Autorité combinée de la région urbaine de Liverpool

History.

Background.

In order to create a combined authority the local authorities in the proposed combined area must undertake a governance review and produce a scheme of their proposals. The Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership also supported them.

Development and formation.

The governance review explored four options for the strategic governance of Liverpool City Region. They were status quo/do nothing; a supervisory board; an economic prosperity board; or a combined authority. It concluded that the establishment of a combined authority would improve the "alignment, coordination and delivery of economic development and transport related initiatives" and "the decision making process will become faster and more efficient".  The scheme was published on 30 September 2013. It proposed a combined authority comprising seven members - one from each constituent local authority, and one more from Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. The combined authority, specifically through its transport committee, replaces the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority. The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive remains as the transport executive organisation and is formally named Merseytravel.

Naming.

The proposed authority was known as the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority throughout the development process and was the name submitted to the Department for Communities and Local Government. However, the government published scheme used the name 'Greater Merseyside Combined Authority'. The government consultation that followed showed strong support for a name that included 'Liverpool' and not 'Merseyside'. The name was changed to Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority in the draft order presented to parliament. This was chosen by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) because it said the local authorities could not agree a name for the combined authority and some responses to the consultation objected to the name 'Liverpool'. An explanatory memorandum attached to the orders creating the combined authorities stated that any name including 'City Region' was considered "misleading and inappropriate" by the government. DCLG stated that the combined authority could use any public name it wanted. On 21 February 2014 it was decided by the constituent councils that the authority will use the public name of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. A motion at the inaugural meeting on 1 April 2014 proposed that the authority should adopt the name Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and this was passed unanimously.

Membership.

The membership of the combined authority is as follows:

Leadership.

Joe Anderson was appointed chair on 18 December 2015 after the resignation of Phil Davies. Barrie Grunewald was appointed deputy chair on 19 June 2015.

Leadership dispute.

The long-term future of the new authority was left in doubt after Joe Anderson decided to seek legal advice on Liverpool City Council leaving, following his failure to be elected as its chair. Anderson was not present during the leadership vote. Other members said he allowed his personal ego and his belief he had a "God given right to chair the authority" to put it in jeopardy. The future of the authority appeared more secure following a statement by Anderson on 7 April 2014, where he made clear that the matter that caused the dispute is "closed" and that Liverpool would remain in the combined authority.  The authority held its first elections for a directly elected mayor in May 2017. The election was won by Steve Rotheram.

Committees.

The authority consists of several committees. Other than the Merseytravel Committee on transport matters which is detailed in the constitution and the Authority itself it is also has an Audit Committee and a Scrutiny Panel.

Merseytravel Committee.

The Merseytravel Committee acts as the transport authority, with Merseytravel as the executive agency.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) is the combined authority of the Liverpool City Region. The Liverpool City Region includes the City of Liverpool local authority area plus the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the Borough of Halton in North West England. It was established on 1 April 2014 by statutory instrument under the provisions of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. Membership of the combined authority is made up of the leaders of the six principal membership authorities and the local enterprise partnership.

L'autorité combinée de la région urbaine de Liverpool ( - "LCRCA") est une autorité combinée du nord-ouest de l'Angleterre, au Royaume-Uni, créée le.


History.

James Randi developed the idea for the challenge during a radio panel discussion when a parapsychologist challenged him to "put [his] money where [his] mouth is." In 1964 Randi offered a $1,000 prize, soon increasing it to $10,000. Later, Lexington Broadcasting wanted Randi to do a show called the $100,000 Psychic Prize, so they added $90,000 to the original $10,000 raised by Randi. Finally, in 1996, one of his friends, Internet pioneer Rick Adams, donated U.S. $1,000,000 for the prize. The prize is sometimes referred to in the media as the "Randi Prize".  By April 1, 2007, only those with an already existing media profile and the backing of a reputable academic were allowed to apply for the challenge. It was hoped that the resources freed up by not having to test obscure and possibly mentally ill claimants would then be used to challenge high-profile alleged psychics and mediums such as Sylvia Browne and John Edward with a campaign in the media.  On January 4, 2008, it was announced that the prize would be discontinued on March 6, 2010, in order to free the money for other uses. In the meantime, claimants were welcome to vie for it. One of the reasons offered for its discontinuation is the unwillingness of higher-profile claimants to apply. However, at "The Amaz!ng Meeting 7", it was announced that the $1 Million Challenge prize would not expire in 2010. The Foundation issued a formal update on its website on July 30, 2009, announcing the Challenge's continuation, and stated more information would be provided at a later date on any possible changes to the requirements and procedures.  As an April Fool's prank on April 1, 2008, at the MIT Media Lab, Randi pretended to award the prize to magician Seth Raphael after participating in a test of Raphael's "psychic abilities".  On March 8, 2011, the JREF announced that qualifications were being altered to open the challenge to more applicants. Whereas applicants were previously required to submit press clippings and a letter from an academic institution to qualify, the new rules now require applicants to present either press clippings, a letter from an academic institution, or a public video demonstrating their ability. The JREF explained that these new rules would give people without media or academic documentation a way to be considered for testing, and would allow the JREF to use online video and social media to reach a wider audience.  Since the challenge was first created by Randi in 1964, about a thousand people have applied, but no one has been successful. Randi has said that few unsuccessful applicants ever seriously considered that their failure to perform might be due to the nonexistence of the power they believe they possess.  In January 2015, James Randi announced that he was officially retiring and stepping down from his position with the JREF. In September 2015, JREF announced that their board had decided that it would convert the foundation into a grant-making foundation, and they will no longer accept applications directly from people claiming to have a paranormal power. In 2015 the James Randi paranormal challenge was officially terminated.

Rules and judging.

The official challenge rules stipulated that the participant must agree, in writing, to the conditions and criteria of their test. Claims that cannot be tested experimentally are not eligible for the Challenge. Claimants were able to influence all aspects of the testing procedure and participants during the initial negotiation phase of the challenge. Applications for any challenges that might cause serious injury or death were not accepted.  To ensure that the experimental conditions themselves did not negatively affect a claimant's ability to perform, non-blinded preliminary control tests are often performed. For example, the JREF had dowsers perform a control test, in which the dowser attempts to locate the target substance or object using their dowsing ability, even though the target's location has been revealed to the applicant. Failure to display a 100% success rate in the open test would cause their immediate disqualification. However, claimants were usually able to perform successfully during the open test, confirming that experimental conditions are adequate.  Claimants agreed to readily observable success criteria prior to the test, results were unambiguous and clearly indicated whether or not the criteria have been met. Randi had said that he need not participate in any way with the actual execution of the test, and he has been willing to travel far from the test location to avoid the perception that his anti-paranormal bias could influence the test results.  The discussions between the JREF and applicants were at one time posted on a public discussion board for all to see. Since the resignation of Randi's assistant, Mr. Kramer—and subsequent changes to challenge rules requiring applicants to have demonstrated considerable notability—new applications are no longer logged, but there is an archive of previous applicants.

Example of a test (dowsing).

In 1979, Randi tested four people in Italy for dowsing ability. The prize at the time was $10,000. The conditions were that a 10 meter by 10 meter test area would be used. There would be a water supply and a reservoir just outside the test area. There would be three plastic pipes running underground from the source to the reservoir along different concealed paths. Each pipe would pass through the test area by entering at some point on an edge and exiting at some point on an edge. A pipe would not cross itself but it might cross others. The pipes were 3 centimeters in diameter and were buried 50 centimeters below ground. Valves would select which of the pipes water was running through, and only one would be selected at a time. At least 5 liters per second of water would flow through the selected pipe. The dowser must first check the area to see if there is any natural water or anything else that would interfere with the test, and that would be marked. Additionally, the dowser must demonstrate that the dowsing reaction works on an exposed pipe with the water running. Then one of the three pipes would be selected randomly for each trial. The dowser would place ten to one hundred pegs in the ground along the path he or she traces as the path of the active pipe. Two-thirds of the pegs placed by the dowser must be within 10 centimeters of the center of the pipe being traced for the trial to be a success. Three trials would be done for the test of each dowser and the dowser must pass two of the three trials to pass the test. A lawyer was present, in possession of Randi's $10,000 check. If a claimant were successful, the lawyer would give him the check. If none were successful, the check would be returned to Randi.  All of the dowsers agreed with the conditions of the test and stated that they felt able to perform the test that day and that the water flow was sufficient. Before the test they were asked how sure they were that they would succeed. All said either "99 percent" or "100 percent" certain. They were asked what they would conclude if the water flow was 90 degrees from what they thought it was and all said that it was impossible. After the test they were asked how confident they were that they had passed the test. Three answered "100 percent" and one answered that he had not completed the test.  When all of the tests were over and the location of the pipes was revealed, none of the dowsers had passed the test. Dr. Borga had placed his markers carefully, but the nearest was a full 8 feet from the water pipe. Borga said, "We are lost", but within two minutes he started blaming his failure on many things such as sunspots and geomagnetic variables. Two of the dowsers thought they had found natural water before the test started, but disagreed with each other about where it was, as well as with the ones who found no natural water.

Criticism.

