Van Lear was named for Van Lear Black, one of the company's directors. Although most of Butcher Hollow lies outside of the old Van Lear city limits, the mailing address of those who have lived there has been Van Lear since the establishment of the Van Lear post office in 1909. Butcher Hollow is not an independent town or village in its own right. Currently, Van Lear is an unincorporated community. There are no deep mines operating in Van Lear proper, although some mines operate nearby. Most of the residents work in locations outside Van Lear, including the nearby cities of Paintsville, Prestonsburg, and Pikeville. Since the end of local mining, only a handful of businesses continue to operate in the Van Lear area, including a bookstore, Mine Number 5 Store, The East Kentucky Museum of Mysteries, and Icky's 1950's Snack Shop (located inside the Coal Miners' Museum).
Although Butcher Hollow is often listed as a separate town, it is geographically considered a street or a neighborhood by natives of Eastern Kentucky. Thus, Butcher Hollow's address would be Butcher Hollow, Van Lear, Johnson County, Kentucky.
See also
Coal Miners' Museum
Mine No. 5 Store
Van Lear, Kentucky
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Butcher Hollow, Kentucky
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Vytautas Andrius Graičiūnas (August 17, 1898 in Chicago – January 9, 1952 in Olzheras, Siberia) was a Lithuanian American management theorist, management consultant, and engineer, and was a known expert in his field. Born to Lithuanian immigrants, he studied at the University of Chicago. During World War I he served in France. After coming back in 1919, he became interested in management and continued his studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
In 1927 he came to Lithuania and worked at factories in Kaunas. Soon he started traveling and working across Europe. Until 1935 he worked as a consultant and helped to establish large companies in Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, London, and Milan. During this period he published his classic study printed in Geneva, Relationship in Organization in 1933. Soon other editions appeared in the United States. He mathematically proved that a manager should not have more than four to five subordinates. He came up with the following formula to express the total number of relationships between a boss and his or her subordinates:
N [(2N/2) + N - 1], where N is a number of subordinates.
When the number of subordinates increases, the number of relationships increases exponentially; at five subordinates the number of relationships is 100, at ten, 5,210. Many scientists expanded or criticized the theory; among them was Herbert A. Simon.
In 1935 Graičiūnas returned to Lithuania, where he worked as an engineer, management consultant at various state and private institutions, including the Ministry of Defense, Lithuanian aviation, the Lithuanian State Theatre, and the Lithuanian Film Company. He also lectured at the Vytautas Magnus University and was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. During World War II Graičiūnas decided to remain in Lithuania despite clear threats of the occupation by the Soviet Union.
In 1951 while visiting Moscow with a group of students he visited the embassy of the United States where he was told that only he could leave the Soviet Union because his wife, actor Unė Babickaitė, did not have U.S. citizenship. After this incident, Graičiūnas and his wife were arrested for espionage and anti-Soviet activities, and were tried and sentenced to several years in a gulag. He died the following year under unclear circumstances. His wife, after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953, got her sentence reduced and returned to Kaunas.
See also
List of business theorists
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Vytautas Andrius Graičiūnas
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Blue Mountain Lake is a reservoir in Arkansas, United States. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake on the Petit Jean River in west central Arkansas, Blue Mountain Lake has approximately 50 miles of shoreline, located between Mount Magazine and the Ouachita Mountains just west of Havana, Arkansas.
Blue Mountain Dam was built in 1947 as a 115-foot-high, 2800-foot-long earthen structure, creating a reservoir with a surface area of about 4.5 square miles, about 50 miles of shoreline, and a maximum capacity of 258,000 acre-feet. Dam and reservoir are owned by operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The lake offers fishing, boating, swimming and camping; it is also the focal point of the view from the lodge atop Mount Magazine, home of Mount Magazine State Park.
Blue Mountain Lake is accessible from Highway 10 west of Havana by turning south on Highway 309. Waveland Park is the primary access point to the lake, with Lick Creek and Ashley Creek providing limited access as well.
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Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas)
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Leslie Irving Morrow, known as Jeff Morrow (January 13, 1907 – December 26, 1993), was an American actor educated at Pratt Institute in his native New York City. Morrow was a commercial artist prior to turning to acting. Early in his career, he acted on the Broadway stage using the name Irving Morrow.
Biography
Acting career
As early as 1927, aged 20, Morrow acted onstage as Irving Morrow in Pennsylvania. He later appeared in such plays as Penal Law and Once in a Lifetime, as well as repertory in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth.
After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Morrow spent the late 1940s on the stage and in radio, where he won the title role in the Dick Tracy radio series. He appeared in many Broadway productions, notably Three Wishes for Jamie, Billy Budd, the Maurice Evans production of Macbeth, and the Katharine Cornell production of Romeo and Juliet.
On October 17, 1950, he co-starred in "The Vanishing Lady" on the television drama The Trap.
Morrow turned to film acting relatively late in his career, commencing with the Biblical epic The Robe in 1953. Often parodied as the "Cro-Magnon Man" for his prominent brow, Morrow spent much of the 1950s appearing in a mix of A-budget films such as Flight to Tangier (1953) and Captain Lightfoot (1955), 'B' Westerns such as The First Texan (1956), and science-fiction films as a leader and screen hero.
Morrow carried over much of his acting persona from his radio days to his film-acting roles, where his ability to rapidly alter both the tone and volume of his voice for dramatic effect frequently gave sound editors fits. He entered the science-fiction/monster movie genre with This Island Earth (1955), followed by The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), Kronos (1957), and The Giant Claw (1957).
He returned to television for most of his later roles, with six appearances on the religion anthology series Crossroads. In two episodes, he portrayed the Reverend M.R. Watkinson in "In God We Trust" and the Reverend Richard C. Smith in the series finale, "Half Mile Down" (both 1957). His other appearances were on such series as The Rifleman, Bonanza, Wagon Train, My Friend Flicka, The Deputy, and Daniel Boone. He was cast three times in guest-starring roles on Perry Mason as Franz Lachman in the 1962 episode The Case of the Ancient Romeo, as Alex Chase in the 1962 "The Case of the Dodging Domino", and as Lawton Brent in the 1965 episode "The Case of Festive Felon".
In 1957, Morrow was cast as Jim Bradford in the episode, "Blood in the Dust", on CBS's Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. In the story line, Bradford would not back down when a gunman orders him to leave town. His wife Lucy (Claudette Colbert), is particularly distressed because Jim has not shot a weapon since he was in the American Civil War.
In 1958–1959, he starred as Bart McClelland, the fictitious supervisor of construction of the Union Pacific Railroad in the syndicated half-hour Western series Union Pacific, based loosely on a film of the same name. In 1960, Morrow played Tob, the older brother of Boaz, in the biblical drama The Story of Ruth.
In 1960, he was cast as a geologist (astronaut) in The Twilight Zone episode "Elegy".
During the '60s and onwards, Morrow appeared in such films as Harbor Lights (1963), the Italian comedy Il giovane normale (1969), Blood Legacy (1971), and in a bow to his earlier career, a cameo in the 1971 monster film Octaman for veteran 1950's monster movie writer/director Harry Essex.
After the 1974 cancellation of the sitcom The New Temperatures Rising, and completion of filming the low-budget film Fugitive Lovers, Morrow largely retired from acting, though he returned for a 1975 appearance in the series Police Story. His last television role was in 1986, with a guest appearance in The Twilight Zone episode "A Day in Beaumont".
Personal life and death
At the time of his death, Morrow was married to Anna Karen Morrow. He had a daughter. He died on December 26, 1993, in Canoga Park, Los Angeles County, California.
Partial filmography
The Robe (1953) as Paulus
Flight to Tangier (1953) as Colonel C. M. Wier
Siege at Red River (1954) as Frank Kelso
Tanganyika (1954) as Abel McCracken
Sign of the Pagan (1954) as General Paulinus
Captain Lightfoot (1955) as John Doherty aka Capt. Thunderbolt
This Island Earth (1955) as Exeter
World in My Corner (1956) as Robert T Mallison
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) as Dr. William Barton
The First Texan (1956) as Jim Bowie
Pardners (1956) as Rio
Kronos (1957) as Dr. Leslie Gaskell
Hour of Decision (1957) as Joe Sanders
The Giant Claw (1957) as Mitch MacAfee
Copper Sky (1957) as Haxon 'Hack' Williams
The Story of Ruth (1960) as Tob
Five Bold Women (1960) as Marshal Kirk Reed
Harbor Lights (1963) as Cardinal
Normal Young Man (1969) as Professor Sid
Will to Die (1971) as Gregory Dean
Octaman (1971) as Dr. John Willard
Fugitive Lovers (1975) as Senator Maxim
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Jeff Morrow
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The Lumberville–Raven Rock Bridge, also known as the Lumberville Foot Bridge, is a free pedestrian bridge over the Delaware River. The bridge connects Bull's Island Recreation Area near Raven Rock, Delaware Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey to Lumberville, Solebury Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge, which is one of the two exclusively pedestrian bridges over the Delaware River, is owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
History
The Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures approved the construction of a bridge at Lumberville in 1835-1836, however construction was not begun until 1853. This delay spared the bridge the possible ravages of a major flood in 1841. The bridge, with four spans crossing the river and another crossing the Delaware Canal, was a wooden covered type, engineered by Solon Chapin of Easton, Pennsylvania and a partner, Anthony Fry. The bridge was built by the Lumberville Delaware River Bridge Company and completed in 1856.
The original covered bridge incurred major damage in the flood of 1903 and one of the three river spans was washed away. Repairs were made and the single missing span was replaced in 1904 by a steel truss section. The toll bridge was sold to the DRJTBC in 1932. The replacement span served until February 1944 when the remaining timber spans were declared unsafe and condemned. The Joint Toll Bridge Commission determined at this time that there was no longer a need for a vehicular bridge at the site and in 1947 the Trenton, New Jersey firm of John A Roebling's Sons, Co. was hired to replace the structure with a pedestrian bridge. The original 1855 piers and abutments were deemed sound and at a total cost of $75,000 the bridge was rebuilt as a five span suspension bridge. A major flood in 1955 destroyed several Delaware River bridges but the Lumberville-Raven Rock bridge survived and remains in use today.
A major rehabilitation contract was completed in 1993. The project included a new deck, new lighting and repainting.
See also
List of crossings of the Delaware River
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park (New Jersey)
Delaware Canal State Park (Pennsylvania)
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Lumberville–Raven Rock Bridge
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Eugene Woldemar Hilgard (January 5, 1833, Zweibrücken, Kingdom of Bavaria – January 8, 1916, Berkeley, California, United States) was a German-American expert on pedology (the study of soil resources). An authority on climate as a soil forming factor, soil chemistry and reclamation of alkali soils, he is considered as the father of modern soil science in the United States.
Biography
Early life
Eugene Hilgard was born at Zweibrücken, Kingdom of Bavaria, January 5, 1833, the son of Theodore Erasmus and Margaretha (Pauli) Hilgard. His father was a successful lawyer, holding the position of chief justice of the court of appeals of the province of Rhenish Bavaria. His liberally-minded father was displeased by the increasingly reactionary government of Ludwig I, and, having secured a letter of recommendation from Lafayette, he resolved to move his family to America. After a 14-day overland trip to Le Havre, followed by a 62-day ocean voyage aboard the ship Marengo, the family arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Christmas Day, 1835, then traveled up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, finally settling on a farm in Belleville, Illinois. His father had chosen that particular area based on the writings of Gottfried Duden, who had described the area as a sort of El Dorado for German immigrants.
The youngest of nine children, Eugene received his early education under the tutelage of his father. During an epidemic of malaria that killed his eldest sister, Eugene was stricken as well, and the resultant fevers and impaired eyesight plagued him for the next several years of his young adulthood. His mother died in 1842, leaving Eugene's care in the hands of his remaining sisters. He educated himself in the fields of botany, chemistry, and physics, but his continued precarious health led doctors to suggest a change in climate, so in 1848 he traveled to Washington, D.C., with his eldest brother Julius, who was returning to his job at the U.S. Coast Survey.
Eugene spent four months in Washington, meeting through his brother such noted scientists as Joseph Henry, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and Alexander Dallas Bache. That fall he went to Philadelphia to attend a variety of lectures, and during a visit to the laboratory of James Curtis Booth at the Franklin Institute, it was suggested that he return to Germany to study analytical chemistry. He sailed from New York in March 1849 aboard the steamship Hermann, bound for Bremen and then to Heidelberg to rejoin his brother Theodore, who had gone there in 1846 to study medicine.
Education in Europe
At the University of Heidelberg, he began study under Leopold Gmelin and Theodor Ludwig Wilhelm Bischoff, but soon became disenchanted with the overall state of instruction at the university. During a summer trip with his brother Theodore to their native province, the turbulence of the Palatinate-Baden rebellion forced the pair to seek safety in Speyer, where their cousin was a government official. At his suggestion, they traveled to Switzerland and enrolled at the University of Zurich. Hilgard spent three semesters at Zurich, studying under notable professors such as Lorenz Oken, Arnold Escher von der Linth, and Carl Jacob Löwig, the latter of whom appointed him as his laboratory and teaching assistant.
In 1850 he left Zurich for the Royal Mining School in Freiberg. Despite a productive period of study under Karl Friedrich Plattner, a recurrence of his health problems, combined with two near-death experiences involving cyanide gas and mercury vapor, led him to conclude he was not cut out for the hazardous world of mining and smelting. Hilgard returned to Heidelberg in 1851, where Robert Bunsen had just succeeded Leopold Gmelin as the chair in chemistry. He soon decided to obtain a Ph.D. with Bunsen as his advisor. For his thesis, Hilgard investigated the constituent parts of a candle flame, and was the first to identify four distinct parts and processes, as opposed to the three that had previously been supposed. He received his Ph.D. in 1853.
After graduation, he lived in Spain and Portugal for two years. While in Spain, he met his future wife, Jesusa Alexandrina Bello, the daughter of a colonel in the Spanish Army. He married her in 1860 during a subsequent visit to Spain.
Hilgard's father moved back to Germany in 1855, remarried his niece Marie Theveny, and died in Heidelberg in 1873.
Professional career
Returning to America, he served as Assistant State Geologist of Mississippi from 1855 to 1857; was chemist in charge of the laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution, and Lecturer on Chemistry in the National Medical College (now part of George Washington University), 1857–1858; State Geologist of Mississippi from 1858 to 1866, and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Mississippi and State Geologist from 1866 to 1873. Hilgard was appointed as custodian of the University of Mississippi's buildings for the duration of the Civil War. Under his custodianship, many of the university's buildings were used as hospitals for Union and Confederate soldiers. Some Sisters of Mercy from Vicksburg traveled to Oxford to serve as nurses in these makeshift hospitals.
In 1873 he accepted an appointment at the University of Michigan, where he was Professor of mineralogy, geology, zoology, and botany for two years. From 1875 to 1904 he was Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley and Director of the State Agricultural Experiment Station.
He conducted the agricultural division of the Northern Transcontinental Survey, 1881–1883, and made a specialty of the study of soils of the southwestern states and of the Pacific slope in their relation to Geology, to their chemical and physical composition, to their native flora, and to their agricultural qualities. He was elected to a membership in the National Academy of Sciences in 1872.
He published a report on the Agriculture and Geology of Mississippi (1860); on the Geology of Louisiana and the Rock-salt Deposits of Petite Anse Island (1869); reports on the Experimental Work of the College of Agriculture, University of California (1877-1898); Report on the Arid Regions of the Pacific Coast (1887); and monographs on Mississippi, Louisiana, and California, in the Report on Cotton Production of the United States Census Report of 1880, which he edited. He prepared for the United States Weather Bureau in 1892 a discussion of the Relations of Climate to Soils, which was translated into several European languages and gained for the author in 1894, from the Royal Bavarian Academy of Sciences, the Liebig medal for important advances in agricultural science. Together with his book Soils (1906), Climate... established the basis for understanding climate as a factor of soil formation in the United States. He also published numerous papers on chemical, geological, and agricultural subjects, in government reports, and in scientific journals both at home and abroad.
Commemoration and honors
Hilgard Hall on the University of California, Berkeley campus
Streets named after him in Berkeley, Los Angeles and Davis.
The Hilgard Cut, a railroad cut on the campus of the University of Mississippi, designed by Hilgard in 1858
The mineral hilgardite
The U.S. Liberty ship SS Eugene W. Hilgard
Hilgard received the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Mississippi in 1882, from the University of Michigan in 1887, and from Columbia University in 1887.
In 1903, the University of Heidelberg reconferred the title of Doctor of Philosophy after fifty years, in recognition of the scientific work accomplished since the doctorate was first conferred in 1853.
The journal Hilgardia (published from 1925 to 1995) was named in his honor.
Hilgard, Oregon
Mount Hilgard, a mountain in California's Sierra Nevada
Publications
(1860) Report on the geology and agriculture of the State of Mississippi
(1884) Report on the Physical and Agricultural Features of the State of California, with a discussion of the present and future of cotton production in the state.
(1885) The Phylloxera at Berkeley
(1892) The Relation of Soils to Climate
(1906) Soils, Their Formation, Properties, Composition, and Relations to Climate and Plant Growth in the Humid and Arid Regions
Citations
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Eugene W. Hilgard
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714-X, also referred to as 714X or trimethylbicyclonitramineoheptane chloride, is a mixture of substances manufactured by CERBE Distribution Inc and sold as an alternative medical treatment which is claimed to cure cancer, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and other diseases. There is no scientific evidence that 714-X is effective in treating any kind of cancer, and its marketing is considered health fraud in the US.
History
714-X was developed by Gaston Naessens, a native of France and tried there for practicing medicine without a license. Naessens moved to Quebec and continued his research from the early 1970s. In 1989 he was arrested but acquitted from charges of accessory to murder, after a cancer patient using 714-X died following refusal to take conventional medical treatment.
The name "714-X" was chosen by Naessens to symbolize his initials (the 7th and 14th letters of the alphabet) and the year of his birth (1924, as X is the 24th letter). The marketers claim that 714-X works by counteracting the harm done by "somatids", a purported life form which is not bacterial, viral, or fungal, but which instead belongs to a distinct domain unknown to science and medicine.
Sales of 714-X have been banned in the US by the Food and Drug Administration, and in 1996 Charles Pixley was tried and jailed for advocating and distributing it. During proceedings Pixley claimed it was the re-branding of a homeopathic beverage, known prior to the establishment of the FDA, however Naessens later said that it was completely different and has nothing to do with homeopathy.
Composition
714-X is advertised as containing camphor combined with excess nitrogen, ammonium salts, sodium chloride, and ethanol. An analysis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that 714-X was 94% water, with small amounts of the other salts and less than 0.01% camphor.
Administration
714-X is typically injected into the lymphatic system through the groin. Alternatively, it may be inhaled via a nebulizer.
Safety and effectiveness
No studies have been published on the safety or efficacy of 714-X in humans, and the few available animal studies have shown no beneficial effect. The American Cancer Society has stated: "There is no scientific evidence that 714-X is effective in treating any type of cancer or any other illness."
Legal issues
The FDA has banned both import and sale of 714-X as health fraud, and at least one prison sentence has been handed down for importing it into America.
714-X is manufactured in Canada, where it is legal to purchase for personal use through a physician under the Special Access Programme of Health Canada, a law which provides access to non-marketed treatments for terminal illnesses when no marketed alternative exists. However, in October 2004, Health Canada told the manufacturer to remove all references to the compound from its website. On July 28, 2006, Justice François Lemieux of the Federal Court of Canada granted a request for judicial review undertaken by a group of 714-X patients. The judgment voided Health Canada's policy statement and restored access to 714-X under the Special Access Programme under certain conditions.
See also
List of ineffective cancer treatments
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714-X
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Rope of Sand is a 1949 American adventure-suspense film noir directed by William Dieterle, produced by Hal Wallis, and starring Burt Lancaster and three stars from Wallis's Casablanca – Paul Henreid, Claude Rains and Peter Lorre. The film introduces Corinne Calvet and features Sam Jaffe, John Bromfield, and Kenny Washington in supporting roles. The picture is set in South West Africa. Desert portions of the film were shot in Yuma, Arizona.
Plot
Hunting guide Mike Davis (Burt Lancaster) came across a cache of diamonds in a mining area, located in a remote region of South West Africa. He was caught by the mine's police, but refused to reveal the diamonds' location, even under torture at the hand of the diamond company's security chief, Vogel (Paul Henreid). He left South Africa for some time.
Davis returns to get the diamonds, which he still expects will be at the spot where he found them. The mining company's owner, Martingale (Claude Rains), tries to find out where the diamonds can be found by guile rather than force. He hires a beautiful prostitute, Suzanne Renaud (Corinne Calvet), to seduce Davis, and get him to reveal the secret location. Davis plans an illegal entry into the diamond mining area, to retrieve the diamonds, and plans to escape to Portuguese Angola.
Meanwhile, Vogel is attracted to Suzanne, and offers to marry her; but Suzanne is attracted to Davis, who is more interested in his diamonds than Suzanne.
Davis finds the diamonds; but Martingale threatens to kill Suzanne, unless Davis gives him the diamonds. Davis gives up the diamonds, and ends up leaving the country with Suzanne, discovering that he loves her more than the diamonds.
Cast
Burt Lancaster as Mike Davis
Paul Henreid as Vogel
Claude Rains as Martingale
Corinne Calvet as Suzanne
Peter Lorre as Toady
Sam Jaffe as Dr. Hunter
John Bromfield as Thompson, a guard
Mike Mazurki as Pierson, a guard
Kenny Washington as John
Edmund Breon as Chairman
Hayden Rorke as Ingram
David Thursby as Henry, the bartender
Josef Marais as Specialty Singer
Miranda Marais as Specialty Singer
Background
According to the Paramount Collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) library, the desert sequences were shot in Yuma, Arizona.
Paul Henreid was blacklisted from major studios at the time, but says he was cast because Dieterle was an old friend of his, and Hal Wallis was supportive of the actor being cast. Henreid said the role was a departure for him, but "it had the greatest lines in the script, and I had a lot of fun doing it."
Reception
Critical response
Film critic Glenn Erickson reflected on the background of the film, and how it was received when first released: "A polished production on all technical levels, the gritty Rope of Sand was filmed from a screenplay purchased by producer Wallis specifically for Burt Lancaster in 1947. Although William Dieterle's direction is capable, the script works too hard to introduce an overly familiar collection of stock thriller types ... Critics generally liked Lancaster's performance, even if they slighted the work of Claude Rains and Peter Lorre, and saved the bulk of their praise for Paul Henried's nasty villain. Lancaster's own assessment of the film was unprintable, but he was quoted at a time when he was itching to move on to more interesting roles.
Accolades
Nominated
Golden Globes: Best Screenplay, Walter Doniger, 1950.
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Rope of Sand
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Robin O'Neil is a Holocaust researcher and author. After a career as the British major crimes' investigator who worked on criminal investigations for Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police Service, and London Home Counties Police, he obtained his Masters and Doctorate with the Hebrew and Jewish Department at University College London. He now specialises in researching Nazi war crimes and the destruction of the European Jewish communities (1933–1945).
Biography
Robin O'Neil has pursued his work to the Baltic States and former USSR. He has launched a number of investigations into the perpetrators of the Holocaust, particularly those active in Lithuania and occupied Poland during World War II. He has conducted research regarding the Schutzstaffel (SS) and extermination camp commandants of Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka.
O'Neil has performed extensive source research into the Oskar Schindler story. A historical consultant to several TV documentaries and radio broadcasts in the UK and abroad, he is an honoured guest of Schindler's home town, Svitavy, Czech Republic, and is a regular lecturer at universities in the United Kingdom, United States, Israel, and Eastern Europe. In his spare time he conducts research into the House of Habsburg and Shakespeare's England. In 2013, after prolonged research, O'Neil completed his work on a new book about the Gustav Mahler family under the Third Reich.
The Rabka Four
O'Neil's work The Rabka Four - Instruments of Genocide and Grand Larceny. A Warning from History was first published completely online in 2011 by the Yizkor Book Project. It was made available by O'Neil to JewishGen for the purpose of fulfilling their mission of disseminating knowledge about the Holocaust. The monograph is devoted to the history of the German SS training facility Sipo-SD Academy in Rabka in occupied Poland where, "under the cloak of war – personal vendetta, corruption, robbery and murder [became] endemic among the SS" functionaries. O'Neil reveals how the euphemistic language spoken within the Nazi State allowed for the sanitization of genocide and the creation of the complete illusion of 'plain speak' in phrases such as 'treatment', 'processing', and 'resettlement' which enabled the SS to turn mass murder into a "bureaucratic paper chase".
Publications
1998: East European Jewish Affairs Vol. 28, 49: "Belzec: The 'Forgotten' Death Camp"
1999: East European Jewish Affairs Vol. 29, 85: A Reassessment of the Number of Victims Belzec
2008: Oskar Schindler: Stepping Stone To Life. Jewish Heritage Committee, New York
2009: Belzec: Stepping Stone to Genocide. Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York
2010: The Rabka Four - Instruments of Genocide and Grand Larceny. Spiderwize, London
2013: The Mahler Family Legacy Under the Third Reich
E-book publications
Belzec: The Destruction Of The Jews In The District Of Galicia
Galicia, Poland
Schindler: Stepping Stone To Life
Kaunas, Lithuania: The Kovno Ghetto Diary (Kaunas Ghetto)
Poland And Her Jews 1941–1944.
Belzec: Prototype For The Final Solution.
Sipo-SD Rabka Police School, occupied Poland.
Other work
Educational establishments and Synagogues, UK. Other Aspects 2000
Belzec Archaeology lecture: University of Leicester 2006
The Elchanan and Miriam Elkes Memorial Lecture "Stepping Stones to Genocide: Aktion Reinhardt and the Holocaust"
Holocaust Education: Co-founder, Historical Consultant and contributor to www.holocaustresearchproject.org
Consultant and participant on documentary film and television projects in Israel, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom
1998–2000: Archaeology. Seconded to the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Poland) archaeological survey on the site of Belzec Death Camp
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Robin O'Neil
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Manzana, also known as manzanita and manzana verde, is a liqueur generally made of wild apples. The name refers to the apples and not the alcoholic beverage which is usually clear in color. It has Spanish origins, more precisely of the Basque country. Its name manzana is apple in Spanish; verde is Spanish for "green".
Manzana contains from 15 to 20% per volume of alcohol. It is sweet and tastes like green apples, similar in taste to pucker.
See also
Apple
Cider
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Manzana verde
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Laguna Hills Mall was a shopping mall in Laguna Hills, California, United States, in southern Orange County that is being redeveloped by the owners as Village at Laguna Hills. The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023. The exterior stores remain open. A hotel, entertainment venues, apartments, office spaces and a community park will replace the mall.
History
1973 launch
The mall opened in phases starting in Spring 1973 with a Sears as the first anchor open, followed by a two-level Buffums on September 5, 1973. The Broadway followed, opening in August 1975, and J.C. Penney in 1976. Up to that point, the mall had cost an estimated $50 million to build and contained of retail space in Phase I with 55 stores and of retail space with 83 stores in Phase II.
1990s
In May 1991, Buffums closed due to the chain being liquidated and three years later, the store's second level was converted into an upstairs food court. The food court, which operated from 1994 to 2011, was the only part of the general mall on the second level. The Broadway converted into Macy's in May 1996.
2010s
In May 2013, Merlone Geier Partners purchased the property from Simon Property Group. A year later, Merlone Geier purchased the Sears anchor store. Sears (the mall's original anchor store) closed in July 2014. Renovations started in 2016.
Re-branding
The Laguna Hills Mall is scheduled to be renamed "Five Lagunas". According to Laguna Hills' city documents, the renovations include pedestrian plazas, new retail sections, a 988-unit apartment complex, a multi-screen movie theater, new signage, and a 1,500-space parking structure.
Macy's closed in March 2018 as part of a plan to close 11 stores nationwide, which halted construction on its end of the mall and left JCPenney as the only remaining anchor.
JCPenney closed in October 2018 which left the mall with no anchors.
The mall closed on December 31, 2018. The exterior stores remained open.
Plans for Five Lagunas
At a November 2019 City Council meeting, Merlone-Geier unveiled two major changes to the previous plans proposed since 2016: adding housing and reduction of retail space. Previously, the proposal called for of retail space and 988 residential units. Another reduction was made in office space to make room for the seasonal events. The revised proposal included a new cinema, to of retail, a 125-room hotel, to of office space, two three-story parking structures, and a potential of 1,200 to 1,500 more apartments.
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Laguna Hills Mall
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Curragh Camp were prominent participants in County Kildare GAA championships, significant in Kildare GAA history. They won the Kildare Senior Hurling Championship seven times in 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1948 and 1955. They also won the Kildare Senior Football Championship in 1948.
Gaelic games clubs in County Kildare
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Curragh Camp GAA
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Lelant railway station () is on the waterfront of the Hayle estuary below the village of Lelant in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
History
The station was opened by the Great Western Railway on 1 June 1877 on their new branch line from to . No goods sidings were ever provided at the station, but a line was laid from the station out to sidings on Lelant Wharf where traffic could be transferred between railway wagons and boats. The St Ives branch was laid using broad gauge, but in October 1888 a third rail was added to the line from St Erth to allow standard gauge goods trains to reach the wharf. The last broad gauge train ran on Friday 20 May 1892; since the following Monday all trains have been standard gauge.
Goods traffic was withdrawn in May 1956 and the station is now unstaffed. The original wooden station building is now a private dwelling and has been extended in a sympathetic style. The village is at the top of the road that climbs the hill opposite the station entrance. The Old Station house was renovated in July 2009 and serves cream teas. A level crossing at the St Erth end of the platform gave access to a slipway with the crossing gates hung on granite pillars in the local style. Three of these pillars still stand by the line.
