Life and career.

Life.

Wang Qing was born in China. In 2012, he was admitted to Beijing Union University, initially majoring in acting. Later in his junior year, he transferred to broadcasting and hosting, and eventually graduated in 2016. During his school life, he once opened a diner called Malatang From The Stars. In 2015, his cousin approached him about acting in a web series.

Career.

Film.

Wang Qing began his career playing the role of Chi Cheng in the web series "Counterattack", opposite his best friend and classmate Feng Jianyu, that was released in August 2015. In September 2015, he joined the shooting of "Counterattack" special episode, which was released on September 16. Through the web series, he won the "Most Popular Web Series Actor" title awarded by Weibo Video Station. In July 2016, he co-starred in a web movie "Infinite Fight" with Feng Jianyu. The movie was nominated for seven awards in the World Chinese Science Fiction Movies Nebula Awards.

Music.

On 22 September 2015, Wang Qing collaborated with Feng Jianyu and released the song "This Summer". "This Summer" ranked No.1 on the Fresh Asia Weekly Chart for four consecutive weeks and also ranked first on the October monthly chart. "This Summer" also set a record of 460,000 digital copies sold on Sina Weibo. He co-starred with Feng Jianyu in the music video and short film of "This Summer". "This Summer" music video ranked No.4 in YinYueTai 2015 Mainland TOP 100. Wang Qing held three fan meetings for "This Summer" with Feng Jianyu, in Tianjin, Chengdu and Shenzhen. "This Summer" won the "Most Popular Collaboration" in the 16th Top Chinese Music Annual Festival.  In March 2016, Wang Qing released his first single, "DEMO". "DEMO" ranked No.1 on the Fresh Asia Chart for four consecutive weeks and ranked first on its March monthly chart.  In December 2016, Wang Qing released his first album "December". The first limited edition 5000 copies were sold out in seconds. The album got Platinum record sale.

Stage.

In April 2016, Wang Qing played Zhang Yang in "The Left Ear" stage play at Beijing Bao Li Theater. It was his first stage work.

Host.

In March 2016, Wang Qing co-hosted the 2nd KU Music Asian Music Awards red carpet show with Feng Jianyu. In April, he co-hosted two episodes of "Super Show" on Anhui Television and was later confirmed as a regular host. Since March 2017, he is one of the hosts of IQIYI foodie travel show "Eat the Whole Universe" (吃光全宇宙 ).

Wang Qing (born 10 March 1993 in Beijing) is a Chinese actor, singer and host. He was invited to play Chi Cheng in the web series "Counterattack" in May 2015 and entered into the public eye. On 22 September 2015, he collaborated with Feng Jianyu and released the song "This Summer". He has become a regular host for "Super Show" on Anhui Television since April 2016. In July 2016, he played a lead role in the film "Infinite Fight".

Wang Qing (en chinois : 王青), né le, est un acteur chinois, chanteur et animateur. Il a été invité à jouer Chi Cheng dans la websérie "Counterattack" en, et a commencé sa carrière publique.


Tibetan designations.

At Tashilhunpo monastery in Shigatse, the thangka wall has had the following designations:  At Palcho Chode monastery in Gyantse, the thangka wall is called  The words "kugo", "gos-sku", "goku", "gheku" and "kiku" refer to the monumental thangka ("kugo" being apparently the result of inverting the two syllables of "goku" while "gheku" and "kiku" are supposed to be informal pronunciations of "gos sku" or "goku").

Architectural designations.

In English-language writings, this type of building is referred to as "thangka wall" (Victor Chan, 1994 ; Andreas Gruschke, 2001 ; "The Tibet Album", 2006 ; Michael Henss, 2011 ; "Tibet", Lonely Planet, 2015 ; Diana Lange, 2016), or sometimes "support wall" ("Tibet", Lonely Planet, 2015) or "display wall" (Ronald M. Bernier, 1997).  American explorer F. Bailey Vanderhoef, Jr. uses the term "pylon" in his memoirs published in 1938.  In the original captions attached to the photos taken by the 1938–39 German expedition to Tibet, the Palcho Chode edifice is called "große Gebetsmauer" (large prayer wall) while its counterpart at Tashilhunpo is termed "große Tangamauer" (large thangka wall).

Inventory.

At least four large monasteries in China's Tibet Autonomous Region possess a giant thangka wall : Sera (Lhasa), Palcho Chode (Gyantse), Tashilhunpo (Shigatse) and Riwo Dechen (Qonggyai). The walls at Sera and Riwo Dechen are recent additions while those at Tashilhunpo and Palcho Chode are centuries-old monuments.

Sera (Lhasa).

The thangka wall at Sera stands near the Chöding hermitage (Tsongkhapa's retreat before the monastery was built). The wall is a recent replacement to a scaffolding erected on a slope. It has some semblance to its counterpart at Tashilhunpo (see beneath). The wall is used for lifting giant thangkas of the Buddha during the Shoton festival in August. The wide yard fronting the building is where the faithful gather to gaze on the giant thangkas.

Palcho Chode (Gyantse).

The massive, stark thangka wall at Palcho Chode towers above a hillside in the north-eastern part of the monastic enclosure built in 1425. The building of the wall is not supposed to have taken place before the 1430s when the associated monumental thangkas were commissioned.  During the Gyantse festival in the fourth month of the Tibetan year, the wall is used, within a two-year cycle, to display the Sakyamuni thangka in alternation with the Maitreya thangka. A third one, the Dīpankara thangka, is no longer displayed due to its poor state of repair.

Tashilhunpo (Shigatse).

The Tashilhunpo thangka wall stands on a hillside in the north-eastern part of the monastic complex. Because of its overbearing position, it can be seen from afar. It is the largest and the most impressive thangka wall still extant. It is approximately 32 metres high by 42 metres long at the base. It was built in 1468  The wall is used for displaying giant representations of Maitreya (the Buddha of the future), Amitabha (the Buddha of the infinite light), and Sakyamuni (the enlightened Buddha) on the basis of one different thangka a day during the festival taking place on the 14th, 15th and 16th of the fifth Tibetan month (ie 1st, 2nd and 3rd July)..

Riwo Dechen (Qonggyai).

The kagyupa monastery in the possesses a thangka wall that overbears the other monastic buildings and can be seen from afar. It is a recently-built addition to the complex. The front face of the building has a strong batter. A stone masonry retaining wall marks out the platform that extends outside the thangka wall.  A giant thangka of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, is preserved and maintained by the monastery.

Mounting of the thangka.

A silk brocade is used to mount the thangka onto the wall. While mounting the thangka on the wall, it may alter some details on the iconography and overall aesthetic of the thangka. Hanging thangkas on damp thangka walls can also be detrimental to the condition of the thangka.

A thangka wall is, in Tibetan religious architecture, a stone-built structure used for hanging giant, or monumental, appliqued thangkas, or scrolls, in some of the major Buddhist monasteries of Tibet. These giant thangkas are called "gos ku", "goku", "gheku", "kiku" (cloth image) in Tibetan. The thangka wall stands on a hillside from where it overlooks the monastic settlement. Its form is that of a narrow, elongated and tall rectangular building with a battered façade and a flat roof surrounded by a parapet.

Un mur à thangka (tibétain : göku tramsa ; ) est, dans certains grands monastères tibétains, une haute et étroite construction en maçonnerie de pierre, de plan rectangulaire et en forme d'écran, bâtie à flanc de colline et en position dominante, pour servir à la suspension et à l'exposition, en plein air, de thangkas monumentaux en soie fabriqués selon la technique de l'appliqué, comme lors de la fête de l'exposition du grand thangka du Bouddha au monastère de Tashilhunpo à Shigatsé ou de la fête de l'anniversaire de Bouddha (Saga Dawa) au monastère de Palcho à Gyantsé. Des structures similaires se rencontrent dans l'aire d'extension du bouddhisme vajrayāna.


History.

The Ski to Sea has its origins in the Mount Baker Marathons of 1911–1913. The early races ran from the city of Bellingham to the top of Mount Baker and back. Racers could pick between two routes to Mt. Baker, the Glacier trail or the Deming route. If choosing Glacier, a special train transported racers to that location. If choosing Deming, racers would drive to Heisler's ranch. Once at either of these two destinations, racers continued on to the Mt. Baker summit by foot. The event was canceled after a runner fell into a crevasse. The Ski to Sea would be a toned-down version of those races where people race from the ski slopes of Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay.  The race was first proposed in a letter written in 1966 from Fred Elsethagen to Bill Herb, the president of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce. The name of the race came from the Bellingham slogan of "Sea to Ski in Sixty Minutes", referring to the proximity of Mount Baker's ski slopes to Bellingham, which sits on a bay of the Strait of Georgia.  The first official Ski to Sea race premiered 1973 as a side event to "Blossom Time". The first race had 177 people racing in a total of fifty teams. During the first four years, the legs of the race were run separately, and their times added up to produce a total team time; this left racers and spectators waiting several hours after the race concluded to find out who had won. Since 1977 the race has been a continuous event, with the exception of 2008 when the canoe leg was cancelled because of unsafe river conditions.  By 1977, the Ski to Sea Race had become so popular that the entire Blossom Time festival was renamed Blossom Time Ski to Sea. Six years later, "Blossom Time" was removed and the event became known simply as the Ski to Sea. Even the parade was renamed the Ski to Sea Parade. Today the Ski to Sea is considered an entire weekend-long event that is centered on the race. More than 300 teams with over two thousand racers participate in the race. Tens of thousands of spectators gather along the sidelines to watch and participate in events throughout Bellingham, Ferndale and Fairhaven near the finish line at Marine Park.

Legs.