Astronomer Dennis Rawlins described the challenge as insincere, saying that Randi would ensure he never had to pay out. In the October 1981 issue of "Fate", Rawlins quoted him as saying "I always have an out". Randi stated that Rawlins did not give the entire quotation, and actually said "Concerning the challenge, I always have an 'out': I'm right!"  Rosemary Altea suggested the one million dollar prize fund does not exist, or is in the form of pledges or promissory notes. The JREF stated that the million dollars was in the form of negotiable bonds within a "James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account" and that validation of the account and the prize amount could be supplied on demand. The money was held in an Evercore Wealth Management account.

Challenges.

Refusals to be tested.

On "Larry King Live", March 6, 2001, Larry King asked psychic Sylvia Browne if she would take the challenge and she agreed. Randi appeared with Browne again on "Larry King Live" on September 3, 2001, and she again accepted the challenge. However, she refused to be tested and Randi kept a clock on his website recording the number of weeks that had passed since Browne accepted the challenge without following through. Eventually the clock was replaced with text stating that "over 5 years" had passed. Browne died in 2013.  In an appearance on "Larry King Live" on January 26, 2007, Randi challenged psychic Rosemary Altea to take the one-million-dollar challenge. On Altea and Randi's June 5, 2001, meeting on the same show, Altea refused to take the challenge, calling it "a trick". Instead Altea, in part, replied "I agree with what he says, that there are many, many people who claim to be spiritual mediums, they claim to talk to the dead. There are many, people, we all know this. There are cheats and charlatans everywhere." Randi's response was to suggest that Altea was also one of the "cheats and charlatans".  In an appearance on ITV's "This Morning", on September 27, 2011, magician Paul Zenon challenged Welsh psychic Leigh Catherine (aka Leigh-Catherine Salway) to take the one million dollar challenge and she accepted. Phillip Schofield, a "This Morning" host, stated that the program would pay for her flights to the US to be tested. Salway subsequently backed out of the challenge, claiming it was "dodgy" and "set up to make it impossible to pass".

Rejected applicants.

Randi rejected an application from Rico Kolodzey, a Breatharian who claimed to have survived without food since 1998. In 2006 Randi agreed to test Kolodzey's claims, but the two parties were unable to agree on the venue and method of the test.  Members of a group from Bali, referring to themselves as Yellow Bamboo, claimed one of their number, Pak Nyoman Serengen, could knock down an attacker at a distance, using only a piece of yellow bamboo. Video clips on their website showed a crowd of students running at Serengen, and falling to the ground when (or, in some cases, slightly before) Serengen extended his hand and shouted. The JREF arranged volunteers to carry out a preliminary investigation, but after the Yellow Bamboo group "threw every sort of obstacle in the way of that plan", Randi announced that he was terminating further involvement with them. A local volunteer contacted Randi offering to investigate the group unofficially. A low-resolution video showed the investigator being knocked to the ground during a preliminary test. The JREF pointed out that the test was not conducted according to the proposed protocol, with multiple flaws in the execution including being carried out at night. Upon viewing a set of still shots from the incident, several people experienced with stun-guns suggested that an electroshock weapon could have been used.

Tests at The Amazing Meeting.

In July 2009, Danish psychic/dowser Connie Sonne was given the chance to prove her dowsing ability. She was asked to dowse some randomly selected cards hidden in envelopes and lost the challenge by selecting other incorrect ones. In an interview with Mark Edward afterward, she insisted that she lost merely because, "...it wasn't time yet for my powers to be revealed."  In July 2014, Chinese salesman Fei Wang was tested in front of an audience of 600 at the conclusion of The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas. Wang said that from his right hand, he could transmit a mysterious force a distance of three feet, unhindered by wood, metal, plastic or cardboard. The energy, he said, could be felt by others as heat, pressure, magnetism, or simply "an indescribable change." A total of nine people were selected by Wang as subjects who would be able to determine whether they were receiving the force from his hand. On stage, Wang and a control person were behind a curtain, and the subjects were in front of the curtain with eyes and ears covered so as not to be able to deduce who was behind the curtain. A colored ball was chosen randomly to determine whether Wang or the control person would go first, and in that order they tried to transmit the energy onto the subject's hand (hidden from their view inside a cardboard box). The subject then stated whether she had felt any energy and whether it came from the first or second person. Wang needed to be the person selected by at least 8 of the 9 subjects in order to win the million dollars. After both of the first two subjects failed to choose Wang, the challenge was over. Wang stated that he would try again the next year, saying, "This energy is mysterious".  Tech journalist Lee Hutchinson approached the JREF after writing an article for Ars Technica about directional Ethernet cables that claim to "keep your audio signal completely free of electromagnetic interference". At the 2015 Amazing Meeting, the MDC set up a controlled double-blind demonstration with volunteers listening to two identical recordings with a randomly selected Ethernet cable, a normal one or the cable claiming to improve the listening experience. After seven volunteers (1 hit, 1 miss and 5 hearing no difference), the demonstration was ended as they were unable to select the "enhanced" cable over the common cable enough times to satisfy the testing protocols.

The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge was an offer by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to pay out one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. A version of the challenge was first issued in 1964. Over a thousand people applied to take it, but none were successful. The challenge was terminated in 2015.

Le One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge (défi paranormal à un million de dollars) était une activité menée par la James Randi Educational Foundation de 1964 à 2015. La fondation invitait les gens qui prétendent posséder des pouvoirs paranormaux à les tester selon des critères scientifiques rigoureux, un résultat positif leur permettant d'empocher la prime d'un million de dollars. Plus de mille personnes ont répondu à l'appel, sans que l'une d'elles puisse satisfaire aux exigences du test.


History.

SRSP was created by the military regime of Siad Barre under Soviet guidance. A founding congress was held in June 1976. The congress elected a Central Committee, with Barre as the party general secretary. A five-member politburo, consisting of Barre, Lt. General Muhammad Ali Samatar (vice president), Major General Husseen Kulmiye (2nd vice president), Brig. Ahmad Sulaymaan Abdullah and Brig. Ismail Ali Abukor (who was later replaced by Brig. Ahmad Mahamuud Faarah) was constituted. Party cadres also included prominent socialists such as Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, Abdulrahman Aidiid, Mohamed F. Weyrah and (a well known socialist economist) and Abukar Sh. M Hussien.  During a brief period, prior to the escalation of conflict with Ethiopia in 1977, XHKS developed relations with foreign communist parties, such as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). CPSU initiated a programme of assistance for the SRSP party school. After relations with the Soviet Bloc were ruptured, a group including SRSP CC member broke away to form splinter groups. This was even further accelerated by the failed military coup of April 9, 1978, popularly known as "Nova Aprile". In 1981 dissident factions would emerge as the Democratic Front for Salvation of Somalia.  When Barre's regime fell in 1991, SRSP disappeared. In the same year the Somali National Front was organized by Barre loyalists.

Ideology.

The SRSP was in theory a Marxist–Leninist party, but also included Islamic socialism, scientific socialism, Somali nationalism and pan-Somalism teachings in its ideology. It was dissolved when Mohamed Siad Bare was ejected from power in late 1991.

Organisation.

The SRSP was supposed to function as a political force transcending clan lines, but in reality there was little change in political practice. Power was concentrated to three clans. The party developed an intelligence branch, "Baadhista xisbiga", which worked parallel to state intelligence and paramilitary groups. At most SRSP had around 20,000 members. XHKS held its 3rd Congress in November 1986. A major reshuffle of the Central Committee took place.

Role in Somali government.

The Seventh Article of the 1979 constitution of the Somali Democratic Republic clarified the role of XHKS:

The Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (, XHKS;, "al-Ḥizb al-ishtirākī al-thawrī al-ṣūmālī"; ) was the ruling party of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1976 to 1991.

Le Parti socialiste révolutionnaire somalien (, XHKS;, "al-Ḥizb al-ishtirākī al-thawrī al-ṣūmālī"; ) était un parti politique qui a gouverné la République démocratique somalie de 1976 à 1991.


Description.

The adult San Blas jay is between long and weighs between. The sexes are similar; the adult has back, rump, wings and tail blue and the remaining plumage black. There is a small crest on the front of the head, the bill is black, the irises are white and the legs are black. The juveniles are similar apart from a larger crest, a yellow bill and brown eyes.

Distribution.

This jay is endemic to Mexico. There are two subspecies; "C. s. nelsoni" is found in southwestern Mexico, from Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima southward to western Guerrero; and "C. s. sanblasianus" is found in the coastal region of Guerrero. The habitat includes dry and semi-moist woodland, thickets, groves and plantations as well as mangrove areas. This bird is not found deep in the forest.

Ecology.

The species is social, living in small groups of up to thirty individuals including six to ten breeding pairs. These occupy a large territory but have little interaction with neighbouring groups. The birds seem to have stable pair bonds and most start breeding at three years old. The nests are grouped socially in trees, vines or shrubs, often in the crowns of palm trees. Each is constructed of twigs and lined with soft plant material, and a clutch of up to four mottled eggs is laid. Non-breeding females sometimes take short turns at incubation, which takes about eighteen days. Both parents care for the young, and several birds may help feed the chicks, especially after they have fledged.  The San Blas jay is omnivorous, the birds feeding both on the ground and in the lower parts of trees. The diet consists of insects and other invertebrates, fruit and small vertebrates such as lizards. This bird has been observed taking nestlings from the nest of a ruddy ground dove ("Columbina talpacoti").

