Gameplay.

"Mercury" is a puzzle video game that takes on similar gameplay to that of "Marble Madness". The player can manipulate a droplet of mercury to move in the player's desire direction by tilting the stage using the PSP's analog stick. The player can use the directional buttons to toggle between focusing on all mercury droplets or a single droplet. The objective of each level in the game is to navigate the mercury around the stage and reach the goal. The HUD is made up of a time limit, a mercury level gauge, and a beacon count. To clear a level, all beacons on the level must be activated within that level's time and mercury limit. If the amount of Mercury on the level drops below the limit or time runs out, the level ends and must be restarted.  Each stage has hazards and obstacles designed to reduce the player's amount of mercury. The mercury can also be split into separate parts by using sharp objects or other hazards in the stage. Paint Shops are floating devices that change the color of the mercury once the mercury is under it. Some switches and doors only activate if interacting with mercury of a specific color. If the mercury is split up, the two droplets can be colored differently; if the two then merge, they form a new color. Color mixing is based on the RGB color model. For example, a red droplet and a green droplet can be merged to form a yellow one.  There is a total of six worlds. Each world is split into three "Race" levels, three "Percentage" levels, three "Task" levels, two "Combo" levels, and a final boss level. Race levels prioritize completing the level as fast as possible more than mercury count. Percentage levels emphasize preserving Mercury over quick completion. Task levels will have 1 to 6 beacons that must be activated to clear the level. Combo levels are either a combination of Race and Percentage levels or a combination of Percentage and Task levels. There are is each type of combo level in each world available before the boss. Boss levels are a combination of Race, Percentage, and Task. They are the last levels in each world and completing them will result in unlocking the next available world. If the highest score is achieved in all levels of one particular world, a bonus 13th level is unlocked. After all bonus levels are discovered for each world and also achieve the highest scores, a secret 7th world is unlocked.

Development and release.

"Mercury" was developed by Awesome Studios with Archer Maclean as the lead designer for the game. The game was inspired by tilting puzzle games similar to "Super Monkey Ball" and "Marble Madness". The game was conceived when Archer Maclean used one of the minigames from "Jimmy White's Cueball World" and implemented a "liquid metal physics" prototype engine. Archer Maclean chose to study the physics of mercury by obtaining a bottle of real mercury taken from barometers. During development, one of the challenges Awesome Studios had was emulating real mercury physics, how the mercury would split and merge. When Awesome Studios was in the play-testing stage of development, the developers noticed potential shortcuts the player can use in the level layouts and adjusted the level design to allow more of them. The game was originally advertised to be released with a tilt sensor peripheral in order to use motion controls, however was unable to be implemented due to cost and technical issues. Archer Maclean chose to release the game on PSP as it could make the game more noticeable for consumers. This led the game to have a tight production schedule to match the launch of the PlayStation Portable, causing the developers to cut corners in the production and resulted in the game to not be as refined as Awesome Studios intended it to be. "Mercury" was published by Ignition Entertainment and released in North America on April 6, 2005. The game was distributed by Atari for the European version and was released in Europe on September 1, 2005 as a launch title for the PSP. A limited edition bundle was released with its sequel, "Mercury Meltdown" on October 19, 2010.

Reception.

"Mercury" was received well among critics. The game has an aggregated score of 75 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 39 reviews. Common praises for the game was in regards to its level design and physics. "Eurogamer" writer praised the level designs, calling them "ingenious". "IGN" was impressed with the number of levels and the variety between the different designs. "GameSpot" writer, in particular, gave compliments towards the physics of the mercury on how it can be stretched, reassemble and squeeze together." "GamesTM" gave praise to both the physics and level design of the game, stating, "Mercury's subtle combination of spot-on physics, obvious answers and hidden shortcuts creates a game of continual perfection and frustration alike." "GameSpy", however, gave a lukewarm response to the level design, stating the best ones are clever and addicting but the worst ones make the player jump through too many hoops. "Pocket Gamer" made comparisons to the "Lumines" series stating, ""Lumines" is more fun to play, but "Mercury" is more satisfying to beat."  In regards to the difficulty, the game had mixed reception. "GamesTM" stated, "If the PSP wasn't so fragile, we'd have thrown it on the floor because of "Mercury"s difficulty." "PALGN" made noted the difficulty of the game can scale to "ridiculous levels" but defended it by assuring that it doesn't feel impossible." "GameSpot" noted that the game wasn't impossible even at its most difficult, however, criticized the difficulty pacing, stating "The game pretty much throws you off the deep end almost immediately after you've completed the idiotically simple tutorial." "Edge", however, praised the difficulty, stating, "Mercury exhibits a perfect hierarchy of challenge and reward, the two remaining poised throughout and ultimately growing to the point where they touch and become one. The pain becomes the pleasure because, in spite of the extraordinary degree of trial and, there's never a moment that feels broken or exploitative."

Sequels.

"Archer Maclean's Mercury" inspired two sequels for the game. The first sequel, titled "Mercury Meltdown", was released PSP. The game features new puzzles and modes, as well as a more vibrant and cartoon-like style of graphics. The game was ported to the PlayStation 2 titled "Mercury Meltdown Remix" and to the Wii called "Mercury Meltdown Revolution".  A second sequel titled, "Mercury Hg", was developed by Eiconic Games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game adds in 60 new levels, an online leaderboard, and a music feature that allows the mercury blob and stage to pulsate to the player's music. The game was announced in E3 2011. Eiconic chose to go back to the core elements of the original and added a style in which the developers described as "clean and stylish". Ignition Entertainment released the game on September 28, 2011. The game also features ghost racing, the ability to share replays, and Sixaxis tilt controls for the PlayStation 3 version. Two downloadable content (DLC) packages were released for the game. The first DLC titled "Heavy Elements" was released on October 19, 2011, and contains thirty discovery mode levels, ten bonus levels, and five challenges levels. The second DLC titled "Rare Earth Elements" was released on November 29, 2011, and contains the same amount of content as the previous. "Mercury Hg" received an aggregated score of 74 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 14 reviews.

Archer Maclean's Mercury is a puzzle-platformer video game for the PlayStation Portable developed by the eponymous British game programmer, Archer Maclean and Awesome Studios. In "Mercury", the goal is to guide a drop of mercury to its appointed destination by tilting the stage, in a similar fashion to "Marble Madness" and "Super Monkey Ball". Levels come in different varieties that prioritize different methods of completing each level. The game was conceived when Archer Maclean used a previous minigame from "Jimmy White's Cueball World" and added a liquid metal physics. It was originally designed to have motion controls by using a tilt sensor peripheral for the PSP but was never released due to technical constraints. "Mercury" was released in North America on April 6, 2005, and in Europe on September 1, 2005.

Archer MacLean's Mercury est un jeu vidéo de puzzle sorti en 2005 sur PlayStation Portable. Développé par Awesome Studios et édité par Ignition Entertainment, le jeu a été conçu par Archer MacLean. Il a connu une suite l'année suivante titrée "Mercury Meltdown".


History.

The origins of Tecnomasio go back as far as 1863 when mechanical and civil engineer Luigi Longoni, instrument maker Carlo Dell'Acqua, and optical scientist Ignazio Porro founded a company in Milan. Porro left the company in 1864 to be replaced by photographer Alessandro Duroni forming the company Duroni, Longoni, Dell'Acqua. Alessandro gave up his stake in 1866 and Dell'Acqua in 1868 making Longoni the sole owner. In 1870 Bartolomeo Cabella joined the company. Longoni died in 1871, and Cabella became the director of the company.  Initially the company produced scientific apparatus, including microscopes, heliostats, cathetometers, theodolites and arc lamps. Cabella took over the company in 1878 and the name became "Ing. B. Cabella e C."  Under Cabella's management the company attempted to expand its product range from precision instrument to one including industrial electromechanical devices such as alternators and dynamos; the company was converted to a limited company in 1898 as Società Anonima Tecnomasio Italiano ing. B. Cabella e C. By 1903 the company was in a financial crisis, Cabella was dismissed from the company, and Brown Boveri of Switzerland took a 50% stake in the company, forming Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri (TIBB). The company ended its production of instruments and became a manufacturer of industrial equipment.  The milanese electromechanical company Gadda e C. was also acquired by Brown and Boveri in 1908 and the Westinghouse factory in Vado Ligure was acquired in 1921. During the next two decades the factories in Milan played a major role in supplying electrical generators and transformers for Italian hydroelectric plant. The company also became involved in railway electrification, electrifying the line from Bolzano to Brenner founding the company Sae.  During World War II the factories were badly damaged by bombing, afterwards production of locomotives and large-scale electrical generators began again, along with the start of production of white goods.  In 1988 the company became part of the ABB Group after the merger of its parent Brown Boveri with ASEA, later it would become part of Adtranz, and after Adtranz became fully owned by DaimlerChrysler the name of Italian sub division became Daimler Chrysler Rail System (Italia) SpA.  As of 2010 the Vado Ligure plant is part of Bombardier Transportation Italy S.p.A. and manufactures locomotives.