The original letter written by Fred Elsethagen recommended nine events: skiing, mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, water skiing, running, fishing boat and sailboat. Over the years all but four (mountaineering, horse back riding, fishing boat, waterskiing) of these events have been used, and only one not recommended (bicycling) has been added.  When the Ski to Sea debuted in 1973, the race covered in three legs: downhill skiing, bicycling, and canoeing or kayaking the Nooksack River. Over the next twenty years, the Ski to Sea would grow to seven legs covering. It has also become a continuous event, with a token (wrist-band or timing chip) passed from one teammate to the other at the end of each leg. Though the race has always kept the various legs in the same order, over the years most legs had been modified in one form or another. Some legs have changed the methods used to complete them, and most have adjusted their lengths on at least one occasion. The bicycling leg has changed length a total of nine times with the shortest distance being and the longest being.  In 2015, low snowpack forced the replacement of the ski legs with new alpine running and mountain biking legs, for a total of two running and three cycling legs. The new running leg was added at the beginning of the race, before the established road running leg, and the new mountain bike leg was added at the end, after the kayak leg. The standard format was returned to the following year.

Cross country skiing.

Cross country skiing, added in 1979, kicks off the Race. This leg consists of two figure-eight loops, beginning and ending at the upper Mount Baker Ski area. It has been extended from one mile in the first three years to four and a half miles at present.

Downhill skiing/snowboarding.

Downhill skiing is one of the original components of the race. Skiers hike uphill approximately 800 feet and then ski back to near their starting point.

Running.

Added in 1975, the third stage of the race is an eight-mile (13 km) foot race down the Mount Baker Highway, from the upper Mount Baker ski area to the Shuksan Department of Transportation station. The runners drop over two thousand feet in elevation. To further the difficulties, the racers are running on hard asphalt. The running leg has been the most unchanged of the events. The first two years' running leg was five miles (8 km) long. The third year running was seven miles (11 km). The fourth year, in 1979, the running leg was extended to eight miles (13 km) and has remained unchanged since that time.

Bicycling.

Bicycling, the longest leg of the race, was one of the original components of the 1973 event. The bicycle leg passes through the towns of Glacier and Maple Falls, and leaves the Mount Baker Highway for Silver Lake Road. The bicycle leg finishes on the banks of the Nooksack River in the town of Everson, where the canoe leg picks up. The bicycling leg has changed distance on eight different occasions. It debuted at, and would later grow to a maximum distance of. Since 1987 the bicycling leg has been long. In 2010, the distance will again be as the bikes go north from Maple Falls on Silver Lake Road.

Canoeing.

Canoeing was one of the original events from the 1973 race. The canoe leg is the second longest, and covers. When first introduced in 1973, this leg allowed both two-man canoes and one-man kayaks. After sea kayaks were made the only mode of transportation for the final leg of the race, they were eliminated as an option for the Nooksack River leg of the race. This leg of the race is the only leg with two racer and starts in Everson and ends at Hovander Park in Ferndale.  The canoe leg was canceled in 2008 (and almost canceled in 1997) because of the unsafe level of the Nooksack River. This is the only leg to have ever been canceled, not counting the 2020 cancellation of the entire race due to COVID-19.  This is possibly the most dangerous part of the race. Though no one has ever been killed in the 37 years of the Ski to Sea, Lorri Rasmussen of Bellingham was killed in 2002 while training for the race. Her canoe tipped and she was swept up in a log jam.

Cyclocross biking.

Added in 1990, the Cyclocross bike leg stretches from the banks of the Nooksack river in Hovander Park to Squalicum Harbor on Bellingham Bay.  The course was updated in 2011 to be approximately long and now includes a pre-ride on the Saturday before the race.

Kayaking Bellingham Bay.

The Bellingham Bay leg was added in 1980, and it was made exclusively a kayaking event in 1992. The final leg of the event that stretched across Bellingham Bay was added to tie in the Ski to Sea name and to add a more exciting finish to the race. Originally this leg used Hobie cats, though sailboats were allowed in 1981. In 1990 the choice of sailboats or sea kayaks was added for this leg of the Ski to Sea Race. Two years later, the leg was restricted to kayaks, because wind to move sailboats is unreliable on Bellingham Bay. Today, kayakers paddle across Bellingham Bay from Squalicum Harbor on the north side of Bellingham to Marine Park in Fairhaven on the south side of Bellingham, then beach their kayaks and run across land to ring a bell at the finish line.

The baton.

The first several races used an actual baton. Later, necklace medallions were added and racers had to place the medallion over around the neck of their teammate as they tagged off to the next event. For many years, a sweatband, worn on the wrist, took the place of the medallion. Racers would pass the sweatband to their teammate racing the next leg at the transition points. In recent years, the race has used transponder timing and teams have carried an electronic timing chip attached to a lanyard. The chip is swiped at the start of the race and is carried by the lanyard that is traded off from one teammate to the other at the exchange of each leg. At the transition point for each leg of the race, the chip is swiped again to register the end time of the previous leg, and the start of the next. The chip has to be swiped at the end of the race by the kayaker after ringing the ceremonial bell. For the 2011 edition of the race, the chip was mounted to a neoprene wristband instead of a lanyard. From 2012, the race has returned to chips on the wristbands.

Divisions.

Although everyone races in the same Ski to Sea Race, teams registered in eight divisions: Competitive, Whatcom County, Recreational, High School, Masters, Veterans, Family, and Corporate. Three of the divisions (Competitive, Whatcom County, and Recreational) are further divided by "Open" (three or fewer females), "Mixed" (four or more females), and "Female" (women only). Typically almost half of the teams register in the Recreational division, and about a quarter in the Competitive divisions. Since the divisions were established almost every winning team has come from the Competitive division, with winning teams from 1987 and 2016 coming from the Whatcom County division.  In the past, when different types of boats were allowed in the water events, further subdivisions existed accordingly.

2020 Cancellation.

On March 23, 2020, the organization responsible for organizing the Ski to Sea race announced that the race scheduled for May 24, 2020, would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This was the only time that the race was cancelled since its inception in 1973.

The Ski to Sea Race (S2S), widely known as the Ski to Sea, is a seven-legged, long, multi-event competition held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in Whatcom County. The race starts on the ski slopes of Mount Baker, a volcano, and ends at Marine Park in Fairhaven, on the shore of Bellingham Bay. The seven legs of the race are: cross country skiing, downhill skiing or snowboard, running, road biking, canoeing, cyclocross biking, and finally kayaking. The Ski to Sea Race is managed by Whatcom Events, with a race committee that includes a race director, an operations assistant, one or two chairmen to oversee each event, a volunteer coordinator along with nearly 900 volunteers.

La course Ski to Sea (En anglais, du ski vers la mer), est une course par équipes composée de sept relais multi-sports, longue de 150 kilomètres, qui se tient annuellement lors du dimanche du Memorial Day, dans le comté de Whatcom, dans l'État de Washington, aux États-Unis.


Career.

2015–2016: Early career and "Joytime".

Marshmello posted his first original song "Wavez" to his SoundCloud page in the early months of 2015. As he released more songs, he began to receive support from musicians such as Skrillex, who reposted his song "Find Me" on SoundCloud. Shortly after, he made performances at New York's Pier 94, Pomona, California's HARD Day of the Dead festival, and Miami Music Week. He is managed by Moe Shalizi of Red Light Management. Having had an image of masking himself with a white bucket, Marshmello was frequently suggested to be Chris Comstock, an American DJ who was better known as Dotcom at the time, because their musical styles are similar.  Marshmello released his debut studio album "Joytime", consisting of 10 songs, via his label Joytime Collective on January 8, 2016. One single was released from the album, titled "Keep It Mello", featuring Mexican rapper Omar Linx, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album peaked at number five on "Billboard"'s Dance/Electronic Songs chart, number fourteen on the US Heatseeker Albums chart and forty-one on the Independent Albums chart.  Marshmello debuted on the Canadian independent record label Monstercat with the release of "Alone", which appeared on the label's compilation album "Monstercat 027 – Cataclysm". The song's accompanying music video, released to YouTube, has received over 1.06 billion views as of December 2018. The song became his first to debut on the "Billboard" Hot 100 as it peaked at number sixty alongside charting on the Dance/Electronic Songs chart at number nine and the Canadian Hot 100 at number fifty-six, which was also his first in Canada. It was also certified platinum in both Canada by Music Canada and the United States by RIAA.

2016–2018: "Silence", "Wolves", "Friends", and "Joytime II".