The San Blas jay ("Cyanocorax sanblasianus") is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to Mexico where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests; it is a common species and has been rated as "least concern" by the IUCN.

Le Geai de San Blas (Cyanocorax sanblasianus) est un oiseau appartenant à la famille des Corvidae. Il est endémique du Mexique. C'est une espèce commune classée comme "la moins préoccupante" par l'UICN.


Early life.

Huff was born and grew up in the No. 9 coal mining camp in Edna, West Virginia, The fourth child of six for Oral and Catherine Huff, he lived with his family in a small rowhouse with no running water. Huff grew up during the Great Depression, while his father and two of his brothers worked in the coal mines loading buggies for Consolidated Mining.  Huff attended and played high school football at the now-closed Farmington High School, where he was both an offensive and defensive lineman. While he was there, Huff helped lead the team to an undefeated season in 1951. He earned All-State honors in 1952 and was named to the first-team All-Mason Dixon Conference.

College career.

Huff attended and played college football at West Virginia University, where he majored in physical education. He started at guard as a sophomore and tackle the next two years, after winning a letter as a backup guard during his freshman season. He was a four-year letterman and helped lead West Virginia to a combined four-year mark of 31-7 and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.  In 1955, Huff was voted an All-American and served as co-captain in both the East–West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl. Huff was also named first team Academic All-American for his outstanding efforts in the classroom.

Professional career.

New York Giants (1956–1963).

Huff was drafted in the third round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. In training camp, head coach Jim Lee Howell was having a hard time coming up with a position for Huff. Discouraged, Huff left camp but was stopped at the airport by assistant coach Vince Lombardi, who coaxed him back to camp.  Then, defensive coordinator Tom Landry came up with the new 4–3 defensive scheme that he thought would fit Huff perfectly. The Giants switched him from the line to middle linebacker behind Ray Beck. Huff liked the position because he could keep his head up and use his superb peripheral vision to see the whole field. On October 7, 1956 in a game against the Chicago Cardinals, Beck was injured and Huff was put into his first professional game. He then helped the Giants win five consecutive games and they finished with an 8–3–1 record, which gave them the Eastern Conference title. New York went on to win the 1956 NFL Championship Game and Huff became the first rookie middle linebacker to start an NFL championship game.  In 1958, the Giants again won the East and Huff played in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. The championship, which became widely known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", was the first ever National Football League (NFL) game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17.  In 1959, Huff and the Giants again went to the NFL Championship Game, which ended in a 31–16 loss to the Colts. Also that year, Huff became the first NFL player to be featured on the cover of "Time" magazine on November 30, 1959. He almost passed up the magazine appearance, demanding money to be interviewed, but relented when "Time" agreed to give him the cover portrait. Huff was also the subject of an October 31, 1960 CBS television special, "The Violent World of Sam Huff", broadcast as an episode of the Walter Cronkite-hosted anthology series "The Twentieth Century". The network wired Huff for sound in practice and in an exhibition game.  The Giants then visited the championship under new coach Allie Sherman in 1961, 1962, and 1963, but lost every one of them. To improve what he thought was a defensive problem, Sherman then traded many defensive players, including Cliff Livingston, Rosey Grier, and Dick Modzelewski. After these trades, Huff went to owner Wellington Mara and was assured he would not be traded. But in 1964, Giants head coach Allie Sherman traded Huff to the Washington Redskins for defensive tackle Andy Stynchula and running back Dick James. The trade made front-page news in New York City and was greeted with jeers from Giants fans, who crowded Yankee Stadium yelling "Huff-Huff-Huff-Huff."  Huff played in four consecutive Pro Bowls with the Giants from 1959 through 1963. He was named most valuable player of the 1961 Pro Bowl.

Washington Redskins (1964–1967, 1969).

Huff joined the Redskins in 1964 and they agreed to pay him $30,000 in salary and $5,000 for scouting, compared to the $19,000 he would have made another year with New York. The impact Huff had was almost immediate and the Redskins' defense was ranked second in the NFL in 1965.  On November 27, 1966, Huff and the Redskins beat his former Giant teammates 72–41, in the highest-scoring game in league history. After an ankle injury in 1967 ended his streak of 150 straight games played Huff retired in 1968.  Vince Lombardi talked Huff out of retirement in 1969 when he was named Washington's head coach. The Redskins went 7-5-2 and had their best season since 1955 (which kept Lombardi's record of never having coached a losing NFL team intact). Huff then retired for good after 14 seasons and 30 career interceptions. He spent one season coaching the Redskins' linebackers in 1970.

After football.

Business.

After leaving the NFL, Huff took a position with J.P. Stevens in New York as a textiles sales representative. He later joined the Marriott Corporation as a salesman in 1971, rising to vice president of sports marketing before retiring in 1998. While with Marriott, Huff was responsible for selling over 600,000 room nights via a partnership between the NFL and Marriott that booked teams into Marriott branded hotels for away games.

Commentator.

After retiring from football, Huff spent three seasons as a color commentator for the Giants radio team and then moved on in the same capacity for the Redskins Radio Network, where he remained until his retirement at the end of the 2012 season, calling games alongside former Redskins teammate Sonny Jurgensen and play-by-play announcers Frank Herzog (1979–2004) and Larry Michael (2005–2012). He was also a broadcaster for a regionally syndicated TV package of Mountaineer football games in the mid-1980s.

Honors.

In 1982, Huff became the second WVU player to be inducted into both the College and Pro football Halls of Fame. In 1988, he was inducted into the WVU School of Physical Education Hall of Fame and, in 1991 he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.  In 1999, Huff was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame and was ranked number 76 on "The Sporting News"' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.  In 2001, Huff was ranked number six on "Sports Illustrated's" list of West Virginia's 50 Greatest Athletes. On November 24, 2005, Huff's uniform number 75 was retired by West Virginia University.

Horse breeding and racing.

In 1986 Huff began breeding Thoroughbred racehorses at Sporting Life Farm in Middleburg, Virginia. His filly, Bursting Forth, won the 1998 Matchmaker Handicap.

Politics.

In 1970, Huff ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but lost in the West Virginia Democratic primary for the 1st district against Bob Mollohan by more than 19,000 votes.

Personal.

Huff is divorced from Mary Helen Fletcher. They have three children, Robert Lee ("Sam") Huff Jr., Catherine Ann, Joseph D.

Robert Lee "Sam" Huff (born October 4, 1934) is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Robert Lee "Sam" Huff, né le à Farmington, en Virginie-Occidentale, est un Américain, joueur professionnel de football américain, qui a joué dans la National Football League (NFL) pour les Giants de New York et les Redskins de Washington. Il a été intronisé au Pro Football Hall of Fame en 1982. Il a joué au football américain universitaire pour l'équipe des Mountaineers de l'université de Virginie-Occidentale et est membre du College Football Hall of Fame.


Early life and family.

Middleton was the eldest son of Sir John Middleton, 2nd Baronet and his wife Frances Lambert, daughter of John Lambert of Calton, Yorkshire, and grand daughter of the Cromwellian general John Lambert. The Middleton family lived at Belsay in Northumberland from the thirteenth century. Middleton succeeded to the estates and baronetcy on the death of his father on 17 October 1717. While he was a minor, his chief trustee was the Presbyterian minister at Belsay. He owned a first-rate stud, bred from newly imported Arabian horses, and was a member of the Jockey Club. According to family tradition Middleton ‘was always borrowing money and always in debt’ He married Anne Ettrick, daughter of William Ettrick of Silksworth, county Durham in May 1725.

Career.

The Middleton family had represented Northumberland in Parliament since early in the fifteenth century. When Middleton came of age, he was returned unopposed as a Whig Member of Parliament for Northumberland at the 1722 general election. As a Presbyterian, he attracted the Presbyterian vote, of which the farmers made up a considerable part. He represented Northumberland for the rest of his life, and usually supported the Government. He was returned unopposed again at the 1727 general election and in a note of dissent, voted against the government on the excise bill of1733. At the 1734 general election, there was a contest at Northumberland at enormous cost to the candidates, and Middleton's fellow candidate, Ralph Jenison, was financially crippled by it. In that parliament Middleton's dissent was expressed by a vote against the place bill of 1740. He was returned unopposed at the 1741 general election. In May 1742 under an opposition bill he was chosen as one of the commissioners of public accounts, but the bill was rejected in the House of Lords.  Middleton went with the Duke of Cumberland when he passed through Northumberland in January 1746 to assume command of the army in Scotland. Although Middleton was a civilian he was made a colonel and placed on the Duke's staff. At the 1747 and 1754 general elections, he was returned unopposed again for Northumberland. From 1754 was receiving a secret service pension of £800 per annum.

Death and legacy.

Middleton died on 28 September 1757. He and his wife had one daughter and no male heirs. The baronetcy passed to his brother John Lambert Middleton. After his death the entire contents of the house, down to the pots and pans in the kitchen, were sold by auction to pay off his debts. The horses were also sold and Lord Rockingham bought Whistlejacket, one of his best horses.