Products and projects.

Locomotives.

In 1911 TIBB supplied the FS Class E.320 electric locomotives for the Italian Railways, whilst the Westinghouse plant in Vado Ligure manufactured the FS Class E.550 between 1908 and 1920. After the state railways decided on 3 kV DC electrification prototypes of class FS Class E.625 were produced in Vado Ligure.  Post WWII the FS Class E.424 (1940s) and then FS Class E.636 (1950s) followed by the FS Class E.646 during the 1960s all of which were successful designs.  During the 1960s and 1970s the FS Class E.444 and FS Class E.656 were produced, by the 1980s electronic chopper control began to be used, first in the FS Class E.632. By the 1990s the company had taken part in the consortium producing the ETR 500 high speed trains.  From the 1990s, locomotive production switched to ABB-developed inverter-controlled AC induction motor technology, first introduced in the multivoltage electric locomotives of the FS Class E.412, already delivered as part of the Adtranz group. The FS Class E.464, a single-cabin electric locomotive manufactured at Vado Ligure from 1996 onwards would become one of the most numerous Italian locomotives ever with over 600 units ordered; production continued under Bombardier's ownership.

Tecnomasio was an Italian scientific and precision instrument company founded in the 1860s. By the beginning of the 20th century the company has begun to produce electrical equipment. After financial problems in the early 1900s the company was acquired by Brown Boveri becoming Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri commonly known as TIBB; instrument production halted and the company became an industrial electrical equipment producer, one of the major companies in Italy.

Tecnomasio Italiano était une entreprise mécanique italienne spécialisée dans le secteur ferroviaire, la conception et la construction de trains, trams, matériel roulant, appareils de signalisation et de sécurité. Cette société a fusionné avec la filiale italienne du constructeur canadien Bombardier.


History.

Until 1965, companies were subject to income tax on their profits at the same rates as was levied on individual taxpayers. A dividend imputation system existed, whereby the income tax paid by a company was offset against the income tax liability of a shareholder who received dividends from the company. The standard rate of income tax in 1949 was 50%. If the company paid a £100 dividend, the recipient would be treated as if he had earned £200 and had paid £100 in income tax on it – the tax paid by the company fully covered the tax due from the individual on the dividend paid. If, however, the individual was subject to tax at a higher rate (known as "surtax"), he (not the company) would be liable to pay the additional tax.  In addition to income tax, companies were also subject to a profits tax, which was deducted from company profits when determining the income tax liability. It was a differential tax, with a higher tax rate on dividends (profits distributed to shareholders) than on profits retained within the company. By penalising the distribution of profits, it was hoped companies would retain profits for investment, which was considered a priority after the Second World War. The tax did not have the desired effect, so the distributed profits tax was increased by 20% by the post-war Labour government to encourage companies to retain more of their profits. At the time of Hugh Gaitskell's 1951 budget, the profits tax was 50% for distributed profits and 10% for undistributed profits.  A series of reductions in the profits tax were brought in from 1951 onwards by the new Conservative government. The tax rates fell to 22.5% on distributed profits and 2.5% on undistributed profits by 1957, but the profits tax was no longer income tax-deductible. Derick Heathcoat-Amory's Budget of March 1958 replaced the differential profits tax with a single profits tax measure, applicable to both retained and distributed profits. This gradual decrease, and final abolition, of taxes on capital distributions reflected ideological differences between the Conservative and Labour parties: the Conservative approach was to distribute profits to capital holders for investment elsewhere, while Labour sought to force companies to retain profits for reinvestment in the company in the hope this would benefit the company's workforce.

Finance Act 1965.

Finance Act 1965 replaced the system of income tax and profits tax from 1 April 1965 with the Corporation Tax, which re-introduced aspects of the old system. Corporation Tax was charged at a uniform rate on all profits, but additional tax was then payable if profits were distributed as a dividend to shareholders. In effect, dividends suffered double taxation. This method of corporation tax is known as the classical system and is similar to that used in the United States. The effect

Advance Corporation Tax.

The basic structure of the tax, where company profits were taxed as profits, and dividend payments were then taxed as income, remained unchanged until 1973, when a partial imputation system was introduced for dividend payments. Unlike the previous imputation system, the tax credit to the shareholder was less than the corporation tax paid (corporation tax was higher than the standard rate of income tax, but the imputation, or set-off, was only of standard rate tax). When companies made distributions, they also paid the advance corporation tax (known as ACT), which could be set off against the main corporation tax charge, subject to certain limits (the full amount of ACT paid could not be recovered if significantly large amounts of profits were distributed). Individuals and companies who received a dividend from a UK company received a tax credit representing the ACT paid. Individuals could set off the tax credit against their income tax liability.  On introduction, ACT was set at 30% of the gross dividend (the actual amount paid plus the tax credit). If a company made a £70 dividend payment to an individual, the company would pay £30 of advance corporation tax. The shareholder would receive the £70 cash payment, plus a tax credit of £30; thus, the individual would be deemed to have earned £100, and to have already paid tax of £30 on it. The ACT paid by the company would be deductible against its final "mainstream" corporation tax bill. To the extent that the individual's tax on the dividend was less than the tax credit – for example, if his income was too low to pay tax (below £595 in 1973–1974) – he would be able to reclaim some or all of the £30 tax paid by the company.

Rates.

On its introduction in 1965, corporation tax was charged at 40%, rising to 45% in the 1969 Budget. The rate then fell to 42.5% in the second Budget of 1970 and 40% in 1971. In 1973, alongside the introduction of advance corporation tax (ACT), Conservative chancellor Anthony Barber created a main rate of 52%, together with a smaller companies' rate of 42%. This apparent increase was negated by the fact that under the ACT scheme, dividends were no longer subject to

Historic tax revenues.

The following graph shows UK

Taxable profits and accounting profits.

The starting point for computing taxable profits is profits before tax (except for a life assurance company). The rules for calculating corporation tax generally ran in parallel with income tax until 1993, when the first statutory rule to move profit reporting into line with generally accepted accounting practice was introduced, although the courts were already moving towards requiring trading profits to be computed using general accountancy rules.  The Finance Act 1993 introduced rules to make tax on exchange gains and losses mimic their treatment in a company's financial statements in most

International Financial Reporting Standards.

From 2005, all European Union listed companies have to prepare their financial statements using the "International Financial Reporting Standards" ("IFRS"), as modified by the EU. Other UK companies may choose to adopt IFRS. Corporation tax law is changing so that, in the future, IFRS accounting profits are largely respected. The exception is for certain financial instruments and certain other measures to prevent tax arbitrage between companies applying IFRS and companies applying UK GAAP.

Avoidance.

Tax avoidance is defined by the UK government as "bending the rules of the tax system to gain a tax advantage that Parliament never intended". Unlike most other countries, most UK tax professionals are accountants rather than lawyers by training.  Until 2013, the UK had no general anti-avoidance rule ("GAAR") for corporation tax. However, it inherited an anti-avoidance rule from income tax relating to transactions in securities, and since then has had various "mini-GAARs" added to

Need for greater revenues.

In the early twenty-first century the government sought to raise more revenues from corporation tax. In 2002 it introduced a separate 10% supplementary charge on profits from oil and gas extraction businesses, and Finance Act 2005 contained measures to accelerate when oil and gas extraction business have to pay tax. Instead of paying their tax in four equal instalments in

Method of charge.

Powers to collect corporation tax must be passed annually by parliament, otherwise there is no authority to collect it. The charge for the financial year (beginning 1 April each year) is imposed by successive finance acts. The tax is charged in respect of the company's accounting period, which is normally the 12-month period for which the company prepares its accounts. Corporation tax is administered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Assessment.

Corporation tax is levied on the net profits of a company. Except for certain life assurance companies, it is borne by the company as a direct tax.  Up until 1999 no corporation tax was due unless HMRC raised an assessment on a company. Companies were, however, obliged to report certain details to HMRC so that the right amount could be assessed. This changed for accounting periods ending on or after 1 July 1999, when self-assessment was introduced. Self-assessment means that companies are required to assess themselves "and take full responsibility for that assessment". If the self-assessment is wrong through negligence or recklessness, the company can be liable to penalties. The self-assessment tax return needs to be delivered to HMRC 12 months after the end of the period of account in which the accounting

Schedular system.