In 2022, the platform was extended by to allow it to accommodate trains with five carriages.
Description
The station is north of St Erth and faces the Hayle Estuary. There is just a single platform, which is on the left of trains arriving from St Erth.
Limited car parking is available, adjacent to the platform. The village is at the top of the road that climbs the hill opposite the station entrance.
Services
The station was served for several years by a very limited service of trains. Since May 2019, due to the reduction of services at , the station now has a more regular service with typically a train every 90 minutes between St Erth and St Ives, although it is generally hourly at the start and end of the day. On Sundays, the station has a very irregular service, with 4 trains each way.
Lelant is a request stop. This means passengers wanting to join the train need to signal to the driver, and those who wish to alight need to inform the conductor.
Cultural references
In the book, "Tiny Stations", Lelant is the first station Dixe Wills visits on his tour of UK request stops.
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Lelant railway station
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Nyamati is taluk place located in Davangere District of the Karnataka state, India. It is approximately 108 km south of Davangere and 26 km north of Shivamogga.
Etymology
It is believed that the name Nyamati was derived from earlier Kannada word Nelavarti and which has later transformed to Nyamati.
Population
The village with total 6023 families residing. The Nyamati village has population of 25675 of which 11382 are males while 14293 are females as per Population 2018. The population of children with age 0-6 is 897 which makes up 9.66% of total population of village. Average Sex Ratio of Nyamati village is 986 which is higher than Karnataka state average of 973. Child Sex Ratio for the Nyamati as per census is 983, higher than Karnataka average of 948. Also, Nyamati village has higher literacy rate compared to Karnataka. In 2011, literacy rate of Nyamati village was 84.42% compared to 75.36% of Karnataka. In Nyamati Male literacy stands at 89.23% while female literacy rate was 79.54%.
History
This rural town served as a taluk headquarters during the reign of Mysore Wodeyars. A commercial hub of Honnali taluk, This city was part of Shimoga district, later it became part of Davanagere district when new districts were formed by the then Chief Minister JH Patel. In response to the protest from local people, it is declared as a new taluk in 2017.
Nyamati is famous in vegetable production (green chili) and also for areca sales from Malnad areas.
Geography
Nyamthi taluk is semi malnad (Are Malenadu) region located at
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Nyamati
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The Coolpix 5400 was a 5.1 megapixel 'prosumer' digital camera produced by Nikon. Announced at the end of May 2003 as the immediate successor to the Nikon Coolpix 5000, it features 4x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom, and many other functions.
Technical specification
Max resolution: 2592 x 1944
Low resolution: 2592 x 1728, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480
Image ratio w:h: 4:3, 3:2
Effective pixels: 5.0 million
Sensor photo detectors: 5.2 million
Sensor size: 1/1.8" (7.18 x 5.32 mm, 0.38 cm2)
Pixel density: 13 MP/cm2
Sensor type: CCD
Sensor manufacturer: Unknown
ISO rating: Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400
Zoom wide (W): 28 mm
Zoom tele (T): 116 mm (4.1x)
Digital zoom: Yes, 4x
Image stabilization: No
Auto Focus: Unknown
Manual Focus: Yes
Normal focus range: 50 cm
Macro focus range: 1 cm
White balance override 5 positions, fine tunable, manual preset
Aperture range: F2.8 - F8.0
Min shutter: 8 sec
Max shutter: 1/4000 sec
Built-in Flash: Yes
Flash range: 3 m
External flash: Yes, ISO 518 hot-shoe
Flash modes: Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow (front/rear), Off
Exposure compensation: -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps
Metering: 256 segment Matrix, Center-Weighted, Spot, Spot AF Area
Aperture priority: no
Shutter priority: Yes
Lens thread: Req. optional adapter (28 mm)
Continuous Drive: Yes, 3 frame/s, max 7 images
Movie Clips: Yes, 640 x 480 up to 70 sec, 320 x 240 up to 180 sec (both 15 frame/s with audio)
Remote control: Yes, USB wired (Optional) - MC-EU1
Self-timer: Yes, 3 or 10 sec
Timelapse recording: Yes
Orientation sensor: No
Storage types: Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Storage included: 16 MB Compact Flash
Uncompressed format: Yes, TIFF, RAW with firmware 1.4
Quality Levels: Hi, Fine, Normal, Basic
Viewfinder: Optical (Tunnel)
LCD: 1.5 "
LCD Dots: 134,000
Live View: No
USB: USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/s)
HDMI: No
Wireless: No
Environmentally sealed: No
Battery: Nikon EN-EL1 Lithium-Ion & charger included or 2CR5
Weight (inc. batteries): 400 g (14.1 oz)
Dimensions: 108 x 73 x 69 mm (4.3 x 2.9 x 2.7 in)
Notes: BSS, AE-BSS, Fine tunable WB
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Nikon Coolpix 5400
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Francisville is a neighborhood in North Philadelphia, a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its boundaries are Fairmount Avenue to the south, Girard Avenue to the north, Broad Street to the east, and Corinthian Avenue to the west. In 2000, it had a population of about 4,500. It is sometimes considered to be a part of the Fairmount neighborhood, but Fairmount more specifically lies to Francisville's west. To its south is the Spring Garden neighborhood.
Street grid
Francisville's street grid is unique because some of it is parallel to Ridge Avenue, rather than being oriented north-south. This is because this section was settled before the uniform street grid of Philadelphia had extended that far north. The community was likely a small village on the Ridge Avenue route from Philadelphia proper (today's Center City) to East Falls.
Recent history
In recent years the community has become more activist, with the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation, Concerned Citizens of Francisville, and the United Francisville Civic Association representing the neighborhood in efforts to improve housing and cut down on crime. A city program called the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative has brought the wrecking ball to many properties, with the hopes that building some new structures in the region is a better solution than costly renovations to blighted historic buildings. The famous rapper Lil Uzi Vert also originates from this area.
SEPTA service
The neighborhood is served by Broad Street subway stations at Fairmount and Girard, the SEPTA Route 15 trolley on Girard Avenue, in addition to the 2, 33, and 61 bus routes.
Playground
The Francisville Playground is located at 1737-39 Francis Street and has a full baseball field, children's play area, two basketball courts and a large community pool.
Notable person
Lil Uzi Vert, rapper and singer
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Francisville, Philadelphia
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A minute of arc, arcminute (arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of one degree. Since one degree is of a turn, or complete rotation, one arcminute is of a turn. The nautical mile (nmi) was originally defined as the arc length of a minute of latitude on a spherical Earth, so the actual Earth circumference is very near . A minute of arc is of a radian.
A second of arc, arcsecond (arcsec), or arc second, denoted by the symbol , is of an arcminute, of a degree, of a turn, and (about ) of a radian.
These units originated in Babylonian astronomy as sexagesimal (base 60) subdivisions of the degree; they are used in fields that involve very small angles, such as astronomy, optometry, ophthalmology, optics, navigation, land surveying, and marksmanship.
To express even smaller angles, standard SI prefixes can be employed; the milliarcsecond (mas) and microarcsecond (μas), for instance, are commonly used in astronomy. For a three-dimensional area such as on a sphere, square arcminutes or seconds may be used.
Symbols and abbreviations
The prime symbol () designates the arcminute, though a single quote (U+0027) is commonly used where only ASCII characters are permitted. One arcminute is thus written as 1′. It is also abbreviated as arcmin or amin.
Similarly, double prime (U+2033) designates the arcsecond, though a double quote (U+0022) is commonly used where only ASCII characters are permitted. One arcsecond is thus written as 1″. It is also abbreviated as arcsec or asec.
In celestial navigation, seconds of arc are rarely used in calculations, the preference usually being for degrees, minutes, and decimals of a minute, for example, written as 42° 25.32′ or 42° 25.322′. This notation has been carried over into marine GPS receivers, which normally display latitude and longitude in the latter format by default.
Common examples
The average apparent diameter of the full Moon is about 31 arcminutes, or 0.52°.
One arcminute is the approximate resolution of the human eye.
One arcsecond is the approximate angle subtended by a U.S. dime coin (18 mm) at a distance of . An arcsecond is also the angle subtended by
an object of diameter at a distance of one astronomical unit,
an object of diameter at one light-year,
an object of diameter one astronomical unit () at a distance of one parsec, per the definition of the latter.
One milliarcsecond is about the size of a half dollar, seen from a distance equal to that between the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower.
One microarcsecond is about the size of a period at the end of a sentence in the Apollo mission manuals left on the Moon as seen from Earth.
One nanoarcsecond is about the size of a penny on Neptune's moon Triton as observed from Earth.
Also notable examples of size in arcseconds are:
Hubble Space Telescope has calculational resolution of 0.05 arcseconds and actual resolution of almost 0.1 arcseconds, which is close to the diffraction limit.
At crescent phase, Venus measures between 60.2 and 66 seconds of arc.
History
The concepts of degrees, minutes, and seconds—as they relate to the measure of both angles and time—derive from Babylonian astronomy and time-keeping. Influenced by the Sumerians, the ancient Babylonians divided the Sun's perceived motion across the sky over the course of one full day into 360 degrees. Each degree was subdivided into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds. Thus, one Babylonian degree was equal to four minutes in modern terminology, one Babylonian minute to four modern seconds, and one Babylonian second to (approximately 0.067) of a modern second.
Uses
Astronomy
Since antiquity, the arcminute and arcsecond have been used in astronomy: in the ecliptic coordinate system as latitude (β) and longitude (λ); in the horizon system as altitude (Alt) and azimuth (Az); and in the equatorial coordinate system as declination (δ). All are measured in degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds. The principal exception is right ascension (RA) in equatorial coordinates, which is measured in time units of hours, minutes, and seconds.
Contrary to what one might assume, minutes and seconds of arc do not directly relate to minutes and seconds of time, in either the rotational frame of the Earth around its own axis (day), or the Earth's rotational frame around the Sun (year). The Earth's rotational rate around its own axis is 15 minutes of arc per minute of time (360 degrees / 24 hours in day); the Earth's rotational rate around the Sun (not entirely constant) is roughly 24 minutes of time per minute of arc (from 24 hours in day), which tracks the annual progression of the Zodiac. Both of these factor in what astronomical objects you can see from surface telescopes (time of year) and when you can best see them (time of day), but neither are in unit correspondence. For simplicity, the explanations given assume a degree/day in the Earth's annual rotation around the Sun, which is off by roughly 1%. The same ratios hold for seconds, due to the consistent factor of 60 on both sides.
The arcsecond is also often used to describe small astronomical angles such as the angular diameters of planets (e.g. the angular diameter of Venus which varies between 10″ and 60″); the proper motion of stars; the separation of components of binary star systems; and parallax, the small change of position of a star or Solar System body as the Earth revolves about the Sun. These small angles may also be written in milliarcseconds (mas), or thousandths of an arcsecond. The unit of distance called the parsec, abbreviated from the parallax angle of one arc second, was developed for such parallax measurements. The distance from the Sun to a celestial object is the reciprocal of the angle, measured in arcseconds, of the object's apparent movement caused by parallax.
The European Space Agency's astrometric satellite Gaia, launched in 2013, can approximate star positions to 7 microarcseconds (µas).
Apart from the Sun, the star with the largest angular diameter from Earth is R Doradus, a red giant with a diameter of 0.05″. Because of the effects of atmospheric blurring, ground-based telescopes will smear the image of a star to an angular diameter of about 0.5″; in poor conditions this increases to 1.5″ or even more. The dwarf planet Pluto has proven difficult to resolve because its angular diameter is about 0.1″.
Space telescopes are not affected by the Earth's atmosphere but are diffraction limited. For example, the Hubble Space Telescope can reach an angular size of stars down to about 0.1″. Techniques exist for improving seeing on the ground. Adaptive optics, for example, can produce images around 0.05″ on a 10 m class telescope.
Cartography
Minutes (′) and seconds (″) of arc are also used in cartography and navigation. At sea level one minute of arc along the equator equals exactly one geographical mile (not to be confused with international mile or statute mile) along the Earth's equator or approximately . A second of arc, one sixtieth of this amount, is roughly . The exact distance varies along meridian arcs or any other great circle arcs because the figure of the Earth is slightly oblate (bulges a third of a percent at the equator).
Positions are traditionally given using degrees, minutes, and seconds of arcs for latitude, the arc north or south of the equator, and for longitude, the arc east or west of the Prime Meridian. Any position on or above the Earth's reference ellipsoid can be precisely given with this method. However, when it is inconvenient to use base-60 for minutes and seconds, positions are frequently expressed as decimal fractional degrees to an equal amount of precision. Degrees given to three decimal places ( of a degree) have about the precision of degrees-minutes-seconds ( of a degree) and specify locations within about . For navigational purposes positions are given in degrees and decimal minutes, for instance The Needles lighthouse is at 50º 39.734’N 001º 35.500’W.
Property cadastral surveying
Related to cartography, property boundary surveying using the metes and bounds system and cadastral surveying relies on fractions of a degree to describe property lines' angles in reference to cardinal directions. A boundary "mete" is described with a beginning reference point, the cardinal direction North or South followed by an angle less than 90 degrees and a second cardinal direction, and a linear distance. The boundary runs the specified linear distance from the beginning point, the direction of the distance being determined by rotating the first cardinal direction the specified angle toward the second cardinal direction. For example, North 65° 39′ 18″ West 85.69 feet would describe a line running from the starting point 85.69 feet in a direction 65° 39′ 18″ (or 65.655°) away from north toward the west.
Firearms
The arcminute is commonly found in the firearms industry and literature, particularly concerning the precision of rifles, though the industry refers to it as minute of angle (MOA). It is especially popular as a unit of measurement with shooters familiar with the imperial measurement system because 1 MOA subtends a circle with a diameter of 1.047 inches (which is often rounded to just 1 inch) at 100 yards ( at or 2.908 cm at 100 m), a traditional distance on American target ranges. The subtension is linear with the distance, for example, at 500 yards, 1 MOA subtends 5.235 inches, and at 1000 yards 1 MOA subtends 10.47 inches.
Since many modern telescopic sights are adjustable in half (), quarter () or eighth () MOA increments, also known as clicks, zeroing and adjustments are made by counting 2, 4 and 8 clicks per MOA respectively.
For example, if the point of impact is 3 inches high and 1.5 inches left of the point of aim at 100 yards (which for instance could be measured by using a spotting scope with a calibrated reticle), the scope needs to be adjusted 3 MOA down, and 1.5 MOA right. Such adjustments are trivial when the scope's adjustment dials have a MOA scale printed on them, and even figuring the right number of clicks is relatively easy on scopes that click in fractions of MOA. This makes zeroing and adjustments much easier:
To adjust a MOA scope 3 MOA down and 1.5 MOA right, the scope needs to be adjusted 3 × 2 = 6 clicks down and 1.5 x 2 = 3 clicks right
To adjust a MOA scope 3 MOA down and 1.5 MOA right, the scope needs to be adjusted 3 x 4 = 12 clicks down and 1.5 × 4 = 6 clicks right
To adjust a MOA scope 3 MOA down and 1.5 MOA right, the scope needs to be adjusted 3 x 8 = 24 clicks down and 1.5 × 8 = 12 clicks right
Another common system of measurement in firearm scopes is the milliradian (mrad). Zeroing an mrad based scope is easy for users familiar with base ten systems. The most common adjustment value in mrad based scopes is mrad (which approximates MOA).
To adjust a mrad scope 0.9 mrad down and 0.4 mrad right, the scope needs to be adjusted 9 clicks down and 4 clicks right (which equals approximately 3 and 1.5 MOA respectively).
One thing to be aware of is that some MOA scopes, including some higher-end models, are calibrated such that an adjustment of 1 MOA on the scope knobs corresponds to exactly 1 inch of impact adjustment on a target at 100 yards, rather than the mathematically correct 1.047 inches. This is commonly known as the Shooter's MOA (SMOA) or Inches Per Hundred Yards (IPHY). While the difference between one true MOA and one SMOA is less than half of an inch even at 1000 yards, this error compounds significantly on longer range shots that may require adjustment upwards of 20–30 MOA to compensate for the bullet drop. If a shot requires an adjustment of 20 MOA or more, the difference between true MOA and SMOA will add up to 1 inch or more. In competitive target shooting, this might mean the difference between a hit and a miss.
The physical group size equivalent to m minutes of arc can be calculated as follows: group size = tan() × distance. In the example previously given, for 1 minute of arc, and substituting 3,600 inches for 100 yards, 3,600 tan() ≈ 1.047 inches. In metric units 1 MOA at 100 metres ≈ 2.908 centimetres.
Sometimes, a precision-oriented firearm's performance will be measured in MOA. This simply means that under ideal conditions (i.e. no wind, high-grade ammo, clean barrel, and a stable mounting platform such as a vise or a benchrest used to eliminate shooter error), the gun is capable of producing a group of shots whose center points (center-to-center) fit into a circle, the average diameter of circles in several groups can be subtended by that amount of arc. For example, a 1 MOA rifle should be capable, under ideal conditions, of repeatably shooting 1-inch groups at 100 yards. Most higher-end rifles are warrantied by their manufacturer to shoot under a given MOA threshold (typically 1 MOA or better) with specific ammunition and no error on the shooter's part. For example, Remington's M24 Sniper Weapon System is required to shoot 0.8 MOA or better, or be rejected from sale by quality control.
Rifle manufacturers and gun magazines often refer to this capability as sub-MOA, meaning a gun consistently shooting groups under 1 MOA. This means that a single group of 3 to 5 shots at 100 yards, or the average of several groups, will measure less than 1 MOA between the two furthest shots in the group, i.e. all shots fall within 1 MOA. If larger samples are taken (i.e., more shots per group) then group size typically increases, however this will ultimately average out. If a rifle was truly a 1 MOA rifle, it would be just as likely that two consecutive shots land exactly on top of each other as that they land 1 MOA apart. For 5-shot groups, based on 95% confidence, a rifle that normally shoots 1 MOA can be expected to shoot groups between 0.58 MOA and 1.47 MOA, although the majority of these groups will be under 1 MOA. What this means in practice is if a rifle that shoots 1-inch groups on average at 100 yards shoots a group measuring 0.7 inches followed by a group that is 1.3 inches, this is not statistically abnormal.
The metric system counterpart of the MOA is the milliradian (mrad or 'mil'), being equal to of the target range, laid out on a circle that has the observer as centre and the target range as radius. The number of milliradians on a full such circle therefore always is equal to 2 × × 1000, regardless the target range. Therefore, 1 MOA ≈ 0.2909 mrad. This means that an object which spans 1 mrad on the reticle is at a range that is in metres equal to the object's size in millimetres (e.g. an object of 100 mm subtending 1 mrad is 100 metres away). So there is no conversion factor required, contrary to the MOA system. A reticle with markings (hashes or dots) spaced with a one mrad apart (or a fraction of a mrad) are collectively called a mrad reticle. If the markings are round they are called mil-dots.
In the table below conversions from mrad to metric values are exact (e.g. 0.1 mrad equals exactly 10 mm at 100 metres), while conversions of minutes of arc to both metric and imperial values are approximate.
1′ at 100 yards is about 1.047 inches
1′ ≈ 0.291 mrad (or 29.1 mm at 100 m, approximately 30 mm at 100 m)
1 mrad ≈ 3.44′, so mrad ≈ ′
0.1 mrad equals exactly 1 cm at 100 m, or exactly 0.36 inches at 100 yards
Human vision
In humans, 20/20 vision is the ability to resolve a spatial pattern separated by a visual angle of one minute of arc, from a distance of twenty feet.
A 20/20 letter subtends 5 minutes of arc total.
Materials
The deviation from parallelism between two surfaces, for instance in optical engineering, is usually measured in arcminutes or arcseconds.
In addition, arcseconds are sometimes used in rocking curve (ω-scan) x ray diffraction measurements of high-quality epitaxial thin films.
Manufacturing
Some measurement devices make use of arcminutes and arcseconds to measure angles when the object being measured is too small for direct visual inspection. For instance, a toolmaker's optical comparator will often include an option to measure in "minutes and seconds".
See also
Gradian
Square minute
Square second
Steradian
Milliradian
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Minute and second of arc
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This is a list of newspapers in Costa Rica.
Newspapers
The Costa Rica News, daily, in English
Diario Extra, daily, in Spanish; tabloid press; the country's principal newspaper by circulation
La Nación, daily, in Spanish
La Prensa Libre, daily, in Spanish; first newspaper founded in the country
La Teja, daily, in Spanish
The Tico Times, weekly, in English
See also
Media of Costa Rica
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List of newspapers in Costa Rica
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Cope is a surname, and may refer to
Sir Anthony Cope (c. 1486–1551)
Arthur C. Cope, American chemist
Bob Cope, American football coach
Charles West Cope (1811–1890), English artist
Cuthbert Leslie Cope (1903–1975), English physician
Davey Cope (1877–1898), South African rugby union player
David Cope, artificial intelligence and music researcher
David Cope (economist), British energy & resource economist
Derrike Cope, American racing driver
Edward Drinker Cope, American anatomist and paleontologist
Edward Meredith Cope, English classical scholar
Frederick Cope, Canadian politician
Geoff Cope, English cricketer
George Cope (tobacco manufacturer), English industrialist
Gilbert Cope (1840–1928), American historian and genealogist
Harold Cope (1902–1980), English footballer
Jack Cope, South African writer
James Cope (UK politician), British MP and Resident to the Hanseatic League in the mid-eighteenth century
Jamie Cope, English snooker player
Jean-François Copé, French politician
Jean-Baptiste Cope, Mi'kmaq sakamaw (leader of the Mi'kmaq people)
Jim Cope (1911–1999), Australian politician
John Cope (British Army officer), English general during the 1745 Jacobite Uprising
John Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley, English politician
Julian Cope, English musician
Kenneth Cope, English actor
Kenneth Cope (musician), American composer
Kit Cope, American martial arts fighter
Louise Todd Cope (1930–2020), American artist
Marianne Cope, American nun and Catholic saint
Mike Cope, American racing driver
Myron Cope, American radio personality
Nick Cope, English musician
Peter Cope, American test pilot
Richard Cope (1776–1856), English congregationalist minister and religious writer
Sidney Cope (1904–1986), English cricketer
Thomas Cope (1827–1884), English tobacco manufacturer
Tom Cope, English footballer
Thomas D. Cope, American historian and physicist
Warner Cope, American judge
Wendy Cope, English poet
Zachary Cope, English physician and surgeon
Cope family
The Cope family of Loughgall, County Armagh is a historic family in British politics.
Members
Robert Cope
Robert Camden Cope
Anthony Cope
See also
Cope (disambiguation)
Cape (surname)
English-language surnames
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Cope (surname)
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Alonzo "Skip" Thomas (February 7, 1950 – July 24, 2011), nicknamed "Dr. Death", was an American football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL).
College career
Thomas was awarded a scholarship to play football at Arizona Western Junior College. Then, Thomas played college football at the University of Southern California.
Professional career
Thomas played for the Oakland Raiders for the entire duration of his professional football career between 1972 and 1977. He had back-to-back six-interception seasons in 1974 and 1975. Although it is commonly believed that his fierce tackling got him the nickname "Doctor Death," the truth (per John Madden's book Hey, Wait a Minute (I Wrote A Book!)) is that Hall of Fame lineman Bob "Boomer" Brown, when he first met him, thought that he looked like the cartoon character "Dr. Death," and the moniker stuck.
Thomas died of a heart attack on July 24, 2011. He was 61.
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Skip Thomas
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Princess Sophia Albertina of Sweden (Sophia Maria Lovisa Fredrika Albertina; 8 October 1753 – 17 March 1829) was the last Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg Abbey, and as such reigned as vassal monarch of the Holy Roman Empire.
Sophia Albertina was the daughter of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. She was thus a princess of Sweden, a princess of Holstein-Gottorp and a sister to Gustav III of Sweden. She was a member of the Accademia di San Luca. When her brother Charles XIII of Sweden and the rest of the royal family also became Norwegian royalty in 1814, that did not include Sophia Albertina who then officially was called Royal Princess (of no country).
She was given her two names as namesake of her two grandmothers: the Prussian Queen Sophia Dorothea of Hanover and Margravine Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach.
Biography
At the Swedish court
Sophia Albertina was tutored under the supervision of Baroness Ulrica Schönström, Baroness Kristina Kurck and Countess Magdalena Stenbock, all in succession the head of her court: Eric af Sotberg served as her governor, and she was tutored in French by Louise Du Londel, in dance by Marguerite Morel, drawing by Jean Eric Rehn and music by Francesco Uttini. Her mother may not have wished her to marry, as she arranged a formal position for her at Quedlinburg Abbey as early as 1767. Living at the court of her mother, she was somewhat isolated after 1771, when her mother and her reigning brother became more and more at odds with each other.
Sophia Albertina and her youngest brother, Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden, were the favourites of their mother, and also very close themselves. Sophia Albertina lived at her mother's court and under her strict control until the latter's death in 1782.
During the conflict of 1778, when her mother, the Queen Dowager, supported the rumour that her brother King Gustav III had given the task to father his heir to Count Frederick Adolf Munck, Sophia Albertina and her brother Frederick sided with their mother. In 1780, when the carriage of the Queen Dowager and Sophia Albertina met the carriages of the King and the Queen, Sophia Albertina avoided a confrontation by waving at the royal couple, thereby hiding her mother from view.
In 1781, she came in conflict with the King, who was close to banning her from court when her mother refused her to pay her respects to the Queen, but the situation was solved by her sister-in-law, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp. At her mother's death in 1782, she and her brother Frederick burned some of their mother's papers before they could be seen by the King. In Stockholm, a palace was built as her residence, known today as Arvfurstens Palats. Unlike her brothers, she was not given a residence in the countryside because she was expected always to accompany her brothers' court.
Sophia Albertina was not described as beautiful or intelligent, but she enjoyed parties and participated enthusiastically in the festivities of the court of Gustav III. According to her sister-in-law, Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte, she was good hearted but very temperamental and hard to handle, and she is described as generous and caring but easily provoked into conflicts. Sophia Albertina did not like to see women be treated badly, and often intervened when she considered a woman at court to have been insulted or in any way badly treated, such as when Gustav III in her eyes treated the ladies-in-waiting participating in his amateur theatre too hard, and when her sister-in-law was given a bad seat in the theatre, which caused Sophia Albertina to accuse her of not attending to her rights. She also intervened for Magdalena Rudenschöld during the Armfelt conspiracy, and managed to have the former's death sentence revoked.
During the Riksdag of 1789, she was present with her sister-in-law during the sessions through a secret window which faced the assembly hall. The Union and Security Act placed the King in opposition with his nobility. When her sister-in-law and her brothers agreed that the latter two would issue a public protest at the next session, she supported them – however in the end no protest was made. Sophia Albertina however would not support any further demonstrations against the monarch, and reportedly convinced her brother Prince Frederick not to use violent actions toward the monarchy. The female members of the nobility, led by Jeanna von Lantingshausen, issued a political demonstration in a social boycott of the monarch by refusing to participate in his court life while continuing to visit her and her sister-in-law Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte, who were known to be in opposition to the Security Act, and who demonstrated themselves by refusing to participate in representation. This was effective, because the Queen, Sophia Magdalena, was reclusive and Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte and Sophie Albertine had always fulfilled most of the representation at court, and the King accused her of leading: "A guard which placed themselves above all authority. They captivate the senses by their beauty and talents and rule the views and interests". The demonstration was effectively put to a halt when the King had Jeanna von Lantingshausen banished from court and refused any contact with his sister and his sister-in-law.
Sophia Albertina was interested in theatre and dance, though according to Axel von Fersen the Elder she lacked talent for it, and she also participated in the amateur theatre at court. She was interested in riding and hunting and had at least thirteen named dogs as pets.
She painted in pastel and made profile portraits and caricatures. During a visit to Rome in 1793, she was inducted into the Accademia di San Luca. Like her sister-in-law, she enjoyed hunting. She also had several small dogs: Bellman once wrote a poem about her 13 dogs.
Private life
Early on, there were plans for a possible marriage for Sophia Albertina. In 1772 her brother, King Gustav III, who lived in a childless and unconsummated marriage, had the idea of letting his younger siblings provide an heir to the throne, and both Sophia Albertina and her brother Prince Charles were considered for this task.
Among the marriage partners considered for Sophia Albertina were her cousin Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, but these plans were abandoned in 1780. A marriage to King Stanisław August Poniatowski was also suggested, despite the religious differences, but the match was opposed by the king's sisters Ludwika Maria Poniatowska and Izabella Poniatowska, and nothing came of it.
Sophia Albertina was sometimes called The Princess with the ice heart. However, it was common knowledge in Stockholm that she was not exempt from having a love life. There were well-known and persistent rumours that Sophia Albertina gave birth to a child sometime in 1785/86. The child has sometime been said to be a son, named Peter Niklas, or a daughter, named Sophia after herself. The place for the birth has been suggested as Allmänna Barnbördshuset, a public hospital, where women were allowed to give birth with their faces covered by a mask to preserve their anonymity.
The purported daughter was allegedly brought up by foster parents and it was arranged that she be married off to a wealthy merchant as an adult. This rumour is unconfirmed and the truth of it is unknown. The father was often identified as Count Fredrik Vilhelm von Hessenstein, son of King Frederick I of Sweden and his mistress Hedvig Taube. Another suggested father was Gustav Badin, her African foster brother, but there is no mention that the child was of mixed race. Badin and his second wife are however noted to have had a foster daughter named Christina living with them, sometime after 1784.