Marshmello performed at Electric Daisy Carnival 2016 in Las Vegas on June 19. In a gimmick attempted by Marshmello and Dutch DJ Tiësto, the latter who wore the same clothes as the former on stage, took off his helmet presenting himself as Marshmello. It was later regarded as a publicity stunt by fans and the media due to their conflicting tour dates and a photo of "the two helmeted DJs hanging out together pre-show".  He announced the Ritual Tour on Twitter, in which he performed in several countries including the United States, China, South Korea, India and Paraguay from late September until early January of the following year. The tour was accompanied with his debut on dubstep musician Skrillex's Owsla label, with a single titled "Ritual", in which vocalist Wrabel was featured. An official music video for the song was published to YouTube. Soon after, Marshmello launched his own record label named Joytime Collective and recruited fellow DJ and producer Slushii as the first signee on its roster. Marshmello collaborated with Ookay to release the single "Chasing Colors", featuring vocals by American singer Noah Cyrus. He later collaborated with Slushii to release the single "Twinbow", a song previously only known to the public as a snippet. During the mid-year, his third single of the year titled "Moving On" was released, having debuted two years before receiving the official release. A music video for the song was also published, having received 169 million views as of December 2018. Months later, Marshmello announced upcoming collaborations with American hip hop recording artist Blackbear and Demi Lovato. The collaborations, however, were never released officially as of December 2018. Following that, Marshmello released "Love U" as a single for free as appreciation to his fans. The song was described by "Billboard" as a "gritty dance-pop single with a pounding bass line and helium-breathed vocals."  His next single, announced on Twitter, was a collaboration with American R&B singer Khalid titled "Silence", which was released on August 11, 2017 via RCA Records. The song appeared on the Top 200 in over 28 countries. It topped the Dance charts in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and charted in the Top 10 of more than fifteen countries such as Germany, Sweden and Norway. It also appeared on the year-end charts of Hungary, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Additionally, it was certified multi-platinum in many countries. Among them were platinum by BPI (United Kingdom) and BM (Germany), double platinum by BEA (Belgium), RMNZ (New Zealand) and RIAA (United States), triple platinum by MC (Canada), a quadruple platinum by SRIA (Sweden) and a quintuple platinum by ARIA (Australia).  Later in the year, he released his collaboration with American singer Selena Gomez, the single "Wolves" which became a commercial success, having reached the top 10 in more than 20 countries. It topped the charts in Latvia, Poland and Hungary, and the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. It was also his highest-charting "Billboard" Hot 100 song in 2017, having peaked in the Top 50 of over 50 countries and sold over 2.5 million copies of certified units. The song was certified gold in the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal and Denmark, and multiple-platinum in Brazil, Sweden, Canada, and Australia while receiving single-platinum certification in the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and New Zealand.  Succeeding "Wolves", the single "You & Me" was released through Joytime Collective, accompanied by an animated music video which was produced and directed by Toon53. The video was published three weeks after the song's release, on his YouTube channel, receiving over 42 million views as of December 2018.  In November, "Forbes" published an article confirming Christopher Comstock as the individual behind the Marshmello project, with regards to existing proofs such as his real name being revealed in music royalty manager BMI's database and that Marshmello's company was registered in August 2015 under Comstock in Delaware. Furthermore, it was also disclosed to "Forbes" by industry insiders that the two are the same person. Previously-known pieces of evidence such as the ASCAP credit, their physical and musical similarities, and Skrillex addressing Marshmello as "Chris" were taken into account of confirming Marshmello's identity. In January 2018, Marshmello released a posthumous collaboration with rapper Lil Peep, titled "Spotlight". He decided to release the single only after speaking to Peep's mother, who had requested her son's unpublished musical work to be released as much as possible. A month later, Marshmello worked with frequent collaborator Slushii for the song "There ×2", which was released as a single.  He released a collaboration with British singer Anne-Marie named "Friends", as the fifth single from Anne-Marie's debut studio album, "Speak Your Mind". The song became his highest-charting song on the Hot 100 until October 2018, peaking at number eleven. It also received a single-platinum certification in Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States alongside receiving an Australian double-platinum and a Canadian triple-platinum certification.  Among the other singles released after the work with Anne-Marie were a song with rapper Logic titled "Everyday", which was released as the third single from his seventh mixtape, "Bobby Tarantino II", "Fly" and "You Can Cry", a collaborative single with rapper Juicy J and British soul singer James Arthur. On June 19, Marshmello announced on Twitter his second studio album titled "Joytime II", which would be musically similar to its predecessor"." The album was released on June 22, 2018. "Rolling Stone" described it as monotonous and Marshmello's decision to not feature guests as disappointing, stating "every song sounds like it has already been pre-leased for use by energy-drink companies or extreme-sports squads." The album was given a 'one-and-a-half star' rating by the magazine, while Pitchfork gave the album a 4.2 out of 10 rating. Two singles were released off the album in June, titled "Tell Me" and "Check This Out", the latter of which receiving an official music video published several months later.

2018–present: "Happier", "Here with Me" and "Joytime III".

In August 2018, he collaborated with British band Bastille to release a single titled "Happier" in August. It became his highest charting song in Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States while becoming his third number one song on the Dance/Electronic Songs chart. The song was certified gold in Belgium, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, platinum in New Zealand and the United States, and double-platinum in Australia and Canada. His subsequent singles, collaborations with Egyptian singer-songwriter Amr Diab titled "Bayen Habeit" and American rapper and producer Roddy Ricch titled "Project Dreams", were released in December. Marshmello announced that month, he was working on his third studio album, "Joytime III".  In January 2019, Marshmello collaborated with the free-to-play video game Fortnite Battle Royale to throw an in-game concert, along with releasing merchandise based on the game. On February 2 and 3, the concert was held online, amassing over 10 million players on the first day. During the first quarter of 2019 he released various collaboration. The first, in February, was a collaboration with dubstep producer Svdden Death titled "Sell Out". The second, with Scottish band Chvrches, called "Here with Me". Finally, in April, he released "Roll the Dice", an extended play with California rappers SOB X RBE. It contains three songs: "Roll the Dice", "Don't Save Me" and "First Place".  In June 2019, he released "Rescue Me", a collaboration with American rock band A Day to Remember as the first single from his third album, "Joytime III". Following which, Marshmello revealed the full tracklist on his Twitter. The album features collaborations with producers Bellecour, Crankdat, Elohim, Flux Pavilion, Wiwek, Slushii, Tynan, and Yultron. The album was released on July 2, 2019.  On October 5, Marshmello was featured in the tenth season of "Robot Chicken" as a gag for being an "actual marshmallow", after being hit by a truck of chocolate and a truck of graham crackers, thus creating schm'ores.  On November 13, Marshmello collaborated with Blackbear and Yungblud to release "Tongue Tied".  On May 1, Marshmello collaborated with Halsey to release "Be Kind".

Artistry.

Marshmello wears a custom helmet for public appearances. His identity was not known initially, but was confirmed to be Chris Comstock in April 2017 by "Forbes", citing events such as Skrillex's referring of Marshmello as "Chris" in an interview, the managerial connection of Shalizi, and the similar tattoos and birthday. On July 2, 2019, Marshmello released a documentary with More Than Music (Artist Spotlight Series) on YouTube. In the documentary, Shalizi describes the process and effort into creating the Marshmello brand.  His stage name, an alternative spelling of "marshmallow", and his marshmallow mascot head were both inspired by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, who also notably uses an alternate spelling for his stage name and performs wearing a "dead mouse" mascot head. Acknowledgement of Deadmau5's contribution to Marshmello's persona is evident in the music video for "Alone". Marshmello also referenced Deadmau5 with a variant of his helmet (with a third ear) featured in the original edit of "Ritual"s music video. It was removed at Deadmau5's demand.  His musical style includes groove-oriented, synth and bass-heavy electronic dance music. Inspired by other masked DJs like Deadmau5 and Daft Punk, Marshmello appears wearing a full-head-covering white-colored bucket. Despite the anonymity, his career received international recognition in 2015 when he began releasing tracks online, including remixes of Zedd's "Beautiful Now", Jack Ü's "Where Are Ü Now" and others, as well as his own single "Alone".  As a YouTuber, Marshmello has published gaming and cooking videos for his series "Gaming with Marshmello" and "Cooking with Marshmello". In an episode of the latter, American singer Paula Abdul was featured as a guest. In the cooking series, Marshmello was shown presenting his methods of cooking, for foods such as meals, snacks and desserts. Appearing as non-speaker, he used body language to express himself in the videos.

Philanthropy.

Marshmello, together with "Fortnite" player Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, have won prize money of a million dollars from Epic's E3 Celebrity Pro Am charity tournament. Half of the million was donated to KIND (Kids in Need of Defense), an organization providing legal counsel to refugees and immigrant children. With the single Happier and its pet-dog-themed video, he supported the #FindYourFido campaign by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in October 2018, also recognized as "Adopt a Shelter Dog" month.

Awards and nominations.

Marshmello has been awarded Best Electronic at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards, his first major award win. Marshmello received nominations for works such as "Alone", "Wolves", "Silence" and "Friends".

Christopher Comstock (born May 19, 1992), known professionally as Marshmello, is an American electronic music producer and DJ. He first gained international recognition by releasing remixes of songs by American DJ duo Jack Ü and Russian-German DJ Zedd. He is best known for the songs "Silence", "Wolves", "Friends", and "Happier", all of which have been certified multi-platinum in several countries and appeared in the Top 30 of the "Billboard" Hot 100.

Christopher Comstock, né le, plus connu sous le pseudonyme de Marshmello, est un producteur, compositeur, DJ de musique électronique américain.


Early life, education, and law career.

Bonamici was born in Detroit and raised in a small Michigan town. She earned her bachelor's degree and J.D. from the University of Oregon, and was a legal assistant at Lane County Legal Aid in Eugene. Following law school, she became a consumer protection attorney for the Federal Trade Commission in the nation's capital. She went into private practice in Portland and represented small businesses.

Oregon legislature.

Elections.

In 2006, incumbent Democratic State Representative Brad Avakian decided to retire to run for the Oregon Senate. She ran for the open seat in Oregon's 34th House District and defeated Republican Joan Draper 62%-36%.  On April 30, 2008, Bonamici was appointed by Commissioners from both Washington and Multnomah counties to represent Oregon's 17th Senate District. The seat became vacant when Avakian was appointed Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. She was sworn in on May 19, 2008.  Bonamici was unopposed in the November 2008 special election for the balance of Avakian's four-year term, and was elected with 97 percent of the vote. In 2010, she won re-election with 64% of the vote.  In early 2011, Bonamici's name was floated as a possible successor to then-Congressman David Wu after "The Oregonian" and "Willamette Week" reported Wu exhibited odd behavior and clashed with his staff in the midst of apparent mental illness during the 2010 election cycle. Following Wu's resignation from Congress, Bonamici announced her candidacy for the special election to replace him, touting endorsements from former Governor Barbara Roberts, former Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, and incumbent Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, among others.

U.S. House of Representatives.

Elections.

On November 8, 2011, Bonamici won the Democratic Party of Oregon's nomination, winning an outright majority of the vote in every county in the district and capturing 66% of the vote overall, with a 44-point margin over second-place finisher Brad Avakian. She faced Republican nominee Rob Cornilles in the special election on January 31, 2012, winning by a 14-point margin.  Prior to her election to Congress, Bonamici resigned from the Oregon Senate on November 21, and was replaced by Elizabeth Steiner Hayward in December.  In November 2012, Bonamici won re-election to her first full term with over 60% of the vote.

Legislation.

On July 31, 2014, Bonamici introduced the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014 (H.R. 5309; 113th Congress) into the House. The bill would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to spend $27 million a year for three years on their on-going tsunami warning and research programs.  Bonamici said "the coastlines of the United States already play an integral role in the economic prosperity of this country and we must strengthen their preparedness and resiliency so they can continue to play that role going forward." She added that this bill "will improve the country's understanding of the threat posed by tsunami events" because it will "improve forecasting and notification systems, support local community outreach and preparedness and response plans, and develop supportive technologies."