In the United Kingdom the "source rule" applies. This means that something is taxed only if there is a specific provision bringing it within the charge to tax. Accordingly, profits are only charged to corporation tax if they fall within one of the following, and are not otherwise exempted by an explicit provision of the Taxes Acts:  Notes:  Schedule D is itself divided into a number of cases:  Notes:  Strictly speaking, Corporation Tax Act 2010 replaces the historic terminology "Schedule A", "Schedule D Case I" etc. with more descriptive terms but this does not affect the substantive application of the schedular system so that, for example, different rules apply for utilising tax losses depending upon the nature of the income under which the losses arises.

Relief for expenses.

Most direct expenses are deductible when calculating taxable income and chargeable gains. Notable exceptions include any costs of entertaining clients. Companies with investment business may deduct certain indirect expenses known as "expenses of management" when calculating their taxable profits. A similar relief is available for expenses of a life assurance company taxed on the I minus E basis which relate to the company's basic life assurance and general annuity business. Donations made to charities are also normally deducted in calculating taxable income if made under Gift Aid.

Rates and payment.

The 2007 Budget announced a main rate cut from 30% to 28%, effective from April 2008. At the same time, the small companies' rate was increased from 19% to 20% from April 2007, 21% in April 2008, to stop "individuals artificially incorporating as small companies to avoid paying their due share of tax, a practice if left unaddressed would cost the rest of the taxpaying population billions of pounds".  The rate of corporation tax is determined by the financial year, which runs from 1 April to the following 31 March. Financial year FY17 started on 1 April 2017 and ends on 31 March 2018. Where a company's accounting period straddles a financial year in which the corporation tax rate has changed, the company's profits for that period are split. For example, a company paying small companies' rate with its accounting period running from 1 January to 31 December, and making £100,000

HM Revenue and Customs powers of enquiry.

HMRC has one year from the normal filing date, which is itself one year after the end of the period of account, to open an enquiry into the return. This period is extended if the return is filed late. The enquiry continues until all issues that HMRC wish to enquire about a return are dealt with. However, a company can appeal to the Commissioners of Income Tax to close an enquiry if they feel there is undue delay.  If either side disputes the amount of tax that is payable, they may appeal to either the General or Special Commissioners of Income Tax. Appeals on points of law may be made to

Relief from double taxation.

There is a risk of double taxation whenever a company receives income that has already been taxed. This could be dividend income, which will have been paid out of the post-tax profits of another company and which may have suffered withholding tax. Or it could be because the company itself has suffered foreign tax, perhaps because it conducts part of its trade through an overseas permanent establishment, or because it receives other types of foreign income.  Double taxation is avoided for UK dividends by exempting them from tax for most companies:

Loss relief.

Detailed and separate rules apply to how all the different types of losses may be set off within the computations of a company. A detailed explanation of these can be found in: "United Kingdom corporation tax loss relief".

Group relief.

The UK does not permit tax consolidation, where companies in a group are treated as though they are a single entity for tax purposes. One of the main benefits of tax consolidation is that tax losses in one entity in a group are automatically relievable against the tax profits of another. Instead, the UK permits a form of loss relief called "group relief".  Where a company has losses arising in an accounting period (other than capital losses, or losses arising under Case V or VI of Schedule D) in excess of its other taxable profits for the period, it may surrender these losses to a group member with sufficient taxable profits in the same accounting period. The company receiving the losses may offset them against their own taxable profits. Exceptions include that

Example computation.

This is an example computation involving a company

Interaction with European law.

Although there are no European Union directives dealing with direct taxes, UK laws must comply with European legislation. In particular, legislation should not be discriminatory under the EC treaty.  A number of cases where UK tax laws are believed to be discriminatory have been brought to the European Court of Justice, usually

Recent developments.

Corporation tax reform.

There have been a number of proposals for corporation tax reform, although only a few have been enacted. In March 2001, the government published a technical note "A Review of Small Business Taxation", which considered simplification of corporation tax for small companies through the closer alignment of their profits for tax purposes with those reported in their accounts. In July of that year, the government also published a consultation document, "Large Business Taxation: the Government's strategy and corporate tax reforms". It set out the strategy for modernising corporate taxes and proposals for relief for capital gains on substantial shareholdings held by companies.  In August 2002,

Other enactments.

Other main

Corporation tax in the United Kingdom is a corporate tax levied in on the profits made by UK-resident companies and on the profits of entities registered overseas with permanent establishments in the UK.

L'impôt sur les sociétés au Royaume-Uni ("") concerne: les entreprises, les permanent establishments ne résidant pas au Royaume-Uni et les associations dont les échanges se font dans l'Union Européenne.


Career.

Clancy has featured in a number of world record team pursuits. On 17 August 2008, Clancy was a member of the Olympic team pursuit squad which broke the world record in the heats with 3:55:202, beating Russia to the ride-off for silver and gold. The next day, on their way to winning the gold medal, the British team broke their own world record in 3:53:314, beating Denmark by 6.7 seconds. Clancy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to cycling.  On 4 April 2012, Clancy was part of the Great Britain team which set a new world record of 3:53.295 in winning the gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2012 World Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne.  After the 2012 Olympic Games, where he set a time of 1:00.981 in the Omnium Kilo Time Trial, British Cycling announced that Clancy would replace Sir Chris Hoy in the Great Britain team for the team sprint event, where he rode in the Man 3 position. Despite finishing 2nd in the Glasgow round of the World Cup, Clancy returned to the endurance team for the 2013 World Championships.  In November 2018, it was announced that Clancy would join the for the 2019 season, after the team which he had been part of for eight years confirmed that it would be disbanding at the end of the year.

Personal life.

He lives in Huddersfield. He is a lifelong supporter of his local football team – Huddersfield Town.

Edward Franklin Clancy (born 12 March 1985) is a British professional track and road bicycle racer from England, who rides for British amateur team Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy team. On the track his specialist discipline is the team pursuit.

Edward Clancy, né le à Barnsley, est un coureur cycliste britannique, membre de l'équipe Vitus Pro Cycling. Se consacrant essentiellement à la piste, il est triple champion olympique de poursuite par équipes (2008, 2012 et 2016) et quadruple champion du monde de poursuite par équipes (2007, 2008, 2012 et 2018) avec l'équipe de Grande-Bretagne. En 2010, il est également devenu champion du monde de l'omnium.


Early life and education.

Xian was born in Portuguese Macau in 1905, to Tanka parents whose ancestors were from Panyu, Guangdong. He moved frequently in his early life with his mother as his father had died before Xian was born. Xian moved with his mother to Singapore when he was six years old, he was enrolled in Yangzheng Primary School for his primary education. It was while at Yangzheng Primary School that he took his first step into his musical career. His teacher, Ou Jianfu, first noticed Xian Xinghai's musical talent, and he was enrolled into the school's military band. Xian received training in both musical instruments as well as musical theory. He was later brought to Guangzhou for further education by his then school principal, Lin Yaoxiang, along with 19 other students. Xian started learning the clarinet in 1918 at the YMCA charity school attached to the Lingnan University in Guangzhou (Canton).  In 1924 he studied in Saint Andrew's School of Singapore. In 1926 he joined the National Music Institute at Peking University to study music and in 1928 he entered National Shanghai Conservatory of Music to study violin and piano. The same year he published his well-known essay "The Universal Music". In 1929 he went to Paris (where he met Ma Sicong who introduced him to many artists there) and in 1934 became the first Chinese student to be admitted to the Paris Conservatory to study senior composition with Paul Dukas; prior to this, he had studied with Vincent D'Indy. During this period he composed "Wind", "Song of a Wanderer", "Violin Sonata in D Minor", and other works.

Career.

Xian returned to China in 1935 to the Japanese occupation of the northeastern part of the country (known then as Manchuria). Using his music as a weapon to protest the occupation, he took part in patriotic activities. During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), he wrote vocal works that encouraged the people to fight the Japanese invaders, including "Saving the Nation", "Non-Resistance the Only Fear", "Song of Guerrillas", "The Roads Are Opened by Us", "The Vast Siberia", "Children of the Motherland", "Go to the Homefront of the Enemy", and "On the Taihang Mountains", among others. He worked for film studios before going to the Communist headquarters in Yan'an, where he became dean of the Music Department at Lu Xun Institute of Arts in 1938. It is at this time that he composed the famous "Yellow River Cantata" and the "Production Cantata". In 1940, Xian used the assumed name Huang Xun. In 1940 Xian went to the Soviet Union to compose the score of the documentary film "Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army". Before departure Mao Zedong invited him to dinner. In 1941 the German invasion of the Soviet Union disrupted his work and he attempted to return to China by way of Xinjiang but the local anti-communist warlord, Sheng Shicai, blocked the way and he got stranded in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It was here that he composed the symphonies "Liberation of the Nation" and "Sacred War", and the suites "Red All Over the River" and "Chinese Rhapsody" for winds and strings.  During Xian's career, he has composed over 300 works and published 35 papers, including "Nie Er-the Creator of New Chinese Music".