Fredrik Vilhelm von Hessenstein is often pointed out as the love of Sophia Albertina, and she is said to have wished to marry him, but Gustav III refused to grant his permission because the mother of Hessenstein had been a royal mistress. The intimate friend of Sophia Albertina, Caroline Rudenschöld, refers to these issues in a letter from 1792, where she mentions two love interests of Sophia Albertina. Rudenschöld mentioned that she was concerned about a confidence the Princess had given her, but that she was assured that Sophia Albertina would “do everything that is in your power to do, to overcome this unfortunate passion” and to “use your sense to overpower it”, and she ads: “I can understand that this inclination of yours is so much more unfortunate than the last one”. Ulla Möllersvärd has been rumored to be her daughter.
Lolotte Forssberg affair
In 1795, the Lolotte Forssberg affair occurred, which caused considerable attention. Lolotte Forssberg was the chamber maid and foster sibling of Sophia Albertina. In 1795, an anonymous letter was found by Sophia Albertina, which pointed out Lolotte Forssberg as her secret sister. Sophia Albertina issued an investigation, and believed herself to have reasons to believe that Forssberg was indeed her sister, and therefore decided to take responsibility for her welfare and treat her officially as a sister. She believed for a time that Forssberg was her legitimate sister, whose birth her parents had reasons to hide, and therefore demanded that Lolotte Forssberg should be officially recognised. This caused a scandal, not only in Sweden, but also in Germany, where her maternal relatives, the Prussian royal family, expressed their disapproval of what they perceived as a deception of which she had been a victim. It is likely, that Lolotte Forssberg was in fact her sister, but her illegitimate half sister by her father and a lady-in waiting, Ulla von Liewen. In 1799, Sophia Albertina herself stated that Lolotte Forssberg was her illegitimate halfsister, and arranged a marriage with her courtier, Count Magus Stenbock, and had her presented at court. Gossip would later suggest, that Lolotte Forssberg was the illegitimate child of Sophia Albertina herself, but as Forssberg was born in 1766, she was evidently not the same woman as the alleged secret daughter of Sophia Albertina and Frederick Hessenstein, who had been born in 1785. Lolotte Forssberg was to remain with Sophia Albertina her entire life, and was named as her heir in her will.
Reign as Princess-Abbess
In 1767, by the grace of her maternal uncle Frederick the Great (Frederick II of Prussia), Sophia Albertina was made Coadjutrix of Quedlinburg Abbey, a convent of Lutheran women.
In 1787, one or two years after allegedly secretly giving birth, she succeeded her maternal aunt, Anna Amalia of Prussia, as Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg. As such, she was the reigning head of a German state directly under the Holy Roman Empire, and thus a monarch in the Empire.
When she succeeded as abbess, Frederick offered to "relieve" her from the position by buying the realm of Quedlinburg and annexing it to Prussia. She declined the offer by saying that she was sure that he was not serious. Sophia Albertina travelled to Quedlinburg in 1787, and took her oath as abbess on 15 October.
As princess-abbess, she was active in the rule of the city of Quedlinburg, and her rule has been described as a popular one. She founded schools for poor children, established the first theatre in the city, and increased the salary of the clergy. Gossip pointed out Quedlinburg as a place where noblewomen went to give birth to their illegitimate children in secret. She brought with her a court of 50 people, and often entertained guests, particularly her German relatives, during her stays at Quedlinburg. Sophia Albertina was present in Quedlinburg from 1787 to 1788, a second period from 1792 until 1795, and a third period from 1799 until 1803. She managed the affairs of the state in cooperation with her chancellor Sebastian von Moltzer.
In the German Mediatization, the state of Quedlinburg was dissolved and incorporated into Prussia. This was done after the Treaty of Lunéville, when the French First Republic allowed the German secular monarchs to annex the German church states. Sophia Albertina was simply told on 11 July 1802 that the state was now a part of Prussia and that she was thereby deprived of all political authority. She was however allowed to keep the title and income for life. She remained with her court until September 1803.
Last years
After the dissolution of Quedlinburg Abbey, Sophia Albertina stayed in Sweden permanently. In 1807, she was deprived of her income from Quedlinburg when it was annexed by the newly created Kingdom of Westphalia. She wrote to Napoleon and asked him to respect her rights as he had done for Landgravine Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt (1757–1830) and Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg, but was given no reply. During the Revolution of 1809, when her nephew Gustaf IV Adolf was deposed, she as well as her brother had refused the King's demand that they evacuate with him, and when the leaders of the coup entered Stockholm, she reportedly greeted Georg Adlersparre with her handkerchief from her balcony. She then participated in the coronation of her brother as Charles XIII.
She was not close to the elected heir, Charles August of Augustenburg, because he did not like the company of women. He did, however, offer her the position of abbess at the Danish Vallø stift, after the 1809 government had cancelled her pension and the allowance from Quedlinburg had become irregular, but she declined the offer. During the reign of her brother Charles XIII (r. 1809–1818), she seldom appeared at court, because he did not like Lolotte Forssberg, whose influence over Sophia Albertina was said to dominate her last years.
Like her brother and sister-in-law, Sophia Albertina was reportedly charmed by the new elected heir, Charles John Bernadotte. As Bernadotte was very eager to legitimize himself in the eyes of the public, he made every effort to show her affection. In 1812, when Bernadotte banned all contact with the deposed royal family and all objects which could be a reminder of them, she as well as her sister-in-law decided to stop corresponding with former Queen Frederica on their own initiative. However, at her death, it was discovered that she had kept many objects with connection to the deposed King in a locked space in her palace. After the death of her sister-in-law in 1818 and during the first years of the reign of Charles XIV John, she acted as the first lady of the royal court until 1823, when the estranged spouse of Charles John, Désirée Clary, returned to Sweden. In 1819, she founded the charitable society Välgörande fruntimmerssällskapet.
During her last years, she spent much time with the Crown Prince couple. She was well aware of her position as the last member of the former dynasty, and this was also used by Charles XIV John, who was very eager that she should be present at all official occasions, in his attempt to legitimize his own new dynasty: Sophia Albertina was therefore asked to participate in representation frequently during the reign of Charles John. At the wedding of the Crown Prince in Stockholm in 1823, she placed the bridal crown on the head of Josephine of Leuchtenberg, and in 1826, she was a witness of the birth of the future King Charles XV of Sweden, and had the task to inform the King of the birth and the sex of the newborn. She participated in the ceremonies of the royal court until her death, and was often referred to as the Vasa Princess.
Legacy
The main church in Landskrona, Sofia Albertina Church, opened in 1788, is named after her.
Ancestry
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Sophia Albertina, Abbess of Quedlinburg
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Herbert is a surname, derived from the given name Herbert and may refer to:
A. P. Herbert (1890–1971), English humorist, novelist, playwright and law reform activist
Adam Herbert, former President of Indiana University and of the University of North Florida
Alfred Herbert (1866–1957), former manufacturer of machine tools
Amanda Herbert (born 1943), British cytopathologist and histopathologist
Andrew Herbert (born 1954), British computer scientist
Anne Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Anthony Reed Herbert, member of the British National Front
Arthur Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Auberon Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Aubrey Herbert (1880–1923), British diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer
Bob Herbert (born 1945), American journalist
Brian Herbert (born 1947), Frank Herbert's son, author of The Dune Prequels
Caleb Claiborne Herbert (1814–1867), Confederate congressman during the American Civil War
Charles Herbert (1948–2015), American actor
Charles Herbert (Royal Navy officer) (1774–1808), captain in the Royal Navy and MP for Wilton
Christopher Herbert (born 1944), Anglican bishop
Claude-Jacques Herbert (1700–1758), French economist
Daniel Herbert (born 1974), Australian rugby union player
Don Herbert (1917–2007), television's "Mr. Wizard"
Edward Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert (c.1476–1507)
Lady Evelyn Herbert, one of the first people in modern times to enter the tomb of Tutenkhamun
Frank Herbert (1920–1986), American science-fiction novelist, author of Dune
Frank Herbert (politician) (1931–2018), American politician and educator
Gábor Herbert (born 1979), Hungarian handball player
Gary Herbert 17th governor of Utah
George Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Gwyneth Herbert, British singer-songwriter
Hal Herbert (1922–2003), Canadian politician
Henry Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Hilary A. Herbert (1834–1919), Secretary of the Navy under US President Grover Cleveland
Jacob V. W. Herbert (1812–1899), American politician
James Herbert (1943–2013), British writer of horror fiction
James Herbert (director) (born 1938), American music video and short film director
Jason Herbert (born 1967), British pop star turned manager
Jean Herbert (1897–1980), French interpreter and orientalist
John Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
John Herbert, character from the television series Family Guy, also called "Mr. Herbert" or "Herbert the Pervert"
Johnny Herbert, British racing driver
Joseph W. Herbert (1863–1923), British-born American actor, singer and dramatist
Justin Herbert (born 1998), American football player
Khalil Herbert (born 1998), American football player
Leon Herbert, British actor
Llewellyn Herbert, South African athlete
Máire Herbert, Irish historian
Mary Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Matthew Herbert, musician and music producer
Mervyn Herbert, British diplomat and cricketer
Nick Herbert, British politician
Nick Herbert (physicist), Californian physicist, author of Elemental Mind
Patrick F. Herbert, American carpenter and politician
Paul M. Herbert, American politician
Percy Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Philemon T. Herbert, American politician and Confederate Army officer during American civil war
Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke
Pierre-Hugues Herbert, French tennis player
Ricki Herbert, New Zealand football (soccer) player
Robert Herbert (1831–1905), first Premier of Queensland
Ron Herbert, rugby league player for Warrington
Sandra Herbert (born 1942), American historian of science
Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke
Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea
Thomas Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Timothy Herbert, British orthopaedic surgeon
Tom Herbert (1888–1946), American character actor
Twyla Herbert (1921–2009), American songwriter
Ulrich Herbert, German historian
Victor Herbert (1859–1924), Irish-American composer and cellist
Victor Herbert (Hematologist)
Xavier Herbert, Australian author
Wally Herbert (1934–2007), British polar explorer, writer and artist
Walter Herbert, music manager and promoter, and singer-songwriter
Walter Herbert (conductor), American conductor
William Herbert (disambiguation), multiple people
Winifred Herbert (c.1680–1749), Countess of Nithsdale
Zbigniew Herbert, Polish poet, essayist and moralist
See also
Herbert family, an Anglo-Welsh noble family bearing this surname, prominent since the 15th century
Herbert (disambiguation)
Baron Herbert (disambiguation)
Hébert
Herbart
English-language surnames
Surnames from given names
no:Percy Herbert
pt:Percy Herbert
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Herbert (surname)
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Thomas Clarke (born 21 December 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. He played for Huddersfield Town, Preston North End and Salford City. Clarke is a former England youth international, having represented England at both under-18 and under-19 level.
Club career
Huddersfield Town
Breakthrough to first team
Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Clarke is a product of the Huddersfield academy. Clarke's older brother, Nathan Clarke, is also a professional footballer previously with Huddersfield. Tom signed his first professional contract in January 2005. His debut came against the MK Dons. Clarke scored his first goal for The Terriers in a 2–0 win over Blackpool at the Galpharm Stadium in January 2006.
Clarke made his first start of the 2006–07 season coming on as a 61st-minute substitute replacing Danny Adams, in a 2–0 loss away at Crewe Alexandra on 2 September. He made his first start of the season on 9 September in a 2–0 loss away at Cheltenham Town. He ruptured a ligament in his left knee during Huddersfield Town's League One home match against Carlisle United, on 14 October 2006 forcing him to sit out most of the 2006–07 season.
Clarke joined Conference Premier club Halifax Town on loan on 21 February 2008, in a bid to regain match practice. He made his debut for the Shaymen in their 0–0 draw at The Shay against Stafford Rangers on 23 February. His first goal for the club came in their 3–1 win over Histon at Bridge Road on 8 March.
He returned to Huddersfield on 23 March and made his first appearance since returning in Huddersfield's 1–0 win over Tranmere Rovers on 19 April.
2008–09 season
He signed on a month-long loan with League Two club Bradford City in October 2008. He made his debut the following day against Grimsby Town, when he came on as a first-half substitute for Omar Daley, following defender Matthew Clarke's sending off. City were leading 1–0 at the time and won the game 3–1. He made his full debut in a 1–0 victory over Bury on 29 October. With a number of injuries, Bradford extended his loan spell for a second month, with Huddersfield caretaker manager Gerry Murphy able to recall him at 24 hours' notice. Murphy recalled Clarke on 3 December following a training ground injury to left-back Joe Skarz. Clarke's last game for City was their FA Cup exit to Leyton Orient four days previously; he also played six league games for City. Following the injury sustained by regular right-back Andy Holdsworth, Clarke found himself back in the first-team frame under Lee Clark and scored his first away goal for Huddersfield in a 2–1 win at Glanford Park against Scunthorpe United on 10 April 2009.
2009–10 season
After fighting his way back from injury, Tom picked up where he left off in the 2009–10 season enjoying his best run in the team in central midfield under Lee Clark during the 2009–10 campaign. Bad luck struck again when he suffered a repeat injury to his knee against Millwall in the first leg of the end of season Play-Offs, as Huddersfield went on to lose the second leg away at Millwall and as a result missing out on the chance of promotion.
2011–12 season & promotion
On 9 September 2011, Clarke signed for fellow League One club Leyton Orient on a 93-day emergency loan. He made 12 appearances, before his loan expired on 12 December.
Clarke returned from his loan spell at Leyton Orient in December 2011, his first game of the season for Huddersfield came in the club's 1–0 boxing day win over Chesterfield on 26 December 2011 when he came on for left back Gary Naysmith. His first start of the season came in the club's 2–2 draw away at Notts County on 2 January 2012. Clarke became the club's starting left back during the third quarter of the season due to injured Gary Naysmith March and April 2012 until he was himself pushed out of the team by Calum Woods. Clarke was though used during the latter stages of the season in his more familiar role in the midfield mostly being used as a substitute. He played in both legs of Huddersfield's play-off semi final against MK Dons coming on as a 51st-minute substitute for left back Callum Woods in the first leg way at Stadium MK which Huddersfield won 2–0, and was an 88th-minute sub for winger Kallum Higginbotham in the second leg at home as Huddersfield progressed to the final. Clark made 16 appearances for Huddersfield during the 2011–12 season, as Huddersfield finished the season as Play-off champions winning promotion to the Championship after beating Sheffield United on penalties in the Wembley final.
2012–13 season
Clarke signed a new one-year contract, committing himself to the Huddersfield Town until the summer of 2013 on 28 June 2012 making him the longest serving current player at the club.
On 6 May 2013, it was confirmed that Clarke was to be released from the club when his existing contract ended in the summer, bringing an end to his eight-year stay with his home town club.
Preston North End
It was announced on 22 May 2013 that Clarke had signed for Preston North End on a two-year contract.
On 5 August 2013 in only his second appearance for Preston, Clarke scored a magnificent late winner in the 87th minute to defeat Blackpool in a derby game at Deepdale.
Salford City
Clarke signed for League Two club Salford City on 14 July 2020 on a two-year deal. On 15 May 2021, Salford announced he would be released despite having a year left on his contract.
Fleetwood Town
On 14 June 2021, Clarke joined Fleetwood Town on a one-year deal. A one-year contract extension was triggered at the end of the 2021–22 season.
FC Halifax Town
On 30th July 2022, it was announced that Clarke had signed for his hometown club, FC Halifax Town.
On 4 September 2023, Clarke announced his retirement from football following a persistent knee injury.
International career
An England international, Clarke has represented England at international youth level, being capped at both under 18s and under 19s level. He earned two caps for the under 19s scoring once between 2006 and 2005.
Personal life
Clarke's older brother, Nathan Clarke, was also a professional footballer.
Career statistics
Honours
Huddersfield Town
Football League One play-offs: 2012
Preston North End
Football League One play-offs: 2015
Salford City
EFL Trophy: 2019–20
FC Halifax Town
FA Trophy: 2022–23
Individual
PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15 League One
Preston North End Players' Player of the Year: 2016–17
Notes
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Tom Clarke (footballer, born 1987)
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The Nova Scotia Regional Junior Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Nova Scotia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. League playoff winners compete in the Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championships.
History
In 1999 the West Nova Junior Hockey League began as the first Junior C circuit sanctioned by Hockey Nova Scotia. The league was reorganized prior to the 2004-05 season as the Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League. It was renamed prior to the 2016-17 season.
Barrington Ice Dogs were the first team to repeat as provincial champion winning titles in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009. Eastern Shore Jr. Mariners would win back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011 with the Chester Clippers duplicating the feat in 2012 and 2013. Spryfield Attack became a three-time winner in 2018 after previous titles in 2014 and 2016.
Justin MacLellan of the Avon River Rats made headlines after a 10-point game on January 14, 2018.
Teams
Defunct teams
Antigonish Jr. C Hockey Club (2000-04)
Avon River Rats (2007-18) - renamed Windsor Royals
Barrington Ice Dogs (2004-15)
Bedford Wolverines (2015-17)
Chebucto Canadians (2000-04)
Chester Clippers/Northside Vics (2008-13; 2013-14) return as Chester Castaways 2019
Claire Lions (2005-15)
Cumberland/Colchester Colts (2016-19)
East Hants Penguins/Halifax Thunder (2004-06; 2006-09)
Harbour Crunch/Eastern Shore Jr. Mariners (2006-09; 2009-11)
Fundy Phantoms/Rhinos (2004-13; 2013-15)
Metro Jaguars (2015-17)
New Waterford Jets (2005-11)
North Shore Storm/Oxford Colts/Amherst Colts (2004-08; 2009-10; 2010-12; 2012-14; 2015-16) - renamed Cumberland/Colchester Colts
Shannon Huskies (2012-13)
South Shore Wild (2007-14)
Thorburn Mohawks (2000-04)
Valley Fuelers (2009-11)
Windsor Royals (2007-2019)
Yarmouth Admirals (2006-09)
Yarmouth Kings (2009-10)
Yarmouth Raiders (2000-05)
Champions
Teams in bold went on to win the Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championship.
See also
List of ice hockey teams in Nova Scotia
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Nova Scotia Regional Junior Hockey League
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Béja Governorate ( ; ) is one of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia. It is in northern Tunisia and has a brief coastline relative to its size. It covers an area of 3,740 km² and had a population of 303,032 as at the 2014 census. The capital is Béja and it spans the moderately high Tell Atlas hills and part of the plain between the Tell Atlas and the Dorsal Atlas further south.
Geography
The governorate is from the capital and surrounded by the governorates of Bizerte, Zaghouan, Manouba, Siliana, and Jendouba.
The average temperature is 18 °C and annual rainfall is 350-1000 millimeters.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, the governorate is divided into nine delegations (mutamadiyat), eight municipalities, eight rural councils, and 101 sectors (imadas). The delegations and their populations from the 2004 and 2014 censuses, are listed below:
The following eight municipalities are located in Béja Governorate:
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Béja Governorate
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Paul William Milhouse (31 August 1910, St. Francisville, Illinois - 12 March 2005, Franklin, Indiana) was an American bishop of the Evangelical United Brethren Church (E.U.B. Church), elected in 1960. When he died at the age of 94 he was the last surviving U.M. Bishop elected by the E.U.B. denomination (which merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church).
Education
Milhouse earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana Central College in Indianapolis, Indiana. He earned divinity degrees from American Theological Seminary in Wilmington, Delaware. He later received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Indiana Central, as well.
Episcopal ministry
Milhouse was elected a bishop by a special mail-in ballot in November, 1960. He spent eight years supervising E.U.B. churches in the denomination's Southwestern Area (with offices in Kansas City). In 1968 he was assigned to the Oklahoma Area of the (new) United Methodist Church (U.M.C.). He was President of the U.M.C. Council of Bishops, 1977–78. He retired in 1980.
Ordained ministry
Prior to his election to the episcopacy, Milhouse was a pastor of churches in Illinois, the associate editor of the E.U.B. magazine Telescope-Messenger, and a staff executive of the E.U.B. General Council of Administration. In retirement he served as bishop-in-residence at Oklahoma City University (1980–91), and at the University of Indianapolis (1991–98).
Death
When he died in 2005 he was survived by his wife, Mary Frances Noblitt Milhouse, whom he married in 1932. Two daughters also survived: Mary Catherine Hauswald and Pauline Joyce Vermillion, as did a son, Paul David Milhouse. Bishop Milhouse's sister, Dorothy Jacobs, also survived him, as did seven grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
Selected writings
Nineteen Bishops of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Nashville, The Parthenon Press, 1974.
See also
List of bishops of the United Methodist Church
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Paul William Milhouse
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Renate Loll (born 19 June 1962, Aachen) Is a German physicist. She is a Professor in Theoretical Physics at the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics of the Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. She previously worked at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of Utrecht University. She received her Ph.D. from Imperial College, London, in 1989. In 2001 she joined the permanent staff of the ITP, after spending several years at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Golm, Germany. With Jan Ambjørn and Polish physicist Jerzy Jurkiewicz she helped develop a new approach to nonperturbative quantization of gravity, that of Causal Dynamical Triangulations.
She has been a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2015.
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Renate Loll
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Joseph John DioGuardi (; born September 20, 1940) is an American certified public accountant and a Republican politician. DioGuardi served in the House of Representatives representing the 20th Congressional district of New York from 1985 to 1989. He was the first Albanian American voting member of Congress. He was also the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in New York during the 2010 special election, but lost to incumbent senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
DioGuardi, a former partner at Arthur Andersen & Co., also serves as president of the Albanian American Civic League, an organization he runs with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi. He is the father of songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi.
Early life, education, and business career
DioGuardi's father, Joseph Sr., immigrated to the United States from Greci, Italy. The family traces its roots to the Arbëreshë (Albanian) minority in Italy. His father eventually established a grocery and vegetable store in East Bronx. The family moved to Westchester County, New York, in 1957. Joseph Sr. married Grace Paparella on January 8, 1939, and the couple settled in Orchard Hills in White Plains. Their son, Joseph J., is the oldest of three DioGuardi children. After the family's move to Westchester, he attended Fordham Preparatory School. In 1957, he landed a summer job as a busboy for Elmwood Country Club in Westchester County. He advanced to a waiter position..
DioGuardi graduated from Fordham University in 1962. After college, he was hired at Arthur Andersen & Co. He became a Certified Public Accountant and achieved partner status at age 31, after 10 years at the firm. DioGuardi specialized in federal and state taxation for non-profit organizations, as well as the tax economics of charitable giving.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
1984
Incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman Richard Ottinger of New York's 20th congressional district decided to retire in 1984. The Democratic leaning district had a sizable minority population in the cities of Mount Vernon, Yonkers and New Rochelle. DioGuardi decided to run as a Republican and defeated Oren Teicher 50%-48%.
1986
DioGuardi won re-election to a second term, defeating former U.S. Congresswoman Bella Abzug, who had relocated from Greenwich Village in Manhattan to Mount Vernon, 54%-45%.
1988
DioGuardi ran for re-election to a third term but lost to Nita Lowey, the Assistant Secretary of State of New York, 50%-47%.
Controversy
During the campaign, the Gannett-owned Gannett Suburban Newspapers accused one of the Westchester area's largest car dealers, Crabtree Automotive, of skirting federal election laws by funneling into DioGuardi's campaign. The New York Times reported: "Several employees explained in interviews that they were given $2,000 each in company checks and were asked to deposit them into their own bank accounts and then write personal checks for the same amount to the DioGuardi campaign. Joseph Crabtree, the company's chief executive, and his son Robert, the company's president, served on the campaign's finance committee." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission and Mr. Crabtree resigned from the campaign. DioGuardi steadfastly denied the charges and his campaign also filed its own complaint with the State Board of Elections that argued, contrary to his opponent's commercial, that the employees in question put funds in a separate "People For DioGuardi" campaign account as required by law.
1992
After redistricting, Lowey decided to run in the newly redrawn New York's 18th congressional district. DioGuardi challenged her in a rematch and lost again, this time 56%-44%.
1994
Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Hamilton Fish IV of the neighboring New York's 19th congressional district decided to retire in 1994. DioGuardi ran in the crowded six-candidate Republican primary, which was won by Sue W. Kelly 23%-20%. DioGuardi then ran again in the general election as the Conservative Party nominee. Kelly won the general election with 52% of the vote. Hamilton Fish V, the Democratic nominee, ranked second with 37%, DioGuardi ranked third with 10%, and Catherine Portman-Laux ranked last with 1% of the vote.
1996
DioGuardi challenged Kelly in a rematch in 1996 and lost again 53%-42%. He ran in the general election on the lines of the Conservative Party and the Right-to-Life Party. He got 12% in third place, while Kelly won re-election with 46% of the vote.
2000 (U.S. Senate)
In 2000 DioGuardi launched a bid to run as the Conservative Party challenger for the 2000 Senate race as a consequence of Rudy Giuliani not running on the line. Giuliani was asked to renounce his Liberal Party endorsement, which he refused to do, hence the decision of Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long to initiate DioGuardi's campaign. DioGuardi ended this bid after Giuliani ended his campaign, and the Conservative line was given to Congressman Rick Lazio, the new Republican candidate.
2008
After Democrat John Hall defeated Kelly in 2006, DioGuardi decided to run against Hall in 2008. In May 2008, Republicans held a convention in Mahopac, New York, with delegates from each of the five counties to endorse a candidate and nominate their candidate. Kieran Michael Lalor won the convention vote with 46% of the vote, while DioGuardi finished last with 13% of the vote.
Tenure
He was the original author of the Chief Financial Officer and Federal Financial Reform Act (CFO Act), signed by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. The act mandated the assignment of a Chief Financial Officer to each major department and agency of the U.S. government. Former Comptroller General of the United States Charles Bowsher later said in testimony before the U.S. Senate that since the enactment of the bill, "We have seen important progress in directly confronting serious financial management weaknesses."
Of the 1.55 million Black American military servicemen, not one had received the Medal of Honor. DioGuardi and Democratic Congressman Mickey Leland initiated legislation to confer the honor on Black World War I and World War II military heroes who had been recommended for, but had not received, the medal. Nine Medals of Honor have since been awarded.
Committee assignments
DioGuardi was an active member of the executive committee of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus (CHRC) and worked with Caucus founder Tom Lantos (D-CA) on apartheid in South Africa, and on the repression of Jews in the Soviet Union and the Tibetan people and monks in China.
Caucus memberships
He founded and co-chaired the Congressional Long Island Sound and Hudson River Caucuses, which secured substantial increases in federal support. He co-founded with Congressman Jerrold Nadler the New York Task Force for Port, Rail and Industrial Development in order to restore lost jobs to New York's manufacturing and transportation sectors and preserve a portion of the Port of New York on the New York side of the harbor.
Albanian American Civic League
In the mid-1980s, Dioguardi along with a handful of Albanian-American businessmen founded the Albanian lobby, culminating in the establishment of the Albanian American Civic League (AACL) in January 1989. The lobby raised the issue of Albanian rights in Yugoslavia to the attention of U.S. policy makers in Washington.
Under Dioguardi's leadership, the AACL raised millions of dollars, arranged demonstrations, testified and passed resolutions in Congress promoting the issue of Kosovo Albanians, putting pressure on U.S. administrations.
Dioguardi's influence over the Albanian American lobby later diminished with the formation of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Some former members of the Civic League defected to the LDK, citing Dioguardi's behavior and style. According to them, Dioguardi "hangs onto the Civic League in order to promote his own thinly veiled political ambitions" and "demand[s] that everything go through him, even the demonstrations". Still, political analyst Paul Hockenos noted in 2003 that "Dioguardi and the Albanian lobby as a whole still pack a formidable punch, even after the dust of the wars has settled. Its sustained activity is something the other diaspora lobbies, those associated with the former Yugoslavia, no longer muster. In contrast, they are spent forces." The AACL is run by Dioguardi and his second wife who also serves as "Balkan Affairs Adviser".
Post-congressional career
Non-profit organization
In 1989, DioGuardi founded a non-profit organization that is known as Truth in Government. According to its website, "the mission of Truth in Government is to strengthen our country's financial foundation by promoting accountability and transparency in Congressional spending and reporting."
Book
In 1992, DioGuardi authored the book Unaccountable Congress: It Doesn't Add Up, published by Regnery. The book was re-released in 2010 with a new introduction that claimed to explain the chronology of events leading to the financial crisis of 2008.
2010 U.S. Senate election
On March 16, 2010, DioGuardi announced at Grand Central Terminal in New York City that he was seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by incumbent Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Gillibrand had been appointed to the seat by Gov. Paterson after it was vacated by Hillary Clinton. DioGuardi pledged to raise over in his campaign. He secured the nomination for U.S. Senate from the Conservative Party of New York on May 28, 2010, but did not secure enough votes from the New York Republican party contingencies at their state convention on June 2 to appear on the Republican line in the New York primary race on September 14. On August 9, the New York Board of Elections officially certified DioGuardi's qualification for the September 14th GOP primary.
During the campaign, DioGuardi attracted some press attention for his advocacy of Albanian rights and his claim that without his efforts, there would be no independent Kosovo.
DioGuardi narrowly defeated David Malpass in the primary election (with Bruce Blakeman finishing distant third), securing the Republican line in the general election. He also, after the primary, secured the line of the nascent Taxpayers Party of New York when Malpass stepped aside.
Prior to the election, DioGuardi was linked to a Ponzi scheme by the SEC. From 2007 to 2009, the former Westchester Republican congressman was paid a month as a consultant for the subsidiary Medical Capital Corp. – and also got a year to sit on boards of various other MCH subsidiaries. DioGuardi said he was oblivious to any wrongdoing. "As a consultant, Joe was tasked with saving hospitals in New York from being shut down, but knew nothing of the schemes that were occurring behind the scenes," said his spokesman Brian Hummell, adding that his boss "has never seen the books."
DioGuardi lost the general election to Gillibrand, 63.0% to 35.1%.
Personal life
DioGuardi lives in Ossining, New York, with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi. His first wife, Carol, died in 1997 of ovarian cancer. His son John is a counselor at the Phoenix House, a national non-profit drug treatment organization on whose board Joseph has served since 1972. His daughter Kara DioGuardi is a songwriter and artist who has appeared as a judge on the American Idol show, and has also been involved in Phoenix House.