Personal life.

She is married to Michael H. Simon, a federal judge. They have two children, Andrew and Sara. Bonamici was raised Episcopalian and Unitarian, and now attends synagogue with her husband, who is Jewish, and their children.

Suzanne Marie Bonamici (born October 14, 1954) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Oregon's 1st congressional district, a seat she was first elected to in a 2012 special election. The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington counties.

Suzanne Bonamici, née le à Détroit, est une femme politique américaine, représentante de l'Oregon à la Chambre des représentants des États-Unis depuis 2012.


Geography.

The municipality covers an area of between the Langeberg mountains and the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Breede River in the west to the Gourits River in the east. It abuts on the Swellendam Municipality to the west, the Kannaland Municipality to the north, the Oudtshoorn Municipality to the northeast, and the Mossel Bay Municipality to the east.  According to the 2011 census the municipality has a population of 52,642 people in 15,873 households. Of this population, 68.5% describe themselves as "Coloured"rem. red, 23.2% as "White", and 7.4% as "Black African". The first language of 92.4% of the population is Afrikaans, while 3.6% speak English and 2.1% speak Xhosa.  The largest town in the municipality is Riversdale, which as of 2011 has a population of 16,176. Riversdale, which is the location of the municipal headquarters, is located on the Vet River close to the foothills of the Langeberg. Heidelberg (pop. 8,259) and Slangrivier (pop. 3,011) are to the west of Riversdale, while Albertinia (pop. 6,372) is to the east. Stilbaai (pop. 3,514) is on the coast south of Riversdale at the mouth of the Vet River, with Groot-Jongensfontein (pop. 355) and Melkhoutfontein (pop. 2,533) nearby. Witsand (pop. 321) is on the western edge of the municipality at the mouth of the Breede River, while Gouritsmond (pop. 515) is on the eastern edge at the mouth of the Gourits River.

Politics.

The municipal council consists of seventeen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in nine wards, while the remaining eight are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 3 August 2016 no party obtained a majority; the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) subsequently formed a coalition to govern the municipality.  The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.  The local council sends two representatives to the council of the Garden Route District Municipality: one from the Democratic Alliance and one from the African National Congress.  In a by-election held on 10 April 2019, a ward previously held by an ANC councillor was won by the DA candidate. The DA now holds an outright majority in the council. Council composition was reconfigured as seen below:

Hessequa Local Municipality (before 24 June 2005 the Langeberg Local Municipality) is a municipality located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is flanked by the lower Breede River to the west and the Gourits River to the east. the population was 52,642. Its municipality code is WC042. The name Hessequa, meaning "people of the trees", refers to the tribe of indigenous Khoikhoi people.

La Municipalité locale d'Hessequa ("Hessequa Local Municipality") est une municipalité locale du district municipal d'Eden, dans la province du Cap-Occidental, en Afrique du Sud. Le siège de la municipalité est situé dans la ville de Riversdale.


History.

Amoeba Culture was founded in August 2006 by Dynamic Duo members Gaeko and Choiza, as well as current CEO Go Kyung-min. The label held open auditions in late 2007 in order to expand its roster. In 2008, composer and producer Primary and hip hop duo Supreme Team joined the company.  In 2011 the label released a series of toy figurines and started the "AMOEBAHOOD" project to promote exhibits and other cultural art projects. They also established the Amoeba Culture recording studio in October 2011. In 2012 the label held the first "Amoebahood Concerts" at Daegu Exco and KBS Busan Hall in February, as well as the House of Blues in LA and the Showbox at the Market in Seattle in April with Kero One. Zion.T also announced that he had signed with the label that summer.  In 2013 all of the label's artist participated in the 'NOWeekend' project which culminated in an album. The group also held the "2013 Amoebahood Concerts" on March 16 and 17. On July 19, 2013, Supreme Team disbanded when member E-Sens's contract ended. That summer E-Sens released tracks alleging the company had offered him a slave contract and that they had stolen money which the label denied. In January 2014 the other former Supreme Team member, Simon D, left the label as well.  In November 2017, CJ E&M acquired Amoeba Culture. CJ E&M official stated that, "We are investing to support the development of hip-hop music and free creative activities by artists".

Controversies.

Plagiarism accusations against Primary.

For the "2013 Infinity Challenge Music Festival", Primary collaborated with Park Myeong-su and label mate Gaeko (Dynamic Duo) for the song "I Got C". Later, netizens noticed similarities between "I Got C" and Dutch singer Caro Emerald's "Liquid Lunch." Rumors of plagiarism later followed.  In an interview by Seoul Shinmun NTN's "Dispatch," Caro Emerald's production team member David Schreurs said, "[Primary] uses our music as a template to create his own, which is an honor but on some songs he’s just going too far with it. I would like to say he should start trusting his own talent, because he sure is a good producer.” As a result, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), the network behind "Infinity Challenge," as well as KT Music, the publisher of the album and songs from the "2013 Infinity Challenge Music Festival," ceased online sales of "I Got C."  Another Primary composition, Park Ji-yoon's "Mr. Lee" (featuring San E) was also later accused of plagiarism.

Amoeba Culture () is a South Korean independent record label established in 2006 by Dynamic Duo (Gaeko and Choiza) and Go Kyung-min. The label is home to prominent artists such as Dynamic Duo, Rhythm Power, and Ha:tfelt. The label had the third largest sales among Korean record labels in 2015.

Amoeba Culture (hangeul : 아메바 컬쳐) est un label discographique sud-coréen. Il héberge des artistes prééminents du hip-hop sud-coréen tels que Dynamic Duo, Primary et Crush. En 2015, le label a décroché la en termes de ventes parmi les labels coréens.


Life and career.

Flim Flam was foaled in 1987, out of Cilia and by Wilhelm Tell I. He was a dark bay who stood at maturity. Flim Flam began training with rider Sue Blinks at two and a half years old. He was owned by Fritz Kundrun and Renate Kundrun, who bought him initially hoping he could be an approved Hanoverian breeding stallion as well as a dressage hopeful. However, after he placed third at the Bundeschampionate, Kundrun realized the horse could not be successful in dressage as a stallion, so Flim Flam was castrated and went on to succeed as a dressage horse.  Flim Flam's first major international competition was in 1998, at the World Equestrian Games in Rome. He and rider Sue Blinks finished 12th individually and 4th as part of the US team. In 2000, Flim Flam and Blinks won the US Equestrian Team National Grand Prix Championship. It was stated that he could quietly "steal" the show. The horse was listed as being in the top half-dozen Grand Prix level dressage horses competing at the time.  Flim Flam competed for the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia with Blinks, winning 8th individually and taking the bronze team medal with fellow members Robert Dover, Guenter Seidel, and Christine Traurig. Jane Savoie was credited with coaching the pair; She had helped Blinks with Flim Flam since he was three years old. In 2001, Flim Flam won first place in the Dressage Special and second place in the Grand Prix dressage competition at the Devon Horse Show. Blinks and Flim Flam were the leading horse-rider pair on the United States' silver medal dressage team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, topping their 1998 win.  After his retirement in the summer of 2004, Flim Flam was relaxing in a field when he showed signs of colic. After his condition was noticed, he was taken to the Palm Beach Equine in Wellington, Florida. Flim Flam died October 28, 2004, of complications arising from colic surgery; his stomach burst, causing him to be euthanized on the operating table. He was 17 years old.

Legacy.

Breyer Animal Creations released a model horse based on Flim Flam between 2003 and 2004. Blinks credits the horse as having been "a huge part of my education" as a rider and competitor. She also noted one of his strengths, saying, "He can piaffe forever, basically."

Pedigree.

Through his sire, Film Flam is the "nephew" of Wilhelm Tell II. Wilhelm Tell II is the sire of many notable Show Jumping/Dressage horses.

Flim Flam (March 27, 1987–October 28, 2004) was a Hanoverian dressage horse who, along with rider Sue Blinks, competed for the United States at the 2000 Olympics. The pair was eighth in the individual competition and was part of the bronze medal-winning US team. Flim Flam was sired by the stallion Wilhelm Tell I, out of the mare, Cilia.

Flim Flam (1987–2004) est un cheval Hanovrien de dressage qui, avec sa cavalière Susan Blinks, a concouru pour les États-Unis aux Jeux olympiques de Sydney en 2000. Le couple a obtenu la huitième place dans la compétition individuelle, et faisait partie de l'équipe des États-Unis médaillée de bronze. Flim Flam a été engendré par l'étalon Wilhelm Tell I et la jument Cilia.


Biography.

Afida Turner was born in Auchel, France.  Her father was from Algeria and her mother from La Réunion. When she was 2 years old, her father beat her mother to death. When she was five years old, her father died. She made appearances in five films, "Shut Up And Shoot", "The Sweep" and "Single Black Female". In 2013, she played a role in the self-produced film "Visions Interdites". In 2018, she played a role in the self-produced drama "Lumière Noire" by Enguerrand Jouvin.  In the 1990s, she started a singing career, releasing the title "Crazy About You" in 1998. She subsequently appeared as a guest star and host on various French TV shows. She came to media attention in 2002 by appearing under the name "Lesly", and released several records under the alias "Lesly Mess".  She lives in Beverly Hills, California, United States.

Personal life.

She had a relationship with Coolio lasting two years. In 2007, she married musician Ronnie Turner, musician, the son of Ike and Tina Turner. She started to use the name Afida Turner.

Politics.

On May 31, 2020, Turner announced her candidacy for President of France in the 2022 election. She is running on a platform opposing police violence and in favor of the Gilets jaunes movement. If elected, she would be the first female and first black President of the Republic.

Discography.

Singles.

"as Lesly Mess"  "as Afida Turner"

Afida Turner (born Hafidda Messaï on December 22, 1976) is a French-American singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality. In 2007, she married musician Ronnie Turner, the son of Ike Turner and Tina Turner.