Personal life.

Xian developed pulmonary tuberculosis due to overwork and malnutrition. After the war, Xian return to Moscow for medical treatment but died of pulmonary disease on October 30, 1945 at the age of 40.

Legacy.

Xian's influence in Chinese music won him the title People's Composer.  During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), when all the Western and some Chinese art was forbidden, the pianist Yin Chengzong arranged the "Yellow River Cantata" into a concerto for piano and orchestra, by the name of "Yellow River Piano Concerto" (1969).  After China opened its doors to the world in late 1970s, Yin planned the performance of the piano concerto. There was a debate whether some politically incorrect anthems like "The East Is Red", which Yin interpolated into the concerto, should be removed. It was decided that the work itself was a cultural legacy of the time when it was created, the melodies reminding listeners of that period and creating a unique sense of history. Hence, the work remained intact as it was originally arranged.  Beginning in the 1970s, the "Yellow River Concerto" has been heard in the West, often performed by Yin Chengzong himself, and in 1988 the Italian pianist Riccardo Caramella became the first Western pianist who performed it in China with a Chinese orchestra, the Beijing Radio Symphony Orchestra.  In 2009, the epic film "The Star and The Sea" was created by directors Qiankuan Li and Guiyun Xiao. The film is about the hard childhood and suffering of Xian in that period of his life and the efforts of his mother to help him developing his musical talents. In 2011, the film won the Huabiao Film AAwardfor Outstanding Children's Film.  In May 2019, a movie titled "The Composer" directed by Xierzhati Yahefu was released. The movie relate Xian's life story from 1941, when he was in Moskow, to his death in 1945.

Xian Xinghai or Sinn Sing Hoi (; 13 June 1905 – 30 October 1945) was one of the earliest generation of Chinese composers influenced by western classical music and has influenced generations of Chinese musicians. Xian composed in all the major musical forms (two symphonies, a violin concerto, four large scale choral works, nearly 300 songs and an opera), and is best known for the "Yellow River Cantata" upon which the "Yellow River Concerto" for piano and orchestra is based.

Sinn Sing Hoi ou Xian Xinghai est un compositeur chinois qui a écrit dans tous les genres classiques (deux symphonies, un concerto pour violon, et un opéra notamment). Né le à Macao et décédé le, sa pièce la plus connue s'intitule "La Cantate du Fleuve Jaune (1939)".


History.

The Gendarmerie traces its origins to the establishment of the ""garde indigène"" (native guards) on 2 February 1915. On 28 June 1925, it became the "compagnie de milice indigène", later renamed the "garde togolaise". By 1933, it had become the "service de police urbaine et rurale". On 17 September 1942 Togolese troops were included in the foundation of the "Gendarmerie de l’Afrique Occidentale Française" (AOF), the colonial gendarmerie.  In 1963, the force was integrated into the armed forces and divided into two forces, the "Gendarmerie territoriale", and the "Gendarmerie mobile". In August 1965, the two were merged into the "Gendarmerie nationale togolaise" and remained in this form until 1995 when it was reorganized, and again in 2008.

Organisation.

The GNT is divided into central and regional bodies: Since October 2014, the country is divided into two Gendarmerie regions, mirroring the military regions. The first region includes the Maritime and Plateaux regions. The second the Centrale, Kara and Savanes regions. Both Gendarmerie regions are in turn subdivided into five sectors.

The Togolese Légion de gendarmerie (LG).

In Togo, the Légion de Gendarmerie is a command structure. It includes all territorial and intervention units established in a collection of administrative regions. LGs are commanded by a senior officer, named by ministerial decree.

The Garde Républicaine togolaise (GRT).

The Garde Républicaine togolaise (Togolese Republican Guard) is a command unit of the GNT. Similar to the French Garde républicaine, the GRT provides protection to the Togolese Head of state and members of the government.

Contribution to Electoral Security.

The "Force de Sécurité Elections Présidentielles" (FOSEP) is a joint police-gendarmerie security force answerable to the electoral commission and under operational command of the ministry of defence. It was first established to provide security for the 2010 presidential elections. The Gendarmerie nationale contributed about 3000 of the first 6000 members of the FOSEP, as well as its commanding officer, a Gendarmerie lieutenant-colonel.  For the 2015 elections the FOSEP was re-established, numbering about 8000 members. The UNDP has contributed to funding the training of the force.  The "Force sécurité élection 2018" (FOSE) was stood up in August 2018 in preparation for the Togolese elections of December 2018. Headed by Mawuli Têko Koudouwovoh, Director-General of the Togolese National Police, the force numbered about 8000 gendarmes and police officers.

Armament.

With the exception of the Manurhin MR 73 revolver issued exclusively to the "Garde Républicaine" and the "Unité Spéciale d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie", Togolese Gendarmes are issued the same sidearms as the Togolese Land Forces.

The Gendarmerie nationale Togolaise (French for the "Togolese National Gendarmerie") is a branch of the Togolese Armed Forces. Its 2,710 gendarmes protect people and property in rural areas, control roads and communications and contribute to provide assistance to the population in emergencies.

La Gendarmerie nationale togolaise est une branche des Forces armées. Ses assurent la protection des personnes et des biens en zone rurale, la surveillance des routes et des voies de communication et participent aux secours des populations sinistrées.


Early Life.

Cecil Henry Meares was born in Inistioge, Ireland on February 14, 1877 to Major Meares and his wife, Helen (née Townsend). He had lived in Ireland until around 1880, when he went to live with relatives in England. Meares had taught himself to read at four years old and was educated at schools in both Scotland and England. Having been denied a place in the army due to failing his medical exam, Meares spent the next decade traveling around Europe. It was during this time that Meares would start learning different languages. In 1894 he studied Spanish, in Bilbao, Spain and a year later had traveled to Torrepillece in Italy to learn Italian.. From 1896 and into the first few years of the 20th century Meares traveled extensively. He worked at coffee planting in India and later traded furs in Russia and across Manchuria. Meares would also be involved in the Boxer Rebellion during his time in China.

Terra Nova Expedition.

In 1910, Meares joined Robert Falcon Scott on his expedition to the Antarctic, donating £1,000 (£110,000 in 2018) to Scott's funds. Apsley Cherry-Garrard and Lawrence Oates also donated the same sum, allowing the expedition to take place.  Meares's tasks included selecting and purchasing the 34 dogs and 20 ponies for the expedition and then transporting them from Siberia to New Zealand via Japan where they were to join up with the expedition. Meares knew little about ponies, but nevertheless followed Scott's orders and went to Nikolayevsk, Siberia to select the dogs. There he met Dimitri Gerov, an experienced dog driver, who helped him choose the dogs required for the sledging tasks and who was subsequently recruited as a dog driver for the expedition. Meares also recruited Russian jockey Anton Omelchenko as groom on the expedition. They then travelled to Vladivostok where the Siberian ponies were purchased. Scott specifically wanted white ponies for the expedition because during the 1907 Nimrod Expedition, Ernest Shackleton observed that the white ponies outlived the dark ponies. Oates, the British Army Captain on the expedition whose role was to look after the ponies, was disappointed in Meares's selection as they had “such deficiencies as: narrow chests, knocked knees,...aged” and were the “greatest lot of crocks I have ever seen.” Once the "Terra Nova" Expedition began, Meares and Gerov looked after the dogs. After setting off as part of the support team on the journey to the South Pole in early November 1911, Meares and the Russian Gerov turned back north with the sled dogs on 14 December at the foot of the Beardmore glacier.  Meares clashed with Scott throughout the expedition. Meares refused to follow one of Scott's orders during the Depot Journey regarding the retrieval one of the dog teams that had fallen into a crevasse. He eventually resigned from the expedition months later for unsubstantiated reasons and returned home on the "Terra Nova" in March 1912.  Some controversy surrounds Meares's "unavailability" for further Barrier (Ross Ice Shelf) work for the 2 months prior to his boarding the "Terra Nova" to return home, while the base camp was under the command of George Simpson and then Edward Atkinson. Meares's return to civilisation before the Antarctic winter of 1912 was not unexpected (in Scott's instructions to the commanding officer of the "Terra Nova" written before his departure for the pole he stated that Meares might return on the ship, depending on letters from home), but it remains unclear as to why he was not available to undertake sledge work with the dogs during the autumn season, nor why Simpson or Atkinson did not force him to do so, given that the expedition was run on strict naval terms. In a letter to Apsley Cherry-Garrard in 1919, in the closing days of World War I, Atkinson wrote of the controversy surrounding Meares during the expedition:  In the book "Beneath the Shadow: Legacy and Longing in the Antartic", author Justin Gardiner also weighed on the controversy with Meares. Gardiner stated that he believed Meares' negligence in following Scott's orders resulted in a huge part of the failure of the Polar Party returning alive. Gardiner believed that Meares' arrival back at base two weeks later than expected despite Scott's orders to travel further south with the dogs teams, coupled with Meares' anxiousness about missing the ship home, was one of the reasons for the Polar Party's demise.