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Joe DioGuardi
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"Girlfriend" is a song by British rock band The Darkness, released as the third and final single from their second studio album, One Way Ticket to Hell... And Back. Released on 22 May 2006, it was the band's last single before their five-year disbandment later that year. The song is written from the perspective of a man who has cheated on his girlfriend with another woman. He tells his now angry girlfriend in the first verse that the other girl meant nothing to him. In the second verse he admits that the relationship is over and his once girlfriend is now his ex. The music video for the song is inspired by the film Flashdance. The song charted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. This was the band's lowest charting single since 2003 single "Get Your Hands off My Woman".
Track listings
CD single
"Girlfriend" - 2:33
"Girlfriend" (Richie Edwards Mix) - 5:32
DVD single
"Girlfriend" (Music Video) - 2:48
"Girlfriend" (Making of the Video) - 2:00
"Girlfriend" (Audio) - 2:33
"Girlfriend" (British Whale Mix) - 5:45
"Girlfriend" (Space Cowboy House Mix) - 5:37
10" vinyl
"Girlfriend" - 2:33
"Girlfriend" (Space Cowboy Hard & Fast Mix) - 5:26
"Girlfriend" (Freelance Hellraiser 'Screaming' J Hawkins Mix) - 3:14
Digital download
"Girlfriend" - 2:33
Digital single
"Girlfriend" - 2:33
"Girlfriend" (Richie Edwards Mix) - 5:32
Digital Remixes EP
"Girlfriend" (Richie Edwards Mix) - 5:32
"Girlfriend" (Freelance Hellraiser 'Screaming' J Hawkins Mix) - 3:14
"Girlfriend" (British Whale Mix) - 5:45
"Girlfriend" (Space Cowboy Hard & Fast Mix) - 5:26
"Girlfriend" (Space Cowboy House Mix) - 5:37
Chart positions
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Girlfriend (The Darkness song)
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Dead Man's Letters (), also known as Letters from a Dead Man, is a 1986 Soviet post-apocalyptic drama film directed and written by Konstantin Lopushansky. He wrote it along with Vyacheslav Rybakov and Boris Strugatsky. It marks his directorial debut.
The film was screened at the International Critics' Week section of the Cannes Film Festival in 1987
and received the FIPRESCI prize at the 35th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg.
In the aftermath of nuclear apocalypse, a group of people are forced to live underground in bunkers. They cannot go outside their dwellings without wearing protective clothing and gas masks. They try to find hope in the disturbing new world. Among these people is a history teacher who tries to contact via letters his missing son.
Plot
The film is set in a town after a nuclear war; the town is destroyed and polluted with radioactive elements. The main character, Professor Larsen, played by Rolan Bykov, is a Nobel Prize in Physics laureate, who lives in the basement of a museum along with his sick wife and several other people who used to work at the museum. He often writes letters to his son Eric, though he has no way of contacting him. Larsen believes the war has ended and that more surviving humans exist outside the central bunker, but nobody else believes his theories.
Larsen visits an orphanage where the current caretaker of the surviving children explains that she's thinking of evacuating to the central bunker, though may have to leave the children behind as they likely won't be allowed in since they're sick, to Larsen's disapproval. Larsen is informed that he also might be rejected from entering the central bunker due to his old age. With his wife's health declining, Larsen sneaks past several soldiers during curfew hours and attempts to find medicine for his wife, escaping from a military raid in the process. When he returns to the museum's basement, however, he finds that his wife died. The other museum employees bury her body.
In one of his letters to Eric, Larsen tells a darkly humorous story on how someone failed to prevent the nuclear war. According to him, an operator from an electronics center had a chance to cancel the first missile launch (which happened due to a computer error), but was unable to reach the computer in time to abort the launch as he was slowed down by a cup of coffee in his hands. The operator then hung himself in return.
Larsen makes a trip to the central bunker in an effort to find Eric. After sneaking into a medical facility, he enters the children's department, only to find all the children sick, injured, and screaming in agony, much to Larsen's horror.
After returning to the museum's basement, he finds that a museum employee is about to take his life as he thinks the history of mankind has ended and that mankind was doomed from the very beginning. He then leaves the group, lies down in a grave, and shoots himself dead, to the horror of his son. Later, while salvaging books from a flooded library, Larsen talks with a man who disagrees with his theory on how there's hope for mankind, referencing how Jesus said mankind was doomed.
Larsen visits the orphanage where he learns the children were rejected from entering the central bunker. The caretaker leaves the children for Larsen to look after, as she is evacuating to the central bunker herself. The remaining museum employees also evacuate to the central bunker, though Larsen stays behind to look after the children (it's assumed they're the only people left in the town). On Christmas Day, Larsen creates a makeshift Christmas tree out of sticks and candles while the children design Christmas ornaments to decorate it with. In his final letter to Eric, Larsen writes that he finally found purpose in life and that he hopes his son doesn't leave him alone in the world.
The final scene is narrated by one of the children Larsen looked after, who explains that Larsen died some time later. On his deathbed, he told the children to leave the museum and find somewhere else to go while they have the strength, still believing that life exists elsewhere. The film ends with the children wandering through the apocalyptic landscape together, their fates unknown.
Cast
Rolan Bykov - Professor Larsen
Vatslav Dvorzhetsky - Pastor
Vera Mayorova - Anna
Vadim Lobanov
Viktor Mikhaylov
Svetlana Smirnova - Theresa
Vladimir Bessekernyh
Vyacheslav Vasiliev - doctor dosimetrist
Natalya Vlasova
Themes
Due to the heated climate between North America and Russia during the events of The Cold War, many critics believe that Dead Man's Letters is a response to American films like WarGames and The Day After discussing their perspective on the Nuclear Arms Race. TBS purchased the rights to show Dead Man's Letters, deciding to air it alongside Amerika, a twelve-hour ABC miniseries about what the United States would be like as a Soviet satellite state. The heavy reliance on themes like warfare, uncertainty, and grief as well as Americans involved in the war are interwoven through the production design from Yelena Amshinskaya and Viktor Ivanov. The use of defense equipment in the film, including gas masks and shelter equipment, makes its portrayal of a post-nuclear setting an eerie mirror image of the Soviet program.
Production
Around the time the film started production, it was common knowledge that Russia had a strict censorship policy following the death of Stalin, resulting in a three year waiting period for Lopushansky and the crew consisting of various re-rewrites, possibly most likely due to Vyacheslav Rybakov's involvement with anti-Soviet literature and run-ins with the KGB. However, censorship started to loosen around the mid to late 80s towards discussing sensitive topics regarding current or previous events in Russia's history, so producers and film studios became more lenient with what was shown in cinemas. Gorbachev established a policy of allowing more open discussion of previously sensitive political issues making it possible for well connected civil defense skeptics to popularize their views. The patronage of Anatoly Gromyko-historian, member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and son of Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko enabled the production by Lenfilm in 1986 of the first portrayal of the aftermath of nuclear war in Soviet cinema.
Before production started on this film and his short Solo, Lopunshansky served as an apprentice for Tarkovsky and would later work as a production assistant for his 1979 film Stalker. Tarkovsky's teachings played a huge influence on Lopushansky's directing style as well as many aspects of the film from the set design, cinematography, and signature slow yet otherworldly pacing. In a 2017 interview with Indie Cinema, Lopunshansky states "I noticed that his lectures, in fact, are not about certain professional skills, but are more philosophical, about understanding the essence of art, its essence." This can be seen through the film's brutal realism and constant feelings of hopelessness and confusion, a sentiment shared with by various members of the crew. The use of monochrome coloring on the film stock gives a resemblance to the greenish tint seen in various scenes in Stalker, in order to give the film a more foreboding atmosphere.
Reception
In 1989, The New York Times published a somewhat positive review of the film. Praising the film for its brutal realism and stunning set design, but found that the film was somewhat dismissed by its meandering in certain scenes stating "despite its technical virtues, seems just a bit too contrived to truly convince, much less to deeply move. Yet, in stripping the ideological gloss from the vision of ultimate calamity, Mr. Lopushinsky does succeed in creating a cultural artifact that makes the specter of the most dreadful possible event common to both sides of the superpower divide".
See also
Vyacheslav Rybakov
List of nuclear holocaust fiction
Nuclear weapons in popular culture
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Dead Man's Letters
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Kerala ( ), officially Keralam (), is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Travancore. Spread over , Kerala is the 21st largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.
The Chera dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala. The Ay kingdom in the deep south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north formed the other kingdoms in the early years of the Common Era (CE). The region had been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The region's prominence in trade was noted in the works of Pliny as well as the Periplus around . In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and paved the way for European colonisation of India. At the time of Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, there were two major princely states in Kerala: Travancore and Cochin. They united to form the state of Thiru-Kochi in 1949. The Malabar region, in the northern part of Kerala, had been a part of the Madras province of British India, which later became a part of the Madras State post-independence. After the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the modern-day state of Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar district of Madras State (excluding Gudalur taluk of Nilgiris district, Lakshadweep Islands, Topslip, the Attappadi Forest east of Anakatti), the taluk of Kasaragod (now Kasaragod District) in South Canara, and the erstwhile state of Thiru-Kochi (excluding four southern taluks of Kanyakumari district, and Shenkottai taluks).
Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%; the highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.784 in 2018 (0.712 in 2015); the highest literacy rate, 96.2% in the 2018 literacy survey conducted by the National Statistical Office, India; the highest life expectancy, 77.3 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1,000 men. Kerala is the least impoverished state in India according to NITI Aayog's Sustainable Development Goals dashboard and Reserve Bank of India's 'Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy'. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. The state topped in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals according to the annual report of NITI Aayog published in 2019. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly Malayalam and sometimes English. Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity.
The economy of Kerala is the 8th-largest in India with in gross state domestic product (GSDP) and a per capita net state domestic product of . The tertiary sector contributes around 65% to state's GSVA, while the primary sector contributes only 8%. The state has witnessed significant emigration, especially to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy depends significantly on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community. The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are important. The state is situated between Arabian Sea to the west and Western Ghats mountain ranges to the east. The state's coastline extends for , and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry, which contributes 3% to the state's income. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with coconut-lined sandy beaches, backwaters, hill stations, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions.
Etymology
The word Kerala is first recorded as Keralaputo ('son of Chera [s]') in a 3rd-century-BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka (274–237 BCE), one of his edicts pertaining to welfare. At that time, one of three states in the region was called in Classical Tamil: and are variants of the same word. The word refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for 'lake'. may stem from the Classical Tamil 'declivity of a hill or a mountain slope' or 'land of the Cheras'.
One folk etymology derives Kerala from the Malayalam word 'coconut tree' and 'land'; thus, 'land of coconuts', which is a nickname for the state used by locals due to the abundance of coconut trees.
The earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala as Cherapadha is the late Vedic text Aitareya Aranyaka. Kerala is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics. The Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as , synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. The Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Kerala as Celobotra.
Kerala was alternatively called Malabar in the foreign trade circles. Earlier, the term Malabar had also been used to denote Tulu Nadu and Kanyakumari which lie contiguous to Kerala on the southwestern coast of India, in addition to the modern state of Kerala. The people of Malabar were known as Malabars. Until the arrival of the East India Company, the term Malabar was used as a general name for Kerala, along with the term Kerala. From the time of Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE) itself, the Arab sailors used to call Kerala as Male. The first element of the name, however, is attested already in the Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes. This mentions a pepper emporium called Male, which clearly gave its name to Malabar ('the country of Male'). The name Male is thought to come from the Malayalam word Mala ('hill'). Al-Biruni () is the first known writer to call this country Malabar. Authors such as Ibn Khordadbeh and Al-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works. The Arab writers had called this place Malibar, Manibar, Mulibar, and Munibar. Malabar is reminiscent of the word Malanad which means the land of hills. According to William Logan, the word Malabar comes from a combination of the Malayalam word Mala (hill) and the Persian/Arabic word Barr (country/continent).
History
Traditional sources
According to the Sangam classic Purananuru, the Chera king Senkuttuvan conquered the lands between Kanyakumari and the Himalayas. Lacking worthy enemies, he besieged the sea by throwing his spear into it. According to the 17th-century Hindu mythology work Keralolpathi, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the axe-wielding warrior sage Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu (hence, Kerala is also called Parasurama Kshetram 'The Land of Parasurama' in Hindu mythology). Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to the legendary account, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation; so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, who spat holy poison and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land. P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised, that Senguttuvan may have been inspired by the Parasurama legendary account, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.
Another much earlier Puranic character associated with Kerala is Mahabali, an Asura and a prototypical just king, who ruled the earth from Kerala. He won the war against the Devas, driving them into exile. The Devas pleaded before Lord Vishnu, who took his fifth incarnation as Vamana and pushed Mahabali down to netherworld to placate the Devas. There is a belief that, once a year during the Onam festival, Mahabali returns to Kerala. The Matsya Purana, among the oldest of the 18 Puranas, uses the Malaya Mountains of Kerala (and Tamil Nadu) as the setting for the story of Matsya, the first incarnation of Vishnu, and Manu, the first man and the king of the region.
Ophir
Ophir, a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth, is often identified with some coastal areas of Kerala. According to the account, the King Solomon received a cargo from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. A Dictionary of the Bible by Sir William Smith, published in 1863, notes the Hebrew word for parrot Thukki, derived from the Classical Tamil for peacock Thogkai and Cingalese Tokei, joins other Classical Tamil words for ivory, cotton-cloth and apes preserved in the Hebrew Bible. This theory of Ophir's location in Tamilakam is further supported by other historians. The most likely location on the coast of Kerala conjectured to be Ophir is Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram District (though some Indian scholars also suggest Beypore as possible location). The Books of Kings and Chronicles tell of a joint expedition to Ophir by King Solomon and the Tyrian king Hiram I from Ezion-Geber, a port on the Red Sea, that brought back large amounts of gold, precious stones and 'algum wood' and of a later failed expedition by king Jehoshaphat of Judah. The famous 'gold of Ophir' is referenced in several other books of the Hebrew Bible.
Cheraman Perumals
The legend of Cheraman Perumals is the medieval tradition associated with the Cheraman Perumals (literally the Chera kings) of Kerala. The validity of the legend as a source of history once generated much debate among South Indian historians. The legend was used by Kerala chiefdoms for the legitimation of their rule (most of the major chiefly houses in medieval Kerala traced its origin back to the legendary allocation by the Perumal). According to the legend, Rayar, the overlord of the Cheraman Perumal in a country east of the Ghats, invaded Kerala during the rule of the last Perumal. To drive back the invading forces the Perumal summoned the militia of his chieftains (like Udaya Varman Kolathiri, Manichchan, and Vikkiran of Eranad). The Cheraman Perumal was assured by the Eradis (chief of Eranad) that they would take a fort established by the Rayar. The battle lasted for three days and the Rayar eventually evacuated his fort (and it was seized by the Perumal's troops). Then the last Cheraman Perumal divided Kerala or Chera kingdom among his chieftains and disappeared mysteriously. The Kerala people never more heard any tidings of him. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu, who later came to be known as the Zamorins of Kozhikode, who were left out in cold during allocation of the land, was granted the Cheraman Perumal sword (with the permission to "die, and kill, and seize").
According to the Cheraman Juma Mosque and some other narratives, "Once a Cheraman Perumal probably named Ravi Varma was walking with his queen in the palace, when he witnessed the splitting of the moon. Shocked by this, he asked his astronomers to note down the exact time of the splitting. Then, when some Arab merchants visited his palace, he asked them about this incident. Their answers led the King to Mecca, where he met Islamic prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. It is assumed that the first recorded version of this legend is an Arabic manuscript of anonymous authorship known as Qissat Shakarwati Farmad. The 16th century Arabic work Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen authored by Zainuddin Makhdoom II of Ponnani, as well as the medieval Malayalam work Keralolpathi, also mention about the departure of last Cheraman Perumal of Kerala into Mecca.
However, S. N. Sadasivan contends in A Social History of India that Kalimanja, the king of the Maldives, was the one who converted to Islam. The story of Tajuddeen in the Cochin Gazetteer may have originated because Mali, as it was known to sailors at the time, was mistaken for Malabar (Kerala).
Pre-history
A substantial portion of Kerala including the western coastal lowlands and the plains of the midland may have been under the sea in ancient times. Marine fossils have been found in an area near Changanassery, thus supporting the hypothesis. Pre-historical archaeological findings include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area of the Idukki district, which lie on the eastern highland made by Western Ghats. They are locally known as "muniyara", derived from muni (hermit or sage) and ara (dolmen). Rock engravings in the Edakkal Caves, in Wayanad date back to the Neolithic era around 6000 BCE. Archaeological studies have identified Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic sites in Kerala. The studies point to the development of ancient Kerala society and its culture beginning from the Paleolithic Age, through the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic Ages. Foreign cultural contacts have assisted this cultural formation; historians suggest a possible relationship with Indus Valley civilisation during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age.
Ancient period
Kerala has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according to Sumerian records and it is still referred to as the "Garden of Spices" or as the "Spice Garden of India". Kerala's spices attracted ancient Arabs, Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Phoenicians established trade with Kerala during this period. Arabs and Phoenicians were the first to enter Malabar Coast to trade Spices. The Arabs on the coasts of Yemen, Oman, and the Persian Gulf, must have made the first long voyage to Kerala and other eastern countries. They must have brought the Cinnamon of Kerala to the Middle East. The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolised by the Egyptians and the Phoenicians.
The Land of Keralaputra was one of the four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being Chola, Pandya, and Satiyaputra. Scholars hold that Keralaputra is an alternate name of the Cheras, the first dominant dynasty who ruled Kerala, and had its capital at Karur. These territories once shared a common language and culture, within an area known as Tamilakam. The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu. Along with the Ay kingdom in the south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north, the Cheras formed the ruling kingdoms of Kerala in the early years of the Common Era (CE). It is noted in Sangam literature that the Chera king Uthiyan Cheralathan ruled most of modern Kerala from his capital in Kuttanad, and controlled the port of Muziris, but its southern tip was in the kingdom of Pandyas, which had a trading port sometimes identified in ancient Western sources as Nelcynda (or Neacyndi) in Quilon. Tyndis was a major centre of trade, next only to Muziris, between the Cheras and the Roman Empire. The lesser known Ays and Mushikas kingdoms lay to the south and north of the Chera regions, respectively. Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos (Chera dynasty). The North Malabar region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis, was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period. The port at Tyndis which was on the northern side of Muziris, as mentioned in Greco-Roman writings, was somewhere around Kozhikode. Its exact location is a matter of dispute. The suggested locations are Ponnani, Tanur, Beypore-Chaliyam-Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu, and Koyilandy.
According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis. However the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike'''s starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000 sesterces. According to Pliny the Elder, goods from India were sold in the Empire at 100 times their original purchase price. Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone to raids by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of Malabar peppers.Das, Santosh Kumar (2006). The Economic History of Ancient India. Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd. p. 301. In the last centuries BCE the coast became important to the Greeks and Romans for its spices, especially Malabar pepper. The Cheras had trading links with China, West Asia, Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire. In foreign-trade circles the region was known as Male or Malabar. Muziris, Tyndis, Naura, Nelcynda, and Barace, were among the principal ports at that time. Contemporary Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange for Malabar pepper. One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala was Eudoxus of Cyzicus, around 118 or 166 BCE, under the patronage of Ptolemy VIII, king of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Roman establishments in the port cities of the region, such as a temple of Augustus and barracks for garrisoned Roman soldiers, are marked in the Tabula Peutingeriana, the only surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus.
Merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala. The Israeli (Jewish) connection with Kerala started in 573 BCE. Arabs also had trade links with Kerala, starting before the 4th century BCE, as Herodotus (484–413 BCE) noted that goods brought by Arabs from Kerala were sold to the Israelis [Hebrew Jews] at Eden. In the 4th century, the Knanaya or Southist Christians also migrated from Persia and lived alongside the early Syriac Christian community known as the St. Thomas Christians who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Mappila was an honorific title that had been assigned to respected visitors from abroad; Israelite (Jewish), Syrian Christian, and Muslim immigration account for later names of the respective communities: Juda Mappilas, Muslim Mappilas, and Nasrani Mappilas. The earliest Saint Thomas Christian Churches, Cheraman Jumu'ah Masjid (traditionally dated to "629 CE" by the Mappilas)—regarded as "the first mosque of India"—and Paradesi Synagogue (1568 CE)—the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations—were built in Kerala.
Early medieval period
A second Chera Kingdom (c. 800–1102), also known as Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram (present-day Kodungallur), was established by Kulasekhara Varman, which ruled over a territory comprising the whole of modern Kerala and a smaller part of modern Tamil Nadu. During the early part of the Kulasekara period, the southern region from Nagercoil to Thiruvalla was ruled by Ay kings, who lost their power in the 10th century, making the region a part of the Kulasekara empire. Under Kulasekhara rule, Kerala witnessed a developing period of art, literature, trade and the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils, became linguistically separate during this period around the seventh century. The origin of Malayalam calendar dates back to year 825 CE. For local administration, the empire was divided into provinces under the rule of Naduvazhis, with each province comprising a number of Desams under the control of chieftains, called as Desavazhis. Mamankam festival, which was the largest native festival, was held at Tirunavaya near Kuttippuram, on the bank of river Bharathappuzha. Athavanad, the headquarters of Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, who were also considered as the supreme religious chief of the Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, is also located near Tirunavaya.
Sulaiman al-Tajir, a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varma (9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and China at that time, based at the port of Kollam. A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerable Muslim population in the coastal towns. Arab writers such as Al-Masudi of Baghdad (896–956 CE), Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100–1165 CE), Abulfeda (1273–1331 CE), and Al-Dimashqi (1256–1327 CE) mention the Muslim communities in Kerala. Some historians assume that the Mappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Muslim community in South Asia. The known earliest mention about Muslims of Kerala is in the Quilon Syrian copper plates.
The inhibitions, caused by a series of Chera-Chola wars in the 11th century, resulted in the decline of foreign trade in Kerala ports. In addition, Portuguese invasions in the 15th century caused two major religions, Buddhism and Jainism, to disappear from the land. It is known that the Menons in the Malabar region of Kerala were originally strong believers of Jainism. The social system became fractured with divisions on caste lines. Finally, the Kulasekhara dynasty was subjugated in 1102 by the combined attack of Later Pandyas and Later Cholas. However, in the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulashekhara (1299–1314) of the southern Venad kingdom was able to establish a short-lived supremacy over southern India.
The rise of Kozhikode
After his death, in the absence of a strong central power, the state was divided into thirty small warring principalities; the most powerful of them were the kingdom of Zamorin of Kozhikode in the north, Kollam in the far-south, Kochi in the south, and Kannur in the far north. The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position in Kerala, while Kollam (Quilon), Kochi, and Kannur (Cannanore) were commercially confined to secondary roles. The Zamorin of Calicut was originally the ruler of Eranad, which was a minor principality located in the northern parts of present-day Malappuram district. The Zamorin allied with Arab and Chinese merchants and used most of the wealth from Kozhikode to develop his military power. Kozhikode became the most powerful kingdom in the Malayalam speaking region during the Middle Ages.K. V. Krishna Iyer, Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Calicut: Norman Printing Bureau, 1938. In the 14th century, Kozhikode conquered larger parts of central Kerala after the seize of Tirunavaya from Valluvanad, which were under the control of the king of Perumbadappu Swaroopam (Cochin). The ruler of Perumpadappu was forced to shift his capital (c. CE 1405) further south from Kodungallur to Kochi. In the 15th century, the status of Cochin was reduced to a vassal state of Kozhikode. The ruler of Kolathunadu (Kannur) had also came under the influence of Zamorin by the end of the 15th century.
At the peak of their reign, the Zamorins of Kozhikode ruled over a region from Kollam (Quilon) in the south to Panthalayini Kollam (Koyilandy) in the north. Ibn Battuta (1342–1347), who visited the city of Kozhikode six times, gives the earliest glimpses of life in the city. He describes Kozhikode as "one of the great ports of the district of Malabar" where "merchants of all parts of the world are found". The king of this place, he says, "shaves his chin just as the Haidari Fakeers of Rome do... The greater part of the Muslim merchants of this place are so wealthy that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such vessels put here and fit-out others like them". Ma Huan (1403 AD), the Chinese sailor part of the Imperial Chinese fleet under Cheng Ho (Zheng He) states the city as a great emporium of trade frequented by merchants from around the world. He makes note of the 20 or 30 mosques built to cater to the religious needs of the Muslims, the unique system of calculation by the merchants using their fingers and toes (followed to this day), and the matrilineal system of succession (Marumakkathayam). Abdur Razzak (1442–43), Niccolò de' Conti (1445), Afanasy Nikitin (1468–74), Ludovico di Varthema (1503–1508), and Duarte Barbosa witnessed the city as one of the major trading centres in the Indian subcontinent where traders from different parts of the world could be seen.Gangadharan. M., The Land of Malabar: The Book of Barbosa (2000), Vol II, M.G University, Kottayam.
Vijayanagara Conquests
The king Deva Raya II (1424–1446) of the Vijayanagara Empire conquered the entirety of present-day state of Kerala in the 15th century. He defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode, as well as the ruler of Kollam around 1443. Fernão Nunes says that the Zamorin had to pay tribute to the king of Vijayanagara Empire. Later Kozhikode and Venad seem to have rebelled against their Vijayanagara overlords, but Deva Raya II quelled the rebellion. As the Vijayanagara power diminished over the next fifty years, the Zamorin of Kozhikode again rose to prominence in Kerala. He built a fort at Ponnani in 1498.
Early modern period
The maritime spice trade monopoly in the Arabian Sea stayed with the Arabs during the High and Late Middle Ages. However, the dominance of Middle East traders was challenged in the European Age of Discovery. After Vasco Da Gama's arrival in Kappad Kozhikode in 1498, the Portuguese began to dominate eastern shipping, and the spice-trade in particular. Following the discovery of sea route from Europe to Malabar in 1498, the Portuguese began to expand their territories and ruled the seas between Ormus and the Malabar Coast and south to Ceylon. They established a trading centre at Tangasseri in Quilon during 1502 as per the invitation of the then Queen of Quilon to start spices trade from there. The Zamorin of Kozhikode permitted the new visitors to trade with his subjects such that Portuguese trade in Kozhikode prospered with the establishment of a factory and a fort. However, Portuguese attacks on Arab properties in his jurisdiction provoked the Zamorin and led to conflicts between them.
The ruler of the Kingdom of Tanur, who was a vassal to the Zamorin of Calicut, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord at Kozhikode. As a result, the Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu) became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler of Tanur also sided with Cochin. Many of the members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected from Vettom. However, the Tanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in the Battle of Cochin (1504). However, the allegiance of the Mappila merchants in Tanur region still stayed under the Zamorin of Calicut.
The Portuguese took advantage of the rivalry between the Zamorin and the King of Kochi allied with Kochi. When Francisco de Almeida was appointed as Viceroy of Portuguese India in 1505, his headquarters was established at Fort Kochi (Fort Emmanuel) rather than in Kozhikode. During his reign, the Portuguese managed to dominate relations with Kochi and established a few fortresses on the Malabar Coast. Fort St Angelo or St. Angelo Fort was built at Kannur in 1505 and Fort St Thomas was built at Kollam (Quilon) in 1518 by the Portuguese. However, the Portuguese suffered setbacks from attacks by Zamorin forces in South Malabar; especially from naval attacks under the leadership of Kozhikode admirals known as Kunjali Marakkars, which compelled them to seek a treaty. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organising the first naval defence of the Indian coast. Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen written by Zainuddin Makhdoom II (born around 1532) of Ponnani in 16th-century CE is the first-ever known book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite.A G Noorani. Islam in Kerala.
Books It is written in Arabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy of Kunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonise Malabar coast. Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the father of modern Malayalam literature, was born at Tirur (Vettathunadu) during Portuguese period.
In 1571, the Portuguese were defeated by the Zamorin forces in the battle at Chaliyam Fort. An insurrection at the Port of Quilon between the Arabs and the Portuguese led to the end of the Portuguese era in Quilon. The Muslim line of Ali Rajas of Arakkal kingdom, near Kannur, who were the vassals of the Kolathiri, ruled over the Lakshadweep islands. The Bekal Fort near Kasaragod, which is also largest fort in the state, was built in 1650 by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi.
In 1602, the Zamorin sent messages to Aceh promising the Dutch a fort at Kozhikode if they would come and trade there. Two factors, Hans de Wolff and Lafer, were sent on an Asian ship from Aceh, but the two were captured by the chief of Tanur, and handed over to the Portuguese. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Steven van der Hagen arrived at Kozhikode in November 1604. It marked the beginning of the Dutch presence in Kerala and they concluded a treaty with Kozhikode on 11 November 1604, which was also the first treaty that the Dutch East India Company made with an Indian ruler. By this time the kingdom and the port of Kozhikode was much reduced in importance. The treaty provided for a mutual alliance between the two to expel the Portuguese from Malabar. In return the Dutch East India Company was given facilities for trade at Kozhikode and Ponnani, including spacious storehouses.
The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch East India Company, who during the conflicts between the Kozhikode and the Kochi, gained control of the trade. They lost to Dutch at Quilon after 1661 and later, the Portuguese left south-western coast. The arrival of British on Malabar Coast can be traced back to the year 1615, when a group under the leadership of Captain William Keeling arrived at Kozhikode, using three ships. It was in these ships that Sir Thomas Roe went to visit Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, as British envoy. In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century.
The Kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin, and British influences
The Dutch in turn were weakened by constant battles with Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family, and were defeated at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. An agreement, known as "Treaty of Mavelikkara", was signed by the Dutch and Travancore in 1753, according to which the Dutch were compelled to detach from all political involvement in the region. In the 18th Century, Travancore King Sree Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma annexed all the kingdoms up to Cochin through military conquests, resulting in the rise of Travancore to pre-eminence in Kerala. The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent. Travancore became the dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755.