Afida Turner, de son vrai nom Hafidda Messaï, née le à Auchel, dans le Pas-de-Calais, est une chanteuse, personnalité médiatique, actrice franco-américaine, notamment connue pour sa participation à diverses émissions de téléréalité. Elle a précédemment utilisé les pseudonymes Lesly et Lesly Mess.


Geography.

The municipality covers an area of which includes the Land van Waveren (Tulbagh) valley, the Warm Bokkeveld, the Koue Bokkeveld and the Ceres-Karoo. It stretches from the Groot Winterhoek Mountains in the west and the Hex River Mountains in the south as far as the Northern Cape provincial border in the north and east. It abuts on the Hantam Municipality to the north, the Karoo Hoogland Municipality to the northeast, the Laingsburg Municipality to the southeast, the Breede Valley Municipality to the south, the Drakenstein Municipality to the southwest, the Bergrivier Municipality to the west and the Cederberg Municipality to the northwest.  According to the 2011 census the municipality has a population of 115,946 people in 27,419 households. Of this population, 65.9% describe themselves as "Coloured", 25.3% as "Black African", and 7.7% as "White". The first language of 75.2% of the population is Afrikaans, while 16.6% speak Xhosa, 4.5% speak Sotho and 2.0% speak English.  The principal town and location of the municipal head office is Ceres on the eastern slope of the Skurweberg mountains, which as of 2011 has a population of 33,224. To the west of Ceres, on the other side of the mountains, is the Land van Waveren valley with the towns of Wolseley (pop. 12,130) and Tulbagh (pop. 8,969). To the north of Ceres is the town of Prince Alfred Hamlet (pop. 6,810), and further north, in the Koue Bokkeveld, the village of Op-die-Berg (pop. 1,531). There are a number of informal settlements: Pine Valley, Chris Hani, Mooiblom, Zibonele, Polocross, Die Gaatjie and Kleinbegin. In addition in Ward 2, Dwarsrivier, is the settlement of Romansrivier. Other settlements include: Tulbagh Road, Steinthal, Drostdy, Waterval, Kluitjieskraal, Breede River Station, and Prince Alfred Hamlet Station.

Politics.

The municipal council consists of twenty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twelve councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twelve wards, while the remaining eleven are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 18 May 2016 no party obtained a majority of seats. The following table shows the results of the 2016 election. The eleven councillors from the Democratic Alliance (DA) formed a coalition with the single councillor from the Congress of the People (COPE) to govern the municipality. The local council sends three representatives to the council of the Cape Winelands District Municipality: two from the Democratic Alliance and one from the African National Congress.

Partners.

Since 2002 Witzenberg has an official town twinning agreement with the town Essen in Belgium. The city-to-city cooperation consists of sustainable development programs in the vulnerable areas concerning youth, local economic development and environment.

Witzenberg Municipality is a local municipality located within the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. it had a population of 115,946.

La Municipalité de Witzenberg ("Witzenberg Local Municipality") est une municipalité locale du district municipal de Cape Winelands dans la province du Cap-Occidental en Afrique du Sud. Le siège de la municipalité est situé dans la ville de Ceres.


Early life.

Lapadula was born in Turin, to an Italian father from the region of Apulia and a Peruvian mother. He has a brother named David who was also a forward, in the lower amateur leagues.  He is nicknamed "Lapagol", due to his goalscoring prowess, and "Sir William" (in reference to William Wallace) for his strong temperament.

Club career.

Early career.

Lapadula began his career with Juventus before releasing in 2004 because he wasn't doing well in his studies. After that he moved to Collegno Paradiso, then left on loan to Treviso in 2006. He returned to Piedmont for Serie C2 side Pro Vercelli on 31 August 2007. He was a player of the reserve. In 2008–09 season, he left for Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (ex–Serie C2) side Ivrea, and was selected to the Lega Pro 2nd Div. A representative team for Lega Pro Quadrangular Tournament and scored a goal against 2nd Div. C representative team in the third place match. Eventually, Group A finished as the third. In August 2009 he was signed by Parma and spent one season with their Primavera team. In July 2010 left for Atletico Roma.

Loans to Atletico Roma and Cesena.

Lapadula made his debut for Atletico Roma on 8 August 2010, in the Coppa Italia preliminary round, lost in extra time (1–2). In January 2011, he left for Ravenna. He concluded the 2011–12 season as the topscorer in Group A with 24 goals.  On 15 June 2012, Lapadula joined Serie B club Cesena in co-ownership, signing a five-year contract. Lapadula failed to play regularly for Cesena, and on 8 January 2013 he was signed by Frosinone. In July 2013 the co-ownership between Cesena and Parma was resolved, and Lapadula returned to Parma.

Loans to Gorica and Teramo.

Lapadula was loaned to Slovenian club ND Gorica on 1 July, along with Bright Addae, Daniele Bazzoffia, Uroš Celcer, Massimo Coda, Alex Cordaz, Sebestyén Ihrig-Farkas, Alen Jogan, Floriano Vanzo and Fabio Lebran. The deals were finalised on 12 July.  In July 2014 he was loaned to Teramo, where he scored 21 goals and helped the club achieve promotion to Serie B, then cancelled in August 2015 by the final judgment of the Italian Football Federation, due to match-fixing on the part of the President of Teramo, Luciano Campitellii, in the penultimate round of the league in the match against Savona.

Pescara.

After the bankruptcy of Parma Lapadula was released on a free transfer, and in July 2015 he was signed by Pescara in Serie B on a four-year contract. In the 2015–16 season he scored 30 goals in 43 appearances (including three goals in as many appearances in the playoffs), without scoring any penalties, earning the honour of top scorer in the Italian second division.

Milan.

On 24 June 2016, Lapadula passed his medical test with A.C. Milan, who reportedly paid Pescara €9 million plus bonus for the transfer, while the player signed a five-year deal. He made his debut for Milan on 27 August 2016, coming on as an 86th-minute substitute during a 4–2 loss away against Napoli in Serie A. He scored his first goal for Milan and in Serie A on 6 November 2016 in the 2–1 away victory against Palermo, three minutes after coming on as a substitute for Carlos Bacca. On 26 November, Lapadula scored his first brace in Serie A in a 1–4 away victory against Empoli. He finished the 2016–17 season with 8 goals in 27 games, two of which were scored from a penalty spot.

Genoa.

On 18 July 2017, Lapadula moved to Genoa, on a one-season loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent. The total transfer fee was €13 million (€2 million loan + €11 million for outright) which was Genoa's most expensive signing of all-time.

Loan to Lecce.

On 12 July 2019, he was loaned to Serie A newcomers Lecce.

International career.

Due to his family heritage Lapadula is eligible to play for Italy and Peru. He had received a call-up by Peru for the Copa América Centenario but had not officially decided which international side to represent. On 7 November 2016, he was called up to the Italy senior squad for the first time for a 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification match against Liechtenstein and a friendly match against Germany, replacing the injured Napoli forward Manolo Gabbiadini.  On 31 May 2017, Lapadula scored a hat-trick for Italy national football B team in a friendly against San Marino.

Style of play.

A dynamic forward, Lapadula is a tenacious and physically strong striker, who stands out for his temperament; due to his versatility, he can play as a centre-forward, and can also adapt to more creative roles, as a second striker, or winger on either flank, courtesy of his ability to both score and assist goals. An uncommonly accurate and powerful finisher, he also has a strong left foot, and an eye for goal.

Honours.

Club.

Gorica  Milan

Gianluca Lapadula (born 7 February 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Lecce, on loan from Genoa.

Gianluca Lapadula, né le à Turin en Italie, est un footballeur italien. Il évolue au poste d'attaquant au Lecce, en prêt du Genoa.


Robert A. Naef Foundation.

The "Robert A. Naef Foundation" was created on 15 April 1977 on the initiative of his widow, Mrs. Daisy Naef-Ryter. According to its statutes, the Foundation has the goal of honouring the memory of the late Robert A. Naef (22 July 1907 – 13 March 1975) by installing his Reinfelder & Hertel telescope in a newly created astronomical observatory. The observatory has the further goal of actively contributing to the exposure of young people to the art and science of astronomy. The Foundation was recognised as being of public interest by the Government of the Canton (State) of Fribourg on 16 May 1978. For 50 years Robert Adolf Naef, who worked at the Urania Observatory in Zurich, dedicated all his spare time and energy to popularising astronomy. His "Opus Magnum" was the creation of the astronomical annual directory ""Der Sternenhimmel"" in 1941.

The observatory.

The astronomical observatory in Épendes is located a few kilometres outside the city of Fribourg (in German Freiburg) in Switzerland, in the countryside, at 700 m above sea level. The observatory is owned by a non-profit organization, the Robert-A. Naef Foundation. The daily operations and maintenance are performed by the Association of Friends of the Épendes Observatory.  Thanks to its ideal location in the south of the greater area of Fribourg and 22 km in the north from Bulle, the observatory serves the purpose of disseminating astronomical knowledge, particularly to children and teenagers as well as to the general population. The observatory is open every Friday evening free to the public.  The schools can also benefit from special visit opportunities (in French or German). For Holiday Pass the observatory is open in the summer and autumn holidays in the canton (state) of Fribourg.  Groups can reserve the observatory on Wednesday or Saturday evenings, on request, with or without observations.

The equipment.

Reinfelder & Hertel telescope.

The invention of the telescope in 1608 and the subsequent improvements in optics led to the revolutionary progress of the 17th and 18th centuries. We call this type of telescope a refractor because it deviates the light coming from an object in such a way that its image is reversed ; observation is done through an eyepiece at the end of the tube, which allows magnification of the image. Bequeathed by Mr. Robert A. Naef, the observatory's precious telescope is a Reinfelder & Hertel with a diameter of 162.5 mm and a focal distance of 1435 mm - this allows a magnification of X150.

Keller telescope.