Later life.

During World War I, he joined the Royal Flying Corps, rising to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1915, Meares married Anna Christina Spengler (1891-1974). Following the end of the war, he traveled to Japan and assisted the Japanese Naval Air Service as part of the British Air Mission.  After his return from Japan, Meares and his wife later moved to Victoria BC, Canada. The couple lived a quiet life there and involved themselves in various community gatherings. Meares died in Victoria in 1937. His wife, Annie, died in September 1974. She bequeathed a lot of Meares' possessions and letters to the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Cecil Henry Meares (February 14,1877– May 12, 1937) was the chief dog handler and Russian interpreter on the Terra Nova Expedition, the British expedition to Antarctica that took place from 1910 to 1913. Born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, the son of an army officer, Meares was an adventurer and linguist: a man of action who liked to have fun, which made following the orders of Robert Falcon Scott, the expedition leader, difficult at times. Before his involvement in the expedition, he was a British military officer, a fur-trader in Kamchatka and Okhotsk in Siberia, a fighter in the Russo-Japanese War and the Boer War and a traveller to various places including Tibet.

Henry Cecil Meares, né en 1877 et mort en 1937, a été le musher de l'expédition britannique Terra Nova en Antarctique de 1910 à 1913.


Early years.

St. Cyr was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 3, 1918. Her maternal half-sister, Rosemary Minsky (née Van Schaack; born 1924), was also a burlesque stripteaser (whose stage name was Dardy Orlando, and was married to Harold Minsky); Minsky appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2004. The sisters, and Barbara Moffett, were raised by their grandparents, the Klarquists.  Having taken ballet lessons throughout her youth, she began to dance professionally as a chorus line girl in Hollywood. Unlike other women who have stroke-of-luck stories about being plucked from the chorus line and selected for a feature role, St. Cyr had to beg her manager at the club to let her do a solo act. From her self-choreographed act she eventually landed a bit part at a club called the Music Box in San Francisco, with the Duncan Sisters. It was here that she found a dancer's salary was only a small fraction of what the featured star's salary was. The difference was that the featured star was nude.  From the 1940s and most of the 1950s, St. Cyr with Gypsy Rose Lee and Ann Corio were the most recognized acts in striptease. St. Cyr's stage name is a patronymic of the French aristocracy, which she first used when booked as a nude performer in Las Vegas. Although more obscure toward the end of her life, her name popped-up regularly in 1950s tabloids: stories of her many husbands, brawls over her, and her attempted suicides.  St. Cyr was married six times. Her best-known husbands were the motorcycle speedway rider Cordy Milne, musical-comedy actor and former ballet dancer Paul Valentine, restaurateur Armando Orsini, and actor Ted Jordan.

Burlesque career.

St. Cyr's reputation in the burlesque and stripping world was that of a quality and high-class performer, unlike others such as Rosa La Rose, who flashed her pubic hair. St. Cyr started her professional career as a chorus line dancer at the Florentine Gardens, in Hollywood. Two years later, her stripping debut was at the Music Box, in an Ivan Fehnova production. The producer had not even seen her perform—her striking looks won him over. The act was a disaster, but instead of firing her, Fehnova put together a new act. At the end of the dance, a stagehand pulled a fishing rod attached to St. Cyr's G-string, which flew into the balcony as the lights went dim. This act was known as "The Flying G", and such creative shows became St. Cyr's trademark. Over the ensuing years and in a variety of different venues, many of St. Cyr's acts were memorable, with names like "The Wolf Woman", "Afternoon of a Faun", "The Ballet Dancer", "In a Persian Harem", "The Chinese Virgin", as well as "Suicide" (where she tried to woo a straying lover by revealing her body), and "Jungle Goddess" (in which she appeared to make love to a parrot). Props were integral to many of the women's acts. Lili was known not only for her bathtub, but elaborate sets of vanities, mirrors, and hat racks. She variously performed as Cinderella, a matador, Salome, a bride, a suicide, Cleopatra and Dorina Grey.

Montreal.

Lili St. Cyr received the title of the most famous woman in Montreal throughout the late 1940s into the 1950s. However, Quebec's Catholic clergy condemned her act, declaring that whenever she dances "the theater is made to stink with the foul odor of sexual frenzy." The clergy's outcry was echoed by the Public Morality Committee. St. Cyr was arrested and charged with behavior that was "immoral, obscene and indecent." She was acquitted but the public authorities eventually closed down the Gayety Theatre where she performed. In 1982, St. Cyr wrote a French autobiography, "Ma Vie de Stripteaseuse". (Éditions Quebecor). In the book, she declared her appreciation for the Gayety Theatre and her love for the city of Montreal.

Hollywood: nightclubs, films and photographs.

While performing in 1947 at Ciro's nightclub in Hollywood (billed as the "Anatomic Bomb"), St. Cyr was arrested by police and taken to court by a customer who considered her act lewd and lascivious. Represented by the infamous Hollywood attorney Jerry Giesler in court, St. Cyr insisted to the jury that her act was refined and elegant. As St. Cyr pointed out, what she did was slip off her dress, try on a hat, slip off her brassiere (there was another underneath), slip into a négligée. Then, undressing discreetly behind her maid, she stepped into a bubble bath, splashed around, and emerged, more or less dressed. After her appearance as a witness, as a newspaper account of the time put it, "The defense rested, as did everyone else." After just 80 minutes of deliberation by the jury, St. Cyr was acquitted.  While St. Cyr starred in several movies, an acting career never really materialized. In 1953, with the help of Howard Hughes, St. Cyr landed her first acting job in a major motion picture in the "Son of Sinbad". The film, described by one critic as "a voyeur's delight", has St. Cyr as a principal member of a Baghdad harem populated with dozens of nubile starlets. The film was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency. St. Cyr also had a role in the movie version of Norman Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead" in 1958. In this film, St. Cyr plays 'Jersey Lili', a stripper in a Honolulu night-club and girlfriend of a soldier who boasts to his pals that he has her picture painted inside his groundsheet. Heavy edits of St. Cyr's night-club routine by censors result in some choppy editing in an otherwise finely crafted film. But St. Cyr's movie career was short lived, and typically she settled for playing a secondary role as a stripper, or playing herself. Her dancing is featured prominently in two Irving Klaw films, "Varietease" and "Teaserama".  St. Cyr was also known for her pin-up photography, especially for photos taken by Bruno Bernard, known professionally as "Bernard of Hollywood", a premier glamor photographer of Hollywood's Golden Era. Bernard said that she was his favorite model and referred to her as his muse.

Retirement.

Lili depleted the wealth she earned during her heyday. Many women like Lili were not supported by their husbands or family. St. Cyr retired from the stage in the 1970s, and began a lingerie business that she retained an interest in until her death. Similar to Frederick's of Hollywood, the "Undie World of Lili St. Cyr" designs offered costuming for strippers, and excitement for ordinary women. Her catalogs featured photos or drawings of her modeling each article, lavishly detailed descriptions, and hand-selected fabrics. Her marketing for "Scantie-Panties" advertised them as "perfect for street wear, stage or photography." Her later years were "quiet—just her and some cats in a modest Hollywood apartment."

Personal life.

St. Cyr was a self-professed nymphomaniac and claimed that she turned down opportunities in the film industry so she could maintain her sexually active lifestyle. St. Cyr married six times and purportedly seduced one husband away from her “dear friend" Marilyn Monroe.

Death.

St. Cyr died in Los Angeles, California, on January 29, 1999, aged 80. She never had children, but told Mike Wallace in an October 5, 1957, interview that had she wanted them she would have adopted.

Legacy.

Following her death and a renewed interest in burlesque, especially in Bettie Page, legions of new fans rediscovered some of the dancers in Irving Klaw's photos and movies. In 2001, A&E produced a special on burlesque that included a segment on St. Cyr.

Influences and cultural references.