The island of Dharmadom near Kannur, along with Thalassery, was ceded to the East India Company in 1734, which were claimed by all of the Kolattu Rajas, Kottayam Rajas, and Arakkal Bibi in the late medieval period, where the British initiated a factory and English settlement following the cession. In 1761, the British captured Mahé, and the settlement was handed over to the ruler of Kadathanadu. The British restored Mahé to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahé. In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, and Mahé was handed over to the French in 1785.
In 1757, to resist the invasion of the Zamorin of Kozhikode, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of the Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1766, Hyder Ali defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode – an East India Company ally at the time – and absorbed Kozhikode into his state. The smaller princely states in northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar region) including Kolathunadu, Kottayam, Kadathanadu, Kozhikode, Tanur, Valluvanad, and Palakkad were unified under the rulers of Mysore and were made a part of the larger Kingdom of Mysore. His son and successor, Tipu Sultan, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Tipu ultimately ceded the Malabar District and South Kanara to the company in the 1790s as a result of the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the subsequent Treaty of Seringapatam; both were annexed to the Bombay Presidency (which had also included other regions in the western coast of India) of British India in the years 1792 and 1799, respectively. Later in 1800, both of the Malabar District and South Canara were separated from Bombay presidency to merge them with the neighbouring Madras Presidency. The company forged tributary alliances with Kochi in 1791 and Travancore in 1795.
By the end of the 18th century, the whole of Kerala fell under the control of the British, either administered directly or under suzerainty. Initially the British had to suffer local resistance against their rule under the leadership of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who had popular support in Thalassery-Wayanad region. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Malabar Special Police was formed by the colonial government in 1884 headquartered at Malappuram. British in Malabar also converted Thiyyar army, called as Thiyya pattalam into a special regiment centred at Thalassery called as The Thiyyar Regiment in 1904.Nagendra k.r.singh Global Encyclopedia of the South India Dalit's Ethnography (2006) page.230, Google Books There were major revolts in Kerala during the independence movement in the 20th century; most notable among them is the 1921 Malabar Rebellion and the social struggles in Travancore. In the Malabar Rebellion, Mappila Muslims of Malabar rebelled against the British Raj. The Battle of Pookkottur adorns an important role in the rebellion. Some social struggles against caste inequalities also erupted in the early decades of the 20th century, leading to the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation by Travancore Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma that opened Hindu temples in Travancore to all castes.
As a state of the Republic of India
After India was partitioned in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Travancore and Kochi, part of the Union of India were merged on 1 July 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin. On 1 November 1956, the taluk of Kasargod in the South Kanara district of Madras, the Malabar district of Madras (excluding the islands of Lakshadweep), and Travancore-Cochin, without four southern taluks and Sengottai taluk (which joined Tamil Nadu), merged to form the state of Kerala under the States Reorganisation Act. A Communist-led government under E. M. S. Namboodiripad resulted from the first elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957. It was one of the earliest elected Communist governments anywhere. His government implemented land and educational reforms which in turn, reduced income inequality in the state.
Geography
The state is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between northern latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and eastern longitudes 74°52' and 77°22', Kerala experiences humid tropical rainforest climate with some cyclones. The state has a coast of and the width of the state varies between . Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains. Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala's terrain. A catastrophic flood in Kerala in 1341 CE drastically modified its terrain and consequently affected its history; it also created a natural harbour for spice transport.
The eastern region of Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow. 41 of Kerala's west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad; hence also known Palghat, where the Palakkad Gap breaks. The Western Ghats rise on average to above sea level, while the highest peaks reach around . Anamudi in the Idukki district is the highest peak in south India, is at an elevation of . The Western Ghats mountain chain is recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The chain's forests are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains. The Athirappilly Falls, which is situated on the background of Western Ghat mountain ranges, is also known as The Niagara of India. It is located in the Chalakudy River and is the largest waterfall in the state. Wayanad is the sole Plateau in Kerala. The eastern regions in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram (Chaliyar valley at Nilambur), and Palakkad (Attappadi Valley), which together form parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, are known for natural Gold fields, along with the adjoining districts of Karnataka.
Kerala's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region, and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala, has the lowest altitude in India, and is also one of the few places in world where cultivation takes place below sea level. The country's longest lake Vembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about in area. Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala. Kerala's 44 rivers include the Periyar; , Bharathapuzha; , Pamba; , Chaliyar; , Kadalundipuzha; , Chalakudipuzha; , Valapattanam; and the Achankovil River; . The average length of the rivers is . Many of the rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rain. As Kerala's rivers are small and lacking in delta, they are more prone to environmental effects. The rivers face problems such as sand mining and pollution. The state experiences several natural hazards like landslides, floods and droughts. The state was also affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and in 2018 received the worst flooding in nearly a century.
Climate
With around 120–140 rainy days per year, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon, and the rest from September to December corresponding to Northeast monsoon. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula, because of its topography, divides into two branches; the "Arabian Sea Branch" and the "Bay of Bengal Branch". The "Arabian Sea Branch" of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats, making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon. The distribution of pressure patterns is reversed in the Northeast monsoon, during this season the cold winds from North India pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and precipitate it on the east coast of peninsular India. In Kerala, the influence of the Northeast monsoon is seen in southern districts only. Kerala's rainfall averages 2,923 mm (115 in) annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm (49 in); the mountains of the eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm (197 in) of orographic precipitation: the highest in the state. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. During the summer, the state is prone to gale-force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level. The mean daily temperature ranges from 19.8 °C to 36.7 °C. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0 to 27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.
Environment
Background radiation levels
Minerals including Ilmenite, Monazite, Thorium, and Titanium, are found in the coastal belt of Kerala. Kerala's coastal belt of Karunagappally is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand. In some coastal panchayats, median outdoor radiation levels are more than 4 mGy/yr and, in certain locations on the coast, it is as high as 70 mGy/yr.
Flora and fauna
Most of the biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Western Ghats. Three-quarters of the land area of Kerala was under thick forest up to the 18th century. , over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species are in Kerala. Out of the 4,000 flowering plant species; 1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala, 900 are medicinal, and 159 are threatened. Its 9,400 km2 of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km2), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km2 and 100 km2, respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km2). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested. Four of the world's Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta, Ashtamudi Lake, Thrissur-Ponnani Kole Wetlands, and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km2 of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and 1828 km2 of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century, much of the remaining forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Eastern Kerala's windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. The world's oldest teak plantation 'Conolly's Plot' is in Nilambur.
Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: it includes 118 species of mammals (1 endemic), 500 species of birds, 189 species of freshwater fish, 173 species of reptiles (10 of them endemic), and 151 species of amphibians (36 endemic). These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinisation, and resource extraction. In the forests, sonokeling, Dalbergia latifolia, anjili, mullumurikku, Erythrina, and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm, and aromatic vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides. Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Nilgiri tahr, common palm civet, and grizzled giant squirrels are also found in the forests. Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and mugger crocodile. Kerala's birds include the Malabar trogon, the great hornbill, Kerala laughingthrush, darter and southern hill myna. In the lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as Kadu, Red Line Torpedo Barb and choottachi; orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus are found. Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.
Subdivisions
The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala). The districts which serve as administrative regions for taxation purposes are further subdivided into 27 revenue subdivisions and 77 taluks, which have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records. Kerala's taluks are further sub-divided into 1,674 revenue villages.
Since the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution of India, the local government institutions function as the third tier of government, which constitutes 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block panchayats, 941 Grama Panchayats, 87 Municipalities, six Municipal Corporations and one Township.
Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry, though away from it, is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. The Kannur District surrounds Mahé on three sides with the Kozhikode District on the fourth.
In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Municipality of Thiruvananthapuram came into existence in 1920. After two decades, during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal, Thiruvananthapuram Municipality was converted into Corporation on 30 October 1940, making it the oldest Municipal Corporation of Kerala. The first Municipal Corporation founded after the independence of India as well as the second-oldest Municipal Corporation of the state is at Kozhikode in the year 1962. There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration. According to a survey by economics research firm Indicus Analytics in 2007, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur are among the "best cities in India to live"; the survey used parameters such as health, education, environment, safety, public facilities and entertainment to rank the cities.
Government and administration
Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress; and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the LDF is the ruling coalition; Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is the Chief Minister, while V. D. Satheesan of the Indian National Congress is the Leader of the Opposition. According to the Constitution of India, Kerala has a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. The government is organised into the three branches:
Legislature: The unicameral legislature, the Kerala Legislative Assembly popularly known as Niyamasabha, comprises elected members and special office bearers; the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected by the members from among themselves. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker and in the Speaker's absence, by the Deputy Speaker. The state has 140 assembly constituencies. The state elects 20 and 9 members for representation in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively.
Executive: The Governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state, and is appointed by the President of India. Arif Mohammad Khan is the Governor of Kerala. The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the head of government and is vested with extensive executive powers; the head of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly is appointed to the post by the Governor. The Council of Ministers has its members appointed by the Governor, taking the advice of the Chief Minister. The executive administration is based in Thiruvananthapuram at State Secretariat complex. Each district has a district administrator appointed by government called District collector for executive administration. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.
Judiciary: The judiciary consists of the Kerala High Court and a system of lower courts. The High Court, located in Kochi, has a Chief Justice along with 35 permanent and twelve additional pro tempore justices . The high court also hears cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
The local government bodies; Panchayat, Municipalities and Corporations have existed in Kerala since 1959, however, the major initiative to decentralise the governance was started in 1993, conforming to the constitutional amendments of central government in this direction. With the enactment of Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and Kerala Municipality Act in 1994, the state implemented reforms in local self-governance. The Kerala Panchayati Raj Act envisages a 3-tier system of local government with Gram panchayat, Block panchayat and District Panchayat forming a hierarchy. The acts ensure a clear demarcation of power among these institutions. However, the Kerala Municipality Act envisages a single-tier system for urban areas, with the institution of municipality designed to par with the Gram panchayat of the former system. Substantial administrative, legal and financial powers are delegated to these bodies to ensure efficient decentralisation. As per the present norms, the state government devolves about 40% of the state plan outlay to the local government. Kerala was declared as the first digital state of India on 27 February 2016. The India Corruption Survey 2019 by Transparency International declared Kerala the least-corrupt state in India. The Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre, India, designated Kerala as the best governed Indian state.
Economy
After independence, the state was managed as a social democratic welfare economy. From the 1990s, liberalisation of the mixed economy allowed Licence Raj restrictions against capitalism and foreign direct investment to be lightened, leading to economic expansion and an increase in employment. In the fiscal year 2018–19, the nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) was . GSDP growth; 11.4% in 2018–2019 and 10.5% in 2017–2018 had been high compared to an average of 2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1% and 6.0% in the 1990s. The state recorded 8.9% growth in enterprises from 1998 to 2005, higher than the national rate of 4.8%. The "Kerala phenomenon" or "Kerala model of development" of very high human development and in comparison low economic development has resulted from a strong service sector. In 2019–20, the tertiary sector contributed around 63% of the state's GSVA, compared to 28% by secondary sector, and 8% by primary sector. In the period between 1960 and 2020, Kerala's economy was gradually shifting from an agrarian economy into a service-based one.
The state's service sector which accounts for around 63% of its revenue is mainly based upon Hospitality industry, Tourism, Ayurveda & Medical Services, Pilgrimage, Information technology, Transportation, Financial sector, and Education. Major initiatives under the industrial sector include Cochin Shipyard, Shipbuilding, Oil refinery, Software Industry, Coastal mineral industries, food processing, marine products processing, and Rubber based products. The primary sector of the state is mainly based upon Cash crops. Kerala produces a significant amount of national output of the cash crops such as Coconut, Tea, Coffee, pepper, Natural rubber, Cardamom, and Cashew in India. The cultivation of food crops began to reduce since the 1950s. The Migrant labourers in Kerala are a significant workforce in its industrial and agricultural sectors. Being home to only 1.18% of the total land area of India and 2.75% of its population, Kerala contributes more than 4% to the Gross Domestic Product of India.
Kerala's economy depends significantly on emigrants working in foreign countries, mainly in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and the remittances annually contribute more than a fifth of GSDP. The state witnessed significant emigration during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s. In 2008, the Persian Gulf countries together had a Keralite population of more than 2.5 million(2.5 million), who sent home annually a sum of 6.81 billion, which is the highest among Indian states and more than 15.1% of remittances to India in 2008. In 2012, Kerala still received the highest remittances of all states: US$11.3 billion, which was nearly 16% of the US$71 billion remittances to the country. In 2015, NRI deposits in Kerala have soared to over , amounting to one-sixth of all the money deposited in NRI accounts, which comes to about . Malappuram district has the highest proportion of emigrant households in state. A study commissioned by the Kerala State Planning Board, suggested that the state look for other reliable sources of income, instead of relying on remittances to finance its expenditure.
A decline of about 300,000 in the number of emigrants from the state was recorded during the period between 2013 and 2018. The total remittances received by the emigrants stood at in the year 2018. According to a study done in 2013, was the total amount paid to migrant labourers in the state every year. The tertiary sector comprises services such as transport, storage, communications, tourism, banking, insurance and real estate. In 2011–2012, it contributed 63.2% of the state's GDP, agriculture and allied sectors contributed 15.7%, while manufacturing, construction and utilities contributed 21.1%. Around 600 varieties of rice, which is Kerala's most used staple and cereal crop, are harvested from 3105.21 km2; a decline from 5883.4 km2 in 1990. 6,88,859 tonnes of rice are produced per year. Other key crops include coconut; 899,198 ha, tea, coffee; 23% of Indian production, or 57,000 tonnes, rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
As of March 2002, Kerala's banking sector comprised 3341 local branches: each branch served 10,000 people, lower than the national average of 16,000; the state has the third-highest bank penetration among Indian states. On 1 October 2011, Kerala became the first state in the country to have at least one banking facility in every village. Unemployment in 2007 was estimated at 9.4%; chronic issues are underemployment, low employability of youth, and a low female labour participation rate of only 13.5%, as was the practice of Nokku kooli, "wages for looking on". (On 30 April 2018, the Kerala state government issued an order to abolish Nokku Kooli, to take effect on 1 May.) By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively.
The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) was started in 2007, covering more than 3000 outlets across the nine cities of Kerala with huge tax discounts, VAT refunds and huge array of prizes. Lulu International Mall at Thiruvananthapuram is the largest Shopping Mall in India.
The state's budget of 2020–2021 was . The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to in 2020–21; up from in 2019–20. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala reached in 2020–2021. However, Kerala's high ratio of taxation to GSDP has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, which have impacted social services. A record total of 223 hartals were observed in 2006, resulting in a revenue loss of over . Kerala's 10% rise in GDP is 3% more than the national GDP. In 2013, capital expenditure rose 30% compared to the national average of 5%, owners of two-wheelers rose by 35% compared to the national rate of 15%, and the teacher-pupil ratio rose 50% from 2:100 to 4:100.
The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board is a government owned financial institution in the state to mobilise funds for infrastructure development from outside the state revenue, aiming at overall infrastructure development of the state.
In November 2015, the Ministry of Urban Development selected seven cities of Kerala for a comprehensive development program known as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). A package of was declared for each of the cities to develop service level improvement plan (SLIP), a plan for better functioning of the local urban bodies in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad.
Despite of many achievements, Kerala facing many challenges like high levels of unemployment that disproportionately impact educated women, a high degree of global exposure and a very fragile environment.
Information technology
Kerala has focused more attention towards growth of Information Technology sector with formation of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram which is one of the largest IT employer in Kerala. It was the first technology park in India and with the inauguration of the Thejaswini complex on 22 February 2007, Technopark became the largest IT Park in India. Software giants like Infosys, Oracle, Tata Consultancy Services, Capgemini, HCL, UST Global, NeST and Suntec have offices in the state. The state has a second major IT hub, the Infopark centred in Kochi with "spokes"(it acts as the "hub") in Thrissur and Alleppy. , Infopark generates one-third of total IT Revenues of the state with key offices of IT majors like Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Wipro, UST Global, IBS Software Services etc. and Multinational corporations like KPMG, Ernst & Young, EXL Service, Etisalat DB Telecom, Nielsen Audio, Xerox ACS, Tata ELXSI etc. Kochi also has another major project SmartCity under construction, built in partnership with Dubai Government. A third major IT Hub is under construction centred around Kozhikode known as Cyberpark. Kerala is the first Indian state to make Internet access a basic right. As of 2019, Kerala's Internet penetration rate is the second-highest in India only after to Delhi. Kerala is the first Indian state to have its own Internet service with the launch of Kerala Fiber Optic Network in 2021.
Industries
Traditional industries manufacturing items; coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Kerala supplies 60% of the total global produce of white coir fibre. India's first coir factory was set up in Alleppey in 1859–60. The Central Coir Research Institute was established there in 1959. As per the 2006–2007 census by SIDBI, there are micro, small and medium enterprises in Kerala employing people. The KSIDC has promoted more than 650 medium and large manufacturing firms in Kerala, creating employment for 72,500 people. A mining sector of 0.3% of GSDP involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite. Other major sectors are tourism, medical sector, educational sector, banking, ship building, oil refinery, infrastructure, manufacturing, home gardens, animal husbandry and business process outsourcing.
Agriculture
The major change in agriculture in Kerala occurred in the 1970s when production of rice fell due to increased availability of rice all over India and decreased availability of labour. Consequently, investment in rice production decreased and a major portion of the land shifted to the cultivation of perennial tree crops and seasonal crops. Profitability of crops fell due to a shortage of farm labour, the high price of land, and the uneconomic size of operational holdings. Only 27.3% of the families in Kerala depend upon agriculture for their livelihood, which is also the least curresponding rate in India.
Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper and accounts for 85% of the natural rubber in the country. Coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are the main agricultural products. Around 80% of India's export quality cashew kernels are prepared in Kollam. The key cash crop is Coconut and Kerala ranks first in the area of coconut cultivation in India. In 1960–61, about 70% of the Coconuts produced in India were from Kerala, which have reduced to 42% in 2011–12. Around 90% of the total Cardamom produced in India is from Kerala. India is the second-largest producer of Cardamom in world. About 20% of the total Coffee produced in India are from Kerala. The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields. Home gardens made up a significant portion of the agricultural sector. Related animal husbandry is touted by proponents as a means of alleviating rural poverty and unemployment among women, the marginalised, and the landless. The state government promotes these activities via educational campaigns and the development of new cattle breeds such as the Sunandini.
Though the contribution of the agricultural sector to the state economy was on the decline in 2012–13, through the strength of the allied livestock sector, it has picked up from 7.0% (2011–12) to 7.2%. In the 2013–14 fiscal period, the contribution has been estimated at a high of 7.8%. The total growth of the farm sector has recorded a 4.4% increase in 2012–13, over a 1.3% growth in the previous fiscal year. The agricultural sector has a share of 9.3% in the sectoral distribution of Gross State Domestic Product at Constant Price, while the secondary and tertiary sectors have contributed 23.9% and 66.7%, respectively.
There is a preference for organic products and home farming compared to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Forest gardens are common and known by the name home gardens. According to the English horticulturist Robert Hart, Kerala is "from the agroforestry point of view, perhaps the world's most advanced country, with an extraordinary intensivity of cultivation of some forest gardens."
Fisheries
With of coastal belt, 400,000 hectares of inland water resources and approximately 220,000 active fishermen, Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. According to 2003–04 reports, about 11 lakh(1.1 million) people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. The annual yield of the sector was estimated as 6,08,000 tons in 2003–04. This contributes to about 3% of the total economy of the state. In 2006, around 22% of the total Indian marine fishery yield was from Kerala. During the southwest monsoon, a suspended mud bank develops along the shore, which in turn leads to calm ocean water, peaking the output of the fishing industry. This phenomenon is locally called chakara. The waters provide a large variety of fish: pelagic species; 59%, demersal species; 23%, crustaceans, molluscs and others for 18%. Around 1050,000(1.050 million) fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes as of a 1999–2000 estimate; 222 fishing villages are strung along the coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.
Transportation
Roads
Kerala has of roads, which accounts for 5.6% of India's total. This translates to about of road per thousand people, compared to an average of in the country. Roads in Kerala include of national highway; 1.6% of the nation's total, of state highway; 2.5% of the nation's total, of district roads; 4.7% of the nation's total, of urban (municipal) roads; 6.3% of the nation's total, and of rural roads; 3.8% of the nation's total. Kottayam has the maximum length of roads among the districts of Kerala, while Wayanad accounts for minimum. Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through the NH 66 (previously NH 17 and 47); and the eastern side is accessible through state highways. New projects for hill and coastal highways were recently announced under KIIFB. National Highway 66, with the longest stretch of road () connects Kanyakumari to Mumbai; it enters Kerala via Talapady in Kasargod and passes through Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Guruvayur, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram before entering Tamil Nadu. Palakkad district is generally referred to as the Gateway of Kerala, due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats, through which the northern (Malabar) and southern (Travancore) parts of Kerala are connected to the rest of India via road and rail. The state's largest checkpoint, Walayar, is on NH 544, in the border town between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, through which a large amount of public and commercial transportation reaches the northern and central districts of Kerala.
The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways system and major district roads. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways in Kerala. It also oversees a few major district roads. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Traffic density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state's high population. Kerala's annual total of road accidents is among the nation's highest. The accidents are mainly the result of the narrow roads and irresponsible driving. National Highways in Kerala are among the narrowest in the country and will remain so for the foreseeable future, as the state government has received an exemption that allows narrow national highways. In Kerala, highways are wide. In other states, national highways are grade separated, wide with a minimum of four lanes, as well as 6 or 8-lane access-controlled expressways. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has threatened the Kerala state government that it will give higher priority to other states in highway development since political commitment to better highways in Kerala has been lacking. , Kerala had the highest road accident rate in the country, with most fatal accidents taking place along the state's national highways.
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned road transport corporation. It is one of the country's oldest state-run public bus transport services. Its origins can be traced back to Travancore State Road Transport Department, when the Travancore government headed by Sri. Chithra Thirunnal decided to set up a public road transportation system in 1937.
The corporation is divided into three zones (North, Central and South), with the headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala's capital city). Daily scheduled service has increased from to , using 6,241 buses on 6,389 routes. At present the corporation has 5373 buses running on 4795 schedules.
The Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) was formed under KSRTC in 2015 to manage affairs related to urban transportation. It was inaugurated on 12 April 2015 at Thevara.
Railways
Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways operates all railway lines in the state connecting most major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. The railway network in the state is controlled by two out of six divisions of the Southern Railway; Thiruvananthapuram Railway division headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad Railway Division headquartered at Palakkad. Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) is the busiest railway station in the state. Kerala's major railway stations are:
The first railway line in the state was laid from Tirur to Chaliyam (Kozhikode), with the oldest Railway Station at Tirur, passing through Tanur, Parappanangadi, Vallikkunnu, and Kadalundi. The railway was extended from Tirur to Kuttippuram through Tirunavaya in the same year. It was again extended from Kuttippuram to Shoranur through Pattambi in 1862, resulting in the establishment of Shoranur Junction railway station, which is also the largest railway junction in the state. Major railway transport between Chaliyam–Tirur began on 12 March 1861, from Tirur-Shoranur in 1862, from Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section in 1902, from Kollam–Sengottai on 1 July 1904, Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram on 4 January 1918, from Nilambur-Shoranur in 1927, from Ernakulam–Kottayam in 1956, from Kottayam–Kollam in 1958, from Thiruvananthapuram–Kanyakumari in 1979 and from the Thrissur-Guruvayur Section in 1994. The Nilambur–Shoranur line is one of the shortest broad gauge railway lines in India. It was established in the British era for the transportation of Nilambur teaks and Angadipuram Laterite to United Kingdom through the port at Kozhikode. The presence of Palakkad Gap on Western Ghats makes the Shoranur Junction railway station important as it connects the southwestern coast of India (Mangalore) with the southeastern coast (Chennai).
Kochi Metro
Kochi Metro is the metro rail system in the city of Kochi. It is the only metro rail system in Kerala. Construction began in 2012, with the first phase being set up at an estimated cost of . The Kochi Metro uses 65-metre long Metropolis train sets built and designed by Alstom. It is the first metro system in India to use a communication-based train control (CBTC) system for signalling and telecommunication. In October 2017, Kochi Metro was named the "Best Urban Mobility Project" in India by the Urban Development Ministry, as part of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) International Conference hosted by the ministry every year.
Airports
Kerala has four international airports:
Kollam Airport, established under the Madras Presidency, but since closed, was the first airport in Kerala. Kannur had an airstrip used for commercial aviation as early as 1935 when Tata airlines operated weekly flights between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram – stopping at Goa and Kannur. Trivandrum International Airport, managed by the Airport Authority of India, is among the oldest existing airports in South India. Calicut International Airport, which was opened in 1988, is the second-oldest existing airport in Kerala and the oldest in the Malabar region. Cochin International Airport is the busiest in the state and the seventh busiest in the country. It is also the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy and has won the coveted Champion of the Earth award, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations. Cochin International Airport is also the first Indian airport to be incorporated as a public limited company; it was funded by nearly 10,000 non-resident Indians from 30 countries.
Other than civilian airports, Kochi has a naval airport named INS Garuda. Thiruvananthapuram airport shares civilian facilities with the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force. These facilities are used mostly by central government VIPs visiting Kerala.
Water transport
Kerala has one major port, four intermediate ports, and 13 minor ports. The major port in the state is at Kochi, which has an area of 8.27 km2. The Vizhinjam International Seaport, which is currently classified as an intermediate port, is an upcoming major port under construction. Other intermediate ports include Beypore, Kollam, and Azheekal. The remaining ports are classified as minor which include Manjeshwaram, Kasaragod, Nileshwaram, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Ponnani, Munambam, Manakodam, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Neendakara, and Valiyathura. The Kerala Maritime Institute is headquartered at Neendakara, which has an additional subcentre at Kodungallur too. The state has numerous backwaters, which are used for commercial inland navigation. Transport services are mainly provided by country craft and passenger vessels. There are 67 navigable rivers in the state while the total length of inland waterways is . The main constraints to the expansion of inland navigation are; lack of depth in waterways caused by silting, lack of maintenance of navigation systems and bank protection, accelerated growth of the water hyacinth, lack of modern inland craft terminals, and lack of a cargo handling system.
The long West-Coast Canal is the longest waterway in state connecting Kasaragod to Poovar. It is divided into five sections: long Kasaragod-Nileshwaram reach, long Nileshwaram-Kozhikode reach, Kozhikode-Kottapuram reach, long National Waterway 3 (Kottapuram-Kollam reach), and long Kollam-Vizhinjam reach. The Conolly Canal, which is a part of West-Coast Canal, connects the city of Kozhikode with Kochi through Ponnani, passing through the districts of Malappuram and Thrissur. It begins at Vadakara. It was constructed in the year 1848 under the orders of then District collector of Malabar, H. V. Conolly, initially to facilitate movement of goods to Kallayi Port from hinter lands of Malabar through Kuttiady and Korapuzha river systems. It was the main waterway for the cargo movement between Kozhikode and Kochi through Ponnani, for more than a century. Other important waterways in Kerala include the Alappuzha-Changanassery Canal, Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha Canal, and Kottayam-Vaikom Canal.
Kochi water metro
Kochi Water Metro (KWM) is an integrated ferry transport system serving the Greater Kochi region in Kerala, India. It is the first water metro system in India and the first integrated water transport system of this size in Asia, which connects Kochi's 10 island communities with the mainland through a fleet of 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats plying along 38 terminals and 16 routes spanning 76 kilometres. It is integrated with the Kochi Metro and serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accessibility is limited.
Demographics
Kerala is home to 2.8% of India's population; with a density of 859 persons per km2, its land is nearly three times as densely settled as the national average of 370 persons per km2. , Thiruvananthapuram is the most populous city in Kerala. In the state, the rate of population growth is India's lowest, and the decadal growth of 4.9% in 2011 is less than one third of the all-India average of 17.6%. Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991; the population stood at 33.3 million by 2011. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled with population of 2022 persons per km2, 2.5 times the overall population density of the state, 859 persons per km2, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. Around 31.8 million Keralites are predominantly Malayali. The state's 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis, 1.1% of the population, are concentrated in the east.
Gender
There is a tradition of matrilineal inheritance in Kerala, where the mother is the head of the household. As a result, women in Kerala have had a much higher standing and influence in the society. This was common among certain influential castes and is a factor in the value placed on daughters. Christian missionaries also influenced Malayali women in that they started schools for girls from poor families. Opportunities for women such as education and gainful employment often translate into a lower birth rate, which in turn, make education and employment more likely to be accessible and more beneficial for women. This creates an upward spiral for both the women and children of the community that is passed on to future generations. According to the Human Development Report of 1996, Kerala's Gender Development Index was 597; higher than any other state of India. Factors, such as high rates of female literacy, education, work participation and life expectancy, along with favourable sex ratio, contributed to it.
Kerala's sex ratio of 1.084 (females to males) is higher than that of the rest of India and is the only state where women outnumber men. While having the opportunities that education affords them, such as political participation, keeping up to date with current events, reading religious texts etc., these tools have still not translated into full, equal rights for the women of Kerala. There is a general attitude that women must be restricted for their own benefit. In the state, despite the social progress, gender still influences social mobility.Antherjanam, Lalithambika. Cast Me Out If You Will. New York: The Feminist Press, 1997.
LGBT rights
Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India. Kerala is one of the first states in India to form a welfare policy for the transgender community. In 2016, the Kerala government introduced free sex reassignment surgery through government hospitals. Queerala is one of the major LGBT organisations in Kerala. It campaigns for increased awareness of LGBT people and sensitisation concerning healthcare services, workplace policies and educational curriculum. Since 2010, Kerala Queer Pride has been held annually across various cities in Kerala.