This telescope Keller was inaugurated on 21 May 2004. This new Keller telescope reinforces the attractiveness of the observatory through its exceptional performance.  It is a Cassegrain type telescope, equipped with a 50 cm diameter mirror for a focal distance of 5000 mm. It is fixed on a fully computer-driven German mounting. The telescope offers staggering image of deep space objects.

The coelostat.

The design and assembly of the coelostat VTT 120 extends the equipment of the observatory to another area. This makes it possible not only to admire the night sky, but also the Sun, with its sunspots, prominences, etc. The installation of the telescope opens to visitors several new possibilities :  Designer: AOK (Astrooptik Kohler)

C14 telescope.

The observatory is also equipped with a more modern and more powerful instrument - a Celestron C14. It is a telescope which works with mirrors, as is generally the case with per-formant instruments. This one is a Schmidt-Cassegrain - that is, it has a hyperbolic and concave secondary mirror in the same axis as the primary mirror, which reflects light back through a hole pierced in the primary mirror itself. The image can then be observed through an eyepiece at the end of the tube. This instrument, with a primary mirror of 40 cm diameter can capture about 1800 times more light than the naked eye; the diameter of the eye's pupil is only 5 mm. In order to increase the stability of the instrument we have opted for a German mount. The electronic pilot automatically follows observed objects by compensating for the rotation of the Earth. Our NGC-Max guiding system contains the coordinates of thousands of objects and greatly helps with the aiming of the telescope.

Planetarium.

A mini planetarium, with seating for a dozen people, is used for initiating the general public into celestial mechanics : explanations as to the motion of stars and planets, the location of constellations, etc. are readily visualized. Since March 2006, a new digital planetarium system has been installed: the Digitarium Alpha. This equipment comprises a computer on which an adapted version of the Stellarium open source software runs, and a beamer equipped with a fish-eye lens. A simultaneous projection of the skies together with a drawing of the constellations and astronomical pictures or movies is made possible thanks to the incorporated DVD drive.  At this observatory – among the 523,584 minor planets already registered by the Minor Planet Center until 2018 July 12 – 95 new minor planets (numbered between 129342 Ependes, recorded first on 5 November 2005, and 477358, recorded first on 23 October 2009) have been discovered by Dr. h.c. Peter Kocher.

Observatory Robert A. Naef () is an astronomical observatory located at Épendes, Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland at 7.13938 degrees east of Greenwich and 46.76236 degrees north latitude. Its parallax constants are : ρ sin φ' = 0.68632 (Earth radii from the rotation axis) and ρ cos φ' = +0.72501 (Earth radii from the equatorial plane).

L'observatoire astronomique d'Épendes, également connu sous le nom Observatoire Robert-A. Naef, est un observatoire astronomique situé à Épendes, dans le canton de Fribourg, en Suisse, à 680 m d'altitude. Il a pour objectif la popularisation de l'astronomie.


Career.

Blum attended Loras College, where he earned a degree in finance, and the University of Dubuque, where he earned a master's degree in business administration.  Blum is the former CEO of Eagle Point Software (1990–2000). He has owned Digital Canal, a software company, since 2000.

Ethics inquiry.

In February 2018, the Associated Press reported that Blum had "violated House ethics rules by failing to disclose his role in a company that he formed." Blum was listed as a director of internet marketing company Tin Moon Corp. when it was incorporated in May 2016. Tin Moon's address is listed in the same Dubuque office as a construction software company Blum owns, Digital Canal, and Blum's chief of staff was featured in online testimonials for Tin Moon. Blum said he made an oversight in failing to disclose his ties to the company on his personal financial disclosure, and that the company was "basically worth less than $1,000 and not doing business in 2016." In March 2018, Tin Moon removed Blum from its website.  In July 2018, the Office of Congressional Ethics referred an ethics investigation case into Blum to the House Ethics Committee. The House Ethics Committee announced that it would release its findings prior to December 17, 2018. Blum described the inquiry into him as a "crusade of personal destruction" waged by the "radical left".

U.S. House of Representatives.

Elections.

After winning the Republican primary in June 2014, Blum defeated Democratic state representative Pat Murphy with 51% of the vote in the November 4, 2014, general election. This was considered a surprise Republican victory, as the seat had a D+5 Cook PVI Score. Blum succeeded Democrat Bruce Braley, who vacated his U.S. House seat to run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. Blum ran for reelection in 2016. He was unopposed in the Republican primary. He faced Democrat Monica Vernon in the general election. Blum defeated Vernon with 54% of the vote.  Blum was defeated in 2018 by state representative Abby Finkenauer.

Political positions.

Blum describes himself as a "Tea Party Republican," and has said that "the Tea Party is what the Republican Party should have always been."  As of October 2017, Blum had voted with the Republican Party in 90% of votes in the 115th United States Congress and voted in line with President Trump's position in 94% of the votes.

Environment.

Blum has described himself as "skeptical" of the scientific consensus that human activities are a primary contributor to climate change. He said that the scientific community used to support the conjecture of global cooling and that "most scientists' paychecks come from the federal government, and so right away that makes me a bit skeptical." Blum opposes federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.  As of February 2017, he had a 3% score with the League of Conservation Voters.

Health care.

Blum favored "fully repealing" the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). In 2017, Blum did not support the initial version of the American Health Care Act of 2017, the Republican Party's bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, saying that it "doesn't do enough to lower premiums for hardworking Americans".  On May 4, 2017, Blum voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and pass the revised version of the American Health Care Act. Blum said that the bill had been improved to his liking. He described the bill as "Trumpcare" but also as "Obamacare 2.0" because "We've probably changed 10, 20 percent of the bill is all." Blum said that "AHCA will stabilize the market, lower premiums for Iowans, increase choices, reduce taxes, and protect people who have pre-existing conditions."  Asked why he voted for the legislation before the impact of the bill had been assessed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Blum stated that there was an urgent need for a fix to Obamacare.  During his town halls in May 2017, Blum falsely claimed that if the current version of AHCA became law that coverage would not change for those on Medicaid. He also told his constituents, "If you're getting your insurance through the group health care marketplace — your employer — nothing changes." This was found to be partly false when fact checked by National Public Radio, as whether someone's insurance would change under the GOP bill depends on whether an employer is based in and purchases its insurance in a state that gets a waiver. Blum also said that AHCA would take care of the same people as the ACA; the "Telegraph Herald" wrote that under the AHCA, "Insurers still would be prohibited from setting premiums based on health status and denying coverage to someone with a pre-existing condition. However, those who do not maintain continuous coverage could be charged higher premiums for a pre-existing condition" and that states that seek waivers from the federal government would be allowed to charge older individuals up to five times as much as young people and to exempt insurers from a list of essential health benefits mandated by the ACA.  In May 2017, Blum walked out of a local television interview after being asked why his staff was pre-screening constituents who planned to attend his town hall meetings.

Economic issues and tax reform.

Blum favored "a constitutional amendment to balance the budget and limit spending."  In 2015, Blum voted against legislation that would have averted a government shutdown. Discussing the government shutdown, Blum said, "I think the Founding Fathers are smiling right now for the first time in a long time".  In March 2016, in light of a $2 billion redevelopment of D.C.'s Southwest waterfront, Blum said that Washington D.C. "needs a recession."  Blum opposed a mandatory increase in the federal minimum wage.  Blum supported tax reform and voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. After the vote passed, Blum tweeted that "families...will see their take home pay increase."

Government structure.

Blum cast his first vote in Congress against John Boehner's speakership, saying, "I was elected by Iowans to stand up to the status quo in Washington, D.C., and I refuse to turn my back on them with my first vote... With congressional approval ratings at historic lows, it's time for our elected officials to listen to the people and rethink business as usual so we can move our country forward together."  According to "USA Today", Blum has "made it his central focus to change the way Congress treats itself by supporting efforts to strip away the trappings of elective office." Blum and Democrat Beto O'Rourke started the Congressional Term Limits Caucus. He co-sponsored legislation to end lawmakers' access to first class travel and luxury car leases, he supports ending the congressional pension system, and he has introduced a bill to institute a lifetime ban on lawmakers ever becoming lobbyists.  In 2015, Blum returned $102,000 of his unspent 2015 office budget to the United States Treasury to help pay down the national debt. He did not confirm whether he planned to donate half of his congressional salary to charity, which he had pledged to do on his campaign website. Blum said: "I'm not saying I didn't. I very well may have. But it's not something I'm going to comment on."  Blum supported a constitutional amendment to enforce term limits for congressmen. When asked how many terms he was going to seek in an April 2015 interview, Blum responded, "I'm not going to term limit myself. I definitely believe in term limits, but I don't believe in unilaterally disarming...Do I see myself being in the House of Representatives 10 years from now? No, I don't."

Immigration.

Blum supported President Donald Trump's first 2017 executive order. The order temporarily curtailed immigration from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen until better screening methods are devised. Blum stated that "...The bottom line is they can't properly vet people coming from war-torn areas like Syria and Iraq. If we can't vet people properly, then we shouldn't be allowing them into our country. I'm supportive of that."

Abortion.

Blum opposed abortion. He had voted to defund Planned Parenthood. He supported creating a select committee to investigate Planned Parenthood for allegedly selling fetal tissue.

Drug policy.

Blum has a "B" rating from NORML for his voting history regarding cannabis-related causes. Blum supports veterans having access to medical marijuana if recommended by their Veterans Health Administration doctor and if it is legal for medicinal purposes in their state of residence. He has voted in favor of federally funded programs regarding medical marijuana research.

LGBT issues.

Blum believes that same-sex marriage should be determined by states. In 2016, he voted against an amendment aimed at upholding an executive order barring discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors.

President Donald Trump.

In February 2017, he voted against a resolution that would have directed the U.S. House to request ten years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.  Blum supported Trump's May 10, 2017, firing of FBI Director James Comey, saying "it's probably time for Comey to go." The FBI was at the time conducting a criminal probe into possible ties between Trump associates and Russia.

Trade.

In June 2018, amid a brewing trade war between the United States and China, Blum urged the Trump administration "to avoid a trade war". In July 2018, Blum thanked Trump for "having political courage to renegotiate these trade deals."