St. Cyr is famously referenced in two different songs that were both stage and movie musicals. In the song "Zip" from the 1940 musical "Pal Joey" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, the singer (reporter/would-be stripper Melba Snyder) rhetorically asks at the climax of the song "Who the hell is Lili St. Cyr?" [i.e., what has she got that I don't have?]. In the 1975 musical "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", the final line of the song "Don't Dream It, Be It" (sung by the character Janet Weiss, as played by Susan Sarandon) is "God bless Lili St. Cyr!"  In 1981, actress Cassandra Peterson became famous for her character Elvira, who achieved her trademark cleavage wearing a Lili St. Cyr deep plunge bra.  In 1989, one of St. Cyr's husbands, Ted Jordan, wrote a biography of Marilyn Monroe entitled "Norma Jean: My Secret Life with Marilyn Monroe" (New York, William Morrow and Company, 1989), in which Jordan claimed that St. Cyr and Monroe had an affair. The claim is both widely disparaged by Monroe's biographers and widely upheld by St. Cyr's. Liza Dawson, editor for William Morrow, publisher of the Jordan book, makes a related claim in an interview with "Newsday" in 1989. Dawson stated that "Marilyn very much patterned herself on Lili St. Cyr—her way of dressing, of talking, her whole persona. Norma Jean was a mousy, brown-haired girl with a high squeaky voice, and it was from Lili St. Cyr that she learned how to become a sex goddess."

Willis Marie Van Schaack (June 3, 1918 – January 29, 1999), known professionally as Lili St. Cyr, was a prominent American burlesque stripteaser.

Lili St-Cyr, de son vrai nom Marie Frances Van Schaack, née à Minneapolis le et morte à Los Angeles le, est une actrice américaine qui était considérée comme la reine du striptease.


Early life.

On August 26, 1963, Liu Huan was born into a family of teachers in Tianjin. Liu graduated from Yaohua High School in Tianjin in 1981. Four years later, he graduated from the University of International Relations in Beijing, majoring in French literature. During his university days, he participated in a French songwriting competition and won first prize, as well as sponsorship from the French government to go on a tour to Paris. Following that, Liu was sent to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China for one year to help promote local education by teaching music there, and the time he spent there had an influence on his music.  Liu never received any systematic training in music, but is self-taught. His classmates recall Liu Huan sitting on the stairs of his dorm, playing his guitar and singing songs until midnight. During his time in France, unlike his classmates who spent their time shopping and sightseeing, he went to bars in search of inspiration.

Singing career.

Liu has performed the theme songs for a number of television series. In 1987, he performed his first song, "Sun in Heart" (心中的太阳), for "Snowing City" (雪城). He is also well known for performing theme songs to historical television dramas, such as "The One Who Wins the Hearts of the People Gains the Empire" (得民心者得天下) for 1996 series "Yongzheng Dynasty" and "Heroes' Song" (好汉歌), for the 1998 series "The Water Margin". His song, "Asking Myself a Thousand Times" (千萬次的問) remained in the top position for ten weeks on Chinese radio stations. In 1990, Liu performed the official theme song, "Asian Mighty Winds" (亚洲雄风), with Wei Wei at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.  On 19 March 2004, Liu held the first concert in his 19-year career at the Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, called "Huange 2004" (欢歌2004). Other singers included Na Ying, Sun Nan, Sha Baoliang and Warren Mok. In 2006, Liu held his second concert in the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, with fellow singers Na Ying, Sun Nan, Warren Mok and Song Zuying present as guests. On 3 July 2007, Liu, Liao Changyong and Warren Mok held a "Zhenhan" music concert in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing. The singers introduced a blend of popular and classical music in their performance. On 8 August 2008, Liu appeared in front the international audience when he performed the official theme song "You and Me" with British singer Sarah Brightman at the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing. Huan was also featured in the 2008 Beijing Olympics song, Beijing Welcomes You.  In 2012, Liu was asked to act as one of the four judges on "The Voice of China", a singing talent show broadcast on Zhejiang TV. The other three judges are Na Ying, Yang Kun and Harlem Yu. Liu returned again in 2017 as a new coach in "Sing! China" (a rebrand of "The Voice of China"), and emerged as the winning mentor (his finalist, Tashi Phuntsok 扎西平措, won the season).  In 2019, Liu returned to television to take part in the Hunan TV's long-running singing competition "Singer" (called "I Am a Singer" before 2017).On April 12, Liu was crowned the winner of "Singer 2019". It was revealed on the final that the song he chose for the final round, which is a three-song medley themed for Empress Xiaoshengxian, was made in tribute to Yao Beina, one of the contestants from the second season of "The Voice of China", who died on 16 January 2015, which received a standing ovation from the panel of 500-member judges, and won the season with 62.22% of the votes cast, the highest score attained so far in the history of "I Am a Singer".

Teaching career.

As well as being a singer-songwriter, Liu is also a teacher. He has taught at the University of International Relations and is currently teaching the history of Western music at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics. "It's a good idea to bring music to more students in China," says Liu.  Despite his pop career in China, Liu is not willing to give up his secondary job, teaching, which he considers to be a stable career. Liu has taught students for ten years, and he is very proud of the fact that he is one of the most popular teachers at the university. “There doesn’t have to be any contradictions between being a singer and a teacher, although they are totally different jobs. I can focus on how to make students have more interest in music when I am in class, after that, I do have time to write songs. I am enjoying being a teacher.” His classes are crowded with other students besides his own students, who come to stand in the classroom to listen to his lectures. "Liu is perfect for us to carry out the plan because he is such an iconic figure in China's music industry," says David Jin, president and country manager of China and Northeast Asia of Harman. “I am a teacher so I am close to the students and know their desire for music," Liu Huan says. “Unlike our generation, today's students are active and curious about everything. They are not only interested in established musicians, but also new, alternative music."

Personal life.

Liu Huan married Lu Lu, a hostess for Hunan TV, in 1988. Their daughter was born in September 1991. Liu underwent hip replacement surgery at the Beijing University Third Hospital in mid-April 2010. The surgery was very successful.  Liu has a round body, round face, and long braids, the image of Liu Huan is generally unchanging. He prefers to wear black to almost all of his performances. He wore a plain black T-shirt when singing at the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies. Liu Huan had tried many hairstyles until he first opened in a concert overseas, when his hair was very long and he tied his hair back. From that time onwards, he has kept his hairstyle long, and thinks it is more convenient than other hairstyles.  In December 26, 2018, on the same day Liu was announced as one of the contestants who would take part in "Singer 2019", Liu founded "The Liu Huan's Foundation of Original Music" (刘欢原创音乐基金) in collaboration with Mango TV and Mango V, the show's sponsors, where every (approximately ) of the funding would be extracted every January 11 (the date of the show's premiere episode) of the year to sponsor one potential singer of China. Liu was also the series ambassador and promoting the Mango TV app to encourage viewers across the world to watch the series, as shown before each episode begin airing.  On April 3, 2020, Liu was confirmed to have been diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis, also called osteonecrosis or bone infarction.

Foreign language skills.

During Liu Huan’ s lectures, he introduces some foreign words when naming people, schools, and locations. These words are sometimes English, and sometimes French, German, and even Italian. Liu Huan says modestly: “My major is French, and I can speak English, too. With German and Italian, I only know some terms in these languages, but it doesn’t mean I can speak them.”

Liu Huan (born August 26, 1963 in Tianjin) is a Chinese singer and songwriter. He is one of China's modern era pioneers in pop music and is considered China's King of Pop. He combines his music career with teaching the history of Western music at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Liu Huan () (né le à Pékin) est un célèbre chanteur de Mandopop de Chine. Il est notamment connu pour "Je me questionne dix millions de fois" () resté en première position durant dix semaines sur les stations de radio de Chine continentale en 1994. En, il est invité au Carnegie Hall de New York et reçoit un tonnerre d'applaudissements pour sa façon de chanter. Il est renommé pour la clarté de sa voix et la justesse de sa prononciation du mandarin.


History.