In June 2019, the Kerala government passed a new order that members of the transgender community should not be referred to as the "third gender" or "other gender" in government communications. Instead, the term "transgender" should be used. Previously, the gender preferences provided in government forms and documents included male, female, and other/third gender.
In the 2021 Mathrubhumi Youth Manifesto Survey conducted on people aged between 15 and 35, majority (74.3%) of the respondents supported legislation for same-sex marriage while 25.7% opposed it.
Human Development Index
Under a democratic communist local government, Kerala has achieved a record of social development much more advanced than the Indian average. , Kerala has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.770, which is in the "high" category, ranking it first in the country. It was 0.790 in 2007–08 and it had a consumption-based HDI of 0.920, which is better than that of many developed countries. Comparatively higher spending by the government on primary level education, health care and the elimination of poverty from the 19th century onwards has helped the state maintain an exceptionally high HDI; the report was prepared by the central government's Institute of Applied Manpower Research. However, the Human Development Report 2005, prepared by Centre for Development Studies envisages a virtuous phase of inclusive development for the state since the advancement in human development had already started aiding the economic development of the state. Kerala is also widely regarded as the cleanest and healthiest state in India.
According to the 2011 census, Kerala has the highest literacy rate (94%) among Indian states. In 2018, the literacy rate was calculated to be 96%. In the Kottayam district, the literacy rate was 97%. The life expectancy in Kerala is 74 years, among the highest in India . Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 59% (1973–1974) to 12% (1999–2010); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 47% between the 1970s and 2000s against the 29% fall in overall poverty rate in India. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively. The 2013 Tendulkar Committee Report on poverty estimated that the percentages of the population living below the poverty line in rural and urban Kerala are 9.1% and 5.0%, respectively. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.
Kerala has undergone a "demographic transition" characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway. In 2005, 11.2% of people were over the age of 60. In 2023, the BBC reported on the problems and benefits which have arisen from migration away from Kerala, focussing on the village of Kumbanad.
In 2004, the birthrate was low at 18 per 1,000. According to the 2011 census, Kerala had a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.6. All district except Malappuram district had fertility rate below 2. Fertility rate is highest in Malappuram district (2.2) and lowest in Pathanamthitta district (1.3). In 2001, Muslims had the TFR of 2.6 as against 1.5 for Hindus and 1.7 for Christians. The state also is regarded as the "least corrupt Indian state" according to the surveys conducted by CMS Indian Corruption Study (CMS-ICS) Transparency International (2005) and India Today (1997). Kerala has the lowest homicide rate among Indian states, with 1.1 per 100,000 in 2011. In respect of female empowerment, some negative factors such as higher suicide rate, lower share of earned income, child marriage, complaints of sexual harassment and limited freedom are reported. The child marriage is lower in Kerala. The Malappuram district has the highest number of child marriage and the number of such cases are increasing in Malappuram. The child marriages are particularly higher among the Muslim community. In 2019, Kerala recorded the highest child sex abuse complaints in India.
In 2015, Kerala had the highest conviction rate of any state, over 77%. Kerala has the lowest proportion of homeless people in rural India, <0.1%, and the state is attempting to reach the goal of becoming the first "Zero Homeless State", in addition to its acclaimed "Zero landless project", with private organisations and the expatriate Malayali community funding projects for building homes for the homeless. The state was also among the lowest in the India State Hunger Index next only to Punjab. In 2015 Kerala became the first "complete digital state" by implementing e-governance initiatives.
Healthcare
Kerala is a pioneer in implementing the universal health care program. The sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate are lower compared to those of other states, estimated from 12 to 14 deaths per 1,000 live births; as per the National Family Health Survey 2015–16, it has dropped to 6. According to a study commissioned by Lien Foundation, a Singapore-based philanthropic organisation, Kerala is considered to be the best place to die in India based on the state's provision of palliative care for patients with serious illnesses. However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding figures for all India were 55 and 54 per 1,000, respectively . Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is higher than that of many first world nations. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid among the more than 50% of people who rely on 3 million water wells is an issue worsened by the lack of sewers. As of 2017, the state has the highest number of diabetes patients and also the highest prevalence rate of the disease in India.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization designated Kerala the world's first "baby-friendly state" because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas. Over 95% of Keralite births are hospital delivered and the state also has the lowest infant mortality rate in the country. The third National Family Health Survey ranks Kerala first in "Institutional Delivery" with 100% births in medical facilities. Ayurveda, siddha, and endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa and vishavaidyam, are practised. Some occupational communities such as Kaniyar were known as native medicine men in relation to the practice of such streams of medical systems, apart from their traditional vocation. These propagate via gurukula discipleship, and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and alternative treatments. The Arya Vaidya Sala established by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Warrier at Kottakkal (about 10 km from Malappuram) in 1902, is the largest Ayurvedic medicinal network and health centre in the state. It is also one of the largest Ayurvedic medicinal brands in the world.
In 2014, Kerala became the first state in India to offer free cancer treatment to the poor, via a program called Sukrutham. People in Kerala experience elevated incidence of cancers, liver and kidney diseases. In April 2016, the Economic Times reported that 250,000 residents undergo treatment for cancer. It also reported that approximately 150 to 200 liver transplants are conducted in the region's hospitals annually. Approximately 42,000 cancer cases are reported in the region annually. This is believed to be an underestimate as private hospitals may not be reporting their figures. Long waiting lists for kidney donations has stimulated illegal trade in human kidneys, and prompted the establishment of the Kidney Federation of India which aims to support financially disadvantaged patients. As of 2017–18, there are 6,691 modern medicine institutions under the department of health services, of which the total bed strength is 37,843; 15,780 in rural areas and 22,063 in urban.
Language
Malayalam is the official language of Kerala, and one of the six Classical languages of India. There is a significant Tamil population throughout Kerala mainly in Idukki district and Palakkad district which accounts for 17.48% and 4.8% of its total population. Tulu and Kannada are spoken mainly in the northern parts of Kasaragod district, each of which account for 8.77% and 4.23% of total population in the district, respectively.
Religion
Kerala is very religiously diverse with Hindus, Muslims and Christians having a significant population throughout the state, Kerala is often regarded as one of the most diverse states in all of India. Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in Kerala, with significant Muslim and Christian minorities. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism. According to 2011 Census of India figures, 54.7% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 26.6% are Muslims, 18.4% are Christians, and the remaining 0.3% follow another religion or have no religious affiliation. Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts except Malappuram, where they are outnumbered by Muslims. Kerala has the largest population of Christians in India. As of 2016, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others account for 41.9%, 42.6%, 15.4% and 0.2% of the total child births in the state, respectively.
The mythological legends regarding the origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements. Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy of Advaita. He was instrumental in establishing four mathas at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was another religious figure who composed Narayaniyam, a collection of verses in praise of the Hindu God Krishna.
Islam arrived in Kerala, a part of the larger Indian Ocean rim, via spice and silk traders from the Middle East. Historians do not rule out the possibility of Islam being introduced to Kerala as early as the seventh century CE.Katz 2000; Koder 1973; Thomas Puthiakunnel 1973; David de Beth Hillel, 1832; Lord, James Henry 1977. Notable has been the occurrence of Cheraman Perumal Tajuddin, the mythical Hindu king that moved to Arabia to meet the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. Kerala Muslims are generally referred to as the Mappilas. Mappilas are but one among the many communities that forms the Muslim population of Kerala. According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (–632). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in Kasaragod town. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep islands, on the western side of Kerala, by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. His grave is believed to be located on the island of Andrott. A few Umayyad (661–750 CE) coins were discovered from Kothamangalam in the eastern part of Ernakulam district.
According to some scholars, the Mappilas are the oldest settled Muslim community in South Asia.Miller, R. E. "Mappila" in The Encyclopedia of Islam Volume VI. Leiden E. J. Brill 1988 pp. 458–66 The monopoly of overseas spice trade from Malabar Coast was safe with the West Asian shipping magnates of Kerala ports. The Muslims were a major financial power to be reckoned within the kingdoms of Kerala and had great political influence in the Hindu royal courts. The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains an Old Malayalam inscription written in a mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE. It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala. A 13th century granite inscription, written in a mixture of Old Malayalam and Arabic, at Muchundi Mosque in Kozhikode mentions a donation by the king to the mosque. Travellers have recorded the considerably huge presence of Muslim merchants and settlements of sojourning traders in most of the ports of Kerala. Immigration, intermarriage and missionary activity/conversion—secured by the common interest in the spice trade—helped in this development. Most of the Muslims in Kerala follow the Shāfiʿī school of religious law (Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema) while a large minority follow movements that developed within Sunni Islam. The latter section consists of majority Salafists (Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen). There is a large Keralan diaspora in the Middle East.
Ancient Christian tradition says that Christianity reached the shores of Kerala in 52 CE with the arrival of Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.Menachery G; 1973, 1998; Mundalan, A. M; 1984; Podipara, Placid J. 1970; Leslie Brown, 1956 Saint Thomas Christians include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Syrian Anglicans of the CSI and Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians. The origin of the Latin Catholic Christians in Kerala is the result of the missionary endeavours of the Portuguese Padroado in the 16th century. As a consequence of centuries of mixing with colonial immigrants, beginning with the Portuguese, Dutch, French, British and other Europeans, there is a community of Anglo-Indians in Kerala of mixed European and Indian parentage or ancestry. Kerala has the highest population of Christians among all the states of India.
Judaism reached Kerala in the 10th century BCE during the time of King Solomon. They are called Cochin Jews or Malabar Jews and are the oldest group of Jews in India.Weil, Shalva. India's Jewish Heritage: Ritual, Art and Life-Cycle, Mumbai: Marg Publications, 2009. [first published in 2002; 3rd edn.]. Katz 200/*Religion */ 0; Koder 1973; Menachery 1998 There was a significant Jewish community which existed in Kerala until the 20th century, when most of them migrated to Israel. The Paradesi Synagogue at Kochi is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. Jainism has a considerable following in the Wayanad district.
Buddhism was popular in the time of Ashoka but vanished by the 12th century CE. Certain Hindu communities such as the Samantan Kshatriyas, Ambalavasis, Nairs, Thiyyas and some Muslims around North Malabar used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris, most of the Ambalavasi castes and the Ezhavas followed makkathayam, a patrilineal system. Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status. However, gender inequality among low caste men and women is reportedly higher compared to that in other castes.
Education
The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts, including series expansion for trigonometric functions. The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was based at Vettathunadu (Tirur region). In the early decades of the 19th century, the modern educational transformation of Kerala was triggered by the efforts of the Church Mission Society missionaries to promote mass education. Following the recommendations of the Wood's despatch of 1854, the princely states of Travancore and Cochin launched mass education drives mainly based on castes and communities, and introduced a system of grant-in-aid to attract more private initiatives. The efforts by leaders such as Vaikunda Swami, Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, and Kuriakose Elias Chavara in aiding the socially discriminated castes in the state—with the help of community-based organisations like Nair Service Society, SNDP, Muslim Educational Society, Muslim Mahajana Sabha, Yoga Kshema Sabha (of Nambudiris) and congregations of Christian churches—led to the further development of mass education in Kerala.
According to the first economic census, conducted in 1977, 99.7% of the villages in Kerala had a primary school within , 98.6% had a middle school within and 96.7% had a high school or higher secondary school within . In 1991, Kerala became the first state in India to be recognised as completely literate, although the effective literacy rate at that time was only 90%. In 2006–2007, the state topped the Education Development Index (EDI) of the 21 major states in India. , enrolment in elementary education was almost 100%; and, unlike other states in India, educational opportunity was almost equally distributed among sexes, social groups, and regions. According to the 2011 census, Kerala has a 93.9% literacy, compared to the national literacy rate of 74.0%. In January 2016, Kerala became the first Indian state to achieve 100% primary education through its Athulyam literacy programme.
The educational system prevailing in the state's schools specifies an initial 10-year course of study, which is divided into three stages: lower primary, upper primary, and secondary school—known as 4+3+3, which signifies the number of years for each stage. After the first 10 years of schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams—liberal arts, commerce, or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional undergraduate (UG) degree-college programmes. The majority of public schools are affiliated with the Kerala Board of Public Examination (KBPE). There are 15,892 schools under KBPE, of which 5,986 are government schools, 8,183 are aided schools, and the rest are either un-aided or technical schools. Other educational boards are the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). English is the language of instruction in most self-financing schools, while government and government-aided schools offer instruction in English or Malayalam. Though the cost of education is generally considered low in Kerala, according to the 61st round of the National Sample Survey (2004–2005), per capita spending on education by the rural households was reported to be for Kerala, more than twice the national average. The survey also revealed that the rural-urban difference in household expenditure on education was much less in Kerala than in the rest of India.
CMS College, Kottayam, established in 1817, is the first western-style college, and one of the oldest colleges, in India. Government Brennen College, Thalassery, founded by philanthropist Edward Brennen in 1862, and Government Victoria College, Palakkad, founded in 1866, are among the oldest educational institutions in India.
The KITE Kerala is a state owned special purpose company under education department of the Government of Kerala. It was developed to support ICT enabled education for schools in the state. The erstwhile IT@School Project was transformed into KITE for extending its scope of operations in August 2017. Kerala is the first Indian state to have ICT-enabled education with hi-tech classrooms in all public schools. Kerala topped in the School Education Quality Index published by NITI Aayog in 2019.
The Indian Naval Academy, located at Ezhimala, is Asia's largest, and the world's third-largest, naval academy.
Culture
The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it is an integral part of Indian culture. It is a synthesis of Aryan, Dravidian, Arab, and European cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. It was elaborated through centuries of contact with neighbouring and overseas cultures. However, the geographical insularity of Kerala from the rest of the country has resulted in the development of a distinctive lifestyle, art, architecture, language, literature and social institutions. Over 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state every year. The Malayalam calendar, a solar sidereal calendar started from 825 CE in Kerala, finds common usage in planning agricultural and religious activities. Malayalam, one of the classical languages in India, is Kerala's official language. Over a dozen other scheduled and unscheduled languages are also spoken. Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.
Festivals
Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is brought down on the final day of the festival after immersing the deity. Some festivals include Poorams, the best known of these being the Thrissur Pooram. "Elephants, firework displays and huge crowds" are the major attractions of Thrissur Pooram. Other known festivals are Makaravilakku, Chinakkathoor Pooram, Attukal Pongala and Nenmara Vallangi Vela Other than these, festivals locally known as utsavams are conducted by many temples mostly on annual basis. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to it. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam or Panchavadyam. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by the Muslim community of the state while the festivals like Christmas and Easter are observed by the Christians.
Onam
Onam is a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala and is reminiscent of the state's agrarian past. It is a local festival of Kerala consisting of a four-day public holidays; from Onam Eve (Uthradam) to the fourth Onam Day. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and marks the commemoration of the homecoming of King Mahabali. The total duration of Onam is 10 days and it is celebrated all across Kerala. It is one of the festivals celebrated with cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal and Onavillu.
Dance
Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal and Krishnanattam, which originated and developed in the temple theatres during the classical period under the patronage of royal houses. Kerala natanam, Thirayattam, Kaliyattam, Theyyam, Koothu and Padayani are other dance forms associated with the temple culture of the region. Some traditional dance forms such as Oppana and Duffmuttu were popular among the Muslims of the state, while Margamkali and Parichamuttukali are popular among the Syrian Christians and Chavittu nadakom is popular among the Latin Christians.
Music
The development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. The development of the indigenous classical music form, Sopana Sangeetham, illustrates the rich contribution that temple culture has made to the arts of Kerala. Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularisation of the genre in the 19th century. Raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. Melam; including the paandi and panchari variants, is a more percussive style of music: it is performed at Kshetram-centered festivals using the chenda. Panchavadyam is a form of percussion ensemble, in which artists use five types of percussion instrument. Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter. Most of the castes and communities in Kerala have rich collections of folk songs and ballads associated with a variety of themes; Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads), Thekkan pattukal (Southern Ballads), Vanchi pattukal (Boat Songs), Mappila Pattukal (Muslim songs) and Pallipattukal (Church songs) are a few of them.
Cinema
Malayalam films carved a niche for themselves in the Indian film industry with the presentation of social themes. Directors from Kerala, like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mankada Ravi Varma, G. Aravindan, Bharathan, P. Padmarajan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, K.G. George, Priyadarshan, John Abraham, Ramu Karyat, K S Sethumadhavan, A. Vincent and Shaji N Karun have made a considerable contribution to the Indian parallel cinema. Kerala has also given birth to numerous actors, such as Mohanlal, Mammootty, Satyan, Prem Nazir, Madhu, Sheela, Sharada, Miss Kumari, Jayan, Adoor Bhasi, Seema, Bharath Gopi, Thilakan, Vijaya Raghavan, Kalabhavan Mani, Indrans, Shobana, Nivin Pauly, Sreenivasan, Urvashi, Manju Warrier, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Murali, Shankaradi, Kavya Madhavan, Bhavana Menon, Prithviraj, Parvathy (actress), Jayasurya, Dulquer Salmaan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Innocent and Fahad Fazil. Late Malayalam actor Prem Nazir holds the world record for having acted as the protagonist of over 720 movies. Since the 1980s, actors Mohanlal and Mammootty have dominated the movie industry; Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards (four for acting), while Mammootty has three National Film Awards for acting. Malayalam Cinema has produced a few more notable personalities such as K.J. Yesudas, K.S. Chitra, M.G. Sreekumar, Vayalar Rama Varma, V. Madhusoodanan Nair, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and O.N.V. Kurup, the last two mentioned being recipients of Jnanpith award, the highest literary award in India. Resul Pookutty, who is from Kerala, is only the second Indian to win an academy award for sound design, for the breakthrough film Slumdog Millionaire. As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 11 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director in the National Film Awards, India.
Literature
The Sangam literature can be considered as the ancient predecessor of Malayalam. Malayalam literature starts from the Old Malayalam period (9th–13th century CE) and includes such notable writers as the 14th-century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), and the 16th-century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, whose works mark the dawn of both the modern Malayalam language and its poetry. For the first 600 years of Malayalam calendar, the literature mainly consisted of the oral Ballads such as Vadakkan Pattukal in North Malabar and Thekkan Pattukal in Southern Travancore. Designated a "Classical Language in India" in 2013, it developed into the current form mainly by the influence of the poets Cherusseri Namboothiri, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, and Poonthanam Nambudiri, in the 15th and the 16th centuries of Common Era.Freeman, Rich (2003). "Genre and Society: The Literary Culture of Premodern Kerala". In Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions from South Asia Unnayi Variyar, a probable poet of the 17th/18th century CE, and Kunchan Nambiar, a poet of the 18th century CE, have also influenced a lot in the growth of modern Malayalam literature in its pre-mature form. The Bharathappuzha river, also known as River Ponnani, and its tributaries, have played a major role in the development of modern Malayalam Literature.
Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar and Kerala Varma Valiakoi Thampuran are noted for their contribution to Malayalam prose. The "triumvirate of poets" (Kavithrayam): Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, are recognised for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics, and towards a more lyrical mode. The poets like Moyinkutty Vaidyar and Pulikkottil Hyder have made notable contributions to the Mappila songs, which is a genre of the Arabi Malayalam literature.Pg 167, Mappila Muslims: a study on society and anti colonial struggles By Husain Raṇdathaṇi, Other Books, Kozhikode 2007 The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. The prose literature, Malayalam journalism, and criticism began after the latter-half of the 18th century. Contemporary Malayalam literature deals with social, political, and economic life context. The tendency of the modern literature is often towards political radicalism. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language. In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith winning poets and writers like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, O. N. V. Kurup, and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, had made valuable contributions to the modern Malayalam literature. Later, writers like O. V. Vijayan, Kamaladas, M. Mukundan, Arundhati Roy, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, have gained international recognition.
Cuisine
Kerala cuisine includes a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry, and meat. Culinary spices have been cultivated in Kerala for millennia and they are characteristic of its cuisine. Rice is a dominant staple that is eaten at all times of day. A majority of the breakfast foods in Kerala are made out of rice, in one form or the other (idli, dosa, puttu, pathiri, appam, or idiyappam), tapioca preparations, or pulse-based vada. These may be accompanied by chutney, kadala, payasam, payar pappadam, appam, chicken curry, beef fry, egg masala and fish curry. Porotta and Biryani are also often found in restaurants in Kerala. Thalassery biryani is popular as an ethnic brand. Lunch dishes include rice and curry along with rasam, pulisherry and sambar. Sadhya is a vegetarian meal, which is served on a banana leaf and followed with a cup of payasam. Popular snacks include banana chips, yam crisps, tapioca chips, Achappam, Unni appam and kuzhalappam. Seafood specialties include karimeen, prawns, shrimp and other crustacean dishes.
Thalassery Cuisine is varied and is a blend of many influences.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is popular in Kerala. Ayurvedic tourism has become very popular since the 1990s, and private agencies have played a notable role in tandem with the initiatives of the Tourism Department.
Elephants
Elephants have been an integral part of the culture of the state. Almost all of the local festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephants in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals. These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. More than 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state annually and some animal lovers have sometimes raised concerns regarding the overwork of domesticated elephants during them. In Malayalam literature, elephants are referred to as the "sons of the sahya". The elephant is the state animal of Kerala and is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.
Media
The media, telecommunications, broadcasting and cable services are regulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The National Family Health Survey – 4, conducted in 2015–16, ranked Kerala as the state with the highest media exposure in India. Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala, in nine major languages, but principally Malayalam and English. Kerala has the highest media exposure in India. The most widely circulated Malayalam-language newspapers are Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Deshabhimani, Madhyamam, Kerala Kaumudi, Mangalam, Chandrika, Deepika, Janayugam, Janmabhumi, Siraj Daily and Suprabhaatham. Major Malayalam periodicals include Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu, Vanitha, India Today Malayalam, Madhyamam Weekly, Grihalakshmi, Dhanam, Chithrabhumi and Bhashaposhini. The Hindu is the most read English language newspaper in the state, followed by The New Indian Express. Other dailies include Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India, DNA, The Economic Times and The Financial Express.
DD Malayalam is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, other Indian language and international channels. Some of the popular Malayalam television channels are Asianet, Asianet News, Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies, Surya TV, Surya Movies, Mazhavil Manorama, Manorama News, Kairali TV, Kairali News, Flowers, Media One TV, Mathrubhumi News, Kappa TV, Amrita TV, Reporter TV, Jaihind, Janam TV, Jeevan TV, Kaumudy TV and Shalom TV. With the second-highest internet penetration rate in India, Digital medias including Social medias and OTT services are a main source of information and entertainment in the state. Malayalam version of Google News was launched in September 2008. A sizeable People's science movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writer's cooperatives are becoming increasingly common. BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, Jio are the major cell phone service providers. Broadband Internet services are widely available throughout the state; some of the major ISPs are BSNL, Asianet Satellite Communications, Reliance Communications, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, MTS, RailWire and VSNL. According to a TRAI report, as of June 2018 the total number of wireless phone subscribers in Kerala is about 43.1 million and the wireline subscriber base is at 1.9 million, accounting for the Telephone Density of 124.15. Unlike in many other states, the urban-rural divide is not visible in Kerala with respect to mobile phone penetration.
Sports
By the 21st century, almost all of the native sports and games from Kerala have either disappeared or become just an art form performed during local festivals; including Poorakkali, Padayani, Thalappandukali, Onathallu, Parichamuttukali, Velakali, and Kilithattukali. However, Kalaripayattu, regarded as "the mother of all martial arts in the world", is an exception and is practised as the indigenous martial sport. Another traditional sport of Kerala is the boat race, especially the race of Snake boats.
Cricket and football became popular in the state; both were introduced in Malabar during the British colonial period in the 19th century. Cricketers, like Tinu Yohannan, Abey Kuruvilla, Chundangapoyil Rizwan, Sreesanth, Sanju Samson and Basil Thampi found places in the national cricket team. A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season. However, this team was disbanded after the season because of conflicts of interest among its franchises. Kerala has only performed well recently in the Ranji Trophy cricket competition, in 2017–18 reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history. Football is one of the most widely played and watched sports with huge in this state support for club and district level matches. Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League. The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in the country as well as the fifth most followed football club from Asia in the social media. Also, Kozhikode hosts Gokulam Kerala FC in the I-League as well as the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament. Kerala is one of the major footballing states in India along with West Bengal and Goa and has produced national players like I. M. Vijayan, C. V. Pappachan, V. P. Sathyan, U. Sharaf Ali, Jo Paul Ancheri, Ashique Kuruniyan, Muhammad Rafi, Jiju Jacob, Mashoor Shereef, Pappachen Pradeep, C.K. Vineeth, Anas Edathodika, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Rino Anto. The Kerala state football team has won the Santhosh Trophy seven times; in 1973, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2004, 2018, and 2022. They were also the runners-up eight times.
Among the prominent athletes hailing from the state are P. T. Usha, Shiny Wilson and M.D. Valsamma, all three of whom are recipients of the Padma Shri as well as Arjuna Award, while K. M. Beenamol and Anju Bobby George are Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award winners. T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, Sinimol Paulose, Angel Mary Joseph, Mercy Kuttan, K. Saramma, K. C. Rosakutty, Padmini Selvan and Tintu Luka are the other Arjuna Award winners from Kerala. Volleyball is another popular sport and is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George was a notable Indian volleyball player, rated in his prime as among the world's ten best players. Other popular sports include badminton, basketball and kabaddi. The Indian Hockey team captain P. R. Shreejesh, ace goalkeeper hails from Kerala. International Walkers from the state include K. T. Irfan.
For the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi), was chosen as one of the six venues where the game would be hosted in India. Greenfield International Stadium at located at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram city, is India's first DBOT (design, build, operate and transfer) model outdoor stadium and it has hosted international cricket matches and international football matches including 2015 SAFF Championship.
Tourism
Kerala's culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, have made the state one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. In 2012, National Geographic's Traveller magazine named Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime". Travel and Leisure also described Kerala as "One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century". In 2012, it overtook the Taj Mahal to be the number one travel destination in Google's search trends for India. CNN Travel listed Kerala among its '19 best places to visit in 2019'. Kerala was named by TIME magazine in 2022 among the 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in its list of the World's Greatest Places.
Kerala's beaches, backwaters, lakes, mountain ranges, waterfalls, ancient ports, palaces, religious institutions and wildlife sanctuaries are major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination compared to other states in the country. In 1986 the government of Kerala declared tourism an important industry and it was the first state in India to do so. Marketing campaigns launched by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees the tourism prospects of the state, resulted in the growth of the tourism industry. Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country. Kerala tourism is a global brand and regarded as one of the destinations with highest recall. In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourists, an increase of 23.7% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing popular destinations in the world. In 2011, tourist inflow to Kerala crossed the 10-million mark.
Ayurvedic tourism has become very popular since the 1990s, and private agencies have played a notable role in tandem with the initiatives of the Tourism Department. Kerala is known for its ecotourism initiatives which include mountaineering, trekking and bird-watching programmes in the Western Ghats as the major activities. The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy, growing at the rate of 13.3%. The revenue from tourism increased five-fold between 2001 and 2011 and crossed the 190 billion mark in 2011. According to the Economic Times Kerala netted a record revenue of INR 365280.1 million from the tourism sector in 2018, clocking an increase of Rs 28743.3 million from the previous year. Over 16.7 million tourists visited Kerala in 2018 as against 15.76 million the previous year, recording an increase of 5.9%. The industry provides employment to approximately 1.2 million people.
The state's only drive-in beach, Muzhappilangad in Kannur, which stretches across five kilometres of sand, was chosen by the BBC as one of the top six drive-in beaches in the world in 2016. Idukki Dam, the world's second arch dam, and Asia's first is at Idukki. The major beaches are at Kovalam, Varkala, Kozhikode, Fort Kochi, Cherai, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Kadalundi, Tanur, Chaliyam, Payyambalam, Kappad, Muzhappilangad and Bekal. Popular hill stations are at Ponmudi, Wayanad, Vagamon, Munnar, Peermade, Ramakkalmedu, Arimbra, Paithalmala of Kannur district, Kodikuthimala, and Nelliampathi. Munnar is 4,500 feet above sea level and is known for tea plantations, and a variety of flora and fauna. Kerala's ecotourism destinations include 12 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks: Periyar Tiger Reserve, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, and Silent Valley National Park are the most popular among them. The Kerala backwaters are an extensive network of interlocking rivers (41 west-flowing rivers), lakes, and canals that centre around Alleppey, Kumarakom, Ponnani, Nileshwaram, and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), Pathiramanal a small island in Muhamma. Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace are two nearby heritage sites. Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram holds the record as the wealthiest place of worship in the world, with assets of at least .
See also
Outline of Kerala
South India
Dravidian people
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Kerala
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Jean-Pierre Brunet (17 September 1930 – 3 August 1948) was a French-American figure skater. Born in France, he was the son of Olympic champion pair skaters Pierre Brunet and Andrée Joly Brunet. Jean-Pierre also competed in pairs with Donna J. Pospisil, and the pair won the title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice. He died at age 17 in an auto accident.
Competitive highlights
(with Pospisil)
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Jean-Pierre Brunet
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Robbie France (5 December 1959 – 14 January 2012) was an English drummer, record producer, arranger, journalist, music educator, and broadcaster.
Early life
France was born in Sheffield, and emigrated to Australia in March 1972. He studied at the National Academy of Rudimentary Drummers of Australia until 1974, under tutor Harry Lebler. At the age of fifteen, he began to teach at the Australian Academy of Music (1974–1975).