Personal life.

Blum was born and raised in Dubuque, the son of Celeste M. (Van Der Meulen) and Wallace Lee Blum, a World War II veteran. He resides in Dubuque with his wife, Karen, and their five children.

Rodney Leland Blum (; born April 26, 1955) is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 1st congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 2014 and won a second term in the 2016 elections. Blum was defeated for reelection in 2018 by Democrat Abby Finkenauer. He has described himself as a member of the Tea Party movement.

Rodney Leland Blum dit Rod Blum, né le, est un homme politique américain, élu républicain de l'Iowa à la Chambre des représentants des États-Unis de 2015 à 2019.


History.

The Folsom Lake reservoir is formed by Folsom Dam, built in 1955 to control and retain the American River. The dam and reservoir are part of the Folsom Project, which also includes the Nimbus afterbay reservoir and dam facilities. The Folsom Project, operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, is part of the Central Valley Project, a multipurpose project that provides flood control, hydroelectricity, drinking water, and water for irrigation.  When the dam was built, it was designed to hold with a surface area of. The dam is 1400 feet wide and 340 feet high. It is a concrete structure with approximately 9 miles of earth fill wing dams and dikes supporting its surrounding areas. During the drought of late 2013, part of the 2012–14 North American drought, the town known as Mormon Island reappeared 58 years after being submerged under Folsom Lake, with stone walls from some of the outlying areas being revealed by the shrinking lake.

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.

The Folsom Lake State Recreation Area (SRA) surrounds the reservoir, and is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The lake supports a large number of recreational activities. Aquatic activities account for 85% of all recreation visits to the SRA. Areas are designated for hiking, camping, and biking. The lake is also commonly used for fishing, boating, water-skiing, and horseback riding.  The majority of the SRA is owned by the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, and the area is managed by the state parks.  Two major freeways feed access to the SRA, Highway 80 and Highway 50. A number of local roadways, trails, and public transportation routes access the SRA. Six key roadways that access the SRA are Douglas Boulevard, Auburn/Folsom Road, Folsom Boulevard, East Natoma Street, Green Valley Road, and Salmon Falls Road. The most recognized regional trails are Jedidiah Smith Memorial Trail and Pioneer Express Trail. The public transport that accesses the SRA include Placer County Transit, Folsom Stageline, Roseville Transit and Sacramento Regional Transit.  The recreation area is located at the union of the north and south forks of the American River. There are 20,000 acres of water and land within the boundaries of the SRA. The State Recreation Area spans El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties, as well as the City of Folsom.  The fishing is tough due to the always rising and falling water levels of the lake. Fish species include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, rainbow trout, Kokanee salmon, catfish, sunfish, squawfish, and carp.  There are five major day use areas on the lake, Granite Bay, Beales Point, Folsom Point, Negro Bar, and Nimbus Flats.  Granite Bay and Beals Point are the primary visitor areas on the western shoreline of Folsom Lake, with large day-use areas that include swim beaches, boat launch facilities, restrooms, landscaped picnic areas, snack food and beach equipment concessions, trailheads and associated parking. The Granite Bay facility includes a multi-use activity center which is available to rent and the Beals Point includes a 69-site campground. The smaller and more remote rattlesnake Bar visitor area provides boat launch facilities and informal access to the shoreline for fishing, swimming and picnicking.  The eastern shoreline is home to Brown’s Ravine and Folsom Point. Brown’s Ravine includes the Folsom Lake Marina which provides 675 wet slips, 175 dry storage spaces, boat launch areas, marine provisions and fueling stations, small picnic area, and restrooms. Folsom Point includes a picnic area, boat launch, and restrooms.  Facilities at these locations include swim beaches, picnic areas, food and beach equipment concessions, equestrian staging areas, restrooms and drinking water fountains, and trail heads with over 94 miles of trails (utilized by hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and horseback riders).

Wildlife.

California buckeye, blue oak, valley oak, digger pines, black oaks and occasionally oracle oaks populate the area surrounding the lake. A variety of wildflowers thrive in the Spring, Indian paintbrush, California poppy, larkspur, lupine, bordicaea, fiddleneck, Dutchman's pipe and monkey flower can be seen throughout the SRA.  A number of mammals inhabit the lake area including, coyotes, gray foxes, rabbits, skunks, raccoon, ground squirrels, black-tailed deer, opossums, and on occasion mountain lions, bobcats, and black bears have been sighted.  A number of birds call Folsom Lake home year round, bushtits, quails, wrens, scrub jays, black birds and towhees. Near the water visitors often see kingfishers, red-tailed hawks, eagles, kestlers, gulls and other raptors looking for a meal.

Flood control.

For eight months of the year, October 1 through May 31, the dam and lake is utilized to prevent flooding on the lower end of the American River. The Sacramento basin is notorious for flooding and the dam helps relieve winter storm runoff and snow melt from the Sierra.  It is a major component of the American River Watershed. During the summer months, water is released to prevent salt water intrusion in the San Joaquin Delta. These releases maintain water quality and keep ideal water temperatures for anadromous fish species such as Chinook salmon, steelhead and American shad. Several of these species are of primary concern due to their decline in numbers and spawning habitat destruction.  Water in Lake Folsom is also utilized for drinking water and power generation throughout the year. As a reservoir, the water levels in the lake fluctuate between 440 feet in the early summer and 405 feet in the early winter. In drought years, the water levels can be drawn below 400 feet in elevation. Some of the factors that affect these levels include precipitation, downstream flows and fishery needs.

Folsom Lake is a reservoir on the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, United States. It is located within Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento counties. It is about northeast of Sacramento. The lake surface area is 11,500 acres (46.54 sq. km), its elevation is and it has of undulated shoreline. Folsom Lake and the surrounding Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is one of the most visited parks in the California Park system.

Le est un lac de barrage américain situé sur le cours de l'American River dans l’État de la Californie. Il existe depuis la construction du en 1955.


Education.

Marci Bowers is a University of Minnesota Medical School graduate and former class and student body president. After Ob/Gyn residency at the University of Washington, she continued in Seattle as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist at the Polyclinic and Swedish Medical Center.

Career.

Before moving to Trinidad, Bowers practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology at the PolyClinic/Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. In her 20 years practicing obstetrics, she delivered more than 2000 babies. She has served as Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Chairperson at Swedish (Providence) Medical Center, and was named the only physician member of the Washington State midwifery Board. She is a member-elect of the European Academy of Sciences.  When Stanley Biber retired in 2003 at the age of 80, Bowers took over his practice, and since then, has done more than 2000 genital reassignment surgeries, performing as many as 12 gender affirming surgeries weekly. While performing surgery in Trinidad, Bowers estimated revenue at US$1.6 million per year to the hospital. Revenue generated in California may be ten times that figure.  In 2010, she relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and continues to practice in Burlingame, California. She has also helped initiate transgender surgical education programs at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv (2014), Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York (2016), Denver Health in Colorado (2018), and University of Toronto (2019). The transgender surgical fellowship at Mount Sinai is acknowledged as the first of its kind in the United States.  In 2018 and 2019, Bowers performed the first live surgical vaginoplasty surgeries in WPATH-sponsored surgical educational programs at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.  Bowers is an elected board member of WPATH and has served on the board of directors for both GLAAD and the Transgender Law Center.  Bowers is the first US surgeon to perform Clitoral Restoration Surgery for survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), whom she does not charge for surgery. She was trained for this specific operation under Pierre Foldès and has now performed more than 500 clitoral restorations at her clinic in San Mateo.  She has led medical missions to Burkina Faso (2014), Nairobi, Kenya (2017 and 2019). Working with local plastic surgeon, Abdullahi Adan, and others, this specific surgical venue is a first for Africa after the failed opening of the Pleasure Hospital in Bobo-Dioulasso.

Media appearances.

Perhaps Bowers' first television appearance was a dramatic role in "Ch-ch-ch-changes" (2004), a season-five episode of "" that focused on transgender issues. She also served as a production consultant for the episode.  She appeared briefly in the 2005 docuseries "TransGeneration", produced by World of Wonder; soon after, World of Wonder turned their attention to Bowers herself and her practice, in their 2007 documentary series "Sex Change Hospital"—a six-episode series that follows 12 patients before, during, and after surgery. "Sex Change Hospital" premiered on More4, and was rebroadcast on E4 in the UK and WE tv in the US. She and her practice were also the focus of "Trinidad" (2009), an independent documentary directed by PJ Raval and Jay Hodges. The filmmakers examine the success of Dr. Bowers' practice, and the transgender people who travel to the town of Trinidad, Colorado for sex reassignment surgery. The film premiered in the US on the Showtime channel.  Bowers appears as herself in the television documentary, "Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric" (2017), and in the 2016 and 2018 (seasons 3 through 6) of the reality series, "I Am Jazz". She has been a guest on US talk shows including "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Tyra Banks Show."  She has been interviewed for several publications. She is the author of at least five book chapters in surgical textbooks.

Opposition.

Not all of Trinidad's residents were happy with the town's title of "Sex Change Capital". In 2005, Terry Keith, a pastor for the All Nations Fellowship church, told "The Pueblo Chieftain", "Our reputation as sex-change capital of the world has brought shame and reproach on the community." That same year, two pastors circulated a petition for the closure of the clinic. They cited a Johns Hopkins University study that they claimed was proof that gender confirmation surgeries were an ineffective treatment for gender dysphoria. The petition was rejected. Bowers said that the church misrepresented the study data: "If you look at the actual study itself, the satisfaction rates and happiness rates after [surgeries] were overwhelmingly positive, their interpretation of the study was that the respondents—the patients themselves—couldn't possibly be accurate about what they were feeling, because they were crazy in the first place. There's been nothing like it since—and it's very important to point out that it's from 1972."  So too, clitoral restoration surgery remains controversial with some doubting restoration of sensation to the clitoris. After Pierre Foldès landmark study in Lancet February 2012, his results were met with skepticism from British gynecologists who wrote a rebuttal to his findings, questioning his methods and outcomes. Bowers is conducting ongoing studies using standard measures of female sexual function to definitively affirm Pierre Foldès' conclusions, but as Bowers has stated, "There is no happier text that I receive at three in the morning than someone stating they have had their first orgasm in their life."