Sir William Middleton, 3rd Baronet (c. 1700–1757) of Belsay Castle, Bolam, Northumberland, was a British landowner and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for 35 years from 1722 to 1757.

Sir William Middleton, baronnet (v. 1700–1757) de Belsay Castle, Bolam, Northumberland, est un propriétaire terrien britannique et un politicien whig qui siège à la Chambre des communes pendant 35 ans, de 1722 à 1757.


History.

Being an influential figure in the English wine trade, Simon had published a number of books on viticulture including "In Vino Veritas" (1913) and "Wine and the Wine Trade" (1921) where he wrote: "Wine-making is an art which the genius of discovered at the dawn of the world's history, and which has largely contributed to the well-being of mankind and to the growth of all arts ever since."  With the assistance of his friend A.J.A. Symons, Simon decided to create a society where individuals could come together to appreciate food and wine as an essential part of personal contentment and good health. Meeting for the first time in 1933, the objectives of the Wine & Food Society were:  Also during this time, Simon established and edited a quarterly journal titled "Wine and Food", which helped to transform the study of gastronomy before, during and after the Second World War. Sent to members of the society, the influential publication printed articles about the history of wine and food, book reviews and critical assessments of hotels and restaurants.  In 1934 and 1935, Simon travelled to the United States, where prohibition had just ended. During those years, he helped to establish North America's first branches that included New York City, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Subsequent trips to Australia and South Africa brought about in an increased membership across the globe, resulting in the organization changing its name to the International Wine & Food Society in 1968.  Former members of the IWFS have included Maynard Amerine, Jack Drummond, Julian Street and Frank Schoonmaker.

Current Structure.

Presently, the IWFS is divided into three geographic zones: the Americas, Europe Africa and Asia Pacific. The leadership throughout the Society is voluntary and without compensation.  In the Europe Africa Zone (EAZ), IWFS Europe Africa Ltd, co-ordinates the branches, membership and events in Europe, Scandinavia, The Baltic States, Russia, Africa and Dubai. In that zone, there are currently 32 branches and approximately 1500 members. In order to establish a new branch, at least ten people are needed in order to be awarded a two-year provisional charter.  In the Americas, IWFS Americas Inc. oversees activity in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Individual branches in this zone - while mostly autonomous in terms of membership and organisation - must meet certain criteria every year in order to maintain their charters. For a any city, town or geographic region to be considered for a new branch, they must meet a number of rules and requirements set forth by IWFS Americas Inc. If they meet this criteria, a two-year probationary status begins, after which they will receive their permanent charter.  In the Asia Pacific Zone (APZ), the Committee and its Executive Officers govern branches in the region under the company IWFS Asia Pacific Ltd. There are currently 26 branches across the region including Australasia, China, Philippines, Thailand and India.  In addition, The International Council of Management oversees issues of an international perspective with regards to the IWFS. The council is made up of six members: three from the Americas, two from Europe Africa and one from Asia Pacific who meet three times annually.

Festivals.

Each zone organises regional events and festivals that are held throughout the year and are usually open to all IWFS members.  Additionally, all of the zones come together to host an International Festival that is held once every three years. Activities at these festivals have included wine tastings, formal dinners, information sessions and guided tours of the host city. The following places are hosting or have hosted an International Festival:

Publications.

Since 1996, the International Wine & Food Society has published a total of 15 monographs dealing with numerous food and wine subjects. The list of titles include "Reflections through a wine glass, some contemporary issues explored" by Bob Campbell MW, "An Appreciation of the Age of Wine" by Sid Cross, "Biodynamics in Wine" by Beverly Blanning MW and "The Science of Taste" by Ruth Binney.  Quarterly magazines are published and printed by two of the zones for their respective members – the Americas "Wine Food & Friends" and in Europe/Africa "Food and Wine". The International Secretariat also issues a quarterly e-newsletter, "The Grapevine" which is distributed globally to all members. The IWFS also produces a Vintage Card each year which takes the form of the Society's annual membership card. The card is thoroughly reviewed each year by respected wine specialists around the world.  The Guildhall Library in the City of London houses an extensive record of Society events and their menus and is open to the public for reference.

The International Wine & Food Society Ltd. (formerly the Wine and Food Society) is a not-for-profit gastronomical organisation founded in 1933 by André Simon and A.J.A. Symons. According to its website, the society's mission is "the promotion of a broad knowledge and understanding of both wine and food, the enhancement of their appreciation, and the nurturing of camaraderie among those who share the pleasures of the table." With branches in Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and Asia, its members host a series of events throughout the year that have included dinners, wine tastings and food appreciation courses. As of 2015, there are over 130 branches and more than 6,500 members worldwide.

La International Wine & Food Society (anciennement "Wine and Food Society") est une organisation gastronomique à but non lucratif fondée en 1933 par André-Louis Simon et A.J.A. Symons. La mission de l'organisation est "la promotion d'une large connaissance et compréhension du vin et de la gastronomie, le renforcement de leur appréciation et le développement de la camaraderie parmi ceux qui partagent les plaisirs de la table". Avec des succursales en Europe, en Amérique du Nord, en Afrique, en Australie et en Asie, ses membres organisent toute une série d'événements tout au long de l'année, notamment des dîners, des dégustations de vins et des cours de dégustation gastronomique. En 2015, il y avait plus de 130 succursales et plus de 6 500 membres dans le monde.


Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

Grèce au Concours Eurovision de la chanson 2020

Background.

Prior to the 2020 contest, Greece had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest forty times since their debut in. The nation has won the contest once, in with the song "My Number One" performed by Helena Paparizou. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004 contest, Greece managed to qualify for the final with each of their entries for several years. Between 2004 and 2013, the nation achieved nine top ten placements in the final. To this point, Greece in with Argo's "Utopian Land" failed to qualify from the semi-finals for the first time ever, being absent from the final for the first time since 2000, marking Greece's worst result at the contest. In the 2018 contest, Greece failed to qualify for the second time with Yianna Terzi and the song "Oniro mou" finishing 14th in the semi-final. Greece returned to the final in 2019 with Katerine Duska and the song "Better Love", placing 21st with 74 points. The Greek national broadcaster, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), broadcasts the event within Greece and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. ERT had been in charge of Greece's participation in the contest since their debut in 1974 until 2013, when the broadcaster was shut down by a government directive and replaced with the interim Dimosia Tileorasi (DT) and later by the New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television (NERIT) broadcaster. On 28 April 2015, a legislative proposal that resulted in the renaming of NERIT to ERT was approved and signed into law by the Hellenic Parliament; ERT began broadcasting once again on 11 June 2015. The new ERT then confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest on 28 August 2015.  The Greek broadcaster has used various methods to select the nation's entry in the past, such as internal selections and televised national finals to choose the performer, song or both to compete at Eurovision. In early September 2019, Maria Koufopoulou, ERT's Director of International Relations, confirmed that the country would participate in the 2020 contest. She also stated that they were still evaluating how to select the entry and were in discussions with local fan clubs to solicit ideas.

Before Eurovision.

Internal selection.

Similar to 2019, ERT announced that the Greek entry would be selected internally by the broadcaster. On 15 January, it revealed the names of the people who would comprise the jury panel involved with the selection of the entrant. The jury consisted of music composer and ERT board member Dimitris Papadimitriou, music producer Petros Adam, Yiorgos Markakis, music producer Yiannis Petridis, and ERT's Director of International Relations Maria Koufopoulou. Prior the official announcement of the performer, Star Channel reported that seven acts had been shortlisted to represent Greece in Rotterdam, including Irini Papadopoulou, Stefania, Ian Stratis, and the boy band One. They reported that the jury would listen to the songs submitted by each act before selecting their preferred entry. On 3 February 2020 during an ERT newscast, Stefania was announced as the Greek entrant with the song "Supergirl". The song was written by Dimitris Kontopoulos, Sharon Vaughn, and the production team ARCADE (Pavlos Manolis, Anastasios Rammos, Diverno, Gabriel Russell). Born in the Netherlands to a family with Greek ancestry, Stefania had previously represented the Netherlands at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 as part of the group Kisses, placing eighth. The song and accompanying music video were released the following month on 1 March 2020, during the premiere of ERT's new program "Eurovision Song Contest - Final Countdown", hosted by Mihalis Marinos. The music video was directed by Konstantinos Karydas.

At Eurovision.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was originally scheduled to take place at Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands and consist of two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May, and a final on 16 May 2020. According to Eurovision rules, each country, except the host nation and the "Big 5" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), would have been required to qualify from one of two semi-finals to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final would have progressed to the final. On 28 January 2020, the allocation draw was held at Rotterdam City Hall, placing Greece into the first half of the second semi-final. Fokas Evangelinos was hired to organise the staging and choreography for the performance. However, due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Europe, the contest was cancelled on 18 March 2020. The EBU announced soon after that entries intended for 2020 would not be eligible for the following year, though each broadcaster would be able to send either their 2020 representative or a new one. ERT responded that its intention was to continue its cooperation with Stefania for the next contest in 2021.

Alternative song contests.