Career
While living and travelling in Australia, France formed the jazz-fusion group, Carnival, performed at the Oz Jazz Festival, and supported John McLaughlin. He worked with Stevie Wright of the Easybeats, Marty Rhone, Tim Gaze, and other major Australian artists. He amassed over 1,000 television, radio, and advertising credits, including eight documentaries and four film scores, including Band on the Run, one of the most successful surfing films ever made.
France left Australia in 1982 to return to England, where he joined Diamond Head the following year. Part of the NWOBHM movement, they performed at Castle Donington Monsters of Rock, then went on to record their third album, Canterbury. He played on the hit single "Making Music". Despite the bitter end of Diamond Head, France had nothing but good memories of band members Sean Harris and Brian Tatler. France stated, "I was a green, rather naive kid from Brisbane who was suddenly on stage in front of 90,000 people baying for metal... they got us', referring to the new sound of DH reflected in the recordings of Canterbury. Poorly managed and seemingly drifting between genres of the music of the time, Diamond Head imploded and split."
It was at this point where France was noticed as an extraordinary player. He performed at the first triple headliner drum clinic with Simon Phillips & Steve White, worked with Motown UK's C.E.O., 'Ivan Chandler's All Star Quintet' alongside Andy Hamilton. Also in the quintet were Spike Edney, and Mike Ashley. Playing at various venues around London, including Nick Rhodes' wedding party. In 1984 France toured with UFO, replacing Andy Parker.
Leaving UFO in 1985, he formed One Nation with Kipper (now Sting's producer). France stated, 'Kipper is a true genius. That's such an overused cliché in our business, but with Kip it's clear he knew he was special and eventually he proved to everybody he was right. I loved him then... and I still do.' They worked together at Tony Visconti's studio in Soho, London on a fabulous array of recordings. One Nation were being managed by Bill Lawrie, a well-known figure in the music trade. But the crunch came when France's wife, Annette, was asked to leave One Nation and he felt compelled to leave with her. By now France was also teaching in drum clinics, usually on behalf of the Avedis Zildjian cymbal company.
He set up a teaching studio in Kingston upon Thames, where he worked with Gary O'Toole, Hugo Degenhardt, Gary Wallis, Mike + The Mechanics, Power Station, 10cc, Jean Michel Jarre, The Style Council, Gary Ferguson, Mark Price, Tim Burgess, touring through Europe & the UK as support act with Ellis, Beggs & Howard. France had started writing for magazines in Australia, at the age of fifteen. During 1987, he began a monthly column for the British drummer's magazine Rhythm. In 1987, France joined Ellis, Beggs, & Howard (E.B.H.), whose first single, "Big Bubbles No Troubles", won the Diamond Award for best new group.
It was around this time that France was asked to fill in for drummer Frank Tontoh with jazz saxophonist Jean Toussaint. Meeting up to open a venue called The Soho Jazz Shack, Jean asked France to play with him on a more permanent basis, as he (Toussaint) had a regular slot at the Dingwalls club in Camden Town on Sunday afternoons.
After E.B.H., in 1990 France joined Wishbone Ash, with whom he toured and commenced the recording of the album Strange Affair. However, friction occurred between France and Wishbone Ash bassist Martin Turner, resulting in France's dismissal from the band. He was replaced by Ray Weston, who was one of his students. He then joined Anxious Records' band, Pleasure, touring as support act to the Eurythmics. By this time, however, France felt too drained to commit to any more touring or recording work.
In 1991, after working with Simon Ellis (East 17, D:Ream, S Club 7) and others, on the set pieces for his popular drum clinics, France returned to Australia to form a solo jazz project, The Gab. Based loosely as a tribute to the jazz greats Elvin Jones and John Coltrane, their first album was recorded at EMI Studios 301 in July 1993.
In 1994, he returned to London, ostensibly to promote the solo project where he became a founder member of Skunk Anansie and recorded and co-produced their debut album Paranoid & Sunburnt. He co-wrote the hit track "Weak", which has since been covered by Rod Stewart. He also recorded the B-side, "Army of Me", with Björk.
France left Skunk Anansie in 1995, joining the German group Alphaville the next day. He toured and recorded with Alphaville until an accident in which he severed his Achilles tendon. He lived in Poland for over two years, hosting his own radio programme, and appearing on various television shows. In 1998, he moved to Mazarrón, Spain, to concentrate on writing his first novel. He was running Pulpo Negro Records, Pulpo Negro Publishing, Pulpo Negro Studios, GCBC Productions, with his partner, Tim Oldfield up until 2004. He produced the award-winning Spanish bands Second, Renochild, and Blue Aliens Temple, as well as Screw Coco. He also produced, wrote, and arranged for London-based artist Keke.
France broadcast for a number of different radio stations in Spain over the last decade including Costa Calida International and TKO Gold. His most recent preoccupation was a return to radio broadcasting for both Real Radio 95.6 FM in Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca and One Radio Spain on the Costa Calida, providing simulcasts between the two Costas. France's first novel, Six Degrees South was published on 7 December 2011.
Death
France died on 14 January 2012 in Spain after reportedly suffering a ruptured aorta. He was 52.
Producer and co-producer
Skunk Anansie
Blue Alien's Temple
Second
Keke
Screw Coco
Renochild
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Robbie France
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The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of a mile and one-eighth. Run as the Florida Derby until 1937, the inaugural event took place at Tampa Downs on February 27, 1926. There was no race in 1927 and 1928 but was revived in 1929 at Hialeah Park Race Track.
Historical race notes
In 1937, Court Scandal won the first edition of the renamed Flamingo Stakes for owner Townsend Martin, an investment banker, polo player, and former part owner of the New York Jets football team.
With the introduction of the grading system for races in 1973, the Flamingo Stakes was given Grade I status which it held through 1989. Run in March or early April, for many years it was a very important early prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Nine winners of this race went on to win the Derby: Lawrin (1938), Faultless (1947) Citation (1948), Needles (1956), Tim Tam (1958), Carry Back (1961), Northern Dancer (1964), Foolish Pleasure (1975), Seattle Slew (1977), Spectacular Bid (1979).
In 1948, Citation won the Flamingo Stakes under regular jockey Al Snider. Six days later Snider drowned while out fishing in the Florida Keys and Eddie Arcaro would replace him on Citation, going on to win the U.S. Triple Crown.
The Flamingo Stakes was run in two divisions in 1952.
Chief's Crown finished first in the 1985 Flamingo Stakes but was disqualified to second. A successful appeal was reported by The Washington Post as "Racing officials in Florida redressed an injustice yesterday and made Chief's Crown the official winner of the Flamingo Stakes."
Hialeah Park racetrack ran into financial problems and in 2001 the facility ceased racing operations.
Frank Stronach's Thunder Blitz won the final running of the Flamingo Stakes.
Records
Speed record:
1:46.80 @ 1 1/8 miles : Honest Pleasure (1976)
Most wins by a jockey:
4 – Eddie Arcaro (1942, 1944, 1955, 1957)
4 – Jorge Velásquez (1967, 1978, 1986, 1988)
4 – Jacinto Vásquez (1971, 1973, 1975, 1980)
Most wins by a trainer:
4 – Ben A. Jones (1938, 1939, 1947, 1948)
Most wins by an owner:
4 – Calumet Farm (1947, 1948, 1958, 1978)
Winners
Note:
1968 – Iron Ruler disqualified from first to second
1962 – Sunrise County disqualified from first to third
1958 – Jewel's Reward disqualified from first to second
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Flamingo Stakes
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The name Chuck has been used for two tropical cyclones in the western Pacific Ocean.
Typhoon Chuck (1992) (T9204, 03W, Biring), made landfall on Hainan and in northern Vietnam
Tropical Storm Chuck (1995) (T9501, 02W), remained out to sea
Pacific typhoon set index articles
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List of storms named Chuck
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Titan Quest is a 2006 action role-playing game developed by Iron Lore Entertainment and published by THQ for Windows, first physically and then in 2007 through Steam. A mobile port was developed by DotEmu and published in 2016, and versions for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch were released in 2018. All these versions were published by THQ Nordic. The story follows a player-created protagonist as they navigate Ancient Greece, Egypt and China on a quest to defeat the Titans after they escape from their ancient prison. The gameplay is similar to the Diablo series, with player navigation being handled with a mouse-driven tile-based interface, and gameplay revolving around role-playing mechanics and real-time combat. Four expansions have been created for the game; Titan Quest: Immortal Throne in 2007, and three others between 2017 and 2021.
Titan Quest was envisioned by game designer Brian Sullivan as a role-playing game set in Ancient Greece similar to Age of Mythology. Production began in 2004 after a successful pitch to THQ. The script was written by Randall Wallace, while Sullivan acted as the designer. Despite being in a mythical setting, the team wanted to make the environments and towns feel as realistic as possible, leading to a large amount of research into ancient cultures. Enemies were inspired by the game's regional mythologies, with designs inspired by the stop-motion work of Ray Harryhausen. The music, composed by Scott Morton and Michael Verrette, was created to avoid the looping tracks of other games.
First announced in 2005, Titan Quest received generally positive reviews when released, being both praised as a good example of the genre while at the same time being criticized for its traditional gameplay. Sales of the main game and its expansion have been estimated as approaching one million units. The mobile port was tricky for its developers due to adapting the game for touchscreen controls: like the console version, it received positive reviews upon release. The engine and gameplay of Titan Quest later became the foundation for Grim Dawn, a video game developed by team members from Iron Lore following the studio's closure.
A sequel, titled Titan Quest II, was announced on August 11, 2023.
Gameplay
Titan Quest is an action role-playing game set in the pre-Roman Ancient World: these include Ancient Greece, Egypt, and the Silk Road leading through Asia. Players take control of an avatar: players are able to choose gender, name and tunic color. The three-dimensional world is navigated through an overhead third-person view, with the player character being controlled with the mouse through a point-and-click interface, while abilities are mapped to keyboard buttons. The environment is obscured by a "Fog of War" effect which blacks out unexplored environments on the minimap. Optional text tutorials for gameplay elements are unlocked progressively throughout the game and can be viewed at any time.
As they progress, players gain experience points through defeating enemies and completing quests for non-player characters (NPCs) scattered around environments: these raise a character's experience level, which grant access to fresh skills and points that can be used to upgrade character attributes such as health and energy levels, dexterity, intelligence, or strength. If the player dies, they respawn at rebirth fountains scattered through the world, although they lose some accumulated experience points. Quests are divided into Main Quests related to the central narrative, and side quests unique to particular areas of the world. Other NPCs can be found in towns and cities that act as Merchants selling equipment and items: these can be both bought and sold. Player characters have multiple equipment slots, which can take armor for limbs and torso, weapons or shields, and accessories that grant passive boons.
Fighting takes the form of real-time hack and slash combat, with players attacking randomly-generated enemies highlighted by the mouse. Available weapon types for characters include swords, clubs, axes, and staves. In addition to the standard attack with an assigned weapon, offensive skills can be deployed. Using active skills triggers a cooldown meter, rendering that skill unusable until the meter depletes. Items and equipment can also be looted from fallen enemies and chests scattered through environments: these range in quality, with grey standing for low-quality gear while purple stands for a "Legendary" item, and orange denotes a Relic or Charm which can be equipped to the player to increase an attribute such as elemental damage resistance. The majority of items and equipment are randomly generated, and are associated with particular types of enemies. The world's currency, Gold, can be gained through quest completion, opening chests and defeating certain enemies. Gold is used with the various shop NPCs in exchange for their services.
After leveling up for the first time, the player can access Masteries, skill tree-based upgrade systems where skill points unlocked upon leveling up can be used to access and boost different skills. Mastery abilities expend energy, which is replenished over time when skills are not in use or by using energy drinks. There are eight available Masteries to choose from (Defence, Warfare, Hunting, Rogue, Earth, Storm, Nature and Spirit). Players can access two Masteries at any one time, mixing skills from both trees. The combination of different Masteries create different character classes: for instance, combining Nature and Earth Masteries grants players the "Summoner" class, while Defense and Warfare Masteries create the "Conqueror". There are 36 possible Classes, which include pure disciplines within one Mastery and hybrids between different Masteries. After a certain point in the game, the player has access to Mystics, NPCs which can reallocate skill points for a fee.
In addition to single-player, the title features cooperative multiplayer, where players can accept invitation from up to six other players to join their game session through either LAN or online connection. Alongside being able to fight enemies together, players can swap messages and exchange loot. There is also a Level Editor available, where players can access developer tools and create their own levels which can be shared with other players. The editor features a large number of options for environment customization, including adjusting the shade of environmental elements like roads.
Synopsis
Titan Quest begins with a narration, detailing how the Titans once ruled the primordial darkness before the light of the Olympian Gods appeared: after a great war, the Titans were exiled and imprisoned, and the Olympians ushered in a golden age. An unknown time later, a trio of lesser Titans known as Telkines broke the conduit linking Olympus with the mortal world, and summoned armies of monsters to prepare for the release of the Titans. The player character begins their quest at the village of Helos, where beasts are destroying the local crops. Fighting their way through Greece, they learn of Telkines from a group called the Order of Prometheus. After defeating the first Telkine beneath the palace of Knossos, the player travels to Egypt and attempts to restore the connection between Earth and Olympus. The ritual fails, and they must defeat a second Telkine. The player then pursues the final Telkine along the Silk Road to China. Pursuing the Telkine to the Wusou Mountains, the player is too late to prevent the release of the Titan Typhon, who travels to Olympus to destroy the gods. After the player defeats Typhon, Zeus declares that humanity has proven itself able to live without the protection of Olympus.
Multiple expansion packs detail further adventures undertaken by the player character. In Immortal Throne, the player descends into the Underworld to confront the source of an outbreak of monster attacks. In Ragnarök, the player travels to the Norse realms, allying with the inhabitants of Asgard against an invasion by the Jotunn and the schemes of the treacherous Loki. In Atlantis, the player is called by Poseidon to help against attacks coming from the corrupted city of Atlantis. In Eternal Embers, the player travels to China and must deal with the ten sun spirits, who seek to avert their prophesied destruction and begin attacking mortals.
Development
Titan Quest was the brainchild of game designer Brian Sullivan: while he was working on Age of Empires, which sported a Grecian setting, he came up with the concept of creating a similar game while including the region's mythology. The concept work for Titan Quest began in 2000, when its developer Iron Lore Entertainment was formed by Sullivan and Paul Chieffo. The two brought together a skeleton team to create a demo with which to find a publisher. During this time, the game was described by producer Jeff Goodsill as being "on the drawing board". The creative leads on the project were Sullivan, Chieffo, programmer Max McGuire, and artists Rich Sullivan and Josh McHugh. According to Sullivan, the pre-production process lasted over a year. Iron Lore's January 2004 pitch to THQ was successful, and development began once they had secured a contract in 2004. The initial staff up to that time was just nine people working in a small office area: when production started and further staff were hired, the team size grew to 38, which included temporary and late development additions. Sullivan was involved in multiple areas of the development, but his main responsibility was game design and overseeing content creation. Titan Quest was aimed at both casual and hardcore gamers, as the necessary prices for games necessitated reaching out to a wide audience to get a profit. For this reason, the team chose the action role-playing genre. Developing the game was made more difficult by the necessity to create Iron Lore around it, recruiting and training new staff. Other studios were also involved with development. Towards the end of development, Demiurge Studios was brought in to help with the final stages during the alpha-beta-ship stages. Demiurge first helped with memory optimization; then worked on the level editor and modification functions so they worked as an independent function; and finally created installers for both the demo and the main game. Demiurge's involvement gave Iron Lore more time and energy to devote to fixing bugs and polishing gameplay. The CGI opening cinematic was created by Blur Studio.
According to designer Ben Schneider, the basic story was built around the recurring motif in multiple mythologies where a younger generation of deities defeat older primal beings, with the main premise being that victory being overturned. They stayed within their mythological subject matter rather than straying into historical events: this was due to an incident during the release of Age of Empires where the developers needed to cut a scenario showing Korean people coming under attack from invading Japanese due to potential political and popular backlash in both countries. The game's story and script were written by Randall Wallace, a screenwriter who had written recent successful films Braveheart and Pearl Harbor. Titan Quest was his first time writing for a video game. Together with Iron Lore staff, Wallace created a story where humans and the Olympians faced both the Titans and the mythical beasts allied with them that had retreated to the forgotten parts of the world. According to Wallace, Iron Lore wanted story to be a priority in contrast to most other video games, with the player experience focusing on growing their character and learning the world's lore from NPCs. Speaking about his experience writing for the game compared to his work on films, he needed to work within more rigid guidelines and the need to make the story fit in with the gameplay and content. This meant that some scenarios needed to be cut either due to budget limitations or some sequences working so well that they were extended. A major change from his writing for films was that it was the side characters rather than the main character that drove the story forward, so he needed to make them entertaining and important to furthering the plot. The team wanted a world with a scope beyond the main story, with material covering all of its locations. They also included NPC storytellers that would relate local legends and myths to the player in a similar way to storytellers of the time. Later, lead gameplay designer Arthur Bruno faulted the presentation as unappealing compared to the version of Greek mythology portrayed by God of War series, saying that the original atmosphere "was seriously lacking a sense of dread and mystery".
Design
The game's art director was Michael Sheidow, who had done concept work for Dungeons & Dragons Online before joining Iron Lore. Initially hired as lead artist, Sheidow was at the time feeling "burnt out" by the design approaches used for Dungeons & Dragons Online. He became art director after the then-current art director proved inadequate for the job, and after the initial shock, set to work managing the general artwork for the title. He was in charge of a 12-strong artistic team, and they needed to create a cohesive experience without a clear narrative to guide them. They also needed to account for the four months "wasted" time under the previous art director. A large amount of research went into what environments, architecture and other elements could be put into each environment so it fit in with the game's setting. Sheidow personally did several helmet designs for the game, all based on surviving examples of early-Bronze Age helmets, along with added elements from other ancient helmet types. He created a broad range of helmet shapes which could be then adjusted with different materials to create high variation. The majority of weapon design was handled by Joe Mirabello, who claimed to have created nearly 1000 different weapons split between six types.
Enemy creatures were taken from the various mythologies the team drew from, and their designs inspired by the stop-motion work of Ray Harryhausen. Sheidow valued the chance of working with mystical creatures, as his previous work had been limited to stock fantasy monsters from the Dungeons & Dragons universe. According to him, the process started when the chosen enemy monsters were given initial designs by lead concept artist Rich Sullivan. Each design was reviewed, and the most suitable was chosen. Creature designs needed to incorporate design choices from the game, such as the monsters' environments and individual fighting styles. They also needed to consider how much detail to put into character models depending on their relative position to the camera at any given time. When it reached the modelling stage, the monster designs were further refined to work within the restrictions of the game, then it was sent to the art time again for final adjustments and mapping of unique animations. The particle effects were handled by Travis Doggett: one of the more prominent pieces of his work were the mastery skills, which had particular themes related to their abilities. According to animator Brian Labore, model animation proved a taxing task, as there were over eighty different monsters which ranged from typical mythical beings to more exotic and unique enemies from each region. The player character also had "hundreds" of animations to incorporate.
The game used a specially-developed proprietary engine developed by Iron Lore staff. This was done as, when development started, no third-party engines existed that could support the team's vision for the game: in Sullivan's words, there were "plenty of technology solutions for someone creating a shooter, but not as much for a role-playing game". One of the key parts of the new engine was an environmental creation tool dubbed "the editor" by staff. This tool combined a tile-based horizontal plain with a height-based map, and allowed for subtle adjustments to environments and terrain with easy-to-use developer tools. Level and plain boundaries were set using cliffs and plateaus within the environment. Objects such as chests and enemies could be then "dropped" into environments using a point-and-click system, some of which could be directly integrated using special "tile" elements which stitched into the wider environment for objects such as bridges and crags. All of this necessitated a large amount of research on multiple subjects, including the flora of Egypt and the appearance of Ancient Greek roads and paths. This development tool was the version released with the retail version so players could create and share their own levels. Level and map creation was handled by a three-person team, with each one needing to agree upon a specific layout and design before it went into full production. While early builds used a high amount of detail along level boundaries, the team switched to simple boundary designs as they "read better" for players and allowed better technical performance. The challenge the content creation team set themselves was creating these areas while making boundaries seem natural. This combination of height and grid-based navigation and environments had not been done when the system was being designed in 2002: most of the map was shaped using the height map, while specialist features and horizontal navigation used the grid. In a preview about the game, the developers said the game was built around "database driven modular proxies", a system where different elements within environments were seamlessly interacted and could interact freely. The artificial intelligence (AI) was designed so individual units would behave differently depending on situation and combat ability. The pathfinding for AI units such as NPCs and enemy units was handled using the PathEngine, a licensed middleware engine dedicated to this task. Titan Quest was one of the first major Western titles to use PathEngine.
Gameplay was compared frequently to Blizzard's Diablo series. According to Sullivan, the comparison was inevitable as Diablo helped define the genre, and was emphasized by the lack of action RPGs at the time. While the core gameplay remained traditional, they attempted to innovate in other areas. Character creation was simplified to simply choosing a name and gender rather than character types being tied to classes or chosen proficiency. They also effectively removed tutorials so players could get straight into gameplay, using games like Neverwinter Nights as an example of tutorials impeding players during early stages. When creating the skill system, the team looked at earlier successful RPGs and considered how they could improve on them. They also wanted to avoid creating characters who had "a little of everything" while offering replayability. The result was the creation of the themed masteries, with the added element of skill acquisition not being tied to level progression, allowing for players to bank skill points for different purposes. This system was built to encourage player freedom and represent logical character progression rather than tying one character to one class. Spawn points for enemies were governed by a random generation system, of what monsters are spawned depending on both environment and player level. Loot was controlled by a database system which mixed and matched characteristics to produce "over 100,000" item combinations. Loot drops were also made to fit the types of creatures killed, in contrast to other games such as World of Warcraft which had animals dropping currency and weapons regardless. Loot types were also designed to be clearly visible on enemies so players could pick and choose which enemies to engage and which defeated enemy to loot. According to Bruno, the team were limited with the amount of impact and realism they could put into combat by the necessity of keeping the game within its prescribed ESRB age ratings of "E for Everyone" and "T for Teens": this meant that blood was non-existent and hit reactions were minimal, negatively affecting player impressions of the game. Multiplayer was part of the game plan from its beginnings, with the main goal being to foster a community around the game. Bruno later faulted the lack of secure multiplayer as one of the major faults with the game: THQ apparently was unwilling to invest in this.
Audio
The music and sound design for Titan Quest was handled by Scott Morton and Mike Verrette. In his role as sound designer, Morton worked from specifications sent by other parts of the Titan Quest development team. This enabled the free modification of sound elements, but also meant that unexpected and large work loads with short deadlines were a constant possibility. The sound design process for each object and character that needed sound effects was the same: based on their appearance, a new sound effect would be created. In the case of monsters, different sound effects were created for different scenarios, such as them seeing the player for the first time or when in battle. The sounds within environments were designed to be "real" and "visceral". The game's audio engine enabled these sound effects to be dynamically shifted depending on their setting.
The music was challenging due to drawing from multiple cultures, then being brought together into a cohesive score while keeping each region distinct from the other. To get the right feeling, the team did research into the historical musical instruments used in each of the game's regions. Rather than a linear progression of looping musical tracks, the norm for most games at the time, the score was broken up into stingers that were brought into the environment when needed. This cuing of themed musical pieces was coupled with a second system tied to environmental progression: musical pieces were arranged in the playlist, then could be cued in depending on the circumstances and environment on-screen. For vocal tracks, the lyrics were written in Ancient Greek: the main vocal piece, "When Gods Fall", was infused into the other vocal tracks and acted as a "cornerstone" for the score. The vocals were provided by Taunia Soderquist.
Release
Titan Quest was first announced in May 2005, with its first public exhibition being at that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. The game released for Windows on June 26, 2006 in North America, and June 30, 2006 in Europe. According to Bruno, when originally shipped, the ESRB raised the game's rating to "M for Mature" due to the scantily-clad Nymph familiar, although the rating was later amended to its current one. In Japan, the game released on September 1, 2006: it released in English with the manual translated into Japanese. The game was released on Steam on July 17, 2007 alongside its expansion by THQ. An updated version, subtitled Gold Edition, was released on October 22, 2007 in the West and April 25, 2008 in Japan. It contained both the main game and its first expansion.
Titan Quest would be one of only three projects Iron Lore worked on in its lifetime, and the only original project alongside Immortal Throne: after completing work on Soulstorm, an expansion to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, the studio was forced to close in February 2008 due to difficulties in securing any funding for future projects. Some of team founded a new studio called Crate Entertainment and licensed the Titan Quest engine to develop Grim Dawn, dubbed by staff as a spiritual successor to Titan Quest. The Titan Quest intellectual property was purchased by Nordic Games (later THQ Nordic) after THQ began selling off its shares in the wake of its 2013 bankruptcy. Beginning in 2016, Nordic Games began supporting the game's Steam version with patches to fix gameplay and multiplayer issues, along with glitches and bugs. An overhauled version of the game, subtitled Anniversary Edition, was released on August 31, 2016. Compiling all updates and expansions up to that point, it was offered as a free upgrade for players who already owned Steam versions of the game.
Later versions
A port of Titan Quest for mobile devices was developed under license from Nordic Games by DotEmu, a French developer who had previously developed a successful mobile port of Ys Chronicles I. The controls and interface were redesigned from the ground up to work for touchscreen controls, something the team spent months on. Despite the changes, the team worked to make the gameplay as close as possible to the original experience. They also put in additional options for actions such as targeting enemies with mastery abilities and searching for loot It released on May 19, 2016 for iOS. The Android version was released on July 7. Following the game's release, Dotemu handled the project to THQ Nordic, who re-published the game in 2018. It was released a third time that same year under new developer HandyGames as Titan Quest HD. An updated version subtitled Legendary Edition releasing on January 12, 2021, which included all DLC and expansion packs up to that point. Titan Quest was later ported onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2018. The PS4 and Xbox One version were released on March 20, while the Switch version was released on July 31. These console versions were created by Black Forest Games.
Expansions
Development on an expansion pack began shortly after the release of Titan Quest, with preparatory work happening during the final stages of the main game's development. The expansion, Titan Quest: Immortal Throne, was first announced in late 2006 and eventually released in March 2007. Over eleven years later, a second expansion was released. Titled Titan Quest: Ragnarök, it was released on November 17, 2017 exclusively for the Anniversary Edition. A third expansion subtitled Atlantis was released in May 2019. It included new challenge modes and an in-game casino. PS4 and Xbox One versions of both expansions were released in March 2020. Both Ragnarök and Atlantis were developed by Pieces Interactive. A fourth expansion, Eternal Embers, released in December 2021. Eternal Embers was developed by Digital Arrow.
Reception
On its release in the US, Titan Quest debuted at #3 in the dedicated PC game charts. In the UK, the game debuted at #25 in the multi-platform charts. In a later interview, Bruno stated that the title had sold "surprisingly well" despite a slow start, with combined sales for Titan Quest and Immortal Throne reaching over one million units by late 2008. It also continued to sell well on Steam, though exact figures were not given.
Titan Quest received positive reviews upon release: aggregate site Metacritic recorded a score of 77/100 based on 51 critic reviews. Eric Neigher of 1UP.com enjoyed Titan Quest while noting that it stayed within genre traditions: he rounded off his review by saying "While it may not break, or even dent, any new ground, Titan Quest features a beautifully realized game world based on a tried-and-true core mechanic, with tons of replayability". Jim Rossignol of Eurogamer said that, while it stood high among its contemporary peers, Titan Quest did not evolve the genre enough for him to really enjoy it. GameSpy's Miguel Lopez praised the visuals, gameplay, character customization and editing tools. His main criticisms were performance difficulties and the large potential for cheating in multiplayer. GameSpot's Ryan Davis called it "the next-best thing" to a new Diablo title, praising its single-player campaign and multiplayer while faulting its familiar feel, inventory system and recurring technical issues.
IGN's Tom McNamara generally praised the gameplay despite some awkward elements, called the sound design "well done", and positively noted its graphics despite some technical troubles. He also cited the multiplayer as the main part of the game's replay value, as it was otherwise fairly linear in design. PALGN reviewer Mark Marrow called Titan Quest "one of the best PC games on the market for the year", saying it revitalized its genre despite some minor issues with gameplay and presentation. PC Zones Sam Kieldsen praised the gameplay and leveling system, along with its graphics and soundtrack. His main criticisms were its low difficulty, repetitive structure and weak storyline. VideoGamer.com's Tom Orry said the game "doesn't really do anything new", but praised its presentation and noted that it was more accessible than others within the genre. In his review of the mobile port, Shaun Musgrave of Touch Arcade shared many points of praise with earlier reviewers, along with calling it a good port despite some minor issues such as framerate drops. Gamezebo's Rob Rich praised the gameplay elements carried over from the original, and positively noted its graphical detail despite persistent framerate drops. His main complaints were the inventory system, and problems with contextual commands such as picking up items.
Sequel
On August 11, 2023, it was announced that a sequel, titled Titan Quest II, was in development.
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"Defiant" is the 55th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the ninth episode of the third season. This episode guest stars actor Jonathan Frakes, in the role he had originated on Deep Space Nines predecessor series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. The episode aired in broadcast syndication on November 21, 1994.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on the Starfleet-run space station Deep Space Nine near the planet Bajor, as the Bajorans recover from a decades-long occupation by the imperialistic Cardassians. This episode explores the relationship between Cardassia and the United Federation of Planets, as well as the continuing conflict with the Maquis, a renegade group of Federation citizens who oppose the peace treaty between the Federation and Cardassia. In this episode, the Maquis steal the USS Defiant, a Starfleet warship docked at Deep Space Nine.
This episode was written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Cliff Bole.