Cobb county was one of nine Georgia counties carved out of the disputed territory of the Cherokee Nation in 1832. It was the 81st county in Georgia and named for Judge Thomas Willis Cobb, who served as a U.S. Senator, state representative, and superior court judge. It is believed that the county seat of Marietta was named for Judge Cobb's wife, Mary.  The state started acquiring right-of-way for the Western & Atlantic Railroad in 1836. A train began running between Marietta and Marthasville (now Atlanta) in 1845. Before the Civil War, Marietta was also a summer resort for residents of Savannah and Charleston fleeing yellow fever. During the American Civil War, some confederate troops were trained at a camp in Big Shanty (now Kennesaw), where the Andrews Raid occurred, starting the Great Locomotive Chase. There were battles of New Hope Church May 25, 1864, Pickett's Mill May 27, and Dallas May 28. These were followed by the prolonged series of battles through most of June 1864 until very early July: the Battle of Marietta and the Battle of Noonday Creek.  The Battle of Allatoona Pass on October 5, 1864 occurred as Sherman was starting his march through Georgia. Union forces burnt most houses and confiscated or burnt crops.  The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain June 27, 1864, was the site of the only major Confederate victory in General William T. Sherman's invasion of Georgia. Despite the victory, Union forces outflanked the Confederates.  In 1915, Leo Frank, the Jewish supervisor of an Atlanta pencil factory who was convicted of murdering one of his workers, thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan, was kidnapped from his jail cell and brought to Frey's Gin, two miles (3 km) east of Marietta, where he was lynched.  Cotton farming in the area peaked from the 1890s through the 1920s. Low prices during the Great Depression resulted in the cessation of cotton farming throughout Cobb County. The price of cotton went from 16¢ per pound (35¢/kg) in 1920 to 91⁄2¢ (21¢/kg) in 1930. This resulted in a cotton bust for the county, which had stopped growing the product but was milling it. This bust was in turn, followed by the Great Depression. To help combat the bust, the state started work on a road in 1922 that would later become U.S. 41, later replaced by Cobb Parkway in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1942, Bell Aircraft opened a Marietta plant to manufacture B-29 bombers and Marietta Army Airfield was founded. Both were closed after World War II, but reopened during the Korean War, when the air field was acquired by the Air Force, renamed Dobbins AFB, and the plant by Lockheed. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Lockheed Marietta was the leading manufacturer of military transport planes, including the C-130 Hercules and the C-5 Galaxy. "In Cobb County and other sprawling Cold War suburbs from Orange County to Norfolk/Hampton Roads, the direct link between federal defense spending and local economic prosperity structured a bipartisan political culture of hawkish conservatism and material self-interest on issues of national security."  When county home rule was enacted statewide by amendment to the Georgia state constitution in the early 1960s, Ernest W. Barrett became the first chairman of the new county commission. The county courthouse, built in 1888, was demolished, spurring a law that now prevents counties from doing so without a referendum.  In the 1960s and 1970s, Cobb transformed from rural to suburban, as integration spurred white flight from the city of Atlanta, which by 1970 was majority-African-American. Real-estate booms drew rural white southerners and Rust Belt transplants, both groups mostly first-generation white-collar workers. Cobb County was the home of former segregationist and Georgia governor Lester Maddox (1966–71). In 1975, Cobb voters elected John Birch Society leader Larry McDonald to Congress, running in opposition to desegregation busing. A conservative Democrat, McDonald called for investigations into alleged plots by the Rockefellers and the Soviet Union to impose "socialist-one-world-government" and co-founded the Western Goals Foundation. In 1983, McDonald died aboard Korean Air Lines Flight 007, shot down by a Soviet fighter jet over restricted airspace. I-75 through the county is now named for him. In 1990, Republican Congressmen Newt Gingrich became Representative of a new district centered around Cobb County. In 1994, as Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in almost fifty years, Gingrich became Speaker of the House, thrusting Cobb County into the national spotlight.  In 1993, county commissioners passed a resolution condemning homosexuality and cut off funding for the arts after complaints about a community theater. After protests from gay rights organizations, organizers of the 1996 Summer Olympics pulled events out of Cobb County, including the Olympic Torch Relay. The county's inns were nevertheless filled at 100% of capacity for two months during the event.  In the 1990s and 2000s, Cobb's demographics changed. As Atlanta's gentrification reversed decades of white flight, middle-class African-Americans and Russian, Bosnian, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, Mexican and Central American immigrants moved to older suburbs in south and southwest Cobb. In 2010, African-American Democrat David Scott was elected to Georgia's 13th congressional district, which included many of those suburbs. Cobb became the first Georgia county to participate in the Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g) enabling local law officers to enforce immigration law.

Geography.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.4%) is water. The county is located in the upper Piedmont region of the state, with a few mountains located within the county, considered to be part of the southernmost extensions of the Appalachian Mountains.  The county is divided between two major basins. Most runoff flows into the Middle Chattahoochee-Lake Harding and Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basins of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin) along the southeastern border, directly via Willeo Creek, Sope Creek (Sewell Creek), Rottenwood Creek (Powers Creek, Poorhouse Creek, Poplar Creek), Nickajack Creek and others. The large Sweetwater Creek is the other major stream, carrying the waters of Noses Creek (Ward Creek, Olley Creek, Mud Creek), Powder Springs Creek (Rakestraw Creek, Mill Creek) and others into the Chattahoochee. A ridge from Lost Mountain in the west, to Kennesaw Mountain in the north-central, to Sweat Mountain in the extreme northeast, divides the far north-northwest of the county into the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin), which includes Lake Allatoona. Noonday Creek (Little Noonday Creek) flows northward into the lake, as does Allatoona Creek, which forms a major arm of the lake. Proctor Creek forms the much older Lake Acworth, which in turn empties directly into Lake Allatoona under the Lake Acworth Drive (Georgia 92) bridge. North Cobb is in the Coosa River basin.  There are several high points in Cobb County.

Addressing.

Despite the lack of a grid system of city blocks though the county, all street addresses have their numeric origin at the southwest corner of the town square in Marietta.

Geocodes and world's largest toll-free calling area.

Originally in area code 404, the county was moved into area code 770 in 1995, and overlaid by area code 678 in 1998. Prior to 1995, those with phones tied to the Woodstock telephone exchange (prefixes 924, 926, 928, later 516 and 591) could also call the Canton exchange (479, later 445, then 704) as a local call. This became moot, along with other dual-zone exchanges in metro Atlanta, when the exurban exchanges (including Canton) were fully made a part of what was already the world's largest toll-free calling zone. It is a zone spanning, with four active telephone area codes, and local calling extending into portions of two others.  Cobb's FIPS county code is 13067. Because the National Weather Service has not subdivided the county, its WRSAME code is 013067, for receiving targeted weather warnings from NOAA Weather Radio. The county is primarily within the broadcast range of one weather radio station: KEC80, on 162.550 MHz, transmitted to all of metro Atlanta and broadcast from NWSFO Peachtree City. The secondary station is the much newer WWH23 on 162.425 from Buchanan, which also transmits warnings for Cobb but has reception mainly in the western part of the county.

Demographics.

2000 census.

As of 2000, there were 697,553 people, 248,303 households, and 169,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,998 people per square mile (763/km2). There were 261,659 housing units at an average density of 770 per square mile (301/km2). The racial makeup of the county in 2000 72.4% White, 18.8% Black, 0.3% Native American, 3.06% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 7.73% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.  There were 248,303 households out of which 35.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25.  In the county, the population was spread out with 26.10% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 36.50% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 6.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males.  As of 2007, the median income was $70,472. The per capita income for the county was $32,740. About 6.0% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 688,078 people, 260,056 households, and 175,357 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 286,490 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 62.21% white, 24.96% black or African American, 4.46% Asian, 0.34% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.28% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.26% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 10.4% were German, 10.0% were English, 9.3% were Irish, and 8.6% were American.  Of the 260,056 households, 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.6% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.17. The median age was 35.4 years.  The median income for a household in the county was $65,522 and the median income for a family was $78,920. Males had a median income of $55,200 versus $43,367 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,110. About 7.6% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education.

Libraries.

Cobb County maintains the Cobb County Public Library System. The libraries provide resources such as books, videos, internet access, printing, and computer classes. The libraries in the CCPLS are: The Smyrna Public Library is a city-owned library in Smyrna, and is not part of the county system.

Government and elections.

Under Georgia's home rule provision, county governments have free rein to legislate on all matters within the county, provided that such legislation does not conflict with state or federal laws or constitutions.  Cobb County is governed by a five-member board of commissioners, which has both legislative and executive authority within the county. The chairman of the board is elected county-wide. The other four commissioners are elected from single-member districts. The board hires a county manager who oversees day-to-day operations of the county's executive departments.  County residents also elect a sheriff, district attorney, probate court judge, clerk of superior court, clerk of the state court, state court solicitor, chief magistrate judge (who then appoints other magistrate court judges), superior court judges, state court judges, tax commissioner, surveyor, and a seven-member board of education. In addition to the county sheriff, the constitutional chief law enforcement officer of the county, Cobb County has a separate police department under the authority of the Board of Commissioners. The sheriff oversees the jail, to which everyone arrested under state law is taken, regardless of the city or other area of the county where it happens, or which police department makes the arrest.  Each city has a separate police department, answerable to its governing council. Marietta, Smyrna, and Austell have separate fire departments, with the Cobb County Fire Department being the authority having jurisdiction over Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs, and unincorporated areas. Cobb 911 covers unincorporated areas and the city of Marietta. Kennesaw and Acworth jointly operate a small 911 call center (PSAP) upstairs in Kennesaw city hall, dispatching the police departments in both cities, and forwarding fire calls to Cobb. Smyrna operates a separate PSAP while offering dispatch services to the city of Powder Springs. Austell operates its own separate 911 system.  The county retails potable water to much of the county, and wholesales it to various cities.  The current County Manager is Rob Hosack.