Some of the broadcasters scheduled to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 organised alternative competitions. Austria's ORF broadcast "Der kleine Song Contest" in April 2020, which saw every entry being assigned to one of three semi-finals. A jury consisting of ten singers that had represented Austria at Eurovision before was hired to rank each song; the best-placed entry in each semi-final advanced to the final round. In the third semi-final on 18 April, Greece placed seventh in a field of 13 participants, achieving 51 points. Greece's song also partook in Sveriges Television's "" in May, and was qualified for the final round, finishing 15th.

Greece planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, which was scheduled to be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Greek-Dutch singer Stefania was internally selected by the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) with the song "Supergirl", written by Dimitris Kontopoulos, Sharon Vaughn, Pavlos Manolis, Anastasios Rammos, Diverno and Gabriel Russell. Due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Europe, the contest was cancelled in mid-March. ERT has stated Stefania will instead represent Greece at the 2021 contest.

La Grèce était l'un des quarante et un pays participants prévus du Concours Eurovision de la chanson 2020, qui aurait dû se dérouler à Rotterdam aux Pays-Bas. Le pays aurait été représenté par la chanteuse Stefania Liberakakis et sa chanson "SUPERG!RL", sélectionnées en interne par le diffuseur ERT. L'édition est finalement annulée en raison de la pandémie de Covid-19.


History.

In 1694 a number of Newport pirate vessels prepared to set sail with Tew, among them Joseph Bankes’ barque "Portsmouth Adventure". Bankes (or Banks) transferred his commission to Joseph Faro, who captained the 90-ton 6-gun "Portsmouth Adventure" with a crew of 60. Among his crew was future pirate captain Dirk Chivers.  After nearly a year on voyage, in 1695 Tew, Faro, and three other captains (William Mayes, Richard Want, and Thomas Wake) joined up with Every and his ship "Fancy" and waited for the Mughal's treasure-laden convoy. Most of the convoy escaped, but the "Gunsway" and her escort "Fateh Mohammed" were straggling behind and after a protracted fight was overtaken and brutally looted by Every and his crew. Tew had been killed during the battle while Want and Wake's slower ships were left behind. Only Faro and Mayes arrived in time to help Every, but Every denied Faro and his crew a full share of the vast riches, claiming they had never joined in the fighting.  Afterward, Faro took the "Portsmouth Adventure" into the Persian Gulf, and then back to Madagascar, where Faro's ship was wrecked on Mayotte. Every rescued Faro and some of his crew en route to the Bahamas; some of Faro's crew joined Every, and a few even made it back to Newport, while Chivers and others remained behind to be later rescued by Robert Glover in the "Resolution". Faro later captained the sloop "Sea Flower" which transported Every back to Ireland when the latter chose to retire.

Joseph Faro (fl. 1694-1696, last name occasionally Farrell, Firra, or Faroe) was a pirate from Newport active during the Golden Age of Piracy, primarily in the Indian Ocean. He is best known for sailing alongside Thomas Tew to join Henry Every’s pirate fleet which captured and looted the fabulously rich Mughal ship "Gunsway".

Joseph Faro (occasionnellement Farrell, Firra ou Faroe, fl. 1694-1696) est un pirate de Newport actif pendant l'âge d'or de la piraterie, principalement dans l'océan Indien. Il est surtout connu pour avoir navigué aux côtés de Thomas Tew et rejoint la flotte de pirates de Henry Every, qui a capturé et pillé le "Gunsway", un riche navire moghol transportant une quantité colossale d’or et de pierreries.


History.

Also known as the "Old Kenosha Light", it was replaced by the Kenosha North Pier Light in 1906. The keeper's house continued to be used for many years, however.  The light is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Kenosha Light Station, Reference #90000995. It has been an active aid to navigation since 1996, but is not listed in Volume VII United States Coast Guard light list. The lantern room was removed in 1913 but replicated in 1994. The Fresnel lens was replaced by a 300 mm Tidaland Signal plastic lens – a medium range lens commonly used on the Great Lakes.  A historical marker in front of the lighthouse reads:  A lightkeeper's house sits near the lighthouse tower. The original section of the house was built in 1866 at the same time as the lighthouse. It was two stories, with walls of cream brick similar to the tower, with a simple rectangular footprint. The moderate pitch of the roof and the frieze board under the eaves come from Greek Revival style. In 1907 the north ell with the two-story porch was added to the house, along with a 2-story addition to the kitchen at the southeast corner and bathrooms.  The light on Simmons Island was part of an effort to make Kenosha a major shipping port, and money was spent from the 1830s to the 1880s on infrastructure like the lighthouse. But this lighthouse was too far from the harbor to give entering craft a clear bearing, so a beacon was added to the pierhead in the 1860s. By the turn of the century, the better harbors and railroad connections at Chicago, Milwaukee and Racine prevailed and Kenosha was a minor port.

Current status and directions.

The building is currently maintained by the City of Kenosha and the Kenosha County Historical Society. It is also on the State List/Inventory, having been listed in 1975.  The keeper's house is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays during the tourist season. The tower is open for climbers many weekends of the summer.  The lighthouse can be seen from Kenosha near the vicinity of 50th Street and 4th Avenue.

Kenosha Light (also called Southport Light) is a lighthouse and keeper's house on Simmons Island north of the channel into Kenosha's harbor in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, USA.

L'ancien phare de Kenosha (en ""), est un phare du lac Michigan situé sur l'île Simmons au nord du canal dans le port de Kenosha dans le Comté de Kenosha, Wisconsin. Il a été remplacé, en 1906, par le phare de la jetée de Kenosha.


Early life.

Osborn was born on 17 November 1715, at Chicksands village (Shefford, Bedfordshire, England), which was the seat of the Osborn family. His father was John Osborn, eldest son of Sir John Osborn, 2nd Baronet (see Osborn baronets). Of the previous four generations of paternal relatives, two grandmothers (Lady Doroty Danvers and Lady Eleanor Danvers) had belonged to the Danvers lineage. Osborn's mother was Sarah Byng. Her father was George Byng, the 1st Viscount Torrington, whereas her brother was the Admiral John Byng. Both Byng relatives were prominent figures against the Jacobite rising of 1689. In 1720 he succeeded his grandfather in the baronetcy.  Osborn was married to Lady Mary Montagu, on 25 September 1740. She was of the 8th generation of Henry VIII's lineage. Her father was George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, whereas her brother George Montagu-Dunk became the 2nd Earl. Osborn begot two children, of whom one was named George. However, in 1743, Lady Montagu died after delivering the second child. Osborn was quite affected by grief for her for the rest of his life. During the subsequent years, Osborn was a frequent guest at the Montagu-Dunk's manor of Horton (Northamptonshire).

Political career.

When Charles Edward Stuart rebelled in 1745 (Jacobite rising of 1745) in behalf of the House of Stuart, Osborn raised troops to support the King George II, commanding such forces into battle, within Colonel Bedford's regiment, under the Duke of Cumberland.  Subsequently, Osborn represented Bedfordshire as a Member of Parliament (1747–1753). In 1750, following the 2nd Earl of Halifax, who was presiding the Board of Trade and founding the city of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Danvers Osborn travelled to Nova Scotia for six weeks, integrating into the Nova Scotia Council (August). Therein, many issues were attended by Osborn, such as the supplies of the new settlers, the remuneration of the construction workers of the royal projects, and the regulation of the local trade, which was functioning then on Sundays despite the biblical precepts. Attending to so many local matters brought Osborn esteem from the settlers. Back in England, in December, he discussed the issues of Halifax with the official functionaries of trade and plantation.  In May 1753, the Board of Trade recommended that Danvers Osborn should be the next Royal Governor of the Province of New York. In July, his appointment was approved. After his arrival on 6 October, Osborn was welcomed officially by the mayor and the assemblymen of New York, and formally assumed his office on 10 October. His personal secretary was the Englishman Thomas Pownall.

Death.

On 12 October 1753, Osborn's dead body was found in the garden of the house in which he was lodged, which belonged to a local councilman. The body presented evidences of strangulation. James De Lancey, the lieutenant governor who took over as acting governor on Osborn's death, reported to the Board of Trade that Osborn had had a melancholic demeanor, which evidenced a great psychological disorder. Historically, such depression to provoke Osborn's suicide, is attributed to grief over his lost wife. The "New York Post" reported his death and gave details of the last week of his life before his suicide.  Initially, Osborn was buried at the Trinity Church of New York. In 1754, his remains were transported to Osborn's native parish of England (Chicksands), where he was reinterred.

Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Baronet (17 November 1715 – 12 October 1753), served briefly in 1753 as colonial governor of New York Province. During the Jacobite Uprising, he had raised and commanded troops in support of the king. He later served as a Member of Parliament from Bedfordshire (1747–1753). In 1750 he traveled to Nova Scotia and was part of the colonial administration. He had a history of melancholia, as it was then called, and committed suicide in New York shortly after taking office.

Sir Danvers Osborn, baronnet ( - ), sert brièvement en 1753 comme gouverneur colonial de la Province de New York. Pendant le soulèvement jacobite, il lève et commande des troupes pour soutenir le roi. Il est député de Bedfordshire (1747-1753). En 1750, il se rend en Nouvelle-Écosse et fait partie de l'administration coloniale. Il a un tempérament mélancolique, comme on l'appelait alors, et s'est suicidé à New York peu de temps après son entrée en fonction.