Plot
William Riker arrives on Deep Space Nine and proceeds to charm the crew, especially Major Kira. She takes him on a tour of the station and its new ship, the Defiant. Once aboard, he draws a phaser and stuns her, fakes a warp-core breach and steals the ship with Kira aboard.
The station crew soon discovers that the thief is not Will Riker but his duplicate Thomas, who was created in a transporter accident and inadvertently stranded for eight years. Trying to distinguish himself from his more successful doppelgänger, he has joined the Maquis. The heavily armed Defiant under Maquis control now poses a serious threat to Cardassian forces. Commander Sisko is faced with the challenge of retrieving the Defiant intact while avoiding an incident with Cardassia that might start a war. He agrees to travel to Cardassia Prime to cooperate with a Cardassian operation led by Gul Dukat to hunt Riker down. The operation is observed by the Obsidian Order, the feared Cardassian intelligence agency.
After infiltrating Cardassian space and attacking an outpost, Riker takes the Defiant to the Orias system, which he believes contains a secret shipbuilding facility. When Sisko analyzes Riker's movements and realizes that his target is Orias, Dukat, believing the system to be barren and of no value, orders his ships to intercept. His Obsidian Order observer Korinas, however, warns him that any ship, Cardassian or otherwise, that approaches the system will be destroyed.
The Defiant manages to outrun its pursuers into the Orias system, but is confronted by several more Cardassian ships appearing from the system itself. Suspicious, Dukat confronts Korinas, inferring that the ships from the Orias system must belong to the Obsidian Order, who are strictly forbidden from possessing military equipment of any kind. With the Defiant trapped between the two fleets, Sisko arranges a deal with Dukat: In exchange for the Defiants sensor logs of the system, which will provide evidence of the Obsidian Order's illegal military buildup, the Defiant will surrender to Dukat's lead ship and will be returned along with its crew to the Federation, and Riker will be sentenced to a Cardassian labor camp rather than to death. Kira persuades Riker to accept the terms. The opposing ships approach the Defiant and its Cardassian escorts, but abort the confrontation and return to the Orias system. Riker beams to the Cardassian ship, leaving Kira in control to return to Deep Space Nine.
Connections to other episodes
Thomas Riker was first introduced in "Second Chances", an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The episode "The Die Is Cast", later in the third season of Deep Space Nine, reveals the purpose of the ships built by the Obsidian Order.
Reception
In 2015, Geek.com recommended this episode as "essential watching" for their abbreviated Star Trek: Deep Space Nine binge-watching guide.
The series never followed up on what happened to Thomas Riker, and in 2020, Screen Rant described his fate as one of the top unresolved plot lines in the series.
In 2020, Den of Geek listed "Defiant" as one of the best stories of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Legacy
In the book Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion there is a story called "Promises Made" that is about Kira rescuing Riker from a Cardassian prison camp.
Releases
On April 10, 1995, this episode and "Fascination" were released on VHS in the United Kingdom. On August 3, 1999, this pair of episodes were released on LaserDisc in the United States.
The episode was released on June 3, 2003 in North America as part of the Season 3 DVD box set. This episode was released in 2017 on DVD with the complete series box set, which had 176 episodes on 48 discs.
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Ogura (written: 小倉 lit. "small storehouse") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Surname
, Japanese Grand Prix racer
, Japanese manga artist
, Japanese admiral
, Japanese game designer
Emmanuel Ogura (born 2002), Ghanian goalkeeper
, Japanese musician
, Japanese shogi player
, member of Taito Corporation's "house band" Zuntata
, Japanese rugby union player
, Japanese singer, songwriter and composer
, Japanese mathematician
, Japanese politician and businessman
Ogura Yonesuke Itoh, Japanese-American artist
, Japanese composer and writer
, Japanese long jumper
, Japanese linguist
, Japanese baseball player
, Japanese footballer
, Japanese footballer
, Japanese cyclist
, Japanese footballer
, Japanese footballer
, Japanese Shokotan karate master
, nihonga painter in Showa period Japan
, Japanese voice actress and singer
, Japanese model and singer
Japanese-language surnames
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KMHD (89.1 FM) is a listener-supported, non-profit FM broadcast radio station in Portland, Oregon. For the first 25 years of its operation, the station's studio was located on the Mt. Hood Community College campus in Gresham, Oregon, before moving to OPB's studios. Its transmitter is on the Tualatin Mountains.
In addition to its broadcast signal at 89.1, KMHD also simulcasts locally on an HD channel and through streaming audio on the station's website. KMHD's main programming is carried on OPB-FM subchannel HD3 and on SAP audio channel 3 of OPB-TV digital subchannel 4. Additionally, it can be heard in the Bend area on KOAB 91.3 FM, subchannel HD2.
Although owned by Mt. Hood Community College, the station has never been a part of the college's radio broadcasting educational program.
History
The station has been providing the Portland, Oregon community with jazz and blues since 1984 using volunteer announcers - many of them prominent local musicians or broadcasters - almost entirely since its inception.
In March 2009, the Mt. Hood Community College District Board of Education agreed to transfer the station's programming, operational and fundraising responsibilities to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The agreement was a response to a cut in state support. The transfer was approved by the Board of Education in mid-May and took effect on August 10, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. Although the station's programming originates from OPB's Portland studios, the station continues to use its original call letters and broadcast frequency and continues to be owned by Mt. Hood Community College.
KMHD-HD2
KMHD-HD2 (branded as "KMHD2") aired a college radio format, including blocks of hip hop, rock, metal, world, and indie music. After local radio station KZME ceased broadcasting on 91.5, KMHD began carrying them on their HD2 digital radio subchannel. KMHD-HD2 is not carried by OPB's FM or TV audio subchannels.
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Čenkovice is a municipality and village in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. It is a centre of winter sports.
Geography
Čenkovice is located about east of Ústí nad Orlicí and east of Pardubice. It lies in the Orlické Mountains. The highest point is the mountain Buková hora at above sea level. The Bystřec stream originates in the village and flows through the municipality.
History
The first written mention of Čenkovice is from 1304.
Sport
Čenkovice is known for a ski resort located on Buková hora and its surroundings. There are 65 km of cross-country trails and five ski slopes.
Sights
The main landmark of Čenkovice is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the Neoclassical style in 1780–1782. It is a valuable rural church.
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Reed-Cooke is a small urban neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., situated within the boundaries of the larger and more prominent neighborhood of Adams Morgan, just north of the city's original L'Enfant-planned area. Its residents, and its local civic organization, the Reed-Cooke Neighborhood Association, generally consider it to be a distinct local neighborhood, although it is not on the city's list of formally recognized neighborhoods. For most official purposes, and to most Washingtonians, Reed-Cooke is a section of Adams Morgan.
Located just to the west of Meridian Hill Park, Reed-Cooke is bounded by 16th Street on the east, 18th Street on the west, U St to the south, and Columbia Road to the north. This area takes its name from the two schools that sit within its borders: the H.D. Cooke Elementary School, and the Marie Reed Elementary School and Learning Center. Reed-Cooke began to develop its own identity in the 1980s as renewed citizen interest in the city was generally occurring, and the area's residents began to take a more active interest in the local neighborhood's future. This interest resulted in the creation of the "Reed-Cooke Overlay District", a zoning area formed by the city in 1991 to help conserve the existing neighborhood's composition, and to manage new development. (The Overlay District also includes a small area south of Florida Avenue, down to U Street.) Since the year 2000, and working within this zoning framework, a number of new mid-rise apartment houses and condo buildings have been constructed in the area.
The land of the neighborhood was once a part of the old Meridian Hill estate of Commodore David Porter, who created that noted estate in 1816. Following the end of the Civil War, Meridian Hill's land was sold, and then subdivided in 1867, creating one of Washington's early planned subdivisions. Initially this area grew slowly, with the Reed-Cooke portion of the tract subsequently being developed, in large part, from just after 1900. The neighborhood today continues to evolve, and is mainly composed of a mix of rowhouses and low- to mid-rise apartment buildings, in a variety of styles and sizes, from simple to quite elaborate. Many of the apartment buildings are condos or co-ops. There are also several stretches of light commercial buildings along Columbia Road. With the city of Washington's population continuing to grow, Reed-Cooke is also slowly growing, mostly with in-fill construction. At the end of 2017, a new boutique hotel, named The Line, opened at 1770 Euclid Street, in the northwest corner of the neighborhood. In the years after 2018 some residents, and some groups, have also been using the older "Meridian Hill" name when referring to the area.
Reed-Cooke is a part of the District's ward 1. And within D.C.'s Advisory Neighborhood Commission system, it is a part of ANC 1-C.
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, known in Europe as Operation WinBack 2: Project Poseidon, is a third-person shooter video game and the second game of the WinBack series. It was developed by Cavia for Koei. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox game consoles.
Plot
A rogue U.S. Special Forces unit dubbed "Black Hand" has joined forces with a terrorist group called "The Minutemen." Together they have taken control of a vast nuclear arsenal in a top secret military installation at sea and seized the activation codes for a weapon known only as "Project Poseidon." The fate of the world hangs by a thread, and a few ticks of the clock means the difference between justice and annihilation. The player controls one or two of the three CRT (Crisis Response Team) members. Led by CO Jack Walcott, the new WinBack assault team is composed of three young, yet combat-proven, operatives led by Craig Contrell. Each team member is qualified in six different weapon types and highly-adept at close quarters combat (CQC). The player's objective is to complete 30 missions of action, strategy, stealth, rescuing, escorting, and various types of essential goals to stop the terrorists.
Gameplay
WinBack 2 is a third-person shooter game.
Besides a graphical update and new cast of characters, the major new feature in this game is playing as two different characters per level. The player operates as a Route A person and a Route B person, e.g. Craig and Mia, Nick and Craig, etc. The partner in Route A offers a supporting role to the main partner in Route B, to unlock doors and assist in eliminating enemies for their benefit. After finishing each level for the first time, the player goes through it a second time as the partner.
Rankings ranging from A-D are given at the end of the level based on Time (time taken to finish a stage), Arrests (the number of hostiles taken into custody rather than simply killed), and CRT Points (which work as a points-based health system as well as being awarded to the player for rescuing hostages/helping your partner on the parallel route).
The player does not have unlimited pistol ammunition, like in Winback. Various weapons are found either on a character from the beginning or from arrested enemies. Weapons include machine gun, sniper rifle, grenades, claymores, and so on.
Development
The game was developed by Cavia, inc., a different company than that which produced the original WinBack. However, WinBack 2 was still published by Koei, like the original. The graphics were updated.
Reception
The Xbox version received "mixed" reviews, while the PlayStation 2 version received "generally unfavourable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Due to the fact that gameplay deviates greatly from the previous entry, critical reception of the game was mediocre at best.
In particular, the 'Route' based system of gameplay for Winback 2 was greatly criticised. Game reviewers stated that the process becomes drawn-out, tiresome, and even annoying in the later stages. The review from GameTrailers was particularly harsh on the lack of fun they derived from both the multiplayer and the random deaths of the 30-level single player campaign. In Japan, Famitsu gave the PS2 version all four sevens for a total of 28 out of 40.
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The Republic of Cyprus is a unitary presidential representative republic, whereby the President of Cyprus is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Cyprus has been a divided island since 1974 when Turkey invaded to support Turkish Cypriots in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. Since then, the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus has controlled the south two-thirds, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, only recognized by Turkey, the northern one-third. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus has continued as the sole internationally recognized authority on the island (as well as the United Kingdom being internationally recognized with respect to the SBAs), though in practice its power extends only to the government-controlled area.
Cyprus operates under a multi-party system, with communist AKEL and right-leaning Democratic Rally in the forefront. Centrist DIKO and lesser parties often form a coalition with the President's party and are allotted a number of ministries.
United Cyprus
The 1960 Cypriot Constitution provided for a presidential system of government with independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as a complex system of checks and balances including a weighted power-sharing ratio designed to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots. The executive, for example, was headed by a Greek Cypriot president, Archbishop Makarios III, and a Turkish Cypriot vice president, Dr Fazıl Küçük, elected by their respective communities for 5-year terms and each possessing a right of veto over certain types of legislation and executive decisions.
The House of Representatives was elected on the basis of separate voters' rolls. Since 1964, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remained vacant, while the Greek Cypriot Communal Chamber was abolished. The responsibilities of the chamber were transferred to the newfounded Ministry of Education.
By 1967, when a military junta had seized power in Greece, the political impetus for enosis had faded, partly as a result of the non-aligned foreign policy of Cypriot President Makarios. Enosis remained an ideological goal, despite being pushed significantly further down the political agenda. Dissatisfaction in Greece with Makarios convinced the Greek colonels to sponsor the 1974 coup in Nicosia.
Turkey responded by launching a military operation on Cyprus in a move not approved by the other two international guarantor powers, Greece and the United Kingdom, claiming that this was for the protection of the Turkish minority from Greek militias. The invasion is called "Cyprus Peace Operation" by the Turkish side. Turkish forces captured the northern part of the island. Many thousands of others, from both sides, left the island entirely. In addition to many of the Greek Cypriot refugees (a third of the population), many Turkish Cypriots also moved to the UK.
Subsequently, the Turkish Cypriots established their own separatist institutions with a popularly elected de facto President and a Prime Minister responsible to the National Assembly exercising joint executive powers. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), an action opposed by the United Nations Security Council. In 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections.
Division of Cyprus
In 1974, following a coup sponsored by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 and executed by the Cypriot National Guard the invasion of troops from Turkey (citing its authority as one of the three guarantor powers established by the Constitution), the Turkish Cypriots formally set up their own institutions with a popularly elected president and a prime minister, responsible to the National Assembly, exercising joint executive powers. Cyprus has been divided, de facto, into the Greek Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus a third. The Republic of Cyprus is the internationally recognised government of the Republic of Cyprus, that controls the southern two-thirds of the island. Aside from Turkey, all foreign governments and the United Nations recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island of Cyprus.
Turkey, which does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, and the Turkish Cypriot administration of the northern part of the island, do not accept the Republic's rule over the whole island and refer to it not by its international name, but as the "Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus". Its territory, a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and whose status remains disputed, extends over the northern third of the island.
The north proclaimed its independence in 1975. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", which has never been recognized by any country except Turkey. In 1985, they adopted a constitution and held elections—an arrangement recognized only by Turkey. For information pertaining to this, see Politics of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) granted it observer member status under the name of "Turkish Cypriot State".
Political conditions
The division of Cyprus has remained an intractable political problem plaguing relations between Greece and Turkey, and drawing in NATO, of which both Greece and Turkey are members, and latterly the European Union, which has admitted Greece and Cyprus and which Turkey has been seeking to join for over twenty years.
The most recent developments on the island have included the reopening of the border between the two sides, and the failure of an attempt to reunify the island under the terms of a United Nations-sponsored initiative guided by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.
None of the Greek Cypriot parties has been able to elect a president by itself or dominate the 56-seat House of Representatives. The 165,000 Greek Cypriot refugees are also a potent political force, along with the independent Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which has some influence in temporal as well as ecclesiastical matters.
The working of the Cypriot state was fraught with difficulty from the very early days after independence in 1960, and intercommunal tension and occasionally violence was a feature of the first decade of Cypriot independence. In 1963, the Cypriot president, Makarios, proposed 13 amendments to the Constitution in order to “remove obstacles to the smooth functioning and development of the state.” This was done with the encouragement of the British High Commissioner in Cyprus, who considered the amendments “a reasonable basis for discussion.” Violence erupted between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in December 1963 and by the following year the United Nations agreed to undertake peacekeeping operations UNFICYP.
UN-sponsored negotiations to develop institutional arrangements acceptable to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities began in 1968; several sets of negotiations and other initiatives followed.
After the 1974 invasion following a Greek junta-based coup attempt, Makarios secured international recognition of his Greek Cypriot government as the sole legal authority on Cyprus, which has proved to be a very significant strategic advantage for the Greek Cypriots in the decades since. Negotiations continued in the years after 1974 with varying degrees of regularity and success, but none resulted in a full reunification.
On 15 November 1983 the Turkish Cypriot North declared independence and the formation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which has been recognized only by Turkey. Both sides publicly call for the resolution of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of government.
Following the 1998 presidential election, Klerides tried to form a government of national unity, by including six ministers from Klerides' Democratic Rally party, two ministers from the socialist EDEK, three from the Democratic Party (who broke ranks with party leader Spyros Kyprianou) and one from the United Democrats. However, a national unity government was not achieved due to the leftist AKEL and centrist Democratic Party rejecting the offer, preferring to remain opposition parties.
Reunification, the Annan Plan and EU entry
The results of early negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot politicians resulted in a broad agreement in principle to reunification as a bicameral, bi-zonal federation with territory allocated to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities within a united island. However, agreement was never reached on the finer details, and the two sides often met deadlock over the following points, among others:
The Greek Cypriot side:
took a strong line on the right of return for refugees to properties vacated in the 1974 displacement of Cypriots on both sides, which was based on both UN Resolutions and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights;
took a dim view of any proposals which did not allow for the repatriation of Turkish settlers from the mainland who had emigrated to Cyprus since 1974; and
supported a stronger central government.
The Turkish Cypriot side:
favoured a weak central government presiding over two sovereign states in voluntary association, a legacy of earlier fears of domination by the majority Greek Cypriots; and
opposed plans for demilitarisation, citing security concerns.
The continued difficulties in finding a settlement presented a potential obstacle to Cypriot entry to the European Union, for which the government had applied in 1997. UN-sponsored talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Glafkos Klerides and Rauf Denktaş, continued intensively in 2002, but without resolution. In December 2002, the EU formally invited Cyprus to join in 2004, insisting that EU membership would apply to the whole island and hoping that it would provide a significant enticement for reunification resulting from the outcome of ongoing talks. However, weeks before the UN deadline, Klerides was defeated in presidential elections by centre candidate Tassos Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos had a reputation as a hard-liner on reunification and based his stance on international law and human rights. By mid-March, the UN declared that the talks had failed.
A United Nations plan sponsored by Secretary-General Kofi Annan was announced on 31 March 2004, based on what progress had been made during the talks in Switzerland and fleshed out by the UN, was put for the first time to civilians on both sides in separate referendums on 24 April 2004. The Greek side overwhelmingly rejected the Annan Plan, and the Turkish side voted in favour.
In May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU, still divided, although in practice membership only applies to the southern part of the island which is in the control of the Republic of Cyprus. In acknowledgment of the Turkish Cypriot community's support for reunification, however, the EU made it clear that trade concessions would be reached to stimulate economic growth in the north, and remains committed to reunification under acceptable terms. Though some trade restrictions were lifted on the north to alleviate economic isolation for the Turkish Cypriots, further negotiations have not been a priority. There is now a focus on convincing Turkey to recognise the government of Cyprus, a requirement for Turkish admission advocated most strongly by Cyprus and France.
Constitution
The 16 August 1960 constitution envisioned power sharing between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Efforts to amends the constitution sparked the intercommunal strife in 1963. This constitution is still in force, though there is no Turkish Cypriot presence in the Cypriot government.
Executive branch
|President
|Nikos Christodoulides
|Independent
|28 February 2023
|}
The president, elected by popular vote for a five-year term, is both the chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot. The Council of Ministers is appointed jointly by the president and vice president.
Currently there are eleven ministries and five deputy ministries.
Ministries:
Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment. Minister: Petros Xenophontos
Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry. Minister: Giorgos Papanastasiou
Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works. Minister: Alexis Vafiades
Ministry of Defence. Minister: Michalis Georgallas
Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. Minister: Dr Athena Michaelidou
Ministry of Finance. Minister: Makis Keravnos
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister: Constantinos Kombos
Ministry of Health. Minister: Popi Kanari
Ministry of the Interior. Minister: Constantinos Ioannou
Ministry of Justice and Public Order. Minister: Anna Prokopiou
Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance: Yiannis Panayiotou
Deputy Ministries:
Deputy Ministry of Shipping. Deputy Minister: Marina Hadjimanoli
Deputy Ministry of Tourism. Deputy Minister: Costas Koumis
Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy. Deputy Minister: Philippos Hadjizacharias
Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare. Deputy Minister: Marilena Evangelou
Deputy Ministry of Culture. Deputy Minister: Michalis Hatzigiannis
Legislative branch
The House of Representatives (Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων - Voulí ton Antiprosópon/Temsilciler Meclisi) has 59 members elected for a five-year term: 56 Greek Cypriot members chosen by proportional representation and 3 observer members representing the Maronite, Latin Catholic and Armenian minorities. 24 seats are allocated to the Turkish community, but are currently vacant.
Political parties and elections
Latest elections
President
Parliament
Political pressure groups and leaders
Cypriot Workers Union (Σ.Ε.Κ. Συνομοσπονδία Εργατών Κύπρου)
Union of Cypriots (Ένωσις Κυπρίων - Kıbrıslılar Birliği)
Revolutionary Trade Unions Federation (DEV-İŞ)
Pan-Cyprian Labour Federation or PEO (Π.Ε.Ο. Παγκύπρια Εργατική Ομοσπονδία)
Eleftheria Citizens Initiative (Πρωτοβουλία Πολιτών Ελευθερία)
Administrative divisions
6 districts; Famagusta (Ammochostos), Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol (Lemesos), Nicosia (Lefkosia), Paphos; note - occupied area's administrative divisions include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta (Ammochostos), and small parts of Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Larnaca.
Exclaves and enclaves
Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotymvou. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave —although it has no territorial waters of its own.
The UN buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side, off of Ayios Nikolaos (connected to the rest of Dhekelia by a thin land corridor). In that sense, the buffer zone turns the south-east corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave.
See also
Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
List of ministers of communications and works of Cyprus
List of ministers of labour and social insurance of Cyprus
Notes
|
Politics of Cyprus
|
The men's singles was one of two tennis events on the Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. The sixteen entrants were seeded into a single-elimination tournament, with only thirteen or fifteen of the players actually competing. They represented six nations.
Background
This was the first appearance of the men's singles tennis. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. Demonstration events were held in 1968 and 1984.
None of the leading players of the time, such as Wimbledon champion Harold Mahony, U.S champion Robert Wrenn, William Larned or Wilfred Baddeley, participated.
Competition format
Under ancient Greek single-elimination tournament rules, there were no brackets as under modern single-elimination rules; instead, all participants in a round were paired off with one bye if a round had an odd number of participants left. This format could result in a semifinals round with only 3 competitors (as happened in both the 1896 wrestling and doubles tennis events, which started with 5 wrestlers/pairs: the first round had two matches, with one wrestler/pair having a bye, and the second round had only one match, with another wrestler/pair having a bye; a modern tournament would have had one match in the first round with three byes, leading to two semifinals). The organizers avoided this problem in the singles tennis by dividing the players into four groups, with each group playing a single elimination tournament and the winner of each group advancing to the semifinals.
No bronze medal match was held; both semifinal losers are now considered bronze medal winners (the current medal system was not used at the time).
Schedule
Draw
Finals
The International Society of Olympic Historians gives only thirteen players; according to them Frank and George Marshall did not participate.
Results summary
|
Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's singles
|
Thane William Howard Hardcastle Christopher Bettany (28 May 1929 – 7 November 2015) was an English actor and dancer. He was the father of film and theatre actor Paul Bettany.
Early years
Thane Bettany was born in Sarawak, an independent state on the island of Borneo, which was then a British protectorate governed by the White Rajahs. Thane grew up with an elder brother, named Peter Bettany. His godmother was the American memoirist Agnes Newton Keith, author of Three Came Home.
The Bettanys knew the Rhys-Jones family, also British expats in Sarawak. In 1965, when both had been widowed, Howard John Bettany, Thane's father, married Margaret Rhys-Jones (née Molesworth; a descendant of Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth). The same year, further intermingling the families, Thane Bettany stood godfather to his new stepbrother's daughter, Sophie. In 1999 he was summoned by royal command to attend her wedding to Prince Edward, when she became Countess of Wessex (later Duchess of Edinburgh).
Dancing career
Bettany had become enamoured with ballet after seeing a performance as a child. Once he left school he took the money given to him by his father to go to school to study ballet. After National Service, when he served in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a mechanic, he entered Sadler's Wells Ballet School (which later became the Royal Ballet School). He began dancing in musical theatre, but after an accident on stage when he broke his back he had to give up professional dance. Acting was an obvious career move, but he had a stammer. He went to study mime in Paris with Charles Antonetti, who helped him manage his stammer. Bettany returned to England and joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, which would later become the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played Osric to Sir Michael Redgrave's Hamlet. In The Tempest, he was the understudy for the role of Ferdinand; he then took over the part when the play transferred to Drury Lane with Sir John Gielgud.
Personal life
After a few years with the New Zealand Players, he returned home and taught at Corona Stage School, where he met Anne Kettle, whom he would later marry. He moved on to Norway as the Artistic Director of the English Theatre Company there, inviting Kettle over as his stage manager. Back in England they renewed their friendship at the Lincoln Theatre Royale. They married and settled in North London, "a rough estate in Harlesden" according to their son, and although stage work continued to be his focus, when his children were born he looked for other work to be closer to home. He continued to act, mainly in television; during this period he was cast in one of his most famous roles, as Tarak on Doctor Who.
The couple had three children: daughter Sarah, elder son Paul and younger son Matthew. Sarah and Paul initially attended school in North London. When Sarah, Paul and Matthew were 11, 9 and 2 years old, respectively, their father obtained employment as a drama teacher at the Hertfordshire all-girls boarding school, Queenswood School; the family lived on campus.
His son, Matthew, died after a fall at Queenswood when he was 8. Soon after, Paul left home to live on his own in London. Thane and Anne divorced in 1993 after 25 years of marriage. Bettany considered paying privately for sex-reassignment surgery, as he was too old for NHS protocols; in the end he judged it too expensive, and likely to hinder his remaining acting career. He lived in Fife, Scotland with his partner, Andy Little, continuing to work regularly as an actor, including performing with Dundee Rep until his death in November 2015. According to his son Paul, following the death of Andy after a 20 year relationship, Thane "went back into the closet" out of difficulties with grief and with reconciling his sexuality and Catholicism, fearing "not being able to get into Heaven".
Bettany was the father-in-law of actress Jennifer Connelly, who married his son Paul in 2003.
Filmography
|
Thane Bettany
|
Tom Jolls (August 6, 1933 – June 7, 2023) was an American television personality best known for his 34-year tenure at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. At WKBW, Jolls hosted "The Weather Outside" segments during Eyewitness News, performed many of the station's voiceovers, and served as children's host Commander Tom.
Biography
Tom Jolls was born in Newfane, New York, and grew up in Lockport, New York, where he worked at WUSJ from 1951 to 1962. His first television experience came as a personality at the short-lived WBES-TV during its three months in operation in 1953. He moved to Buffalo, working for WBEN (AM)/TV, and in 1965 was effectively traded to WKBW-TV in exchange for Stan Barron. At WKBW, Jolls became the station's evening news weatherman, and before the end of the year, he was also hosting The Superman Show—interstitial segments. These featured Jolls as Captain Tom, later Commander Tom, which aired around broadcasts of Adventures of Superman. The program evolved into The Commander Tom Show and would be on the air in various formats for 26 years.
Jolls, along with news anchor Irv Weinstein and sports anchor Rick Azar, was a nighttime fixture on WKBW. As host of "The Weather Outside," Jolls would stand out in the elements to report on weather conditions, and seeing him shivering or struggling to keep balance in gusty winds became common. Another one of Jolls's trademarks was his "Weather Word," a summation of the weather forecast in one word (a particular favorite of Jolls was salubrious, for beautiful weather), as well as ending his temperature listing by reminding us that it was "...and cooler by the lake!" He also maintained a weather stick as a forecasting aid; it was eventually broken apart by vandals.
Jolls never earned any certification in meteorology; he believed that the art of weather forecasting was simple enough that it did not require advanced meteorological training. In attempting to convince Mike Randall, then a feature reporter, to get into weather forecasting, Jolls said "Weather is so easy, High pressure is nice weather, low pressure is bad weather." He had largely avoided the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 since he went home before the worst of the blizzard hit. Jolls noted that the blizzard marked a turning point in weather forecasting on television, as he had been given a much larger, earlier spot in the newscasts after the event since weather had become a much greater priority. He also maintained a subscription to Accuweather.
In 1992, Jolls reprised his Commander Tom character in a recurring role on the weekend morning kids' show Rocketship 7. It was cancelled after one year.
Azar retired in 1989, ending the 24-year run of the anchor team of Weinstein-Jolls-Azar. Weinstein retired in 1998, and Jolls left the air six months later, retiring on June 30, 1999. Mike Randall was named as his successor. Jolls and his wife had 6 children: Suzanne Marie, Thomas Dale, Kathleen Ann, Lisa Ann, Timothy Wilbert and Terrence Leo.
At the time of his death, he was living in his hometown of Newfane. He had spent his winters in Cape Coral, Florida, before deciding to remain in Western New York to be with his family, which included his wife Janice, six children, 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Jolls, Weinstein, and Azar were all inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1998. Jolls was also inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jolls died at his New York home on June 7, 2023, at the age of 89.
External links and sources
The Irv, Rick, and Tom Page Fan site by Buffalonian Steve Cichon
1933 births
2023 deaths
American television personalities
Male television personalities
American male television actors
Television personalities from Buffalo, New York
People from Niagara County, New York
People from Lockport, New York
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Tom Jolls
|
Georg Franz Ebenhech (c. 1710–February 21, 1757) was a German sculptor known for his mastery of marble technique.
Little is known of Ebenhech's early life before he arrived at Berlin, but it is believed that he had previously worked in Italy, Leipzig, and Dresden. Most of his work was created in Prussia for Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam, and he became an honorary member of the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1751. Ebenhech was still working on commissions for Sanssouci when he died in Berlin in 1757.
1710 births
1757 deaths
18th-century German sculptors
18th-century German male artists
German male sculptors
Rococo sculptors
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Georg Franz Ebenhech
|
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