Politics.

From 1964 until 2012, the county was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. The only time during this period that the county supported a Democrat was in 1976, when Jimmy Carter swept every county in Georgia. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first Democrat to win Cobb County since 1976, and the first non-Georgian to carry the county since 1960. In 2018, Stacey Abrams became the first Democrat to win Cobb County in a gubernatorial election since 1986 when Joe Frank Harris swept every county statewide.

Taxes.

In addition to the 4% statewide sales tax, Cobb County levies an additional 2% for special projects, each 1% subject to separate renewal every few years by countywide referendum (including within its cities). This funds mainly transportation and parks. Cobb levies a 1% tax to lower property taxes, but only for the public school budget, and not the additional 1% HOST homestead exemption for general funds. The county has also voted not to pay the extra 1% to join MARTA.  At the beginning of 2006, Cobb became the last county in the state to raise the tax to 6%, which also doubled the tax on food to 2%. The SPLOST barely passed by a 114 vote margin, or less than one-quarter of a percent, in a September 2005 referendum. The revenue was to go to a new county courthouse, expanded jail, various transportation projects, and the purchasing of property for parks and green space. In 2008, the school tax was renewed for a third term, funding the Marietta and Cobb school systems.

Economy.

The Cobb County School District is Cobb County's largest employer, employing over 15,000 people.  Private corporations include:

Diplomatic missions.

The Consulate-General of Costa Rica in Atlanta is located in Suite 100 at 1870 The Exchange in an unincorporated section of Cobb County.  Until 1971, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, running on tracks now owned by CSX, operated passenger trains through Marietta depot.

Cobb County is a suburban county of Atlanta in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the north central portion of the state. As of 2019, the population was 760,141, making it Georgia's third most-populous county. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta.

Le comté de Cobb est l'un des comtés de l'État de Géorgie. Le chef-lieu du comté se situe à Marietta.


Biography.

Formed in Aarhus, Denmark, by guitarist Peter "Pepe" Hansen in 2000, HateSphere quickly overpowered the Danish metal scene, while concurrently setting an immeasurable new standard for thrash metal domestically and abroad. HateSphere’s first three albums, "Hatesphere", "Bloodred Hatred" and "Ballet of the Brute", upgraded the band’s status from local sensation to Europe’s hottest up and coming thrash quintet. Under the leadership of Scarlet Records, HateSphere toured Europe with The Haunted in 2003 and again with Exodus in 2004, while also turning heads at Wacken Open Air, With Full Force, and Hellfest Festivals.  In 2005, HateSphere inked a deal with SPV Records and assembled a production team of established Danish producers; including Tommy Hansen, Jacob Hansen, and Tue Madsen. "The Sickness Within" was released in September of that same year receiving rave reviews from the worldwide metal media. The pure ferocity, complexity, and brutal grooves enshrined in the album, landed HateSphere on multiple tours of Europe with Kreator, Morbid Angel, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, and Chimaira. In addition to headlining shows in support of "The Sickness Within", the band made appearances at Wacken Open Air, Metal Camp, and Roskilde Festival.  HateSphere continued to raise its profile on an international level by touring Japan, co-headlining the UK with Gojira, and headlining the first edition of The Danish Dynamite tour with Raunchy and Volbeat. HateSphere again made history by being the first Danish band to tour China. Following the 2007 release of "Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes", HateSphere yet again hit the road headlining Europe with Aborted and Dagoba, which was followed by successful performances at Wacken Open Air and Roskilde Festivals and a support tour of Poland with Behemoth in September.  "Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes" also shot up to position 26 on the Danish National Music Charts. Soon thereafter, HateSphere amicably parted ways with then vocalist Jacob Bredahl, who chose to concentrate on other musical endeavors. Without missing a beat, HateSphere assembled its strongest, and present lineup, showcasing its intensity, bottomless drive, and ravenous new frontman Joller Albrechtsen at the 2007 Danish Metal Awards (DMeA). All doubt cast over the band’s lineup instantly shattered as the band hit the ground running with a monthlong co-headlining tour of Europe with Swedish legends Dismember. HateSphere was indeed back in business.  HateSphere entered Antfarm Studios in November 2008 to record the next album entitled "To the Nines". "To the Nines" was recorded, mixed and mastered in less than a month under the leadership of longtime friend and producer Tue Madsen (Earth Crisis, The Haunted, Heaven Shall Burn) at AntFarm Studios in Aarhus and was released by Napalm Records.  In February 2010 vocalist Jonathan "Joller" Albrechtsen left Hatesphere, and the band announced that Mevadio singer Morten "Kruge" Madsen would replace Albrechtsen on the February–March North American tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, and Augury.  In July 2010, the band announced that a permanent replacement for Jonathan "Joller" Albrechtsen had been found in Esben "Esse" Hansen, also known from Danish metal band As We Fight. At the same point it became known that bass player Mixen Lindberg had left the band and that he would be temporarily replaced by the band's former bass player and founding member Mikael Ehlert until the end of 2010. The band toured the US and Canada September–November 2010 supporting Nevermore and Parasite Inc. In May 2011, the band announced that Gob Squad bass player Jimmy Nedergaard had joined the band.

Hatesphere is a Danish death and thrash metal band from Aarhus. The band was formed in 2000 by guitarist Peter "Pepe" Hansen. As of 2016, the band consists of vocalist Esben "Esse" Elnegaard Kjaer Hansen, guitarists Peter "Pepe" Lyse Hansen, and Kasper Kirkegaard, bass player Jimmy Nedergaard and drummer Mike Park Nielsen. The band has released nine albums and two EPs to date.

Hatesphere, parfois stylisé HateSphere, est un groupe de thrash metal danois, originaire d'Aarhus. Ils publient leur premier album, éponyme, en 2001.


History.

Borshchiv has been mentioned under its name as the Dudinski family manor since 1456. In 1629 the town, which at that time belonged to the Kingdom of Poland was granted a Magdeburg charter, and the coat of arms, which was the symbol of the House of Vasa. In 1672–1683 the town was controlled by Ottoman Turks (see Polish–Ottoman War (1672–76)) as part of Podolia Eyalet. It was nominally ruled by Ottomans between 1683-1699 and ravaged by Poles and Turks in this period. After Treaty of Karlowitz, it was returned to Poland. After the First Partition of Poland (1772), the town was annexed by the Habsburg Empire. In 1809–1815 it was controlled by the Russian Empire and then returned to Austrians. In 1914–1917 it was taken over by the Russian troops again, see Russian occupation of Eastern Galicia, 1914–15. From 1919 to September 1939 it belonged to Poland, and due to proximity of the Polish-Soviet border, a Border Protection Corps Battalion "Borszczow" was stationed here. In the Second Polish Republic, Borszczow was the seat of a county (powiat) in Tarnopol Voivodeship.  Following the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, the town was annexed by the Soviet Union. It was also occupied by the Hungarian army from July to August 1941. During World War II, several mass executions of Jews were carried out in the town. In April 1942 a Borshchiv Jewish ghetto was established here. Between spring and summer of 1943, approximately 400 Jews were sent to the Ivanovka camp and more than 2,300 Jews were shot in the Jewish cemetery. After a short period of rule by the Germans at the beginning of World War II it was ceded back to the Russians until the fall of the USSR and declaration of Ukrainian independence.  The "Borshov Horizon" or "Borshovian Horizon" is a geological layer of marl and limestone formed in the lowermost Devonian period. Typical specimens of this province have been recorded in the Upper Dniester valleys near Borshchiv where it reaches the surface layers of the land. It is marked by the presence of microscopic "Margachitina" chitinozoans, certain trilobites and bryozoa dispersed in grainstone. According to Pushkin, waterborne Bryozoa living in shallow lagoons were the dominant life form that shaped the Borschovian plains. Some areas of the Borschovian layer were dominated by colonies of a single species where others were populated by a mix of different Bryozoa.

Borshchiv (,, ) is a city in the Ternopil Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Borshchiv Raion (district) and is located at around. City population is 11,382 (2001).

Borchtchiv (en ) ou Borchtchiov (en ; en polonais : Borszczów) est une ville de l'oblast de Ternopil, en Ukraine, et le centre administratif du raïon de Borchtchiv. Sa population s'élevait à habitants en 2017.