Personal life.

Bowers remains married to her spouse in a nonconventional relationshi

Marci Lee Bowers (born January 18, 1958) is an American gynecologist and surgeon who specializes in gender confirmation surgeries. Bowers is viewed as an innovator in gender confirmation/affirmation surgery, and is the first transgender woman to perform such surgeries.

Marci Lee Bowers (née le ) est une gynécologue et femme trans américaine qui a exploité une pratique chirurgicale à la Trinidad, dans le Colorado. Elle a déménagé sa pratique à San Mateo, en Californie, en. Bowers est considérée comme une innovatrice dans le domaine de la chirurgie de réattribution sexuelle, ainsi que d'une pionnière pour le fait d'être la première femme trans à effectuer cette chirurgie. Bowers a été désignée comme la « Rock Star » de la chirurgie transgenre.


Plot.

Rick Magruder (Kenneth Branagh) is a divorced lawyer with a reputation for underhanded dealings and protecting criminals. After another successful trial, Magruder celebrates at a party hosted by his firm, becoming increasingly drunk. As he stumbles out of the party, he has a chance meeting with a woman named Mallory Doss (Embeth Davidtz), a waitress at the party who seems to have lost her car. Rick drives the woman to her home, where her car has been already parked, seemingly by her father, Dixon Doss (Robert Duvall). Rick and Mallory walk into the house arguing about her abusive father. Mallory carelessly undresses in front of him, after which they spend the night together.  The next day, Mallory asks him to file suit against her father because of his dangerous behavior. Having started a relationship with Mallory, Rick agrees and is successful in having Dixon put on trial thanks to favors from his staff, including his investigator, Clyde Pell (Robert Downey Jr.). Mallory's ex-husband, Pete Randle (Tom Berenger) also takes the stand, to testify about his former father-in-law's erratic behavior. Dixon appeals to the judge, claiming that the charges against him are fabricated and exaggerated, but the judge sentences him to a mental institution. Upon being taken away, Dixon attempts to attack Magruder, vowing revenge. With her father institutionalized, Magruder and Mallory continue their relationship, but not long after, Dixon is able to escape from the institution. Scared of retaliation, Magruder assigns Pell to guard Mallory while he attempts to gain support from the police to apprehend Dixon. The police are unhelpful, even after Dixon and his friends set Mallory's car on fire, due to the many cases Magruder has won against them.  A short time later, Magruder receives an unmarked letter containing pictures of his children with their faces cut out of them. Worried for his children, he decides to take them out of school, despite not having full custody of his children and needing his wife's permission to take them. Over the objections of the teachers, Magruder escapes with his children, after assaulting a school employee. Magruder calls Pell, impelling him to find Dixon Doss. Pell informs Magruder there is now a warrant out for his arrest. Magruder takes the children to a motel. He goes outside the room to call his wife (Famke Janssen) to assure her that he has done what he has for their safety, but during the call, Magruder's children are apparently taken by Dixon's crew, and he is forced to rendezvous with Mallory so that she can lead him to her father's house. After they arrive, Magruder forces Dixon into a standoff where the older man is killed with a shot through the throat. Mallory then yells that Dixon's men are escaping with Magruder's children, and he is forced to give chase. However, upon catching them, his children are not with them, having been turned in to the police office hours earlier. Magruder is arrested by the police and Mallory is picked up back at her father's house, which is now in flames.  In the aftermath, Magruder is charged with murder and is threatened with disbarment. Realizing that he has been set up, Magruder has Clyde look into Mallory's background, suspicious that she might have something to gain from her father's death. The search reveals that Dixon's land isn't worth much, but the timber (black walnut) on it is worth millions, and on top of that, Mallory had never actually divorced Pete Randle. With no will found, Mallory, and by relation, Randle, are granted ownership of Dixon's estate. Suspicious of Randle, Clyde and Magruder track the man down. Clyde is killed by Randle, and Magruder is forced into a desperate struggle in the middle of a violent hurricane. While the two grapple with one another, Mallory arrives and shoots Randle in the back with a flare gun. Her husband falls into the flood waters below, dead. Mallory claims that she had no idea about her husband's plans, but Magruder is still suspicious. He removes another flare from her flare gun, and when he returns it to her, she attempts to kill Magruder with it. Realizing that Mallory and Randle were working together, Magruder signals the police, who arrest Mallory. As the film concludes, Magruder decides not to fight the charges against him, accepting a plea deal that involves community service. In the courtroom, he spies Mallory being led away in handcuffs, who gives him a knowing look.

Production.

The film was based on an original story by John Grisham that was subsequently adapted into screenplay form. Kenneth Branagh liked the story and agreed to do the film but only if a highly regarded director signed on as well. Robert Altman wanted to work with the British actor but only, as he told him, "If we can fool the audience by not making you the hero, by making you flawed."  Once Altman came on board, he heavily re-worked the script, giving credit to the pseudonymous Al Hayes. Altman said in an interview, "I just wanted to change the elements of these kinds of stories as much as I could and then I wanted to stay out of the courtroom." Altman changed the setting to Savannah, Georgia, and added the threat of a hurricane throughout the movie. For the look of the film, Altman was inspired by "The Night of the Hunter".  Principal photography would occur during early 1997. In addition to "Two Girls and a Guy", which was also shot in the early months of 1997, the film was Robert Downey Jr.'s first acting role after a 1996 drug arrest. It has been said that Downey Jr. "didn't even read the script" when he accepted the role.

Release.

"The Gingerbread Man" was intended to come out in the fall of 1997 but was delayed after an audience test screening reportedly went poorly. Polygram Films brought in an outsider in to re-edit the movie without informing Altman, and claimed that his version "lacked tension and suffered from an inappropriate music score". At one point, the publicized squabble between the studio and the filmmaker got so bad that he wanted his name taken off the film. According to Branagh, the film previewed well but not up to the expectations of the studio. He said in an interview: "There's this enormous pressure to wrap everything up neatly and to resist things that stray from formula. Anything that suggests complexity in a character makes them unsympathetic in the eyes of some people, and they see that as a great crime." Polygram backed down when their version tested worse than Altman's in a preview. The studio was upset that Altman had completely rewritten Grisham's script so that it was more critical about lawyers.  Years later, Ray Pride interviewed Altman about the post-production debacle and he replied, "Well, it's criminal, their treatment of that film. There was a vindictive order from the guy who was running [Polygram Films], he was so pissed off with me, he literally told them, 'I want that movie killed.' We're talking to lawyers, but it's almost impossible to win a lawsuit. You can't prove what a film could have done. They were just pissed off because it didn't test the way they wanted it to with the teenagers, y'know, in those malls."

Reception.

In his review for the "San Francisco Chronicle", Mick LaSalle wrote, "If it weren't for Altman's touches, "The Gingerbread Man" would be a mediocre thriller. Even with them, it can't be more than a top-notch genre film, but top-notch is top-notch." Jay Carr of "The Boston Globe" said that the film "is fun junk...We're talking claptrap here, but it's more enjoyable than it has any business being, thanks to director Robert Altman and star Kenneth Branagh." In his review for "The Independent", Boyd Tonkin wrote, "It does not sprawl or wander as the Altman of old would have. Neither does it ever really catch alight. This is a waterlogged venture in more ways than one." Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel gave the film two thumbs up, citing "brilliant filmmaking". The film currently holds a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 reviews.

The Gingerbread Man is a 1998 American legal thriller film directed by Robert Altman and based on a discarded John Grisham manuscript. The film stars Kenneth Branagh, Embeth Davidtz, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Berenger, Daryl Hannah, Famke Janssen, and Robert Duvall.

The Gingerbread Man est un film américain de Robert Altman, sorti en 1998. Il est basé sur un manuscrit non publié de John Grisham.


Geography.

The Overberg municipal area covers lying to the south-east of Cape Town. It stretches from the Hottentots-Holland mountains in the west to the Breede River mouth in the east, and as far as the Riviersonderend Mountains in the north. It includes Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa, and has coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.  The largest town is Grabouw (pop. 44,593) in the Elgin Valley adjacent to the Hottentots-Holland on the north-western edge of the district. The municipal headquarters are located at Bredasdorp (pop. 12,749) in the southern part of the district. Other major towns are Swellendam (pop. 13,557) on the Breede River in the north-east, Caledon (pop. 10,650) in the western interior, and Hermanus (pop. 10,500) on the Atlantic coast.  The Overberg district is divided into four local municipalities, which are described in the following table.  It borders on the City of Cape Town to the west, the Cape Winelands District Municipality to the north, and the Garden Route District Municipality to the east.

Demographics.

The following statistics are from the 2011 Census. Note that due to fuzzing applied to statistics, columns may not sum to exactly the indicated total.

Politics.

The council of the Overberg District Municipality consists of twenty-one councillors. Nine councillors are directly elected by party-list proportional representation, and twelve are appointed by the councils of the local municipalities in the district: five by Theewaterskloof, four by Overstrand, two by Cape Agulhas and one by Swellendam.  After the elections of 3 August 2016, fourteen of the councillors are Democratic Alliance (DA) representatives and seven are African National Congress (ANC) representatives. The mayor is Andries Franken and the deputy mayor is Archibald Klaas; both are members of the DA. The following table shows the composition of the council after the 2016 election.  The following table shows the results of the election of the nine directly-elected members on 3 August 2016.

The Overberg District Municipality is a district municipality that governs the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is divided into four local municipalities and includes the major towns of Grabouw, Caledon, Hermanus, Bredasdorp and Swellendam. The municipal area covers and had in 2007 an estimated population of 212,787 people in 60,056 households.

Le district de l'Overberg (en ) est un district municipal d'Afrique du Sud, situé au sud de la province du Cap-Occidental. Sa capitale est Bredasdorp.