History.

The building, designed in 1891 by E. W. Mountford, opened in 1893 as Battersea Town Hall, the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Battersea, shortly after the borough was transferred from the county of Surrey to the newly formed County of London. It is built from Suffolk red brick and Bath stone.  Bertrand Russell's essay "Why I Am Not a Christian" was originally given as a talk in the hall, on 6 March 1927, under the auspices of the South London Branch of the National Secular Society.  Following proposals by London Borough of Wandsworth to demolish large parts of the building, a vociferous and ultimately successful campaign to save it was fought by the Victorian Society and Battersea Society it was given Grade II* listed protected status in February 1970.

Organ.

In 1901, a large pipe organ was installed in the Grand Hall by Norman & Beard. This was an unusual instrument designed by Robert Hope-Jones, a pioneering organ builder who invented many aspects of the modern pipe organ. His ideas went on to form the basis of the Wurlitzer theatre organ in the 1920s and 30s. It was said to be the largest Hope-Jones organ to survive, and was partially restored in 2008–2009. In the 2015 fire, although much of the organ was destroyed, including the console, bellows, wiring and architectural cases, the soundboards and much of the pipework survived as they were off site undergoing restoration. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Arts centre.

The building became a community arts centre in 1974. BAC currently receives grants towards the building's operating costs from Arts Council England and the London Borough of Wandsworth, among others. The centre is a registered charity.  David Jubb has been the BAC's artistic director since 2004. He shared the Joint Artistic Directorship of BAC with David Micklem between 2007 and 2012. In October 2018, David Jubb announced that he would step down from his role in April 2019.  The theatre was founded in 1981.  BAC operates a "scratch" methodology as part of its "ladder of development" for new work. Performances are shown at various stages of development to an outside audience, whose input and criticism guides the further evolution of the work.

Use in film.

The old Town Hall was used as a location in the 1975 film "Slade In Flame" featuring rock band Slade. The Town Hall was the location for the 21st birthday party of the character played by Dave Hill. On 8 and 9 October 2012, the pop band McFly used the location to film a video for their single "Love Is Easy".

Beer festival.

Every February since 1991, the BAC has hosted the three-day-long Battersea Beer Festival.

Fire.

On 13 March 2015, during a major renovation programme, a fire broke out in the roof, and engulfed the building, causing severe structural damage, including the collapse of the tower. The Grand Hall and Lower Hall were destroyed. No injuries were reported.  The fire was tackled by about 80 London Fire Brigade firefighters and 12 fire engines. Firefighters were able to save a large part of the building including several of the smaller theatre spaces. Two shows went ahead as planned one day after the fire, and BAC has maintained much of its artistic programme, despite losing the ability to hire out the larger venues (a significant source of income).  Jubb launched a fundraising campaign to help the centre soon afterwards., and in May announced that during the rebuilding of the Grand Hall, BAC would also create a large off-site theatre from mid-2016 to end of 2017 "for the presentation of visionary and exciting new theatre while we rebuild the Grand Hall".

The Battersea Arts Centre ("BAC") is a Grade II* listed building near Clapham Junction railway station in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth that operates as a performance space specialising in theatre productions. It was formerly Battersea Town Hall. In March 2015, while a major programme of renovation works were underway, the Grand Hall was severely damaged by fire. Approximately 70% of the theatre, including the 200-capacity Council Chamber, the Scratch Bar and the Members Library, was saved from the fire and remains open.

Le Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) est un espace spécialisé dans les productions théâtrales. Il est situé près de la gare de Clapham Junction à Battersea, dans le London Borough of Wandsworth.


History.

The village was first mentioned in a Latin document of Diocese of Wrocław called "Liber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis" from around 1305 as "". It meant that the village was supposed to pay a tithe from 11 greater lans. The creation of the village was a part of a larger settlement campaign taking place in the late 13th century on the territory of what will be later known as Upper Silesia.  The village belonged initially to the Duchy of Teschen, formed in 1290 in the process of feudal fragmentation of Poland and was ruled by a local branch of Piast dynasty. In 1327 the duchy became a fee of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which after 1526 became part of the Habsburg Monarchy.  The village became a seat of a Catholic parish, probably mentioned already in an incomplete register of Peter's Pence payment from 1335 as "Hankendorf" and as such being one of the oldest in the region. It was (again?) mentioned in the register of Peter's Pence payment from 1447 among 50 parishes of Teschen deanery as "Heyczendorff".  After the 1540s Protestant Reformation prevailed in the Duchy of Teschen and a local Catholic church was taken over by Lutherans. It was taken from them (as one from around fifty buildings) in the region by a special commission and given back to the Roman Catholic Church on 16 April 1654.  After Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire a modern municipal division was introduced in the re-established Austrian Silesia. The village as a municipality was subscribed to the political and legal district of Bielsko. According to the censuses conducted in 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910 the population of the municipality grew from 1673 in 1880 to 2365 in 1910 with a dwindling majority being native Polish-speakers (from 96.9% in 1880 and 97% in 1890 to 76.3% in 1910) accompanied by a growing German-speaking minority (from 43 or 2.6% in 1880 to 539 or 22.8% in 1910) and a few Czech-speaking persons (at most 8 or 0.5% in 1880), in terms of religion in 1910 majority were Protestants (51.3%), followed by Roman Catholics (47.1%) Jews (23 or 0.9%) and 16 adhering to yet another faith. The village was also traditionally inhabited by Cieszyn Vlachs, speaking Cieszyn Silesian dialect.  After World War I, fall of Austria-Hungary, Polish–Czechoslovak War and the division of Cieszyn Silesia in 1920, it became a part of Poland. It was then annexed by Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II. After the war it was restored to Poland.

Jasienica () is a village and the seat of Gmina Jasienica, Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has a population of 5,242 (2016).

Jasienica est une localité polonaise et siège de la gmina du même nom, située dans le powiat de Bielsko-Biała en voïvodie de Silésie.


Geography.

The hill castle is located in the Upper Mundat Forest about three kilometres west of the village of Oberotterbach on the 503-metre-high "Schlossberg" hill. One kilometre away are the Hohe Derst (561 m) to the northwest and Hohe Kopf (497 m) to the south. The Otterbach, a left tributary of the River Rhine, rises on the northeastern slopes of the Schlossberg, below the castle.

History.

The castle was possibly first mentioned in 1151 as an imperial castle of the Hohenstaufen emperors which was managed by the "ministerialis", Landolfo de Gudenburc, or it may have been connected with Ulrich of Guttenberg ("Udelricus de Gudenburhc") who gifted it in 1174 to Eusserthal Abbey. The first confirmed record occurs in 1246 when Isengard of Falkenstein, on behalf of her husband, the imperial steward ("Reichstruchsess"), Philip I of Falkenstein, transferred the castle to King Conrad IV.  In 1317, half of the castle was enfeoffed to the counts of Leiningen, whilst the other half went, a little later, to Electoral Palatinate.  In the division of the Palatinate of 1410 the castle was allocated to Duke Stephen of Palatinate-Simmern-Zweibrücken. The Leiningens lost their share in 1463 when it went via the Hanau-Lichtenbergs to the Wittelsbach branch of Palatinate-Zweibrücken.  In 1525, during the German Peasants' War Guttenberg Castle was destroyed by a Lorraine peasant mob. The ruins were never rebuilt and its associated office or "Amt" moved to Dörrenbach. With the extinction of the Heidelberg line in 1559, Palatinate-Zweibrücken also inherited the other half of the Barony of Guttenberg including the related part of the ruined castle.  From 1680 to 1697 the region was under French hegemony as part of the successes achieved under France's policy of reunionspolitik. From 1792 to 1815 the region was part of the First French Republic and was assigned to the département du Bas-Rhin (Department of Lower Rhine). In November 1815 the area between the rivers Lauter and Queich, including the ruins of Guttenberg, came under the sovereignty of the Empire of Austria as a result of the agreements reached in the Second Treaty of Paris. Finally in April 1816 the region of the Palatinate was surrendered in the Treaty of Munich to the Kingdom of Bavaria, becoming the Circle of the Rhine.  After the end of the Second World War the site became the property of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, but was under French administration from 1949 to 1986.  From 1989 to 1995 safety measures were implemented with the support of the Advisory Board for the Preservation of the Mundat Forest ("Kuratoriums zu Erhaltung des Mundatwaldes").

Guttenberg Castle (, more rarely, "Guttenburg") is a ruined rock castle near the French border in the German part of the Wasgau, which in turn is part of the Palatine Forest in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Le château de Guttenberg (plus rarement "Guttenburg") est la ruine d'un château fort rocheux près de la frontière française dans la partie allemande de la Vasgovie (), qui appartient à la forêt palatine (Rhénanie-Palatinat).


Biography.

Eleanor Whitton was born as Eleanor Constance Beatty in 1879 in County Longford. She was the daughter of Church of Ireland minister, Rev. Alexander Beatty. She married Henry M. Whitton, registrar of the court of appeal in 1902. The couple had a son and two daughters. In 1954 their son, Cuthbert Henry Whitton, was appointed prime judge in the supreme court of Singapore. As a skilled horse rider, Whitton was one of the founding members of the South County Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in 1905, serving as the honorary secretary until 1954. She led a campaign against the export of horses for slaughter in 1928 by being an establishing member of the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) in Ireland, and being the honorary director for the rest of her life. ILPH was described as "almost a one-woman show", Whitton conducted investigations into the shipping conditions of horses, and launched a campaign for the ban of the live export of horses. She is believed to have bought between 4000 and 9000 horses personally to rescue them, aiding in the purchase of "rest fields" for them in Rathfarnham, the first type of sanctuary of its kind in Ireland.  At the end of World War II, Ireland began exporting large numbers of horses for France and Belgium for horse meat, with Whitton sending a large portion of time watching the loading of live animals. She would ensure that the conditions on the ships were good, and that the horse were fit to travel. On one occasion she hired a vet to travel on a ship bound for France. She travelled across Ireland inspecting horses in her capacities in both the SPCA and ILPH. The work of Whitton and these groups came to public attention in 1952 when SPCA, ILPH, Our Dumb Friends' League and the Dublin Animals' Protection Association organised a protest march through central Dublin of 1000 people on 28 March 1952. They also held a well-attended meeting on 28 April 1952 at the Mansion House, Dublin. The common policy of the three groups was called the "five Ps", namely parades, posters, protest meetings, publicity and politics. Whitton did not live to see the ban on live horse exports from Ireland, but the campaigns resulted in legislation being passed to that effect in 1961, 1963 and 1964. Her work also secured the support of a number of TDs including Patrick O'Donnell, Alfred Patrick Byrne, William Norton, Patrick Cogan, Henry Morgan Dockrell, Michael Ffrench-O'Carroll, William Davin and taoiseach John A. Costello.  Whitton's work has been viewed as bringing animal welfare into Irish public policy. She died at her home at 10 Laburnum Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin on 28 March 1956.

Eleanor Whitton (1879 - 28 March 1956) was an Irish animal rights campaigner, being a founding member of the South County Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Irish branch of the International League for the Protection of Horses.

Eleanor Whitton ( - ) est une militante irlandaise des droits des animaux, membre fondatrice de la South County Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals et de la branche irlandaise de la Ligue internationale pour la protection des chevaux.


Origins.

Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s by architects such as Buckminster Fuller and John C. Portman Jr.; architect and industrial designer Eero Saarinen, Archigram, an avant-garde architectural group (Peter Cook, Warren Chalk, Ron Herron, Dennis Crompton, Michael Webb and David Greene, Jan Kaplický and others); it is considered in part an evolution out of high-tech architecture, developing many of the same themes and ideas.  Although it was never built, the Fun Palace (1961) interpreted by architect Cedric Price as a "giant neo-futurist machine" influenced other architects, notably Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, whose Pompidou Centre extended many of Price's ideas.

Definition.

Neo-futurism was revitalised in 2007 after the publication of "The Neo-Futuristic City Manifesto" included in the candidature presented to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and written by innovation designer Vito Di Bari (a former executive director at UNESCO), to outline his vision for the city of Milan at the time of the Universal Expo 2015. Di Bari defined his neo-futuristic vision as the "cross-pollination of art, cutting edge technologies and ethical values combined to create a pervasively higher quality of life"; he referenced the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development Theory and reported that the name had been inspired by the United Nations report "Our Common Future".  Jean-Louis Cohen has defined neo-futurism as a corollary to technology, noting that a large amount of the structures built today are byproducts of new materials and concepts about the function of large-scale constructions in society. Etan J. Ilfeld wrote that in the contemporary neo-futurist aesthetic "the machine becomes an integral element of the creative process itself, and generates the emergence of artistic modes that would have been impossible prior to computer technology." Reyner Banham's definition of "une architecture autre" is a call for an architecture that technologically overcomes all previous architectures but possessing an expressive form, as Banham stated about neo-futuristic "Archigram's Plug-in Computerized City, form does not have to follow function into oblivion."

In art and architecture.

Neo-futurism was inspired partly by Futurist architect Antonio Sant'Elia and pioneered from the early 1960s and the late 1970s by Hal Foster, with architects such as William Pereira, Charles Luckman and Henning Larsen..

People.

The relaunch of neo-futurism in the 21st century has been creatively inspired by the Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, architect Santiago Calatrava.  Neo-futurist architects, designers and artists include people like, Patrick Jouin, Yuima Nakazato,artist Simon Stålenhag and artist Charis Tsevis. Neo-futurism has absorbed some high-tech architectural themes and ideas, incorporating elements of high-tech industry and technology іnto building design: Technology and context has been a focus for some architects such as Buckminster Fuller, Norman Foster, Kenzo Tange, Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.

Neo-futurism is a late-20th- to early-21st-century movement in the arts, design, and architecture. It has been seen as a departure from the attitude of post-modernism and represents an idealistic belief in a better future.

Le néo-futurisme est un mouvement de la fin du et du début du dans les arts, le design et l'architecture. Il a été considérée comme une rupture avec l'attitude du post-modernisme et représente une croyance idéaliste en un avenir meilleur.


Life.

Ebtehaj was born February 25, 1928 in Rasht, Iran, and had his primary schooling there before moving to Tehran. His first book of poetry, with an introduction by eminent poet Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi, was published when he was 19 years old. During Iran's open period following World War II, Sayeh got involved in various literary circles and contributed to various literary magazines such as Sokhan, Kavian, Sadaf, Maslehat, and others. Unlike many other literary figures of the time who got deeply involved in politics and left-leaning activities, Sayeh stayed true to his social and political consciousness but refrained from deeper involvement. He was employed at the National Cement Company for 22 years while continuing his literary activities. Later he was invited by the National Iranian Radio to produce the traditional music program "Golhaye Taze" and "Golchin Hafte."  After the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the ensuing suppression, Sayeh spent a year in prison for his writings. After he was released, he began work on "Hafez, by Sayeh," a verse-for-verse study of the various publications of Hafez. In 1987, he moved to Cologne, Germany, with his family and lives there.

Poetry.

Sayeh published his first collection of poetry while he was still a high school student in the northern province of Gilan, Iran. His total output, however, remains small because of his preoccupation with high craftsmanship and exact phraseology. In the political climate of the 1940s, Sayeh was an ardent advocate of the poetry of social commitment. His own early poetry reveals his concern with purposive literature.  Sayeh has also written a collection of lyrical poems (ghazal) in the classical style. Here, he reveals an easy mastery of traditional forms—the lyrical ode, in particular—which he uses to celebrate both the sacred and the secular moments of life. Sayeh's poetry, at times highly emotional, is always remarkable for its convincing directness and unconcealed sentiment.  Sayeh's poetry has been set to music by such artists as Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Hafez Nazeri, with his poem "Namadegano Raftegan" featured as a track in the Rumi Symphony Project.

Works.

Poetry  Other

Poems in translation.

Translations by Mojdeh Marashi and Chad Sweeney:

Hushang Ebtehaj (, with the pen name of H. E. Sayeh (, lit. "Shade") is an Iranian poet of the 20th century, whose life and work spans many of Iran's political, cultural and literary upheavals.

Houshang Ebtehaj (perse: هوشنگ ابتهاج, nom de plume H. E. Sayeh, perse: ه. ا. سایه, littéralement “Ombre”) est un poète iranien du.


Tournament format.

The 2020 Snooker Shoot Out professional snooker tournament was held at the Watford Colosseum in Watford, England, between 20 and 23 February 2020. It was the 10th edition of the Snooker Shoot Out tournament, the first of which was held in 1990 as the 1990 Shoot-Out. The 2020 iteration is the 13th ranking event of the 2019–20 snooker season following the World Grand Prix and preceding the Players Championship. The Snooker Shoot Out is a best-of-one-frame tournament. The 2020 event had 128 participants from the World Snooker Tour and additional players were selected as wildcard entries. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPSA) and the World Snooker Tour.  The tournament was played using a variation of the traditional snooker rules. All matches were played over a single, each of which lasted up to 10 minutes. The event featured a variable ; shots played in the first five minutes were allowed 15 seconds while the final five had a 10-second timer. All award the opponent a. Unlike traditional snooker, if a ball does not hit a on every shot, it is a foul. Rather than a coin toss, a lag is used to chose which player. In the event of a draw, each player receives a shot at the this is known as a "blue ball shootout". The player who the ball with the from inside the and the blue ball on its spot with the opponent missing wins the match. The event was broadcast by Eurosport.

Prize fund.

The event had a prize fund of £171,000, of which the winner received £50,000. The event was the third of the "European Series", all of which were sponsored by BetVictor. The other tournaments in the series were the European Masters, German Masters and Gibraltar Open. The player accumulating the most prize money over the four events received a bonus of £150,000. The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:

Tournament summary.

Early rounds.

The 2020 Snooker Shoot Out began on 20 February and the first round was played during the first two days. The tournament's opening match featured defending champion Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, who had defeated Michael Holt in the final of the 2019 event. Un-Nooh defeated Maltese player Alex Borg 63–17. The match between Daniel Wells and Bai Langning finished at 72–72 and Wells won the blue-ball shootout. Despite trailing 37–1 to Alfie Burden, Soheil Vahedi made a break of 36 to force a shootout, which he won. Three-time world champion Mark Selby lost in the opening round to Sunny Akani 54–18 while reigning world seniors champion Jimmy White lost to Matthew Stevens 71–39. Three amateur players qualified for the second round of the competition; Scotland's Dean Young defeated David Grace 35–29 and Irish player Ross Bulman defeated 2018 Snooker Shoot Out winner Michael Georgiou 21–28. In an all-amateur first-round match, 15 year-old Robbie McGuigan was defeated 15–50 by European under-18 champion Aaron Hill.  Two female players were invited into the draw. Nutcharut Wongharuthai played one shot in her match against Thor Chuan Leong, who made a total clearance, scoring 133, the highest of the event. Twelve-time women's world champion Reanne Evans also lost in the first round to Ian Burns. The 2019 Snooker Shoot Out runner-up Michael Holt played Amine Amiri, who had not won a frame on tour all season. Amiri was ahead but failed to realise every shot must hit a cushion. He played a on two occasions, awarding 14 points to Holt and allowing Holt to win 69–38.  The second round of the tournament was held on 22 February. Defending champion Thepchaiya Un-Nooh was defeated by Peter Lines 11–79. Ronnie O'Sullivan, who had entered the event for the first time since 2015, lost 66–30 to Billy Joe Castle. The Masters finalist Ali Carter was defeated by Brandon Sargeant 63–68. All three amateur players won their second-round matches; Aaron Hill defeated world number eight Kyren Wilson with a break of 47, Dean Young defeated Liam Highfield and Ross Bulman beat Andrew Pagett. Anthony Hamilton defeated top-16 player David Gilbert 62–50.

Later rounds.

The remaining rounds were played on 23 February. The final day featured the remaining 32 players playing in four rounds with a break between each round. Two top-16 players, Jack Lisowski and Barry Hawkins lost in the third round to Zhou Yuelong and Ben Woollaston respectively. Lyu Haotian made a half-century break before Soheil Vahedi needed a to win the match; he missed a shot on the and lost 47–64.  The fourth round began with 2017 winner Anthony McGill defeating Shaun Murphy. Woollaston completed a whitewash of Jamie Rhys Clarke 96–0. In a frame consisting of only 34 points, Mei Xiwen defeated Mike Dunn 22–12. The semi-final lineup included three Chinese players; Zhou Yuelong defeated Xiwen, Lyu Haotan defeated Anthony McGill, and Yan Bingtao defeated Anthony Hamilton. The other semi-finalist was Michael Holt, who defeated Ben Woollaston 19–7. The semi-finals were played from 9 p.m; in the first match, Michael Holt defeated Yan Bingtao 59–16. The second semi-final finished with a 44–33 win for Zhou Yuelong over Lyu Haotian.  The final was played between Michael Holt and Zhou Yuelong, both of whom were playing in their second ranking final; Holt had reached the event final the previous year while Zhou had reached the 2020 European Masters final earlier in the season. The winner of the Shoot Out progressed to the Players Championships that followed it. Holt scored a break of 42 and won the final 64–1; This was Holt's first full ranking event victory in his 24-year professional career. he said the tournament's format allowed him to "play on my instinct and then play my best".

Draw.

All times were in Grenwich Mean Time. Players in bold denote match winners.

Round 1.

Thursday, 20 February – 13:00  Thursday, 20 February – 19:00  Friday, 21 February – 13:00  Friday, 21 February – 19:00

Round 2.

Saturday, 22 February – 13:00  Saturday, 22 February – 19:00

Round 3.

Sunday, 23 February – 13:00

Round 4.

Sunday, 23 February – 19:00

Quarter-finals.

Sunday, 23 February – 21:00

Semi-finals.

Sunday, 23 February – 22:15

Final.

Sunday, 23 February – 22:45

Century breaks.

A total of four century breaks were made during the event. The highest was a 133 made by Thor Chuan Leong.

The 2020 Snooker Shoot Out (officially the 2020 BetVictor Snooker Shoot Out due to sponsorship) was a professional snooker event held from 20 to 23 February 2020 at the Watford Colosseum in Watford, England. It is the 13th ranking event of the 2019–20 snooker season and the 11th edition of the Snooker Shoot Out, the first of which was held as a one-off event in 1990. The tournament has taken place annually since 2011. The 2020 event was played under a variation of the standard rules of snooker; shots were timed and matches were played as a single lasting up to 10 minutes. The event was the third of four events sponsored by BetVictor, making up the 2020 European Series.

Le Snooker "Shoot-Out" 2020 est un tournoi de snooker classé comptant pour la saison 2019-2020. L'épreuve s'est tenue du au au Watford Colosseum de Watford, en Angleterre. Elle est organisée par la WPBSA et parrainée par la société de paris anglaise BetVictor. Elle fait partie de la toute nouvelle "BetVictor European Series". Le sponsor décernera un bonus de au joueur qui amassera le plus de points lors des quatre tournois suivants : le Masters d'Europe, le Masters d'Allemagne, le "Shoot-Out" et l'Open de Gibraltar.


Biology.

The escolar is dark brown, growing darker with age until it is quite black. It is a fast-swimming fish with a prominent lateral keel and four to six finlets after the anal and second dorsal fins. Escolar can grow to over 2 m in length. Like its relative the oilfish ("Ruvettus pretiosus"), escolar cannot metabolize the wax esters (gempylotoxin) naturally found in its diet. This gives the escolar an oil content of 14–25% in its flesh.

Health effects.

Escolar's wax ester content can cause keriorrhea (Greek: flow of wax), gempylotoxism or gempylid fish poisoning. Symptoms range from stomach cramps to rapid loose bowel movements, occurring 30 minutes to 36 hours following consumption. This condition may also be referred to as steatorrhea.  Two known ways to reduce the likelihood of escolar-induced keriorrhea are to limit portions to six ounces (170 g) or less and to consume portions close to the tail, which typically have a lower wax ester content. Reports conflict on whether deep skinning, freezing or grilling will reduce the likelihood of keriorrhea.

Mislabeling.

Escolar can be mislabeled in both restaurants and at fish markets. In 2009, tuna samples from sushi restaurants in New York City and Denver were DNA tested. Five of nine restaurants serving fish labeled "white tuna", "white tuna (albacore)" or "super white tuna" were actually serving escolar. From 2010 to 2013, a study by Oceana, an ocean preservation organization, tested over 114 samples of tuna, and found that 84% of the white tuna samples were actually escolar.  Oceana claims that escolar has been mislabeled or otherwise confused with the following fish: Atlantic cod, oilfish (related to escolar but in a different genus), rudderfish, blue cod, black cod, king tuna, grouper, orange roughy, sea bass, gemfish, Chilean sea bass, albacore tuna, and white tuna.  Oceana claims that this mislabeling, whether by ignorance or deceit, is more hazardous than the mislabeling of other fish due to the potential health effects of escolar.

Regulation and banning.

Italy and Japan have banned the sale of escolar due to its potential side effects. It has been banned for consumption in Japan since 1977, as the Japanese government considers it toxic. In 1999, the Swedish and Danish national food administrations informed fish trade associations and fish importing companies about the problems escolar and related fish could cause if not prepared properly and issued recommendations.  In early 2007, after a public outcry, receiving consumer complaints about mislabeled fish and conducting an investigation, the Hong Kong government's Centre for Food Safety recommended escolar not be used for catering purposes, advised clear labeling and identification of fish species before sale, and purchase of fish from reliable sources, and recommended consumers become aware of the possible health effects of consumption of escolar, oilfish, and related species. The Hong Kong government has established a working group composed of members of the academia, trade and consumer group to prepare guidelines for assisting the trade and consumers in identifying relevant species of fish.  In the United States, the FDA, after receiving complaints about diarrhea associated with escolar consumption, issued a bulletin recommending against import of the fish in the early 1990s. However, the FDA backed away from this recommendation and withdrew the bulletin several years later after deciding the fish was nontoxic and nonlethal. Currently, the FDA informally recommends, "Escolar should not be marketed in interstate commerce."  In mid-2007, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, after investigating cases of diarrhea caused by mislabeled fish, decided not to ban escolar or oilfish, but instead issued a fact sheet noting the potential adverse effects of consumption and recommending consumers speak with their retailer, verify fish species and consume the fish in small portion sizes using preparation methods that reduce oil content.  Hawaiian State Representative James Tokioka introduced HB2669, a bill aimed at banning the catch, sale or possession of escolar. HB2669 was deferred on February 1, 2010.

The escolar, "Lepidocybium flavobrunneum", a species of fish in the family Gempylidae, is found in deep () tropical and temperate waters around the world. It is also known as "snake mackerel", "walu walu" ("Hawaiian", also seen written "waloo"), and is sometimes fraudulently sold as "butterfish" or "white tuna", a matter aggravated by potential health problems related to consumption of escolar, also giving rise to the mocking name "ex-lax fish".

Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, l'Escolier noir, est une espèce de poissons de la famille des Gempylidae. C'est la seule espèce de son genre Lepidocybium (monotypique).